AirTran Airways said today that it will offer buy one, get one free WiFi session on its flights next month.
The airline, which is the only major airline with wireless Internet on all of its planes, will offer the deal from Nov. 1 to Dec. 31. The free session will have to be redeemed by Jan. 31, 2010.
As a retail reporter, I get lots of corny pitches this time of year for Halloween deals and campaigns.
I ignore most of them, but Best Buy actually has an interesting "scary technology" promotion going on right now. The retailer is searching for people's scariest, most outdated technology. The retailer will give a free home theater makeover to the person with the most outdated gear.
The retailer gives a VCR that eats tapes or a screeching dial-up modem as examples.
People can submit photos of their scary technology, along with a short caption describing it, to http://www.scarytechnology.com/EnterTheContest.aspx through Oct. 26. Winners will be announced on Halloween.
The grand prize winner will get a $3,500 Insignia Home Theater System. The first runner-up will get a $1,500 gift card and the second runner up will receive a $1,000 gift card.
Photo courtesy of Getty Images
Executives from the country top’s retail Internet sites are in Baltimore this week for an “e-tail” conference at the new Hilton convention center hotel.
As expected, the theme of the conversation is surviving in an economy where consumers are spending less. But the Internet sites seem to be faring better than bricks and mortars stores, despite the economy.
Seth Adler, of Worldwide Business Research, the group that organizes the convention, said Internet retailing is a bright spot in the otherwise sluggish economy.
U.S. online retail sales are projected to rise 11 percent this year to $156 billion, according to Forrester Research. The growth is a little less than the 13 percent in 2007, but far better than most retailers have seen.
Scott Savitz, president, CEO and co-founder of shoebuy.com, said during the conference that his company expects double digit sales growth this year. Savitz said people are still spending, they’re just being more thoughtful about their choices.
The Internet is good for that because people can comparison shop and read recommendations from other shoppers. They don’t have to make a decision right away and can come back to the site when they’re ready to buy. He said his company offers free shipping and return shipping, a great savings for people watching their cash.
So, what are your Internet shopping habits these days? Do you feel more comfortable shopping online? Do you feel like you can make more thoughtful choices from your computer? Let us know.
I haven't blogged for awhile here at Consuming Interests, but I have an excuse: the dog ate my keyboard.
What? Don't believe that one? Well, I've got one that's even more preposterous: The Baltimore Sun gave me my own blog. <gasp!> 
Since June 1, I've been blogging over at BaltTech, about all things technology and Baltimore and Maryland. I'm looking for stories that highlight the innovation that's going on in Maryland's technology sector. I'm even interested in little geeky trends and feature stories, like this Baltimore guy who took a home server and built it into a working humidor.
Got any ideas, tips or leads? Shoot me an email over at gus.sentementes(at)baltsun(dot)com or Tweet me at www.twitter.com/gussent. Hope you have fun with Liz, Eileen and Michelle here at CI!
Let's keep the conversation going.
Digital converter coupons are available again! If you didn't get one before, you can apply now, and if you were on the waiting list, they're mailing one to you. You also can apply for replacements of expired converter coupons.
Here's the link to check the status of a converter coupon application that has already been submitted.
This time, they may prioritize requests from people who rely on over-the-air signals to watch television who will be affected by the change, unlike those who have cable or satellite television.
You can request two coupons per household, but if you or your relatives live in a nursing home, you need to fill out the converter box application for nursing home residents.
Here's a recap of the converter situation:
Continue reading "Digital converter coupons now available!" »
If you rely on over-the-air signals to watch television, Congress gave you a little more time last month to figure out how you're going to continue to follow your favorite shows after the digital television transition takes place on June 12.
Remember, if you have cable or satellite TV, you don't need a converter. And if you bought your television in 2004 or more recently, you *probably* don't need a converter (here's instructions for confirming whether you have a digital tuner).
Here's some information to help you decide what kind of converter you need to buy.
Consumer Reports offered this link to an FCC Web site that will help you determine how powerful a digital antenna you will need to continue to watch your favorite channels.
Then ...
Continue reading "Digital television transition: Consumer Web Site of the Week" »
Quick! Take a look at the Apple Store today and the new iMac and Mac Pro, as well as updates for Apple's Time Capsule and Airport Extreme. Come back here when you're done for some chatter.
You'll find a bunch of new product updates that just went up for sale this morning. A good day for an impulse buy?
There's a new Mac Mini (still starting at $599) a new selection of iMac desktops (starting at $1,199), and new Mac Pros (starting at $2,499).
I'm interested to check out the new Time Capsule and the new Airport Extreme, both with some new features. (Eye-catcher: Time Capsule will now allow you to set up a "guest network", so guests can access your wi-fi, without having access to devices on your network you want out of their reach.)
For all your uber-geeks, I'm sure David Zeiler, over at the Apple a Day blog, will cover the nuts and bolts of what these new gadgets mean and how they compare to their previous versions.
But for all you impulse buyers out there, what do you think of Apple's latest product roll-out -- which happened a little more quietly than in the past, I think.
Any interesting or exciting upgrades to Apple's offerings of desktop computing and wireless networking?
UPDATE 1: Looking for some other articles covering the launch of new Mac products today? Here are offerings from CNET and Macworld.
UPDATE 2: VentureBeat notes how Apple released news of their new products today with little fanfare. Indeed they did. They link to the two press releases Apple put out, which are here and here.
For more updates, hit the jump:
Introducing a new feature: Don't Waste Your Money, where we will occasionally chronicle the most ridiculous products available for sale. (Snuggie, anyone? Or perhaps you already wear your bathrobe backwards?)
Feel free to send us your suggestions and welcome guest writer Jill Rosen as she considers a new version of a toy that seemed just fine in its original form.
In a queasy economy that has families learning to do without and retailers struggling to appeal to people’s newly practical instincts, one company is swimming obliviously upstream.
The maker of the Rubik’s Cube, one of the most iconic toys of the 80s, is coming out with a "touch" version — a game exactly like the old-school plastic square except instead of twisting it by hand, you move the pieces with a brush of your fingertip, as if you were making an iPhone call.
And instead of it being a stocking-stuffer, the new toy is somehow a near-luxury item.
According to a glowing release from maker Techno Source, Rubik’s TouchCube debuts at the American International Toy Fair this week. The company boasts they’ve had people working on the electronic edition for the last three years "with engineering teams on two different continents." They call it "the dream cube."
Said dream cube features such nifty advances as ...
Continue reading "Don't Waste Your Money: Rubik's TouchCube" »
Free stuff abounds on the Intertubes!
Audible.com offers a free download of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, an offer discovered via Consumerist.
And get a free breakfast at Ikea this weekend (Friday, Jan. 30, Saturday, Jan. 31 and Sun. Feb. 1). The coupon at the bottom of the page is good for a free small breakfast and small coffee until 10:30 a.m. Thanks, FrugalFrank (via MoneySavingMom, via DealBetty)
No worries if you oversleep, though ...
Continue reading "Free! Audible.com, Ikea breakfast, small business software and tools" »
We shared some ways to cut your cell phone bill in an earlier Consumer Web Site of the Week, and reprised some of those ideas on The Sun's Riding Out the Recession page.
Here's another option for folks who are stuck in a contract and don't want to pay an early termination fee of up to $250: give your plan to someone else who agrees to take over the monthly commitment.
It's easier than you might imagine. Each cell service provider has a method of transferring responsibility for a monthly contract to a new user. And several Web sites, including Cellswapper, cellularswap.com and CellTrade USA can facilitate your foisting a plan --- and commitment --- onto other people.
You might even be able to keep your number by porting it over to a new service before switching the contract!
Why would anyone be interested in being on the receiving end of such a deal?
Continue reading "Beat early termination fees on your cell phone contract" »
If you purchased a Dell computer or service after April 1, 2005, here's a heads up: you can apply for your share of a Dell settlement negotiated with 34 states, including Maryland.
Attorneys general from these states contended that Dell and its financial arm told consumers about zero-percent financing and then charged them higher interest rates. In addition, the company didn't adequately tell consumers the terms to apply for rebates or limitations on technical support and repair policies.
The company did not admit wrongdoing, but agreed to pay $1.5 million in restitution to consumers who were affected. It will also pay states to reimburse them for the legal and investigative costs.
Dell will also:
-- tell people that most won't qualify for their best annual percentage rate, and tell them the range they may qualify for;
-- inform customers of the terms of financing, including that it's a revolving credit account with minimum payments just like a credit card;
-- tell customers that telephone trouble-shooting will be required before Dell will send someone for on-site repair under warranty;
-- provide necessary rebate information when the product is delivered;
-- mail rebates within a specified time frame, or 30 days is none is specified.
To apply for restitution:
Continue reading "Naughty Business of the Week: Apply for your share of the Dell Inc. settlement" »
I hope you've already applied for your digital television converter coupon, if you have an older television and rely on over-the-air broadcast signals to watch your favorite shows after Feb. 17.
The federal government has started a waitlist for digital television converter coupons because the program hitting a $1.34 billion funding limit set by Congress, according to the story.
Anyone who applies after Sunday (Jan. 4) won't get a $40 coupon of their own until some of the ones already issue expire without being redeemed, returning some of that cash into the system.
Already, there are about 103,000 requests are on the list, so officials with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, part of the Commerce department, are telling people not to wait.
Here's a refresher on who needs a converter:
Continue reading "DTV: Waitlist for digital television converter coupons" »
After coveting this little device for awhile, I finally jumped in yesterday and bought an 8 gigabyte iPhone, over at the AT&T store at Towson Town Center. In recent weeks, I couldn't help but notice the explosive (hehe) growth in iPhone applications that the tech-geek community has developed for this smartphone, which I really think of as a super-mini computer.
So what finally pushed me over the edge? I have to say, it was news of the iFart Mobile App. Yes, a small 99 cent program that turns a sophisticated computing device into something truly useful -- a veritable fart machine -- is what lured me in. It's been one of the hottest selling apps among thousands currently available for the iPhone. Note to Steve Jobs: fart gags sell. And farting iPhones sell, too.
Just this morning, I managed to trick a co-worker into thinking I had -- how shall I put this? -- serious gastrointestinal issues. The look on her face was priceless, as she tried hard not to laugh while I fictitiously complained about not feeling well. For a brief moment, I had reconnected with my inner 13-year-old. (Interested in an updated review of my iPhone experience, see my post on my first 48 hours with the device.)
Continue reading "iCaved: Why I finally bought an iPhone" »
If you had asked Santa to make the rumors of a $99 iPhone come true, I'm sorry to disappoint you.
Beginning Sunday, more than 2,500 Walmart stores will begin selling iPhones, as anticipated, but at nearly the same price point as AT&T --- $197 for an 8-gigabyte phone, and $297 for a 16-gigabyte phone. Okay, you'll get a 1 percent discount on the Jesus phone, as other bloggers have pointed out.
Either purchases, both equipped with 3G, will still require a two-year contract with AT&T. Prices for individual iPhone 3g service plans start at $70 a month.
Will stocking the iPhone at Walmart get the phone into even more American hands?
Continue reading "Walmart to sell iPhone for basically the same price as everywhere else" »
But the timing was off for these sites, such as Mercata, as they took on too much inventory themselves, and didn't have the technology in place to make it work for consumers. Mercata, for one, closed in 2001 after burning through investments from a venture capital firm backed by Microsoft's co-founder Paul Allen. 
Fast forward seven years, to 2008. This year, there are two new start-ups tackling the group-buying retail model. And both Websites plan to weave maturing social Web applications, such as Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter, to connect online groups to the deals they're offering each day.
The latest one I came across is Salescoop, started by a small group of young twenty-somethings (of course) living in New York City. Hit the jump to learn more about their efforts.
Continue reading "Online Group Buying: The next big thing...again?" »
With the world watching, Sprint Nextel launched its next-generation mobile Internet network in Baltimore, of all places, in late September/early October. It was called XOHM.
Checking my email inbox this morning, I learned that XOHM will soon be no more. (Now don't start hyperventilating yet. Read on.)
Instead, following a multi-billion-dollar deal announced back in May, Sprint finally spun off its XOHM division to Clearwire, a Kirkland, Wash., company whose sole goal is to build out a new wireless data network that Sprint, in part, started work on.
Clearwire said it will replace the XOHM brand name with "Clear" in "the coming months," according to the press release. It said it "expects current XOHM customers will not experience any impact as a result of the transaction, and they will continue to enjoy the current benefits of various notebook computing, portable media and Internet devices, service plans and features."
Here's hoping the transition goes off without a hitch. For all you early adopters in Baltimore who've tried XOHM -- er, soon-to-be Clear -- what are your impressions of it so far?
You know I love my Macbook like crazy, but it was also crazy-expensive compared to other laptops out there. I also know lots of people who are head-over-heels in love with all that is Apple, but we all realize that it can put a dent in the pocket to purchase such in-demand gadgets.
Thanks to ShoppingBlog.com's Black Friday tweet on Twitter for bringing this to our attention, but we're excited to hear that many blogs like AppleInsider are reporting that "Apple is reminding its store employees that they have 'the authority to match the prices of other authorized retailers.'"
Any AppleLover knows that the company rarely ever offers discounts outside of Back To School and Black Friday promotions. But this year, AppleInsider says the company is announcing the price-match plan to employees and even plans on promoting the policy given the current economic situation.
Continue reading "Apple Will Price-Match Other Authorized Dealers for Black Friday" »
How big a geek am I? I can't remember what day it was last week, but I spent half an hour watching the guys from PBS' This Old House talk about the coming digital television transition on Maryland Public Television.
Thinking I already knew everything I needed to know about DTV, I was surprised to find out that you still need an antenna to hook up to the converter box to get digital TV broadcasts. So yay PBS and This Old House dudes for teaching me that important piece of information.
You do know about the DTV transition, right? Come Feb. 17, 2009, broadcast television channels will stop broadcasting on analog airwaves and start broadcasting only in digital.
Continue reading "Testing a Digital Television Converter Box" »
Here are the details from Chris' Fly The World blogspot:
Papa John’s is offering a free medium pizza with any online pizza order for any Facebook user for a limited time this week.It is another free promotion in Facebook to convert users to customers. Papa John’s Pizza, Inc., based in Louisville, Kentucky is one of the largest pizza chains in the U.S. They are trying to use Facebook marketing to lure more customers.
For a limited time, if you are a Facebook user and become a Papa John’s Pizza fan, then Papa John’s will offer a free medium pizza with any online order.
Continue reading "Love Pizza? Love Facebook? Yes? Get a Free Pizza." »
You may have "Googled" the phrase "flu symptoms" the last time you thought you were coming down with the bug. If so, your query probably became part of a vast storehouse of information that Google's philanthropic arm is mining in an effort to identify flu trends as they emerge across the United States.
Google's calling the project/application simply: Google Flu Trends.
The basic thinking behind it is that people who search for certain flu-related keywords and phrases are at the leading edge of a flu outbreak.
Continue reading "Got Flu? Check out Google Flu Trends" »
Anyone looking to get their TV and movie needs through other methods outside of pay TV must be ever so hopeful that more and more choice is coming. Today, Google-owned YouTube and Metro Goldwyn Mayer announced a new partnership that allows the video-sharing website to host some full-length television shows and films from the famous Hollywood studio.
YouTube's new partnership, of course, is an effort to do battle against increasingly popular Hulu.com, which has already created an extensive list of movies and shows available to viewers.
According to this AFP story:
Another channel, youtube.com/impact, will feature clips from action movies such as "Rocky" and "The Magificent Seven" and full-length films such as "Lone Wolf McQuade" and "Bulletproof Monk." YouTube and MGM said in a joint statement that the videos will be free but will contain advertising. They said new channels would be launched "in the near future."
Continue reading "YouTube + MGM = More Full-Length Streaming Movie Options" »
Last week, retail scribe Andrea Walker told you that Tweeter might be going out of business and that Circuit City is closing several locations as it struggles with the poor economy.
So we knew it would only be a matter of time before we'd hear about either electronics store filing for bankruptcy. Little did we know Circuit City would do it this quickly and beat Tweeter to the courthouse.
Here's what Bloomberg said about Circuit City:
Continue reading "Circuit City Files for Bankruptcy, Go use your Gift Card STAT!" »
Never visited Charm City but want to check out our famed Inner Harbor? Curious about a Baltimore neighborhood and want to visit it virtually before taking a house-hunting drive? Traveling through Baltimore and want to see what the Harbor Tunnel looks like, from the inside?
Now you can sit at your computer and use Google's new-for-Baltimore feature in its mapping application, called "Street View." (The image above is a "Street View" of 501 N. Calvert Street, in front of The Baltimore Sun building.) Of course, like most offerings by Google, it's free to use.
The Google team has been rolling out the feature in other U.S. cities and countries for awhile. Why not visit France without spending a dime beyond the cost of your Internet connection? Google just introduced it in Baltimore, Washington D.C. and Seattle two days ago, according to its official map blog. (Thanks to Paul Capestany for noting Google's Baltimore update via his "Tweets" on Twitter.com.)
Continue reading "Glimpse the streets of Baltimore with Google "Street View"" »
Comcast has gotten a lot of flack for its bandwidth limits, but PC World is reporting that AT&T, America's largest Internet service provider, is testing monthly broadband caps in Reno, Nev.
According to PCWorld:
Beginning this month, AT&T will restrict new customers in the affected areas based on their Internet plans. Users with the slowest speed DSL service will be limited to 20GB of bandwidth per month, while users of the fastest plan will receive a cap of 150GB a month. Any data transferred above the limit will be billed at a rate of $1 per gigabyte following a one-month grace period. Existing AT&T customers will not yet be affected but will be added into the test later this year. All existing users will automatically receive the highest cap of 150GB a month.
What does this mean for users? The story quotes published estimates that "the lower-end 20GB/month limit would allow you to download about four HD movies a month before hitting your cap. The higher-end 150GB/month limit, in comparison, would allow for approximately 30 HD movie downloads, while a middle-of-the-road limit such as a 60GB/month scenario would provide bandwidth for 12 such streams."
Continue reading "AT&T Tests Data Caps" »
We have been hammering on pay TV prices lately and it seems there's good reason for it because we're not the only ones wondering why prices keep climbing.
Remember when analog cable customers complained about losing Washington channels that were being moved to digital, and then complained again to the blog here and here about paying more for less? There was a lot of confusion about whether Comcast's channel moves had something to do with the fed's digital TV push coming this February (Comcast says there's no connection). But what readers weren't confused about was feeling angry about how Comcast said that analog subscribers won't have to pay more to upgrade to digital, except that you need a box for each TV you have and each box will cost you about $3.95 each per month.
Then, we had a full-on gripe session about Comcast's announcement that your cable rates were going up starting Nov. 1. At the time, we asked if consumers living in areas that offered competition saw better rates and many of you said no. Well, now, guess who else is wondering why pay TV prices keeping going up and up? That's right, the Federal Communications Commission. Check out the Associated Press story that just moved a couple hours ago:
Continue reading "FCC To Probe Rising Cable Prices" »
First comes love. Then comes marriage. Then comes streaming movies and TV shows right into your home!
I know. What am I, 5-years-old?! And yea yea, it doesn't rhyme. But I've made my point.
The two companies announced a new partnership today that will allow you to view Netflix movies on TiVO boxes with no extra cost other than Netflix's own fees. TiVo customers with a TiVo Series 3, TiVo HD, or TiVo HD XL will be able to do this come December.
Wicked cool, yes? If you remember our previous confab about the upcoming Comcast rate increase, a few of us mentioned getting rid of pay TV altogether. I know my work spouse Gus (who is at home taking care of his new, wee baby girl. Congrats babe!) has been talking about hooking up a computer to his big screen for all his TV needs.
Continue reading "TiVo and Netflix sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G..." »
I told you last week that I visited Comcast's office in White Marsh recently, didn't I? Spokesman Aimee Metrick was kind enough to give me a tour of the cable giants's customer service center, its dispatch center and the room full of storage servers where all the digital, video and voice signals converge to shoot back to customers all over.
Pretty impressive, I gotta say. It's quite an operation, but the thing that got my attention were the new programs and technology that Comcast has put in place to improve customer service.
Readers of this blog know that Comcast monitors the Internet to address consumer complaints and questions. Comcast has reached out to several readers who commented on this site. Comcast also uses social networking sites like Twitter to keep in touch with customers.
In continuing with this improving customer service theme, Comcast has dedicated a network operations center (they call it the NOC, sounds like "knock") that serves as a help desk for its field techs. In the past, field techs equipped with radios had to wait in line when dialing up the call center, just like Comcast customers. That meant Joe Schmo in the Field had to wait to tell dispatch whether he was missing equipment, in need of a converter box, finished with a job, in need of another tech's assistance or what have you. If the call was dropped (which can happen as anyone who has ever called a call center knows), the tech would have to call back and wait in line again. It was very inefficient, which lengthened service times unnecessarily.
Continue reading "Comcast Cares? Has customer service improved?" »
Hey, all you Windows users out there, it's time to patch Windows again because there's a nasty little bug waiting to wreck havoc on your computer.
Michael Horowitz at CNet News' Defensive Computing says:
Susan Bradley, of windowssecrets.com, recommends that you immediately install a patch that Microsoft has issued to protect yourself from a remote code exploit that could spread as rapidly as 2003's MSBlaster worm.If you use a Windows computer connected to a network, a newly discovered bug makes it possible for a bad guy to wreak havoc on the computer without your doing anything. The most vulnerable versions of Windows are XP, 2000 and Server 2003. Vista and Server 2008 are also vulnerable, but not as badly. Microsoft considers the bug important enough to issue the patch immediately rather than waiting for their normal once-a-month patch Tuesday.
Continue reading "Patch Windows ASAP" »
Raise your hand if you've gotten an e-card in your e-mail Inbox, only to delete it because you're worried it could contain malicious software or other virus just waiting to muck up your computer?
I don't really know of anyone who sends e-cards, do you? I don't think I've ever opened one for fear of what might be in it.
Now if those e-greeting cards aren't bad enough, I just saw this U.S. News & World Report story online about a Web-based system that allows you to electronically tell people that they may have contracted a sexually-transmitted disease.
No. I am not kidding. Yes. It's true. Read about the you've-possibly-been-exposed-to-an-STD-e-card story here.
Imagine opening up a card that says:
Continue reading "An E-card You Might Not Want to See in Your InBox" »
OK. So have I mentioned to you how absent-minded I am? I forget my cell phone all the time. I forget birthdays. I pour a cup of coffee to bring to work and forget it on the counter at home. I forget a lot of things. So when the writer's strike put all my TV shows on hiatus last season, I forgot to watch TV... or, at least follow the TV shows I used to like to watch.
So I'm finding that now that the new season has started, I've completely forgotten when Monk was on, or when to watch Battlestar Galatica, or when to catch The Closer on TV. Or sometimes I do remember and I'm stuck trying to decide between a TV show and something on Maryland Public Television (yes, I'm low-tech. I don't have a digital recorder). I almost always pick MPT.
Given my dilemma, I gotta say, I'm digging Fancast.com, Comcast's next generation entertainment site which is free for anyone to use.
Continue reading "Miss Wonder Woman and The Love Boat? Missed Heroes? Find it on Fancast" »
I cruised around Baltimore this past weekend with a new Lenovo laptop (the ThinkPad X310), which I used in my first independent test of Sprint's new XOHM network. (See part 1 from earlier today.) Here are some more of my impressions of Sprint's new way to get online in Charm City:
Sunday, 10:20 a.m., Lake Montebello, Northeast Baltimore: One of my favorite spots in the city. You'll see people jogging, biking, rollerblading, waxing their cars and playing musical instruments here on a nice day. I pulled out a camper chair, sat under a tree, and fired up the Lenovo. It picked up the WiMAX signal at 70 percent strength, which offered very good performance.
The speed test results: 3.246 megabits per second on the download; 1.906 megabits on the upload -- more than enough to watch high-quality online video. The strong connection passed my own video test: I was able to watch a show on Hulu.com and another on Amazon.com, plus do additional Web surfing. Mobile broadband while chillin' at Lake Montebello? Very cool.
Sunday, 11:10 a.m., the Pagoda at Patterson Park, Southeast Baltimore: While sitting on the steps of the pagoda, I used the Lenovo to pick up several public Wi-Fi networks, plus XOHM -- a connection that was again at 70 percent strength. Speedtest.net showed me how fast the connection moved: 3.068 megabits per second on the download, 2.112 megabits on the download.
Huh? The upload speed got faster? That's interesting.
This past weekend, I got my first solo taste of Baltimore's new way to surf the Internet wirelessly -- with a Lenovo laptop that incorporates the new technology. The new network is called XOHM, and it's Sprint's wireless broadband network built specifically for heavy-duty Web surfing using WiMAX technology. No, it's not a new cellphone network -- rather, it's more like a massive Wi-Fi hotspot covering most of Baltimore.
To use the network, you can either buy a $79.99 modem for your home or a $59.99 ExpressCard to plug in to your laptop. But if you're looking to buy a new laptop soon, there's a chance you might end up purchasing one that's WiMAX-ready. Lenovo introduced five laptops last week that come with the new WiMAX chipset built in, and they sent us one to test. I played around with the ThinkPad X301, which is selling at a base price of $2,556.
I took it to some of my usual haunts around Baltimore, from the Waverly Farmer's Market to Patterson Park to Federal Hill. We're the first city in the country to get a taste of this next-generation network. So how does it rate? Hit the jump for my review.
Continue reading "WiMAX Watch: Our first test and review of WiMAX enabled Lenovo laptop" »
I had two questions on my mind this week as Gus and I were covering XOHM Sprint Nextel's WiMAX launch at the Bond Street Wharf in Fells Point on Wednesday.
The first question was something that had our friend, Mario Armstrong, that digital dynamo who hosts tech shows on NPR and WYPR, scratching his head. And the second question is something my work spouse and resident tech guru, Gus, has been trying to find the answer for since we heard about WiMAX, which is like one big "hotspot" for wireless Internet connectivity.
Now, we realize the actual XOHM WiMAX launch happened on Sept. 29. But c'mon. The official launch on Wednesday was quite a big to-do. Filled with lots of top executives from Sprint, Nokia, Intel, Samsung and the like. They rented a $1.6 million house, water taxis, Kali's Court and more to show off their baby. It was a big event that attracted press from across the country. Lots of ubertechgeek eyeballs all trained on our great, big little city, Baltimore.
And yet --- Mario, please correct me if I am wrong since I didn't have time to hang around after the press conference -- I didn't spot a single high level politician anywhere in sight to support the event. Odd? Methinks so.
Continue reading "WiMAX Watch: Wherefore Art Thou, Apple?" »
I don't really have a post to go with this. But I just thought this photo of a dude on a WiMAX equipped Segway (taken by my good friend and ultra-talented photographer Jed) was wicked cool.
Talk about being connected on the go. Imagine tooling around town on one of those with the Internet at your fingertips.
If I sound a little taken with the technology, it's because there were some really interesting things going on at XOHM Sprint Nextel's official WiMAX launch yesterday in Fells Point, as Gus told you yesterday.
Jed says the Segway guy is Keshab Lamichhane of Intel. The guy taking video of him is Matt Hamblen of the good folks over at Computerworld.
(Sun Photographer Jed Kirschbaum)
[That there photo to the right is a Lenovo X300. It's WiMAX ready. We meant to tell you yesterday about the WiMAX gadgets galore available to consumers now, but there weren't enough hours in the day. Without further ado, I'm turning this post over to Gus to tell you more. -- DD]
For now in Baltimore, there have been only two ways to get a taste of Sprint's new XOHM network -- a broadband system that's basically turning the city into one big "hotspot" for wireless Internet connectivity. You could buy a little plug-in device for your laptop at $59.99 -- or a home modem for $79.99 -- and then pick a service plan that suits you over at www.xohm.com.
But, at Sprint's big launch party for XOHM yesterday in Fells Point, we learned of several new laptops that will hit the market that will come with the WiMAX chipset already embedded inside. This means, if you buy one of these laptops from Lenovo, Acer, Asus or Toshiba, you won't need to also purchase the $59.99 plug-in device to tap into the Sprint's XOHM in Baltimore.
Continue reading "WiMAX Watch: New WiMAX Laptops Ready for Baltimore" »
I thought you might appreciate some insight as to how Comcast is servicing their long-time internet customers. Here's an online chat I had with one of their rep's as I tried to learn how I could monitor my bandwidth usage and avoid being penalized for exceeding their new limit. To summarize - they do not provide customers with access to their current measurements of our bandwidth usage, yet they will penalize us if we exceed it.
Continue reading "Consumer Gripe: Comcast won't tell me what my bandwidth use is" »
Continue reading "WiMAX Watch: WiMAX on the Inner Harbor" »
Continue reading "WiMAX Watch: Cutting the Cord" »
Live report from our roaming tech guru Gus -- DD:
Sprint's throwing a party right now in Fells Point, where they're formally kicking off the launch of their new wireless broadband network in Baltimore, known as XOHM. They're using it as an opportunity to announce some new products from computer makers, which consumers will be able to buy. For now, consumers with laptops can only tap the XOHM network in Baltimore by buying a plug-in device that catches the wireless signal.
But today, Lenovo, a major computer maker, is announcing that they'll "immediately" be selling a new lineup of their Thinkpad and Notebook PCs that are WiMAX-enabled. (Need a refresher in WiMAX? Here's the gist: Sprint's XOHM network is based on WiMAX technology, which -- in the simplest way of thinking about it -- is expected to cover the Baltimore area with wireless Internet connectivity. Sorta like the "hotspot" at your local coffee shop, but bigger.)
Continue reading "WiMAX Watch: Lenovo Adds WiMAX Capability to its Laptops" »
Someone's going to start complaining about how I've always got Gus working overtime to bring you news (like his wife! I promise no more late assignments.)
But he was at it again last night in Fells Point where Sprint's Xohm is launching WiMAX. Here's Gus' report:
Don't be fooled by the low-powered three-wheeled vehicles that Sprint's using to demonstrate their new high-speed broadband network, called XOHM. The carts are carrying demo wireless gadgets that the Sprint folks will let you play with down in Fells Point. And these gadgets actually move pretty fast on the Internet.
Sprint will be in the area of Bond Street Wharf till at least Wednesday, when they'll have a big bash that officially launches their new wireless Internet network in Baltimore.
Continue reading "WiMAX Watch: Go, Go Gadget" »
Remember when we told you we liked 1st Mariner Bank's new customer-friendly Web site and a nifty feature it offered to talk to customer service reps any day of the week online? Well, I'm even more jazzed about Provident Bank's new Web site, too.
It doesn't have 7-day access to a rep online like 1st Mariner's, but it's far more customer friendly than it used to be.
Spanish speaking customers will be able to find more information on the Web site on Provident's products and services. There are financial calculators to help you save for retirement, college, a car, or budget. You can learn how to apply for a loan by phone, in person or online.
Continue reading "Battle of the new local banking Web sites" »
A late, live post from roving tech reporter Gus, out and about on a Thursday night to keep you informed:
You, too, may one day own a paper shredder or a security tape dispenser designed by the National Security Agency -- our super-secret government agency known more for its ability to spy than to design office products.
Every year, I learned tonight at the Greater Baltimore Technology Council's TechNite , the NSA's super-smart folks are constantly taking out patents on the new things they create. Sometimes, these new things involve highly classified technology that never sees the light of day in the consumer market. Other times, the NSA folks are willing to share their unclassified patented creations with the public.
Luckily for us, their shredder and security tape dispenser may one day be a part of our lives.
Continue reading "GB Tech Co. Tech Nite: A Shredder, Tape Dispenser Designed By The NSA?" »
We've been getting questions every day on XOHM and WiMAX, so Gus is trying to tackle one at a time. Reader Still Have Questions sent us this one the other day:
Can you explain how this is different from other broadband that is out there (those Verizon cards that you can purchase for your laptop, for example) and also how it differs from the trend of municipalities trying to provide free wi-fi around the city. Obviously, I am not very technically minded, so I am just looking for a basic explanation. Especially because this Sprint service seems to be really expensive.
The Answer:
Continue reading "WiMAX Watch: Is Sprint's new technology right for you?" »
Thanks to Mario Armstrong , I learned yesterday around 5:30 p.m. that Computer Harbor, a computer store in Federal Hill, is one of the first places in Baltimore to offer the little plug-in device and the home modem that you can use to connect to Sprint's new WiMAX network. Here's a map of the store's location: (ed note: a Gus post, dear readers -- DD)
I called the store and spoke with Wendell Williams, a store manager, and he said they just got the devices in stock Monday. (Wow! Sprint launched the service the same day in Baltimore. Now that's some logistics planning. I thought it would be a little while longer before they went on sale in Charm City.) Williams said he's sure other stores in the area have them, he just didn't know which ones.)
Continue reading "WiMAX Watch: Buying the Devices That Bring You WiMAX" »
In a recent interview, I posed some questions to Barry West, Sprint Nextel's chief technology officer (and head of their mobile wireless broadband network called XOHM about how their new network will handle heavy-duty Internet applications. As an example, we talked about how Skype , a popular free/cheap Internet-based telephone application would work on their new WiMAX network, which launched in Baltimore on Monday. (ed note: again, a la Gus -- DD)
Imagine having a little smart phone that you don't have to buy a cell phone plan for -- and you can just use Skype? What would that mean for Sprint's new XOHM network? Could it handle all that voice and video traffic? (You can do video chats via Skype, too.)
So West talked a little about how Sprint will manage high-bandwith users, and how the network they've built will emphasize dedicating their resources to making sure that video and audio is transmitted clearly. But, there's a little catch. If high-bandwith users (i.e. Skype, the company) want their applications to run super-smooth, they might need to pay Sprint a little bit more money to guarantee limited interruptions. Of course, many companies will end up passing such costs on down to the consumer.
Continue reading "WiMAX Watch: Listen to Sprint CTO talk about high-bandwidth users" »
I spotted this van yesterday on N. Calvert Street, in downtown Baltimore, just south of the city Circuit Courthouse. Sprint and Intel have tricked out vans that can be seen spotted around the city in their marketing push to promote Sprint's new XOHM network, which is a next-generation wireless broadband network. (ed note: a la Gus -- DD)
The network will support high-speed broadband access for desktop computers, laptops and other wireless devices that will start to hit the market in coming months. Intel is making the WiMAX chip that will soon be embedded in computers. Intel is just one of several companies that will be making WiMAX chips, which we expect to start turning up embedded in a lot of different electronic gadgets, not just computers.
Reader Bob asked this question yesterday:
Gus, I'd like to know about the security issues involved in WiMax. I think it's a great idea for fun stuff like web surfing, downloading videos, audio, etc, but what about those of us who conduct financial transactions (banking and buying things online with credit cards) over the internet. I've been doing this for over 10 years now and I NEVER use a wireless connection, even with encryption, for these transactions. A hard wired connection is a must for for me for security purposes. Any information you can provide regarding this issue while the trial is in town would be much appreciated.
Continue reading "WiMAX Watch: Security questions asked and answered" »
Just in case you think we're making a big to-do over nothing, get a load of just a miniscule fraction of the WiMax-is-here stories that hit the (cyber)pavement today, besides Gus' WiMax story, of course:
Here's the Associated Press' version on XOHM and WiMax.
InformationWeek picked up Gus' WiMax story and said: "The Baltimore launch is expected to be an important test bed for Sprint's planned partnership with Clearwire, which has been deploying fixed WiMax in various locations in the United States and globally. The new company will be called Clearwire, Sprint noted, adding that the combined company plans a nationwide WiMax network."
USA Today's WiMax story says: If Sprint can prove its WiMax case, consumers could win big, says Shahid Khan, a senior partner at IBB Consulting: "They'll have better services and better devices at better prices."
Here is InfoWorld's take on how well WiMax worked in a month-long test run.
The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) also says: Baltimore usually isn't considered a technology mecca. But many people in Silicon Valley, and other high-tech centers, will be watching closely to see what happens after Sprint Nextel Corp. flips the switch on a new wireless network Monday.
Engadget is asking readers how the WiMax launch is going in Baltimore.
See that, Baltimore? Doesn't that make you feel special? We're so geeky, we're cool.
Sprint Nextel Corp.today opened up its long-anticipated new wireless broadband network for public use here in Baltimore. They're calling it XOHM. The company says it'll be a fast, wireless way for people to surf the Web in the Baltimore area. Sprint's goal is to make the city one big "hotspot" -- much like what you'd find at your local coffee shop, but bigger. And faster. (ed note: This is all Gus, folks. Check out his Sprint launches WiMax in Baltimore story that ran today. -- DD)
You're probably wondering: how do I get a taste of it? And, just as important, is the pricing right for me?
If you were hoping for some instant gratification today, it ain't likely to happen -- unless you're one of several lucky "testers" in the Baltimore market. In the past several weeks, Sprint's given an unknown number of free computers to these testers and is relying on them for early feedback. (Sorry -- no more free computers left, a Sprint spokesman told me last week. The tester program was "oversubscribed," he said. I bet!)
Continue reading "WiMAX Watch: XOHM Open For Business Today in Baltimore" »
I've been secretly hoping Gus, my work spouse and new media tech whiz, would share his vast knowledge with the blog gang (because, really, I can't get him to stop telling me stuff at work). But, I've never outright asked him to do it formally for Consuming Interests because he's a busy, busy man.
And yet, all that psychic nudging must have worked because all on his own, Gus volunteered to head up WiMax Watch, a new category we're launching today to tell you about the very cool new thing that Sprint is doing right here in our cool little city.
I'm stoked about WiMax Watch so here's hoping you will be, too. I'm turning this post over to Gus now:
Tech geeks from all over the world will be focused next week on Baltimore, where Sprint is expected to announce the debut of their new wireless broadband network by Tuesday.
That's right, folks: It seems Baltimore's first in line for the roll-out of Sprint's XOHM network. Not New York City. Not Chicago. Not San Francisco. Good ol' Charm City will be the one to kick the tires of Sprint's new "fourth generation" (4G) wireless broadband network, which the company says is built specifically for heavy-duty wireless Web surfing.
Continue reading "WiMax Watch: Just Days Away From Citywide Hotspot" »
We know the regular baseball season is over, but find out in my Consuming Interests column on Sunday whether Major League Baseball's MLB-TV hit a dinger or struck out when I tossed them a customer complaint about his inability to watch his beloved Yankees online.
La Liz is tackling what seems to be a never-ending construction project in the Tuscany-Canterbury neighborhood in her Watchdog column this Sunday. Residents wondering if there is a finish date in sight will be well-served by checking out what Liz found out.
Good news, too, Excellent Eileen will return next week. We hope she's had an enjoyable rest because we've missed her 'round here.
(AFP/Getty Images)
OK. So I forgot to tell you yesterday that the Google's T-Mobile G1 phone launched.
It costs $179.
For that price, service contract not included, the NYTime's says you get a "large color touch screen that slides out to expose a full keyboard, as well as a 3-megapixel camera. The phone’s software provides an Internet browser and easy access to many of Google’s services, including search, Gmail and YouTube. Although several applications come preloaded on the phone, the G1 is also designed to encourage third-party developers to create programs to run on it."
It will be available here in the U.S. on Oct. 22.
Continue reading "Anyone excited by the Google phone launch?" »
iKaput.com calls itself the "Easiest iPod Repair Service Available."
The BBB of Utah says no, not so much. Not if your idea of easy is actually getting in touch with someone from the company, actually getting your iPod fixed, or even getting it returned to you unfixed, the BBB says.
In the last nine months, the BBB of Utah said more than 80 complaints were received from consumers from 32 states and Puerto Rico. Some alleged that the iPod they sent to iKaput.com’s address in Pleasant Grove, Utah, for repair was not returned, some said an iPod that was not theirs was returned or the company did not respond to their concerns at all.
Here are the excuses the company used when consumers contatced the company to complain, the BBB said:
The company is restructuring. There was a death in the family. A staff member stole a number of iPods.
Continue reading "iKaput's repair job on iPods rates an iBleh from BBB" »
Remember the good old days when you'd eat just any old thing without worrying about what you were popping into your mouth? Ah. Ignorance was bliss, or so we thought until we realized what all that fat, salt, trans fat and calories we were ingesting was doing to our bodies.
How many of you out there read food labels more carefully now?
How many of you buy food based on whether it's organic, or trans fat-free, or natural? I'm betting a lot more people read food labels and worry more about where their food comes from than we used to.
Anyhoo, the Food and Drug Administration issued draft guidelines last week for approving genetically engineered (GE), sometimes referred to as genetically modified (GM), produced food.
As the FDA press release on GE food explains:
Genetic engineering generally refers to the use of recombinant DNA (rDNA) techniques to introduce new characteristics or traits into an organism. When scientists splice together pieces of DNA and introduce a spliced DNA segment into an organism to give the organism new properties, it's called rDNA technology. The spliced piece of DNA is called the rDNA construct. A GE animal is one that contains an rDNA construct intended to give the animal new characteristics or traits.
Continue reading "Food for thought: Frankenanimals" »
Can't remember who played whom in your favorite movies or classic TV shows?
Now IMDB.com --- often the quickest source to settle a dispute that arises in Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon --- has provided more than 6,000 free full-length movies and television shows in their entirety on its Web site, according to an announcement by owner Amazon.com.
The films include independent shorts and classic films, courtesy of CBS, Hulu, Sony Pictures Television and over 500 independent filmmakers. You do have to watch advertising beforehand, and you don't get links to embed content in your own site like YouTube offers.
You'll also be able to see previews before they air on regular television ...Continue reading "Watch TV and movies for free on IMDB.com" »
So electronics retailer Best Buy is making a purchase of its own: the file-sharing service Napster, which started as a peer-to-peer sharing program but now has 700,000 subscribers who pay a monthly fee to download songs, according to the Associated Press.Best Buy's purchase of Napster, for about $127 million, gives the store inroads into the mobile music marketplace (say that three times fast). They already work with Rhapsody, but Napster's got better name recognition.
According to the story, Napster hadn't been doing so well recently, because consumers seem enamored with Apple's iTunes.
The purchase still has to meet regulatory approval and is expected to be finalized by the end of the year.(photo: Associated Press)
Thanks to Reader Chuck for this bit of interesting news from unstrung.com:
Soon you'll be able to find yourself -- and local businesses -- on mobile WiMax, but only in Baltimore to begin with. (See Sprint Announces Geobrowsing for XOHM Mobile Internet.)
Sprint Nextel Corp. (NYSE: S - message board) today unveiled one of the first services that will be available on its XOHM mobile WiMax network: A location service that will pinpoint local businesses, restaurants, and "points of interest" for mobile users with WiMax-cards for their laptops. The third-largest cellular carrier in the U.S. is calling the application Geobrowsing and says at least some of the capabilities will be available when it goes commercial this September in Baltimore.
Lots of anticipation over the launch of Juggernaut Google's open source Web browser, Chrome, today.
Here's CNet.com's take on it yesterday:
The Web site for Google's new open-source Chrome browser is slowly waking up. As I first began writing this post, there was a logo, a single screenshot (below), a link to a broken video, and a non-functioning download link. The page now redirects to Google.com, though.
The company is hosting a press conference at its Mountain View, Calif., headquarters Tuesday at 11 a.m. PDT. I will be there and will live blog. Sign up for a reminder in the box at right, or just show up on Webware.com.
So I was talking to my Work Spouse Gus (the Rising Sun and cop reporter extraordinaire) and he said he's been having trouble getting his Netflix movies lately.
I don't use Netflix (I used to use the other DVD delivery, which rhymes with Flockmuster, but canceled them when they raised the prices on me. Now I just visit their stores occasionally to rent a movie) and I've been buried up to my ears trying to finish my Sunday and Tuesday columns, so I have to confess I wasn't aware of the problems.
But apparently, the 3-day Netflix glitch is fixed now, according to the AP. The outage held up shipments for about a third of the company's 8.4 million subscribers.
Netflix won't say what caused the problem, but half of Netflix's distribution centers were down, according to this story from appscout.com.
According to the story:
Continue reading "Netflix DVD shipments might be late" »
Tired of voice mail hell?
Barbara Weltman, who writes about taxes and small businesses, e-mailed this tip today: Try the Web site Gethuman.
The site gives you phone numbers for more than 1,000 companies and advice on how to reach a human on the other end.
I tried some out and they worked. For instance, I called the Chevron Texaco Credit number. Gethuman advises that no matter what the voice mail prompt suggests, just hit 0. I pressed zero in response to about a half-dozen Chevron commands - including one asking for my Social Security number. But sure enough, hitting zero put me through to a person.
Now if only Gethuman would provide advice on how to reach a real person at government agencies. Plenty of people would love to talk to an IRS staffer about the whereabouts of their tax rebates.
Anyway, try it out and let us know what you think.
So you were worried about genetically engineered food. Or maybe you were worried about cloned food? But were you even aware of nanofoods?
I'll 'fess up. I know that nanotechnology is a field of applied science that is based on controlling matter on an atomic and molecular scale. I've known that nanotechnology is being used in products like clothing, cosmetics and disinfectants, but it never occurred to me that it could be used for food, too. I'm only just catching up on this so it's news to me. But this Reuters story on nanofoods says:
Nanotechnology involves the design and manipulation of materials on molecular scales, smaller than the width of a human hair and invisible to the naked eye. Companies using nanotechnology say it can enhance the flavor or nutritional effectiveness of food.
U.S. health officials generally prefer not to place warning labels on products unless there are clear reasons for caution or concern. But consumer advocates say uncertainty over health consequences alone is sufficient cause to justify identifying nano-foods.
Now I can barely walk and chew gum at the same time so I'm kind of fascinated by the recent news that the American College of Emergency Physicians is worried about a dangerous rise in injuries and deaths related to sending text messages at inappropriate times, such as while walking, driving, biking and rollerblading.
“It’s tragic,” said Linda Lawrence, president of the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), who noted that her colleagues across the country are anecdotally reporting cases, “among teens and young adults, in particular, who are arriving in emergency departments with serious and sometimes fatal injuries because they were not paying attention while texting.”
“We see this every day, since we are [in] downtown Chicago, with lots of people walking around,” said James Adams, professor and chair of the department of emergency medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University. “People are texting and they trip and fall on their faces – usually people in their 20s. We see a lot of face, chin, mouth [and] eye injuries from falls.”
Even worse, they said, are injuries resulting from texting and colliding with bikers, rollerbladers and others.
Now before you laugh at the image of people falling while texting (I know. It made me giggle a little, too.), the emergency docs said that the injuries can be deadly.
Continue reading "Text messaging is hazardous to your health :)" »
Do you have an old computer lying around? An old phone? The older version of the iPhone? Don't know what to do with all those gadgets?
Here's where Gazelle comes in. Gazelle, which launched Monday, will give you cash for your gadgets.
Here's how PC Magazine says Gazelle works:
Visitors to the site will be asked to type in their product's specs, answer a few questions about its condition and whether you have accessories like chargers, adapters or earpieces. Gazelle will then give you in instant quote. If you accept, the company will send you a pre-paid envelope or box, which you use to ship them your item.
Continue reading "CWSotW: Gazelle gives you cash for electronics" »
Never did I think I would have to call Apple out for failing its public, but I know you've been reading my esteemed colleague, David Zeiler and his Apple A Day blog, which has been chronicling the mishaps surrounding the iPhone 3G launch.
We told you on launch day that PC Magazine was reporting glitches in activating accounts for iPhone owners and then David wrote about the iPhone/MobileMe disaster, and the fact that MobileMe users couldn't access e-mail for days.
What a mess, right?
Continue reading "Apple lets down its adoring public" »
If you're wondering how Cuil, the new search engine launched today stacks up against giant Google, check out the forum on slashdot, the news for nerds Web site.
I'm rather skeptical to believe that Cuil "claims to index three times as many Web pages as Google." Plus, in a search on Cuil for "The Baltimore Sun," it returned 119,047 results with some nifty images attached. Google found more than 1.8 million.
I'm definitely all for more options, but it will probably take Cuil some time to catch up to Google. It's only been a day so let's be patient and give Cuil a chance.
I'm going to expect a LOT more tomorrow.... heh... just kidding.
Reader Laura is wondering if anyone else has had problems parking in city garages run by Central Parking?
I used to use a parking garage in Baltimore City run by Central Parking. For convenience sake (because I never carry cash), I used one of the garages that accepts credit cards. Only used it once in a while because I telecommute.
Then, months ago, I stopped altogether because of the price of gas. I take the light rail.
Two weeks ago, as I prepared to go on vacation, I checked my bank account. Central Parking Baltimore had hit my acount 5 times, all in one day, the day before. I called to dispute the charges with the bank. The original Customer Service person was so dumb she said, "Well, you must have parked there, I see you used your card in between trips to the garage."
First of all, who would make five trips in and out of a city garage at 9 bucks a pop each time? Secondly, I asked her, did you get the part about the garage being in Baltimore and those 'in-between' charges I actually made at the grocery store, etc., being in Annapolis? The next rep was a little brighter, saw the disparities and disputed the charges.
But those of you who use Central Parking, beware. They apparently store your credit card info. I can only guess that a worker figured out a scam to charge my card a number of times and 'refund' cash to themselves.
You gotta watch. all the time....
Excellent point, Laura. Anyone else notice shenanigans with city garage parking?
Here's one for the "D'Oh!" file.
CNet.com reported that for the second time, AT&T mistakenly published a notice on its Web site telling Apple iPhone users that they would get free Wi-Fi access to the wireless carrier's 17,000-plus hotspots around the country.
Once tech bloggers picked up on it Friday morning (after it was discovered that a notice had been posted on AT&T's Web site and stayed up there til about 8:30 a.m.), the notice was removed by 9:30 a.m., CNet reported. The notice said:
"AT&T knows Wi-Fi is hot, and free Wi-Fi even hotter, which is why we are proud to offer iPhone customers free access to the nation's largest Wi-Fi hot-spot network with more than 17,000 hot spots, including Starbucks. Now users can relax and access music, e-mail, and Web browsing services with their favorite blend in hand from the comfort of their favorite location."
Turns out, it's not true, though. AT&T posted it by mistake.
Continue reading "AT&T teases iPhone customers again" »
Dan Thanh alluded earlier to the fact that Comcast monitors the Internet, looking for disgruntled customers.
The Sun ran an Associated Press story in its business section a few months ago about the phenomenon, which the Boston Globe reprised last week in an article about companies using Twitter to keep tabs on what customers say about them --- particularly those who have technical difficulties.
Twitter defines itself as a quick way to tell lots of people what you are doing, at any given moment. You can either log onto the site to send a message, or a "tweet," or text- or instant-message it into the system.
So how do you use Twitter to contact Comcast?
Continue reading "Got a Comcast complaint? Try Twitter" »
There's trouble afoot in the wonderful land of Apple, dear readers.
In a chat I had with PC Magazine Editor in Chief Lance Ulanoff, he said that they've heard word on the street that activations for the iPhone are slow, taking 45 minutes in some cases.
Could that be due to the long lines of people looking to buy one or could it be some technical glitches?
Fellow blogger and Fabu Guru of Dating Maryann , confirmed that there are some problems for activation, and shared her own experience today with upgrading her iPhone:
Continue reading "iPhone 3G drama" »
OK OK OK, I know the Apple iPhone 3G hits stores today. You'd have to be living under a rock not to know, right?
I don't own an iPhone. I'm not sure I want to own an iPhone, especially since I'm pretty happy with my cell phone provider right now (and it's not AT&T). But I do know those of you out there who want to rush out and buy one of these pretty babies are wondering if it's worth the $200 to $600 for the actual handset and then another $70 or so for the monthly service fee.
Well, since I don't own one and I'm not planning on owning one, I thought you might want to hear what some reviewers thought of the iPhone 3G:
(By the way, those are people camped outside New York waiting to buy the 3G.)
Continue reading "Apple iPhone 3G, should you buy it?" »
Computerworld reported this week that Dell Inc. will charge customers up to $50 for factory-installed Windows XP on some PCs after Wednesday, June 18.
For those out there who aren't crazy about Vista, you're going to have to pay up if you want to install the older XP on your new computer.
Computerworld says, "Buyers of the low-priced Vostro line of desktops and notebooks will pay $20 to $50 more for Windows XP Professional installed as a 'downgrade' from Windows Vista Business or Vista Ultimate than they would for Vista only."
Check out the story for more details.
This week's Cheap Trick Thursday will be inspired by Kevin Martin, the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission.
Martin recently lead a hearing on the early termination fees charged by mobile phone service providers and made some remarks that really deserve some applause.
According to his prepared statement, Martin noted in his remarks that cell phone early termination fees, which can range from $150 to $225, are "a significant sum for a subscriber to pay who is dissatisfied with the quality of service. In practice, it can lock people into a service they really want to leave."
"I believe early termination fees can be a legitimate means of recovering legitimate costs," he said. "But they shouldn’t be abused."
Here's more:
"The hallmark of a free market is the ability of consumers to choose from a variety of services and service providers. I am concerned that early termination fees are being used not as a means of recovering legitimate costs but as a means of locking consumers into a service provider. Early termination fees shouldn’t function as a hindrance to consumers’ ability to choose, or switch to, the service or provider they want."
Right now there are a bunch of class action lawsuits on early termination fees on the state level but the chairman said not all consumers benefit from class action suits and developing 50 different sets of regulations isn't good for consumers or for business.
Martin proposed five changes to the current system that make my heart go aflutter:
Continue reading "Cheap Trick: send us your cell phone saving tips" »
Yes, everything has a catch. But Starbucks' new offer of free Wi-Fi has so many restrictions that it's really annoying, if not just wrong.
Starting this week, the company is giving away free Internet access, thanks to a new agreement with AT&T.
Well, not really a lot of access. It's only two hours a day. Consecutive hours, even.
And it's making this offer to very special people: its customers!
You have to buy a $5 Starbucks gift card first.
Did I say customers? I meant regular customers. How are they going to ensure you stay a regular customer?
Don't wait until it's too late to take precautions to safeguard your computers and other electronic items from storm damage.
After the tornado watch and other foul weather yesterday, Tech Whiz Mike Himowitz has a very timely story today about protecting against power surges and other potential power mishaps.
According to him, you don't need to spend much to insure your hardware --- and the precious data stored within --- stays functioning through many a surge caused by weather or even the cycling of appliances within your home.
Surge protectors start at $8 and go way up from there, but just make sure you look for a few basic characteristics before you invest:
Continue reading "Storm-proof your electronics" »
Have you ever accidentally given someone a $5 when you meant to hand them a $1?
That's what I was thinking about while working on this story about blind people and those with limited vision saying the paper money we now use puts them at a disadvantage.
I talked to Eric Bridges of the American Council of the Blind about how this affects his life:
"... he has to trust store clerks and others to identify his bills for him. He then folds them in different ways to distinguish different denominations in his wallet.
'We rely upon the kindness of strangers and the truthfulness of strangers to indicate to us what denominations they are handing back to us,' he said."
More than 180 countries incorporate accessibility features into their paper currency, whether it's intentionally or by accident. Some of the accommodations can be as simple as colors to help distinguish different bills (check out a gallery of world money here).
Continue reading "Paper money: unfair to the blind" »
A show of hands, please. How many of you out there Google? If you have a question, do you head straight for Google? Before you head on a date with someone new, do you look to Google to dish all the dirt you might need to know? When you research a company or products online, do you Google?
If you answered yes to those questions, Microsoft wants you to cut it out.
But just in case you don't want to listen to what Bill Gates wants or doesn't want you to do, Microsoft wants to try to convince you to give someone else (like, hm, maybe Microsoft?) a chance by offering you rebates for finding and buying products using its search engine.
Continue reading "Search and buy online for rebates, Microsoft says" »
Got camping gear but little time to hit the trails? A drill or a chafing dish that live in your attic or a prom dress that rarely sees the time of day, or books you're too embarrassed to showcase on your shelves?
Activists for living an uncluttered lifestyle have long advocated that people reduce their inventory of stuff by selling it. Frugal-minded folks understand they can trade stuff they don't want for stuff they do.
Online services such as eBay can facilitate such sales, but there are some other good options as well. One friend told me she sold her formal dresses to The Zone, a Mount Vernon consignment store, and often checks the selection at similar stores like Plato's Closet in Towson.
Another friend scours her bookshelves for titles to trade on paperbackswap.com. Enter the ISBN number on the back and earn credits toward books that you actually want. Then, print out the mailer and send off books you don't need.
Now here's another variation on this theme.
Zilok.com wants to help you rent items you own but perhaps use infrequently to someone who needs it --- but doesn't want it forever.
Continue reading "Earn/save money: sell, rent or trade your stuff?" »
Although they use it for research, few people are turning to the Internet when it's time to buy items like music or cell phones, according to a study released by the Pew Internet & American Life Project.
Only 22 percent of music buyers and 12 percent of cell phone purchasers bought online, the survey found.
You might think the survey was skewed along generational lines, but not so.
A new Harris Interactive survey shows that while 7 out of 10 people know that the format war is over and that Sony's Blu-ray beat Toshiba's HD-DVD, only 9 percent of non-Blu-ray player owners are planning on buying one.
This InformationWeek story cracked me up:
Harris found that nearly nine in 10 people own a standard DVD player, but fewer than one in 10 reported owning devices available today for playing HD content, namely, HD DVD or Blu-ray disc players, Sony PlayStation 3, and the external HD DVD player for Microsoft's Xbox 360. These numbers are surprising, given that more than a third of consumers overall report owning an HDTV.
Continue reading "New survey say consumers snubbing Blu-Ray" »
Some people love radio-frequency identification technology, also known as RFIDs --- or more accurately, they love what the little antennae-and-chip combos can do: speed through toll lanes, enter their cars without turning a key or pay for a purchase by waving a card rather than swiping it.
Others shun RFID because they don't want to leave electronic tracks in their wake or fear that the methods of encoding data leaves them vulnerable. As more manufacturers and retailers use the tags to automatically follow their inventory from the loading dock onto store shelves, we're bound to encounter more RFID in our day-to-day lives in less-than-visible places.
While this has created a cottage industry for metal-lined wallets, you could take the DIY approach with aluminum foil --- or even an Altoids tin. Some people even go a step farther than experts advise and try to destroy the RFID tags in their credit cards or their passports (check out the directions here and here and here).
But remember: tampering your passport is literally a federal offense, punishable by a jail and fines. And if you're really worried about RFID, it might be easier just to request a tag-free card than to manhandle the one you have.
Don't know whether your card is RFID-enabled in the first place?
Data breaches are increasingly making headlines these days, thanks to "breach notification" laws that many states now have on the books.
Here in Maryland, the law requires businesses alert consumers when their personal information --- names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, credit card numbers or other identifiers --- has been compromised by a lost backup tape, theft of a laptop or hard drive or the inadvertent posting of a file on a Web site.
Sometimes the breaches arise due to human error or deliberate action, such as the hacking of an online store or the incident at LendingTree.com I wrote about in today's paper. More than 56,000 Maryland consumers got letters from the company stating that former employees shared passwords for LendingTree's consumer database --- loaded with their names, social security with three mortgage brokerages.
Consumer advocates such as Jeannine Kenney of the Consumers Union have said that such laws even the playing field for businesses because everyone has to 'fess up when there's been a problem. And because the incidents generate negative publicity, it creates incentive for companies to do a better job safeguarding your info.
"The reputational black eye could cost some future business, as well as the financial burden of notification,” she said.
The identity theft program of the Maryland Attorney General's office now lists on its Web site the businesses that have reported security breaches. Take a look at the 67 incidents since the law took effect in January and click the link above to read copies of the letters the companies sent about the incidents:
Continue reading "Who's careless with your information?" »
So for the last few weeks, I've been getting a weird e-mail every week from some guy I don't think I know, saying, "Hi, I looked for you on Reunion.com, the largest people search service -- but you weren't there."
The e-mail then directed me to click on a link to see who had been searching for me.
First of all, I didn't really remember anyone by this guy's particular name. Second, I'm incredibly suspicious of weird e-mails asking me to click on links.
So, of course, I just routinely delete weird e-mails for fear of bugs, scams and other possible nefarious schemes. Turns out I was smart to do so. According to our sister paper, The LATimes, the e-mail is part of Reunion.com's misguided and super-annoying attempt to sign up more members.
Continue reading "Annoying reunion e-mails" »
Stories today and earlier this week about a security breach at The Dental Network, a CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield dental HMO, caused concern for some readers who are current or former plan members who worried their information might have been compromised.
The business accidentally posted names, addresses, dates of birth and Social Security numbers of 75,000 members on its Web site for two weeks last month. Under state law that went into effect in January, companies are required to notify consumers if their data has been disclosed.
Some people who did NOT receive letters from The Dental Network have contacted me as well as the Identity Theft Program of the state attorney general's office asking if they, too, were affected.
Did you hear the news? The Justice Department cleared the way today for Sirius Satellite Radio to buy out rival XM Satellite Radio for $5 billion.
The JD figures the deal will not likely hurt competition or consumers because the two companies compete not just with each other but also with other forms of radio and entertainment.
The two companies also said the merger will save hundreds of millions of dollars in operating costs, which will trickle down to ultimately benefit customers.
Seriously, stuff is cheap these days.
If you don't believe me, check out Peter Y. Hong's article in the LA Times, where he points out that lower production costs have kept the price of consumer goods so low that they have not changed since the 1970s.
But while prices have remained the same or decreased, so have our wages, when adjusted for inflation, he says.
It doesn't help that our tastes have changed. Americans like their houses bigger these days, and so they cost more to build, furnish and heat. We spend more on gasoline because we drive more powerful cars, he says in a follow-up interview on Marketplace.
Sure, technology has improved --- and labor costs diminished, since more things are manufactured outside the United States --- so items like VCRs and washing machines cost less to produce. But the things we care about cost more.
Remember when we told you that Circuit City was extending its return policy on HD DVD players?
Now Best Buy has stepped up to the plate with an offer of its own. The company is giving people who bought HD DVD players at its stores before Feb. 23 a $50 gift card.
"Now that the format war is over, we hope these gift cards will reassure our customers that we will help them make a smooth transition into the right technology for their needs,” said Brian J. Dunn, president and chief operating officer for Best Buy, in a news release.
The retailer will mail cards out to people who are members of the Best Buy Reward Zone program, customers who purchased extended warranties or who bought their players online. They should arrive by May 1, according to the release.
Remember when we told you compact fluorescent lights won't kill you? We're still sticking to that story, BUT ace weatherman and science writer extraordinaire Frank Roylance had a really good story today about the hazards behind these popular energy-saving bulbs.
While it's still true that CFLs contain an average of 5 milligrams of mercry -- Frank says, that's about a speck that would barely cover the tip of a pen -- disposal of the bulbs can be hazardous if they break. And if enough people, we're talking the millions who have converted to CFLs from the old incandescents, just toss them in the trash then that's a whole lot of hazardous mercury in our landfills... which could eventually seep into the earth.
When you put it that way, it does make you think twice about CFLs. Yes, they're still great energy savers. But seriously, you have to be careful with CFLs when you're getting rid of them. As Frank's story says, the country needs to come up with better disposal methods for CFLs.
Here's how to do your part to protect yourself and the environment:
Continue reading "Fluorescent lights might kill you? Part II" »
Imagine using a presumably sterile Band-Aid to cover up a cut that instead infects you with flesh-eating germs.
That's kind of like what happened to the new owners of some digital picture frames this Christmas, according to this San Francisco Chronicle article. They tore the wrapping off their gifts, plugged them into their computers and loaded their systems with viruses that stole passwords and tried to disable antivirus software.
The Associated Press reports that TomToms, video iPods and other consumer electronics have also come pre-loaded with malware.
It's not necessarily part of an organized scheme to gather your personal information, according to the AP story. More likely a worker at one of the Chinese factories plugged a tainted device of their own into a computer used to test one of these new products, and the viruses spread.
However, the story describes this as another symptom of poor security and low standards --- just like lead in children's toys or contaminants in toothpaste --- stemming from the undying quest for lower prices.
So what's a consumer to do?
... if you bought it there within the last three months, that is.
Rumors circulated last week on technology and consumer blogs that Circuit City would offer store credit for the price of HD DVD players purchased there within 90 days.
The leading maker of HD DVD players, Toshiba, announced last month that they ceded the fight high-definition DVD fight to Blu-Ray, a format pushed by Sony, Panasonic and other manufacturers.
Circuit City spokeswoman Jackie Foreman said ...
I'm sort of old-fashioned about some things so when my brothers bought a Nintendo Wii for their kids last year, I thought, "Oh great. Those kids are never going to read or play outside. They'll just sit like zombies indoors while their little thumbs do all the moving."
As you can see, I'm so out of touch. Video games have changed a lot since I was a kid... not that my family ever had video games since my dad frowned on it and we were too poor to buy a system anyway.
Anyway, as I was watching my nephews box, bowl and golf on a Wii the other day, both boys broke quite a sweat. Their little heads were soaked from jumping, swinging, and running in place. They were having fun and getting a little bit of a workout. I have to say, I was impressed.
Even more impressive was an announcement from Nintendo last week that it would ship a new product on May 19 in the U.S. called Wii Fit that comes with a weight-and-motion sensing device to measure users' shifting weight to walk them through exercise routines.
If you're one of those people stubbornly avoiding e-tickets when you fly, brace yourself because come June 1, you'll have to say adios to paper tickets for good!
When the International Air Transport Association announced about four years ago that it would phase out paper tickets, only 18 percent of flyers world-wide were using electronic tickets. These days, e-ticket users make up 93 percent of flyers.
That's quite a transformation.
Airlines want to make the switch because, according to this Herald Tribune story, "Replacing paper tickets, and the elaborate global system that processed them, with electronic ticketing will save airlines $3 billion annually on the roughly 400 million tickets sold outside of the United States alone."
In the U.S., the move to e-tickets has been even more rapid.
Continue reading "Bye Bye Paper Tickets" »
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