Rogers One Number: Day 2. A review.

The three people who may read this - this isn't for you, well of course it is but it's really a communication addressed to Rogers - I know, of course, 'they' will never get to read it - but if you don't try.....

I'm a Rogers customer and until a year ago I had their cable, home-phone, internet and wireless (2 of them with data) then about a year ago I changed the home-phone to Primus saving a good $25 a month and so as it currently stands we have TV, Net and 2 wireless phones with data. I pay them a fair whack each month and it would be more if I didn't threaten to leave them every year and get discounts all over the service to make it a little less of a monthly sting to our outgoings.

In return for this 'whack' I expect good service. Do I get it? Actually, they are not bad. Some rather interesting to's and fro's with their customer service people every now and again but on the whole it's ok.

My PVR misses the occasional programme for no particular reason. Every now and then the PVR has to be shut down and rebooted and sometimes that happens when I have something I want to watch recorded on the hard drive that will soon be wiped as a result of that. Their online billing service is good - it's getting better - it used to have problems with updating payments but it was good enough to alert me last year (when number 1 son was over and downloading iTunes movies!!!) that I was about to exceed my data allowance and allowed me to top it up with a $5 increase. 

The reception on the Rogers wireless phones is average - if I visit my in-laws in Stittsville it disappears, though, and reception in my house in Alta Vista isn't that great at times either - thank the wireless gods for Wi-Fi.

So the service in general is ok - room for improvement but ok. Now Rogers in their infinite wisdom decide that an improvement means adding stuff like peripheral services and apps.

Hmmmmmm, well that should read: they scramble to try to bring services that others provide and don't quite make the mark, but they advertise the hell out of them as they help bring in new customers, I guess.

Well, let's take a look at a couple of these services, I'll get to One Number - just stick with me.

There is a service called TV Manager and it links your wireless phone to your PVR(s) so you can see what you have recorded and scheduled and edit that or schedule new recordings remotely. OK? Sounds good? Sure, only it doesn't quite work. I started using this last week and it fails to completely update itself. 

If I activate my TV Manager now - it still shows that I have a House from last October as well as an Amazing Race and a NCIS:LosAngeles all from October - when, of course, I do not.

When one tries to refresh or update the 'app' it gets stuck on 'retrieving account information'. When something like this fails to work 100% it is practically useless to use and rely on. On Friday I noticed that I was recording Kitchen Nightmares (Gordon is boring me) so I deleted it. Only, I wasn't deleting KN, I deleted Fringe which I record directly after KN and start a minute early so as to catch the beginning but the TV Manager saw it as KN and I deleted it. Thankfully the HD stations have a back-up and I recorded it on FOXW once I realised what I'd done.

The new Rogers service is one that links your computer to your wireless phone and allows you to see, receive and send texts, calls, video calls and emails all from one screen - it's called One Number and it was launched this past weekend - or so it would seem if you saw all the TV ads for it over the weekend.

I love new tech (even though it's not that new) and as I'm a Rogers customer I thought I'd try it and see if it a)works and b)is worth me using it on a regular, if not daily, basis.

It was relatively easy to sign up to it as it uses your 'My Rogers' sign up details and after a couple apps had been installed and some registration verification it was ready to try out.

This also incorporates a contacts app called '1 Contacts' which syncs your contacts from your phone so you can use them when using One Number from your computer.

The $$ aspect of this is interesting as you can make and send text messages for free in Canada - the sticking point is that it looks like you have to pay for anything 'in-coming' - seems a bit of a dated setup but I guess they have to make a penny or two somewhere. I had a lengthy text conversation with a friend who is on my list of people I can text and call for free (it's called MyFive) and I'm now wondering if I will end up paying a few cents for each of his replies I received while using One Number - we'll see.

So, for texts it works just great - being able to text using my keyboard instead of my iPhone keypad is a joy. Now, I mentioned that you can add email accounts to it too. So, I added my Gmail account and started getting email notifications and dealing with emails through the One Number 'hub'. It didn't go well.

I tried to delete emails and nine times out of ten it would return an error message. If you reply to an email it's very difficult to view the thread, in fact it's almost impossible to deal with an email that goes back and forth a bit. It's like you see messages coming in but those sent out seem to vanish.

The main problem with emails through One Number is that it doesn't update or sync fast enough. If I'm to close my Gmail tab on my browser and just use One Number then this has to be addressed. Maybe a manual refresh button would help until this happens automatically or 'real-time' but as it stands, for me, One Number is unusable for emails. Maybe if you are someone who turns their computer on once a day and checks email - then it should be ok - I have my computer on 24/7 and only power down twice a week to blow the cobwebs out and I am on this thing constantly.

So again, Rogers fails to come up to the standards I expect - do I get a refund?

Rogers - stop spending time, energy and dollars on new services that just don't quite make the mark - it erodes your reputation and ultimately the brand. Spend some dollars on getting the basics up to scratch first - my 2 PVRs are old - I rent them from you - why not, instead of launching your next 'whizz-bang' service, you send me two of the latest boxes? I'll be much more impressed.

Drude

PS - How could I forget the most infuriating part about being a Rogers TV customer is that damned archaic EPG (electronic program guide). Really? This is the best you can do? When I search for a programme it takes forever. At least do an update so you can search using the second letter as well as the first. At least this would help - but Rogers EPG must be the worst I've ever used. If you haven't a ne one in the product pipeline I suggest you scramble!

Golden Globes PSA withrawal... and a mini-review!

This is an official withdrawal of yesterday's public service announcement with regard to Ricky Gervais and his potential to upset, offend or otherwise provoke reactions of shock and horror at his cutting and risque remarks and jokes at the expense of the Hollywood crowd.

No PSA was needed.

At best he was mildly funny on a couple of occasions. Was it "take the money and run"? I felt that after his monologue that he sort of just gave up any original material. Maybe he WAS gagged but they didn't admit it? The conspiracy theories will, no doubt, abound.

The Angelina 'haters' seem to be out in full force - they all seem to know her intimately and are able to 'accurately' translate her facial expressions as ones of contempt for the whole process and everyone around her. Come on - I don't know if that's true or not but I think the criticism is a bit mean. I liked her dress even if the red lippy was a bit harsh looking for my old eyes!

Dress round-up (I'm no fashionista) - Sarah Michelle Gellar was in a tie-dye gown that looked like it had been made from the same material as one of my Rolling Stones T-shirts - just didn't look good. Michelle Williams' dress was nice but my favourite of the night was the simple black dress worn by Rooney Mara and Madonna just needed to get one a size bigger - her breasts looked just uncomfortable. As for the guys - who cares!? I'm hoping one year Ryan Seacrest will ask a guy what he's wearing and they'll say "Thrift Store" or "It's mine - had it since I was 20" or "It's hired".....

Everyone seems to be cooing at Seth Rogan and his penis/erection joke - REALLY???? it was worthy of a 12 yr old at best - is America just starting to accept the cock-gag (gag means joke btw - no pun intended). This wasn't even a joke - it was a one line shock soundbite. Really disappointed - I thought Seth was better than a cock joke.

Some of the talent tried to have a 'go' at Gervaisesque humour often trying to get back at him. Why try? Really? Madonna made a complete arse of herself relating to kissing a girl and suggesting Ricky might be that girl..... and that fake accent! I know she lives in the UK but really there are many Americans who live in the UK and don't get an accent like that.

Johnny Depp, again, had the right idea - laugh about it! BTW - I thought Johnny was on a 5 beer buzz or something else - he seemed 'on something' to me - but he managed his 'best film' introduction ok.

I had no really bad reactions to any of the awards presented, no surprises - nice to see whacky Meryl get a gong for the Iron Lady - must see that film!

Homeland was a big winner but as it's not been shown in Canada I can't say whether it's award is warranted.

I am a bit puzzled as to why The Big Bang Theory wasn't nominated in more categories - also a bit puzzled as why Boardwalk Empire didn't win more and, frankly, most of my favourite shows were not even nominated as Sci-Fi and anything remotely 'fantasy' based never seems to get much in the way of nominations or awards. I have to say it was nice to see 'Person of Interest' get a People's Choice Award last week as 'Best New Show'.

Other than that, the 3 hours went without a hitch - but it was all the more boring for it - I was glad when it ended.

Until the Oscars.......or the SAG awards....

PS - can a Canadian channel please pick up Homeland now it's won an award so we can see what the award was based upon? Thanks.

Golden Globes PSA.......

People of Canada and the USA please note that tonight's Golden Globes will be, for the 3rd year running, hosted by Englishman Ricky Gervais.

Whilst I know he isn't the most popular choice of host for this prestigious award show I will be watching for this reason and this reason alone.

When he rips the 'piss' out of you and makes observations that are based on things you (the star/actor) have probably done or films/TV you've made that are bad etc. please don't get upset. It's really one of the worst qualities and it's not very admirable or conducive to people continuing to like you.

Take a page from Johnny Depp's 'book' - laugh about it and even engage in some post award 'sketch' in which you match the humour with humour of your own.

Tonight's humour will, in all likely-hood be 'close to the bone' - risque and 'base' in it's flavour of 'funny'. Just the kind of humour I find funny. A lot of other people also find it funny - probably the majority. 

To the minority that find this type of humour offensive I say this to you:

This is the 3rd year RG has hosted. you know what he does. You know he's going to do it again (especially as he's probably going to push it as far as possible in his 3rd and probably last year). So, in that vein, I will draw your attention to the button on your remote control for your cable that is labelled 'channel-up' - use it. If you didn't like him last year or the year before - you have the option and the prior warning to be able to make the choice to NOT WATCH him.

If you don't like RG and you opt to watch tonight's show anyway - please do me a favour and keep your negative opinions to yourselves. No excuses, you've been warned.

My message to RG is this - please make me laugh - please rip the piss where it's warranted - please be clever in your attempts at making me laugh - please do not let me down, please be unexpected.

Thank you.

PSA ends.