It doesn’t get any better than being able to do stuff with your phone just by talking into it, and now Google is bringing that experience to Nokia S60 devices. For those of you with iPhones and BlackBerrys, you’re probably already pretty familiar with this feature available on the Google Mobile App. While it might not have as dominant a share in the U.S. as it does globally, Symbian devices are still number one worldwide. So, it only makes sense that this extremely convenient feature is added to the popular OS. After all, many S60 devices don’t have full QWERTY keyboards, so searching by manual input is still a pain in the rear. In addition to making its voice features available to S60, Google Mobile App now recognizes and supports Mandarin Chinese, which is the most spoken language in the world. Hit the jump for a video demo.

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It’s a scientific fact that Google Voice is all of that and a bag of potato chips, but now it’s gotten even better thanks in part to Google’s willingness to tick off every carrier in the nation. In the past, users who wished to take advantage of the features of Google Voice would have to use the number provided to them by Google, but now users are free to integrate some Google Voice features into their carrier-issued number. These features include:

• Online, searchable voicemail
• Free automated voicemail transcription
• Custom voicemail greetings for different callers
• Email and SMS notifications
• Low-priced international calling

What’s particularly neat about this new option is that your messages follow you no matter what, meaning that even if you switch carriers to get the hot new device, Google Voice features will come with you.

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All you movie addicts who own the PlayStation 3 no longer have to envy Xbox 360 users. Sony and Netflix are teaming up to bring movie streaming to the Ps3. The bonus for those on the PlayStation Network is, since your PSN accounts are free, all you need is a Netflix account to watch movies whereas Xbox 360 users need a $50-per-year Xbox Live Gold membership. The service will launch in November and if you decide to use your PS3 to access your Netflix account (why wouldn’t you?), Netflix will send a Blu-Ray disc that will allow you to access its library. It might seem like a hassle to pop in the disc every time you want to watch movies, but Netflix says it’s working on a software update for the PS3 that will do away with the need for a disc. It looks like you gamers and movie buffs are about to see double the couch time.

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We’ve been following T-Mobile’s Project Dark ever since it was a little twinkle in the eyes of Robert Dotson’s crew, but now the day has come for it all to become official. There are a lot of different options to chose from, but for simplicities sake we’re going to focus on the two biggies. Individuals will be able to get unlimited talk, texts and web for $99.99 with Even More (Contract) and $79.99 with Even More Plus (no contract). We admit that the plans aren’t anywhere near as good as we or anyone else had initially thought, and no doubt a lot of people who sign a contract aren’t going to be thrilled at paying a lot more than their contract-free counterparts, but hey, at least another major carrier has entered the unlimited business for the second time. Now where are those new handsets at?

Thanks, Achilles!

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What not to do if you are a large company and have a secret project — ship a box full of relevant collateral to a retail locale with a stern looking label that reads “Don’t Open Until 10/25″. A new connect has come through with some pricing details on T-Mo’s Project Dark, and as usual, we’ve ripped it apart and deciphered it. Pics and pricing after the bounce.

Thanks, justfinethanku!

Individual Plan – No 2-year commitment

• 500 Minutes  – $30
• 500 + Unlimited Text – $40
• 500 + Unlimited Text  + Unlimited Web – $60
• 1000 Minutes – $40
• 1000 + Unlimited Text – $50
• 1000 +Unlimited Text  + Unlimited Web – $70
• Unlmited Talk – $50
• Unlimited Talk + Unlimited Text – $60
• Unlimited Talk +Unlimited Text  + Unlimited Web – $80

Family Plan – Includes 2-lines + 2-year commitment

• 750 Minutes – $60
• 750 + Unlimited Text – $80
• 750 + Unlimited Text + Unlimited Web – $140
• 1500 Minutes – $80
• 1500 + Unlimited Text – $100
• 1500 + Unlimited Text + Unlimited Web – $160
• Unlimited Minutes – $100
• Unlimited Talk + Unlimited Text – $120
• Unlimited Talk + Unlimited Text + Unlimited Web – $180

From Gmail to YouTube and from Voice to Maps, it seems there is hardly a service that Google isn’t in the business of providing. So we hope you can understand our somewhat lack of shock when we learned of the rumor that Google is on the cusp of releasing its own music service to be known as Google Audio. At the moment very little is know, but the big question seems to be focused on whether or not Google Audio — if it is indeed real — will provide streaming or downloadable music as it currently offers in China. Can we get an Amen for both?

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Thanks, Brian!

UPDATE: It seems as if these voicemails have been publicly posted/shared online and Google indexes them. Here’s official word:

“Since the initial idea behind posting a voicemail, was precisely to share it with others, we did not restrict crawling of those messages that users post on the web, but we can certainly understand that users would want to make them public on their sites but not necessarily searchable directly outside of their own website. We made a change to prevent those to be crawled so only the site owner can decide to index them.”

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As if there weren’t already enough reasons to get excited for the arrival of Bell’s HSPA network and the amazing handsets that it will bring with it, one of our Bell connects stepped up to the mound and delivered us this slider of a tip. It seems that Bell is really serious about having its customers love them, because it is going to issue unlock codes for its branded devices. Of course caveats apply, but they’re not all that out of the ordinary: your account must be active for at least one month, only phones purchased from Bell need apply, you won’t be able to ditch your contract, and you will be charged a fee. We’re not exactly clear on what the feel will be, but we’ve heard it might be as high as $250 dollars per handset. Obviously the cost of the official unlock doesn’t even begin to compete with third-party unlockers, but at least it will keep your warranty in tact. And no, we’re awfully sorry, but we’re not 100% sure Bell will unlock your iPhone. Hit the jump for a larger pic.

P.S. Yes, we did notice that it looks like Bell will be carrying an HSPA-flavored Omnia II.

After being ousted from the Great North by the Privacy Commissioner of Canada in 2007, Google has been given a reprieve in some Canadian cities. Greater Toronto, Montréal, Metro Vancouver, Ottawa, Calgary and other large communities now have Google Street view data available both in the browser and on the iPhone in the Maps application. According to CBC News, Google continued to film some of Canada’s major cities while trying to address the privacy concerns of the Commissioner. Sneaky, sneaky. If you want to get your Street View on, it’s available for use as of today.

[Via The iPhone blog]

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Microsoft is having a hard time containing Windows Mobile 6.5.  First, the HTC Pure hits retail shelves in advance of the October 6th unveiling, and now Windows Marketplace for Mobile has also reportedly launched prematurely. If you are already running Windows Mobile 6.5 on your handset or were amongst the savvy folks that scored an HTC Pure this weekend, you can now enjoy the ease of browsing and buying applications through Microsoft’s first mobile phone marketplace. Your pleasure will be limited as the marketplace reportedly only contains 34 applications, most of which have a higher price tag than the 99¢ price point that dominates Apple’s App store. Let’s hope that Microsoft is working overtime today to beef up the numbers and trim down the prices of the applications in their fledgling Marketplace. Otherwise, well, you can use your imagination.

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In case you’ve not heard by now, T-Mobile Sidekick users have been trying to live a normal life this weekend while suffering from the ill effects of what surely has to be the be all and end of all of mobile data outages. As it stands, it appears that every single Sidekick user across the country is unable to use any services that pass through Danger’s servers meaning the only thing they’re currently able to do is make calls and send text. Everything from email, IM and, perhaps worst of all, contacts are unavailable. Yesterday T-Mobile promised that it would have services up and running by late evening, but this obviously did not happen which is why our inboxes are being flooded by the suffering. We’re still waiting on an update from T-Mobile on this matter, but rest assured that we’ll let you know what’s going on just as soon as we hear.

Thanks to everyone that sent this in!

North American BlackBerry Internet Service users have an excuse to drink mimosas this morning — RIM and its carrier partners have flipped the switch on BIS 2.8. As we told you some time ago, BIS 2.8 offers enhancements that countless that non-corporate types have been yammering for for ages including but not limited to:

• Two-way wireless synchronization [every four hours] with Google Mail Contacts and the Address Book on the BlackBerry smart phone:
  • Synchronize Google Mail contacts quickly and easily to the BlackBerry smart phone
  • Add or edit Contacts and the Contacts are automatically updated, whether they are updated on the computer or BlackBerry smart phone
  • Note: Two-way wireless Contact synchronization with Google Mail Contacts requires BlackBerry® Device Software 5.0 and configuration through email settings on the BlackBerry smart phone.  Additional requirements and constraints may be found within the BlackBerry Internet Service 2.8 Documentation Kit. This feature is not supported on BlackBerry smart phones with BlackBerry® Connect™ software.
• Enhancements to email setup and settings:
  • Automatic Login now supports most billing identifiers, which allows new subscribers with wireless service providers that use PIN, IMEI, or ESN as a billing identifier to create BlackBerry Internet Service accounts from the BlackBerry smart phone, without having to create a login user name and password
  • Note: This feature will be available approximately one week after the BlackBerry Internet Service upgrade.
• Windows Live Hotmail revalidation:
  • With BlackBerry Internet Service 2.8, new Windows Live Hotmail mail integrations will be defaulted to a protocol that is designed so as not to require 90 day reauthorization.
  • Note: Existing BlackBerry smart phone users accessing Windows Live Hotmail using Microsoft MSP will still be required to revalidate their Windows Live Hotmail account every 90 days.

So how did you find the upgrade? Any hiccups requiring you to remove and re-add your email accounts, or is everything peachy?

Sure it looks a bit odd in the image above, but don’t be fooled — Layar’s preview of its updated AR interface is as cool as the other side of the pillow. What’s better than augmented reality? 3D augmented reality, of course. We told you about Layar’s AR browser for Android back in August and since then, it looks like the Layar team has really kicked things up a notch. This morning, Layar released three new videos that preview its new 3D augmented reality browser that is currently on display at the Picnic Conference in the Netherlands. As far as how Layar has implemented 3D objects in its browser, here’s a description straight from the horse’s mouth:

Layar 3D makes use of OpenGL, the accelerometer, the GPS and the compass of the phone. Developers can place 3D objects in their content layers based on coordinates. Objects can be optimized in size and orientation to create an immersive and realistic experience. The 3D capabilities support live downloading and rendering of 3D objects. Actions such as “open link” or “play music” can be assigned to 3D objects.

Layar plans to launch its 3D AR product in November as part of its version 3.0 update and to put it mildly, we can’t wait. Hit the jump for the preview videos.

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Yes, yes, we know — Canadians hate the System Access Fee just as much as they hate American beer. “Thankfully” as of October 5th, new and existing Rogers customers will finally be able to ditch the SAF. It’s not that Rogers has all of a sudden found its heart and decided to give its customers a respite. Oh, no, no. It’s simply going to lower the fee, rename it the Government Regulatory Recovery Fee and jack up the price of each and every plan by about $5. If the GRRF gives you the impression that it’s a government mandated fee then you’re sorely mistaken. It’s just another way for Rogers to pass the buck on all of the various federal, provincial and municipal fees and taxes that it itself pays in order to offer its services in a given area. For the most part, all existing consumers need to know is that they are free too keep their current plan with SAF, but any voice plan changes after October 5th (or anyone who joins Rogers, for that matter) will result in their account being switched over to the GRRF system. But hey, it’s not all that bad: Rogers is going to give you Call Forwarding, WhoCalled, and Call Manager for free. Wait a tick, those are already included most value packs…

The advent of femtocells is nothing short of fantastic. Think about it: A carrier has terrible service where you live or work, so what do you do about it? You get a device called a femtocell that will let you use your land-based broadband internet connection (that you pay another company for) to make calls and use data on your phone. Of course you don’t get a discount for using land-based broadband instead of your carrier’s cellular network, but you just mutter under your breath and fork over the cash anyway. The best part? Word on the street suggests AT&T — the final among the big four to bring a femtocell solution to market – will be charging $20 per month for the privilege of using another company’s land-based network as a band-aid for its crappy cell coverage in your area. Awesomeness. For those dying to fit into this scenario, the MicroSite is now live and a launch is imminent.

Thanks to everyone who sent this in!

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T-Mobile just kicked it up a notch and became the first carrier in the US to deploy HSPA+ on its 3G network. As we already knew, the nation’s number four carrier plans to offer HSPA+ as an interim upgrade while it begins the slow transition over to LTE. Currently, folks in the City of Brotherly Love are the fortunate few who can enjoy the 21 Mbps speeds that HSPA+ theoretically delivers. Only time will tell what kind of speeds we actually see on T-Mo’s HSPA+ network but one thing is practically guaranteed: it should be a hell of a lot faster than the carrier’s current 3G network. If you are not within the range of the twenty active HSPA+ cell towers now rocking in Philly, be patient as T-Mobile plans to expand the service to additional markets throughout 2010.

Thanks to everyone who sent this in!

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Good news, future Windows Phone owners — Microsoft has further clarified its position on the app kill switch tied to Windows Mobile 6.5 we reported earlier this week. Apparently it’s not as bad as everyone thought. In short, the remote deletion of apps from users’ handsets will supposedly only occur in the event an app goes haywire:

In the vast majority of instances where an application is removed from Windows Marketplace for Mobile, users of this application will continue to be able to use these applications on their phones. In the rare event an application from Marketplace exhibits harmful behavior or has unforeseen effects, Marketplace has the capability to remotely uninstall these applications. While we hope to avoid this scenario, we will make refunds available in such cases.

So in the end — assuming Microsoft holds true to its statement — the Marketplace for Mobile kill switch shouldn’t have any negative impact on users. Of course “unforeseen effects” leaves a bit of room for interpretation, but Redmond’s vow to issue refunds in the event an app is remotely uninstalled should help everyone feel all warm and fuzzy again. Satisfied, WinMo fans?

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Ahh, Apple TV. The bastard child of Apple’s portfolio. Some live and die by it, some fall into a deep sleep upon simply hearing its name uttered but most just don’t care about it one way or the other. If you always found Apple’s set top offering somewhat interesting but couldn’t rationalize dropping $229 on the 40GB model or $329 on the 160GB model, a small overnight shake up may interest you. The aforementioned 40GB has now gone the way of the Dodo, leaving but one size to fit all. More importantly, the 160GB version that remains now sits at the $229 price point vacated by the smaller model. It’s nice to see the product priced more reasonably but the fact remains — subscription services like Netflix streaming and integrated options afforded by products like LG’s BD390 pique our interest far more than Apple’s offering will any time soon.

Thanks to everyone who sent this in!

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When Apple announced the availability of iPhone OS 3.1 and the new features that came along with it, we’re not going to lie — we were pretty excited. Regardless of your feelings about Apple and its products, nearly everyone can agree that the App Store was one of the biggest game-changers in recent history where the wireless industry is concerned. With all of the great things about Apple’s App Store however, come several faults of course — and one of the biggest problems was the lack of a recommendation system. In fact, we’d call it the second biggest fault behind lack of a facility for trial versions of apps.

Then came OS 3.1 and with it, Genius for apps. Woo hoo! Even off the bat we could see that Apple’s recommendation solution wasn’t going to be ideal but at least it was a good start, right? Unfortunately, not so much. As you may have read elsewhere by now, many people — us included — have found Apple’s Genius recommendations a bit lacking so far. In fact, the system is basically laughable at this point. Now, many of you probably already know this but recommendation systems are tricky business to say the least. The technology behind them is extremely complex and the amount of information considered can be staggering. That said, there are many companies out there that have done incredible things with the science of recommendations. Apple probably should have worked with one of them.

Looking at the screenshot above, we’ve highlighted one item in particular — though the subsequent recommendation is nearly as bad. “MobileNavigator Europe based on Camera Genius.” Really, Apple? Suffice it to say, the connection doesn’t immediately jump out at us. We want more control over our camera so that means we probably also want to fly to Europe and find our way around once we get there? Or perhaps with Camera Genius we’ll be taking better pictures so we may want to head across the pond and take pictures while touring Europe?

In browsing through the recommendations on one of our iPhones, there are definitely a bunch in the list where connections can be found. More often than not however, we’re at a loss. “iOutBank Pro (German mobile banking app) based on Camera Genius?” “Death Cab for Cutie (a portal for fans of the band) based on F-MyLife (community where people whine about bad things that happen to them, and then get laughed at)?” “EasyWriter Pro (landscape typing app rendered nearly useless by OS 3.0+) based on AT&T Navigator?” The worse news is that so far, we’re finding that removing bad recommendations and checking out good ones has lead to zero improvement. Long story short: the criteria Apple’s Genius system uses to make its recommendations needs refinement. A whole lot of refinement.

So, iPhone users, our question is this: Did Apple swing and miss with App Store Genius recommendations? Hit the comments section and let us know how Genius is working out for you.

Well would you look at that? Rogers Wireless has become the last Canadian carrier to enter the 21st Century by allowing its subscribers to track their voice, data and SMS/MMS usage in near real-time. All one has to do is log into his or her MyRogers account at Rogers.com, click “Manage My Wireless Services” and select “Voice & Data Usage” to see exactly how bad the damage is. There does appear to be a four hour delay in the information provided, but we’re too elated to care at this point. What we do care about however, is the fact that Rogers’ mobile portal currently does not have any mention of Voice & Data Usage. It’s coming soon, right Rogers? Anyway, while we try and get some answers, hit the jump to check out the screenshots.

Early last month we reported on a policy change at T-Mobile that we weren’t exactly happy with. In a nutshell, T-Mobile decided it would force its subscribers to enroll in paperless billing lest they wish to pay an additional fee for hard copies each month. While the move was somewhat admirable on an environmental level, we were far more concerned with the ramifications this new policy would have on those without the aptitude, or financial means or equipment necessary to make use of online billing (yes, there are many people who do not own a computer). We were pretty firm with our stance and it looks like we weren’t the only ones — T-Mobile announced today that it is reversing its decision on the matter:

Since the announcement we’ve heard everything from kudos to concerns about the move to paperless – especially from our customers who today are receiving paper bills at no charge.

So, we’ve decided to not charge our customers a paper bill fee for now. Instead, we’ll be taking more time to determine the fairest way possible to encourage people to go paperless.

Kudos, T-Mobile. As we said in our last post; if you want to encourage customers to go paperless, offer them an incentive to do so. There are a variety of reasons why a customer might choose to stick with paper billing and many of them are extremely valid. To penalize these customers with a fee is just plain wrong.

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Vodafone subscribers, Samsung fans and mobile enthusiasts in general — we hope you’re sitting down. Behold: Exclusive live shots of a previously unheard of Samsung handset supposedly due to be announced soon by Vodafone. Details for the time being are a bit limited — we don’t even have a name for you yet (UPDATE: as a commenter points out below, this may be the Samsung Riedel l8305 that recently received Wi-Fi certification) — but our ninja managed to score some extremely solid images and a handful of specs that are definitely noteworthy. First things first: We’re apparently looking at a Samsung-built Vodafone exclusive here that is powered by Voda’s own LIMO-based OS (Linux mobile). Beyond the brushed steel case sits a nice big OLED touchscreen display complete with haptic feedback. We’re also told the handset will sport an 8 megapixel camera and it will launch alongside the upcoming “Vodafone People” service. Details in that department are scarce as well but rumor has it the service involves Voda’s acquisition of Zyb last year; active contacts, location information, status updates, various integration with other social networks like Twitter and Facebook, etc. You can get a pretty good idea of what’s in store from the images below but basically, it’s what Google should have done on Android with Jaiku. Last but not least, we’re not sure exactly when Vodafone plans to make this guy official, though we’re hearing rumors of a special event that may be held in London on September 24th. Hit the jump for more shots and if you live in Vodafone land, get ready for what really could be a game-changing handset/service combo.

T-Mobile myFaves, Verizon Friends and Family, and AT&T A-List be damned — Sprint’s “Any Mobile, Anytime” is now the affordable plan to beat. For only $69.99 per month, Anytime offers up unlimited minutes to any US-based mobile in addition to unlimited data, SMS, MMS, Sprint TV, GPS navigation and more. The catch? You only get 45o minutes of good old fashioned land line calling. If that rubs you the wrong way, Sprint will be more than happy to take another $30 off your hands and bump you up to the truly unlimited Simply Everything, which of course will afford unlimited, well, everything. So is this the “wireless revolution” Sprint promised to premier customers yesterday? We’re not sure about that, but it is most definitely a plan no other major carrier can come close to matching for the time being. So for that, Sprint, we applaud you. Golf claps.

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BlackBerry-addicted Mac users almost had cause for celebration this morning as RIM announced the official availability of BlackBerry Desktop Manager for Mac — and then pulled the announcement. Last month we gave you an extensive preview of the software many have been waiting on for years. RIM’s official BlackBerry notes page on Facebook finally made an announcement a short while ago, stating that Desktop Manager for Mac was alive and ready to rock. Woo hoo! Before we could even finish an announcement post however, the note was removed. We’re not sure exactly what’s going on here, but it could be safe to expect the highly anticipated software to go live later today or perhaps sometime later this week. To whoever accidentally hit that publish button and then pulled the note from Facebook, you’re just cruel.

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AT&T today announced the imminent introduction of its A-List calling feature, intended to compete with T-Mobile’s myFaves and Verizon Wireless’s Friends and Family calling. The service will afford individual subscribers unlimited calls to five domestic phone numbers of their choosing, mobile or land line, and FamilyTalk plans will get 10 numbers. Individual Nation plans priced $59.99 and higher, and FamilyTalk plans priced $89.99 and higher will automatically have access to the A-List calling feature when it launches on September 20th, and customers will be able to manage their A-Lists at www.att.com/alist. Unlimited calling to five domestic numbers and Rollover minutes? Apparently the ante just got upped.

Thanks, E!

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Have you been watching all the Palm Pre coverage in recent months with jealousy, just waiting for the right time to strike? Well boys and girls, that time may be now. From now until October 10th, Sprint has effectively knocked $100 off the price of a shiny new Palm Pre for customers coming over from another carrier. Here’s how it works: Purchase a Palm Pre on a 2-year contract before October 10th and port a number in from your old carrier. That’s it. Within your first three months of service, Sprint will issue a $100 service credit to your account. Call it a welcome present, call it an attempt to boost sales or call it whatever else you want — the bottom line is that you can now effectively score a new Pre for $99 after MIR and a service credit. Any takers?

UPDATE: Consider us amazed. As quickly as Sprint’s offer appeared, it’s now off the table. Sprint’s official comment: “After further internal review today, the offer of a port-in service credit of $100 to new customers who buy the Palm Pre has been pulled, because it was put into the system in error.” Umm, ok. Sprint says it will honor the promo for anyone who managed to snag a Pre during the brief period of time before the promo was pulled.

Thanks, E!

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Nokia’s first touchscreen offering to sport a capacitive display has received a mixed welcome from tech enthusiasts. On the one hand, it has a capacitive touchscreen. Yay. On the other hand, it’s a bit thick around the mid-section and, well, some consider it to be ugly as sin. We find ourselves somewhere in the middle — yes, it’s a bit thick and a bit ugly but it’s also a step forward in some respects and it could be a sweet little phone at the right price. The rub: the price is wrong. While Nokia’s pricing always varies from region to region, the X6 32GB was announced at €450 ($640ish USD). In the UK, it’s currently listed for pre-order by Expansys at a whopping £529.99 ($867ish USD) bundled with Comes With Music. Yes, that price is absolutely insane. The good news however, is that Expansys also has a second version of the X6 listed with 16GB of internal storage and no CWM for £344.99 ($565ish USD) — launching in February. That price is still a bit lofty but Nokia handsets are always priced better outside of the UK. In short, there’s hope for those of you interested in the X6 but uninterested in the bloat added by Comes With Music.

Thanks, Chippy!

[Via Stuff]

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What better way to celebrate Labor Day weekend than to help all of our Canadian brothers and sisters pull a fast one over on Google? We here at BGR know that a lot of Canadians are worried about the upcoming non-confidence vote that could topple the current government in the midst of an economic crisis, so we thought we’d take advantage of a rather slow Sunday to give you something to smile about: a way to get Google Voice to work in Canada. It does require you to snag a MagicJack, but that’s literally all you need to make this happen. Some of you might be a bit nervous about buying and using a MagicJack up in Canada, but we’ve been using it for a few months now up in our super-secret Canadian satellite office and have not had a single issue. And no, this Google Voice trick doesn’t require you to have the physical MagicJack plugged into your computer at all times. In fact, once you get your MagicJack set up and activate call forwarding, you can throw the little bugger in the trash if you want. Hit the jump to learn how to get your Google Voice on north of the border.

Before we begin, we should note that this tutorial assumes you already have a Google Voice invite. If not, it’s not that hard to find someone on the internet willing to let you take one off their hands for a few bucks or even for free. We should also note that MagicJack is offering a free trial right now so you really have no reason to avoid trying this out. Alright, here we go:

1. Plug in your MagicJack, install the software and get your US number
2. Activate your Google Voice account using your MagicJack’s phone number and pick yourself a snazzy new Google Voice number
3. Go to my.magicjack.com, enable Call Forwarding and have your MagicJack forward all calls to your Canadian cell phone number (or land line, if you still have one)

Done. That’s it. No joke. Now you can use Google Voice.

If you are a BlackBerry or Android user who’s hoping to use the official Google Voice app, you won’t be able to initiate calls because your phone first has to dial out to a US number. Google is wise to the fact that a lot of people will be using various workarounds and has barred Canadian numbers from initiating a GV call this way. The app still works for sending and receiving SMS as well as checking your voicemail, but as far as calls are concerned you really don’t have a choice but to hit up the web portal from your computer at google.com/voice or from your mobile at google.com/voice/m. A minor inconvenience, we would say.

As for fees, the standard Google Voice fees apply, but we’re happy to report that you will not have to pay a single cent to MagicJack for any long distance calls you make. This is because all it is doing is forwarding calls from your US-based GV number to your Canadian-based cell or land line, and all calls to the US and Canada are included in the yearly MagicJack subscription.

Happy calling, Canada.

A day we thought would never come is upon us as the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association, whose members include all of the major Canadian telcos and their subsidiaries (including all new entrants other than DAVE Wireless), have agreed to a code of conduct that benefits not themselves but their customers. Just like in the US, Canadians will now be able to walk away from their contracts penalty free if a carrier makes material changes to the terms of the contract. If the customer doesn’t wish to leave their carrier, he or she will have the option of staying on board at a grandfathered rate. Other new rules state that charges and contracts must be more clearly explained, privacy must be more fiercely protected (remember a few years ago when hundreds of pages of Rogers subscribers’ personal information were found in a dumpster?) and customer service must, well, be of service. All in all the new rules sound amazing, but only time will tell whether or not they actually have an impact on the Canadian wireless market.

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The news just keeps on coming today for Windows Mobile enthusiasts. This morning, Microsoft announced that “Windows Phones” — aka handsets powered by Microsoft’s Windows Mobile 6.5 OS — would begin to reach market on October 6th. Now, AT&T has jumped in to reveal plans to add Windows Mobile-powered handsets to its free Wi-Fi pool. That’s right folks, starting Friday September 14th, AT&T’s WinMo smartphones will gain free access to each and every AT&T Wi-Fi hotspot. BlackBerrys and iPhones have enjoyed free AT&T Wi-Fi for quite a while now, so it’s nice to finally see Windows Mobile join the fun. There are two requirements of course, the first being an unlimited data plan or other qualifying data option. Secondly, your WinMo handset must, in fact, have Wi-Fi capabilities in order for you to enjoy free Wi-Fi. Right on.

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