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Watch Canada’s Got Talent On iPhone, iPod or iPad With Citytv Video App [Free Download]

Usman — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 19:18:11 +0000

Citytv today unveiled the full episodic breakdown for the 11-week, 22-episode of Canada’s largest talent search series ‘Canada’s Got Talent’ which will begin on Sunday, March 4 on Citytv. The show will air Sundays and Mondays and the first-ever Canada’s Got Talent winner will be revealed in the live season finale on May 14. Great news is, you can watch the encore presentations of the show right on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch by downloading the free Citytv Video app available in the Canadian App Store.

Check out the details via mediacaster:

In the first seven episodes of the series, celebrity judges Martin Short, Measha Brueggergosman and Stephan Moccio scour the country in search of the most talented act during an exhilarating six-city audition tour that includes Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Halifax, and Montreal. Canadian hopefuls of all ages and all talents perform in an attempt to impress the judges and advance in the competition.

Encore presentations of each week’s Sunday and Monday shows will be available on Citytv, OMNI Television, Rogers On Demand, rogersondemand.com, and Citytv.com. Viewers can also catch up on iPad, iPhone and iPod touch by downloading the free Citytv video app on iTunes Canada.

Information regarding the voting process, digital engagement, and a robust national trade campaign will be announced in the coming weeks.

Download Citytv Video App For iPhone, iPod and iPad [Direct Link]

Watch Canada’s Got Talent On iPhone, iPod or iPad With Citytv Video App [Free Download] is a post from: iPhone in Canada Blog - Canada's #1 iPhone Resource

Halliburton Switches Off From RIM, and On To Apple

Daniel Waters — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:55:16 +0000

According to Apple Insider, the Houston Texas based energy service giant Halliburton is phasing out the remaining Blackberry’s in favour of iPhones.

“Over the next year, we will begin expanding the use of our mobile technology by transitioning from the BlackBerry (RIM) platform that we currently use to smart phone technology via the iPhone”

The company, who employ nearly 70,000 people over 70 countries, is said to have carried out ‘significant research’ into both Android and iOS devices and they “determined that the iOS platform offered the best capabilities, controls and security for application development.”

Halliburton seem to have big plans involving Apple’s mobile platform with a spokeswoman saying that they

“Actively engaged with Apple on this transition.” And “approximately 4,500 Halliburton employees currently have BlackBerrys. We are making this transition in order to better support our mobile applications initiatives.”

The company’s IT selection is made up of Windows only for desktops and they have used Blackberrys as their mobile of choice for 10 years. The fact that Halliburton chose to move to Apple shows just how appealing the platform is to Enterprise customers.

This is yet another blow for struggling RIM who last month saw their joint CEOs step down, and who seem to be getting desperate recently with their attempts to rejuvenate the tired brand with cartoon characters.

The apparent unstoppable success of iOS adoption in businesses was highlighted last month when Apple’s Chief Financial Officer Peter Oppenheimer announced that nearly all Fortune 500 companies now support iPhones.

Halliburton Switches Off From RIM, and On To Apple is a post from: iPhone in Canada Blog - Canada's #1 iPhone Resource

Apple Warns Developers To Stop Manipulating App Store Rankings

Daniel Waters — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:54:38 +0000

Apple has issued an announcement on its Developer site, warning developer not to artificially manipulate their Apps rankings:

Once you build a great app, you want everyone to know about it. However, when you promote your app, you should avoid using services that advertise or guarantee top placement in App Store charts. Even if you are not personally engaged in manipulating App Store chart rankings or user reviews, employing services that do so on your behalf may result in the loss of your Apple Developer Program membership. Get helpful tips and resources on marketing your apps the right way from the App Store Resource Centre.

One such example that has been highlighted recently is a developer named Anton Sinelnikov. PocketGamer reported that he had a total of 68 apps including Temple Jump, Numbers With Friends and Tiny Birds. Once Apple got wind (although you would’ve expected this to be caught during the app approval stage) they removed the offending apps and trimmed his collection down to 9.

Natalia Luckyanova, the co-founder of Imangi Studios who developed Temple Run, said how happy she was that the offending apps had been removed from the App Store, stating:

“The app was clearly a scam that traded entirely on the popularity of Temple Run and was packaged to confuse users.”

I’m sure that there will be many more reports of copy-cat apps appearing in the App Store and I think it’s disgraceful that someone can just rip off a developer’s hard work. Hopefully Apple will be quicker to notice in the future, we don’t want to end up with Great Thief Alto or Ragdoll Booster 2.

[via iClarified, PocketGamer]

Apple Warns Developers To Stop Manipulating App Store Rankings is a post from: iPhone in Canada Blog - Canada's #1 iPhone Resource

Chpwn Goes Skiing at iOS 3.1 aka ‘Northstar’, Home to ‘Springboard’ and ‘Zephyr’

Gary Ng — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:05:11 +0000

Last December the codenames behind iOS versions were revealed and helped answer questions such as why the default SSH password remains ‘alpine’. iOS codenames revolve around a theme of various ski resorts, and recently @chpwn visited the resort Northstar in California, or also known as the nickname for iOS 3.1.

As detailed in a recent blog post, @chpwn goes on to show us the black run, ‘Springboard’, which is the launcher for all apps on iOS. The run is near the top of the mountain and connects the blue run ‘West Ridge’ to the black run, ‘The Plunge’.

Remember @chpwn’s jailbreak tweak Zephyr? That was named after ‘Zephyr Lodge’ at Northstar, which was closed during his visit (there’s also a lift of the same name). Chpwn notes maybe that is due to the fact that Zephyr–doesn’t support iOS 3.1!

What are some of the other iOS ‘resorts’ you’ve been to?

Chpwn Goes Skiing at iOS 3.1 aka ‘Northstar’, Home to ‘Springboard’ and ‘Zephyr’ is a post from: iPhone in Canada Blog - Canada's #1 iPhone Resource

Yahoo Introduces iOS App Shopper With QR Code Integration

Matt Watterworth — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 01:19:50 +0000

Yahoo has done Apple and Android a kindness by creating an interesting “App Gallery” that allows you to scan through a number of popular apps within the Yahoo ecosystem.

The interface uses a fun slider effect to feature popular apps and can go deeper into detail when you open them up.

Once you’ve found the app you’re looking for you can use a provided QR code to jump right into the App Store on your phone and download away!

I did notice that the Yahoo database isn’t quite up to date as “Temple Jump”, one of the knock-off apps we recently learned about, is still listed.

This kind of in-browser shopping experience is certainly more versatile that the Apple version. Would you use it?

Yahoo Introduces iOS App Shopper With QR Code Integration is a post from: iPhone in Canada Blog - Canada's #1 iPhone Resource

Apple Responds to CNN Report on Factory Working Conditions in China

Gary Ng — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 22:10:01 +0000

Even with the release of its Supplier Responsibility Progress Report, Apple continues to be targeted by the media. The New York Times wrote a lengthy piece that Tim Cook vehemently responded to, and now CNN has their own report that includes interviews with employees from Foxconn, responsible for manufacturing iPhones and iPads:

After three weeks of applying more than 4,000 stickers a day onto iPad screens by hand and working 60 hours a week in an assembly line, Chen says she’s ready to go back to school and study hard so she’ll never have to return to Foxconn.

“It’s so boring, I can’t bear it anymore. Everyday is like: I get off from work and I go to bed. I get up in the morning, and I go to work. It is my daily routine and I almost feel like an animal,” said Ms. Chen, who aspires to become a biologist.

When asked why humans do machine-like work at Foxconn, she responds, “Well, humans are cheaper.”

Within the report, Apple surprisingly responded to CNN. Here’s what they had to say:

“We care about every worker in our worldwide supply chain. We insist that our suppliers provide safe working conditions, treat workers with dignity and respect, and use environmentally responsible manufacturing processes wherever Apple products are made. Our suppliers must live up to these requirements if they want to keep doing business with Apple.”

Apple officials also noted last month it became the first company admitted to the Fair Labor Association, “a leading nonprofit organization dedicated to improving conditions for workers around the world.”

It’s a delicate issue when it comes to factory working conditions in China, as companies such as Foxconn implement razor thin margins to retain Apple contracts and in the process marginalize their workforce.

Many claim the life of a factory worker is ultimately better than toiling in the fields, which requires more work and less pay. Apple claims to hold a higher standard for its suppliers and its recent report is transparent evidence of that.

Can we say the same for other tech companies that employ workers at Foxconn? It would be interesting to learn about the conditions of a Kindle or Xbox assembly line worker. What’s the solution? Stop buying anything ‘Made in China’?

Apple Responds to CNN Report on Factory Working Conditions in China is a post from: iPhone in Canada Blog - Canada's #1 iPhone Resource

Apple Is Now The Top Smartphone Vendor In US, Credit Goes To iPhone 4S & Siri

Usman — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:58:42 +0000

First, Apple took the 3rd spot in global rankings of largest smartphone manufacturers as a result of massive Q4 2011 sales of iPhone 4S and then it was crowned as the highest earning mobile phone manufacturer in the world according to Asymco’s analysis. Now once again, iPhone 4S, the top-selling handset in Q4 of last year, has made Apple the largest smartphone vendor in US. According to another survey by NPD (via 9to5Mac), Siri is responsible for many would-be smartphone buyers to Apple. The survey also reveals that during the fourth quarter of 2011, Android and Apple together accounted for over 90 percent of smartphone sales in the United States.

Citing from the source:

The iPhone maker grabbed 43 percent of all U.S. smartphone sales, while Android devices accounted for 48 percent of devices. First-time buyers prefer Android (57 percent) over iPhone (34 percent). Smartphones in Q4 represented 68 percent of all cell phones in the U.S., up from 50 percent in the year-ago quarter.

Attracted by a faster processor, improved camera and the Siri speech-driven agent, most iPhone buyers paid a premium for the iPhone 4S, making it the top-selling handset in Q4.

NPD has also pointed out that iPhone 4S outsold the iPhone 4 by 75 percent and iPhone 3GS by five to one.

Apple Is Now The Top Smartphone Vendor In US, Credit Goes To iPhone 4S & Siri is a post from: iPhone in Canada Blog - Canada's #1 iPhone Resource

Original Series ‘Lilyhammer’ Premieres Today on Netflix Canada

Gary Ng — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:05:23 +0000

As announced earlier in January, Netflix Canada will be part of the debut for the original series, ‘Lilyhammer’, produced in Norway, set for launch in the USA and Latin America as well:

“Lilyhammer,” follows New York mobster Frank “The Fixer” Tagliano as he enters the federal witness protection program after ratting on his boss. A sports fan, Frank wants to make his new life in Lillehammer, the Norwegian town that hosted the 1994 Winter Olympics – or as he calls it “Lilyhammer.” Frank has visions of a paradise of “clean air, fresh white snow and gorgeous broads” far away from the temptations of the Big Apple and from mob hit men. Reality, of course, turns out to be spectacularly different.

The trailer released a month ago, and today the series launches on Netflix. It will be interesting to see how members react to this exclusive show, as all 8 episodes are available immediately. Another original series, ‘House of Cards’ featuring Kevin Spacey is set to be released later this year. I’m going to watch the pilot episode later–if you do the same, let me know what think!

Click here to visit Netflix Canada–subscriptions are $8/month. Right now you can actually access the U.S. library with your Canadian account by using a VPN.

Original Series ‘Lilyhammer’ Premieres Today on Netflix Canada is a post from: iPhone in Canada Blog - Canada's #1 iPhone Resource

Samsung’s Super Bowl Ad Mocking iPhone Users Revealed [VIDEO]

Gary Ng — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:56:01 +0000

Prior to the Super Bowl Samsung released a teaser of their Super Bowl ad that attacks iPhone users waiting in line. This was part of an existing series Samsung released earlier in the year.

This evening, Samsung released both an American and Canadian version of their ad. The Canadian shows the names of Toronto, Montreal, and Calgary instead of American cities.

As for the Samsung device unveiled in the commercial? It’s none other than the monstrous sized Galaxy Note, that includes a feature from the 90s–a stylus (“YUCK!”, as Steve Jobs would say). The best part of these ads is the barista guy waiting in line refusing to partake in the over the top hilarity that ensues.

Video chat on Android looks vaguely familiar to something we all know about, but I can’t figure it out…

Check out the ads below and let me know what you think:

Canadian version:

American version:

Samsung’s Super Bowl Ad Mocking iPhone Users Revealed [VIDEO] is a post from: iPhone in Canada Blog - Canada's #1 iPhone Resource

iBooks Author 1.01 Is Now Live In The Mac App Store With Revised EULA

Usman — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 13:09:53 +0000

At last month’s Apple Education Media Event which was held in New York City, iBooks Author was announced as a free tool in Mac App Store which enables instant creation of textbooks and resembles a cross between Keynote and Pages. An update to the iBooks authoring tool has recently gone live the Mac App Store taking it to version 1.01 which changes the program’s EULA (End User License Agreement). The new EULA says that Apple has rights over the format a book is in, not the content.

As noted by TUAW, the updated EULA clarifies that:

If someone wants to charge a fee for an .ibooks formatted file, that document can only be sold or distributed through Apple, and that work will be subject to a separate agreement with Apple. The restriction does not include works distributed in non-.ibooks formats (such as the Kindle).

iBooks Author allows for easy drag and drop arrangement of pages and authors can even wirelessly stream their books to the iPad for previews. The update is free just like the app itself and has a size of 143.50 MB.

iBooks Author 1.01 Is Now Live In The Mac App Store With Revised EULA is a post from: iPhone in Canada Blog - Canada's #1 iPhone Resource