BlackBerry cancels ‘Live’ conference and two low-end devices

The bad news just keeps rolling in for the Waterloo-based BlackBerry following the announcement of its third quarter loss. The Verge reported BlackBerry will be calling off its annual conference, BlackBerry Live, for 2014 and making it the first cancellation for the said event since it started in 2002. The Wall Street Journal also reported that two low-end devices for the emerging market have been shuffled off but there are “several” higher-end devices that are still being developed.

HP rumoured to unveil ‘cheap’ smartphones by end of 2013

Could we be getting more of these soon?

The end of the year is fast approaching but it seems HP wants to make one last hurrah, if rumours are to be believed that is. The Verge cited a report from The Information claiming the IT company will be unveiling at least six new handsets before the year closes. The devices will be targeted at emerging markets such as China, the Philippines, and India and will be priced somewhere between US$200 and $250 sans contract. Of course, this rumour has to be taken with a grain of salt as we have about a week left until the New Year.

Google approves modded Android smartphone sale

Google gives the go signal for the first Android device to run Cyanogenmod straight out of the box. This new device will come in the form of the China-made Oppo N1 and lets you hack your phone from the first boot. Plus, it has got Android product suite in it! Google is basically letting you mess with your phone and truly personalize the device.

Source: Gizmodo Australia

Snapchat introduces front camera ‘flash’ for iOS

Snapchat is bringing a handy feature for iOS users and selfie-lovers. It’s giving you “flash” capabilities on the front camera by whiting-out your screen. You can access this feature in the “Additional Services” section of your Settings window. Other added features include the ability to replay messages once a day, more filters, and overlay option for data such as weather, speed, and time.