Smartphones & Accessories

There’s a new update for your phone, or a new app or game you want to try, but you can’t download it because you’ve run out of storage space. Situations like this are becoming more routine, and in cases where internal storage isn’t expandable, some maintenance is necessary to make room. If storage, or lack thereof, has been an issue for you, there are options for creating some breathing space for your data.

A smartphone camera may be limited by its size, but it doesn’t have to be when accessories can enhance and take things further. Carson makes a number of different magnification products, including lenses for the iPhone and Samsung Galaxy devices that turn them into true macro cameras and microscopes.

Samsung raised the curtain on its two newest smartphones, the Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge+, both of which sport large displays. Staying true to their predecessors, they are designed to be premium handsets that don’t diverge very much from each other. The specs are nearly identical between them, though one is flat while the other curves.

When it comes to choosing a new smartphone, hardware features are important —the display size, CPU and camera image sensor are always something to consider. The operating system is arguably an even more important choice. Right now there are four main mobile operating systems: iOS, Android, Windows and BlackBerry. Not sure which one should be on your next smartphone? I’m here to help you choose.

The cell phone has quickly become the focal point of our mobile communications. With the power of a computer in your hand, a display with a resolution on par with HDTV, LTE data speeds that rival your home broadband Internet connection, a high quality camera, gaming capabilities at the level of previous generation consoles, massive amounts of onboard storage, multiple connectivity options and cloud-based synchronization of your services, the smartphone can quickly become an irreplaceable part of your life.

Samsung has a bit of a tough act to follow in the Galaxy S4. The company’s flagship smartphone has been the top-selling Android smartphone since its release in 2013, it’s the biggest competitor to Apple’s iPhone and in many ways it set the bar for what other manufacturers brought to the table since then: bigger displays, more powerful CPUs and innovative software like S Health. Competition in the smartphone market is fiercer than ever in 2014, so the Galaxy S5 really has to hit it out of the park to stay on top. Based on what we saw at Samsung Unpacked today, it looks like the Galaxy S5 has the chops to keep Samsung’s winning streak going.

If you’re excited about the pending arrival of the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge with its curved display, you aren’t alone. But it was only a few months ago that Samsung released the Galaxy Note Edge, the flagship phablet that paved the way for the Galaxy S6 Edge. I spent several weeks putting Samsung’s curved display phablet through its paces. It does take some getting used to, but the curved glass looks great, feels great and bodes well for the Galaxy S6 Edge—which puts that curve on both sides instead of Note Edge’s one.

     Hacking into mobile accounts is all over the news these days, with either cyber criminals compromising consumer data, or the FBI wanting to break into criminals’ phones for evidence. Security is on everyone’s minds and you should be thinking about it, too. Your first line of defence for any mobile account, of course, is a solid and strong password. So, stop using “password” or your cat’s name, and read on for a few tips for creating the best password for your mobile accounts.

The code of conduct the CRTC (Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission) set down for the wireless industry ensures that consumers can cancel their three-year contracts after 24 months without paying a fee, meaning that as of June 3, three-year cell phone contracts are effectively dead. If you signed a contract on June 2, 2013 or earlier, then you are free to renew or go without a contract. You have options to consider now that you’re on your own to decide, and here’s a look at some of them.