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The Nexus 4 in White has popped up in various corners of the world, but not yet officially announced. This unicorn device has now been captured on film, both in pictures and video, at an event called The Mobile Show in Dubai, specifically at the Qualcomm booth. TechView notes that the N4 is running Android 4.2, which is an older OS as the current Nexus 4 is at 4.2.2. However, it looks real a reflective backing seems to shine a bit more than the back version, but the source notes that “the front is still black and takes the charm away from the device.”

Unfortunately, still no word on when/if this colour will be available to the masses. One can dream of an announcement coming at Google I/O tomorrow. Video below…

BlackBerry announced “a new social engagement platform within BBM” this morning called BBM Channels. It basically digs a bit deeper into your BBM relationship and allows BBM users to quickly connect to the things that interest them by creating ‘channels”, specifically targeting businesses, brands, celebrities and general groups. Similar to other social platforms, BBM Channels allows you to “follow” them to receive updates.

BBM with BBM Channels is available now in the Beta Zone and can be used on BlackBerry devices running BlackBerry 5 OS and higher, to BlackBerry 10 users. It also should be noted that BlackBerry intends to bring BBM Channels to Android and iOS when the app becomes official in the Summer. Full features of channels below:

If you’re one of the early adopters, or thousands of Canadians, who have the BlackBerry Z10 then you should check your device for the latest OS update. So far we’ve been receiving tips that Rogers, Bell, TELUS, Koodo and WIND customers have been notified that 10.1.0.273 is now available to download – the complete update is 341MB in size, apparently takes about 30 minutes via Wi-Fi, and brings HDR shooting and improved red eye reduction to the camera, landscape support for the calendar, and improved cursor control.

(Thanks Todd and Chris!)

Are you one of those people who has a lot of free space on his or her Gmail account, but is constantly butting up against the 5GB limit on your Drive account? Well, friends, despair no more.

Google has smartly, and graciously, combined the amounts — a disparate 5GB for Drive/Google+ Photos and 10GB for Gmail — into a single 15GB pool. Based on a casual survey of users, I’d say this will benefit the majority of people currently using Google services.

The one downside to this change is the elimination of the $2.49/25GB storage plan, making the next boost from the default a $4.99/100GB plan. Still half the price of Dropbox, it’s disappointing to see the base plan removed.

Do you use Google Drive? Do these changes benefit you?

Source: Google Drive Blog

A long time rumour – dating back to March of 2011 – has finally been realized.

BlackBerry will finally bring their very popular BlackBerry Messager (BBM) to both iOS and Android. During the keynote presentation, CEO Thorsten Heins stated this will be available for free for devices running iOS 6 and Android Ice Cream Sandwich (OS 4.0) or higher.

In addition, BBM for iOS and Android will be available this summer, but are “subject to approval by Google Play and the Apple App Store.” For iOS and Android users, the BBM app will be limited to simply messaging and groups, but will be updated “later on” to have BBM Voice, screen share, and the new BBM Channels that was introduced today.

BBM currently has over 60 million active users who send and receive over 10 billion daily messages.

Thorten Heins just announced a new BlackBerry device, set to launch in emerging markets in the summer. The Q5 is a mid-range device that we’ve seen leaked before, combining a QWERTY keyboard with a chiclet design, similar to the Curve series that was so popular a few years ago.

The device will come in multiple colours, including red, white, black and pink. The 3.1-inch touchscreen, with its 720×720 resolution, is identical in density to the Q10, but we’d imagine the cost savings come from the materials used, a different camera sensor and internal storage. Expect a microSD card slot as well for expandable storage.

According to the press release the Q5 will be available “in selected markets in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia (including the Asia Pacific region), and Latin America, with expected availability beginning in July.” While we’re not certain whether the device will come to Canada, we could definitely see it sitting on the shelf at Fido, Koodo, Virgin, or WIND, Mobilicity, Videotron for $350 or $400.

Source: MarketWire

Developing…

We’re all about to find out ‘what’s next’ for BlackBerry. Today, May 14th, in Orlando is where all the festivities will be unveiled. Rumours are that there will be a plethora of announcements, possibly new BB10 devices (like the entry-level R10), tablet updates and deeper BBM integration. Thorsten Heins, President and CEO of BlackBerry, will take the stage at 9:00am EST and we’ll update you as the event unfold:

With Nokia’s Windows Phone 8 Lumia 925 announcement today, the company also declared that the new Smart Camera app would come to all Lumia smartphones. This update is known as “Amber” and is part of the upcoming GDR2 update that will be available starting in July. This will also bring double-tap to wake support, plus FM radio support to every Lumia, but not the recently release TELUS and Koodo Lumia 620 as it doesn’t have an FM radio.

The Lumia 925 is the latest flagship smartphone to join Nokia’s lineup. After extensive leaks online, Nokia has shed the polycarbonate design from previous devices and has come to market with an all-aluminum gem.

Much of the specs are the same as the Nokia Lumia 920, namely the 4.5-inch (1280 x 768 resolution) display, 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 Plus processor, 1GB RAM, 16GB internal storage, 2,000mAh battery, 8.7MP camera and a 1.2MP front-facing camera, but there are some notable differences. The aluminum makes Lumia 925 much lighter, coming in at 139 grams and only 8.5mm thin (Lumia 920 was 185 grams and 10.7mm thin).

Nokia says the Lumia 925 differs from any other previous Windows Phone 8 devices because it has “the most advanced lens technology and next generation imaging software.” The camera is an 8.7MP Pure View and they’ve included “Nokia Smart Camera mode” – something they say will come to all Lumia Windows Phone 8 smartphones – and allows users to “capture ten images at once and edit the pictures with options like Best Shot, Action Shot, and Motion Focus for creating the perfect high quality image.” This is tech from their purchase of Scalado (same company that powers the BlackBerry 10 camera features).

The LTE-enabled Lumia 925 also has wireless charging, but you’ll need to purchase a separate cover that attaches to the back – this is available in white, black, yellow, and red. As for a Canadian release – no word yet. The Lumia 925 will launch in June in UK, Germany, Italy, Spain and China for 469 EUR ($600), then in the US at T-Mobile, followed by “a number of other markets.”

The Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini has not shied away from the camera since its first turn, emerging several times to show off the diminishing size of its GS4 legacy.

Here it is again, posing with a ruler this time. At first glance, without scale, the Galaxy S4 Mini looks remarkably like its larger sibling, but its feature set belies a handset that is slightly less high-end. First, there is a bit more space above and below the 4.3-inch screen than on the GS4, which has a most minimal of bezels. Second, it appears the type of plastic used is slightly different, with a slightly altered textured pattern.

The rumours specs of the Galaxy S4 Mini also put it squarely in the mid-range: a 4.3-inch qHD display, a 1.6Ghz dual-core processor, 1GB RAM, 8-16GB internal storage, and a camera of between 5- and 8MP.