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Be Careful at Best Buy
December 24, 2007
For those last minute holiday shoppers – beware of Best Buy redirecting you to a website that is not the real bestbuy.com but instead a site for those people in the store. Prices on this website may be higher than on the real Best Buy website.
I have heard of a duplicate or phantom site being developed for the reason of giving competitors bogus information but doing something similar for customers is new to me.
In order to avoid getting on this potentially inflated site while at Best Buy be sure to bring in a print out of prices from your home computer or if you surf from the store be sure your laptop or cell phone does not use the company’s in-store WiFi network and instead use your wireless provider.
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OnStar Shut Down
December 24, 2007
For those cars with analog cellular cell phone OnStar connections you have until February 18, 2008 before your service will stop working. Some who have complained to GM about this problem have received a $500 gift certificate towards the purchase of a new vehicle.
What is amazing to me is the fact the electronics for the cellular connection are hard-wired into vehicles. Today, cell phones are dirt cheap and even come in the disposable variety; can you believe you need to throw away the car because the network was upgraded?
Cars made on or around 2002 upgraded to digital cellular networks and will not be affected by the shut down. About 500,000 OnStar users have cars made prior to this time.
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In-Flight Internet Access Update
December 24, 2007
I think I want internet access when I fly. I really do. Yes, the plane is usually a quiet time to reflect and write compelling content… Still, I can now feel comfortable flying during the business day from the west coast to east because I will not miss anything that is happening. While in the air, I can participate in decisions and stay on top of the latest news without missing anything.JetBlue really kicked off the latest round of stories about in-flight internet access and now it seems many airlines have an internet strategy of one sort or another.
Some which fly over land have base stations and others use satellite.
According to the Wall Street Journal:
JetBlue's LiveTV subsidiary paid the Federal Communications Commission $7 million for wireless spectrum that one test JetBlue aircraft has been using since Dec. 11 to communicate with about 100 cell towers spread across the continental United States. The one-megahertz frequency band allows that aircraft to offer free email and instant-messaging services on laptops and handheld devices through Yahoo Inc. and BlackBerry maker Research In Motion Ltd.
Interestingly many reports said that JetBlue internet access would be available by Blackberry only. The fact the company will support laptops as well is welcome news to those who are Blackberry-challenged.
According to the AP:
AIRCELL -- Delivering high-speed Internet services using a 3-megahertz frequency band licensed from the Federal Communications Commission for $31 million in 2006. Initial service over continental United States, with plans to expand to Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. Service on some flights of AMR Corp.'s American Airlines and Virgin America to begin in 2008. Prices expected at about $10 a flight, though Virgin may offer cheaper, la carte services on seatback computers. Aircell LLC is based in Itasca, Ill.
Notice the phrase “some flights” above.
Now the fun part begins. I already get upset when I am on an American Airlines flight which has no power on it. Some of the older TWA planes didn’t have this capability. Now I need to worry about Internet access as well?The challenge will be thinking you are able to get online when you aren’t. Hopefully the airlines will let passengers know ahead of time whether their flights will be Internet-enabled or not.
Regardless – having internet access on the airplane is a wonderful productivity booster and should make business travelers much more efficient. I am looking forward to blogging from the air.
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The Shrinking Bible
December 24, 2007
If you are a “little’ religious you may appreciate knowing nanotechnology can be used to inscribe the entire Hebrew bible on the head of a pin. Why you may want to do this is yet unclear but it is a really great demonstration of how nanotechnology can achieve something once thought impossible.Although I am sorry to say this technology is not quite ready to be used in your Christmas or Hanukah gifts, it is nonetheless amazing and shows us that Apple’s current music players are bloated compared to what they will look like in the future. :)
Photos Credit: AP.
Photos Credit: AP.
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VoIP Banned on Some Flights
December 24, 2007
Perhaps the best holiday gift for people who enjoy peace and quiet on their flights is an all out ban on VoIP in the sky. The AP is reporting on the sorts of things we may be allowed to do in the sky like view porn or talk.It is too soon to know which airlines will allow what but I am sure there will be extreme pressure on airlines to allow talking if they can monetize it effectively. The question is how to allow talking without disturbing passengers who want quiet.
Will airlines have talking sections like they used to have smoking sections?
Then again, what happens when you are seated in a row that has a baby crying? Is talking more annoying than a baby crying?
As a frequent Metro North train traveler I can sympathize with how annoying some callers can be. I suspect this issue will not go away anytime soon and it will be worth watching.
In addition one imagines the airlines are going to think these issues through very carefully as some travelers won’t travel on an airline that restricts them from talking while in-flight.
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