The Ottawa International Game Conference kicks off in just about a week. If you're not familiar, the three-day conference takes place May 29th-31st and features new innovations and trends in the Canadian gaming industry and will host speakers all across the board including, Anders Jeppsson, Global Head of Gaming at BlackBerry. Mobile Nations own gaming geek Simon Sage will be on site to take in all the news from the conference including speakers, developers, panels and more.
LG announced a new waterproof phone today, the Optimus GJ. They certainly weren't very subtle either, as they had girls presenting the phone in bikinis. It differs from past waterproof devices because this one is high-end. The specs are as follows:
4.7-inch IPA HD display
Bluetooth 4.0
13MP rear-camera
1.5GHz quad-core processor
2GB RAM
16GB internal memory
MicroSD slot
2,280 mAh battery
LG is getting more ambitious with their waterproof devices and are hitting the Taiwanese market first. It will cost $17,990 Taiwanese dollars, which is approximately $600 USD. No word yet on when or if the Optimus GJ will go to other markets.
We're live from CTIA in Las Vegas. It's been a relatively slow show, but we managed to eke out a little bit of hardware news, Jennifer Lopez launches her own smartphone service (sort of), and we await the appearance of Ashton Kutcher. No, really.
Keep your tweets your own and your Twitter account safe with two-step verification
After a slew of high-profile account hacks, Twitter has finally launched a two-step verification system to keep your account from falling into the wrong hands. Once enrolled, each time you sign in to Twitter.com you will be asked to enter a six digit verification number sent by SMS to your phone. If you don't have your number, you can't log in.
Existing accounts on other devices should still work, and when your Twitter account to other devices or applications, you'll visit your applications page to generate a temporary password to validate who you are. Users can set up the new account verification system starting today from their Twitter settings, and you'll need a verified phone number and email address.
Two-step authentication is a good move (probably one Twitter should have adopted a while ago) and one that we heartily recommend. It may be inconvenient setting things up the first time, but losing your online identity to hackers is far worse. To learn more, and get started, visit the source link below.
And maybe, just maybe, will bring a carrier store experience that doesn't make you want to flee
Jennifer Lopez. Singer, actress, judge on American Idol -- and, now, smartphone retailer. Verizon today at its big event at CTIA in Las Vegas announced that JLo will be heading up Viva Movil, which promises to revolutionize the wireless shopping experience for Latino consumers. This isn't a Verizon venture, per se, as the deal is between Ms. Lopez, Brightstar (which handles distribution and services) and Moorehead Communications, Verizon's premium retailer.
The shopping experience promises to be the differentiator here. Physical stores will be located, at first, in New York, Los Angeles and Miami, with Manhattan up first with a shop in a high-traffic area. (We'd bet Times Square, but nothing official was announced.) The stores are said to have a more friendly shopping experience than what you might be used to -- and perhaps the smartest question in the Q&A session came from Laptop's Mark Spoonauer, who asked if Verizon's own carrier stores might get the same sort of makeover one day. Verizon said it'll think about it. (We're not holding our breath for that one.)
Embedded system increases the chances that devices will be recovered after theft
Absolute Software, the makers of the LoJack theft recovery service, announced today that through a partnership with Samsung it will be offering its services to all Galaxy S4 handsets. The service, which was previously targeted at desktop and laptop computers, is making the move into the mobile space with one of the most popular devices out today. Unlike other services that can pretty easily be removed when a phone is factory reset, the LoJack system is embedded at the firmware level and will survive any tampering or attempts to remove it by a criminal.
Beyond just making sure that the phone is traced, locked and remotely wiped, you'll get the expertise of LoJack's years of experience in tracking stolen property. When we spoke to LoJack representatives here at CTIA they said they've recovered laptops in as little as 40 minutes, and as long as four and a half years after they were stolen. That just shows the determination of the people behind this service.
While it is embedded in every Galaxy S4 device, it won't be available to be activated until "early this summer". LoJack isn't releasing specific pricing at this point, but has indicated that the service will start at $29.99 with multiple subscription options ranging from 1 to 4 years at a time.
Today's update brings a new look and some powerful tools to Google Drive
Google Drive has a big update in Google Play today, with two very cool features being added. The interface of the application has been redesigned, and now we see Google's new cards design at play, looking very much like a mashup of Google Now and Google+.
In addition, users can scan paper items like receipts or bills, and transfer them into pdf files to get stored in Drive, With the new OCR technology, you'll even be able to search through their contents. This should make things a bit easier to use Google Drive for things like expense reports, and the new sheets (spreadsheets) editing tools will make it easier to build that report.
There are also a few other small changes, like being able to download local copies to your Android device and use Google Cloud Print with any compatible printer. To get this one, just click the Google Play link above.
Full screen browsing and simpler searching highlight the changes in Chrome 27 for Android
Chrome for Android has been updated to version 27 (27.0.1453.90 to be exact), bringing one of the most requested features along for the ride -- full screen browsing. In addition, other changes like simpler searching and tab history made it into Chrome 27.
The Chrome team is excited to announce the promotion of Chrome 27 to the Stable channel. Chrome for Android 27.0.1453.90 contains a number of improvments including:
Fullscreen on phones - Scroll down the page and the toolbar will disappear.
Simpler searching - Searching from the omnibox will keep your search query visible in the omnibox, making it easier to edit, and show more on your search result page.
Client-side certificate support - You can now access sites that require you to use a certificate and Chrome will allow you to select an installed certificate
Tab history on tablets - Long press the browser back button to view your tab history
And a ton of stability and performance fixes
The update is recommended, and you can get the latest version from the Google Play link above.
We're coming to you live this morning from the beautiful Sands Expo Convention Center in Las Vegas, where Verizon is going to talk to us about ... something. Given the context of the CTIA venue, it's entirely possible we'll just be getting an update on Verizon's network capabilities -- and possibly an update on when to expect Voice Over LTE. Or, perhaps we'll actually get some new hardware.
Only one way to find out -- it's liveblog time!
The show kicks off at 2 p.m. EDT, and 11 a.m. PDT. (OK, technically things get going at 10 after, but we're nothing if not early.)
Join us after the break as we bring it to you, live.
Arriving fashionably late to the Galaxy S4 party is Cricket, with today's news that it'll carry Samsung's latest smartphone from June 7. The prepaid carrier is offering the Galaxy S4 for $599.99 up-front or on a payment plan with a $54.99 down payment. Naturally, you'll need to pair the device with one of Cricket's service plans, which start at $45 per month. Not a bad deal for one of the top Android phones of the moment, if you're in a Cricket coverage area.
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