In an interview with Bloomberg, BlackBerry founder Mike Lazaridis and former co-CEO believes iPhone users will embrace the upcoming BBM iOS app with open arms, speaking at the Bloomberg Canada Economic Summit in Toronto.:

BlackBerry founder Mike Lazaridis said he’s confident that users of iPhones and other devices will embrace the company’s BlackBerry Messenger platform, which will be offered on rival phones later this year.

“BBM is by far the most compelling wireless experience and wireless social-networking environment,”

Lazaridis and fellow co-CEO Jim Balsillie stepped down from the company last January.

BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) was previously the crown jewel of the company, as the proprietary messaging app during the height of its popularity had its users proudly and loudly exchanging their “PINs” with fellow enthusiasts on social networks and gatherings.

But as the company declined for failing to innovate and acknowledge rival smartphones such as the iPhone (must watch video) and other Android offerings, cross platform third party alternatives such as WhatsApp have become a viable alternative. Recent launches of the Z10 and Q10 models based on a new operating system aim to make BlackBerry relevant again.

BlackBerry announced BBM for iOS will launch this summer just over a week ago, as detailed at their annual BlackBerry Live conference.

Are you excited for BBM on your iPhone? The number one problem would be trying to find friends and family that still use a BlackBerry.

BlackBerry Founder Says iPhone Users Will Embrace BBM is a post from: iPhone in Canada Blog - Canada's #1 iPhone Resource

The two Siri patents are US Patent No. 8,086,604 and US Patent No. 6,847,959 relating to a “universal interface for retrieval of information in a computer system.”

Apple asserted the ’604 and ’959 patents against the Android Quick Search Box, but with the launch of Google Now, it appears that the company wants to update its infringement claims accordingly.

To further complicate matters, Apple’s infringement analysis of the ’604 and ’959 patents focuses on Google functionality that Samsung incorporates into its devices. For example, in its original contentions, Apple identified Google’s Quick Search Box found on the accused Samsung phones as satisfying the limitations of the ’604 and the ’959 patents. Since Apple initially served those infringement contentions, however, Google released the Google Now search application, which in some instances, replaces the Quick Search Box, but incorporates the relevant ’604 and ’959 patented functionality.

The trial is scheduled for next spring.

Apple Says Google Now, Galaxy S4 Violates Siri Patents is a post from: iPhone in Canada Blog - Canada's #1 iPhone Resource

Below is a chart supplied to us of the following prices and data amounts included:

As you can see, these prices are not cheap. 1GB of data in Europe will cost almost $800, in Asia, Carribbean, Latin America & Oceania it will be $2,250 for 1GB, and in Africa for 1GB it’ll cost $3,250.

Rogers says these new packages will text real-time alerts to your phone to monitor data usage. The data roaming plans will cease when the pass expires by time or usage to prevent excessive overages. Once limits are reached, customers will have the option to purchase another pass or switch to pay-per-use.

Just a couple weeks ago Rogers launched their new $7.99 per day U.S. roaming rate with 50MB of data.

This is a good start—but for seasoned travellers, your best bet for roaming overseas is to use an unlocked iPhone and subscribe to the voice and data plans of a local carrier, as a much more cost-effective solution. Anyone going to jump on these new data roaming passes?

Rogers Launches New International Data Roaming Passes is a post from: iPhone in Canada Blog - Canada's #1 iPhone Resource

You may recall that previously you had quick access to accessory categories, refurbished products and clearance stores. With the new design, the product accessories category can be accessed though the top navigation bar. When shopping for a Mac for example, a Mac accessories category appears and by clicking on it, you’ll see a whole list of accessories displayed on the right, while the refurbished and clearance categories are now located at the bottom of the page in the store’s site-map links.

The new design focuses on delivering more visual information rather than text, and so Apple has removed some redundancy on its main store page, as Eric Slivka of MacRumors points out. Many links had previously appeared both in the main body of the page and then lower down in the site-map section.

The new design also brings visual tweaks to each main product page, allowing larger images and less textual info.

Also, as the German Macerkopf.de highlights, Apple has added the option to pay for purchases on the Apple Online Store using PayPal. Although this feature is currently limited to Germany, it could signal the start of a broader adoption in the future.

Apple Refreshes Online Store Layout, Promotes Father’s Day is a post from: iPhone in Canada Blog - Canada's #1 iPhone Resource

When Tim Cook said during an exclusive interview on NBC’s “Rock Center” that Apple is planning to bring the Mac manufacturing line to the U.S. in December last year, he didn’t specify which line, nor where in the country he plans to build it.

Yesterday, however, during the hearing before the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Tim Cook shared some of this info: the Mac computers will be manufactured in Texas (via AllThingsD).

“We’re investing $100 million to build a Mac product line here in the U.S.,” Cook said. “The product will be assembled in Texas, include components made in Illinois and Florida, and rely on equipment produced in Kentucky and Michigan.”

This doesn’t mean, though, that Apple will invest in production facilities. But it will continue to work with manufacturing partners who are now slowly being revealed.

Foxconn, Apple’s long-time partner, is obviously in a push to obtain the contract from Apple. As Bloomberg reported back in December, Foxconn seeks expansion in the U.S. The company already operates plants in Texas and Indiana through its Q-Edge subsidiary. This expansion is being implemented to accommodate the wishes of its customers.

We are not suggesting Foxconn will manufacture Apple’s “Made in USA” Mac, but all signs point to this possibility.

Made-in-USA Macs to be Manufactured in Texas is a post from: iPhone in Canada Blog - Canada's #1 iPhone Resource

Just Mobile, a company so well known for its aluminum sculpted design objects, has recently introduced yet another simple and elegant multi-purpose stand for iPhone and iPad Mini called the AluCup™. As the name implies, this diagonally-cut aluminum cup lets you use its hollow space to put an iPhone or a similar sized cell phone, while its rubber friction allows an iPad Mini to rest on it. Available in a choice of four colours i.e red, black, yellow and blue, the AluCup™ is currently selling online at a price of $29.95.

Shipped in a traditional Just Mobile black box, the AluCup™ has been crafted from a single block of high grade aluminum with a soft silicon rubber insert in one of the four color options. The silicon insert, which can be easily removed from the aluminum cylinder, features high-friction edges that serve as a reclining pedestal for iPhone or iPad Mini, allowing you to place your device in either landscape or portrait mode. Similarly, the base of the AluCup™ has a color-matched rubber that holds it steady on smooth surfaces like glass.

The AluCup™ has four cable slots, one on each side of the cylinder, that let you pass your lightning or any charging cable in order to create a clutter-free charging setup for your handheld device. It must be noted however that the charging is only possible when resting the device on top of the AluCup™ and not while the device is standing straight inside the cup’s hollow.

While some of us may not agree declaring the AluCup™ a must have accessory, its simplicity and usefulness is surely unquestionable. In my own experience, Just Mobile’s AluCup™ has turned out to be a highly practical desktop object. It not only works as a compact iPhone / iPad Mini stand, but also serves well to accommodate random bits and pieces like coins, keys, pens and so on.

Review: Just Mobile AluCup™ For iPhone / iPad Mini is a post from: iPhone in Canada Blog - Canada's #1 iPhone Resource

A U.S. Senate report alleges Apple’s complex corporate structures allows the company to dodge taxes and this morning CEO Tim Cook and CFO Peter Oppenheimer defended the company’s practices at the Senate’s Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations in Washington, D.C.

Earlier, Ireland publicly rejected claims it allows special tax rates with companies, even though it plays a part in Apple’s ingenious “double Irish with a Dutch sandwich” tax avoidance technique.

Apple has now posted full opening statements from Cook and Oppenheimer for public viewing. Below is a segment Tim Cook wanted to make very clear about Apple’s tax practices:

I would like to explain very clearly how we view our responsibility with respect to taxes:

• Apple has real operations in real places, with Apple employees selling real products to real customers.
• We pay all the taxes we owe – every single dollar.
• We not only comply with the laws, but we comply with the spirit of the laws.
• We don’t depend on tax gimmicks.
• We don’t move intellectual property offshore and use it to sell products back into the U.S. to avoid U.S. taxes.
• We don’t stash money on some Caribbean island.
• We don’t borrow money from our foreign subsidiaries to fund our U.S. business in order to skirt the repatriation tax.

You can check out both documents full in PDF format here and here. Apple released its testimony to the investigation yesterday.

Apple Publishes Senate Opening Statements from Tim Cook, Peter Oppenheimer is a post from: iPhone in Canada Blog - Canada's #1 iPhone Resource

Now, we have another goodie heading your way and it’s a 16GB Nexus 4 from TELUS ($359 value). This Android phone is Google’s latest flagship smartphone which will allow users to experience what Android is supposed to be. Since all Nexus phones come unlocked, all you have to do is pop in your existing SIM card and voila.

‘Tired’ of your iPhone? Want to try something new? Enter our contest below!

1. Follow @iPhoneinCanada and @TELUS! on Twitter.

2. Send out the following tweet:

Enter here to win a 16GB Nexus 4 from @iPhoneinCanada and @TELUS! http://bit.ly/1a2spaM

3. Leave a comment in the comments section below to confirm your entry.

Contest ends on May 28 at 11:59PM PDT and the winner must have a Canadian mailing address. The winner will be announced shortly afterwards. Good luck!

Contest: Enter to Win a 16GB Nexus 4 from TELUS is a post from: iPhone in Canada Blog - Canada's #1 iPhone Resource

Amazon.ca has some decent sales right now on OtterBox iPhone and iPad cases, which as you probably know offers some of the best device protection available. Here are some sales that have caught our eye and are pretty hot (especially the Defender Series for iPhone 5):

• OtterBox Defender Series for iPhone 5: $22.00 (63% off; regular price $59.80)
• OtterBox iPhone 4/4S Commuter Series: $19.90 (50% off; regular price $39.99)
• OtterBox Defender Series for iPad 2/3/4: $59.00 plus free shipping (34% off; regular price $89.99)
• OtterBox iPad mini Defender: $39.00 plus free shipping (48% off, regular price $74.99)

[via RFD]

Amazon.ca OtterBox Sale: 63% Off the Defender for iPhone 5 at $22, Plus More is a post from: iPhone in Canada Blog - Canada's #1 iPhone Resource

If you want to become an iPhone camera ninja, then the following iPhone photography video course might be for you. You’ll get over 93 lectures and 8 hours of content from Chet Davis, a veteran photographer with over 17 years of experience. He’s offering a massive course on sale for 51% off–available to you for just $19.

Here’s what you’ll learn about:

• Your iPhone’s Camera Settings & Functions
• Managing Photos in the Camera Roll
• Sharing Photos in the Camera Roll
• Popular Sharing Apps
• Favorite Apps for Photo Capturing, Editing, & Special Effects
• iPhone Photography Tips & Techniques – Building Your Creative Eye
• Connecting iPhone & Computers for Sharing & Archiving

[Related deal: $50 of Slickwraps Credit for just $25]

You’ll be able to view this course online forever as long as you have internet access where you will view the online course on your iPad. There’s a 30 day money back guarantee so you really have nothing to lose here.

Click here to jump on the iPhone photography video course deal while it’s still available from our Deals Store.

Learn How to Master your iPhone Camera with this Video Course [Deals] is a post from: iPhone in Canada Blog - Canada's #1 iPhone Resource