Explora offers smartphone rentals to Canadians traveling to the U.S.

If you’re traveling to the U.S. anytime soon and would need a way to communicate locally, Explora provides travelers with smartphone rentals complete with unlimited data plan and nationwide calling in the country. Rental costs US$8 a day for the Google Nexus 5and the phone will be sent to a pre-determined address for easy pickup and returned through a pre-paid envelope you will mail out.

The Nexus 5 comes with 40 standard apps including Google Maps and Facebook and provides special deals to customers for services like Taxi Magic (you get $10 off the first cab fare).  You can find out more information here.

Source: Canada.com

Bell teams up with Henry's, offers smartphones and 'phoneography' courses

Henry’s is Canada’s largest independent photography retailer and they are teaming up with Bell. announced that Henry’s customers can now experience the ultimate in Phoneography with a selection of Bell Mobility’s top camera-equipped smartphones alongside Henry’s industry leading instruction, top sales experts and wireless photography gear.

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Expect 64-bit Android devices by Christmas?

An ARM executive has told CNET that the plan to shift to 64-bit is happening faster than they expected. Tom Lantzsch, executive vice president of corporate strategy at ARM, said there has been an increase in the demand for 64-bit mobile processors, like that in the Cortex A53 64-bit mobile processor. And that it won’t be long until we see Android devices powered by these processors. "We believe the capability will be there for a 64-bit phone by Christmas," he said.

What can a 64-bit processor bring to the Android market? Lantzsch said it would even make 32-bit code run more efficiently on ARM’s 64 bit v8-A architecture than on the native 32-bit ARM architecture. This would mean battery life would improve, better features will be introduced, and there would be quicker responsiveness.

Viber introduces major redesign for iOS app

While it might be late in the game, Viber has revamped its app to match the minimalist look of iOS 7. The app also now allows users to send longer video messages and create a list of numbers users will like to block.

It also looks like Viber aims to use this redesign to create a new look for its mobile app. “Our goal was to create a simple and friendly interface but at the same time establish a solid foundation for future updates,” said Viber CEO Talmon Marco.

Source: Engadget