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Google Street View Lands on Canada's iPhones

Andrew Villa — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 12:24:39 -0500

If you're in Canada and have been dying to use Google Street View in you maps application, wait no longer! Most major Canadian cities should have the option enabled including, Greater Toronto, Metro Vancouver, Ottawa, and many others.

Google has put in a "report a problem link," which allows users to report whether a point of interest is inaccurate or has changed.

Street View provides users with panoramic street level views, which Google collects using special cameras and equipment to match locations with GPS.

Canadians Yell, Rogers Listens

Craig Young — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 15:21:54 -0500

Change came fast and swift as Canadians in unison said hell no, to Rogers Wireless, and their original data usage plans for the new iPhone 3G. The original plans ranged from $60 for 400 megabytes to $115 for 2 gigabytes of data usage and customers were locked into a three-year contract.

Rogers Wireless, and its carrier partner Fido, have announced a new data usage plan allowing new iPhone customers to signup for a $30 per month 6GB data plan through August 31 -- a limited time promotion. Rogers’ customers under a voice contract can select a separate data plan after checking their upgrade eligibility.

According to Rogers, “6GB of data should be sufficient to view 35,952 web pages, exchange 157,286 emails, or watch 6,292 minutes of YouTube videos each and every month.”

Rogers and Fido seem convinced that customers will approve of the new promotional usage plan because they are opening selected stores early in anticipation of giddy Canadians waiting in line to buy their new iPhone. Early bird customers will be treated to breakfast and can win prizes. Maybe something cool like a Rogers Wireless t-shirt. Eh?

No iPhones for Canadian Retail Stores

Florence Ion — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 18:51:52 -0500

It appears that the iPhone hype will not translate over to Canadian Apple Retail Stores because Rogers Wireless, the service carrier originally planning to debut the iPhone 3G, offered up an unreasonably limited wireless plan.

Rogers Wireless plans to lock subscribers into long-term 3-year contracts that require a minimum plan of $60 for 150 minutes, 75 text messages, and 400MB of data. A representative for Apple claims that the service plans were not the reason for canceling shipment to its Canadian stores. However, Apple’s reaction could’ve been motivated by public outrage from Canadian consumers furious over the company’s pricing plans.

The Canadian service provider has released official statements claiming that the majority of international carriers have capped data and unlimited data plans usually charge customers more for what they don’t use.

Rogers Announces iPhone 3G Rate Plan

Lisa Weddle — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 14:02:41 -0500

What happens when you don’t live in the home of the brave, land of the free (and unlimited internet data)?

Rogers, Canada’s iPhone service provider, has revealed a four-tier package plan for iPhone 3G users in the Great White North. Service plans for Canadian iPhone aficionados start at $60 and will include 150 anytime minutes, 400 MB of internet data, and 75 outgoing text messages. Rogers notes that 400 MB of data equals up to 200,000 text emails or 3,100 web pages, or 1,360 photo attachments.

Need more, eh? Subsequent plans are $75 for 300 minutes, 750 MB of internet data, and 100 outgoing text messages. The $100 plan boosts doubles those minutes to 600, allows for 1GB of internet data, 200 text messages. For the real fanatic, Rogers offers a plan at $115 with 800 anytime minutes, 2 gigs of internet downloads, and texting until your thumbs wear out with 300 outgoing messages per month.

For the Canadian who wants it all, there are a couple of additional voice value packs that include popular wireless features. The $15 pack includes Caller ID, Who Called, Caller Ring Trax, 2,500 Sent Text Messages and 2,500 Call Forwarding Minutes. The $20 pack includes Caller ID, Who Called, Caller Ring Trax, 10,000 Sent Messages, 6:00 p.m. Early Evening Calling and 2,500 Call Forwarding Minutes.

All plans require a three-year contract and include free Wi-Fi access at all Rogers and Fido Hotspots, unlimited evening and weekend minutes, incoming text messages and visual voicemail.

Fido, a subsidiary of Rogers, is offering the same four-tier service plan.

Canadian Rebate Ideas

Warren Frey — Thu, 22 May 2008 16:55:11 -0500

Things are looking up for Canadian Apple users. Not only did the Great White North finally get official confirmation from Rogers that the company will soon carry the iPhone, but Apple Canada is offering a $45 credit to owners of older iPods who’ve run into battery problems. Anyone with a first, second or third generation iPod purchased before June 24, 2004 is eligible for the rebate, thanks to two different lawsuits filed in Montreal and Toronto claiming Apple had misrepresented the iPod’s battery life.

But what will Canadians do with this newfound wealth? Apple hopes they’ll put it towards a new iPod, but here’s a few alternatives for making the most of this unexpected windfall.

-Put it towards a day’s worth of data usage on the Rogers wireless network. Though the company has announced they’ll soon carry the iPhone, they’ve said nothing about their high wireless rates, and you might as well use Apple’s money for that first forbidden taste of on-the-go email and web surfing that American iPhone users gets for $20 a month.

-Buy $45 worth of DRM-free, high quality, AAC music on the iTunes Music Store. It would be nice if Canadians could use their new-found wealth to purchase music from the Amazon Music Store, but that remains even more elusive than the iPhone.

-Canadians also recently secured the ability to buy Canadian television programs from the iTunes Store. Out of patriotism, and a desire for Apple to roll out video rentals, it might be a good idea to blow the $45 on "Little Mosque on the Prairie" and other homegrown fare.

-Send their credit to any groups opposing the latest moves by Bell Canada to throttle P2P activity. There are plenty of legal uses for not only torrents, but P2P infrastructure, and ISPs unilaterally deciding how people should experience the Internet is hubris of the highest order.

-Buy an iPod Shuffle and give it to one of your friends and family that hasn’t yet tasted the sweet, seductive fruit of portable music. At $55 at the Apple Store, all you have to do is spend $10 of your own money to create an instant iPod convert.

-Get an Apple Keyboard. Sure it’s wired, but it’s substantially cheaper than the Bluetooth keyboard, and it doesn’t have a battery to run down.

-Buy Steven Levy’s “The Perfect Thing,” a history of the creation of the iPod, if only for the delicious irony.

-Feeling particularly wasteful? Get an iPod Sock, which at $39, will almost completely consume your rebate. But you can rest easy with the knowledge that your iPod will be comfy in its new home.

-Ditto new iPod headphones... though the substandard quality of the phones hardly makes it worth it.

-But your Nano can travel in style with a Belkin leather folio for the iPod Nano, which looks great and rings in at only $29.95 CAD.

So there are plenty of options for spending your $45 of Apple credit. Cupertino seems to have their battery problems in check, and the iPhone is (supposedly) on its way north. Crossed fingers, Canada, we’re going to be okay.