Now this is how you get good cell phone service.
A common scene in the Land of the Rising Sun. These antennas are all over the place:
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If San Francisco is the “World Capital of Innovation,” then every city in Japan is also The World Capital of Innovation.
Verizon is bringing it to today’s World Series victory parade on Market Street, lining up trucks like these near Market Street
They’re temporary cell sites, called Cells on Wheels (COWs):
I’ll tell you, I’ve never used Verizon, but I approve of this message:
“Verizon Wireless Network Ready For San Francisco Giants World Series Victory Parade - Parade Attendees Can Take Advantage of Company’s Super-Fast 4G LTE Network
WALNUT CREEK, Calif., Oct. 30, 2012 — When the San Francisco Giants parade thru the city October 31, the Verizon Wireless will be ready to handle the frenzy of calls, cell phone picture and video messages and texts from the one million excited fans expected to attend.
The company has significantly increased capacity on its voice and 4G LTE data network in downtown San Francisco and at San Francisco International Airport (SFO). Verizon Wireless’ network is ready to handle more voice and data traffic than that at the busiest time on a normal day.
“From an emergency management perspective, I really appreciate all the background work Verizon has done to increase network access from cell phones. We view this as a key facet of the larger public safety plan,” said Anne Kronenberg, executive director of the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management.
As part of Verizon Wireless’ preparation for the parade, the company will have temporary cell sites, known as Cells on Wheels (COWs), deployed near the parade route to handle increased network traffic. These sites can process thousands of calls and data transmissions each hour and are designed for use at special events that demand additional network capacity. They will be deployed to downtown locations.
“We have made a significant investment in network improvements in preparation for this major event,” said Russ Preite, region president for Verizon Wireless. “Our customers will be talking, texting, navigating and e-mailing with their wireless devices at a fast pace. We are prepared, as we were with the SF Giants 2012 playoff and World Series home games, to handle more traffic and to provide the reliable, high-quality service our customers expect from Verizon Wireless.”
Verizon Wireless’ network reliability is supported by industry-leading redundancy and maintenance measures, including back-up power at most facilities. For additional reliability, generators are installed at all switching facilities and many cell site locations.
The Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network offers more 4G LTE coverage than all other competitors’ networks combined. The Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network is currently available in 419 markets to more than 250 million people throughout the United States. For more information, please visit www.verizonwireless.com/lte.
Verizon Wireless has invested more than $70 billion since it was formed in 2000 – on average more than $6 billion every year – to increase the coverage and capacity of its premier nationwide network and to add new services.
About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation’s most reliable and largest wireless voice and data network, serving 87.7 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with more than 87,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD). For more information, visit www.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/
WiFi has not replaced these pay phones, not yet anyway.
Hey, remember that State of the City address from that former Mayor / Willie Brown appointee, you know, the one who promised free WiFi for the entire 415?
I do. It was like six years ago. (Hey, how’s that working out? Not well, last time I checked.)
Anywho, we now have a new Mayor / Willie Brown appointee, you know, the one who promised that Twitter would pay for Twitterloin-area WiFi, you know, instead of paying its fair share of taxes.
(Hey, how’s that working out? Nothing so far.)
Anywho, in anticipation, out go the famous pay phones at the corner of 6th and Market:
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Nowadays if you want to make a phone call and you don’t have a cellie, you’ll have to buy a stolen iPhone the next block over.
And maybe, just maybe, we’ll get fee citywide WiFi from the next Mayor / Willie Brown appointee, perhaps around 2020.
On it goes…
Dude, I remember Windows 3.0. And, after that one, I remember Windows 95, 98, 98SE, Me, XP, Vista, and, of course, Seven.
And I’ll tell you, I wasn’t reverse to using any of them.
I even got a Vista box from Dell, even though many people were (and still are) sticking with XP. I didn’t care.
But Windows 8* is a big no-go.
So, say it now, aloud: “I Will Not Buy Windows 8.”
Again: “No Voy a Comprar Windows Ocho.”
Buying Windows 8 is muy prohibidado. (I wrote that it in Spanish because that’s how exotic and not allowed it is.)
Now here’s everything you need to know about W8:
Fear and Loathing and Windows 8 (Or: Why Windows 8 Scares Me — and Should Scare You Too)
Well, maybe that’s a bit too much, but how about these primary conclusions:
1. Windows 8 is not Windows, it’s a new operating system with Windows 7 compatibility tacked onto it.
2. Although Windows 8 looks pretty and is great for tablet-style content consumption, I question its benefits for traditional PC productivity tasks.
3. Big OS transitions like this one traditionally cause users to reconsider their OS decision and potentially switch to something else.
4. Microsoft has worsened the risk that people will migrate away from Windows 8, by disabling some key features of Windows 7, and mishandling the consumer “preview” program.
OK then.
Oh, remember that Farhad Manjoo, that writer who hated the Sunset District so much he just had to move away?
Well, he hates Windows 8 even more than he hates the foggy, foggy Sunset.
OK then.
So here’s what you do, you get a 16 GB, 2TB ZT Systems from the Costco.com (or from Walmart online or something) for like $600. That’ll come with Windows 7 and that’ll last you a good long time. And then you’ll be ready for Windows 8 Plus or Windows 9 or whatever shakes out.
OK then.
*Now maybe they’ll offer W8 (rhymes with wait – get it?) on a phone or a tablet or something what uses a touchscreen and maybe that’ll be OK (depending on the price, of course). But if you want to get something done with a PC, then why not just stick with W7?
I don’t know what you’re supposed to do in the situation.
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I guess you could start a vigil.
Let’s hope it all worked out…
(You know, someday I’ll have to explain why my aging Samsung smartphone is better than your brand-new iPhone 4S, you know the one that has that big “Apple” chip inside that’s made by, um, Samsung? My phone cost $40-something, the sales tax was $40-something, the monthly bill is $40-something (plus San Francisco’s rather high tax scheme, which means I’m paying $50-something per month), I talk as much as I want, I download as much as I want (but no texting, texting is not in my plan, oh well, someday I’ll tell you why that’s sometimes a good thing), I have a bigger, better screen, I have a lighter phone, and before the year is up, I’ll get another brand-new phone. And BTW, what’s the Apple “experience” about? Is it the experience of choosing between the unreliable network (AT&T) and the slow network (Verizon)? Why is it that my phone never drops calls and gets double-digit scores on the same test that you see in the previous link? It’s like 11 Mbps indoors in the Financh. That’s like an order of magnitude faster, right? Not that I care, really, but what am I missing but not paying extra for an iPhone? The phone I have is faster, better, harder, stronger than any iPhone. And, as a bonus, it’s way cheaper. Just saying.)
Sorry iPhone owners, the Only Bay Area Transit App Worth Having isn’t out yet for Appleland, but you Android users should step right up and type “511 transit” into your “Market” icon thingy.
MUNI sucks, of course, but 511 Transit works awesome with MUNI. Try it and you’ll see.
See?
All the deets:
“GPS-Based Trip Planning Available for more than 30 Bay Area Transit Agencies
OAKLAND, Calif., Feb. 22, 2012 – The Bay Area’s 511 traveler information system is now offering its first smartphone app for transit users. The free 511 Transit App is a multiple-agency public transit trip planner using GPS-based location tools for smartphones. Ideal for a daily commute, weekend errand or occasional trip, the app serves both residents and visitors who are planning transit trips within the nine-county region.
“We are pleased to offer this unique and powerful tool for transit riders in the Bay Area,” said Adrienne J. Tissier, chair of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC). “Now you can use one app to plan trips on more than 30 public transit agencies, accessing the most complete coverage for the San Francisco Bay Area.”
The free 511 Transit App can be downloaded through the Android Market (search for: 511 Transit). A version for iPhone 4 will be released soon. The new app provides door-to-door transit trip planning and scheduled departure times for transit routes near your location or from a location you specify. It includes information for 720 routes and more than 23,700 transit stops throughout the region. An interactive, dynamic map shows routes and stops along the way, as well as your current position while on the move. Walking directions to and from stops and fares (including transfers) are also displayed.
“Smartphones and on-the-go trip planning are becoming increasingly common, and 511 is now extending its Bay Area transit planning tools to these faster, more compact platforms,” said Tom Spiekerman, 511 Transit project manager. “Currently, 511 customers plan more than one milliontransit trips per month using the popular website version of the 511 Trip Planner. The new app brings core features of this tool to customers on the go.”
Additional app features include:
– Recently viewed locations and trips are saved automatically, as well as
favorites.
– GPS positioning enables users to set their current location as a
starting point for a trip, or to find nearby stops and transit routes
with scheduled departure times.
– The app incorporates transit agency announcements that may affect a
trip’s itinerary.
511 Transit App customers are able to provide feedback on the new app by clicking on the “Help/Info” button to send an email to the 511 Team.
The new app complements numerous options people already have to access 511 traveler information. Smartphone and other mobile phone users may access many of 511′s most popular features through the mobile 511 site (m.511.org), by calling 511 from any Bay Area phone, or by receiving real-time transit Departure Times texts (SMS). Desktop users can access the information from 511.org.
The 511 Transit App includes data from SF Muni, BART, AC Transit, VTA, SamTrans, Caltrain, Golden Gate Transit, County Connection, Vallejo Transit, LAVTA, Sonoma County Transit, VINE (Napa County) and more than a dozen additional agencies. For a complete list of all transitagencies included in the 511 Transit app, please visit the trip planning page at 511.org.
For more information, please see the 511 Transit App for Android Fact Sheet.
About 511
511 is a one-stop phone and web source for up-to-the-minute Bay Area traffic, transit, rideshare and bicycling information. It’s free of charge and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from anywhere in the nine-county Bay Area. Call 511 or visit 511.org. 511 is managed by a partnership of public agencies led by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, the California Highway Patrol, Public Transit Agencies, and the California Department of Transportation.
SOURCE 511″
But I’ll tell you, I’m paying T-Mobile $118 a month (and that includes a whole bunch of tax) for two Samsung Galaxy smartphones, which have bigger screens, which are lighter, which are better overall than the average Apple iPhone you’ll see about town. And that’s all working out just fine.
AFAIK, I never have network problems. (I have I-need-to-use-WiFi-at-home and I-can’t-get-coverage-in-the-basement-of-the-State-Building issues but I don’t know if that’s T-Mobile’s fault at all, really.)
All right, you go girl:
Make: Kawasaki
Model: 2007 ZX-10 Ninja
Builder: VIP Designs
Paint: Buddha Paint
Swingarm: C&S
Wheels: VIP Cynthia
All the deets from T Mobile:
“Dear T-Mobile Customers:
By now I am sure you have seen media reports that AT&T and Deutsche Telekom (DT) have mutually decided to terminate their agreement for AT&T to acquire T-Mobile USA. This announcement effectively ends the acquisition process launched March 20.
What does this mean for T-Mobile USA customers? Our focus is unchanged: make the latest mobile products and services affordable for everyone.
And there are many reasons to choose T-Mobile as your wireless provider:
Great Value. We’re offering our best plan ever – 2 lines for $49.99 each that includes voice, text and data (including 2GB at full-speed) on each line with a new 2-year agreement. We also now offer a Monthly4G no annual contract plan that gives you unlimited talk, text, and web (including 100MB at full-speed) for $50.
Compelling Products. We offer a great line-up of 4G smartphones. We continue to rapidly expand our selection of amazing and affordable 4G smartphones, tablets and other devices that make mobile internet service easy and affordable. This holiday, we have cutting edge smartphones including the 42 Mbps-capable HTC Amaze™ 4G and the Samsung Galaxy S™ II. In January, we will begin selling the Lumia 710, the first Windows Phone from Nokia for as low as $49.99 after mail-in rebate with a 2-year agreement on a qualifying plan
America’s Largest 4G Network – now faster than ever. Whether you need driving instructions that are fast enough to keep up with your car, or want to stream a full-length movie uninterrupted, our 4G network delivers. We have expanded our 4G coverage to more than 200 million people in 208 markets and doubled speeds for nearly 180 million Americans in 163 markets.
Thank you for the opportunity to serve you, we appreciate your business and we will continue to focus on earning your loyalty every day.
Regards,
Jim Alling
Chief Operations Officer
T-Mobile USA, Inc.”
All right, bon courage, T Mobile!
This is a clear case of distracted walking.
Dorothy with gold slippers on the Red Brick Road:
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