Smartphone Updates
2010 was a banner year for Vancouver’s airG, who saw its mobile social network grow to more than 55 million cumulative unique users worldwide, sending more than six billion instant messages on their mobile devices. Through partnerships with more than 100 mobile operators in 40 countries and support for more than 30 languages, airG is the most widely available mobile social network in the world.
“What distinguishes airG from other online social networks is its unique blend of social discovery, social utility and social entertainment,” said Vincent Yen, Co-Founder, airG. “Over the past ten years we have seen the popularity of airG grow consistently to more than 55 million cumulative unique users, with more than one million new users experiencing airG each month.”
airG enables mobile users to easily find, connect and share their world with their existing friends as well as millions of new people from around the world. airG’s proprietary social entertainment platform includes features like user identities and status updates, photo and video sharing, social games, instant messaging and virtual goods.
As a testament to the phenomenal power of airG to connect and entertain people on their mobile phone, in 2010 airG’s users shared more than 2.3 billion photos, sent more than 74 million virtual gifts, had an average of 30 new friends they met in the community, generated more than 7.9 billion minutes of use, and spent more than 77 minutes each day using airG.
“As Smartphones and mobile devices become the de facto channel to access the internet, we believe mobile social networking will grow at a faster rate than online,” added Dejan Mirkovic, Vice President Marketing and Corporate Development, airG. “With the extraordinary rate of growth airG experienced in 2010, we are on track to double the size our mobile social network by 2012.”
Some Canadians will enjoy even faster mobile internet access speeds this March when TELUS launches its new Dual Cell upgrade to HSPA+ (DC-HSPA+). This new network capability supports extremely fast manufacturer’s rated peak download speeds of up to 42 megabits per second (Mbps) and upload speeds of up to 11 Mbps( depending on the device being used, network congestion, distance from the cell site, local conditions and other factors). TELUS’ HSPA+ network is now a fourth generation (4G) network according to current International Telecommunications Union (ITU) standards (December 6 2010 ITU News Release: ITU World Radiocommunication Seminar highlights future communication technologies), and this latest innovation will ensure that TELUS continues to bring the latest in mobile technologies to Canadians.
The first device to take full advantage of this new Dual Cell capability will be the Sierra Wireless AirCard 319U 4G Internet Key, available to TELUS customers in March on Canada’s fastest coast-to-coast mobile network. That is, the fastest according to TELUS’ tests of data throughput speeds in large Canadian urban centres available from national HSPA+ service providers. Internet access speed provided by the network operator may vary due to the device being used, network congestion, distance from the cell site, local conditions and other factors. Speed on the Internet is beyond the wireless network operator’s control and may vary with your configuration, internet traffic, website server and management policies, and other factors.
“Canada is an innovation leader in communications technology, and TELUS is at the forefront, bringing our customers the most advanced wireless technology available. Dual Cell is just the latest example of our commitment to offer our clients the latest and greatest available technology,” said Eros Spadotto, executive vice-president of Technology Strategy at TELUS. “This upgrade means our customers can enjoy faster speeds when they want to be entertained on-the-go, stay in touch with family and friends, visit their favourite social media sites, stay connected to business contacts wherever they are, and access healthcare information and applications at their fingertips. Our latest 4G Sierra Wireless mobile internet key offers not only blazing fast download speeds but it’s also easy to use; you just plug it into your computer and you are good to go.”
The Sierra Wireless AirCard 319U 4G Internet Key is an ultra portable, easy-to-use mobile solution for internet users who want to take advantage of Dual Cell’s download speed of up to 42 Mbps. It is backwards compatible to HSPA+ and offers the Sierra Wireless Watcher connection manager software to help users monitor their local or international data usage.
“Sierra Wireless is thrilled to support TELUS in its commitment to provide the best available wireless technology to Canadian customers,” said Dan Schieler, senior vice-president and general manager, Mobile Computing for Sierra Wireless. “The Sierra Wireless AirCard 319U is uniquely designed to work the way our customers need it to work – on the fly, in tight spaces, and fast. It offers a great solution for anyone who wants to live a truly mobile life.”
TELUS’ Dual Cell upgrade maximizes the potential of HSPA+, an industry-recognized 4G technology which provides an interim step towards the deployment of Long Term Evolution (LTE) wireless network technology.
At a time when smartphone use has become ingrained in everyday life as a primary way to communicate, work and share, a new survey from Norton reveals that 33 percent of consumers in Canada have fallen victim to cell phone loss or theft. The survey, which was conducted by Strategy One among a Canadian sample of 1,508 adults age 18 years or older on September 24 – October 7, 2010 with an over-sample in five major cities (Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Montreal, Halifax), make it clear that there is a growing need to protect important and personal information stored on smartphones. To that end, Norton has released Mobile Security 1.5, the only product for Android to seamlessly combine anti-theft features with powerful Norton mobile anti-malware, giving consumers a sense of security in the event their phone is lost or stolen.
Top 5 Canadian Cities For Cell Phone Loss or Theft:
1. Toronto (Mississauga) – 48%
2. Montreal (Laval) – 32%
3. Vancouver (Surrey, Burnaby) – 31%
4. Calgary – 23%
5. Halifax – 17%
“Losing your phone or having it stolen can be quite traumatic for people, especially with the amount of personal information saved in cell phone nowadays,” said Lynn Hargrove, Director of Consumer Solutions, Symantec Canada. “The most shocking finding from the survey to me was the fact that 70 percent of people did not password protect their phones – allowing anyone to access their information.”
Frustration was the most dominant feeling consumers experienced when their mobile phone was lost or stolen, likely because 83 percent could neither remotely lock nor remotely wipe their phone’s memory afterward, and two-thirds (70 percent) of all smartphone users did not password protect their phones. An overwhelming majority of respondents contacted their mobile service provider to resolve the situation as the first step and ultimately reported that it cost an average of $170.85 to resolve.
“The survey results are clear: cell phone loss and theft is a significant issue for consumers today,” said Laura Garcia-Manrique, vice president, Consumer Business Unit, Norton by Symantec. “Norton Mobile Security lets you determine your phone’s location, lock it up, or even wipe it clean in the event you’ll never see the device again. The response to the offering thus far – with more than 100,000 beta downloads and a 4 out of 5 star Android Market rating – confirms that consumers trust the Norton brand to protect them everywhere, regardless of the platform.”
In addition to the ability to locate and remotely lock or wipe an Android phone, Norton Mobile Security includes anti-malware functionality that automatically scans for malicious applications or spyware, and call/text blocking to avoid annoying or unwanted calls and text messages.
Top 5 Canadian Cities For Cell Phone Loss or Theft:
1. Toronto (Mississauga) – 48%
2. Montreal (Laval) – 32%
3. Vancouver (Surrey, Burnaby) – 31%
4. Calgary – 23%
5. Halifax – 17%
