By David Sims
[email protected]
The news as of your second cup of coffee this morning, and
the music is Billie Holiday’s Lady In
Autumn: The Best Of the Verve Years:
New Yorkers, understandably, have been jumpy ever since the
London subway was bombed by terrorists, so it was probably inevitable that they’d
install some sort of video surveillance system like the one used to identify
the London bombers. MSGI Security Solutions, Inc., a provider
of proprietary security products and services is announcing today that it has
begun to install a subway video
surveillance system as part of a pilot program for the New York City Police
Department.
The program features covert wireless video surveillance
engineered by MSGI to observe criminal activity underground.
Multiple subway locations in the Borough of Manhattan will
be monitored over the course of the next 60 days, based on historical crime
statistics, and the NYPD will also use the new system as a counter-terrorism
tool in high profile areas. MSGI’s secure, covert technology has already been
deployed in three undisclosed subway locations – which has led, company
officials say, to two arrests within the first hour of operation.
…
Not only have the Federal Emergency Management Association
and numerous charity relief organizations learned how to cope with
mega-disasters such as Hurricane Katrina, businesses, especially
telecommunications firms, are picking up a few lessons, as are left-wing
moonbat groups, which have already written press releases blaming President Bush
for everything bad that might happen as a result of Hurricane Rita, leaving
blank spaces for body counts, homeless figures and whether more Hispanics or
African-Americans will be affected.
T-Mobile USA, Inc. has announced that it is
preparing for the potential impact of
Hurricane Rita. The T-Mobile Disaster Recovery Team has established several
“command centers” within close proximity of the areas expected to be hit
hardest -- enabling teams of technicians to mobilize, as soon as conditions
permit, to work to restore service to cell sites that may be affected by the
storm.
In the event of widespread power outages throughout the
Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coast, T-Mobile has more than 10,000 gallons of fuel
accessible and ready-to-roll into the affected areas to power cell site
generators and company repair/transport vehicles, and for other emergency
circumstances. T-Mobile also has on-demand access to thousands of gallons of
additional fuel from suppliers.
To help protect its core network, T-Mobile has fortified its
network switch operations serving the greater Houston market, and continues to
reinforce its switch in New Orleans, which remained operable through Hurricane
Katrina.
Microwave equipment has been trucked into the region to
facilitate data communication from the cell sites to T-Mobile’s network
switches, as backup, in the event T1 fixed line service fails. T-Mobile has
dozens of generators and several Cells-On-Wheels (unlucky acronym there) on
standby to support wireless communications to areas hardest hit by the storm.
...
Qualcomm Incorporated, a developer and
innovator of Code Division Multiple Access and other wireless technologies, is
announcing that its Mobile Station Modem
chipsets will support Philips’ wireless local area network module.
This will offer connectivity to WLAN networks as well as to
existing cellular networks and will feature compatibility with 802.11b and
802.11g protocols on both CDMA2000 and WCDMA (UMTS) networks.
The WLAN product allows mobile handsets to use high-speed
wireless local area networks when available for connections of up to 54 Mbps.
Initially supported on the MSM6550 chipset, according to a product description,
the 802.11b/g-compatible broadband capabilities enabled by Philips’ WLAN module
are scheduled to be commercially available by the end of 2005.
WLAN technology offers support for applications such as voice
over Internet protocol, voice calls with simultaneous data transfer and other
data-intensive applications.
…
Tired of Ikea and The Sharper Image? Oregon Scientific, which
bills itself as a “creator of personal electronics for today’s lifestyles” is hosting a grand opening celebration,
inviting you to “experience how the company’s SmartLiving products meld
innovative technology with fluid design,” according to company officials.
It’s offering six “lifestyle collections” which, company
officials claim, are designed to “create a bridge between people and
technology, helping focus on the enhancement of our daily lives through health,
enjoyment and an understanding of the environment.”
The Portland, Oregon-based company will also be demonstrating
the new StyleFi personal audio line, featuring the dubiously-named iBall, as
well as Music Element, and Music Sphere.
So if you’re around Palo Alto’s Stanford Shopping Center
Pavilion tomorrow from 1 to 3, drop in, tell ‘em First CoffeeSM sent
you.
There will be speakers to “share their views on fashion,
technology, and design,” promised are DailyCandy.com founder Dannielle Romano, Dwell
Magazine president Michela O’Conner Abrams, WIRED Magazine editor Brian Lam. In
addition UltraMarathonMan Dean Karnazes will “share in his unparalleled
experiences of mind and body achievement,” and participate in a book signing.
Unfortunately First CoffeeSM will not be
speaking, but be sure to attend and take in the talking pedometers, waterproof
digital media and Smart clocks.
…
And First CoffeeSM readers in South Africa, cellular network Vodacom is offering BlackBerry Connect for
the Motorola MPx220 and the Sony Ericsson P910i, as well as BlackBerry Built-In
for the Siemens SK65, for the first time in South Africa.
BlackBerry Connect and BlackBerry Built-In enable users of
the Motorola MPx220, Sony Ericsson P910i and Siemens SK65 to use BlackBerry
services operating on the Vodacom network.
…
Nokia has signed a contract for the delivery of the Nokia Connect eRefill to
Chinese mobile operator Jiangxi Mobile Telecommunication Co. Ltd. This
product lets the operator offer account top up via SMS and balance transfer for
its subscribers.
Nokia Connect eRefill lets the operator implement micro
prepaid services for its subscribers, allowing mobile users with tight budgets
to recharge their accounts and call more often. The service will cover the
Jiangxi province.
The contract between Nokia and Jiangxi MCC is the first
delivery of the Connect eRefill solution to the Chinese market. The deal
includes systems integration services as well as servers, software,
comprehensive customization, and Nokia NetAct Network and Service Management
System -related features to which the Connect eRefill solution will be
connected.
…
And kudos to Cisco Systems, Inc., which is announcing the sale of its six-millionth Internet
Protocol phone worldwide, to Westpac bank in Australia.
Over 300,000 of the devices have already been sold in
Australia.
Cisco Australia and New Zealand managing director Ross
Fowler told media and industry analysts at Cisco’s Australia and New Zealand
Networkers event on the Gold Coast today that Westpac bank had taken possession
of the six-millionth Cisco IP phone.
Westpac, which has deployed more than 3000 Cisco 7970G color
phones to date, joins a long list of major global customers, including Bank of
America, Merrill Lynch, Boeing, and Ford Motor Company.
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