It seems Canadian megacarrier Rogers Wireless is sponsoring Ottawa’s Winterlude Festival right now, effectively incorporating the two things that come to mind when we think of Canada — ice and BlackBerrys — into a single exhibit. So much for that warranty, eh?

Chris: “Shortly before being packaged for sale, RIM attempts to remove bugs from the Storm’s firmware using a 20G centrifuge.”
Thomas: “Camerica explorers surprised to discover cryogenically preserved device with OS superior to Windows Mobile 14.”
Nilay: “And you thought the browser was glacial.”
Don: “Miley Cyrus’ request for some ‘iced-out BlackBerrys’ didn’t translate so well north of the border.”
Paul: “The next firmware update is rumored to include a hammer and a chisel.”
Jacob: “Must’ve been one heck of a Storm.”
Darren: “I asked for a chilled blackberry martini, and got this.”
Ross: “Not to be outdone, Telus has encased a Curve 8350i inside Vanilla Ice. Turn off the lights and his stomach might glow.”
Sean: “RIM’s metaphorical take on the ‘new reality’ of modern smartphones”
Joe: “It’s a little too big for curling, but it does do SMS.”
Josh: “David Blaine: BlackBerry user.”

[Thanks, Bryan W. F.]

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

Caption Contest: If BlackBerrys were wooly mammoths originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Feb 2009 15:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Remember that settlement RIM reached with the Ontario Securities Commission yesterday? Well, details of the arrangement have emerged, and Reuters is reporting that in addition to over $90 million CAD being repaid, the company’s co-CEO will be stepping down from its executive board as part of the deal. Jim Balsillie will reportedly have to fork over $5 million CAD (~$4.1 million USD) and his position on the board for at least 12 months — though we’re not sure if he intends to return (or if he’ll be welcomed back).

[Via BlackBerry Cool]

Filed under: Cellphones

RIM’s co-CEO Balsillie stepping down from board as part of backdating settlement originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Feb 2009 18:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gearing up to close another chapter in its tale of cooked books, RIM announced this week that the company and “certain of its officers and directors” have reached a settlement with the Ontario Securities Commission over backdating stock options. Those certain officers are more than likely co-CEOs Jim Balsillie, who also serves as a director, and Mike Lazaridis. Both men were fingered in a report last month that suggested the commission would seek a record-breaking $100 million fine. The deal is still subject to approval by a panel of OSC officials, who are scheduled to meet on Thursday. No word on what penalties they’ll incur, but we’d be surprised if RIM didn’t manage to skirt at least some of that record-breaking amercement.

Filed under: Cellphones

RIM reaches settlement with Ontario Securities Commission over backdating shenanigans originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Feb 2009 12:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ruh roh. LG Electronics has just issued a voluntary recall of around 45,000 LG 150 phones in Canada, and for whatever reason, Bell Mobility has agreed to assist in cleaning up the mess. Of course, it probably helps that basically every single one was used by a Bell subscriber, but we digress. Reportedly, LG was “notified by one of the independent bodies responsible for the certification of mobile phones that the LG 150 mobile phone is no longer certified as meeting the Radio Standards Specifications 102 (RSS 102), Radio Frequency Exposure Compliance of Radiocommunication Apparatus,” thus LG decided it best to go ahead and make this here move. Users who just so happen to be reading this while yapping on an LG 150 can hit the read link for all the pertinent exchange information, and watch out, ’cause it could implode into a furry ball of molten cuteness at any moment. Just kidding.

[Via IntoMobile]

Filed under: Cellphones

LG Electronics recalls 45,000 LG 150 phones in Canada originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Jan 2009 15:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Given the completely ridiculous Wii shortage that’s still ongoing, there’s obviously no shame in being somewhat off your rocker if one shows up in a nicely wrapped box. That said, there’s still no way anyone in their right mind should get this excited about receiving a $299 game console, but we can’t say we didn’t get a few laughs out of watching his celebration. We’ll stop yapping and let you get to it — head past the break to watch the world’s happiest Canadian of all time. Just make sure your volume isn’t jacked first.

[Via Nintendo Wii Fanboy]

Continue reading Canadian kiddo goes absolutely bonkers upon receiving Wii for Christmas

Filed under: Gaming

Canadian kiddo goes absolutely bonkers upon receiving Wii for Christmas originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 04 Jan 2009 06:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’re not really sure where to begin with this one, because the awesomeness is so thorough and so intense that we’re basically at a loss for words; we’ll see what we can do here, though. In brief, a HoFo poster has thrown up what appear to be slides from a Rogers event detailing the carrier’s release plans for the better part of 2009, and seriously, if you name a badass handset, odds are it’s here. Samsung will apparently be bringing the 8.1-megapixel Pixon, for starters, and Sony Ericsson will be throwing its name into the huge-cam hat with the C905. Turning our attention to Windows Mobile, the X1 is scheduled for release “around August if not sooner,” Motorola brings the lowly Q11, and HTC adds the Touch Pro, the Touch Viva (an unusual choice considering HTC’s intention to send it to emerging markets), and possibly the Touch 3G. Nokia will be offering the 5800 XpressMusic in the middle part of the year, Moto will be bringing a pair of 5-megapixel phones in the VE66 and ZN5, and finally, it seems RIM is signed up to bring the all-GSM 9520 Storm with WiFi — a feature sorely missing from the Verizon and Vodafone versions — and a 3G remix of the 8200 Pearl series flip that’ll have a front-facing cam for video calling (yeah, no joke, they offer it up there). So look, AT&T, you have two options here: either crib off this presentation and make it happen, or we hope you get bought by Rogers. Your choice.

[Via Engadget Spanish]

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

Leaked Rogers slides make us want to move to Canada originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 25 Dec 2008 13:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Cellphones

Student’s tech promises 12x the battery life in your iPhone, BlackBerry originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 19 Dec 2008 08:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Godammit. First the stock market drops lower than Amy Winehouse looking for her imaginary crack rock in the shag carpeting, and now Halle Berry is pulling up stakes from America because her model boyfriend is a mama’s boy. The Montreal Gazette reports:

A small town in the Laurentians just got a little more beautiful. Oscar-winning actress Halle Berry and her Montreal partner, model Gabriel Aubry, have bought a house in St. Hippolyte, Que.

The million-dollar home, which the Hollywood star and her boyfriend reportedly bought several weeks ago, sits on 63 acres of land overlooking Molson Lake.

Aubry, who is the father of Berry’s daughter, grew up near Montreal and his parents still live in the suburb of Laval.

“It feels great, Aubry said. “Anything we can do in our own hometown is always a good feeling.

Enjoy that good feeling while it lasts, Aubry. First you compromise the integrity of Halle Berry’s vagina by getting her pregnant. Then you try to rob America of one of its most precious natural resources altogether. We’ve invaded countries for way less than this, and if you think we won’t resort to biological warfare, you’re sadly mistaken. That’s right—we’re not above stuffing Pamela Anderson full of Ecstasy and shipping her right back across the border. Try us.

Filed under: Cellphones

The Foundations said it best in their 1968 classic, but seriously, why let us down like this? Nokia didn’t mind busting out a litany of press shots and all the specifications one could need to get amped up about the 5800 XpressMusic, but it obviously has something holding it back from launching in “mature markets” before 2009. In an announcement that’s just as disappointing to the suits in Espoo as it is to those in North America and Down Under (just to name a couple), we’ve now learned that the touchscreen-dominated handset will only be available in seven countries in Asia, the Middle East and Europe before 2009 dawns. Even worse? Not knowing how deep into next year we’ll have to wait for this thing here in the US of A. Catch our feelings spelled out in video form after the break.

Continue reading Nokia’s 5800 XpressMusic to mature markets: see you in 2009

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Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

You already witnessed our unboxing and hands-on with Sling Media’s Slingbox PRO-HD, and if you’re anxious to know when you can grab one of your own, how’s about right now? Sling has revealed that its $299.99 high-def box can be purchased this very instant from its website and other B&M retailers, and for Canadians feeling a touch left out, take heart — you all will be able to purchase the unit “in the coming weeks” for $329.99.

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Filed under: Digital Cameras, Peripherals, Wireless, Storage

Frustrated by somewhat sluggish transfers from your otherwise spectacular Eye-Fi card? Fret not, as the company has just announced a forthcoming update at Photokina that will reportedly enable new and existing Eye-Fi owners to make “the upload of digital photos from camera to computer twice as fast.” Also of note, as of October 5th, users can even add features that aren’t already included on their card and renew annual services by tapping into the updated Eye-Fi Manager Web application. In related news, the outfit will be pushing its wares to Japan and Canada by the year’s end, and in even more related news, Eye-Fi now supports direct photo uploads to Apple’s MobileMe and the AdoramaPix service.

Read - Eye-Fi getting 2x faster
Read - Eye-Fi going international

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Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

Look, we know there’s some kind of good explanation for these things existing, but Apple, don’t you think it’s a little weird how they keep cropping up in stores even though you never, ever mentioned them? That’s right, those 4GB iPod nano 4Gs we saw at Dutch retailers last week have now made their way onto Best Buy’s Canadian website. Over in North America, the players will apparently sell for $139, and will be available tomorrow… or so they say.

[Thanks, Robert]

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Filed under: Wireless

Check it, Canucks — Air Canada is following in the footsteps of several other airlines by finally taking the plunge on in-flight WiFi. Similar to American Airlines, it has landed a deal with Aircell in order to bring the intarwebz to the friendly skies on select flights. Starting next spring, certain transborder flights from the Great North to the West Coast of America will give passengers the option of hopping online for C$12.95, and Charles McKee, the airline’s vice-president of marketing, has asserted that it has every intention of rolling the service out “across its North American fleet” in the future. Now, if only every other airline would follow suit…

[Via Jaunted]

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Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

We can’t verify the claim, but we have no reason to doubt the authenticity of this picture taken of Microsoft’s new 16GB flash-based Zune 16 and FCC approved, 120GB Zune 120. It’s not the backstory we find so solid, it’s more the thought that some lonely soul is busy Photoshopping Zune rumor images on a Friday night — an ennui so black we could not possibly fathom. Oh and the French? Zune’s in Canada remember, blown-up international and the source country of this photo.

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Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

We can’t verify the claim, but we have no reason to doubt the authenticity of this picture taken of Microsoft’s new 16GB flash-based Zune 16 and FCC approved, 120GB Zune 120. It’s not the backstory we find so solid, it’s more the thought that some lonely soul is busy Photoshopping Zune rumor images on a Friday night — an ennui so black we could not possibly fathom. Oh and the French? Zune’s in Canada remember, blown-up international and the source country of this photo.

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Filed under: Gaming

Well, color us surprised! Here we have yet another “limited edition” PlayStation 3 bundle, this time with Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune packed in alongside a PlayStation Network voucher for PAIN, a DualShock 3 wireless controller and… a 160GB PS3 console? Yep, Sony’s formally introducing us to the new king, which will start shipping to North America this November in the aforementioned kit for $499.99. Curiously, there’s no word as to whether it’ll be released separate from the bundle (we’re guessing yes), and there’s no mention of PS2 backwards compatibility (so don’t count on it). In related news, the “new” $399.99 80GB version is finally shipping to retailers, so you should be able to snap one up in the very, very near future.

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Filed under: Cellphones

While Sprint and Verizon consider final monikers for the HTC Touch Diamond, some North Americans are already enjoying the thing up in the Great North. The ecstatic folks over at Mobile Syrup were able to snap up Telus’ version of the WinMo 6.1-packin’ handset, and of course, they put together a video review for us Americans to drool over. The 7:15 clip includes a few comparison angles with other mobiles and a full walk-through of the user interface. Reviewers found the web browsing on Opera Mobile to be a real treat, and of course, they couldn’t deny the awesomeness of the 640 x 480 resolution display. You can check the review in full just after the jump, but if you’re easily made envious, we’d suggest you not.

Continue reading Telus’ HTC Touch Diamond gets video review

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Filed under: Displays, HDTV, Home Entertainment

When Westinghouse launched its 40-inch LCD HDTV / DVD combo unit earlier this year, we really began to think of just how nice it’d be to broaden Blu-ray’s appeal by shoving a drive into a new set for those looking for simplicity. Enter Funai — the company currently responsible for the lowest priced standalone BD deck on the market — which is reportedly aiming to loose an LCD HDTV with built-in Blu-ray player on the North American market next summer. The company typically brands its wares with names like Sylvania, Symphonic and Emerson, so we wouldn’t expect the highest-end stuff here. That said, we’re glad to see someone taking this very necessary step, even though you won’t catch us recommending ‘em to anyone but the technologically challenged. [Warning: read link requires subscription]

[Via CrunchGear]

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Filed under: Cellphones

We understand the need to catch eyes these days, and while Rogers will certainly not be the first nor last to promote a new piece of kit with an obscenely large version of said kit, this one just takes brobdingnagian marketing to a new plateau. The absolutely gigantic Rogers Bold launch kit includes a plethora of Bold flyers, informational pamphlets and all sorts of other goodies that’ll be handed out to prospective buyers shortly. The real question is: who gets to take this thing home once the buzz dies down?

[Thanks, Michael]

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Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

Though the Sprint version is the most well-scooped CDMA variant thus far, Telus is actually becoming the first carrier ’round these parts to announce the Touch Diamond imbued with a little EV-DO for your data-consumption pleasure. The phone will run $149.99 CAD (which is just about a wash in US dollars) on a three-year contract, accompanied by data plans ranging from $15 for email and instant messaging to $30 for email, IM, and web browsing. Sprint, Verizon, we anxiously await your press releases.

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