Bell Mobility first in North America to deliver Quad Band LTE Advanced speeds

Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ smartphones will be first to take advantage of the new leading edge in mobile broadband speed Bell Mobility announced that it is the first North American carrier to deliver Quad Band LTE connectivity speeds that can reach up to 750 Megabits per second.

"Bell has built a strong reputation for leading innovation in Canadian broadband communications, enabled by a great team and the highest levels of investment in network infrastructure and Canadian R&D," said Stephen Howe, Bell's Chief Technology Officer. "Bell delivered North America's first Tri Band LTE-A mobile service in 2015, and we're proud to announce today that we're first to successfully implement not only Quad Band LTE-A but also the further 256 QAM enhancements that take Canadian mobile speeds to unparalleled new levels."

Click to read more ...

Reservations get collaborative with OpenTable's bot for Facebook Messenger

OpenTable, the world’s leading provider of online restaurant reservations and part of the Priceline Group, is introducing a new way for diners to search and make restaurant reservations directly through Facebook Messenger.

With OpenTable’s bot for Messenger, diners around the globe can make reservations at more than 40,000 restaurants worldwide directly from within Messenger through the new Chat Extensions feature.

OpenTable’s bot for Messenger makes planning a meal with friends even easier by enabling diners to search and suggest available restaurants to friends as well as make reservations through the bot without leaving Messenger. It’s an easy, collaborative way to pick the perfect spot for a friend’s birthday dinner, a special occasion or an upcoming trip.  

Click to read more ...

Apple expected to launch three iPhone models this fall

Apple is expected to launch three new models of iPhone this fall. A marquee release given this is the 10th anniversary of the iPhone, has Apple doubling down on its offerings. The small but enduring iPhone SE was given more storage a few weeks ago, they added a red iPhone into the colour mix and for next-ge devices, are expected to release two iPhone 7s models (possibly 4.7-inch and a 5.5-inch model) and a more exclusive anniversary edution iPhone with an OLED display which fits the screen resolution of a larger iPhone Plus in a smaller iPhone body.

Other expectations are the integration of a possible glass-based Touch ID button that replaces the Home button and a horizontal camera array which is designed for AR (Augmented Reality), and Apple is considering various materials and treatments ranging from a curved glass design that is reminiscent of the original iPhone as well as aluminium and stainless steel reinforced frames. 

There's a lot at stake for Apple in this particular launch since the iPhone's general look has remained unchanged for three generations. While the company has improved performance, battery life, added water resistance and still has arguably the best cameras on smartphones, most of the changes have been around the addition of new colours. 

Source: Bloomberg

First look at the Microsoft Surface Studio and Surface Dial

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

Canadians finally get access to the Surface Studio desktop as well as the Surface Dial accessory which were shown off yesterday at a press event at the headquarters of Gelaskins, a Toronto based maker of original art-inspired skins and overlays for devices.

The Surface Studio is based around a 28-inch multi-touch display that can be articulated and reclined for drawing or laying almost flat on a desk. Despite having a small footprint, the Surface Studio is a complete PC that's the closest thing to having a large canvas for artists and designers.

Click to read more ...