Messaging traffic to grow 70% in next 4 years

The volume of online and mobile messaging will increase 70 per cent over the next four years, Juniper Research Ltd. said Tuesday.

The research group said the number of emails, instant messages, social media posts, and text messages using SMS (short message service) or MMS (multi-media messaging service) will total 160 trillion in 2019, up from 94.2 trillion this year.

Juniper said email accounted for the largest share of messages last year with 35 trillion, though 80 per cent of those, or 28 trillion, were spam.

Telus makes NFB content available through Optik

Telus Corp.’s Optik TV customers will now have access more than 1,000 National Film Board of Canada (NFB) films on their TV via a new app.

Telus announced Thursday in a press release that the NFB app is now available to Optik TV subscribers in Alberta, British Columbia and Quebec.

Samsung fitness bands rank highest in U.S. survey

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. ranks first among fitness-band makers for customer-satisfaction among U.S. residents, while Fitbit Inc. is second, according to a survey by J.D. Power and Associates.

It said in a press release Tuesday that Samsung's wearable fitness tracker scored high in terms of performance, style and appearance, variety of features, battery life and durability, while Fitbit was noted for its reliability, ease of use, durability and availability of apps.

Cisco to buy cloud security company OpenDNS

Cisco Systems Inc. announced Tuesday it is planning to acquire OpenDNS, a security systems company with offices in San Francisco and Vancouver.  

Telecom leaders sell IoT services to increasingly savvy market

Over the past year, there has been a key change in the Internet of Things (IoT) market, as customers have become more aware of the technology and what it can do for them, according to officials from Canadian telecom companies.

Eric Simmons, general manager of Rogers Communications Inc.'s machine-to-machine (M2M) division, said he's noticed more customers coming in with fully developed ideas about how they want to harness the technology to improve their business.

Hexoskin shirts available through Best Buy

Hexoskin, a Montreal-based maker of shirts that capture biometric information about people, said this week that its products were to become available on the Canadian website of Best Buy Co. Inc. as of Friday.

The company said in a press release that its shirts are of value to athletes for tracking their bodies during exercise, daily activities and sleeping, as well as for astronauts and those doing scientific research.

Weather Network app launched for Apple Watch

Pelmorex Media Inc. announced Thursday the launch of a new Weather Network app for Apple Inc.’s Apple Watch.

SaskTel announces M2M management portal

Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holding Corp. said Wednesday it has launched a machine-to-machine (M2M) management centre, which is an online portal for its business customers to control and monitor devices linked to an M2M connection.

SaskTel said the portal will allow customers to gain analytical information about their connected devices.

Pay app launched for Android, BlackBerry, while Apple users wait

A mobile payment application owned and supported by Canada's three biggest wireless providers was announced Tuesday for Android and BlackBerry phones, while iPhone users are left waiting for Apple Pay to come to Canada.

Suretap, a joint venture of Rogers Communications Inc., BCE Inc. and Telus Corp., said that its mobile wallet application would be available to customers of the three companies' main mobile services, as well as Bell's flanker brand Virgin Mobile and Telus' Koodo.

Wearables market to grow 173.3% this year: IDC

International Data Corp. predicted Thursday that the global wearable market will grow 173.3 per cent this year.

The technology research company said in a press release that 72.1 million wearable devices will be shipped this year, up from 26.4 million last year. It forecast average annual growth of 42.6 per cent over five years with the number of shipments reaching 155.7 million units in 2019.

OTT messaging struggling to monetize: Juniper

Over-the-top (OTT) messaging services are expected to see traffic levels triple globally by 2019 compared to last year's levels, but a lack of success in monetizing the product will lead to a decline in global revenue for the messaging industry overall, according to Juniper Research Ltd.

Shopify teams with Pinterest to create new sales platform

Ottawa-based e-commerce company Shopify on Tuesday said it has teamed with social networking website Pinterest to provide businesses a new way to sell things directly to online audiences.

Shopify said in a blog post it has worked with Pinterest to create "Buyable Pins" that include a button users can click to purchase products using credit cards or Apple Inc.'s Pay software.

Wearable apps to multiply in coming years: IDC

The number of third-party applications for smart wearable devices is expected to surge from 2,500 last year to 349,000 by 2019, International Data Corp. said Tuesday.

The research company said in a news release that most of these apps will be consumer oriented, though there is an opportunity for apps in the enterprise space. It said apps targeted specifically for enterprise-related tasks currently make up about 10 per cent of what’s available for smart wearables, and that is anticipated to grow to 17 per cent over the next four years.

Google launches IoT platform

Google Inc. will launch a new Android-based platform that will allow companies to build connected devices, it said in a blog post Thursday.

Google said the platform, called Project Brillo, will include a communications protocol, called Weave, as well as “a set of developer APIs, a core set of schemas and a certification program to ensure device and app interoperability.” Brillo will launch later this year, it said.

Optimal Payment buys Montreal-based Fans

Optimal Payments PLC, an Isle of Man-based company that provides transactional technology, said Thursday it has bought Montreal-based Fans Entertainment Inc., which created a consumer mobile app for fans attending Montreal Canadiens games.

Prepare for 5G, says Huawei Canada boss

The president of Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd.'s Canadian unit is calling for policy-makers, businesses and academics in Canada to come together and help prepare the country for the coming of 5G networking technology.

At a breakfast event hosted by the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce Thursday morning, Sean Yang was to call for the creation of a public policy group, comprised of various public- and private-sector players, to prepare Canada for this next stage in the evolution of communications technology.

Shomi stand-alone proposal could be financially feasible: analyst

At some point this summer, Rogers Communications Inc. and Shaw Communications Inc.’s Shomi streaming service will be made available to customers of other TV and Internet service providers (ISPs), expanding its user base beyond Rogers and Shaw subscribers.

Shomi senior vice-president and general manager David Asch said Wednesday in a phone interview that Shomi would be available to all Canadians with an Internet connection on an over-the-top (OTT) basis.

Eastlink offers improved home-automation service

Eastlink on Tuesday announced it is offering a new and improved security-and-automation service for homes.

Among other things, the new service called Winston can detect when the home occupant is approaching the residence and prepare for their arrival by doing things things such as setting the temperature to preferred levels and turning on lights, Eastlink said in a press release.

The service also allows the occupant to provide unique codes to different people, such as kids or babysitters, and set parameters for when certain people can enter the home.

CGI teams incorporate usage-based insurance technology

IT-services company CGI Group Inc. said Wednesday it has teamed up with Baseline Telematics to use real-time vehicle metrics to help insurance company set their rates.

CGI said in a news release it would incorporate Baseline's platform, which tracks vehicle data such as location, mileage, speed, braking and acceleration, into CGI's own insurance-rating software called Ratabase.

News agencies to start publishing directly to Facebook

Facebook Inc. said Tuesday it has introduced a new feature to its mobile app that allows news and public affairs publishers to have content posted directly on Facebook feeds and appear 10 times faster than typically shared articles.

In a blog post on its website, Facebook product manager Michael Reckhow said most articles take an average of eight seconds to load on Facebook's mobile app, which is "by far the slowest single content type on Facebook."

Amazon launches online wearables store

Amazon.com Inc.'s Canadian unit on Monday announced the launch of an online shop for wearable technology.

Oculus Rift to start shipping early next year

Oculus VR, the virtual-reality technology company bought by Facebook Inc. last year, said Wednesday that it will start shipping its Rift headset in the first quarter of next year, and pre-orders will be taken later this year. 

The company said in a blog post on its website that the component will be "a full ecosystem, and a fully-integrated hardware/software tech stack designed specifically for virtual reality. It’s a system designed by a team of extremely passionate gamers, developers, and engineers to reimagine what gaming can be."

SaskTel launches mobile-payment capabilities

Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holding Corp. said Thursday it has launched mobile-payment capabilities for wireless customers who bank with Toronto Dominion Bank and have certain devices.

SaskTel said the current service works with the mobile-payments app from TD, and other banks will be added in the future. It said it worked with EnStream LP, a partnership between BCE Inc., Rogers Communications Inc. and Telus Corp., to develop the technology for its mobile-payments service.

CIBC announces Apple Watch app

Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce announced Thursday it will soon have a banking application for Apple Inc.'s Apple Watch.

CIBC said in a press release that its app will allow users to check account balances, transfer funds between accounts, view recent transactions, or find the nearest branch or ATM.

It said the app would be available from the Apple Watch App Store on Friday.

Android updates smartwatch technology

Google Inc.'s Android division on Monday announced several upgrades to its smartwatch technology, including built-in WiFi, making apps visible even when devices are in energy-saving mode, and adding easier functionality for opening apps and sending messages.

David Singleton, director of engineering for Android Wear, said in a blog that watches running on its operating system will begin allowing apps to stay visible even when the energy-saving function kicks in, just not in full colour.

Recon Jet smart goggles released

Vancouver-based Recon Instruments announced Thursday the release of its new smart goggles for outdoor sports enthusiasts called Recon Jet.

It said in a press release that the product is equipped with GPS, a camera, a display that's visible just below a user's right eye and can be paired with smartphones for certain functions.

Apple Pay could launch in Canada this fall: report

Apple Inc. is negotiating with Canada's major banks about a launch of its mobile-payment service, Apple Pay, in November, according to the Wall Street Journal.

An article published online Friday said Apple is negotiating with the six largest Canadian banks — Bank of Montreal, Bank of Nova Scotia, Toronto-Dominion Bank, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, Royal Bank of Canada and National Bank of Canada.

Kosiner looking for piece of TV music market

A 27-year-old entrepreneur wants to offer an alternative to what he calls a monopoly in the market for audio music channels offered through TV service providers in Canada.

Evan Kosiner, president and owner of Kosiner Venture Capital Inc., said in a phone interview there is still a business opportunity in audio-only music channels despite the impending launch of scaled-down TV subscriptions next year as mandated by the CRTC and the rise of online music streaming.

Sandvine launches service-management app for mobile providers

Network management provider Sandvine Inc. said Wednesday it has launched a smartphone application for mobile service providers to allow customers to manage their plans on their device.

The SmartService app gives operators the ability to offer usage monitoring and plan upgrades to their customers, Waterloo, Ont.-based Sandvine said in a news release.

IBM to build IoT division

International Business Machines (IBM) Corp. said Tuesday it will invest $3 billion US over the next four years to establish an Internet of Things (IoT) unit.

It said in a press release it will use its cloud-based platform to help business clients better integrate data from IoT devices and other sources into their decision-making.

Facebook adds Canadian apps to Messenger platform

Facebook Inc. announced Wednesday that its Messenger app is being opened up as a platform for other other apps, and at least two Canadian companies have signed on to provide their services.

“Messenger Platform brings even more ways for the 600 million people who use Messenger every month to express themselves,” Facebook said in a release. “With more than 40 new apps, people can enhance their conversations with GIFs, photos, videos, audio clips and more.”

Ericsson report finds one-third of consumers polled have or want wearables

A new report from Ericsson AG suggests Apple Inc.’s upcoming Apple Watch could address a market that's far larger than what current wearable sales would indicate.

In a worldwide study of more than 54,000 people, the technology maker examined the idea of the “quantified self,” in which individuals track their daily metrics such as calories consumed, steps taken or quality of sleep.

RBC expects challenge from tech giants over mobile payments: report

The chief executive of the Royal Bank of Canada says his company is on a “collision course” with technology giants such as Apple Inc. and Google Inc. as the act of making payments with mobile devices becomes more mainstream, according to a report in the Financial Post.

The newspaper reported Dave McKay told an investors conference in New York Tuesday that the companies making mobile payment technology available might come between the direct relationship the bank has with customers through payment tools such as credit cards.

Snapchat reportedly worth as much as $19B US

Snapchat Inc., the maker of mobile apps for picture and video sharing, is being valued at as much as $19 billion US in current talks to secure a new round of funding, Bloomberg reported this week.

An article Tuesday said the company is seeking a new round of funding of as much as $500 million US on the basis of its value being between $16 billion US and $19 billion US, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.

CMF awards $8 million for 31 digital media projects

The Canadian Media Fund (CMF) said Thursday it would provide $8 million to finance 31 digital media projects, as part of the second round of its "experimental stream" for 2014-15.

CMF said in a press release that 23 companies received $6.2 million to “to develop three applications, one eBook, seven interactive platforms, 11 games and one social media platform,” while $1.8 million went toward marketing support for eight interactive digital media projects.

BlackBerry boss takes aim at Netflix in neutrality battle

BlackBerry Ltd. CEO John Chen said the battle for net neutrality in the United States should not only focus on service providers' traffic management practices, but should also include companies, such as Netflix Inc., that create content distributed through the Internet.

Americans want wireless exceptions to net neutrality: survey

Most Americans say mobile communications should be treated differently than wireline connections when it comes to enforcing net neutrality principles, according to recently released survey.

A poll commissioned by CTIA-The Wireless Association, which represents wireless-related companies in the United States and elsewhere, found 78 per cent of respondents support different regulations for net neutrality imposed on mobile than wired Internet services, the organization said in a press release Friday.

Prepare for automated vehicles now: Conference Board

Automated vehicles are about to become the most disruptive near-term technology in the average person's life, the Conference Board of Canada said in report released Wednesday.

The research group said the impact of driverless cars will be even more substantial than other technologies coming in future years, such as 3D printing and 5G wireless technology.

Music streaming in Canada ramps up

In the past six months, Canadians’ usage of streaming music services seems to have jumped, in a trend that’s not only good news for streaming services, but wireless companies as well.

Nielsen Co. only began tracking music streaming in Canada in July 2014. By September, when Spotify AB entered the market, streaming had increased by 18 per cent, according to numbers provided to The Wire Report by independent broadcast consultant Andrew Forsyth, who collected the data for Nielsen.

YouTube to host own Super Bowl halftime show

For the first time, Google Inc.’s YouTube streaming service is hosting a live Super Bowl halftime show of its own that will stream during the break of the NFL championship game on Feb. 1.

Hosted by Harley Morenstein, Montreal-based creator of the Epic Meal Time web series, the halftime show will be live-streamed on the same Ad Blitz channel on which YouTube hosts its Super Bowl-related content, such as pregame and halftime advertisements from major brands as well as behind-the-scenes footage and other extra content.

Non-consensual software installation outlawed

It became illegal Thursday to install software on another person's computer, smartphone or other device without their consent, the CRTC said.

Apple raising app prices in Canada: report

Apple Inc. is raising prices for applications sold through its App Store in Canada due to the declining value of the Canadian dollar, the Canadian Press reported Thursday.

The CP article cites an email Apple sent to software developers Wednesday, saying price increases would take effect within 36 hours in Canada, Norway and European Union countries. The exchange rate was cited as the reason for the price hike in Canada, the article said.

WhatsApp reports more than 700M users

WhatsApp CEO Jan Koum said on a Facebook post Tuesday that the service now has more than 700 million active monthly users, up from 450 million when Facebook Inc. announced its intention to purchase the mobile-messaging-app company last February.

"Additionally, every day our users now send over 30 billion messages," Koum said in his social media entry.

CMF awards $11.8 million for 24 digital-media projects

The Canadian Media Fund (CMF) said Monday it was providing $11.8 million for 24 interactive digital-media projects across the country.

The funding is the second round of the CMF's "experimental stream" for 2014-15, it said in a press release.

Apple, IBM launch business application suite

Apple Inc. and International Business Machines (IBM) Corp. on Wednesday announced a new suite of business applications and cloud services for iPad and iPhone users.

The companies said in a press release that IBM MobileFirst for iOS includes applications tailored for use in telecommunications, banking, retail, insurance, financial services, air travel and government.

Privacy commish backs stricter privacy safeguards for apps

Canadian Privacy Commissioner Daniel Therrien has joined 22 other privacy authorities from Canadian provinces and international jurisdictions calling on mobile-app marketplaces to require easily accessible privacy policies from developers of apps that collect personal information from users.

Telus launches IoT marketplace

Telus Corp. said Wednesday it has launched Canada's "first Internet of Things marketplace" with an online offering of 38 different applications, and more to come, for business operations ranging from transportation to restaurants.

The company said in a press release its new online platform, the Telus IoT Marketplace, gives developers of IoT technology "an instant sales channel," with support in marketing and billing from Telus.

DHX reaches deal to buy Nerd Corps

DHX Media Ltd. said Tuesday it has reached an agreement to purchase Vancouver-based children's content producer Nerd Corps Entertainment Inc. for $57 million.

Halifax-based DHX, a broadcaster and producer of television programming, said in a press release that Nerd Corps is the creator of several popular children's shows, including Slugterra, one of the most popular programs on Disney XD in Canada and the United States.

TV-everywhere not on public’s radar: study

Canadian broadcast distributors need to do more to increase awareness and usage of their TV-everywhere products, according to Gord Hendren, president of Charlton Strategic Research, which produced a report on the subject.

Hendren said in a phone interview that the study found 47 per cent of respondents were aware of TV-everywhere as a concept, while 25 per cent of Canadians are using such services, across all Canadian TV providers. In comparison, the study found, 35 per cent of Canadians subscribe to Netflix Inc.’s service.

Rogers’ mobile TV now counts against data cap

Rogers Communications Inc. has changed the pricing of data used by its Anyplace TV app, writing on its website that as of Aug. 18, standard data charges would apply to customers who use the app while on its wireless network.