Text and photos by Ted Kritsonis

Ottawa is officially “Canada’s fastest city” after Rogers uncorked its high-speed Long Term Evolution (LTE) network in the nation’s capital. The new LTE network will increase download speeds by up to 12Mbps to 25Mbps, more than double what consumers are using now on 3G.

By Ted Kritsonis

In a somewhat surprising move, Telus is moving forward with plans to halve the rates the carrier charges for data roaming. This means a 50 percent reduction from the average of $25 subscribers had been paying up to this point.

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

Sony Ericsson’s high end Xperia Arc and gaming focused Xperia Play Android smartphones are coming to Canada this Spring exclusively on Rogers.

by Lee Rickwood

The process for people who want to change their TV, home phone, mobile or Internet service providers will be a whole lot easier.

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

Concealed under a plastic cover on the top of the N8 is a standard HDMI port that, when connected to the included HDMI mini cable and a HDTV, will output HD video. This allows instantaneous connection to most modern HDTVs for video and photo playback or even better, to enjoy some of the more popular games on the Ovi Store.

By Ted Kritsonis

Though rumoured for weeks, insiders with knowledge of Apple’s plans have debunked the possibility that the company will unveil a smaller version of its popular handset. Apple’s engineers are apparently entirely focused on finishing the latest iteration, which should become available in Canada this summer.

By Ted Kritsonis

Telus announced that, starting February 15, it will unlock any phone it offers for a flat fee of $50. The caveat to all this is that you need to be a Telus customer with a monthly plan.

A new usage-based billing policy for Internet use in Canada takes effect March 31.

by Lee Rickwood

By Ted Kritsonis

In a slightly surprising launch, HP puts out its first phone under the Palm brand since acquiring the company earlier this year. The Palm Pre 2 is an intriguing device on paper, but it’s the software inside that makes more of a compelling case than the hardware itself.

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

The benefit of an unlocked handset is that it can be used on multiple networks simply by exchanging the SIM card and updating the device’s settings. For frequent travellers, this means tremendous savings as opposed to the draconian roaming and system access charges.

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

The Samsung Galaxy Tab looks great on paper. A powerful 1GHz Hummingbird processor, 512MB or RAM, a high-resolution 7-inch multi-touch screen, 3G and Wi-Fi capabilities the ability to expand memory from 16GB to 48GB (with a MicroSD slot) plus dual-cameras for video chats. The Galaxy Tab runs Android OS 2.2 Froyo, the latest and most refined version of the Android OS for smartphones.

A new rapid deployment platform provides access and information for developers hoping to bring new mobile applications to market.

by Lee Rickwood