- FLEXtab allows you to pay off the balance of your current device & upgrade to a new one http://t.co/Qb0eUNNbCG #RogersSFA ^SM
Archive for the ‘Wireless’ Category
Make the HTC One part of your summer music festival survival kit
April 19th, 2013 a 9:00am
The Lumineers, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs entertained the sunglass-wearing crowds at Coachella last weekend, kicking off the summer music festival season. And music lovers can look forward to a solid four months of events, including NXNE in Toronto in June and Osheaga in Montreal in August, not to mention the Manitoba Electronic Music Exhibition (MEME), B.C.’s Live at Squamish, Nova Scotia’s Evolve, Prince Edward Island’s Cavendish Beach Music Festival, Saskatchewan’s Craven County Jamboree, the Ottawa Bluesfest 2013 and the Calgary and Edmonton folk festivals.
Here are our tips for packing your summer music festival survival kit:
A great phone
A great smartphone with the right data plan is essential. How else will you find your friends, map your route, snap some photos and share them on Instagram, post updates on Facebook and Twitter and listen to tunes on the go?
The HTC One, available today for $149.99 with select three year plans, boasts some impressive audio quality. “HTC BoomSound” and dual front stereo speakers powered by Beats Audio amplifiers play your favourite albums loud and clear. You can even use the HTC One as a mini boombox to share your summer soundtrack.
The HTC One also has an ultrapixel camera and a feature called “HTC Zoe,” which automatically creates 30-second videos from your photos, so you can share the backstage photos instantly with all of your networks.
And, to keep track of your friends’ festival experiences, the HTC One offers real-time social media streaming updates on your home screen with “HTC Blink-Feed,” all powered by the blazing fast speeds of the Rogers LTE network.
The HTC One has already received rave reviews, with MobileSyrup calling it “currently the best smartphone on the market” and the CellularGuru describing it as “Superb. Gorgeous. Stunning.”
Sunscreen
This should be a no-brainer, but it’s so easy to forget. Stash some sunscreen in your bag, slather it on 20 minutes before heading outside and don’t forget to reapply.
Water bottle
Baking in the hot sun while dancing to your favourite band can lead to some serious dehydration. Stay at the top of your game with a refillable bottle of H20.
Heavy duty footwear
Yes, summer is sandal season. But by about the fifth time your newly pedicured toes get tromped on, you’re going to be wishing you brought some solid sneakers or boots.
Raingear
Canadian weather can change on a dime. While umbrellas are generally no-nos in crowds, a poncho or waterproof jacket and hat, along with a change of clothes packed in a waterproof bag, can transform your weekend from soggy to stellar.
Something toasty
You can’t rely on your fellow concert-goers to keep you warm. Whether you’d rather pull on a hoodie or sport your blanket like a cape, make sure you pack a few layers to help generate heat.
Something tasty
Long lineups can make it impossible to grab a meal between sets, so be sure to stash a few granola bars and pieces of fruit in your backpack to keep you fueled until the act has taken its final bow.
How does your smartphone power your summer plans?
Jennifer is a regular RedBoard contributor.
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Tags: Weekend Reading: Internet consumption, smartphone or car, and the HTC One
March 8th, 2013 a 3:27pm
If there’s one thing I love writing about, it’s the endless stats that pop up online surrounding how important technology has become in our daily lives. This week we found some great articles that opened our eyes to how much we rely on the internet on a daily basis and what age group is more likely to give up their car before their smartphone. As well, we tell you about a new HTC Cash Back Offer for customers. Catch up with us in this week’s edition of Weekend Reading.
How much internet do we consume daily?
Ever wonder just how much data you really consume in a single day? If like me, you’re in for a surprise.
Internet Service Providers posted an infographic this week that’s pretty mind blowing, considering there are only 24 hours, 1440 minutes or 86400 seconds in one day.
So what did they find? For starters, there are 2.4 billion internet users worldwide. Of them, there are 2.8 million emails sent every second, 320 new Twitter accounts made every minute, and 780,000 apps downloaded every hour! This translates to about 133,333 years online, can you believe it?!
More crazy stats in the full infographic here.
What do you value more – your car, or smartphone?
This answer could likely vary depending on your age group, as showcased by a recent survey from The Huffington Post. According to the survey, “Millennials” (ages 18-34) were the only group to put their mobile device needs before that of transportation.
That being said, they were also the more conscious of the groups to make an effort to utilize things such as public transit, carpooling, and walking or biking. With so many alternatives, it’s easier to see why 30% were more willing to give up their car before their smartphone.
How do you feel about the results? Are you a “millennial” who passionately stands by your device? Or in another age bracket who defies the stats and would sacrifice your vehicle for your smartphone? I think no matter what demographic you fall into, it’s a tough decision. As one of our previous Rogers Innovation Reports indicated, 4% of Canadians would be willing to sacrifice bathing to keep their internet – maybe it’s not such a difficult choice after all! What do you think?
HTC One awards and promo offers
Those of you looking to upgrade to the new HTC One couldn’t have picked a better time! After winning “Best New Mobile Handset, Device or Tablet” at the Mobile World Congress, HTC decided to supply a $100 (CDN) credit to HTC customers who trade in their older HTC model to purchase the HTC One.
For a limited time, customers can register for the HTC Cash Back Offer, purchase and activate a new HTC One before March 31, 2013 then send in their old phone with proof of purchase of their new phone. HTC will then send a Prepaid VISA card worth minimum $100 (CDN) in value! Full details on the phone and HTC Cash Back Offer available here. A fantastic offer for a fantastic device!
Kelly is a regular Redboard contributor.
Tags: Your Rogers bill: Let’s go paperless together
February 28th, 2013 a 9:44am
Whether it’s bank statements or utility bills, paperless billing is becoming increasingly common. At Rogers, we believe that paperless billing is the way to go for a bunch of reasons. For one, it reduces paper, which saves trees and the environment. You may have seen a bill message related to online billing with your latest Rogers invoice. Let’s have a look at what’s changing:
$2 Paper Invoice Fee
We implemented a paper invoice fee back in August 2011 for new wireless customers or existing wireless customers who made certain changes to their account. We recently reached out to any of our existing wireless customers who haven’t made one of those changes to their account and asked them to make a choice: (i) enroll in online billing for free, or (ii) continue with paper invoices for a monthly fee. Should you decide to continue with paper invoices, you’ll be charged a $2 per month paper invoice fee (plus applicable taxes) starting on your first invoice on or after April 9, 2013.
How do I enroll in online billing?
To switch to online billing, just set up and login to your My Rogers account and select “Enroll in Paperless billing.” For more information, go to www.rogers.com/onlinebilling
Is Online Billing Mandatory?
You always have a choice to enroll in online billing or continue with paper bills. Go to www.rogers.com/contactus to speak with a customer service representative or reach out to us on Twitter via @RogersHelps to discuss your options.
How do I know if online billing is the right option for me?
Only you know if you can do without your paper invoice. Know that by switching to online billing, not only will you be doing your bit for the environment, you’ll also be able to take advantage of other benefits, like:
- Anytime, anywhere online access, 24/7
- Up to 18 months of billing history in one convenient location
- Detailed billing and easily downloadable for further analysis
Why are you making this change?
As a company, we care about the environment and our goal is to reduce as much paper waste as possible. Encouraging customers to make the choice to go paperless is part of our ongoing effort to be more environmentally conscious. In fact, Rogers saved more than 992,000kgs of paper by issuing online versus paper bills in 2012. We’ve also reduced our own internal paper usage by 19 per cent in 2011.
We’ve also made significant enhancements to our online customer portal, and now offer additional tools and resources to help you better manage your bill and accounts online. Remember, you can always download and print your bill through the online portal.
If you’ve already made the switch, do you encourage your friends to go paperless?
Brooke is a new contributor to the Redboard blog. Welcome Brooke!
Tags: Weekend Reading: HTC One, 31 years of cell phones, smartphones vs. PC’s, and business mobile trends
February 22nd, 2013 a 2:42pm
It’s been another exciting week for mobile tech with the announcement and preview of the upcoming HTC One, plus we take a visual look at the last three decades of cell phones, speculation on smartphones overtaking traditional PC hardware, and mobile’s effect on business. All ahead in this week’s edition of Weekend Reading.
Hands on with the HTC One
This week HTC unveiled what is being hailed as one of the must-have devices for 2013 – the HTC One.
Earlier this week the device was showcased at an HTC event in New York City, where our friends at Connected Rogers were lucky enough to get a sneak peek. You can get all the details on the design, camera, and specs in their post here, plus a few other top industry sources including CNET, Network World, and iClarified (with video).
The HTC One will be available at Rogers this spring – stay tuned for more details!
Infographic: 3 decades of cell phones
Can you believe cell phones have been around for a whopping three decades already? It’s true! The Next Web posted a fantastic cell phone timeline infographic this week showcasing just how far cell phones have come over the last 31 years. A few personal faves from the infographic include the Dynatac 8000x (aka Zack Morris’ phone on Saved by the Bell), and my very own first cell phone, the Nokia 5110.
Which blast from the past makes you most appreciative of today’s tech? Alternately, is there anything you miss about them or see a comeback for?
Smartphones to replace PC’s?
After seeing how far smartphones have come, how long do you think it will be until they fulfill all our tech needs and take over completely?
Writer Eliot Van Buskirk provided some insight in his latest article for The Huffington Post. After accurately predicting the success of the iPod before others saw its value, he’s fairly certain that his hunch on hardware peripherals will be next. His article outlines six things that point to smartphones becoming “the center of our digital lives,” including tablet keyboards, and The Cloud. Check out the full post and let us know your own predictions in the comments below.
Adopting your business to 2013 mobile trends
It may only be the second month into the New Year, but analysts are already making predictions about the effects on mobile tech on businesses. The Telecom Blog explored various reports recently suggesting that a mobile transition is happening amazingly quickly and if your business isn’t quick to adapt to mobile trends as are their customers, it could represent some challenges for them in 2013. Now, how is this this reflected on Canadian soil? A quick example could be how mobile is changing television. Canadians don’t limit their tablet or smartphone usage to browsing the Web. Turns out mobile devices are also great for watching TV, and especially for watching shows on demand.
One of our recent Rogers Innovation Reports also suggested an increase in mobile trends, with 80% believing more people will be connected to the web via mobile devices than desktop computers in 2013. I’m definitely one of the 80% using my smartphone for everything I can these days because it’s so convenient! It’s always on me, has instant LTE internet access, and a world of apps at my disposal.
Is your business ahead of the game when it comes to mobile tech? If not, are you shifting your plans for 2013 in that direction? Let us know in the comments below – we’d love to know where you’re at.
Kelly is a regular Redboard contributor.
Tags: Meet Harp Dhonsi – One of the first people in Canada to own a BlackBerry Z10
February 22nd, 2013 a 11:52am
From splash to flash, Harp Dhonsi’s history with BlackBerry has given him a number of firsts.
It started in 2005 when Harp accidentally dropped the BlackBerry 7700 in a lake while on a camping trip. Despite the accident, his work gave him another BlackBerry, this time a 7500. After he left that company, the Whitby, Ont., resident continued to buy his own BlackBerrys.
“I have since avoided keeping them in my pockets when I’m near large bodies of water,” Harp admits.
Amidst a flurry of media activity, Harp was one of the first Rogers customers to reserve his BlackBerry Z10 on the Rogers Reservation System in December. He was also part of our event at Rogers headquarters on Feb. 5, when he became one of the first people in Canada to receive his Z10.
We caught up with Harp to see how he likes his new BlackBerry, what he thinks about the Z10 and why being a BlackBerry fan is sometimes like being a Toronto Maple Leafs fan.
Q: It’s been more than a week since receiving your Z10, what do you think about the device so far?
A: So far, I’m enjoying the device. I like the new user interface, the responsiveness when navigating the phone and the general “freshness” of the operating system .
Q: You were one of the first Rogers customers to reserve the Z10, why were you so excited about BlackBerry 10?
A: For me, remaining with Blackberry is a lot like being a Toronto Maple Leafs fan. Just because they aren’t doing well, doesn’t mean you jump ship and start being a fan of the Montreal Canadiens, even though times may be tough. I guess I have been rooting for them to make a comeback since they are a Canadian company.
Q: What’s the one new feature that you like best?
A: Multitasking. It’s handy and convenient to be able to swipe into the BlackBerry Hub to check any incoming messages, while the application I was in remains active.
Q: How has the transition over to BlackBerry 10 been for you? Was it easy to pick up?
A: For the most part it was pretty easy. Since all of my previous devices had a physical keyboard, it did take a few days to get used to typing on the virtual keyboard.
Q: Tell us what it was like to be a part of the event at the Rogers event on launch day.
A: It was great, although I wasn’t expecting it to be such a big event and to be in the media like that!
Q: What kind of people would you recommend the Z10 to? Why?
A: I guess everyone! Current BlackBerry users who are looking to upgrade will enjoy the new operating system simply because the older platform had become quite stale.
Q: This is the first LTE powered BlackBerry. What impresses you most about the Rogers LTE network?
A: The speed while browsing or downloading apps or streaming video is very impressive. It’s great that it’s available in the major geographical areas across Canada.
How are you enjoying your BlackBerry Z10?
Weekend Reading: Mobile dependency, kids and tech, and Rogers Hand-Me-Down program
February 15th, 2013 a 2:49pm
How long can you go without checking your mobile device? Are you on top of all the latest trends and safety measures when it comes to tech and your kids? We explore these topics, plus point you to the Rogers Hand-Me-Down program for mobile devices – all in this week’s edition of Weekend Reading.
How often are you checking your phone?
By now we’re no strangers to the term “nomophobia” and have seen numerous studies done indicating how dependent we’ve become on our mobile devices. Collins Dictionary defines nomophobia as “a state of stress caused by having no access to or being unable to use one’s mobile phone,” something Canadians are no stranger to. In one of our Rogers Innovation Reports, 65% say you’d feel naked without your smartphone and internet access, and 51% sleep with their smartphone in bed or on the nightstand.
It should come as no surprise then that The Daily Telegraph recently found that people are checking their mobile phones every six and a half minutes, which means we’re checking our smartphones 150 times a day on average! How do we find the time to do anything else? The report also narrows down how many phone calls and text messages people are receiving, and even how often we’re checking the clocks on them.
My own mother says my smartphone is “practically growing out of my arm;” I guess this would make me nomophobic! You’re only half way through this post, how many times have you checked your device?
Keeping up with kids and tech
If you don’t have nomophobia, with today’s mobile tech advancements, chances are your kids will! So how do you keep up with it all?
As Monica Vila (co-founder of TheOnlineMom and guest blogger for Mashable) recently discovered, keeping up with tech trends no longer means just being aware of parental controls and allotting a certain amount of time to gaming. These days it’s staying on top of the latest social networks and apps for their mobile devices too. To get parents on the right track, Monica compiled a list of best practices to enforce in the household, including tips such as monitoring your child’s behavior and installing filters and protection on the devices. More great advice in the full post here.
Tired of the device you have?
With technology changing so quickly, perfectly good devices sometimes get tossed to the wayside to make room for a newer one. Or perhaps your phone is great, it’s just not suited to your personal needs.
That’s where Rogers Hand-Me-Down program comes in. Instead of letting your old device sit and collect dust in a drawer, you can pass it on to a friend or family member. Connected Rogers breaks the process down into 3 easy steps for you this month – just in time for Family Day on Monday for those of us celebrating it! You can also get more details at rogers.com/newstart.
Kelly is a regular Redboard contributor.
Getting the most out of your BlackBerry Z10
February 14th, 2013 a 11:10am
You’ve got your Z10 — now what?
Fear not! We’ve got a great list of resources on where you can get help if you need it, and learn tips and tricks to get the most out of your BlackBerry 10 experience.
Rogers know-how
Rogers was the first to sell BlackBerry products more than 10 years ago, which means our staff knows BlackBerry inside and out. Pop in to a store near you to talk to one of our in-store reps who have been trained on BlackBerry 10 with your questions. We also offer in-store learning sessions. Stay tuned for BlackBerry 10 dates.
Looking for some quick tips and tricks? You can find them here.
Rogers TechXpert for Wireless
Rogers TechXpert for wireless is an exclusive service for Rogers customers which offers extended wireless device support live online or by phone whenever you need it. Rogers customers who bought their Z10 on select 3-year plans get 1 month free of Rogers TechXpert for wireless service.
How-tos from Connected Rogers
From setting up your Z10 to using the browser on BlackBerry 10 to using BlackBerry10 Time Shift Mode to get the perfect shot, Connected Rogers has you covered on BlackBerry 10 with all kinds of how-tos.
Ask the Rogers Community
Did you know Rogers has community forums where Rogers customers can chat with other customers to get answers to common questions, problems and issues? On our BlackBerry specific forum, users have been discussing the type of media card needed for a Z10.
The BlackBerry blogger community
There are many BlackBerry blogs and communities on the web where you can find information on the new operating system, and also a community of BlackBerry fans, just like you! Over at CrackBerry.com, they’ve posted a number of how-tos since launch day last week. BlackBerry OS also has a 101 section that’s full of BlackBerry 10 information.
BlackBerry on the web, Twitter and YouTube
Of course, BlackBerry has a support tab on their website, where you can get all help with your new device. BlackBerry also has a wide variety of videos available on their YouTube channel with tips and tricks, and even BlackBerry’s commercial from this year’s Super Bowl.
On Twitter? You’ll want to follow @BlackBerryHelp. Not only do they answer customers’ questions via this account, they also regularly post great tips on how to get the most out of your BlackBerry 10. You can also visit BlackBerry’s blog, Inside BlackBerry.
And of course, you can always share your tips and tricks here. What’s the best thing you’ve learned on BlackBerry 10 so far?
Super Bowl is a registered trademark of The National Football League and is in no way affiliated with Blackberry or Rogers Communications.
Crackberry.com is in no way affiliated with BlackBerry.
Sarah is regular Redboard contributor.
Tags: Have your say on a national wireless consumer code – Phase II
February 11th, 2013 a 12:59pm
We believe that having a single set of standards across the country is important because it would provide equal protection for consumers from coast to coast no matter where they live.
Now the CRTC has taken the comments they received and made them the basis for a draft code that they’ve posted on-line to encourage further discussion.
We think the CRTC’s draft code is a great start and hope it will generate comments and suggestions from Canadians across the country.
When the CRTC released its draft code they highlighted four key areas to be included in the code: easy to understand wireless services and fees; reasonable unlocking policies; ability to set a cap on certain fees; and online tools to monitor usage and any additional fees.
We agree that these are important areas. In fact, we’ve already incorporated many of those key ideas at Rogers:
- So you know what your monthly bill will be, our ads include all-in pricing, and we provide you with easy to understand cancellation fees.
- You can choose a term commitment or no term. If you choose a term, we give you the option to leave at any time. With our Flextab program, you pay a low price for a smartphone and we spot you the rest. You can upgrade anytime just by paying off your device subsidy.
- You can change your price plan, up or down, at any time during your term, with no fees and with no requirement to extend your term.
- As of March 2013 you can unlock your subsidized phone after 90 days of service, as long as your accounts are in good standing.
- You can easily track your usage. For example- when you travel outside the country you’re sent a text that outlines roaming rates and gives you the option to buy a package. We also send you texts to let you know how much data you’ve used and when your package has expired. You can go to myrogers anytime to track your data, voice or text usage.
- And we’ve just announced that we will offer an easy, worry-free pay-per-use rate for roaming in the U.S. At $7.99 for access to 50 MBs of data over a 24-hour period, you’ll be able to do everything you do at home – surf, tweet, send photos and check maps – without worrying about extra charges.
Join the online discussion now. The CRTC is accepting comments until 5 p.m. (PST) on February 15, 2013.
We look forward to providing our views at the CRTC’s hearings that start February 11. What do you think?
Patricia is a first-time contributor. Welcome to RedBoard, Patricia!
Tags: Roam where you want to with Rogers: Introducing worry free Wireless Data Roaming Rates in the United States
February 8th, 2013 a 12:06pm
Canada spends more time online than any other country. And we know you want to be just as connected while travelling outside of Canada. But you’ve also told us that the cost and complexity of roaming rates get in the way of using your phone on the road the same way you do at home.
We’ve heard you. And that’s why we’re launching a new wireless data roaming rate for customers travelling to the United States.
Our new roaming rate, which launches this spring, is designed to be an easy and worry-free roaming solution. Here’s how it works:
- For a rate of $7.99, customers will get access to 50 megabytes of data over a 24 hour period while travelling in the U.S.
- The new rate will provide customers nearly twice the data that they would typically use domestically
- Customers will be alerted before reaching 50 MB which means they will be able to control their roaming costs.
- It will be available to all Rogers wireless consumers and business customers
Why 50MB per day? The roaming rate was designed to give customers the maximum amount of data for the lowest price. Currently, more than 99% of our customers use less than 50 MB of data per day when roaming. Here are some examples of what 50 MB will allow you to do on your trip in the U.S.:
- Browse 50 maps or
- Browse 200 web pages or
- Send 1,000 emails or
- Send 5,000 Tweets or
- Send 128 photos
Do you use your phone differently while travelling than you do at home? Will this new rate help you to roam worry free?
Michelle is a regular Redboard contributor.
How to unlock your phone with Rogers
February 8th, 2013 a 10:21am
We get a lot of questions here on RedBoard about device unlocking. How does it work? What are the restrictions? What does unlocking even mean?
Here’s a quick guide.
So what is unlocking anyway?
By unlocking your phone, you can use your wireless device with a SIM card from another mobile carrier. This is a great benefit to customers spending extended time away in other countries that need to stay connected.
What are the restrictions?
When you purchase a wireless device on a new or existing Rogers account at full price, you are eligible to unlock it immediately.
For those customers who are under a term commitment, we have made some changes to our device unlocking policy to give you more flexibility in the way you use your wireless device. In March 2013, we’ll be changing our policy so that you no longer have to wait until you complete your full term commitment – you can unlock 90 days after activating your device on the Rogers network. We’re also making it even easier for you to have your phone unlocked by bringing it to any of our Rogers retail stores.
How much will it cost?
You can unlock your device for $50 plus applicable taxes.
Update March 6th, 6pm: Hi everybody. We’re happy to announce that our new unlocking policy will be implemented effective March 28th.
Patricia is a regular Redboard contributor.
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