TELUS tells you to #keepitinyourpants for Cellphone Courtesy Month

Think you have the perfect smartphone etiquette? A recent Google Consumer Survey conducted on your fellow Canadians might say otherwise. The TELUS-commissioned survey found a few interesting tidbits about mobile phone use in the country. Around 53.9% of the respondents say whipping out a smartphone on a first date is a big turnoff with 16.5% saying they will leave the date early if their companion can’t keep it in their pants. Nearly half of the respondents (49.6%) also don’t like being interrupted during a conversation by someone suddenly using their phone. However, a lot of users admit (75% of the respondents!) that they use their phones to tune other people out. Not exactly good behaviour we’d say, especially since about 40 percent of people think their smartphone use doesn’t bother other people (but 9 out of 10 Canadians say they are bothered by other people’s smartphone use).

That is why TELUS has started a new campaign for Cellphone Courtesy Month this July. They have a few tips for you mobile phone users out there or you can share your cellphone etiquette confessions on Instagram or Twitter with the hashtag #keepitinyourpants or through KeepitinYourPants.ca starting July 1. If you want to read the full data of the survey, you can find it here.

Use ‘Ok Google’ anywhere on your Android smartphone

Google has done what they said they would. You can now trigger voice search anywhere on your Android smartphone with a new Google Search update. This new feature is similar to what you can do with a Moto X but now it is available for all Android phones. Just say “Ok Google” when your screen is on and tell Google Now what to do. You can even activate the feature from the lock screen.

Just head to Google Now and select the menu at the bottom right of the phone and then tap on Settings, then Voice, and then select “Ok Google” Detection. According to Gizmodo, this feature is rolling out phone by phone. We’ve tested it on the Nexus 5 and it seems to be working already. Just be a bit patient if it hasn’t landed on your Android just yet.

Yahoo introduces new Flickr experience for Apple TV

Flickr’s new service for Apple TV brings all your photos to life on the big screen, where you can engage with the Flickr community, explore the world’s most interesting photos, and use our powerful search capabilities to browse billions of photos within the most extraordinary online photo collection.

For the first time with Apple TV, sign into Flickr and view all your photos, videos, Favorites, Albums, and Groups. In one click, make any album into a slideshow or screensaver ready to share with friends, or customize in real-time with over fifteen different slideshow and screensaver modes.

The Apple Beat: Why the time is right for larger iPhones

iPhone 6 rendering by MacRumors.comBy Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

When the iPhone first came out in 2007 (hard to believe its been that long) it had one of the largest touchscreens in the market at 3.5-inches. That size was perfect for the time given we were still on 2G networks and the app ecosystem didn’t even exist yet.

Apple finally bumped up the iPhone’s screen size to 4-inches two years ago with the iPhone 5, and that’s how big it’s been since. Looking at the competition today, 4-inches isn’t even considered the standard in cheaper mini-versions of larger flagship smartphones, many of which sport 4.3-inch to 4.5-inch screens. The larger flagship devices start at 4.7-inches and push the limit of one-handed use with 5-5.2-inch screens. 

There have been various part leaks pointing to larger 4.7-inch and possibly 5,5-inch iPhones coming this fall, and in many ways, the time is right for larger iPhones. Here’s why.

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