In it to win it? Find out your viewing personality with our interactive infographic and brush up on the study results here. See you at noon!

Update, June 19, 4:45 p.m.: Congratulations to @Magnalicious, who won our trivia contest prize pack!

With so many options out there, choosing the right plan to keep your smartphone running while you’re travelling in the United States can seem daunting.

One of the biggest battles is deciding between a roaming carrier option or purchasing a local pre-paid SIM card. Here’s how the options stack up:

And roaming with Rogers has gotten even easier, with the launch of our new worry-free U.S. roaming internet rate. Now when customers cross the U.S. border they can use internet at the new rate of $7.99 per 24 hour period for up to 50 MB of data. The rate automatically applies so customers do not need to purchase a roaming pack in advance. Existing customers in Quebec and Newfoundland may need to sign up, one time only, by visiting www.rogers.com/m/dus on their mobile device. For more information, visit rogers.com/usroaming.

Jennifer is a regular RedBoard contributor. 

Looks like it’s going to be a beautiful sunny weekend across most of Canada folks! We’re celebrating by bringing our LTE Max network to Manitoba this weekend, hosting a live chat about TV viewing on Redboard and trading our wallets for smartphones – all in this week’s edition of Weekend Reading. 

Manitoba welcomes launch of Rogers LTE network

Manitoba was definitely one of the most eager provinces awaiting the Rogers LTE Max network. So we were thrilled to announce that as of this weekend our LTE Max network would be hitting the cities of Winnipeg, Brandon, Victoria Beach and Grand Beach.

The LTE expansion doesn’t stop there – we will continue to expand our offerings in the province through a network sharing agreement with MTS, enabling us to deploy LTE to more than 90 per cent of Manitoba’s population over the next five years, including Selkirk, Steinbach and Ste. Anne this summer!

For more on our LTE offerings and the latest lineup of LTE-enabled devices, visit RedBoard or www.rogers.com/LTE.

What do you value more – your wallet or smartphone?

Though 60 per cent of people still value their wallet, a whopping 40 per cent preferred their smartphone in a recent Ipsos study covered by IT Business. As IT Business points out, though 20 per cent more are still dependent on their wallet, it’s actually a small percentage considering how new mobile payments are to the marketplace.

Just over a year ago, Rogers introduced mobile payments to Canada in partnership with CIBC. In November we expanded to create the mobile app with suretap technology. With mobile payments on the rise, it’s no surprise to us that it’s such a close race between smartphones versus wallets. Our own Innovation Reports have revealed that 65 per cent of people surveyed said they would feel naked without their smartphone and internet access. Combining your wallet and smartphone seems like the perfect fit!

Do you have a preference? Personally I’m all for carrying my slim iPhone over a bulky wallet when I run to Starbucks! The more retailers adopt this, the less I’ll be bringing my wallet for sure!

Love TV and movies? We want to hear from you! 

Canadians love their marathons. TV and movie marathons, that is. More than 80 per cent of Canadians watched three or more TV episodes or two movies back-to-back this year, according to the latest Rogers Innovation Report, released Monday. The longest viewing sessions top out at more than five hours on a weekday and seven hours on a weekend. To learn more about Canadians’ viewing habits, you can check out the full report on SlideShare and find out what kind of TV viewer you are by completing the interactive infographic here.

Do you love marathon watching full seasons of your favourite shows? Do you like to tweet every plot twist and turn? Join our live chat Tuesday at noon (EDT) on RedBoard and Twitter to discuss the findings from the latest Rogers Innovation Report and take part in a trivia contest for your chance to win a great prize.

Kelly is a regular RedBoard contributor. 

By day, he’s a digital marketer. By night, he’s a blogger and a social media enthusiast. In all instances, he’s a dad to a three-year-old little girl.

With Father’s Day approaching, we chatted with Joe about life as a connected parent.

What is the biggest way technology has changed the relationship you have with your daughter compared to the one you had with your dad?

Picture-taking, hands down.

The only piece of technology (aside from the camera) that my dad and I bonded around was the television, watching hockey games together. With my daughter, technology is everywhere. My wife and I each have a laptop, a smartphone and a tablet. The kid even has “her” tablet, a first-generation iPad.

What is the one piece of technology you use most regularly with your daughter?

Probably the smartphone. We take a lot of pictures with it and the kid loves to look back at the pictures we’ve stored and talk about what she was doing for each picture. We also use our phones to video chat with Grandma and Grandpa in B.C. a few times a week too and our music collections are stored on them for the impromptu dance parties that seem to keep breaking out in our living room.

You wrote a post about being a travelling parent and mentioned that video chatting with your family is very important. What are some of the other ways you stay in touch when you’re on the road?

I changed roles at my company a few months ago so I’m not travelling nearly as much. Video chat was a big help but it was a challenge to get the kid to sit still long enough to really converse.

Other than that, my wife was always great about texting me with updates and emailing photos from her smartphone to keep me updated on what the family was up to in my absence.

Your daughter is still very young. How do you plan on teaching her on how to be digitally responsible online?

I wrote about this for the Yummy Mummy Club too, actually, in the form of a Digital Parenting Manifesto. I think, first and foremost, it’s incumbent on the parents to actually know what is happening on the internet before offering their kids unfettered access to it. I plan to keep exploring myself so I can talk knowledgeably about the risks and the rewards of living online to my daughter.

Before you had children, how did you imagine technology would fit into your parenting experience? How has that vision changed?

I don’t know that I thought about it that much, actually. My wife and I both live very connected lives. It was a given that technology would be part of our lives. But I guess what’s surprised me is the strength we’ve been able to draw from the people that the technology connects us to. My wife has written about this more than I have but we’ve both built really supportive networks online.

Tell me a story about your daughter’s relationship with technology — how has her experience with technology surprised you?

I guess the most surprising thing is just how natural it all seems to her.

I consider myself something of a digital native but, at the same time, I remember not having a computer at home. I remember having to lobby my parents for internet access. Even after that was successful, we had one computer. In the computer room. Where we went to connect to the internet.

My daughter, meanwhile, gets confused when she can’t watch YouTube videos on the WiFi tablet in the car. She is annoyed that our laptop screens don’t respond to touch. She’s never had to learn how to connect or how to navigate a computer’s operating system. It’s just been there.

How has technology changed your relationship with your dad?

Joe Boughner is an Ottawa-based writer, speaker and digital marketing professional. He currently works as Director of Marketing for non-linear creations and blogs as the Naked Dad on the award-winning parenting site Yummy Mummy Club. None of this manages to impress his three-year old daughter.

Sarah is a regular contributor to RedBoard.

We know our customers in Manitoba have been looking forward to this news. Starting June 17, customers in Winnipeg, Brandon, Victoria Beach and Grand Beach will be able to access the blazing fast speeds of the LTE Max network. And we will continue to expand our offerings in the province. Rogers, through a network sharing agreement with MTS, will deploy LTE to more than 90 per cent of Manitoba’s population over the next five years.

Rogers will roll out LTE to additional markets in Manitoba this summer, including Selkirk, Steinbach and Ste. Anne

Rogers LTE Max is a premium wireless network that enables theoretical device speeds of up to 150 Mbps – the fastest available speeds for Canadian smartphone users.

The LTE Max network allows customers to do more on their smartphones, even faster. Armed with the latest LTE-enabled device, such as the new BlackBerry Q10 and the Samsung Galaxy S4, you can quickly download large files, live stream HD programming, stream YouTube clips and music or enjoy the latest game from the app store.

We know our customers are hungry for fast data connections. Since Rogers launched Canada’s first LTE network in July 2011, the company has seen an 80 per cent increase in wireless internet usage year over year.

For more on our LTE offerings and the latest lineup of LTE-enabled devices, visit RedBoard or www.rogers.com/LTE.

Jennifer is a regular contributor to RedBoard.

Visual voicemail lets you learn the content of all your messages without needing to dial into your voicemail service.

How to set up Visual Voicemail on iPhone

Since this application comes pre-installed on the iPhone, setting up Visual Voicemail for the first time couldn’t be easier!

To set up Visual Voicemail and create a password right on the iPhone screen:

1. Tap the Phone then Voicemail icon. The first time you tap the Voicemail application, your iPhone will prompt you to create a password and record a greeting.
2. Enter your temporary pass code (the last four digits of your phone number) and then follow the prompts to create your own personalized password. Make sure to create a four to 10 digit password that only you will know.
3. Tap Save
4. Re-enter your password and tap Save again

How do I set up Visual Voicemail Plus on BlackBerry or Android?

BlackBerry, Android, and MMS users can now get in on the Visual Voicemail action too! Exclusive to Rogers, Visual Voicemail Plus is available to download for free from Android Market or Rogers Mobile Internet Portal. Visual Voicemail service plans are $10 a month. For more, visit www.rogers.com/visualvoicemailplus.

Is Visual Voicemail Plus available for Windows phones or other phones?

Visual Voicemail plus is available for any phone that supports picture/video (MMS) messages.

How much does it cost?

Visual voicemail is available in our $5 value pack or as an add-on for $10 per month.

What are the benefits of visual voicemail?

Connected Rogers magazine shares seven ways Visual Voicemail Plus can help you save time:

1. Visual Voicemail Plus  eliminates the need to dial in to your voicemail
2. It offers a discreet way to check messages in meetings, at work, and so on.
3. It lets you keep a permanent record of important  messages on your wireless phone
4. Respond to messages via SMS or MMS with Visual Voicemail Plus <
5. Read or listen to messages discreetly and in any order
6. Respond with a one-click call back or text/MMS/email message
7. Voicemail messages sent to your phone synchronize with your voicemail service

What kind of news has left you watching your voicemail? For me, it was closing on my condo!

Cut to me last month: I got totally wrapped up in The Walking Dead. I would immerse myself in post-apocalyptic zombie territory for more than six hours at a time.

As you can probably deduce, I can be classified as a “marathon TV viewer.” And I’m in good company – more than 80 per cent of Canadians have watched three or more TV episodes or two movies back-to-back this year, according to the latest Rogers Innovation Report, released today.

More and more Canadians are watching consecutive TV shows and movies, with the longest viewing sessions averaging more than five hours on a weekday and almost seven hours on a weekend. But really, if the next episode is available on demand, how can you wait to continue the storyline?

When taking part in consecutive viewing sessions, half of Canadians are engrossed in action and drama, while six out of 10 are watching comedy. These viewers are taking their TV away from the comfort of the couch to the bedroom (over half) and the bathroom (one out of 10) and even to work (one out of 10). It turns out that Canadians treasure their viewing marathons more than sleep, too, with eight out of 10 staying up past bedtime to catch another episode, or more. And men are two times more likely than woman to show up late for work the next day due to a long viewing session.

Skipping sleep isn’t the only place the gender divide is obvious: men tend to participate in longer marathon viewing sessions than women, hitting up to 7.2 hours of continuous content on average versus 6.3 hours.

Nowadays, living rooms are sprawled with devices, so it comes as no surprise that the report shows an influx of “Multiscreen Taskers” – Canadians who combine TV viewing with multitasking. Seven out of 10 Canadians who own a smartphone, tablet or computer use of one these devices while watching television. They’re using these second screens to look up information online (over a third), monitor social media activity (one out of five) and text friends (one out of five). Those age 34 or under are more likely (nine out of 10) to use these screens to watch content, too.

Check out the report on SlideShare. Find out what kind of TV viewer you are by completing the interactive infographic here.

In addition to zombies, when I’m marathoning TV, I’m glued to viewing vampires or the never-ending aristocratic Crawley family drama. What’s your TV show of choice when you’re in the mood to marathon?

Kaili is a regular contributor to RedBoard

What your iPhone case reveals about you

We thought we’d get things off to a lighter start this week by highlighting a graphic from Mashable on What Your iPhone Case Says About You. Are you a nerd? A diva? Perhaps a klutz? Check out their fun graphic of examples and see how accurate it is for you.

The description of the minimalist definitely fits my personality to a tee – but every now and then a girl needs some sparkle too, which lands me in the Diva category! How about you – are you toting a Rick Moranis heavy duty case or resorting to socks for phone protection? 

More Rogers LTE Max expansions

Just last week we were pleased to announce our agreement with Videotron to bring LTE to even more residents in Quebec and Ottawa. This week we’re happy to let our customers know even MORE LTE Max expansions are underway for cities in Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and British Columbia!

The news was shared on some of our favourite tech sites including CrackBerry, Brief Mobile and iPhone in Canada. Catch up on the latest developments and let us know if you’ve experienced the new LTE Max network yet.

Are you as socially savvy as your children?

Most parents nowadays have a fairly good understanding of the online world. In fact, one of our recent Rogers Innovation reports highlighted how the generation gap was decreasing, with 40 per cent of Canadians ages 18 to 24 using technology as a means to stay in touch with their parents.

But how confident are you that you really know what your kids are up to online? A new report from All Facebook revealed many parents are still in the dark when it comes to their children’s online activity, with a whopping 80 per cent of parents admitting they have no idea how to monitor their kids’ online behaviour. This may be why 85 per cent of kids aged 10 to 12 already have Facebook profiles even though the minimum age requirement is 13.

Have you had the chat with your kids about online safety? If not, check out our handy Tech Essentials section on online safety and get informed on passwords, social networks and more. As great as technology is for online exploring and connections, it’s important to educate yourself and your family on how to do it responsibly.

Kelly is a regular RedBoard contributor. 

To help you use your smartphone like a pro, here’s how to use the Galaxy 4 “Air Gesture” feature, which lets you control your phone without touching the screen.

To enable “Air Gesture”:

1. Go to Settings
2. Click on My Device
3. Select motions and gestures
4. Choose Air gesture
5. Slide the switch “on.”

Select the Air Gestures you want to use:

• Quick Glance: See your notifications by waving your hand above the sensor.

• Air Jump: Scroll through web pages vertically.

• Air Browse: Wave your hand above the sensor horizontally to move between pictures, web pages or music tracks.

• Air Move: While on the home screen, press and hold on an app shortcut or widget, then wave your hand above the sensor horizontally to move them between home screens.

• Air Call-accept: Wave your hand over the screen to accept incoming calls.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 is available in Black Mist and White Frost from Rogers starting at $199.99 with select three year plans.

For more tips, add us to your circles on Google+.

UPDATE: June 6, 2013,6:15 p.m.: Unfortunately due to technical difficulties we must reschedule our Google+ Hangout Learning Session. Stay tuned for a new date and time.

And at Rogers, we’re all about speed. Rogers LTE Max is a premium wireless network that enables theoretical network speeds of up to 150 Mbps – the fastest available speeds for Canadians. It is mainly composed of dual frequency 2100 and 2600 MHz spectrum bands, which allow users to access faster, and more reliable speeds. Today, we’re rolling out our LTE Max spectrum to La Baie, Que.; Victoriaville, Que.; Saint John, N.B.; Parksville, B.C.; and expanding our offerings in Halifax, N.S.; Trois-Rivieres, Que.; Quebec City, Que. and Victoria, Que.,  all part of our expansion to 44 new markets this spring.

These blazing fast speeds deliver steady music streaming for your cardio soundtrack and quickly sync your workout data to your favourite online tracker. Whether you’re training for 42 kilometres or a run around the block, these free apps can help you reach your fitness goals.

For the explorer: MapMyRun

The MapMyRun, available free on iOS, Android and BlackBerry, uses your smartphone’s GPS to record the details of your latest sweat session, including the duration, distance, pace, speed, calorie burn and your route. All the details can be synced with mapmyrun.com for in-browser access. The site also boasts a solid mapping tool, where users can browse saved routes from other runners and measure out their own trails.

For the cardio fiend: Runtastic

Runtastic, available free on iOS, Android, BlackBerry and Windows phones, also uses GPS to map your cardio workouts, including walking, running, jogging or cycling. It tracks your time, distance, speed, calories and more, and maintains a log of your training history. The app also syncs with a browser version. Athletes can also get “voice coach” feedback while they’re on the move.

For the competitor: Strava

Runners with a competitive edge can look into Strava, available free on iOS and Android. The GPS-based app encourages users to compete with friends, challenge personal bests and participate in app-wide challenges, such as logging a certain number of kilometres in a set time period.  The app also tracks your distance and offers an “explore” feature to suggest running routes.

For the number cruncher: Nike+ Running

The Nike + Running app, free for iOS and Android, tracks routes, distance, pace, time and calorie burn. The website interface also includes route tracking and calculates the distance climbed and NikeFuel, a movement-based points system that lets users earn badges. The app also has a motivation feature, where athletes can share their runs on their social networks and hear cheers, in real time, for likes and comments as they are received.

For the healthy eater: MyFitnessPal

Logging all those kilometres requires serious fuel. Calorie-tracking app MyFitnessPal, available free on iOS, Android, BlackBerry and Windows Phone 7, helps users maintain a food diary and log their workouts. The app boasts a database of more than 2,650,000 food and restaurant items, and syncs with an in-browser version so you can keep tabs from all your devices.

What apps help you reach your health and fitness goals?

For more on Canada’s fastest wireless internet, visit Rogers.com/LTE.

Participants who qualify for Connected for Success will have  access to $9.99 per month for broadband internet speeds of 3Mbps and usage allowance up to 30 GB. Microsoft Canada and Compugen are supporting the program by providing the option to purchase a computer, pre-loaded with complimentary software and access to technical support, for $150. We will begin a phased roll out the program in Toronto starting with Toronto Community Housing.

Stay tuned for more information will be shared about the program as we get closer to launch.

In the meantime, join the conversation on Twitter, #CTS13.

Android vs. iPhone: Which users spend the most time on their devices?

According to a new study from CNET this week, iPhone users are logging the most minutes on their handsets.

iPhone users spend an average of 75 minutes a day on their devices, with 22 per cent of that time spent talking. Android users, however, only spend 49 minutes on their devices, with nearly a third of that time (28 per cent) spent talking.

What surprised me most in this article though were the two least-used features – GPS and device cameras. Having zero sense of direction, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve pulled out my smartphone to get me on track! And I find having a camera on your device makes it so much easier to capture moments, because we tend to always have our smartphones on us. It sounds like I’m not in the majority though – does the same hold true for you? Do you rarely use your GPS or smartphone camera?

Lifestyle apps becoming more popular

Did you know it’s already possible to control your washing machines, refrigerators or lights right from an app on your smartphone?

Lifestyle apps go beyond household electronics though. Take for instance Rogers Smart Home Monitoring service and app, which allow you to monitor, protect and control various parts of your home, including adjusting your thermostat on the go. There are also numerous car apps that can now lock and unlock doors, start your engine remotely and even gauge your battery life.

The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) predicts these kinds of apps will be in most households by 2022.

So what’s next for these apps? Making them business friendly. Midsize Insider recently looked at how businesses can use these apps to streamline their business by using them for conference calls and collaboration between employees, customers and partners. This article has some great tips and food for thought if you’re looking to improve your own business processes.

Rogers and Videotron build-out expanded LTE network

This week Rogers was happy to announce an agreement with Videotron to bring LTE to even more residents in Quebec and Ottawa.

The network and spectrum sharing agreement will help bring the blazing fast speeds of the LTE network to both businesses and consumers, and provide better mobile coverage in rural Quebec.

We also continue to roll out our LTE network to even more areas as part of our commitment to expand in 44 new markets this spring, so stay tuned.

Kelly is a regular RedBoard contributor. 

To help bring some clarity to at least one of your transactions, our new Rogers Bill Explainer for ebills helps break down every line of your online bill.

This includes your full Balance & Payments Summary:

Account Balance: This is the up-to-date balance on your account. This may not match the Total amount showing on your most recent bill as it includes any chargeable activities performed since your last bill in addition to your current bill’s charges, any balance remaining from previous bills and credits and payments received/processed to-date.

Required Payment Date: This is the date by which payment for your current bill must be made. Balances remaining after this date are subject to a late payment charge, as described in the Rogers Terms of Service. For customers set up with preauthorized payments, this line will indicate the date the total will be charged.

Payment Method: Here you can see which method of payment your account is currently setup with. Update your payment method by clicking on Change.

Pay Now: Click here to make a convenient one-time payment.

For more on your online or paper bills visit www.rogers.com/billexplainer. You can also share your feedback on the online bill by registering to participate in our Community Forum.

Inside the video vault

Did you know that there are 100 hours – or four days’ worth – of video uploaded to YouTube every minute? The video-sharing service marked its eighth birthday this month, and to celebrate, it shared some fun facts about who’s watching what online.

More than one billion people visit YouTube each month – which they say is almost one of every two people online – to access new videos as well as classics like Gangnam Style or Hamlet the pig learning to go down the stairs (I cheer that little guy on every time).

The YouTube team also joked that more than 1,000 companies worldwide have mandated a one-hour mid-day break to watch nothing but funny videos. While that fact is made up, it did get me thinking: what’s your go-to video to brighten your day? Personally, when the going gets tough, I’m a sucker for the poor puppy who can’t roll over and anything musical – including John Krasinski’s lip synch off with Jimmy Fallon and that classic Harvard baseball team “Call me Maybe” cover. For more cheer up inspiration, check out YouTube comedy week.

Social sharing

Photos (91 per cent), hometowns (61 per cent) and even phone numbers (20 per cent): modern teens are happy to share it all with their social networks, but they’re also thinking about their online privacy, a Pew Research Center study has found. While nine per cent of teens said they were “very” concerned at the prospect of third parties accessing their data, most are taking some precautions to protect their information. More than half – 60 per cent- have their Facebook accounts set to private, while nearly a quarter (24 per cent) locked down their Twitter feeds. And 26 per cent of teens confessed to posting fake details online to help protect their privacy.

While I’m no teen, I definitely think twice before posting any personal information online! What precautions do you take to protect your data?

Win a Toronto Blue Jays jersey

The @RogersBuzz team spent some time with Toronto Blue Jays’ pitcher Brandon Morrow on Friday afternoon. Morrow connected with fans and signed autographs at the Rogers location at 10 Dundas St. E. – and we captured some of the excitement in a live blog. Read our recap of the event and follow @RogersBuzz on Twitter for your chance to win a Blue Jays jersey on Monday. While we only have one prize to give away, Rogers customers in Ontario can get their own free Blue Jays jersey with the purchase and activation of a BlackBerry Q10 or Z10 device on select three year plans. For more details, visit rogersjersey.com.

What technology helps you keep up with the Toronto Blue Jays?

Jennifer is a regular RedBoard contributor.

Starting today, Rogers customers in Ontario who purchase a BlackBerry Z10 or Q10 on select three-year terms will receive a free Blue Jays jersey. The offer is available for a limited time, for more details visit rogersjersey.com.

We’ll be bringing you coverage from Morrow’s autograph signing and asking him some of your questions from Twitter, live here on our blog beginning at 11:45. So stay tuned!

Check out the big line!

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UPDATE, May 27, 12 pm: If you couldn’t make it on Friday, here’s your chance to win a Blue Jays jersey autographed by Brandon and a BlackBerry Q10! Be sure to read the live blog for the answer to  the question on our contest at onekontest.com/RogersBB10

There’s an app for everything

Apple and BlackBerry both released reports on their respective app stores this week, and the figures were pretty mind blowing. In the short time since BlackBerry 10 launched, 120,000 apps have already become available for the platform in the Blackberry World store. There were 70,000 apps available when the Z10 and Q10 launched, so another 50,000 were created in a mere four months. BlackBerry president and CEO Thorsten Heins shared his excitement and future plans with BlackBerry Live here.

Apple also hit a milestone this week, reaching the 50 billionth download mark! The App Store first opened in 2008 with only 500 apps. Now almost five years later, the store is seeing downloads at a rate of 800 apps per second! Apple commemorated the occasion by awarding the 50 billionth downloader a $10,000 App Store gift card. Read more from the official press release from Apple here. I’m personally responsible for hundreds of those downloads myself! What are some of your faves? Let’s compare top picks in the comments below!

Rogers LTE rolls out in more markets this week!

Fantastic news announced today that we couldn’t wait to share with our RedBoard readers – our LTE Max network has launched in a number of new markets, including Brooks, Cochrane and Canmore, Alta. and Sault Ste. Marie and Muskoka, Ont. We also expanded our LTE network to Saint-Georges, Que.; Sydney, N.S.; Bathurst, N.B and expanded our coverage in the Moncton, N.B. area.

With these new cities launched, we’re still right on track to deliver with our commitment to launch our LTE network in 44 new markets this spring. With the LTE network expansion to cottage country, who’s going to take advantage in Muskoka this long weekend?

Google Play for Education

This week was huge for Google. Among their many announcements came news of an Android app being launched to aid in children’s education. Already piloted in select schools, the app enables teachers to search for educational apps for their subjects and grade levels. Teachers can then add the selected apps to Nexus tablets – all the students need is a Google account to access it.

Be sure to visit the official Google blog to keep up on all their latest developments on Google Play for Education and so much more.

Treat Tim Cook to a cup of Joe … for $610,000

Yes, you read that correctly, there are no typos where the numbers of zeros are concerned. In an auction on CharityBuzz, a bidder paid $610,000 for a 30 to 60 minute coffee break with the Apple CEO. Although it was a hefty price tag for a java jolt, proceeds will be going towards the RFK Center for Justice and Human Rights. 

So what do you think they will talk about over their coffee? I’d love to be a fly on the wall for that conversation!

Kelly is a regular RedBoard contributor.

How to take advantage of the new rate

When customers cross the U.S. border and turn on their Rogers smartphone, they are greeted with an SMS message that explains the new $7.99 rate has taken effect. The new affordable daily roaming rate automatically applies so customers do not need to purchase a roaming pack in advance. Existing customers in Quebec and Newfoundland must opt-in, one time only, when they receive the welcome message.

50 MB is enough data to load up to 50 maps, 200 web pages, 1,000 emails, 128 photos or 5,000 tweets.

That’s a lot of sharing. In fact, more than 95 per cent of our customers use less than 50 MB of data per day on Rogers network in Canada. While in the U.S., customers can also send a free text with the word “usage” to 3330 to get updates on their wireless internet usage when they are using the $7.99 rate.

Here are a few more tips, from TechEssentials, to help you control your data use when you’re on the go.

Disable apps you don’t need

Some devices allow applications to run in the background even when they’re not in use – a total waste of data. So make sure you review what apps are running and close any you don’t need before you hit the road.

Turn off the email push

Getting alerted the second an email arrives is certainly handy, but you’ll save data while you’re away by going into your email settings and turning off the automatic refresh and setting your email to “pull,” which tells your device to only download new emails when you manually check it.

Take advantage of Wi-Fi

By using Wi-Fi for activities that consume a lot of data, you can stretch your roaming data even further and save those megabytes for checking in with friends and family, finding out the address of that must-hit shop and other things that just can’t wait.

For more information, visit rogers.com/usroaming.

This inside view puts us in good company – the Google Street View Trolley toured Parliament Hill last month, capturing the House of Commons, the Senate, the Library of Parliament and the Prime Minister’s Office. The Google team will launch the interior view of Canada’s capital “in the coming months” and also plans to go inside the Calgary Saddledome, BC Place, Toronto’s Royal Ontario Museum and Quebec City’s battlements.

South of the border, the Trolley has helped take people inside New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art and the White House. Further afield, the technology has taken digital tourists inside the National Museum of India, France’s Musee D’Orsay, the Tokyo National Museum and many more.

Has Google Street View taken you inside any interesting places? What buildings would you like to see mapped?

How it works

Virtuo360 Global took a series of high-quality panoramic images inside eight Rogers locations throughout Ontario, British Columbia, Manitoba and Quebec. These photos were then turned into a 360 degree Google Business Photos virtual tour, which is part of the Street View feature in Google Maps. Customers can enter the stores and “walk around” – via a series of zooms and clicks – to discover what the location has to offer.

How to check it out

Browse on over to your store’s Google + page (click the “See Inside” option) or visit the website for your local Rogers retail location on your computer or mobile device to load the virtual tour. On mobile, if you’re viewing it in your browser or Google Maps, you’ll see a “storefront” tour option. Once you’ve loaded the inside view, you simply need to scroll, zoom and click to check out every angle.

What stores are mapped?

Rogers is happy to be the first telecommunications company in Canada to offer this inside view. Eight locations are currently mapped, with 20 more stores scheduled to roll out in May. Customers can now take a virtual tour of the following locations:

British Columbia:

Vancouver: 1295 Davie St. and 1617 Lonsdale Ave.

Manitoba:

Winnipeg: 1485 Portage Ave. (Polo Park)

Ontario:

Toronto: 218 Yonge St. (Eaton Centre), 1 Yorkdale Rd. (Yorkdale) and 764 Yonge. St. (Yonge and Bloor).

Barrie: 509 Bayfield St. N. (Georgian Mall)

Quebec:

Pointe Claire: 6815 Trans Canada Hwy. (Fairview Pointe Claire)

Mobile tech helps moms be more social

It’s no secret that moms are some of the most digitally savvy people on the internet these days – but what makes them so social? It could be because 28 per cent of them are more likely to use a tablet, while 38 per cent own a smartphone. With such easy access, they are also more likely to follow at least one brand on social media and have made a purchase on their tablet in the past month.

These are just a few of the impressive stats Social Media Today uncovered in their latest blog post, which jibe with eMarketer’s findings. According to their reports, the top reasons moms participate in social media are to connect with other moms and friends and family, share milestones and get advice.

I definitely kept these stats in mind when I did my Mother’s Day shopping this year! Did you?

Canadians need a daily dose of social media

Are you among the one in three Canadians who check their social feeds at least once a day? Being someone who works with social media for a living it’s hard to imagine there are still two others out of those three who DON’T check their feeds! Work aside, I’d still be one of the seven per cent who check Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn daily thanks to their accessibility on mobile devices.

Check out more in a new study from TechVibes this week – I’d be curious to know if there are other social networks people are using more than the three listed in this article. Perhaps YouTube, Pinterest or Google+ occupy more of your time?

New Rogers Roaming Rates

Chances are if you’re addicted to checking your social feeds, you won’t want to travel far without your smartphone. In a recent national survey conducted by Head Research for Rogers, 70 per cent of Canadians say they want to keep using their smartphones across the border because it comes in handy when checking out places to eat, seeing what the weather has in store or keeping tabs on your flight status.

That’s why this week Rogers launched a new worry-free U.S. roaming internet rate. For $7.99 per 24 hour period, you get up to 50 MB of data – enough to load 200 web pages, post 5,000 tweets, or upload 128 photos from your vacation! ! More than 99 per cent of our customers use less than 50 MB of data per day when roaming. For more information, visit rogers.com/usroaming.

Kelly is a regular RedBoard contributor.

For Mother’s Day, what I really wish for is a way to fit everything in: quality time with my children and more than stolen moments with my spouse. I also dream about time for myself, free from distractions.

That’s why I decided to contact Clare Kumar. She’s a professional organiser at Streamlife and I’ve been reading her blog for tips on how to run my life a bit more smoothly. She was able to  share some tips on how technology can help us moms:

How can technology help a family with time management?

Before we get into talking technology, consider the basic principle of time management and scheduling. Often activities just stay as ideas if they are not committed to a calendar.  So, the first step in ensuring time for what’s important is to make sure you have a calendar system that works for you.

A great way for families to keep on top of each other’s commitments is by using shared calendars.  With Google Calendars, you can hide/display your calendars and instantly customize your view.  If you can see your commitments, you can make quick decisions on what you say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to.

We have a rule in our home for booking evening events. If there is ever a double booking, the person with the new event has to arrange for a sitter.  Forgetting to calendar the event can sometimes create a last minute scramble. It only took one of these to get everybody on board using the ‘family’ calendar system.  Don’t forget to book ‘date nights’ for you and your spouse as a way of nurturing your relationship.

How can technology help busy parents spend some quality time with their children?

Share your own favourite childhood shows or new games with them. My son just turned twelve and we gifted him an iPad mini. He knows I’m a fan of WordsWithFriends and just asked to download it. I’m looking forward to sharing this with him. I bet both our vocabularies will grow.

Email is a great way to have real conversations with your kids, especially with teens, while also teaching them communication skills. I’ve set up my kids with email accounts so that I can drop them a line whenever I’m thinking of them and share the latest YouTube video that made me laugh.

If you’re a mom who happens to travel out of town but still want to maintain your nightly routine with your kids, consider using video calling services to read your kids a story or talk with them about your day.

Technology just keeps bringing new ways to bond with your children! I loved a recent story about new moms being able to bond with babies that were in a neonatal intensive care unit through a new iPad application called BabyTime. That’s got to be good for both mom and baby.

What are your favourite apps for “me” time?

To be the best mom and spouse, it’s important to keep yourself in good physical and mental shape.  That means putting yourself first at times, or as I like to say, putting your oxygen mask on first.  It may be as simple as plugging into your phone or tablet and listening to your favourite song, or perhaps a recorded meditation.  Perhaps it’s writing down thoughts of gratitude in an online journal.  Maybe it’s a little foray into Facebook and connecting with like-minded friends. Even small moments in your day can be restorative.

What’s your best time-saving tip?

Elise is a regular contributor to RedBoard.

Whether you’re sharing an Instagram photo of a culinary treat, updating your status on Facebook or checking in with your pet, you love to stay connected when travelling.

The majority of Canadians – 70 per cent, according to a national survey conducted by Head Research for Rogers – want to keep using their smartphones after they cross the border.ther you’re sharing an Instagram photo of a culinary treat, updating your status on Facebook or checking in with your pet, you love to stay connected when travelling.

They’re using maps (71 per cent), researching places to eat and things to do (61 per cent) and checking the weather (57 per cent) and their flight status (58 per cent).

But it’s not just for trip planning purposes that smartphone users are staying plugged in. According to the survey, 40 per cent want to post updates on social media and/or share their travel photos. The majority, 58 per cent, want to be able to post to Facebook while in the U.S. and nearly three-quarters of Instagram users want to share their photos when travelling for personal reasons.

Women (62 per cent) are more likely than men (55 per cent) to share tales from their travels with their friends on Facebook, the survey found. The gender divide is less apparent for Instagram (31 per cent women, 27 per cent men), Twitter (26 per cent and 27 per cent) and Pinterest (14 per cent and 12 per cent).

And being on vacation is no excuse to go incommunicado. Eight out of 10 travellers want to use email to keep in touch with family, friends and work, while three-quarters of pet-owners would like to be able to check in on fluffy via email updates while they’re away.

Want to stay connected on your next trip? Rogers has launched a new worry-free U.S. roaming internet rate. For $7.99 per 24 hour period, customers travelling in the U.S. can access up to 50 MB of data, nearly twice the data Rogers customers typically use per day while in Canada. That’s enough data to load about 50 maps, 200 web pages, 1,000 emails, 128 photos or 5,000 tweets. While in the U.S., customers can text the word “usage” to 3330 to get updates on their roaming internet usage when they are using the $7.99 rate. For more information, visit rogers.com/usroaming.

How do you use your smartphone when you’re on the road?

Find your mobile on a map with Rogers Phone Finder

You can try to hunt down your lost handset with Rogers Phone Finder. It’s available to all Rogers customers – you just need to register your mobile number on the Phone Finder website: rogers.com/phonefinder. To sign up, visit the website, click “Register” to create an account and fill out your details. Once you’ve registered, you’ll receive an email – click the link to verify. A text message will then be sent to your mobile device. Reply to the message with “ALLOW” to finish the registration process.

As long as your cellphone is turned on and connected to the Rogers wireless network, the service will locate your device on an interactive online map.

To find your phone, log in on rogers.com/phonefinder and click “Locate My Phone.”

Customers can look up their phone for free five times each month. Extra lookups cost 20 cents each. Read more about Rogers Phone Finder here.

Hopefully, this will help reunite you with your handset. If not, read on.

Report your phone as missing

You can report your phone as lost or stolen online through your My Rogers account at Rogers.com. Once you’ve logged in, on your main page in the centre well, you’ll see a “Lost or Stolen Phone?” heading. Click on the second link, “Suspend Your Usage,” and follow the prompts to halt usage of the phone.

You can also find this option by clicking on the “Products & Services” tab, then selecting “Wireless.” Look under the “Lost or Stolen Phone?” heading for the “Suspend Your Usage” link, then follow the prompts.

Rogers will temporarily suspend the phone and block it from any further use. This will prevent you from being liable for any minutes or data used while the phone is missing.

You can also deactivate your phone by calling Rogers at 1-888-ROGERS1 (764-3771). You can then speak to a representative about options for replacing your phone.

Protect your phone in the future

The Rogers Device Protection service covers damage and malfunction as well as loss and theft (loss/stolen coverage is not available to customers in Saskatchewan, Quebec and Newfoundland). Replacement phones can ship as quickly as the next business day.

The Anti-Theft & Phone Finder portion of the coverage includes the ability to alarm, lock and wipe your device to protect your personal information. It also includes 25 Phone Finder lookups each month.

To learn more or to register for Rogers Device Protection, click here.

You can also check out the answers to other questions in the series here:

1. How can I check my Rogers account balance online?
2. How can I change my method of payment online?

Jennifer is a regular contributor to RedBoard.

How active are Canadians with social media?

Being an avid social media user both personally and professionally, I’m always eager to see new stats revealing its popularly, particularly how Canadians compare to the rest of the world.

Maclean’s published an article this week looking at social media usage in Canada, revolving around popular social sites Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Among the 4,001 Anglophone Canadians surveyed, seven out of 10 were regular social media users. What defines regular? About 63 per cent of them admitted to checking updates on these sites every day.

What surprised me most was Twitter’s results – less than one in five users claimed they were on Twitter last month, the second largest social network next to Facebook! Why is this, and how does LinkedIn measure up? Check out the article for a full analysis and trends and let us know where you fit in. Of the three mentioned, I definitely use Facebook the most as well, but I see the benefits of the other networks, too..  What about you?

Camp Grounded – a digital detox summer camp for adults

Obviously, Canadians depend on social media, but have you ever wanted to just turn it all off for a few days? Surprisingly, many of you have – enough to warrant the creation of a camp designed to help people disconnect from the digital world for four whole days!

Mashable recently uncovered the retreat in California, which has over 200 participants already signed up and eager for a “digital detox.” While at Camp Grounded, there is no technology use or talk whatsoever. Campers get to participate in old-school activities such as archery, capture the flag, arts and crafts workshops, pillow fights and yoga.

The first session, taking place in June, is already sold out, so if you’re interested in giving it a try, you’d better sign up for the waiting list now! It definitely sounds like a cool experience that I could handle … for a day … or maybe an hour. Forget it, I miss my iPhone and apps already!

Summer’s hottest devices are here!

If you’re thinking Camp Grounded looks like a walk in the park, then you haven’t seen what you’d be missing with the new BlackBerry Q10 and Samsung Galaxy S4, which both launched this week.

Those of you reluctant to take on a touchscreen will appreciate the Blackberry Q10. Designed with the BlackBerry keyboard fans have come to know and love, the Q10 also features touch screen capabilities, time shift mode and the BlackBerry 10 interface. The BlackBerry Q10 is available now in black, and exclusive to Rogers, white models. See why Mobile Syrup has hailed it the “best BlackBerry ever” and Crackberry calls it the “BlackBerry you’ve been waiting for.” Let us know if you’ve got your hands on one yet!

If Android is more your style, Samsung fans will be delighted to know the Galaxy S4 was also released this week with some fantastic offers. For a limited time, you can get a free Kindle Paperwhite when you activate a new smartphone (including both the Samsung Galaxy S4 AND the Blackberry Q10) on select three-year plans. If e-readers aren’t your thing, check out our $35 Google Play voucher available with select three-year plans when you activate a Samsung Galaxy S4 between now and June 30, 2013.

These offers are exclusive to Rogers, and of course, both are compatible on our newly branded LTE Max network.

Kelly is a regular RedBoard contributor.

The organization, along with the Toronto District School Board’s Model Schools for Inner Cities, launched a program called beyond 3:30, which helps Toronto kids with their homework and provides opportunities to play sports and learn about cooking and nutrition until 7:30 p.m. every school day. With help from Rogers Youth Fund, the program aims to help students develop social skills while improving their self-esteem.

We asked Catherine, who is the organization’s executive director and C.E.O., to speak with us about the great work done by the Toronto Foundation for Student Success. Here’s what she had to say:

What is the Toronto Foundation for Student Success?

We’re the independent charitable organization of the Toronto District School Board (TDSB), and our mission is to remove barriers to success in school for students.  We work where we feel we can make the most difference. At beyond 3:30, for instance, our goal is to keep vulnerable youth safe and engaged after school so that they don’t have to look for somewhere else to belong.  When young folks get the help and the space they need to complete their homework they feel better about themselves.  When they get to “blow off some steam” after school by participating in physical activity and then get to prepare and eat nutritious food together, not only are they healthier but they are happier.  They develop interpersonal skills, become part of a community where they feel they belong and are less inclined to join gangs.  Research shows that the time between the end of school and 7:30 p.m. each evening is when our youth are most at risk.

How has Rogers Youth Fund helped beyond 3:30?

Rogers Youth Fund has given us the gift of paid teacher-trained staff, who provide, among other things, at least 60 minutes of homework help each day. These are recent grads with teacher training, who often grew up in the same neighborhoods as the students and share a cultural background with our kids. In addition, Rogers Youth Fund provides us with tablets which students use to research their homework.

Funding from Rogers Communications has also given us the ability to participate in a major research project which will follow beyond 3:30 students over a seven-year period. The TDSB’s Research Department is analyzing the impact of our beyond 3:30 program, which requires that we collect an extensive amount of data. Thanks to Rogers, we’ve been able to hire a research assistant to gather that data. Early results are exciting: in the first phase of the study, 70 per cent of students participating in the beyond 3:30 program reported their marks have increased. Other indications lead us to believe that even more encouraging results could be announced shortly.

How many children participate in the program?
At any given time we have 1,200 middle school children involved in our program. Over 5,000 students in 13 schools have come through the program over the last four years. We believe strongly in this program and are excited to think about how it will help transform the reality of children in our neighbourhoods.

How could a program like beyond 3:30 change our community?

If we can keep our young people from feeling disenfranchised and from joining gangs, then we all win.  If we can help our young people complete their homework and succeed in school, then we all win.  If our youth are healthier, then we all win.  And if our young people are connected to their school communities and to each other in positive ways, then this can only benefit the wider community and make our city healthier.

Rogers is the first Canadian carrier to bring its customers the BlackBerry Q10 device with support for the blazing fast 2600 MHz LTE spectrum band.

In honour of the new smartphone, we caught up with Trevor from Herrle’s Market, a family owned and operated farm near Waterloo, Ont., to learn how his BlackBerry on the Rogers network helps him grow beautifully red and plump strawberries.

When did you start using BlackBerry devices on the farm?

Personally, I have been the “AgNerd” of the family.  My first BlackBerry device was the 6210.  Back then, being able to see the weather in the field was a luxury.  Being able to respond to an email on a tractor was almost unheard of.

How has BlackBerry 10 changed things on the farm?

Beyond coordinating activities using calendar invites and BBM, I also take pictures, track weather patterns, and engage with the community using Twitter from my BlackBerry on a regular basis (yes, even from my tractor – but not while driving it, of course!). I have leveraged social media in particular as a method to connect urban consumers to the farm, gathering feedback on new product ideas and reaching out to them in a variety of ways.

Read the full interview on RedBoardBiz.

The BlackBerry Q10 smartphone is now available at Rogers retail locations across Canada, starting at $199.99 with select three year plans.

Elise is a regular contributor to RedBoard.

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