Microsoft invites everyone to experience Xbox One

Reminding us how mundane and ordinary some of our lives are, Microsoft has kicked off an invitation to experience Xbox One, at least vicariously through the regular people who are being invited to see what the next gen console and set-top box has to offer. Set to be launched on November 22, Xbox One is being tagged as, "the only all-in-one entertainment system that brings together content loved by gamers, movie buffs, sports fans, and TV lovers, all in one place." 

Contest: Win 1 of 2 BlackBerry Q10's from BlackBerry and Canadian Reviewer

By Corey Herscu

BlackBerry has been taking a lot of flack lately. A lot. Botched product launches, missed release dates, and increasing scrutiny on their future; it's enough to annoy anyone, and rightfully so. 

But there are always two sides to every story. What many don't realize is that until the 'closed' sign formally appears on the doors of BlackBerry's offices in Waterloo the company continues to operate valiantly.

Despite all the negativity, there are still hundreds of dedicated employees going to work everyday hustling along towards a common goal: giving BlackBerry the second wind it so rightfully deserves.

So, over the last few weeks, I have been pondering what we at CanadianReviewer.com can do to lift people's spirits; aside from the  positive vibes and happy sentiments I try to put out through our own social channels. Then it hit me: why not run a contest? 

Rather than giving away a shiny new Android device to use BBM on, let's focus on one of the best devices to ever come out of Waterloo: the kickass QWERTY-featured BlackBerry Q10! Powered by BlackBerry 10.1 out of box (and 10.2 now available for update), the Q10 combines the award-winning functionality of all-things BlackBerry, with, of course, BBM the way it was meant to be: BBM voice, BBM video, BBM channels, etc. not the scaled down version now available on Android and iOS.

For our lucky readers, we have two to giveaway!

Here is how you can win:

1. Leave a comment on the blog stating your favorite thing about BlackBerry. Get creative. We read every single comment. 

2. Tweet out "I want to win a #BlackBerryQ10 from @BlackBerry and @CReviewer"

3. Must follow @CReviewer on Twitter and Like us on Facebook

4. That's it. That's really all. 

This contest is open for one week and available to anyone in North America. We will announce the winners next Friday November 1.

Two winners will be chosen at random via tweets/comments/likes. Duplicate entries will be voided.

Good luck to all who enter!

Pebble Smartwatch coming to Canada via Future Shop, pre orders now available

One of the most revolutionary products to ever come out of the crowd-funded Kickstarter phenomenon, the Pebble smartwatch is finally coming to Canada. Future Shop is accepting limited pre orders of one Pebble per household at the price of $149.99 (which, surprisingly, is the same price as in the US). Watches will ship by November 18, in time for the holiday season.

It seems they only have stock of the Black version so anyone who wants the other colours may have to look elsewhere. I got my Pebble directly from the company as a Kicstarter funder and I had to pay an extra $39 for customs charges to Canada over the price of the device. I've been using Pebble with my HTC One, Moto X as well as with my iPhone 5s and have been satisfied with what the product offers. I've used it mainly for getting notifications (messaging, email, texts) and obsessively checking the weather through many of their various watch faces as well. I like the cross-platform nature of the Pebble, its ease of use and its longish 6-day battery life on a single charge. If you're interested check out Future Shop's page.

Facebook Home adds Instagram, Flickr to Android lock screens

While Facebook Android beta testers have had this capability for a while already, the new Facebook update introduces the integration of apps into Home. You can now browse apps, such as Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr, and Flickr, from your lock screen. The video above gives a quick peek into the new functionality.