Netputing » Canada

AppleTV 2 now shipping

admin — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 13:05:49 +0000

I just got confirmation from Apple that the AppleTV 2 have started shipping… at least to Canada:

Based on the Fedex record the unit should be at my door on Wednesday the 29th.

Last week some people reported delay in the delivery of the new “hobby” device… but this prove it was wrong. Apparently it is shipping straight from the manufacture in China.

Looking forward to get the new toy!

Netflix now available in Canada

admin — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 14:26:39 +0000

: Image via CrunchBase

Netflix.ca is now open for business. You can now subscribe to a 1 month trial membership account and enjoy streaming movies. Be warned that you will need to provide a valid canadian credit card or Paypal account to complete the process.

At that point you will be able to stream movies and TV episodes to you iPad/iPhone, Wii or MAC/PC. Is is expected that the new AppleTV2 will also support Netflix streaming in Canada when it ship at the end of the month of September.

Once your trial is ended you will be charged 7.99$/month for the membership. This is less than 100$ per year to watch movies and TV shows… less than one month of my current cable bill!

Mind you, the selection is not the most recent. You won’t find blockbusters movie when they are released. You will have to wait a fair bit before you can stream them via Netflix.

There is also no french section of the web site. This might limit the market penetration in Quebec where most of the population is french speaking. This will seriously limit my familly’s ability to use the service as my kisd only speak french and will not benefit from the familly section for now.

Hopefully Netflix will add some french titles over time.

I will give the service a more thorough try tonight and will report on my experience with it.

Call phones from Gmail – Official Gmail Blog

admin — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 18:04:41 +0000

Gmail voice and video chat makes it easy to stay in touch with friends and family using your computer’s microphone and speakers. But until now, this required both people to be at their computers, signed into Gmail at the same time. Given that most of us don’t spend all day in front of our computers, we thought, “wouldn’t it be nice if you could call people directly on their phones?”

Starting today, you can call any phone right from Gmail.

Calls to the U.S. and Canada will be free for at least the rest of the year and calls to other countries will be billed at our very low rates. We worked hard to make these rates really cheap (see comparison table) with calls to the U.K., France, Germany, China, Japan—and many more countries—for as little as $0.02 per minute.

Dialing a phone number works just like a normal phone. Just click “Call phone” at the top of your chat list and dial a number or enter a contact’s name.

via Call phones from Gmail – Official Gmail Blog.

Netflix coming to Canada this fall

admin — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 15:19:53 +0000

Netflix NFLX spokesman Steve Swasey confirms that the Canada move will be the extent of the company’s international forays this year. Still, it’s expansion, right? It’s also worth noting that Canadian customers will only be able to subscribe to the Web offering, but still won’t be able to get Netflix DVDs via the email. It’s the first time that Netflix has offered a streaming-only service. Netflix’ release doesn’t have many other specifics, like price, the size of the catalog that the company will offer, or the exact date it will be available.

Apparently the service won’t be of any use to American subscribers who visit their neighbors up north. Blame licensing restrictions, per usual.

via Netflix Goes Abroad! But Not Too Far: Streaming Service Coming To Canada | Peter Kafka | MediaMemo | AllThingsD.

Netflix Coming to Canada, Eh? [NetFlix] (gizmodo.com)

Unlocked iPhone 4 soon to be sold on Apple Store

admin — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 13:26:57 +0000

It is official, Apple now announced that commitment-free iPhone 4 will soon be available on the Canadian Apple Store.

This is how Apple describe the iPhones purchased via the online store:

Your new iPhone. Direct from Apple and ready to use.

When you purchase your iPhone from the Apple Online Store, you’ll get it commitment-free. So you can sign up for service with the carrier of your choice and change your carrier at any time. Questions? Call our iPhone experts at 1-800-MY-APPLE.

Based on current pricing for the 3GS it is expected that the 16GB iPhone 4 will run for $649.00

Canadian iBookstore shelves empty for iPad readers

admin — Fri, 28 May 2010 12:54:33 +0000

OK, the Canadian iBookstore are not empty per say… they are empty of commercial book titles. It appear as if Apple was not able to come to an agreement with Canadian publishers on selling eBooks in Canada.

Only books from the Gutenberg Project can be had for free at the moment. Earlier today the UK iBookstore was filled with titles from Bernard Cornwell, Tony Parsons and Malcolm Gladwell, among many others.

Will Canadian iBookstore follow soon? Let just hope!

Canadian iBook store now up… no pay book yet!

admin — Thu, 20 May 2010 23:20:54 +0000

I just tried to connect to the iBook store using my Canadian iTunes account and was surprised to see eBooks in the store. But my surprise did not last long as I discovered that there are no commercial eBooks in the store yet. Only public domain books can be added for free to the bookshelf.

This is rather disappointing for the moment. But it is still early and there are more days from now until the 28th for Apple to add commercial eBooks.

For now I will have to stick with Jules Verne 20000 Lieues Sous Les Mers.

Making your iPad 3G work in Canada

admin — Tue, 11 May 2010 15:07:37 +0000

BoyGeniusReport story will walks you through the steps necessary to make your iPad work with Bell, Fido, Rogers and TELUS 3G providers in Canada.

BGR has done the research for you, including figuring out the various APN settings for different carriers.

The most challenging part of the process will be cutting down a SIM card to mini size. There are lots of instructions around to help you but in the end theyre your fingers and your card, so be careful.

via Making your iPad 3G work in Canada.

Rogers Removes $20 Data Bolt-On For iPad, Confirms No Fido Support

admin — Mon, 10 May 2010 19:41:55 +0000

iPadinCanada is reporting that the $20 Bolt-On option from Rogers was removed

Earlier this morning, Rogers removed the $20 bolt-on option stating it was an error:

Many of you have asked about the shared data plan listed on the Apple website. This reference was an error and is being removed.

So if you do not have an iPhone and want to use the iPad 3G + WiFi in Canada, you have the following two non-contracted options from Rogers:

250MB: $15

5GB: $35

If you were basing your iPad WiFi + 3G purchase on this $20 add-on, how do you feel now after it has been removed?

via Rogers Removes $20 Data Bolt-On For iPad, Confirms No Fido Support | iPad in Canada – Canada’s iPad Blog.

iPad international availability set for May 28

admin — Fri, 07 May 2010 16:41:56 +0000

The iPad will finally be available internationally on Mat 28th 2010… with pre-orders starting on may 10th. Canadians are expected to may 50$ more than their US cousins!

Apple’s iBookstore which is currently only available in the US will also become available the day of the launch.

Apple released the following iPad pricing for Canadians:

WiFi Models:
$549 (CAN) for 16GB
$649 (CAN) for 32GB
$749 (CAN) for 64GB

WiFi + 3G Models:
$679 (CAN) for 16GB
$779 (CAN) for 32GB
$879 (CAN) for 64GB

iPad international availability set for May 28.