Rogers Long-Distance Voice Add-On Revamped

Rogers significantly updated their texting services yesterday, and are following-up today with some new long-distance voice plans. For an extra $5/month, Rogers (NYSE: RCI) customers can get 10 cents/minute on any call in the U.S or Canada (normally $0.35/minute), and for $35/month, they get unlimited calling. Theses will be replacing the old add-ons, which used to offer 25 or 125 minutes in Canada only, or Canada + U.S. 500-minute bundles.  It’s nice and all that your bucket of Rogers minutes can be applied to Canada or U.S. without having to think too hard about it, but there are way fewer in-between options; it looks like if you need long-distance on it’s an all or (next to) nothing situation.

You can find more info and sign up for the new long-distance voice add-ons at Rogers.

iPhone App Replaces Stompbox, Adds Guitar Effects

If you’ve been interested in obvious music production capalities of the iPhone, you’ll probably like the AmpliTube iRig. Although not available quite yet, the app, when combined with a special plug in the 3.5 mm headphone slot that splits off to your amp and your guitar/bass, provides access to a wide variety of effects. Out of the box, you can have three simultaneous stompboxes, an amp, a cabinet, and microphone effects, with an in-app store expanding the selection to ten stomps, five amps, two microphones ($2.99 each) and cabinets ($4.99 each). As icing on the cake, you can store and load up to 36 presets, and it comes with a metronome.

I’m no musician, and so have no idea what half of that really means, but the fact that those who are can start subbing out no doubt expensive custom equipment with software-based, customizable and expandable iPhone apps is really awesome. Three versions of ApliTube will be available, including a free one with two stompboxes, one amp and cabinet, and two microphones. The LE version will come with an extra two stompboxes, and will go for $2.99, while the full version will go for $19.99 and the dongle will cost $39.99. For a closer look at how it all works, take a look at their video demo – we’ll keep you posted when it’s available for sale.

BGR Breaks It Down: Getting your iPad 3G to Work In Canada

With the iPad’s Canadian launch delayed until the end of May, we thought we’d give those with glowing hearts who made the trek into the home of the brave a hand in getting their new gadget up and running on one of Canada’s four HSPA+ carriers. A lot of people have written in and put in requests for help — and with the dollar basically on par we’re sure that we’re going to get even more before the official Canadian launch — so we thought we’d do our part and help out our early adopting friends in the Great White North. Getting the iPad Wi-Fi + 3G up and running in Canada is as easy 1, 2, 3. As always, the nitty gritty is after the jump.

Firs off, you’ll need to cut your SIM card to the dimensions of a Micro SIM. It sounds scary, but trust us when we say it’s super simple (provided your mom hasn’t forbidden you from playing with sharp objects). Once you’re done doing that, toss your modified Canadian SIM into the Micro SIM tray and boot up your iPad.

Now make your way on over to Settings > Cellular Data and turn Cellular Data to “On”. After about 10 seconds you should be connected to your poison wireless carrier of choice.

Now go to Settings > Cellular Data and click on APN Settings. Depending on which carrier you have a data plan with, you’ll need to enter in something different. Here are the APN settings you’ll need to enter for each carrier (remember to leave the Username and Password fields blank!):

Bell

APN: pda2.bell.ca

Fido

APN: fido-core.appl1.apn

Rogers

APN: rogers-core-appl1.apn

TELUS

APN: sp.telus.com

Guess what? You’re now good to roll in a pretty exclusive club. Just make sure not to look like too much of a tool using your iPad in coffee shops, book stores, at the pub, in line at the pharmacy, etc., etc., okay?

Via: Boy Genius Report

ClamCase™ the all-in-one keyboard, case and stand for iPad®

clamcase — May 04, 2010 — Improve the Magical iPad® experience by enhancing protection, efficiency and ease of use with the ClamCase™ the all-in-one: keyboard, case and stand with a sea of features under its shell.

*Patent Pending

BLUETOOTH® KEYBOARD

The chiclet style Bluetooth® keyboard offers a tactical feedback allowing you to compose and type quickly.

Your iPad® easily connects to ClamCases wireless Bluetooth® keyboard

The only physical hardware keyboard solution with a case
Manual power on and off button with blue LED indicator light and automatic power save mode.

Connection to other HID compatible Bluetooth devices such as Sony Playstation 3®,
Tivo® and HTPC (home theater PC) to give you the ultimate wireless keyboard experience.

Bluetooth® technology enables the 30-pin dock connector to be free for charging, syncing and other hard wired functions.

360 DEGREE CASE

The 360-degree torque hinges enable greater flexibility and fixed angles for featured modes of operation as the simple and sleek design of the ClamCase™ protects your iPad® from dents and dings.

Made of high quality ABS plastic to ensure long lasting protection.

Shields against falls and breakage, dust and dirt.

ClamCase™ closed position guards against accidental openings and falls.

Smooth yet grippy rubberized exterior texture of the 360 degree hinge provides a more user-friendly hold for confident handling.

POSITIONING STAND

Designed to enhance the iPad® experience by providing a you-decide stand with an endless combination of positions to accommodate your desired tasks.

Flip-back keyboard to expose the rubber hinge grip and enjoy your iPad® in tablet mode.

Watch movies at the perfect angle with the uniquely designed ClamCase™ stand which can position into an infinite number of viewing angles.

Manipulate the iPad® touch screen and use your favorite apps at just the right angle.

The unique positioning of the ClamCase™ allows users the capability to display a digital picture frame slideshow in both portrait and landscape views.

More information at http://www.clamcase.com

Spy Shots of BlackBerry Slider with OS 6.0 on Rogers Wireless

We were sent new spy shots of the BlackBerry Slider with it appearing to be running BlackBerry 6. At first we thought these could have been fake images, but after thoroughly examining them we're pretty sure they are real. These are definitely some of the ugliest spy shots we've seen, but they do show a living device.

This image looks quite strange, however, we're pretty sure this image was taken in front of a mirror and that explains the odd reflective glare. There is also said to be a screen protector on the device, which we would assume didn't help with the glare.

It is interesting to note, if you look closely you can see the BlackBerry Slider is running on the Rogers network. If you look at the OS it also doesn't show the 'favorites' or 'folder list' buttons to the left and right of All. The OS 6.0 may have just been in alpha or very early beta and this explains why it doesn't appear to have swipe option or pages. Another theory could be that the Slider may not even be a touch-screen device, but we doubt this.

Feelings over the Slider are fairly mixed. Are you looking forward to this device?

TweetPhoto App for BlackBerry Leaked

 

It was only a matter of time before TweetPhoto decided to create their own BlackBerry application and it looks like someone on the inside of their testing group decided to leak it. I’ve mentioned TweetPhoto here on BBRocks! many times and use their photo sharing service for both the official BBRocks! Twitter account and my personal Twitter account. TweetPhoto is a great service and it looks like they want to make it even better with their own app.

The leak was posted by BBHybrids but the files are hosted by BerryFreaks. There is no compatibility info so if you decide to download it do so at your own risk and make sure you backup your data first.

• Download: TweetPhoto App for BlackBerry (leaked)

Let me know what you think in the comments!

Motorola Shadow surfaces again - AT&T and Rogers get Ready for your share of Froyo

Well, what have we here?  It looks like the W-iFi Alliance certified a new Motorola smartphone today!  The Motorola MB810 just popped up on the WFA site having received certification for IEEE Standard 802.11b/g/n.  If the model number doesn't sound familiar to you, maybe the rumored name will ring a bell.  Mid-January of this year a Motorola device with a full QWERTY slider keyboard popped up on the scene briefly, some were calling it the Motorola Shadow and others named it the Nexus Two.

In any case this could be the very same device, and after doing a little research all signs are pointing to the Shadow. Some of the rumored specs of the Shadow are as follows:

• 4.3-inch capacitive touchscreen
• Full QWERTY slider keyboard
• 8MP Camera with autofocus
• microSD up to 32GB
• Android 2.2 (Froyo)
• Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n (clearly)
• Bluetooth 2.1

It looks like the Shadow is a GSM device and will probably be headed to AT&T.  The phone is rumored to be released in Q2 2010 which means you could be hearing a lot more about the Shadow soon and potentially have one in your hands by the end of the summer.  We'll be keeping a close eye on this one, so keep checking the site for updates.

OK slider fans, I know you've been waiting for this one, so lets hear it in the comments!

Via WFA, ameblo.jp, mobile01

Rim is Considering Making a BlackPad (bPad)

BBleaks is reporting this morning that they have heard word from an insider that RIM is really working on a tablet as well. Just a few days back, I heard that RIM had ordered parts that would indicate that it was indeed the case. Take this as RUMORS since there is no solid evidence at the moment, just word of mouth, but it is interesting to see news that a BlackBerry tablet could be due soon.

The evidence:

• RIM orders parts for a large touch screen
• OS 6.0 has many features for touch screen devices
• BBleaks has been fairly accurate at digging some juicy information

Features:

• Smaller and thinner than Ipad
• Code name BlackPad
• full BlackBerry OS compatibility and functionality

So the question is, how likely are you to buy a tablet, or do you even want to see RIM making one? I, for one, wouldn’t mind seeing RIM make one. I sure wouldn’t buy an iPad, but I would buy one if RIM made one. If the news is true, don’t expect to see it until sometime next year. RIM does take a long time to release devices and especially since this is a whole new game for them, maybe the Storm was just a stepping stone for them.

Sony Dash Detailed Review

Review by: www.MobileTechReview.com by Lisa Gade, Editor in Chief Editor's rating (1-5):  Discuss this product Where to Buy What's hot: Incredible amount of functionality, novel device that finds a use in most any room. What's not: Not the kind of device you can't live without, plenty of web access but no actual web browser. Reviewed April 30, 2010 by Lisa Gade, Editor in Chief The Sony Dash is like no other, to borrow Sony's old tag line. That's because it's hard to peg the Dash, just as it was hard to describe the Chumby, a cult classic tech toy that made waves more than a year ago. The Dash is Sony's own design, and as you'd expect it looks gorgeous and better than any bedside clock or home information appliance you've seen. The Chumby was a cuddly and odd little device with a 3.5" touch screen than ran Linux and could provide snippets of info courtesy of web-linked apps. What's the relationship between these two home lifestyle devices, or as Sony calls it a "personal Internet viewer" and "home information device"? The Dash runs on the Linux-based Chumby platform, and Sony has licensed the software and services from Chumby to re-invent the product as a high end lifestyle product. Now, by Sony pricing standards it's not that high end; it sells for $199 at intro, making it more expensive than a 7" Sony digital photo frame but then it does a lot more. In fact, at launch, the USB function that pulls photos, videos and music from a USB flash drive isn't yet working. It's more about getting content from the Internet. What is it? There really isn't anything quite like the Dash (other than the Chumby) so we'll explain. The Sony Dash is a home product with a 7", 800 x 480 pixel capacitive multi-touch screen (though we haven't found many uses for multi-touch yet). Typical of Sony, the screen is stunning with excellent sharpness, high contrast and saturated colors. Despite its attractiveness, the Dash feels rugged and sturdy with a rubberized surround and solid plastics. It's not as thin as a digital photo frame since it gets wide at the bottom. That width makes it stable so it doesn't tip over when you tap on the screen or whack at the snooze button when using it as a bedside alarm clock. Once the USB feature is enabled, the Dash can indeed replace a photo frame, and will be able to play your music and videos stored on a USB drive. In the meantime, it can play photos from services like Flickr and Photobucket, music from Pandora and Slacker Radio and video from a boatload of sources including Netflix and Amazon Video on Demand. The Dash has WiFi 802.11b/g and must be plugged into AC. Like a photo frame or high end digital clock radio, it doesn't run on batteries. Booting up takes 2 minutes, and you can unplug it to move it from room to room. This is not meant to be a portable Internet device, and given the size, you could carry it around all day but it doesn't beg to be taken with you as does the much smaller Chumby. For the price, we wish Sony had gone with WiFi 802.11n so that our entire n network didn't get dropped to g speeds (WiFi routers drop down connection protocol and speed to serve the lowest common denominator or WiFi client in this case). The Dash offers two themes (more may come later) and the default theme shows the time, alarm info, the weather and shortcuts to various functions and settings on the right. Rotating apps use most of the screen real estate, and you can select from nearly 1,500 apps. Who knew the cult of Chumby had gotten that strong? Though the strength of the Chumby platform lies in the successful licensing to Sony for home products, Samsung for photo frames and Broadcom for set top boxes. Some of these widgets were developed by Chumby, others by content partners and many more were developed by individuals. And they're all free. That's right-- download and install them to your heart's content because there's no charge for applications.

Size comparison with the iPhone 3GS. The Dash's power plug is fairly large. Apps 'Til you Drop Happily the apps/widgets are mostly very cool and useful. Sure there are more calendar apps than you'll ever need but there's a lot of mainstream content here including New York Times top stories, CNBC, Accuweather, Weatherbug, Twitter, Facebook (with updating capabilities), E! Entertainment news in several categories, recipe apps from Martha Stewart and others, sports from ESPN and many more, email, gmail, geeky things like web server monitoring (your Dash's screen will turn red and its alarm will sound if your web server goes down), photo service feeds, tech news feeds from Wired, Engadget and more... Video Review Since the Sony Dash is a new kind of device that's hard to describe, we've put together a video that shows a variety of Dash features including video playback, applications including recipe applications, weather and how to add applications. Where to Use it? Anywhere! What to do with all this info? Clearly the Dash targets those who primarily get their info online, share photos online and are into social networking. That's a large percentage of the population, so the Dash has a certain mass appeal. Information junkies aside, the Dash works well as a kitchen product given the recipe applications with directions, and even video in some cases. Trying to cook while keeping your child entertained? Swipe your finger to switch to one of the many video channels or Netflix for some Instant Watch fun. Want to listen to music while you cook? The Dash has a pretty good set of speakers and you can tune in to Pandora and Slacker Radio. Sony's product also works as a netbook or PC replacement for the kids' room or any room where you just want news, social networking, music and streaming video. It's more durable and easier to wipe down than a netbook too (kid and kitchen-friendly). We were particularly impressed with Netflix, Amazon video and YouTube performance-- movies look great thanks to the lovely 7" Sony display and video quality is very good. Audio is loud and fairly full (there's a headphone jack under a rubber door for private listening). Our Netflix queue loaded quickly and the movie buffer time was reasonable. As a bedside buddy, the Dash has to be one of the nicest alarm clocks we've seen. Night mode switches to a large digital clock that's dimmed enough to be readable but not intrusively bright. Even the most myopic should be able to read the 2" tall numbers that tell the time. The alarm clock settings are flexible and easy to use with some of the nicest alarm tones we've ever heard. These include ocean waves and birds chirping. Or you can wake up to a podcast. You can set a long list of alarms for different days, times or repeat patterns. Big, rubbery snooze and volume controls live up top. Sony Internet Bravia Video Link services include Netflix instant watch, Amazon video on demand, Slacker Radio and Pandora and Sony provides 12 Michael Jackson music videos. To use these services and to use the Dash most effectively, you'll need to register the device on Sony's website. From there you can link and unlink to your Amazon, Netflix and other accounts. You can also select apps and edit or create channels of content using the MyDash feature (a re-skinned Chumby service). You can select apps and switch between channels using the Dash itself too, but you won't be able to authorize affiliate login accounts from the Dash. There's plenty more video content: YouTube (you can log into your YouTube using the Dash if you wish), blip.tv, LiveStrong.com videos, Video Detective movie trailers, Videocast.com, eHow videos, CBS short clips from popular TV shows (these have lead-in commercials unfortunately), Golflink.com videos, Dr. Oz, Fear.net horror and suspense videos, Wired, Epicurious, Crackle, Daily Motion and more. The Dash seriously targets video junkies. Playback from Amazon video on the Dash is superior to a netbook-- there are no dropped frames or loss of sync (and yes it remembers where you left off in the middle of a movie). Though most video sources are "safe" in terms of kid friendliness, there's no parental filter so you might want to keep an eye on what your kids are watching if you give this to them as a netbook replacement (obviously the same is true of a netbook unless you're running parental filtering software). The speaker grille lines the bottom front face and the Dash puts out good audio. Should you Get it? That's up to you. The Dash does what it promises quite well (except the missing USB drive support at launch). It's great looking, very easy to use and sturdy. But for $200, you're the one to decide if you need or want this type of gadget. It's a lifestyle device, which makes it almost by definition a luxury and optional. That said, it can replace a netbook for quick information retrieval, email viewing, video playback, music and multimedia streaming. It requires no maintenance compared to a Windows PC and has a very small learning curve. The Netflix and Amazon video playback are sweet and YouTube works wonderfully. The wealth of applications is impressive and the only weak spot we found were games which are mostly lame. The large display and Bravia video/audio partnerships are the two features that set the Dash apart from the $149 Chumby. The Chumby's screen is no larger than a smartphone's, and that means it can't beat a smartphone for viewing real estate nor is it large enough for long form video watching. The 7" Dash opens up new possibilities for streaming media and its stereo speakers actually sound decent. It's fun, it's addictive and it's impressive for video playback. Price: $199 Web Site: www.sonystyle.com Price Comparison Shopping: Where to Buy Specs: Display: 7.0" capacitive multi-touch screen. Resolution: 800 x 480. Has accelerometer and ambient light sensor. Audio In and Out: Stereo speakers, 3.5mm headphone jack and mic. Expansion: USB 2.0 port. Networking: WiFi 802.11b/g (2.4GHz supporting WEP, WPA and WPA2 encryption). Size: 7 7/16 x 5 5/8 x 2 3/8 inches. Weight: 1.2 pounds. OS: Linux-based, Chumby platform. Audio and Video formats: Audio: MP3 up to 320kbps, MPEG1, MPEG4 AAC up to 192kbps, WMA 9 (up to 384kbps). Video: WMV 9 up to 1080p, MPEG4/H.264 up to 1080p and Microsoft VC-1 up to 720p. Power: Requires AC power, has backup battery for clock backup.

HP DreamScreen vs. Sony Dash - What's the Difference?

At this year's CES, Sony unleashed a personal Internet viewer called the Dash to the world. But I recently came across the HP DreamScreen, which looks and acts similarly to the Dash's portable model and thought they were essentially the same product. I started asking myself: what's the difference? While there's a lot these two have in common, they are drastically different.

Find out more about both the HP DreamScreen and the Sony Dash when you read more.

Although these two gadgets may look the same on the outside, they perform different functions. Where one provides easy-to-use apps to bring you information, the other works in conjunction with your home PC to get all that media goodness to a portable screen.

The Sony Dash ($200) was made to be your personal and portable home tablet, which provides apps where you can find information. There are 1,500 apps for you to choose from — from Facebook and Twitter to recipes, music, and news — allowing you to access them from your bedroom, your kitchen, or your couch. The Dash sports a 7" WVGA touchscreen, WiFi compatibility, and supports MPG, MPG4, and AAC files for your listening and viewing pleasure.

The HP DreamScreen ($250) acts as an extension of your home PC. You don't have to be chained to your desktop to check out photos, watch videos, or get news and weather updates, since the DreamScreen syncs up with your home computer over your wireless network, so you can browse from anywhere in your home. The DreamScreen comes with either a 10.1" or 13.3" widescreen, 2 USB ports, and 2GB of on-board memory along with dual stereo speakers.

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