Android – rgbFilter

Configuring the Budweiser Red Light without a phone

February 20, 2013November 14, 2013 Doug Groves Android, Bluestacks, Bud Red Light, BudRedLight, Budweiser Red Light, hockey, iOS, Red Light, review61 Comments

Budweiser recently released the Red Light, a limited edition a wireless hockey goal light that’ll blast the horns and spin the lights when your favourite team(s) score a goal. It’s the perfect addition to any den or man cave inhabited by even casual hockey fans.

The Red Light has been such a hit for Bud that they’re now back ordered until May, and a brisk second hand market for them on Ebay with the kind of 200% to 300% markup you’d expect from a gizmo limited to Canada, leaving US hockey fans out in the cold. I was lucky enough to get one as an early birthday present from a friend…

but there was a caveat that came with it.

Computing Featured Mobile

Carrier IQ and mobile (in)security

November 30, 2011December 2, 2011 Doug Groves Android, Blackberry, Carrier IQ, Carrier IQ iOS, CIQ, EFF, Electronic Frontier Foundation, iPhone, IQRD, mobile security, Nokia, rootkit, security, Symbian, TrevE, xda developers22 Comments

Back in October, a story ran on XDA Developers about software running on HTC Android phones called Carrier IQ (CIQ) that appeared to be collecting a fair amount of data about your device and not doing a good job of storing it securely. Beyond your device ID, it collected phone numbers, geo-location and account names. Since that initial discovery, there’ve been reports of it being even more invasive, leading Carrier IQ to issue a Cease and Desist letter and denying what it does.

Computing Featured Mobile

HTC Raider LTE phone hits Bell and Rogers

October 28, 2011 Doug Groves 4G, Android, Bell, HTC, HTC Raider, LTE, Raider, Rogers1 Comment

If you’re going to be surfing on the new high speed LTE networks from Bell or Rogers, you’re going to want a phone that can handle it. That’s where the HTC Raider comes in. The company has announced that the Raider, HTC’s first LTE phone in Canada, will be coming to both Bell and Rogers next month. The phone checks all the other boxes for a high end smartphone as well, with a 4.5″ qHD screen, 1.2GHz dual core processor and an 8 megapixel camera with f/2.2 aperture for better low light performance and 108op video recording.

Computing Featured Mobile

Kik Messenger Windows Phone launch gives them Android and iOS bump

August 31, 2011August 31, 2011 Doug Groves Android, cross-platform, iOS, iPhone, Kik, Kik Messenger, SMS, Windows Phone, Windows Phone 70 comment

If you follow smartphone news at all, you know that any time a review is posted, or another patent lawsuit is announced, the fanboys and fangirls will come out in the comments and talk smack to each other. They’ll trumpet their OS while saying all others are inferior choices.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Android 3.1 Tablet coming July 22nd

June 23, 2011June 25, 2011 drsquid 10.1, Android, Android 3.1, canada, Galaxy, google, Honeycomb, iPad, iPad 2, launch, Nvidia, Samsung, Tab, tablet, Tegra 2, TouchWiz, video, Wi-Fi1 Comment

As Cersei said to Ned, “When you play the Game of Thrones, you win or you die. There is no middle ground.” You can apply this quote to the Tablet Wars, and if King Robert Baratheon was the iPad, and Joffrey Baratheon the iPad 2, then is the Galaxy Tab 10.1 Robb Stark? Perhaps that doesn’t work because Joffrey isn’t actually Robert’s son and…okay, as you can see I have been watching too much of HBO’s brilliant Game of Thrones TV series. Trying to find suitable analogies in a fantasy…

Featured Mobile

Samsung Galaxy S II photo preview

June 17, 2011June 22, 2011 Doug Groves 1080p, Android, Android 2.3.3, canada, Galaxy S, Galaxy S II, Gingerbread, google, hands-on, handson, HTC, launch, Rogers, SAMOLED, Samsung, SGS2, SGSII, smartphone, superphone2 Comments

Over the past few days, Alex has had his hands on the latest and greatest Android phone from Samsung, the Galaxy S II. There’s some things we can’t say about it at the moment, but by all metrics, it certainly appears to be ushering in the next generation of powerhouse smartphones. At a 3rd of an inch thick, the SGS II is both thin and light, while sporting a 4.3″ Super AMOLED+ screen and a lot of power under the hood, driven by a 1.2Ghz dual core processor.

HP TouchPad tablet coming to Canada on July 15th

June 14, 2011June 15, 2011 drsquid Android, canada, Flash, google, Honeycomb, HP, iPad, iPad 2, Jon Rubinstein, launch, Mobile, palm, Pre, pre-order, Qualcomm, release, Samsung, smartphone, Synergy, tablet, TouchPad, Touchstone, video, webOS, Xoom0 comment

While the iPad and its successor, the iPad 2, are still the gold-standard for tablets, 2011 has already seen the release of a number of challengers for its throne. Both the recently released Motorola XOOM and RIM Playbook have some features that are better than the iPad, but neither of them has managed to recreate the “magic” that Apple infuses the iPad with. While most of the tablets still to come this year are going to Android Honeycomb based – Samsung, Toshiba, Dell, HTC, Lenovo, LG all have new models…

HTC Meetup in Toronto tonight

May 30, 2011May 29, 2011 drsquid Android, canada, event, google, HTC, meet-up, smartphone, superphone, tablet, Telecommunications1 Comment

For the first time HTC is having a meet-up in Canada. If you have time to drop by tonight you’ll be able to check out “The Evolution Of Telecommunications Design”, the latest HTC handsets, and possibly some new unreleased devices! HTC presents “Telephones Lines…From Rotary To Hands Free – The Evolution Of Telecommunications Design” HTC would like to invite you to experience the evolution of telecommunications from a design perspective with the exhibit, “Telephone Lines… from rotary to hands free.” In the exhibit, we will showcase artifacts and photos from…

Best Buy Canada’s Free Phone Fridays – more killer (on contract) deals including the Xperia PLAY

May 27, 2011 drsquid Android, Atrix, Bell, Best Buy, Blackberry, canada, Free, Gaming, google, HTC, Incredible S, Mobile, Motorola, Nexus S, PLAY, Rogers, Samsung, smartphone, Sony, Sony Ericsson, superphone, Telus, Torch, Virgin Mobile, Xperia1 Comment

Best Buy Canada’s Free Phone Fridays returns with some killer deals – if you sign a new 3yr contact. This week’s deals include the Nexus S, ATRIX & Xperia PLAY for $0. With the announcement that the mobile version Minecraft is coming exclusively (at first) to the PLAY perhaps it’s time to consider getting a 2nd phone? Also if you are on the fence about the PLAY we should have some videos posted later today of it in action – it is, IMO, hands-down the best mobile gaming experience you…

LG Optimus Pad impresses in hands on video

May 25, 2011July 7, 2011 Doug Groves Android, google, hands-on, Honeycomb, impression, iPad comparison, LG, LG G-Slate, LG Optimus Pad, Rogers, video1 Comment

The LG Optimus Pad is the latest in a long line up of Android 3.0 tablets hitting store shelves these days (in the US it’s known as the G-Slate on T-Mobile), but LG has made an effort to differentiate itself from the pack, by offering a slightly different form factor. Currently there’s no WiFi only model available in Canada, but I hope LG rectifies that soon, as it does offer a unique experience. You may be asking “But it’s Android’s Honeycomb, it’s all the same, right?”. You’d be right, but not all…

Best Buy’s Free Phone Fridays – this week’s Android deals

May 13, 2011May 15, 2011 drsquid Android, Atrix, Bell, Best Buy, canada, contract, Desire HD, Fido, Free Phone Fridays, Galaxy S, HTC, Incredible S, Motorola, Nexus S, Optimus One, Promotion, Rogers, Samsung, smartphone, superphone, Telus4 Comments

Best Buy Canada has followed the Best Buy US lead and is offering a selection of ‘free’ phones every Friday. Of course there is a catch – they are only free if you buy the phone on a 3-year term, as a new activation. While this means that not everybody can take advantage of these deals, if you are no longer in a contract or looking to switch carriers, you can pick up one of the latest Android phones by just signing a piece of paper! The phones included (and…

Virgin Mobile HTC Incredible S hands-on video including Bell Mobile TV app

May 12, 2011May 14, 2011 drsquid Android, Android 2.2, Bell, Best Buy, canada, google, hands-on, HTC, HTC Sense, launch, Sense UI, smartphone, superphone, video, Virgin Mobile8 Comments

At the beginning of April both Virgin Mobile and Bell Mobility released the HTC Incredible S Android smartphone, and HTC was kind enough to send us the Virgin version to review. You can check out our in-depth video look at the phone below.