Mobilicity Customers: Time to Run From Rogers

Mobilicity – Now That’s Not Smart

First Published Date: June 29, 2015

Although the government keeps praising the recent Rogers-Mobilicity deal as a big WIN for Canadians, most of the Mobilicity customers would view it otherwise. There is a lot of talk about the “Spectrum” swap to make Wind Mobile nation’s fourth carrier to compete with the big three brothers. But for those 150,000 Mobilicity customers it’s a deal to gobble them up by the same giant they wanted to get rid of in the first place.

The drive behind Rogers buying Mobilicity is not because Rogers’ interest in Mobilicity’s existing clients, but because of the spectrum it can gets hands on. Regardless what the government says, it does not take a rocket scientist to understand that this deal means more control in Rogers’ hand and less competition.

If you need an example of what happens to those great monthly affordable plans after a big company buying a small competitor, you don’t need to look further than Telus buying Public Mobile. The affordable plans Public Mobile used to offer are all gone since the takeover and the same thing is bound to happen with Mobilicity very shortly.

When Mobilicity customers signed up with this small player offering affordable plans (although with a terrible signal), their main intention was to escape from a big brother and save some money. Some of the customers could not even afford to have a plan with a big brother and they had some relief subscribing to a new company which is not a part of the big brothers that have been monopolizing and terrorizing Canadian mobile markets ever since.

So what now? These unfortunate and stranded 150,000 subscribers are back to where they started and will be eaten alive by the same giant they were running away from. The only option that seems to remain open now is to run – again.

Canada’s Best Chequing Accounts

Are You Still Paying Banking Fees?

First Published Date: December 15, 2008

Today, I am going to review chequing accounts offered by Canadian banks. I have researched most of the banks offering chequing accounts in Canada; however, I was able to find only two institutions worth mentioning. I am not going to review any products offered by big players like Royal Bank, TD Bank, CIBC and so on, as they do not offer any free chequing accounts. My objective is to review products and services that make perfect personal finance sense, and if you are looking for chequing accounts with lots of features and no fees whatsoever – you have come to the right place.

My First Pick

President Choice No Fee Bank Account

Where on earth you will get free banking + free cheques? Yes, President Choice Financial offers that. Let’s look at some features they offer:

·    Free online and telephone (automated and live) banking.

·    Unlimited free transactions at CIBC or PCF bank machines.

·    Unlimited cheques come with free chequing account

·    Unlimited free Interac® direct payments

·    Earn points towards free groceries

My second Pick

Citizen’s Bank of Canada Global Chequing Account

·    Withdraw money globally without paying fees (terms and conditions apply. Visit their website for more info)

·    Free online and telephone (automated and live) banking.

·    No fees debit card purchases in Canada and US.

·    Free access to over 2500 ATMs in Canada

·    Overdraft protection up to $1000 if qualified

My Take

The only thing you have to give up to do free banking is the service of a brick and mortar branch. PCF offers Pavilion at Loblaws where you can meet a live person but it’s not like going to a branch. Citizen Bank does not have anything like Pavilion. Do you really need to meet a live person to do your banking? I have been with PCF for ten years and I never needed help from a live person to do any transactions.

if you travel a lot and use your bank card outside the country, you should consider Global Chequing Account. If you do not travel often and don’t need to use your bank card outside Canada, PCF No Fee Bank Account is what you should consider. PCF lets you use CIBC’s ATMs for free – which I find is very convenient.

To streamline and minimize blog maintenance, I will be discontinuing maintaining the Canadapersonalfinancewebsite.com website (however, I will still hold the domain). I will gradually move all articles from this site to A Dawn Journal. This article originally published on the above website on Dec 15, 2008.

Samsung 32 Inch 1080P LED Smart TD Review

Samsung Full HD 32 Inch Smart TV

First Published Date: September 17, 2014

The reason I wanted to upgrade to a smart TV was not because of how smart it was or anything else, but its incredible low electricity consumption. For example, my old 23-inch LED 1080P HD TV consumed about 100 Watts of electricity. However, even with a bigger screen and much more features, the Samsung 32-Inch LED consumes only 40 watts. That’s a lot of savings if you look at in terms of years or its lifetime.

Some of the features:

– 32-Inch Full HD 1080P 1920×1080 resolution

– Samsung Smart Hub features apps that let you stream content including YouTube and Netflix.

– You can stream content from your smart phone or table. You can even cast your device’s screen on TV.

– Surf web on TV using Samsung web browser, or you can browse web on laptop and cast screen on TV using Chromecast.

What I Like

The price is very low in terms of what you are getting. Stunning crisp clear picture quality will grab your attention right away once you turn this on. You will be paying $100 to $200 more for similar smart TVs from other manufacturers. Also, I noticed that those from other manufacturers consume more electricity as well. Audio quality is also good with its Dolby Digital Plus/Dolby Pulse sound. There is no need to use a separate sound system.

What I Don’t Like

At times, the Samsung 32-Inch 1080P LED Smart TD can be a little slow, if you try to access its apps via the Internet, or if you try to load up its built-in TV guide. The reason model UN32H5203 is a little slow is because it uses a standard processor. However, there is another model UN32H5500 that uses quad-code processor and it’s a lot faster (and pricier as well).

Another thing to mention it’s not super slim as it has a 0.5 inch bezel. Same here with model UN32H5500 – which comes with a thinner 0.3 inch bezel and it is very thin.

Last Word

Even with some minor flaws, the Samsung 32-Inch 1080P LED Smart TD is definitely a smart buy and you can’t go wrong due to its reasonable price.

Sorry, Google Nexus 6, I Will Stay With My OnePlus

OnePlus SmartPhone Gives Better Value For Your Money

First Published Date: October 25, 2014

After much anticipation and excitement, Google finally released its flagship 2014 long-awaited smartphone Nexus 6. All the rumoured features and specs of this gigantic phablet appear to be somewhat true, except its gigantic price.

Google’s Nexus branding has been known for its reasonable price, which is much less than other brands in general. For example, the Nexus 5 was priced at $350 and $400 – a $200 to $300 cheaper than other comparable models.

The same reduced price tag was expected for the Nexus 6. However, it broke everyone’s heart when it was released on Oct 15, 2014. CBC reports that Nexus 6 pricing for Canadians will be a hefty $749, much higher than the roughly $500 I was expecting it to be.

On the other hand, a new phone company called OnePlus was founded in China in December 2013, taking the smartphone market by storm. OnePlus makes elegantly high-end and high-performance smartphones at ridiculously low prices that were never heard of before. For example, their 64 GB 2014 Flagship Killer is only $349, which can be easily sold for more than $700 by other manufacturers.

However, OnePlus has its own drawback; you can’t just buy it if you want. Due to high demand, the manufacturer is unable to keep up with supply, and as a result it’s only available via invite. If you have an invite from OnePlus or someone who already bought one sends you an invite, you will be able to buy it.

As I have been contemplating buying a new Nexus 6 and eagerly waiting for an invite from OnePlus, I was leaning more towards Nexus 6, if the price tag stays within my expected range. Surprisingly enough, all of a sudden I got an invite from OnePlus just before the Nexus 6 release date. I did not hesitate to buy OnePlus, as the invite stays valid only for 24 hours. After purchasing OnePlus on Oct 14, the Nexus 6 price shock came the next day on October 15.

The choice became obvious once I found out the price of the Nexus 6. It is no longer an affordable brand like its predecessor models. As I am waiting to receive my OnePlus, at the same time I am feeling good about not buying Nexus 6 and saving about $400 – $500. Thanks, Google Nexus 6, but no thanks.

D-Link Wireless AC1200 Dual-Band Router Review

D-Link Wireless AC1200 Dual-Band Router Review

First Published Date: December 17, 2013 ADawnJournal.com

D-Link Router Review

The last router I bought was probably ten years ago and so much has changed since then. What routers can do these days were unthinkable 10 years ago. So it was about time to upgrade my router.

When I hit Staples to check what kinds of routers are available, I was surprised to see so many different versions and different bands. For example, I did not know that computer maker Asus makes routers these days as well. After going through a myriad of choices, I picked the D-Link Wireless AC1200 Dual-Band Router.

Some of the Features

– Next generation 802.11 AC technology. It offers 3x speed than 802.11N.

– Dual band capability. You will have two different wireless Internet from the same router on two different bands at Up to 300Mbps (2.4GHz) + and 867Mbps (5GHz) speeds.

– There are apps to video monitor, control home network, stream digital files, and setup your router from your phone or tablet.

What I Like

– Initial setup is very simple and easy. If you install the smart phone app (QRS Mobile) and follow instructions, it takes about 3 minutes.

– Dual band comes very handy for different sets of tasks. For example, I use one for regular Internet use and the other band for streaming (to watch Netflix, TV, etc.).

What I Don’t Like

– All other smart phone apps (except QRS Mobile) are very user unfriendly and do not work properly.

– You need to go through a complicated registration process to use mydlink Lite app and most people will give up after going through half way.

Last Word

Although AC1200 Dual-Band Router is a pricey one, it’s worth its price. It provides a very powerful WiFi signal and you should not need to buy another router in at least 10 years.