Monthly Archives: September 2013

In response to my friend Justin Yee’s post on the intellectual property of Blackberry, I completely agree with his statement that Blackberry’s technology’s popularity coincided with when the smartphone maker itself was popular. However, despite its current situation, there is definite value in Blackberry’s intellectual property portfolio. Blackberry’s popularity was largely due to its endorsement from governments and large corporations. Their encryption technology, such as encrypted e-mail and messaging service, prevents sensitive data from being obtained. Whether or not the […]

On Friday September 20, 2013, Blackberry announces that it will write off $1-billion worth of phones and part and also cut 40 percent of their current workforce in an attempt to save the company from free fall. This write off is largely due to an inventory surplus of Blackberry’s new Z10 smartphone. The lack of sales in the smartphone division will result in a quarterly revenue of under $800-million, significantly less than the $1.7-billion it reported a year ago. This […]

Roaming is an important factor to many consumers’ choice of carrier. Being one of the 3 major telecommunication providers in Canada and holding virtually monopolistic power, Bell is giving in to its subscribers’ demand for lower roaming rates. Its new roaming plans will have their prices be cut by as much as 50 percent. This decision was largely due to the feedback provided by its customers. In a press release, Bell stated, “We’re starting with the most popular destination, and […]

It has recently been revealed that the workers of the production company, Jabil Circuit, which manufactures the new iPhone 5C, has had their rights ‘flouted’ by the company. The news came in after allegations made by China Labor Watch, a non-profit organization, that workers were required to work 12-hour shifts, six days a week, with only two 30-minute breaks. There has also been claims that female employees were asked to take pregnancy tests; this violates both Chinese laws and the […]