BMW will reportedly replace employees phones with Lumias

Reports have surfaced that BMW has plans to bring Windows Phone to about 57,000 employees. They will reportedly deploy Lumia branded devices to staff and executives. Regular employees are said to be getting Lumia 630, while executives will be given Lumia 930. The deal hasn’t been finalized yet but we should expect to hear more about it soon. Microsoft will obviously be the one benefiting more from this as they try to gain a foothold in the Android- and iOS-dominated mobile phone space.

Source: Pocket Now | Via: Ubergizmo

Video calls between Microsoft Skype and Lync are now possible

Microsoft announced plans last year to let enterprise-focused Lync and consumer product Skype interoperate. Now, they have rolled out video integration between the two services. In short, you can now call Lync contacts while on Skype and vice versa. Video calls, however, only work with an updated Lync 2013 client  on Android, iOS, or Windows and Skype for Windows desktop. Skype is still working to bring the functionality to iOS, Android, and other platforms. The video support uses “high quality, scalable video using the industry standard H.264 SVC codec” and calls make use of SILK audio codec. There are plans to develop interoperability further as Microsoft plans to rebrand Lync as “Skype for Business” in the coming year.  

Source: TechCrunch

Video: See the latest software features of the BlackBerry Classic

BlackBerry Classic is slated for a New York launch on December 17 and we're slowly starting to see more information on this most awaited device. BlackBerry's main demo dude  Donny Halliwell (also an esteemed automotive reviewer here at Canadian Reviewer) walks us through some of the applications and the browser coming to this new device.

Want more Blackberry Classic coverage? Stay tuned to our liveblog from New York on December 17 when I bring the highlights of the launch event as well as some of the first official hands on video and images of the Classic.

Source: Inside BlackBerry

Kyocera gets tough with the DuraForce rugged smartphone on Bell

Need an Android smartphone that's tougher than the rest? Kyocera and Bell Mobility recently announced the new Kyocera DuraForce, a rugged, waterproof, 4G LTE Android smartphone coming on Decemeber 20th for $99.00 on a two year plan or $449.95 contract free.

“Kyocera and Bell Mobility have teamed up to offer the Canadian market an ultra-rugged, affordable smartphone designed to meet the demands of extreme lifestyles," said Eric Anderson, senior vice president and general manager of global sales and marketing at Kyocera Communications. Hit jump for all the specs and details of this Diehard device.

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