Wi-Fi Calling For Business

With smartphones becoming the primary communications tool for vast numbers of mobile workers, no matter where they are - including the workplace, in fact, as communications converge around the smartphone, many small businesses are actually disconnecting their land-line voice service. Even businesses that wouldn't consider doing away with their land-lines are recognizing that their employees will use either company or personal smartphones at work. It's a reality of doing business today.

As a small business owner, or someone responsible for telecommunications services within a business, you're aware that this new reality has associated costs. If you and your employees are spending more time on mobile devices, you need that time to be as cost-effective as possible. At the same time, you need to make sure that your wireless communications are reliable, so that you don't let your customers or suppliers down with dropped calls or other interruptions.

A recent innovation that can help to delivery cost-effective and reliable connectivity involves carrying voice calls over Wi-Fi networks.


What is Wi-Fi calling and how does it work?
Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA) is a technology that enables you to make voice calls on a smartphone over a Wi-Fi network. Known more commonly as Wi-Fi calling, this technology can provide enhanced voice coverage in your workplace, especially if you have a weak wireless signal. With Wi-Fi calling, you can use your smartphone instead of an office land-line, so that you can be reached at one number regardless of whether you're in the office or on the move. With the right Wi-Fi calling plan, you can also lower your wireless costs.

The key requirements for Wi-Fi Calling are:

• UMA-enabled dual mode handsets
• A broadband Wi-Fi access point or network capable of handling voice service
• A Wi-Fi calling plan

To understand the technology behind Wi-Fi calling, think of it as creating an IP extension of your wireless service provider's network - the Internet becomes a transport medium for voice calls.


What are the business benefits?

• Cost predictability - if you subscribe to a Wi-Fi calling plan that provides unlimited local or national calling, the calls you make on Wi-Fi don't count towards your total monthly minutes. Using fewer minutes can mean fewer overage fees
• Enhanced coverage - if the wireless signal at your workplace is weak or inconsistent, Wi-Fi calling can reduce dropped calls and keep you connected to your customers and the other people who matter to your business
• Seamless connectivity - Wi-Fi calling keeps you connected as you go about your business. Use your smartphone as your office phone, and you won't have to worry about using multiple phones, forwarding your calls or providing your customers with multiple numbers
• Ease of use and deployment - if your business has a Wi-Fi network and UMA-enabled smartphones, deploying Wi-Fi calling can be fast and easy for many handsets (most devices now come enabled). Beyond the initial set up, Wi-Fi calling requires minimal learning and little to no changes in behaviour for an employee already using a smartphone.

To learn more about Wi-Fi calling and the plans that Rogers has to offer, you can visit www.rogers.com/wifibusiness at any time. 

Happy calling!

Smartphones....in 3D?

Aside from all the new phones out there these days, there are new technologies showcasing all the time, and 3D technology is one of them. There are currently two devices available in the Rogers line up that feature this technology - the HTC Evo 3D and the LG Optimus 3D. The best part about it? You don't have to wear those goofy glasses to enjoy amazing 3D pictures and video!


But just how does the technology work? We all remember the 3D pictures we had as kids that were red and green fuzzy images until we put on the included cardboard specs, so how come we don't have to wear them now?


For all those tech enthusiasts out there, here is your answer. There are two technologies used to enable a glasses-free 3D experience - lenticular display and parallax barrier. Lenticular works best at distance and on larger displays (this was used on those old rules and stickers that, when tilted and moved, displayed motion). Conversely, parallax barrier is ideal up close, on smaller screens such as smartphones. Both technologies display different areas of an image to your left and your right eye. Your brain fills in the blanks and effectively tricks you into seeing three dimensions.


Another cool thing about these phones? Whether you take a picture or video in 3D or not, it never compromises the quality of the image when you send it to another user. If they have a 3D device, they will see it as you see it; if they have a regular smartphone, it will simply show as a high-quality image. This means that you aren't limited to enjoying the multi-media options if your friends and family don't have a device from the same family.

LG Optimus 3D

HTC Evo 3D

Why Choose a 3D Smartphone?


The HTC Evo and the LG Optimus feature the latest in Android platforms - Gingerbread 2.3 - which means that you can capture your best pictures and video, while surfing the net, and downloading the latest editing application. All at the same time.


You have the choice of switching between the 2D and 3D camera to suit your shooting needs, and you can also customize the interface with multiple 3D applications now available. This is all powered by a dual core processor, making sure you don't miss a moment of your 3D movies and games.


You also have "mixed mode" which allows you to complete standard tasks, such as emailing, browsing and calling, in 2D; and you can enjoy videos, games and pics in the 3D mode app.


Final moment of awesome-ness - if you own one of the new 3D TV's, you can connect via an HDMI cable and have your 3D images come jumping out of the big screen.


Both of these devices create a niche market - they not only address the needs of those customers who want the latest device with the smartest technology, but they provide an element that makes the phone entirely unique. A great excuse to get your phone out, play around with the 3D camera and show of your skills to your friends and family.


So if you are looking for the perfect gift this coming season, be sure to check out these two Android devices. We think you'll enjoy them!

What's new for Q4?

It's that time of year again where the race is on to get the hottest devices into the hands of our valued customers, and with the recent launch of the LTE network for Rogers, there is a whole host of great new phones for you to choose from.


All of these smartphone devices are the latest in Android technology and software, all featuring the 2.3 Gingerbread operating system (the Jetstream has Android 3.1 for tablets loaded), a dual core processor for lightning-speed browsing and applications, 8MP cameras with 1080p video capture, and access to Android Market for apps and HD movie rentals.

HTC Raider $149.99*

HTC Raider

Target Market
Tech enthusiasts who want the latest in smartphone technology and features

Features & Benefits4.5" qHD touchscreen
HTC Sense user interface for almost limitless customization
DLNA compatible so you can wirelessly stream your photos, videos and music from your smartphone to a compatible HDTV

Samsung Galaxy SII $199.99*

Samsung Galaxy SII

Target Market

Tech enthusiasts looking for the latest in smartphone technology and features; Samsung Galaxy Captivate customers looking to update their device to the latest model

Features & Benefits

4.5" Super AMOLED Plus touchscreen with 50% more subpixels than the original technology

DLNA compatible so you can wirelessly stream your photos, videos and music from your smartphone to a compatible HDTV
Up to 21Mbps 4G HSPA+ downloads

Motorola RAZR $149.99*

Motorola RAZR

Target Market

Media Moguls who need a powerful smartphone to do everything mobile and are motivated by smartphone design

Features & Benefits
Remotely access the pictures, music, videos, and documents on your PC and instantly stream them to your RAZR while on the go with MotoCast

4.3" Super AMOLED Advanced screen for hyper vibrant colours and incredibly vivid images

Up to 14.4Mbps 4G HSPA+ download speeds

Webtop App to view your phone's content on the big screen

Surf the internet with a full-featured Firefox browser, and multitask like a champ with multiple windows, all while your phone charges

HTC Jetstream $499.99*

HTC Jetstream

Target Market

Tech and creative enthusiasts seeking a premium Android tablet offering the fastest connectivity, top hardware specs, and support for innovative, intuitive digital pen technology

Features & Benefits

Download speeds up to 100Mbps; upload speeds up to 50Mbps

Up to 32GB of expandable micro-SD memory

Rich web browsing with Flash on a vivid 10" touchscreen

*Pricing based on a three year contract (minimum $45 monthly service fee for smartphones and minimum $30 monthly service fee for tablet). Pricing subject to change.

What is iCloud?

iCloud is Apple’s new cloud service, which stores your music, photos, apps, calendars, documents, and more, and wirelessly pushes them to all devices. iCloud is integrated with your apps, so everything happens automatically. You get instant access to your music, apps, and latest photos, and iCloud keeps email, contacts, and calendars up to date across all of your devices.

iCloud is free with iOS 5 and OS X Lion. It comes with unlimited free storage for purchased music, TV shows, books, and apps. You also get 5GB of free storage for email, documents, and backup. If you need more, you can easily purchase a storage upgrade right from their device.

iTunes in the Cloud

With iTunes in the Cloud, any new music you buy is downloaded to all your iOS devices over Wi-Fi or 3G. You can even go back to songs, albums, or TV shows were purchased in the iTunes Store and download them again at no additional cost to your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, or PC.

And if you have music you’ve ripped from CDs or purchased somewhere other than iTunes, you can get the same benefits of iTunes in the Cloud with iTunes Match. 

Photo Stream

If you have taken a photo on your iPhone and want to view it later on another device—only to realize you haven’t synced your photos—you will appreciate Photo Stream. When you take a photo on one device, it’s automatically sent to iCloud and pushed to your other devices. So you don’t have to sync photos to view them on another device or computer—the photos are just there.

Documents in the Cloud

If you are working on a document on your iPad and have the same app on another device, Cloud can keep your documents up to date across all devices. And all of this happens automatically, without any effort from you.

Apps and books

When you find an app you like on your iPhone, you may want to have the same app on your iPad. And if you purchase a book on your iPad, you may want it on your iPhone. iCloud makes sure all your iOS devices have the same apps and books.

Contacts, Calendar, and Mail

iCloud stores your contacts, calendars, and email and automatically pushes them to all devices. So you can switch from one device to another and still get email, stay in touch, and keep your calendar up to date.

Find My Friends

The Find My Friends app is a great way for you to share your location with people who are important to you. With Find My Friends, you can share your locations for a limited time and easily locate your friends and family from your iPhone, iPad or, iPod touch. Find My Friends is a free app available on the App Store. *

Find My iPhone

The Find My iPhone app can help you find a missing iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Mac. Just by opening the app and signing in with an Apple ID, you can see your device’s location on a map and have it display a message or play a sound, remotely lock the device, or wipe it to permanently delete all of your data.

Backup

Your carry important information on your iOS devices. If something happens to your device, Backup can help you get your information back. iCloud automatically backs up your iOS devices daily over Wi-Fi. And if you buy a new iOS device or need to restore information to one you already have, iCloud does all the work.

What does iCloud back up?

• Purchased music, apps, and books
• Photos and video in the Camera Roll
• Device settings
• App data
• Home screen and app organization
• Messages (iMessage, SMS, and MMS)
• Ringtones

Getting an iCloud account - http://www.apple.com/icloud/

Transitioning MobileMe Customers

Customers with MobileMe may be wondering what iCloud means for their MobileMe account. 

• http://www.apple.com/mobileme/transition.html
• If you had a MobileMe account as of June 6, 2011, service has been extended through June 30, 2012
• MobileMe members can move their me.com and mac.com email address, and their email messages, contacts, calendars, and bookmarks to iCloud.
• After moving, customers can continue to use iWeb publishing, Gallery, and iDisk, through June 30, 2012. After that date, these services will no longer be available.

You will receive an email from Apple about how to move to iCloud.

National Reservation System - iPhone 4S

In order to better service our customers, Rogers has announced the activation of a National Reservation System that allows existing customers to reserve new iPhone 4S hardware. Through this system, a device specifically named for the customer is sent directly to the store of their choice, and is either upgraded or activated for the customer once in store.

To reserve your Apple iPhone 4S, please follow these steps:

1. Visit www.rogers.com
2. Sign into My Rogers (right side of the page)
3. Once logged in, access the Reservation System by clicking "Reserve Now"
4. Choose the phone number you wish to reserve your device under (this does not complete any transactions – it is so that the reservation fee can be applied to the correct existing Rogers account)
5. Select the device you wish to reserve and ensure that your account and contact information is correct
6. Choose the location you wish to pick your device up from:
   
   CELLWORKS BC STORE LOCATIONS:
   
   Henning                            101 – 3855 Henning Drive, Burnaby, BC, V5C 6N3
   UBC                                  2160 Western Parkway, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1V6
   Burrard                             103 – 1807 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC, V6j 3G9
   Tsawwassen                      150 – 1169 56^th Street, Tsawwassen, BC, V4L 2A2
   Ladner                              5180 48^th Avenue, Ladner, BC, V4K 1W3
   
   CELLWORKS ONTARIO STORE LOCATIONS
   
   Dixie Road:                        Unit 1 – 6325 Dixie Road, Mississauga, ON, L5T 2E5
   Port Credit:                        153 Lakeshore Road East, Mississauga, ON, L5G 4T9
   Aurora:                               2B – 15483 Yonge Street, Aurora, ON, L4G 1P3
   Queens Quay:                     3 – 228 Queens Quay West, Toronto, ON, M5J 2X1
   Hazelton Lanes:                  158B – 87 Avenue Road, Toronto, ON, M5R 3L2
   
   
7. Select “Continue” and confirm your reservation and your agreement to the Terms & Conditions, as well as the $40 reservation fee (fully refundable deposit applied to your Rogers account)
8. Cellworks will call you when your device arrives in store, at which time your hardware upgrade / activation can be completed.

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Still not sure about tablets?

A couple of months ago, we blogged about some of the reasons for purchasing a tablet device, yet there still seems to be the question hanging around "But....WHY?"

Yes, many of our customers have adopted the new technology, but are still wondering why when they already have a smartphone and a desktop computer. Let's put it in simple, yet effective terms:

It's an extension of your smartphone. It is designed to complement the device you use and to enhance the smartphone experience, whether business or personal.

• Your smartphone is your mobile device that keeps you connected while on the go, for business or for personal use
• Your tablet is your convenient device; perfect for those sunny afternoons on the deck or in your back yard, when you need to reply to emails, update some documents, listen to music, or browse the internet
• Your computer is the one that you turn to for the heavier duty items, such as creating large presentations, compiling information, documents, larger downloads, or for simply typing large amounts of text

Your new tablet is designed to work between your smartphone and your computer. It's almost like your personal liaison, and with data sharing plans now available for all Rogers customers, you can ensure that you are getting the most for your money and that you are able to enjoy the latest devices for the best price. You can have one data plan for all of your wireless devices so nothing goes to waste and you are always connected.

With more tablets joining the market all the time, you are bound to find the one that works best for your needs and with the smartphone you currently own. Whether it's the BlackBerry Playbook, the LG Optimus, or the new Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, Rogers has all of your tablet needs covered.

Last Symbian Standing - The Nokia X7

This past week I had the opportunity to test out the new Nokia X7 and I wanted to let our readers know what to expect with the device.


Design
The Nokia X7 has a very futuristic look to it, with its metal backing and angular design. The device features four grilled "speakers" on the front face, but only two are actually functional. However, this doesn't take away from the epic sound quality when playing movies or music from the phone and keeps the look symmetrical. In addition, the metal backing and seamless buttons across the outside of the phone contribute to a sleek look, as well as the almost-hidden SIM card tray. Although this feature keeps the phone looking smooth, I did have a little trouble working out how the tray ejects from the phone and actually getting it out of the phone. 


The phone takes a regular micro-USB charging cable, one of which is included in the box, and also comes with the most comfortable headphones. If you are one of those people that suffers from ear-ache after five minutes of using the traditional headsets that come with most phones, you are in for a surprise. These fit snugly in your ear and provide amazing stereo-quality sound.


User Interface
This is the last Symbian device to come from Nokia, and it seems that finally, the operating system is exceptionally user friendly. In the past, Symbian was known for its ability to allow the user to switch between a home and work profile, which ended up being more confusing than convenient. This time, Symbian Anna puts everything the user needs on one of three home screens:

• Icons are very easy to read and understand
• Rearranging screen set up is very simple by utilizing the now popular "press and hold" motion, the user can move icons to positions on the main screen that suit their usability best
• Quick links to social media feeds, calendar, applications, Youtube, messages etc, make it easy to find what you want, fast
• This is a full touch-screen device, and the auto-rotate function has no hesitation which allows the user to quickly obtain a wider, landscape keyboard for faster typing and better viewing
• The calendar function provides a great visual display from the third home screen, and allows the user to select and day and review appointments in an adjacent window

In fact, there have been many customers mistaken that this is an Android based operating system and device - definitely a familiar set up for many users.

Multi-media

Aside from the fact that the device comes pre-loaded with the Transformers 3 movie trailer, there are numerous other reasons to check out the multi-media on the Nokia X7. 

• The 8MP camera is amazing for taking high quality pictures - this one was taken in full daylight with barely any zoom required. The clarity is amazing!
• Shots can be captured with the smooth shutter button located on the back sloped side of the device, as well as on the screen itself. The shutter button can sometimes be hard to reach so the on-screen option is great
• The video is 720p quality and captures all elements on film, reducing movement blur and ensuring the highest quality video (although I didn't get a chance to video anything over the long weekend, take a look at this sample video from Youtube featuring the X7's 720p camera)

The only bad thing about the cameras on this device is the fact that there is no front-facing camera, so no opportunity to use the full services for applications such as Qik or Skype. 


The four-inch Super AMOLED screen, first debuted on the likes of the Samsung Galaxy, makes every picture, wallpaper, video and main screen look crystal clear. 


Overall Thoughts
A great device all around. It was easy to use, easy to find most things, and I was blown away by the camera quality (better than my own digital camera). The device was pre-loaded with a bunch of fun apps, including Youtube and even National Geographic for some interesting reading opportunities. Social media feeds were easy to stay up to date with, and check on a regular basis. Email was also extremely easy to set up, if using Gmail or Hotmail (POP3 clients). I have to say, that I think I liked this most of all because it was so similar in looks to the Android platform.


The only (maybe) bad thing I have to say about this device, besides the fussy SIM card tray, was the fact that there aren't as many applications available to the Symbian system as there are for, say Apple or even BlackBerry. But, having said that, I don't use millions of applications anyways, so it's not really a selling point for me. The functionality of the device is what I look for most, and this device seemed to have it all. I was pleasantly surprised.


If you have had the chance to use the Nokia X7, or recently purchased one, we'd love to hear what you think. Feel free to leave your comments below.