Review: BlackBerry Q5

Text and photos by Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

While BlackBerry’s bread and butter has long been the enterprise and government market, there was a time when it catered to a large user base of consumers.

Previous BB models like the Pearl and Curve smartphone lines offered the functionality and ease of use of the more expensive and luxurious Torch and Bold series without higher cost. They were a step up from feature phones and were made from cheaper materials and offered simpler features than the higher-end models

In the age of BlackBerry 10 OS, however, there hasn’t been a serious replacement for the consumer focused BlackBerry smartphones of the past. Until now.

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Don't miss Corey Herscu tomorrow morning on Global TV's "The Morning Show"

Fresh off my trip from Nicaragua, and for the first time as a member of the Canadian Reviewer team, tomorrow morning I will be back on air on Global TV's "The Morning Show" talking about Cottage-friendly gadgets and accessories that will survive the last few trips up north. On the docket for the show we have: the Dyson Cool and Hot blade-less fan, the fully waterproof Bell LTE-powered Sony Xperia Z, the "Fre" LifeProof case for the iPhone 5, the Logitech UE Boom Bluetooth speaker, the waterproof/shockproof Canon Powershot D20 digital camera, and the Huawei B890 4G LTE smart hub! Of course, it wouldn't be me if I didn't have something special to giveaway live on air, so make sure you tune in tomorrow morning first thing!

Samsung seeking smartwatch trademarks in US and S. Korea

Samsung's setting its sights on the emerging smartwatch market. The maker of Galaxies, Notes and Tabs just applied for U.S. and South Korean trademarks for a watch that connects to the Internet. Samsung's reserved the Samsung Gear and Samsung Galaxy Gear trademarks in the US and South Korea while describing a wearable and connected computing device that comes in the form of a wristwatch, bracelet or bangle.  More than just an adjunct or accessory, it seems like Samsung just might put a phone with limited smartphone functions on a wristwatch. This all remains to be seen but it is interesting to see Samsung trying to get first-mover advantage in the wearable computing segment.

Source: Yahoo!

Review: MIO Alpha Heart Rate Monitor

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

The MIO Alpha looks like a trendy sports watch and it is, but it also has the very special function of being the first heart rate monitor you can wear on your wrist that accurately tracks your heart rate while interacting with a host of mobile apps

Starting out as an idea to solve the uncomfortable nature of chest-strapped heart rate monitors, the Mio Alpha is an elegant and effective solution that also opens up a host of possibilities.

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