Tag: Tech

Google Teases SF With Promise of Fiber Internet Roll-out

Google Laying Fiber in San Francisco?

The SF Examiner reports that Google will make its initial presentation to the Committee on Information Technology (COIT) regarding its desire to bring ultra high-speed internet access to the city as part of a nationwide trial program. According to Google Project Manager James Kelly:

“We plan to provide fiber to the home service with speeds of up to 1 gigabit per second for at least 50,000 and potentially up to 500,000 people. In selected locations we’ll offer Internet connections up to 100 times faster than many Americans have access to today – and at competitive prices.”

Google will speak to COIT on Thursday morning.

I want to believe. Having said that, some of us remember the whole free city-wide wi-fi debacle, and even past promises of fiber.

(spotted @)

Twitter Cheats for Gavin Newsom, Soon to be CA CZAR

gavin newsom, mayor of San Francisco

Also, Twitter hates Republicans who run for governor in California:

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom is on the suggested user list and has 1.2 million followers. His likely opponent for the Democratic nomination, Attorney General Jerry Brown, has 960,000 followers even though he is not a declared candidate and has posted the fewest tweets of all the gubernatorial hopefuls.

None of the three Republican candidates is on the list, and all have fewer than 5,000 followers.

Hey, here’s a thought: Those people are lower not on the list because they have fewer followers. Oh, wait:

Twitter co-founder Biz Stone said in a March posting on his blog that he and a handful of other company employees make the final choice about who will be featured, a list that has grown to about 500 people.

Ha, Newsom has no excuse for losing now. (That is so not fair.)

The iPhone is Dead, Long Live my iPhone?

Part of me is, like, “Shit I just signed a 2-year contract with AT&T for my new iPhone!” Because as everyone knows, AT&T isn’t a real cellular network. Example: every time there’s the smallest hipster event in Dolores Park (like a warm weekend day), the ability to connect in all of the surrounding Mission District territory, my house included, suffers.

But instead of lamenting the fact that I’m stuck with them, and now there’s a better-performing network with a potential rival to iPhone that I’m barred from for at least 19 more months, I’m gonna instead focus on the possibility that a bunch of disgruntled iPhone users will exodus and free up some bandwidth back here in what is sure to become the smartphone ghetto.

In fact, AT&T, please continue with your horrible performance and customer service. I need all the disgruntled hipsters you can muster, if I’m to have a chance at satisfaction in this life.

Google Street View Blackout

street_view

Take a close look at the image above. The blue highlighted streets are the ones covered by Google Street View. “A” marks the approximate location of my house. You’ll notice that a whole range of surrounding blocks are not highlighted, in addition to an adjacent area to the west. Accordingly, if you try to navigoogle off of Mission Street onto 19th Street towards Capp, or Lexington… well, you can’t do that.
Continue reading Google Street View Blackout