Richard's Tech Reviews

Rogers Rocket stick data plans

In a sane world, there would be a range of mobile data plans, and a range of mobile data devices.  You would choose a plan, and then a device.  And then get it.

But the world of Canadian mobile devices is not a sane one.

I will now decode the Rogers plans for you.  It doesn't help that they provide a lot of their information as popover layers that I can't link to directly.

Rogers basically offers four data plan payment contract types: prepaid, monthly, 1 year, 2 year and 3 year.

They also offer two USB sticks, which they brand "Rocket" sticks: a 3G stick and an LTE stick.

So far so good.  Except they attach plans to devices.

So if you go to Rocket Stick

https://www.orderrogers.ca/rocket/stick#/overview

and click on the Prepaid Rocket Stick

https://www.orderrogers.ca/rocket/stick#/data-plan/prepaid

You might think you are on a data plan.  But you are not.  You are on a plan, attached to a specific device, named the "Prepaid Rocket™ mobile Internet stick".  You might think that's a way of paying for the stick, but no, to be clear, the Prepaid stick is only the 3G Nokia CS-18 stick.  No other stick can be prepaid.  (There is no technical reason for this, it's an arbitrary business decision.)

This would be fine if, say, the Rogers store had not specifically told me they didn't carry any Prepaid Rocket™ mobile Internet sticks and that in any case the Prepaid Rocket™ mobile Internet stick had been problematic to set up.  Instead they pointed me to the LTE Rocket™ Stick - Sierra Wireless AirCard® 330U. 

http://www.rogers.com/web/link/wirelessBuyFlow?forwardTo=PhoneThenPlan&productType=normal&productId_Detailed=AC330REDR&N=52+11+4294925041

Which would all be wonderfully clear if the Rogers website was very careful to always specify whether it was referring to the Nokia 3G stick or the Sierra Wireless LTE stick.  But which is not at all clear because the website instead uses "Rocket Internet Stick" to mean sometimes one device, sometimes the other, and sometimes both. 

For example, start at LTE Devices

http://www.rogers.com/web/link/wirelessBuyFlow?forwardTo=PhoneThenPlan&productType=normal&N=52+11+4294925041

Then click "Learn more" on the LTE Rocket Stick

http://www.rogers.com/web/link/wirelessBuyFlow?forwardTo=PhoneThenPlan&productType=normal&productId_Detailed=AC330REDR&N=52+11+4294925041

then click Device & Plan - Monthly

http://www.rogers.com/web/Rogers.portal?_nfpb=true&_windowLabel=Wireless_BuyFlow_Portlet_Definition&Wireless_BuyFlow_Portlet_Definition_actionOverride=%2Fportlets%2Fconsumer%2Fwireless%2FphoneBuyflow%2FsimplifiedWirelessBuyFlow.selectProduct&Wireless_BuyFlow_Portlet_DefinitionprodId=AC330REDR&_pageLabel=WRLS_BuyFlow&CellPhoneFinalNetPrice=169.99&ChangeProvinceEmpty=&RemoveEssential=&selectedPackageType=PHONE_THEN_PLAN&WirelessBuyFlow_Selected=PHONE_THEN_PLAN&phoneConfig_TermSelect=MONTHLY

And you get this apparently very clear screen:

$21.81/month for the LTE 100MB-9GB plan

$46.81/month for the LTE 2GB-9GB plan

and a handy link

Prepaid plans available for Rocket mobile internet stick. Learn more.

Now you might think that SINCE YOU ALREADY SELECTED LTE Rocket Stick and SINCE IT SAYS PREPAID PLANS AVAILABLE FOR ROCKET MOBILE INTERNET STICK that means that there are... prepaid plans available.

But no.  You are wrong.  When it says "Prepaid plans available for Rocket mobile internet stick" it actually means "Prepaid plans available for the Prepaid Rocket stick which is definitely not the LTE Rocket stick, isn't that obvious?"

In any case.  You might think that you could at least select the $20 monthly plan and combine it with the LTE Rocket stick, and then buy the LTE Rocket stick.

But no.  Even if you already have a Rogers account, Rogers wants to do a credit check.  A credit check to make it clear that you must be granted permission by Rogers to bless them with your money.

May I suggest that a business model designed to reduce risk from university and high school students getting their first phone is not ideally suited to middle-aged people buying their dozenth device.

As a bonus, if you manage to land on the right web page which will show you clear-ish-ly that the prepaid has one plan option

and that the LTE had 4 plan options

(Rather than say, standing in the store next to a computer while the salesperson attempts to decode an out-of-date paper rate flyer and buries you in confusion about what plans actually exist.)

You still can't actually buy it.  You may request, like a medieval supplicant kneeling before a king, the permission to give Rogers your money.  You will then wait for Rogers to call you back, to discuss whether or not this boon will be granted.

Needless to say, I am not currently in possession of an LTE stick, there being rather too many hoops to jump through, particularly considering that I already get 6GB of tetherable data for $30 on my Rogers iPhone.  I guess wanting to give Rogers extra money for much less data on a second device was too much to hope for.

Firefox 3.5 geolocation

When you visit a location-aware website, Firefox will ask you if you want to share your location.

If you consent, Firefox gathers information about nearby wireless access points and your computer’s IP address. Then Firefox sends this information to the default geolocation service provider, Google Location Services, to get an estimate of your location. That location estimate is then shared with the requesting website.

Mozilla: Location-Aware Browsing

via The Map Room

I wonder how it finds out about nearby WAPs? Is Firefox 3.5 effectively a wifi scanner now?

The Google Code Blog gives more background

With recent launches like Google Latitude and Google Toolbar with My Location, it's clear we think location-based services are useful and fun! We also want developers everywhere to be able to use location to build cool new features and applications.

I'm pleased to announce that Google's Location Service (the same service which powers the My Location feature in many Google products), is now the default location provider in Mozilla Firefox 3.5 beta 4. This means that developers can, with users' permission, gain access to their approximate location without requiring any additional plug-ins or setting configurations. It just works!

Mozilla Firefox 3.5 beta 4 uses the W3C geolocation API, a standard being adopted by many major browsers, so you won't have to branch code in the future.

Google Location Services now in Mozilla Firefox - April 30, 2009

In a quick Google search, I didn't find any page specifically on "Google Location Service" itself.

Engadget reviews Eye-Fi Pro wifi geotagging SD card

There are various Eye-Fi cards.  For "Share" and above, it will upload to online services, for the "Explore" card and above it will geotag using Skyhook (which is reasonably good in dense urban areas, but of no use where there isn't wifi).

Engadget reviewed the top-end model, the 4GB Pro, U$150.  It adds the ability to upload RAW files, as well as to send photos directly to your computer over an ad-hoc wireless network (which requires some configuration).  This effectively means that (within the range of your computer) you have a remote hard drive that can store your photos as soon as they are taken.

It's hard not to like the functionality of the Eye-Fi Pro. Before this, having pictures sent directly to a PC was something only on offer by higher-end DSLRs. Now any cheap compact with an SD slot can do it.

Rogers iPhone tethering policy

With official support for tethering announced as a feature of iPhone OS 3.0

Image from Engadget WWDC 2009 coverage.

I thought I'd mention that Rogers does have a (not easy to find) policy allowing tethering

Tethering Policy

Tethering is the use of your phone as a wireless modem to connect to the Internet from your computer. For a limited time, if you subscribe to a data option which includes at least 1GB of data transmission between June 8, 2009 and December 31, 2009, you may use tethering as part of the volume of data included in your option at no additional charge. Tethering cannot be used with data options of less than 1GB.

from http://www.rogers.com/web/content/wireless-plans/iphone_data_plans (scroll to the very bottom)

UPDATE 2009-06-09: The tethering policy has disappeared from the bottom of the above page, but it does appear at the bottom of http://www.rogers.com/web/content/wireless-plans/iphone_smartphone_plans.  This means the tethering policy should also apply to the Android phones.

Also, the wording was a bit ambiguous, so I asked the Rogers social media guy, Keith McArthur, whether tethering would be free for the life of the contract: "am I reading the Tethering Policy correctly that as long as you have 1GB, tether is no additional cost for life of contract?".  He replied

What we've said is that tethering will be included at no extra charge until at least the end of the year.

http://twitter.com/keithmcarthur/status/2095921048

Some more links:

* Canadian Apple site on iPhone 3G S http://www.apple.com/ca/iphone/iphone-3g-s/

* US Apple site with iPhone 3G S tethering details http://www.apple.com/iphone/iphone-3g-s/tethering.html

I should also point out this note for those of you who may not have upgraded the OS in your Mac laptops... "NOTE: To use iPhone as a modem with a Mac computer, it must be running Mac OS X version 10.5.7 or later"

UPDATE 2009-06-11: Rogers has a link up about the iPhone 3G S, it leads to a FAQ with a few key items

The new devices will be available on June 19th 2009.

Is the new 6GB/$30 promotional plan available for all iPhone customers, new and existing?

The $30/6GB will be available to all iPhone customers on both Rogers and Fido brands starting June 9th 2009.

iPhone OS 3.0 update (which is free for iPhones) will come out June 17, 2009.

I asked Keith McArthur "does the $30/6GB plan last for the life of the contract (e.g. 3 years)?" and he answered simply "yes".

UPDATE 2009-06-12: I asked Keith if you can build your own "a la carte" voice + data plan and still get the $199 3Gs and 6GB dataplan:

and he said yes: "yes - any combination of voice and data"

Also I made a spreadsheet with my attempt to figure out some pricing options (NO GUARANTEES about whether Rogers will interpret the plans the same way - and NO GUARANTEES about my understanding of the Rogers plans - there are lots of question marks)

http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=rIgdTdpVenCnRTLp_bz4nFA&output=html

As well I should mention that Rob Manne is also with Rogers and answers questions on Twitter.

UPDATE 2009-06-16: Perhaps due to the high volume of requests in advance of the 3Gs, Keith has set up dedicated Rogers Twitter accounts: @RogersHelps, @RogersKeith and @RogersRob.

Also here is the full set of "Tethering FAQs" from the iPhone 3G S page at Rogers.  It's pretty clear they are going measure tethering use and then decide how much to charge.

What is tethering or wireless modem?

Tethering or wireless modem functionality is the use of your phone (such as your iPhone) as a wireless modem to connect to the internet from your computer. You can connect your phone to your computer through Bluetooth wireless technology or the USB cable provided with your handset.

Can I tether on my iPhone?

To use tethering or wireless modem functionality you require the new iPhone 3G S, or an iPhone 3G that has been upgraded with the new iPhone OS 3.0 software. Until December 31, 2009, if you have subscribed to a data plan which includes at least 1GB of data you may use tethering as part of the volume of data included in your plan at no additional charge. Tethering cannot be used with data plans of less then 1GB.

Will data charges for tethering be free?

No, tethering data usage will come out of your existing data bucket.

When will I be able to tether on my iPhone?

Customers with an iPhone 3G S will be able to tether right away. For customers with an iPhone 3G, who have upgraded to iPhone OS 3.0, we expect tethering to be fully operational for all iPhone customers shortly after the OS 3.0 release.

What will happen on December 31, 2009 when the promotion expires?

Rogers will continue to enable tethering on devices that allow it, but data plans will be adjusted to better reflect the way customers are using tethering services.

http://www.rogers.com/web/content/wireless-products/iphone_faqs?setLanguage=en&cm_sp=Consumer-_-Wireless_iPhone3Gs_0609_Eng-_-3GsPrelaunch_LowerBadge

UPDATE 2009-06-18: Rogers has updated its tethering text yet again, here are the highlights:

by June 19th, 2009, Rogers systems will have been updated to make tethering fully operational for all eligible iPhone 3G customers.

How do I tether on my iPhone?

Please visit Apple.com for instructions http://www.apple.com/iphone/iphone-3g/tethering.html

When I try to setup my phone for tethering by going through the following steps Settings-->General-->Network-->Set-up Internet Tethering, I get the following message “Set Up Internet Tethering. To enable tethering on this account contact Rogers”. What does this mean?

This means that you don’t have the appropriate data plan on your account to support tethering, and require a data plan with at least 1GB worth of data for tethering to be enabled.

Note: The actual how-to text for setting up Internet Tethering is called, rather confusingly, "Using an iPhone as a Modem". The direct link is

http://www.apple.com/iphone/how-to/#basics.using-iphone-as-a-modem

Seems a rather odd choice of terminology. Modem, what's that? I'm guessing a fair number of 3G users have never even had a modem.

free wifi in Rome

There is free wireless available at some locations in Rome, but it's not as straightforward as one might hope.

The city wifi is called Roma Wireless.  In order to sign up for an account, you must provide a valid Italian cellphone (mobile) number.  (I can't imagine many scenarios where you could use a fixed line number.)  The phone number will be your account number.  In order to activate the account and get your password, you must first call an automatic validation number.  There is no option to enter non-Italian numbers, and there is no way to get a password without calling the validation number.  You have about five minutes after account creation in order to validate the account, otherwise I assume the account expires and you would have to re-register.

I had an Italian number as I got an Italy SIM (TIM network) from Roam Simple before I left.
NOTE: Make sure you have an unlocked phone that supports the right GSM bands in order to use this SIM.

Once your account is validated, you can log in at any of the hotspots and get one hour of free wireless per session.  I found that after the session expired, you could login again and get another hour.  You can only login from one device at a time.

I had a lot of trouble using Yahoo properties (Yahoo Mail, Flickr) and Facebook with the service, it seems there is something about the https secure login for Yahoo that Roma Wireless doesn't like.  I had no problem using Google sites (gmail, picasaweb).

I initially used the hotspot in Piazza di Spagna (Spanish Steps) but I don't recommend this as it is crowded, noisy, there is very little shade and it's not that comfortable to sit there for very long.

I found there are tons of hotspots in the Villa Borghese park.  There are maps at some of the park entrances that clearly show where the hotspots are (look for the wifi logos - click the image below for a larger version).

This same information is also available in the online interactive Villa Borghese map, but I can't get the map to work in anything other that IE on Windows, even though it appears to just be regular Flash. It would be really useful if they would provide the map as just an image as well.

I sat in the shade on a park bench just beyond the Pincio terrace, I was sitting in behind the Casina Valadier (outside, not inside the building gates).  Strong signal.  Very pleasant.  Here's a screenshot of that location.

You can see a Google map of hotspot locations, as well as a text listing of the locations, at

http://www.romawireless.com/hotspot_eng.htm

The Roma Wireless service is actually provided by Unidata (Uniwifi), there's more information on their site. Your account will actually be an @uniwifi.it address. Depending where you login, you may get a Roma Wireless screen or a Uniwifi screen. I think that only the romawireless SSID is free hotspots, there are more locations in the city than that but I don't know if the other locations are also free. I think the Uniwifi site is only in Italian.

You can see a map

http://www.uniwifi.it/Rete%20HOT%20SPOT/Mappa%20Hot%20Spot

and a text listing including SSIDs

http://www.uniwifi.it/Rete%20HOT%20SPOT/Elenco%20Hot%20Spot

I wasn't able to find any hotspots in Piazza del Popolo or Piazzale Flaminio.

If you don't have an Italian phone number, things are considerably more challenging.  The days of open wifi access points (no password) are pretty much gone. Near Piazza del Popolo there are a few cafes I found with wifi, but not many. The only ones I found were pretty fancy - the Adriana Cafe on Vicolo dell'Orto di Napoli off of Via Babuino - it's on the 2nd floor, the access is from di Napoli.

Visualizzazione ingrandita della mappa

and I also saw the TAD Cafe (which I didn't try) at Via del Babuino 53.

The iPod Touch

This was my first time using the iPod Touch as a wifi access device, it worked pretty well, but it has a fairly weak antenna, so you need a good signal.

One thing I noticed is many of the apps expect always-on connectivity, so for example if you load up a page in Safari and expect to be able to access the cached version later when you're no longer connected, it won't work (at least I couldn't get it to work) - if you try to access it, it will try to reload the page, find no connection, and just show you a blank page.

It is a great portable web surfing device, thin and light, good for searches, maps, Twitter (I use TwitterFon), Facebook, weather and such.  I have the 8 GB one.