Stories by Gary Ng

We've long heard about the usage of near field communication (NFC) for mobile payments in the latest smartphones, such as the recent partnership between Rogers and CIBC. Google has Google Wallet for Android but what about iOS and the iPhone? The Wall Street Journal has profiled some details about Apple's low ambitions toward a mobile...

Vancouver’s posh Opus Hotel has removed the traditional room phones and replaced them with a customized iPhone. The customized iPhone provides one touch access to all of the hotel’s different departments. The Opus is the first hotel in Canada to offer this service. Opus Vancouver's general manager, Nicholas Gandossi said, "Technology is a way of...

According to the TIOBE Programming Community Index for July 2012, Objective-C has overtaken C++ as the third most popular programming. C topped the list leaping ahead of Java which holds down the number two spot. Tiobe, a company who designs software that analyses code to ensure it follows coding standards, attributes this rise in Objective-C’s...

Montrealers, keep your eye out for the Telus Wi-Xi squad this summer as that will mean free Wi-Fi. Telus has announced today they will offer free access to their 4G LTE network via BIXI bikes equipped with the Telus Wi-Xi 4G LTE modem, powered by a rechargeable battery via pedal power. BIXI is a public...

Apple has rectified the issue that caused numerous apps to crash after updating, first noted by Marco Arment, the founder of Instapaper. In a statement to The Telegraph, Apple explained the crashes were caused by a server that incorrectly generated DRM (digital rights management) code for apps downloaded, causing them to crash: "We had a...

According to a report by Bloomberg, Amazon has plans underway to develop a smartphone to target the iPhone and Android devices. The company is working with Foxconn on their supposed device and Amazon is currently looking at acquiring wireless patents for its new device: Amazon.com Inc. is developing a smartphone that would vie with Apple...

Researchers from the University of Calgary have come up with an innovative system to solve one-handed smartphone operations. When we only have one hand free to use our iPhone, it can be quite tricky when two handed operation is required. Therefore, the new input system titled 'Fat Thumb' was born. The system uses touch gestures...

Tim Hortons announced today that they will be installing wireless internet in 2000 of their locations. This will be the largest free wireless network in Canada. Roland Walton, Chief Operations Officer of Tim Hortons said: "It's all about convenience and making life easier for our guests. Free wireless Internet at Tim Hortons will help people...

In a blog post yesterday, Kaspersky Lab expert Denis Maslennikov wrote his company was contacted by Russian mobile phone company MegaFon to report a suspicious app. The app in question is called “Find and Call”. “Find and Call” is currently available on both the App Store and Google Play. My search of the App Store confirmed...

Marco Arment creator of the popular app Instapaper discovered an interesting flaw on the App Store. In a blog post yesterday, Arment noticed a flurry of emails and twitter messages moments after the newest version of his app appeared on the App Store. The complaints were all for the same thing. His app would crash...

Police in Gloucestershire, UK, have managed to track down a missing man using the app “Find My Friends”.  On July 2nd, a woman reported her husband missing. She told police he had taken his iPhone with him. Gloucestershire police began searching for the man. The woman remembered her husband's login details for his phone and...

The epic battle between Apple and Google continues, as the latter released its Chrome browser in the App Store last week. Which will emerge victorious in the battle for iOS browser supremacy? Our review will attempt to answer this question, after testing and using Chrome for the past week. Upon launching the application for the...