YouTube rumoured to launch Spotify-like music service

Billboard has revealed that YouTube is supposedly set to launch a subscription-based music service before the year’s end. It is said to have “mobile listening in mind” with two tiers of usage: free with ads or $10 monthly fee for premium version without ads and offline listening capabilities. The streaming video site has yet to confirm the imminent debut of this service but we’ll keep you posted if there are any updates.

Sneak peek into Instagram ads

Instagram is giving users a peek into what “sponsored posts” or ads would look like on the photo and video sharing app. It looks similar to any other Instagram post but with a “sponsored” banner on the upper right corner of the photo or video. The sample ad will make its appearance on timelines in the U.S. starting this week and tapping on the “sponsored” link will take you to a page explaining how advertising on Instagram will work.

Rogers to exclusively launch the HTC One mini on November 4th

The HTC One is the best phone many of you don't already own. Arguably the best built Android phone to ever hit the market (and most comparable to the iPhone in design) and offering the best sound in its class, Rogers has announced today that they will launch a smaller iteration of this popular smartphone. Packed with a 4.3-inch display and powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 dual-core 1.4 GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, the Ultrapixel camera and similar aluminum and plastic construction, the HTC One mini is truly a condensed version of HTC's flagship One.

Launching exclusively with Rogers on November 4th. Stay tuned for pricing when it is known.

Review: BlackBerry Z30

Text and photos by Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

Feeling very much like the product the Z10 should have been, BlackBerry's new flagship Z30 isn't just the largest BlackBerry device we've seen and used but also the most refined in terms of software enhancements and user experience with BlackBerry OS 10.2.

The BlackBerry Z30, which sells outright for $700 but will be sold through various carrier plans, has a 5-inch AMOLED screen, it is a farily large smartphone verging on the popular supersized-smartphone category which some have decided to call 'phablets.' It is an elegant device, one that seems to be an amalgam of the Z10's monolithic look and feel plus the Q10's woven glass composite backplate. It feels like a polished stone in the hand with the various lines elegantly tapering at the edges.

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