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LTE coverage in Canada has grown just a bit more. Rogers and Manitoba regional carrier MTS have announced their LTE now reaches more customers.

If you’re a Rogers customer then you’ll notice their LTE Max branded network – which uses dual frequency 2100 MHz and 2600 MHz bands – is now live in various parts of Canada:

- Muskoka, Ont.
- Sault Ste. Marie, Ont
- Brooks, Cochrane and Canmore, Alta.
- Sydney, N.S

In addition, Rogers LTE network has been expanded in Moncton, New Brunswick. Over in Manitoba, MTS has followed through on its commitment to launch LTE in six more communities. These first couple locations are now live, both Grand Beach and Victoria Beach can access faster data speeds.

Source: Rogers, MTS

eBay redesigned its iOS app with a new look and some nice new features. The app looks much slicker now, with smooth new animations and a more intuitive design.

The company added a shopping cart to the app, so you can potentially check out multiple items at once, though the service is limited to the US and UK right now. Similarly limited to the US is a new feature to upload your drivers license for registration verification.

Along with performance enhancements and bug fixes, eBay now lets mobile users compete on an equal footing with desktop users for last-minute bids, something that has been a long time coming.

Download eBay for iOS.

Via: TNW

If the leak is true, then Samsung will again come to market with another tablet. The Galaxy Tab 3.0 was announced last month and the newest leak online is a slightly larger Galaxy Tab 3 8.0. Yes, it’s an inch larger at 8-inches and SamMobile’s reliable sources state this will be released later this month. As for its design, the tablet “looks the same” but “the bezel is thinner and the Tab 3 8.0 has more level sensors.”

As for the expected specs, the 8.0 version runs OS 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, 8-inch WXGA display (1280×800 resolution), 1.5 GHz dual-core processor, 16GB internal storage, 1.3MP front-facing camera and a 5MP rear-camera, usual micro USB ports, 3.5mm earphone jack, 4450 mAh battery and overall dimensions of 209.3 x 122.2 x 6.95mm.

No word yet on either of the new tablets coming to Canada.

Source: SamMobile
Via: Engadget

Firefox has updated its web and mobile browsers today with new beta versions. Now up to version 22, Firefox for Android has benefited from some fantastic WebGL-based speed updates and some improvements to CSS3.

Most notably in this release is a full tablet UI for devices between 7- and 10-inches. Previously the spread-out interface was limited just to larger tablets, but now devices like the Nexus 7 can take part, too.

While Chrome is still the most popular choice for Android users running ICS and above, Firefox is a great choice for those stuck on Gingerbread or Froyo. The new release is fast, renders pages accurately, and supports add-ons. The next release will implement WebRTC, an open standard that allows browsers to communicate with one another without installing any plugins. This has already been activated on the Firefox beta for desktops and the latest version of Chrome, so it’s only a matter of time before it comes to mobile.

Download Firefox beta for Android.

Via: Mozilla

After struggling through last year, taking many hits, BlackBerry is slowly gaining its Canadian market share back. The one-time smartphone leader had sunk to a low 6% market share and new a report by research firm Raymond James shows that BlackBerry has more than doubled to grab 13.5% of the Canadian market. Of course, both Apple and Samsung account for the lion’s share of Canada. Apple has 40.1% (down from 44% in Q4 2012) and Samsung has approximately 31%, also down from 35% in Q2 2012.

The spurt of success has been the introduction of the BlackBerry Z10 and the BlackBerry Q10. Many Canadian organizations, namely Canadian Tire, BMO, Torys LLP – have outwardly declared that the new BlackBerry 10 platform is their OS of choice. Missing are specific Canadian sales numbers, but carriers have reported that there has been a “very positive response” to the new BlackBerry devices.

Source: Barrons
Via: CNET

A report earlier this week suggested that Samsung was going to achieve Galaxy S4 sales of 10 million units. It’s true. JK Shin, Samsung’s co-CEO, stated “We are confident that we will pass more than 10 million sales of the S4 next week. It is selling much faster than the previous model S3. Samsung spent 50 days to pass the 10 million sales mark for the S3. The S4 will be Samsung’s first ’10 million seller’ device less than a month after its official debut.”

Clearly, this flagship Android is a massive success and Samsung continues their foray into Android and smartphone dominance. The Galaxy S4 is available on the following Canadian carriers: Rogers, Bell, TELUS, Fido, Virgin, Koodo, WIND, Mobilicity, Videotron, SaskTel, Eastlink and MTS.

Shin also reportedly said that the Galaxy Note 3 will be unveiled at IFA in Berlin this September and come with a 5.9-inch OLED display.

Source: Korea Times
Via: Engadget

We’ve seen the Nexus 4 in White magically surface in pictures and videos, but not yet for sale via Google Play or any retailers. According to Android and Me, who managed to score a White Nexus at Google I/O, has pegged this desired pure Google smartphone to hit the hands of eager Android enthusiasts on Monday, June 10th, plus come with an upgrade to OS version 4.3 Jelly Bean. No official details on what 4.3 will bring, but it’s expected “to be a rather minor update.”

Source: Android and Me

The CWTA (Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association) has put out a notice that some 3rd party VoIP (Voice over IP) Android apps, such as Skype and Viber, might have difficulty dialing 9-1-1.

The industry driven association wants to ensure that all Canadians are prepared for any emergency situation and are requesting Android users who have VoIP apps installed to enable the native dialer that originally came on the device (remove the default dialer settings in the respected apps in the Settings menu).

Most Canadian carriers have sent out messages to their customers informing them of the issue, plus the CWTA stated that “We are working with our partners (Google) to reach out to these app developers to fix this issue.”

Source: CWTA
(Thanks luqman!)

Earlier today it was revealed that TELUS has agreed to acquire Mobilicity, legally known as Data & Audio-Visual Enterprises Holdings Inc., for $380 million. The deal is expected to close by June 10th, 2013 and TELUS would integrate Mobilicity’s 250,000 subscribers and 150 employees into its organization.

The agreement still needs to be approved by all regulatory bodies — the Competition Bureau and Industry Canada — and Mobilicity’s debtholders. Industry Minister Christian Paradis acknowledged the potential transaction, but stated “The government will take the time required to review the proposal carefully.”

Jeff Fan, analyst from Scotiabank, communicated a note to his clients that several situations might occur, such as the government delaying the upcoming 700 MHz spectrum auction. However, his clear message was that, “in our opinion, the situation is getting messier for the government. The bottom line is this makes it less likely that a strategic investor will step up to consolidate the new entrants and participate in the auction to create a stronger fourth operator.”

I/O is a place not just for Google to show off its newest wares but for partner companies to engage in dialogue with developers, press and fans. One of the most intriguing examples of this intersection is Nvidia’s upcoming Shield gaming thing. Not quite a portable video game system, not quite an Android media device, Shield is more like a developer demo machine with a gamepad affixed to it.

It’s also extremely intriguing, both from a consumer perspective and, here at I/O, a developer one. There are so many reasons to be excited about Android gaming, and with the Tegra 4 it appears that Nvidia is taking the prospect as seriously as it can.