Rogers Wireless Extends $30/6 GB Plan-UPDATED!

Not surprisingly, Rogers Wireless has reportedly extended its $30/mo. for 6 GBs of data usage 3G cell phone plan to accomodate buyers of the just-announced BlackBerry Bold. The plan, which was initially announced as a promotion the day before the highly-coveted iPhone was released, was also made available to customers buying any 3G device on the Rogers or Fido network.

Rogers says that, after monitoring customer usage, very few people have even come close to the 6 GBs worth of usage. I'd tend to agree, knowing that, after almost a month of heavy data usage with the iPhone 3G, I barely managed to cracked 2 GBs.

The promotional $30 plan will now run until the end of September instead of the end of August, so Bold buyers need not worry about joining the line-ups of back-to-school last-minute shoppers just so they can get the extra GBs worth of surfing. From October on, Rogers will supposedly add new plan options that include 500 MB of data for $25/mo. or 1 GB for $30/mo. An idea I had alluded to months ago has also been adopted by Rogers: the company will be offering unlimited data for the first three months of certain plans so that customers can observe average usage and adjust the plan accordingly if needed. I have to give credit where it's due, and this is a very smart move on Rogers' part.

Existing Rogers customers looking to upgrade to a new 3G device like the iPhone or Bold should keep in mind that the purchase price of the actual phone will vary depending on where you are in your current contract. For example, a colleague of mine who's in the third year of his current contract was told that he could get the Bold for $444: slightly more expensive than the$399 price tag given to new customers.

It seems like Rogers dodged a bullet on the issue of unlimited data for now. But data usage will become even more intense. Networks are getting faster (I'm blown away by how quickly a web page can load on the BlackBerry Bold!), and people will begin to adopt new on-the-go activities, like video streaming. It might take a few years, but we'll probably hear cries for unlimited plans once again; and hopefully carriers will oblige.

UPDATES:

Here's a full list of new BlackBerry data plans to be offered by Rogers Wireless starting October 1, 2008:

$15/mo. = 2 MB of data (such a plan doesn't currently exist)

$25/mo. = 500 MB of data (used to include just 4 MB)

$30/mo. = 1 GB of data (currently the 6 GB promotional plan)

$50/mo. = 2 GB of data (currently not available)

$60/mo. = 3 GB of data (currently not available)

$80/mo. = 8 GB of data (currently not available)

$100/mo. = will not be available. Rogers previously offered 1 GB and then 6 GB for this amount, but will not be offering a $100 plan going forward.

Back-to-School Shopping Isn't Over Yet!

As we creep closer and closer to the Labour Day long weekend, you'd think that most students and parents have already completed the lengthy back-to-school shopping process that includes grabbing everything from new backpacks, to computers, and clothing. But according to several surveys, retailers, both in-store and online, can gear up this weekend for a rush of last-minute shoppers.

An Angus Reid study, conducted on behalf of Staples Business Depot, finds that many consumers plan to start their back-to-school shopping later this year; while a Visa Canada survey claims that 13% of Canadians are eager to shop online between now and Labour Day.

Both studies are optimistic about the amounts Canadians will spend on back-to-school gear. Angus averages more than $200 per person ($20 more than last year), while Visa is much more generous for online shoppers, claiming that they'll each spend $881. 40% of these respondents indicate that they'll spend more online this year than they did last year. But Visa does note that 41% plan to buy computers online, which explains the inflated amount.

The Visa study also finds that 30% of back-to-schoolers choose to shop online instead of in a store, due mainly to convenience, and perceived better prices and selection.

The best advice for retailers out there? Offer great deals this weekend, send flyers or e-mails to customers outlining these enticing deals, and make sure stores are well-staffed to accommodate the rush of parents and college-bound teens looking to stock up for the school year. Keep in mind that many won't be perky about the end of summer, so anything you can do to excite them will help.

Happy Labour Day Weekend!

CEDIA EXPO: Gearing up for the Show

CEDIA EXPO 2008 takes place next week, and the industry is gearing up for the best of the best in the custom A/V world. As Lee Distad points out on our sister Website Marketnews.ca, the current U.S. housing crisis doesn't exactly bode well for companies that thrive on high-end A/V systems in new homes. But there's still plenty of new technologies and interesting trends to be observed in that area; and plenty of potential customers looking to adopt the latest and greatest.

What do I expect to see at the show?

HD video distribution is probably going to be a hot topic. How effectively can this be achieved right now? And what new products are out there that can handle transmitting such a heavy amount of data? Belkin's FlyWire, first shown at CES, will likely be fully-functioning at the show, so I'm looking forward to a demo. The product, which is scheduled for Canadian retail availability in October for about $1,000, is said to be able to distribute HD video from one location to another, up to 30-feet away.

Just as we saw at CES, it'll be no surprise to see the most recently-introduced thin-bezel flat-panel TVs; as well as more 1080p displays that we can count on all hands and toes. Not to mention a multitude of innovative mounting systems for them that tilt, shift, and fit in awkward places.

Music and video storage is becoming of greater interest to consumers, especially as they continue to collect hundreds and hundreds of DVD movies and music CDs. While dedicated media servers have always been popular among the custom installation crowd, will we see a greater focus on the PC storage side? After all, the idea of the media PC as part of your home theatre is becoming even more apparent now than ever. What's more, how will companies approach the potential changes to copyright law in Canada that could effectively deem the majority of these products illegal?

Blu-ray will quite obviously be at the forefront of the DVD arena, along with Toshiba's recently announced XDE up-converting DVD player that serves as a mid-level product between standard DVD players and Blu-ray. It's a clever idea for the company now that it is officially out of the HD DVD business: why not have a solution that lets you play your existing DVDs while still enjoying a better viewing experience?

Naturally, products centred around the iPod music player haven't slowed down any (nor has consumer interest in downloading music) and we're likely to see some higher-end products in this realm. Of particular note already are the RED-I tube amp and speaker package from Fatman (which also works with the iPhone!); SpeakerCraft's new iPhone interface for its MODE multi-room home A/V control system; the Wadia Digital 170iTransport “high resolution” iPod dock that has component video outputs for viewing videos in full, DVD quality; and Xantech's XAN-XIS100 iPod dock with an HD component video output.

Finally, as the residential housing market hits a crunch, the commercial market continues to flourish. Even with the residential market taken into consideration, many dealers tells me that commercial applications are a huge part of their business. Will we see more products targeted toward commercial applications, whether they be restaurants, schools, or MDUs?

Stay tuned for more information for CEDIA EXPO, which takes place September 4-7, 2008 in Denver, CO.

New Wii Games Look Promising

Just as news hit that the Nintendo Wii has become the first of the big three gaming consoles in Canada to sell one-million units, I had the opportunity to check out some of the latest games for the console.

Guys will love the new Star Wars game, where players can duel one another with lightsabers by waving the Wii Remote about. The game reminds me of the look and feel of the old Streetfighter and Mortal Kombat games. Rather than just pushing buttons, however, players need to physically move their hands about to take a swipe at their opponents in battle.

Wario Land: Shake It!, featuring Super Mario's Mr. Hyde-ish alter-ego, includes lots of jumping, brick-breaking, and money grabbing. A neat feature in this game is the ability to shake the actual Wii remote to accomplish tasks, like jiggling an enemy until money bags come out of him! Signs throughout the game hint at what buttons to press on the Wii Remote to accomplish certain moves: such as hitting "2" and the "right" navigation button to built momentum and break a massive brick.

Rayman Raving Rabids TV Party is apparently the third installment of the game for the Wii console (already!?) What sets this one apart, however, is its use of the Wii Balance Board, available and used with Wii Fit. One function includes sitting on the Balance Board, with the Wii Remote in one hand and the Nunchuk in the other. Then, move side to side to manuevre your Rabbid Rabbit around poles while he rides an upside-down cow (yes, a cow!), and tilt back to go faster. The concept is similar to Wii skiing or snowboarding, but it adds a neat dimension to the experience by actually getting you off your feet and onto your butt!

The most family friendly of the new games, however, is Wii Music, which is actually nothing like Rock Band or Guitar Hero, despite prior beliefs. Select from a number of popular songs or nursery rhymes (Matt from Nintendo says that the game will include about 50 tunes upon launch), then select the instrument of your choice from more than 60 selections. Use the term "instrument" lightly, though: along with the standard piano, electric guitar, and violin, you can also sing, play to the tune of dog barks, and even beat-box! Practice the desired instrument for a bit, then jam with your friends as each of you takes a desired portion of the tune (melody and harmony are great starters, followed by more difficult background parts, like percussion). While you can push a button to see the proper musical notes appear on the screen, it's still difficult to determine exactly how you should strum your Wii Remote as a guitar, or manipulate the violin with the Nunchuk and Remote. Any wind-based instrument requires that you simply place the edge of the Remote up to your mouth, then move your head up and down to control volume, and press buttons in tune with the song. Whether you're a musician or a young child, the results upon the first try are hilarious, and it'll bring some laughs to parties. Parents beware, though. If you think baby rattles can cause a racket, wait until you get 4 kids together in a Wii Music jam session!

While these games will satisfy Wii gamers during the holiday season, many are likely on the edge of their seats for the upcoming MotionPlus controller attachment that provides 3D-like motion simulation that sees your on-screen character responding to real-time to wrist or arm movements; not just general body movements. The first game to be compatible with it is the highly-anticipated Wii Sports Resort, which is scheduled for availability next spring.

Aforementioned games that aren't yet on store shelves (with the exception of Wii Sports Resort) should be hitting stores in time for this holiday season.

While it's not for the Wii, I was thoroughly impressed with an upcoming recipe "game" for the Nintendo DS. It has about 250 recipes, combined with detailed written, video, and verbal instructions. Once you select a recipe that you'd like to make, step-by-step instructions are provided on screen and dictated by a virtual chef. If you're told to perform a task that you aren't certain how to do (e.g. deveining shrimp), just hit the "more details" button and you'll receive detailed written instructions, or in some cases a video, that demonstrates what you need to do. You can input ingredients to get dish ideas, alter the serving amount, and even create digital shopping lists so that you know what's needed for the desired recipe. If you decide to make substitutions to recipes, you can log them in a notepad. For someone like me that often cooks with a laptop and recipe Website page on the kitchen counter, I find this to be a really neat idea!

Microsoft Pits Seinfeld Against "Cool" Mac Guy

Microsoft has reportedly hired Jerry Seinfeld to be featured in the company's new ad campaign, and the partnership has been getting a flurry of attention from the media.

We've all seen the humorous "I'm a Mac, I'm a PC" Apple commercials that pit "cool, hip guy" actor Justin Long against uber-geek actor John Kellogg Hodgman. While Long portrays the calm, creative computing experience, Hodgman always looks uptight, upset, and jealous of the Mac brand. Will Microsoft create a similar ad campaign that replaces corporate geek with funnyman Seinfeld? When you think about it, the choice couldn't have been better. While Seinfeld is a stand-up comic, he is best-known for his role on the widely popular sitcom of the same name. His character's claim to fame? Being completely "plain", unfashionable, and not extremely good-looking, yet being able to snag the hottest girls, and plenty of them, at that. Cross this over to Microsoft Windows, and you instantly see the similarities: a brand with a reputation for being not as attractive as Mac, so to speak, yet somehow, it manages to get most of the customers out there. And more keep on coming.

I can honestly say that I'm looking forward to this campaign, and what Seinfeld will bring to the table. Will he mock Mac with some funny banter against another character? Or will he make light of unfortunate issues that Microsoft has had to deal with as of late (namely with Vista). Because Seinfeld is such a universally popular TV program, it would be neat to see ads that incorporate popular sayings, quotes, or characters from the show itself. And with a reported $10M paycheck from the campaign, Seinfeld should be up for anything...well, perhaps just not the "puffy shirt" or man hands!

What Will They Think of Next?: The Pet Doorbell

When you're dog needs to go outside, how does it let you know? By ringing the doorbell, of course!

Ok, not quite, but a company called PetSafe has created a product that lets your pet do just that. Instead of training the animal to bark or scratch at the door when it wants to get out (or back in, for that matter), just mount the pet doorbell onto a wall near the door or to the door itself. Then, attach a small SmartKey to the pet's collar, and a tune will sound whenever the pet comes within up to 3-feet (or as close as 3-inches) from the device. There are 4 volume settings on the unit, which operates via RF, and the bell itself can be turned off if need be. The unit operates via 3 C-sized batteries; and up to 5 SmartKeys on five pets can be used with one doorbell.

While I find it difficult to believe that any pet owner wouldn't already have a doggie door, or have trained a pet to let him know when he needs to go out, I'm sure there are applications where this item might come in handy. Apartment and condo dwellers first come to mind; along with any renter that might not be permitted to build a pet door. And hey, if you'd just rather hear a sing-song tune than a loud dog bark, it might be worth spending the time to train your dog to use this sensor.

Then, of course, there's also the prestige of high-tech gadgetry! The PetSafe pet doorbell costs US$90.

BlackBerry Bold Update: What Sets it Apart?

The BlackBerry Bold officially launched today through Rogers Wireless, and Canadians can be proud that we're the first North American country to have the device! The Bold features some enticing, though not earth-shattering, upgrades in comparison to previous generation models. Here's the scoop:

As previously mentioned, it has WiFi access, which can help save dough since you can surf using WiFi when available instead of using up your cellular data minutes. Of course it's also a 3G device, operating on Roger's HSPA network, which makes it the fastest BlackBerry product currently on the market. According to Rogers' John Boynton, that's "not by a little, but by a lot." In addition to the faster 3G/HSPA network, the Bold also has its own quicker internal processor at 624 MHz.

The feature most-touted by Rogers and RIM, however, is sharper screen, which boasts 480 x 320 pixel resolution: the same as the iPhone, but at a much smaller size, this results in a really clear, punchy picture. Video is striking on the display, though I'm not sure how many people watch videos on their phones. Nevertheless, because the device is 3G, it also now supports streaming video content, which will make full use of the high resolution screen. Like the Curve, the Bold lets you shoot short video clips, as well as 2 MP digital still photos.

A really useful upgrade is 1 GB of built-in memory (as well as the standard microSD/SDHC card slot) for storing documents, music, etc. In terms of the former, the Bold uses Dataviz Documents To Go to allow BlackBerry customers to actually edit Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents; not just read them. While making major edits will be cumbersome on such a small screen, this can come in handy for making quick notes to a file, or more likely, an Excel sheet.

A question I've had about multi-use smartphones in the past is: how can you use the phone for its primary function (voice chatting) while it's also being used as a web browser or a navigation device? With the Bold, you can continue chatting (logically with a Bluetooth headset or other device) while the hardware is being used to navigate to a location, or while you're sending an e-mail.

Aesthetically, the Bold is finished in black chrome with a leatherette backplate (thanks: no fingerprints!), and the keyboard employs a slightly revised design. During my short time using it, I didn't find it any easier, nor more difficult to use, than previous generation BlackBerries.

After having gotten used to browsing the Web on an iPhone, it was a sub-par experience with the Bold, to say the least. It's obvious that with a much larger screen and touch functionality, you're going to get a more robust browsing experience. With that said, even on the tiny Bold screen (which is not touch-sensitive), I found it easy enough to scroll through Websites (using the trackball) and zoom in/out of pages as needed.

Other features include stereo Bluetooth support, and a new application called Media Sync, which allows for syncing DRM-free iTunes songs to the device for listening on-the-go. Naturally, this model is also compatible with the multitude of third-party, downloadable apps currently on the market.

The magic question on everyone's mind is always price: how much is it? The BlackBerry Bold will cost you $399.99 on a 3-year voice and data plan that totals more than $45/mo. The limited time $30/mo. for 6 GB of data option that Rogers announced prior to the iPhone launch does in fact apply to any 3G phone from the carrier including this one. You have until August 31, 2008 to take part in this plan, which is arguably the most attractive one the carrier currently offers.

While I haven't had extensive play time with the Bold just yet, I can say that my original stance still holds true: if you spend more time browsing the Web, downloading apps, and listening to tunes, the iPhone is probably the better choice. But if you're a business user that swears by on-the-go e-mailing, the BlackBerry is still king; and the Bold is clearly leader of the pack.