Technology keeping it exciting

According to a recent survey, 25% of Canadian technology users say the use of technology to stay connected with their significant other keeps their relationship exciting! And, it’s not just women who feel this way. Of that 25%, it was evenly split among men and women. Of those surveyed that think technology helps spice up the relationship, people from Quebec were the highest with 31% agreeing with this statement.

Time well wasted

How much time do you spend talking to your significant other each day? According to our research of Canadian technology users, the average young adult (18-24) spends 2.5 hours using technology to communicate to their boyfriend or girlfriend each day!

Dating and dumping

We all know technology can be used to connect people, but what about when it comes time to break it off? Overall, the phone remains the most popular method to hook up or break up. 48% of those surveyed have been asked out over the phone and 18% admitted to being dumped.

While 31% of 18-24 year olds surveyed said they have been asked out via a social networking site like Facebook, the favourite Gen Y approach is definitely the phone. More than half (60%) of 25-34 year olds surveyed have been asked out over the phone.

And what about text message? Can you really communicate your feelings in just a few characters? Apparently, you can. 27% of 18-24 year olds think it is totally fine to ask someone out on a first date through a text message. In fact, 40% say they’ve actually been asked out in a text message before. Only 12% have been dumped.

Of all Canadian technology users surveyed, the ladies are more open to being asked out via text than men. 14% of women versus 9% of men feel texting is a perfectly fine way to ask someone out on a first date. So guys, if you’re on the fence about sending that text to that special someone, I say go for it! It just might work out for you.

What do you think? Is technology hurting or helping romantic encounters?

Hungry for more stats? Check out the Rogers Innovation Report where we looked at technology predictions for 2012.

Miranda is a regular contributor to RedBoard

Information about our research: From January 13^th to January 23^rd 2012, an online survey was conducted among 1,403 randomly selected adult Canadians that own a smartphone or tablet and use texting, social networking, video calling, email, instant messaging, or BBM. All were Angus Reid Forum panelists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 2.6%, 19 times out of 20. The results have been statistically weighted according to region and gender. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.

How might you use it, you ask? Well, if you’re like me and you’re always on the go, family and friends can now call your number – the same one they’ve always used – and rather than leave a voicemail (again!) you can have it ring on your computer or up to five phones of your choice so you’re always reachable when you want to be. Or, if you spend a lot of time calling that special someone, you can switch the talking onto a computer with Rogers One Number and you’ll no longer use up your daytime mobile minutes. And, if you want to take it a step further and stare into each other’s eyes, you can seamlessly turn the call into a video chat with the click of a button.

To really understand how it works, you have to see it in action. So to help me do just that, I recently sat down tech expert Winston Sih, to give you the details. Check it out:

Rogers One Number is available for free to eligible Rogers wireless customers, so there’s really no reason why you shouldn’t head over to www.rogersonenumber.ca and sign up right now. Once you’ve given it a try, let us know what you think by leaving us a comment.

How will you be using Rogers One Number?

Miranda is a regular contributor to RedBoard

Starting tomorrow, Rogers is launching the Ultimate Unlimited Family Plan allowing you to limitlessly chat with your best friends about upcoming plans, give your daughter endless local minutes to gossip about the Bachelor or let your husband send unlimited messages to the boys about the game.

While Rogers has had Family Plans for some time, what’s new is that now you have truly unlimited local talk and extreme text messaging so you never have to worry about going over your minutes or minimizing your hour-long text sessions. With everyone on this plan, every month, you will receive one bill for your whole family that helps make managing the family wireless bills a little easier.

The Ultimate Unlimited Family plan starts at $95.94 per month for two lines including unlimited voice and messaging or $140.94 per month for two lines including unlimited voice, unlimited messaging, and 2GB of shared data. You can add additional lines to your unlimited voice and messaging plan for just $27.97 per line per month and to your unlimited voice, messaging and data plan for $37.97 per line per month. With these family plans you’ll receive great unlimited features including:

• Unlimited local talk
• Unlimited Extreme Text Messaging
• Unlimited Canadian-wide calling between plan members
• Unlimited Canadian-wide calling from your computer (new and only from Rogers!)

With the voice and data plan option, your plan members will share 2GB of data with the option to increase this for just $10 a month for an additional 1GB of data. You can also add-on unlimited Canadian-wide long distance for $10 per line per month. Both this option and unlimited Canadian-wide calling from your computer is available for you to stay connected with family members located outside of your local calling area.

As always, Rogers offers you a wide selection of the latest and greatest devices for every member of your family and when you’re purchasing one eligible device you can get up to 4 more at $0 each with a 3-year term Ultimate Unlimited Family Plan. This offer includes some of the hottest devices including the Samsung Galaxy S II LTE, Motorola RAZR, HTC Raider, Nokia Lumia 710 and many more. All Rogers customers also gain value from many included Rogers services such as Rogers Phone Finder and the Handset Protection Guarantee Program.

What unlimited feature would you use the most in your family?

Katie is a regular contributor to RedBoard

We’re raising the bar on the Long Term Evolution (LTE) experience with two new LTE devices that will offer the fastest speeds in Canada, as well as more LTE plan options.

What’s coming?

We’ll soon be launching the Sierra Wireless AirCard330U model of the LTE Rocket stick as well as the Sierra Wireless AirCard 763S LTE Rocket mobile hotspot which offer maximum theoretical LTE download speeds of up to 100 Mbps. These devices will be the first to support connectivity on both the 1700/2100 MHz and the 2600 MHz spectrum on Rogers LTE network, offering typical LTE download speeds of up to 40 Mbps, compared to 12-25 Mbps for devices using 1700/2100 MHz only. Now, that’s fast.

LTE mobile internet pricing plan news

We will also extend our range of 4G HSPA+ mobile internet plans to LTE devices including the Flex Rate plan for Rocket stick and mobile hotspot starting from $22.93 per month and Flex Rate plans for tablets starting from $7.93 per month. We’ll continue to offer the LTE Introductory Plan of $52.93 for 10 GB/month on a three-year-term and plans include no overage fees for the first month.

LTE options on more smartphone plans

Also starting this week, we will be expanding our range of LTE-ready plans for smartphones to include Voice & Data Plans starting from $52.97 per month as well as a $25/500MB Data Plan option that can be added to any voice plan.

Availability and how to reserve

The new LTE pricing options will be available this week. The Sierra Wireless AirCard 330U model of the LTE Rocket will be in stores in the next few weeks and the Sierra Wireless AirCard763S LTE Rocket mobile hotspot will be available this Spring. Rogers customers can reserve the new LTE devices online at www.rogers.com/lte.

We were first to launch an LTE network in Canada, starting in Ottawa last July, followed by Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver in September as well as surrounding cities. We’ll be  expanding to more than 25 additional cities to bring the benefits of LTE to more than half the Canadian population by the end of the year.

We were also first to launch LTE devices in Canada and we continue to expand our selection with innovative devices like the recently announced Samsung Galaxy Note, an all-in-one LTE tablet and smartphone hybrid. We also carry:

• The Sierra Wireless AirCard  313U model of LTE Rocket Stick,
• The Sierra Wireless AirCard 754S model of LTE Rocket mobile hotspot,
• The Rogers exclusive Samsung Galaxy S II LTE smartphone
• The HTC Raider,
• Canada’s first LTE tablet, the Rogers exclusive, HTC Jetstream

What will you do with the speed offered by these new devices?

Sara is a regular contributor to RedBoard

How can I get in touch with the @RogersHelps team?

Easy. Just tweet your question to @RogersHelps. Make sure you don’t tweet @Rogers – that’s a nice guy named Glenn but he probably can’t help you.

Once you send us your tweet, a member of the team will respond to your request using their own account. For example, you might hear from @RogersAndrewNP or @RogersRavi. The team is online Monday to Friday 9am-9pm and Saturday, Sunday and Holidays 10am – 5pm EST.

What if I don’t use Twitter?

No problem. There’s other ways you can get help online. The Rogers Community Forums is a great place to look for answers to frequently asked questions. This peer-to-peer forum averages about 50 posts per day, and there’s a great repository of answers for you to search before you need to even post a question. Stay tuned for some great innovations as we prepare for our first ever expert event coming in February.

You can also get in touch with us through e-chat or email. Go to www.rogers.com/support to find out more ways to get in touch and get answers to your questions.

If you’re looking for all of Rogers different social sites, check out our social hub, Social@Rogers, your one-stop source to find and interact with all of our social sites.

Have you been helped by our @RogersHelps team?

Gina is a regular contributor to RedBoard

Shield your eyes…. The bright, crisp, huge 5.3-inch HD Super AMOLED touchscreen display on the Samsung Galaxy Note will be here soon. It’s coming to Rogers in February. The Galaxy Note is packed with features, an all-in-one LTE tablet and smartphone hybrid. Running on Android OS 2.3, the Note is made of tough Gorilla Glass, has an “S Pen” stylus pen to take notes, and a 1.5GHz dual-core processor. With the eight megapixel camera you can record 1080p HD videos, and since it runs on the LTE network you can upload your videos to YouTube in seconds.

The Samsung Galaxy Note joins Canada’s first LTE smartphones like the exclusive HTC Jetstream LTE tablet, the first LTE tablet in Canada, the Rogers LTE Rocket stick (Sierra Wireless AirCard 313U) and the LTE Rocket mobile hotspot (Sierra Wireless AirCard 754S). This device allows you to create a mobile hotspot for up to 5 Wi-Fi devices.

Rogers was the first wireless carrier in Canada to launch an LTE network. This year, we will expand our LTE network to more than 25 additional cities in Canada to cover more than 50 per cent of the population. The Rogers LTE network offers mobile speeds similar to broadband connections and delivers unparalleled connectivity and increased usage capacity to provide an unrivalled mobile experience. Rogers LTE network is now live in Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and many surrounding communities.

Customers can reserve the Samsung Galaxy Note by using the Rogers Reservation System and searching under “Special Orders.” You can find more information about Rogers LTE at www.rogers.com/lte.

What feature of the Samsung Galaxy Note are you most excited about?

Katie is a regular contributor to RedBoard

Alcatraz

What do you get when you combine the most ominous prison in American history with one of the most acclaimed creators currently working in television? The answer is J.J. Abrams’ Alcatraz, which is free to watch to everyone. The show stars Sam Neil, Jorge Garcia (Hurley from Lost) and Sarah Jones. The series combines the supernatural mystery of Lost with a police procedural style case of the week, which makes it an entertaining show.  The big question of the series – how are long supposed dead former Alcatraz prisoners alive in contemporary San Francisco having not aged a day? Hopefully, we’ll get answers sooner than later.

Arctic Air

Take a look at the new CBC show Arctic Air, free to watch for all Rogers Customers, and you may notice a familiar face. Adam Beach has been seen in all sorts of mainstream fair, including the film Cowboys and Aliens, Flags Of Our Fathers and as a regular on Law and Order: SVU. In Arctic Air, Beach stars as Bobby, who returns home to Yellowknife and the family business, a maverick airline run by an eclectic group of people.  The show is already a huge hit, with more than 1 million people watching the premiere episode. Catch up on the series and see what Canada’s been talking about, right here.

My Babysitter’s A Vampire

If you’re looking for something for the kids, you should definitely check out Teletoon’s My Babysitter’s A Vampire. What began as a made for television film is now a full on series about a trio with some cool powers – Ehtan is a Seer, his best pal Benny is a spellmaster and his babysitter Sarah just happens to be a vampire. Together, they take on all sorts of things that go bump in the night – from zombies and ghosts to demons and witches. My Babysitter’s A Vampire is free to watch to Rogers cable customers, so catch up on the first three episodes right now.

That’s just a taste of some of the new shows available to watch on Rogers On Demand Online. There are also brand new episodes of How I Met Your Mother, Glee and many more available as well.

Of all the new shows that have premiered in 2012, which are you most excited about?

Andrew is a regular contributor to RedBoard

We know that some of you have had questions about fixed term wireless contracts and why they exist.  What you may not know is that Rogers offers you choices, even when it comes to contracts. You can always be without a fixed term contract with Rogers if you choose to pay full price for your device upfront and pay for your services month-to-month.

Why do I need a fixed term contract?

When you enter into a contract, you receive a device or service at a reduced cost. The benefit of signing up for a 1, 2 or 3-year term is the upfront savings you get on the wireless device you want.

Wireless devices can cost hundreds of dollars depending on the model.   You can choose to skip the fixed term contract and buy your device at full price, but sometimes, getting a break on the cost of that new quick messaging device, smartphone, tablet or RocketStick makes more sense and is easier on your wallet than paying for it outright.

What if I want out of my fixed term contract? What fees apply

We often get questions about cancellation fees and why they exist.  As part of our ongoing commitment to our customers, we’ve implemented a new policy around what happens when customers with a fixed term choose to end their fixed term early.

Here’s the new policy:

• If you received a device subsidy when you signed up, and you want to cancel your service before the end of your fixed term, you will need to pay the Device Savings Recovery Fee (DSRF), which is based on your device subsidy.
• You can find the amount of your device subsidy (economic inducement) in your agreement. To calculate the DSRF, just divide the subsidy you received on your device by the length of your contract in months , multiply that number by the months left in your fixed term contract and of course, add applicable taxes.
• Did you get a bigger subsidy when you signed up because you have a data plan? Rogers offers additional subsidies to customers who sign up for both voice and data plans.
• The Additional Device Savings Recovery Fee (ADSRF) is charged to subscribers with data plans who cancel prior to the end of their term. You can also find the amount of your data plan subsidy (additional economic inducement) in your agreement.
• This is calculated the same way as the DSRF, taking into account the months left in your fixed term contract and the initial subsidy provided to you.
• The one-time service deactivation fee is $12.50 per line and charged to all term customers in provinces other than Quebec and Manitoba if they choose to cancel their services before the end of their fixed term. This fee helps to cover the administrative costs and charges associated with your cancellation.

It’s always important to understand what you’re paying for, which is why we’re trying to make it easier for customers to understand our device subsidies.

Heather is a regular contributor to RedBoard

Whether you’re a dentist, lawyer or plumber, bringing qualified, local customers to your door is essential to growing your business. Gone are the days of flipping through phonebooks to find local services – millions of Canadians are taking to the web and their mobile devices on a daily basis to find products and services, making it crucial for you, as a small business, to have an online presence.

To help you connect with local customers, we have launched Outrank, a new online marketing solution that helps small business grow their customer base by marketing effectively online and on mobile devices. Check out this video from the Outrank team that explains the service:

Specific features available in Outrank include:

• Website:  A member of the Outrank team will work with you to create a professionally-designed website that showcases your business brand. The website will also convert site visitors into phone calls and will be developed with Search Engine Optimization (SEO) best practices. 
• Paid Search Marketing: Dedicated marketing experts on the Outrank team will use a proprietary bidding algorithm to place your business’s ad prominently in the ads section of top search engines such as Google, Bing & Yahoo.
• Search Engine Optimization: Through set best practices for website development, maps optimization, custom content creation and link building, the Outrank team will work to achieve prominent placement in the “natural” section of top search engines for your business.
• Performance Dashboard: The dashboard provides access to campaign results including website traffic and metrics on the number of phone calls and emails your business receives as a result of your online advertising campaign.

To learn more about Outrank, check out www.RogersOutrank.com.

How do you attract local customers to your business?

Allison is a regular contributor to RedBoardBiz

Topping the list of trending topics was Long Term Evolution (LTE). Several companies showcased products that highlighted the benefits of faster wireless connections, especially for video communications. Rogers was the first carrier in Canada and one of the first in the world to launch LTE last year in Ottawa in July.

According to the Connected Magazine team, some of the biggest buzz was generated from things like 4KTV which doubles the horizontal resolution of the current top-end high-def TVs, ultrabooks, super small but powerful laptops, and Windows 8, Microsoft’s new operating system which is expected on tablets and personal devices as well as PC.

To catch up on all the news from CES 2012, check out Connected Magazine’s extensive coverage. To help you find what you’re looking for, here’s a run-down of their recent posts:

• Wierdest gear: Dancing Robots, Inflatable iPad Cubes and more
• Weighing in on Smart TVs from Samsung, Lenova and LG
• Top tablets from Toshiba, Samsung Lenovo and more
• Gadgets galore: ViewPad e70, Boogie Board Rip and more
• Top 5 freshest gadgets
• The biggest buzz: 4K TV, Ultrabooks, Windows 8 and more

What did you think was the most exciting thing at CES 2012? Have you ever been to the event?

Miranda is a regular contributor to RedBoard

That’s why we’re pretty excited to tell you about today’s launch of Sportsnews, a new sports cable service at no additional cost for Rogers digital cable customers. It’s the channel you flip to for your real-time sports fix. It’s the first cable service of its kind in Canada. Head over to channel 999 to check it out (available in SD or HD).

Here’s a quick rundown of what you can expect to see on Sportsnews:

• Large scoreboard (one-third of the screen) with scores, including pre and post-game notes and in play scores and stats.
• Twitter feed streaming from your favourite Sportsnet personalities.
• The headline zone featuring breaking news and fun trivia facts.

Pulling in real-time scores, stats, breaking news and fantasy info, means there’s always something interesting for avid sports enthusiasts. Especially with the NHL All-Star Weekend around the corner, can’t wait to see how my favourite players stack up in the skills competition and how they’ll perform in the All-Star Game. Pretty sweet I can get those updates while I’m channel surfing or working out.

Will you be tuning into Sportsnews?

Kaili is a regular contributor to RedBoard

To celebrate Chinese New Year, Jacky Cheung’s ½ Century concert tour is coming to Canada and on January 16, it will be his first time performing in Toronto. He’ll also be in Vancouver on January 13. Jacky is referred to as the “God of Songs ” and if you’re a fan, check out our Rogers Facebook page where we’ll be giving away a pair of tickets to the show each day until January 13. You can also purchase tickets here.

Also, Ontario digital cable customers can enjoy several free previews. Check out the channels and languages featured below:

For more cable and wireless deals in the spirit of Chinese New Year,check out www.Rogers.com/cny.

And, speaking of the year of the Dragon, the Dragon Ball - one of the largest Chinese New Year celebrations in Toronto – is happening on January 28. Rogers has been a proud sponsor of this event for the last 7 years and with over 1,200 guests celebrating it’s sure to be a night to remember.

UPDATE (January 25, 2012, 5:07 pm): Congratulations to the winners of our Jacky Cheung 1/2 Century World Tour giveaway! Here they are posing with none other than Jacky Cheung!

Kaili is a regular contributor to RedBoard

We shot the Motorola RAZR - with its heavy-duty Kevlar fiber coating and tough Corning Gorilla Glass – out of an air cannon through things like popcorn, pop, paint, canvas, an egg and a cake.

The Motorola RAZR video series were entertaining and not like other mobile demo videos. Don’t take my word for it. See for yourself in the series of videos below:

Motorola RAZR vs. The Baker’s Dozen:

The Motorola RAZR vs. The Movies:

Motorola RAZR vs. The Blank Canvas:

Think these are cool? Stay tuned. A special bonus video is coming soon!

UPDATE (January 6, 2012, 1:33 p.m): As promised, here is the special bonus video:

Miranda is a regular contributor to RedBoard

1. My Day as a Rogers Android: Our own @RogersMelanie got to live a childhood dream. On October 26, she dressed as the Android mascot at Android TO, Canada’s largest Android conference, and entertained more than 600 attendees throughout the day. To mark the momentous occasion, we filmed a video of her once-in-a-lifetime experience which generated more than 10,000 views.
2. Canada’s first LTE network is live: Where were you the day Rogers launched Canada’s first LTE network? I was in Ottawa – the first city in Canada to experience LTE – to show off the capabilities of the latest global wireless technology at a launch event. On that day, we also announced that LTE would be coming to Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal. And on September 28, we officially launched Rogers LTE in those cities.
3. RedBoard Celebrates one year anniversary: On March 2, our blog turned 1. To mark this milestone, we held our first Tweetup in Toronto and invited RedBoard readers to come out and celebrate with us. For those outside the city, we held a contest to win RedBoard loot bags. We’re looking forward to celebrating our second birthday next year, as well as a first birthday for FilRouge, our new French blog, which launched in September of this year.
4. Rogers launches new early upgrade offer: On May 6, we announced an early upgrade promotion that allows you to upgrade your device as early as six months into your existing contract term. We know many of our readers here on RedBoard are the kind of people that want the latest gadget as soon as it’s available. We were happy to offer this new option to provide our customers with this added freedom and flexibility.
5. Rogers Innovation Report: top technology predictions for 2012: Just over a week ago, we launched the first Rogers Innovation Report, a regular report we’ll be doing to get Canadians views on technology. The best part? The infographic. This visual display of our findings revealed interesting statistics like the number of Canadians who sleep with their smartphones or have the urge to take them to the bathroom!

On behalf of the RedBoard team, we’d like to wish you a happy new year, and all the best in 2012. We’re looking forward to another great year.

Are there any topics you’d like to see us cover in 2012?

Miranda is a regular contributor to RedBoard

Personally, I’m looking forward to relaxing and hosting a few gatherings with close friends and family now that shopping’s out of the way. In the spirit of sharing, here are some ways I’m bringing holiday cheer into my home this season.

• Rogers On Demand’s Holiday Channel: Here you’ll find the best this holiday season has to offer, including kid’s favourite’s, editor’s picks, and of course classic movies and TV specials for the whole family to enjoy. For more ideas, check out Andrew’s “HoHoHo It’s the Holiday Channel” Redboard post.
• The Fireplace Channel: Those of us not lucky enough to have a fireplace thrive on this channel this time of year. Now I know, it’s not the real thing – but you still get the warm glow and crackle from the fire. Tune in on channels 204 for SD and 574 for HD.
• Galaxie Channels on Rogers On Demand: This is another great one to have going in the background if you already have a fireplace. Right now on Galaxie we’ve got 9 holiday stations to suit everyone’s needs! Listen online and through select tablets and smartphones – free for all Rogers digital customers!
• RogersurMusic: If you’re conflicted between the Fireplace Channel or Galaxie holiday music channels, fear not – you can have both! I like to entertain with the Fireplace channel going on my TV, and my special holiday mix playing in the background. urMusic has TONS of holiday tracks to download this season – everything from The Muppets to Bing Crosby!

As I type this post in front of the Fireplace Channel with eggnog in hand, and Nat King Cole’s “Merry Christmas to You” in the background, I’d like to wish all our readers a happy holiday on behalf of Rogers!

Kelly is a regular contributor to RedBoard

I couldn’t live without my gadgets and I’m not alone.

According to research we released yesterday in the first Rogers Innovation Report, Canadians love their cell phones.The vast majority of Canadian smartphone and tablet owners (85%) say they’re attached to their devices.

How attached? Well, one in 10 (11%) say they wouldn’t want to live without them. And four in 10 (39%) Canadians say they sleep with their devices within arm’s reach – either beside them on the nightstand or in their beds.

Younger Canadians are even more attached to their devices. Among Canadians aged 18 to 24, three-quarters (76%) sleep with their phones within arm’s reach and one in four (23%) snuggle up with their devices in bed.

And we want to use them everywhere. One in four Canadians (23%) want to use their devices in the bathroom, with a minority (3%) even wanting to use their devices while taking a bath or shower.

Canadian smartphone and tablet users are also optimistic that new wireless technologies will keep making their lives better. Some 68% of Canadians surveyed said voice interaction with devices, such as Apple’s Siri, will make their lives better, while 61% feel using their devices for purchases will do the same.

What about you? How attached are you to your device? What’s the most unusual place you’ve ever used your cell?

Keith McArthur is Vice President of Social Media at Rogers

These predictions come from the first Rogers Innovation Report, a regular report we’ll be doing to get Canadians views on technology.

As the year comes to a close, we focused our first edition of the Rogers Innovation Report on technology predictions for 2012. We asked Canadian smartphone and tablet users if technology makes their lives better and easier and their views on advancements for the next few years. Check it out:

What do you think of the first Innovation Report? Did any of the numbers surprise you?

Miranda is a regular contributor to RedBoard

What is a premium SMS message exactly?

Premium SMS messages often charge an additional fee above standard text messaging costs. The costs usually range from $1 to $10. You can subscribe to a premium SMS service online by inputting your mobile phone number or by texting a specific short code (usually four or five digits). This could include submitting your mobile number on online contests, to win a tablet for example. Always read the terms and conditions before submitting your mobile number online. Regardless of whether a subscription is initiated online or through a mobile device, there is always a two-step activation process. This includes inputting your number online or through your mobile device and sending a confirmation ‘YES’ text to complete the subscription. Once confirmed, you are then charged for the messages until you ask them to stop.

How do I stop them?

If you ever want to stop a premium SMS service, reply with the message ‘STOP’ to the short code and you will be unsubscribed to the service.

What is Rogers doing to help you?

Have you ever signed up for a premium SMS service by mistake only to be charged later? Do you have a teenager who subscribed to a service without your knowledge? We can help. We provide a $40 monthly subscription cap for premium SMS programs, so when your subscription to a premium SMS program reaches $40 you won’t receive any more texts or charges. We have also taken a step to protect our customers from confusing online contests; we are not approving any new third party premium SMS services that run such contests.

We’re the only Canadian carrier to offer several other ways to manage premium SMS services:

• The option to block all premium SMS so even if you accidentally submit your mobile number online to receive a ‘joke of the day’ you wouldn’t receive a text from a premium SMS service. This will also block SMS from other companies, like SMS flight updates. Don’t worry; you will still be able to receive texts from your friends and family.
• For premium SMS chat we now send our customers a reminder when they reach $100 for one program, and when they reach $500 we end the program.
• We provide detailed information on third party premium text message services on your bill, including contact information so if you have questions about a charge, you can easily contact the message provider.

To add the premium SMS block service to your account please contact Rogers Customer Care.

Marina is a regular contributor to RedBoard

Whether you have a BlackBerry, Android or Apple device, there are endless apps to assist with your gift giving, hosting, recipes and figuring out your holiday budget. My new motto for the season is ‘the more I app, the more I get to nap’.

Here are 10 ways your smartphone can create a stress-free season:

1. Cooking & Baking - Need help in the kitchen? Try a Festive Holiday baking app (iPhone/iPad) or an app for Christmas Recipes (Android). Over indulging? Get a calorie counter (BlackBerry) app to stay on track.
2. Budgeting – Stay on top of spending with Christmas Gift List (iPhone/iPad) or Christmas List Pro (Android).
3. To- do lists & family calendar - Keep everyone organized with Cozi. Available on most devices, Cozi helps keep you organized with family calendars, shopping lists, to-do lists and a family journal.
4. Weather Eye – Follow those flurries with this trusty app to keep you connected to daily, weekly and hourly weather forecasts. Available on most devices.
5. GPS- Google Maps with Navigation (Android), BlackBerry Maps, or Maps and Compass (iPhone).  In snowy conditions, you don’t want to get lost.
6. Mobile Deals – Mobile Offers (most devices), Clip Mobile (most devices) are great options to find the best shopping deals right from your phone
7. Holiday cocktails- Time to eat, drink and be merry! Check out Martha Stewart Cocktails (iPhone/iPad), Holiday Cocktail Bar (Android) or Easy Bartender (BlackBerry).
8. Send money by mobile – When in doubt, cash always makes a great gift. With Zoompass  and Western union you can send cash quickly to loved one.
9. Digital greeting cards - For those times when you failed to mail out a card on time, check out Just Wink (iPhone/Android). It’s great for sending out custom greeting cards on the fly.
10. Stay on top of the news - Don’t be out of the loop when people bring up current events at your next function with the Maclean’s app (iPhone/iPad and BlackBerry). For people in Toronto, check out the CityNews App (iPhone/iPad).

Now just sit back, relax and app it up and you’ll be counting down to 2012 before you know it. Happy Holidays!

Kaili is a regular contributor to RedBoard

She is constantly on the move, from one adventure to the next. We were curious to know how a jet setting family like hers spends the holidays. With so many Canadians planning trips abroad over the holidays and 80% of them planning to use technology to stay in touch with friends and family, we wanted to ask Heather how she incorporates her mobile phone into her travels. A recent survey found that almost half (48%) of Canadians will use their mobile phones while travelling during the holidays, so we wanted to know what kind of  roaming advice she has for fellow Canadians in the same boat. We’ve equipped her with Rogers wireless services to keep her organized and connected. With her iPhone powered by Rogers along for the ride, she’s been taking work on the road and keeping in touch with loved ones.

Where are you are right now as we speak (Dec. 9)?

I’m currently in Cape Town with my family. Cape Town is a stunning destination with an incredible history and we’ve been able to spend time at amazing places like the One&Only Cape Town resort where we were fortunate to try out everything from the Kids Club to the Spa.

Keeping in touch is important for Canadians while abroad. More than three-quarters (77%) of those Canadians who plan to use their mobile phones while travelling during the holidays said they would be connecting with family and loved ones. How has it been for you in terms of working on the road and staying in touch with loved ones?

It’s hard enough to find the time to write a postcard when you take a week’s vacation, on a year-long trip it’s that much harder. Being able to stay in touch with family and friends and colleagues while I’m on the road has been incredible. Having my iPhone along for the ride has not only made it convenient to stay in touch but has also allowed me to access to sites like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. It has made keeping our blog up-to-date that much easier. Without the phone? We’d be out of luck.

How and where will you be celebrating the holidays with your family?

We’ll be in Namibia over Christmas. I’m looking forward to taking the kids on their first safari and exploring the people and cultures in the country. A lot of our travel in Namibia will be self-driven and it’s a real comfort to know that even in its most remote areas we’ll have the ability to connect with the world through our phone.

 Besides your iPhone, what other technology did you bring with you?

We’re travelling with two laptops and a tablet. It seems like a lot but because we’re also teaching the kids as we travel and we opted not to bring a ton of books along, they need to have an instrument they can use to access the web for learning and the tablet is easy enough and rugged enough to withstand their rough play. I need a laptop for my writing and my husband uses the other to help edit photos, update our website  or check sports scores from back home. We are all skype users as well and having the laptops and tablet along with us mean we can chat with family and friends back home easily. It also makes long train rides a little easier on everyone.

Have you been using any travel applications on your iPhone, if so which ones?

I’ve got a ton of favourites and I’m finding new ones all the time.  I like the XE Currency App which helps us figure out new currencies as we go. I like that I can keep a list of currencies showing at the same time which means that even if my head is still in Argentinian Pesos, I can also see how many of those are in my South African Rand.  The kids like to find new language apps as we travel: They liked Busuu for Spanish and Babelingo for Mandarin. We have Expedia and TripAdvisor on our phone as well which means we can find hotels and get reviews to help us make a decision. And then there are also things like the Maps app which (when coupled with roaming) allows me to make sure the cab is taking us where he says he is; and the iTorch4 app which gives us a great flashlight for searching in the dark in shared hotel rooms. And there are so many more that we’re starting to check out – especially given that we are home-schooling the boys this year.

Many Canadians like you will be abroad over the holidays, with their phone in hand, what kind of advice do you have for them?

I love that Rogers new roaming passes means you know how much you’re spending up front. I’ve had the data roaming situation in the past where you think you’re managing your phone well but come home to an astronomical bill. The roaming options work much better at allowing me to stay in control of how much we consume. I’d also remind travellers to make sure they keep an eye on apps that might be running behind the scenes without their knowledge. The simplest way to be sure is to turn off your apps when they’re not in use. That way you can be certain any data that is being consumed by your phone is being done on purpose.

 Thanks Heather. We wish you a happy holiday and look forward to hearing more from you.

Heather will be continuing to travel the world, while connected with Rogers, until July of 2012. We will keep you updated on her journey.

Kaili is a regular contributor to RedBoard

At launch, customers will be able to stream 20  channels through their iPad, with more channels coming soon. And there is no additional cost to Rogers Live TV.

We’re anticipating a full launch of Rogers Live TV app in early 2012.  A version for Android tablets will be available soon.

How it works:

Step 1: Check eligibility – The Rogers Live TV app is available via WiFi to Rogers digital television customers in Ontario who subscribe to Rogers Hi-Speed Internet with a MyRogers account.

Step 2: Set up your MyRogers profile – If you’re already registered for a MyRogers profile, move on to Step 3. If not, just go here to create your profile. Next, associate your Rogers digital television and Hi-Speed Internet accounts to your MyRogers ID. (You will need the account number found on your invoice).

Step 3: Download the app –Just download the free app from the iTunes app store, log in using your MyRogers profile and start streaming.

Step 4: Start streaming! – You’ll now have a selection of great content to watch on your iPad. Not all channels you subscribe to will be available on the app, but we’ll be expanding the list of channels in the future. Like any WiFi usage, Internet datawill count towards your monthly internet bandwidth allotment.

For more info on Rogers Live TV go to www.rogers.com/livetv or check out the FAQ.

Which rooms in your house will you start streaming in?

UPDATE (December 20, 2011, 11:46 am): The Rogers Live TV app is now available for Samsung Galaxy 10.1 tablets. Download it for free here.

Sharon is a regular contributor to RedBoard

The Rogers LTE network offers mobile speeds similar to broadband connections and is now live in more cities in the Greater Toronto Area. Rogers is first to offer an  LTE network to residents in Brampton, Vaughan, Richmond Hill, and Markham. Surrounding Vancouver, Rogers is the first to offer access to an LTE network to the communities of West Vancouver, North Vancouver, Port Coquitlam, Delta, Langley, Surrey and Maple Ridge.

Still looking for Rogers LTE to arrive in your city?  The Rogers LTE network will expand to more than 30 per cent of the population by the end of 2011. You can learn more about Rogers’ LTE network, coverageand device pricing by visiting www.rogers.com/lte. To find out when LTE is coming to your area, sign up for updates at www.IwantmyLTE.ca. Which Rogers LTE device is on your holiday wish list?

Rogers is also the first carrier to offer Canadians the new LTE Rocket mobile hotspot (Sierra Wireless AirCard^® 754S). The Rocket mobile hotspot allows you to connect up to five laptops, game systems, music players and more at LTE speeds. Also available, the Rogers exclusive Samsung Galaxy S II LTE smartphone, the HTC Raider smartphone, the Rogers exclusive HTC Jetstream LTE tablet and the Rogers LTE Rocket stick (Sierra Wireless AirCard 313U).

UPDATE (January 20, 2012, 4:18 pm): If you want to read a customer review of Rogers LTE network, check out this post from Howard Forums.

Marina is a regular contributor to RedBoard

I’ve got a few challenging people to buy for on my list this year so recently, I sat down with Stephanie, one of our Data Girls, to talk about some gift giving ideas from Rogers. We talked about ideas for that hard-to-buy for technology junkie, the gamer brother or boyfriend and a foodie relative. Check out this video for a few ideas, or if nothing else, to admire my festive holiday outfit:

Do you have any great gift ideas? What’s been the best (or worst!) gift you’ve ever received?

Miranda is a regular contributor to RedBoard

Here at Rogers, we’re always exploring opportunities to bring you the content you love in new and exciting ways. With that in mind, we are excited to announce that Rogers On Demand will be coming to the Xbox 360 in time for the holidays!

Features and Programming

Our application will be a great way to enjoy Rogers On Demand content from anywhere via your Xbox 360, and will integrate seamlessly with the new Xbox dashboard experience. Features will include:

• A diverse assortment of TV shows like Mad Men, movies, trailers and curated channels such as the Kids & Family Collection
• Kinect integration including voice and gesture based commands to browse and load content
• Predictive search to quickly locate the content you’re looking for

Rogers postpaid wireless, home phone and Internet customers can catch-up on shows from Citytv, CBC and CBC News Network, watch movie trailers and more. Rogers cable TV customers have access to premium channel programming that they subscribe to through their existing cable package.

We are constantly working to add new features and content!  Stay tuned as we add more shows and movies to our ever growing library. Let us know in the comments below if there are features that you would like to see on the Rogers On Demand on Xbox 360 experience.

Availability

The application will be available to all Rogers customers who have an Xbox LIVE Gold membership and a Rogers On Demand Online account. If you are already registered at Rogersondemand.com, you will be good to go! If you haven’t registered yet, be sure to set up a free account for access to a selection of great content on the Xbox 360, select Android devices, iPhone and iPad as well as on your computer.

At Rogers, we’re always working hard to provide new experiences on new platforms. Be sure to let us know what you think in the comments section below. You can also connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.

To see the Rogers on Demand application on Xbox in action, check out this short video:

Are you excited about the Rogers On Demand experience on Xbox 360?

Edward is a regular contributor to RedBoard

Holiday Movies and TV Shows - There are lots of great holiday tv shows and films that you can watch right now on Rogers On Demand Online. You can catch free prime time holiday episodes of hits like 2 Broke Girls and Mad Men. We’ll also be adding in lots of free holiday themed films throughout the month of December, including A Christmas Story and the original Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory!  Rogers Customers can also check out free classic Holiday themed retro tv including episodes of Cagney and Lacey and The Addams Family. Yes, even the Addams Family had Christmas episodes.

Free Holiday Shorts – Don’t have time to commit to a tv show or film? No problem! On The Holiday Channel, we’ve got a solid collection of free holiday shorts that will give you a quick hit of yuletide joy. Check out the latest music video from Justin Bieber, hilarious Saturday Night Live shorts and lots of classic retro minisodes of The Facts of Life, Silver Spoons and Newsradio. Get your laughs or tunes in just 5 minutes!

More great primetime shows from Citytv and FX Canada will be added throughout the month of December so make sure you check back often!

Holiday Rentals – The Holiday Channel also features lots of great movies that you can rent from the comfort of your laptop and watch wherever you want in your home.  If you’re looking for brand new releases, you’ll find Tyler Perry’s A Madea Christmas, Becoming Christmas and Holiday Engagement ready to be rented. For more recent films that have become a holiday favourite, you can check out Vince Vaughn and Resse Witherspoon in Four Christmases, or Will Farrell in Elf, which is a favourite amongst all the folks I work with at Rogers On Demand Online.  If you’ve got little ones in your family, there are also lots of Thomas & Friends and Bob The Builder movies to choose from in The Holiday Channel. And be sure to check back regularly, as we’ll be adding more holiday rentals all through December.

There’s already lots of great content to choose from in The Holiday Channel, with even more on the way. So really, there’s no reason anybody should be saying “bah hum-bug” throughout December.

On that note, I’m going to go rent Four Christmases, one of my favourite holiday films. What’s one of yours?

Andrew is a regular contributor to RedBoard