TELUS encourages Canadians to enter Holiday Mode

This is the season for holiday parties, family dinners, and catching up with friends. But it’s pretty hard to catch up when everyone is glued to their phones. In fact, a TELUS survey this year found that Canadians are twice as likely to be on their phones around family and friends (82.6 per cent) than they are when at work (40.6 per cent).

Using Social Media For a Positive Change We365

I had the pleasure of attending We Day in Toronto where 20,000 students earned their ticket to be part of the event, by making a commitment through the We Act program to take action on at least one local and one global initiative of their choice. We Day features some of the world’s pop stars, social change-makers, and more importantly celebrates our youth and the work that they’ve done to give back in their communities.

Ten Tips for Back-To-School Online Safety

As parents it is important that we teach our children the know-how to handle the growing issue of cyberbullying. According to Canadian not-for-profit organization and official TELUS WISE partner MediaSmarts, cyberbullying is on the rise, with one in ten Canadian students experiencing it last year. Its studies show that cyberbullying can have traumatic effects on youth, with links to depression, yet kids underestimate how much it can impact them, shrugging it off as a normal part of their online interactions.

Grand Gestures Are Always Important and Appreciated

As a customer, I think it very important when brands appreciate their customers; it is one reason to be loyal and stick with them. It is always nice to feel important and appreciated, so getting those special discounts and gestures even if it is a greeting card always adds that personal touch. This is important to me when I choose the type of brand we use, and choose to stick with. I also like it when brands and companies pay attention to helping others, which is one of the things that speak to who they are.

Awesome Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini and Galaxy Gear For Tech Lovers

I like the visually appealing, lightweight 4.3" qHD display of the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini. This compact phone comfortably fits in our hands and pockets. The beautiful, sleek design of this midrange, budget friendly phone will be enjoyed by everyone who enjoy using the Android platform. The Mini runs on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean operating system and has a 1.7 GHz dual-core processor.

BE SAFE ONLINE: Helpful Tips From TELUS WISE

Currently, there are over 6.8 billion wireless phone subscribers worldwide. By 2014 it is estimated that the number of wireless subscribers will surpass the current global population of 7.1 billion. In Canada, 99% of the population has access to wireless service and 82% of the population has internet access.

Become TELUS WISE about Smartphone and Internet Safety

TELUS WISE stands for Wise Internet and Smartphone Education, which is an educational program about the Internet and Smartphone safety.  The content of TELUS WISE has been developed in partnership with MediaSmarts and other industry experts, as there is a steady growth of smartphone and Internet use by children and teens. As an organization, their motive is to keep our children safe from online criminal activity i.e. financial fraud and child predators.

This TELUS WISE free program is currently open to TELUS business customers, their employees and families. Hopefully it will be open to the public soon.  This program includes...

• In-person training and seminars for parents and anyone wanting to learn how to keep children and teens safe when using the Internet.  These interactive seminars are one hour in length and led by certified TELUS team members at office location(s) across Canada. 
• WISE virtual community offers a wealth of training, tips and tools on Internet and Smartphone safety.

During the December holidays many of you may have stumbled across a letter written by a mom to her 13 year old son that had 18 ground rules of using the cellphone. When I first read the letter, I thought that the letter was well written and thoughtfully said so children can understand it.  Here is a link to the ground rules letter that is re-blogged by TELUS.

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TELUS We Day video contest winners

I was very happy to have attended and be part of We Day 2012 that was held at the Air Canada Centre in October.  During this time TELUS had a video contest that encouraged our youth to say how they could make a positive change to their community by partnering with a local charity.  The winner of the contest was given $20,000 to put this idea into action.  There were many inspirational ideas, however Chloe Noel and Lindsay Rideout won for their idea of expanding the Hope in Shadows program in Vancouver.

Stay connected with Samsung Galaxy Ace II x smartphone

TELUS has launched the Samsung Galaxy Ace II x smartphone just in time for the holidays.  This is a perfect starter device for teens, tweens and parents who want to stay connected with family and friends.   It has a stylish, slim design that I like :)  This phone is modeled after the Samsung Galaxy SIII and is lightweight and has a comfortable grip that fits wonderfully in the hand. 

The phone has got some lovely features such as:
The 4.0 screen is a brilliant display where the images pop out to show clarity, which I think is a perfect size to watch videos, movies and play games when we are in the go especially during the holidays.  We can access social media, use other apps, download books and more through the Google play store.
The 4GB memory is expandable to 32GB with a micro SD card that can store lots of data and pictures.  This phone has a 5MP camera that has a LED flash, I wasn't too happy about the quality of the pictures.
The speaker on the phone is pretty good; it is loud and great for listening to music.
I like the swipe down quick settings menu that gives us access to all the most frequently used controls.  
I like the battery life as it lasts for an entire day with normal use; browsing with data, talking and texting.
This phone is great overall, I would recommend a case as it may be slippery.

At TELUS, the price is at $29/ 3 year term with a minimum $50 monthly rate plan.
There are no activation fees because TELUS has got rid of these fees on their smartphones.
Unlimited talk and family share plans for new and renewing customers.
If you are thinking of getting a family member or friend a phone to stay connected then check out the Samsung Galaxy Ace IIX smartphone.

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Nokia Lumia 610

 
The Nokia Lumia 610 is a sleek stylish smartphone that would be a good first device for young users.  This compact touch screen phone has a 3.7” display screen.  It is powered by the Windows 7.5 operating system.  
This phone is simple to use, the icon has images and words that make it clear what it is for, so first time users can easily figure out how to use it without reading the manual :)  

I enjoyed the styled interface, theme setting i.e. dark/light background and the panel of colours that we can choose for the accent.    
The phone includes features such as 

• Built in Microsoft Office that allows to edit word documents on the go.
• Access to apps, xbox live games, amazon, twitter, foursquare etc
• Built-in 5.0 MP back camera with LED flash

It is comfortable to hold and has a slightly rounded shape in the edges.  

I like the feature of snapping pictures without going to the app by just pressing the button on the side.  The camera takes decent pictures, however I wasn't very pleased with the quality of pictures and video when it is shared via email as it seemed a little washed out.  

While playing games, I didn't find it as smooth as other smartphones in the market.  

I liked the navigation interface, the calendar, messaging, email, web browsing and watching videos on the phone.  We can get needed support and information on the Nokia site i.e. how to setup the many features that the phone offers.
This Nokia Lumia 610 makes a lovely phone just in time for back to school.  If you are interested there are lots of payment plans available at Telus.

All rights reserved on photographs and written content Createwithmom © 2012. Please Ask First