First look at the LG G Stylo, an affordable phablet with a stylus

By Gadjo C. Sevilla

LG Canada had a lot of surprises for us at the Holidays in June (#LGHiJ) event where they showcased their latest products and technologies. Among the things I learned that surprised me the most was that LG produces solar panels and economical lightbulbs. I also learned that they're releasing an affordable yet versatile phablet geared towards pre-paid customers.

It is called the LG G Stylo, and while it has the general look and feel of the LG G4, it does boast a larger 5.7-inch  IPS display as well as, as its name suggests, a stylus. It also features an 13 megapixel camera with laser focus, a 3,000 mAh battery, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 1.2 GHz Quad-Core processor and 1GB of RAM, 8GB of storage and microSD card expansion plus universal remote capability. Stay tuned on more information regarding availability as well as pricing.

Video: How PayPal is enabling mobile payments in Toronto

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

Earlier today, I went on a tour in dowtown Toronto with Alexander Peh, PayPal Canada’s head of mobile, to preview mobile apps that make everyday life easier. PayPal has been in the online and micro-payments business for many years now and they've adopted the latest technologies. Their mobile solution, which works on iPhones, Android devices, Windows Phone and BlackBerry phones, is compatible with over 100 businesses in Toronto which can enable secure payments.

Alexander Peh explained how  mobile apps and online food delivery services make use of PayPal payments these  include parking app HonkMobile, ride sharing app Blancride, Beck Taxi, food ordering service Grabb, Kupfert & Kim and grocery and booze delivery service Urbery. PayPal earns a commission on each transaction made with these retailers and service providers.

Facebook Messenger now gives access to users without Facebook accounts

Facebook is looking to bring its messaging app to more people as it now lets users sign-up without a Facebook account. All you need is your phone number and you gain access to all Messenger features like photos, group chats, video, stickers, voice and video calling, etc. The feature is currently available to users in Canada, the US, Peru, and Venezuela.

Facebook stresses though that using Messenger with a Facebook account is still beneficial though. “People can easily message with their Facebook friends and contacts, access their Facebook messages and take advantage of multi-device messaging across mobile devices, the web and tablets,” Facebook Software Engineer Louis Boval said in a blog post.  

Source: Facebook Newsroom

Android phones now get Microsoft Office apps

Microsoft’s goal to expand its cross-platform development bears another fruit today. The company just released its Office apps to Android smartphones. Office for Android tablets has been around since the start of the year. Now, the apps have been optimized for a smaller screen. One of the big changes is the placement of the formatting settings at the bottom of the screen to make editing that much easier. OneDrive integration is a given but the app also adds support for Google Drive, Box, and Dropbox. Microsoft said some Android manufacturers will also be preloading Office apps into different Android phones. It’s bloatware admittedly but at least it’s something useful. You can find the free download links for Word, PowerPoint, and Excel below.

Source: Mashable | Download: Word + PowerPoint + Excel (Free)