Disqus - Latest Comments for franparker

Re: Use Your Superpowers

BambisMusings — Wed, 24 Jan 2018 11:45:57 -0000

Wonderful devotion! Thanks for the encouragement this morning.

Re: iPad Mini 7-in rumors: Price, release date, features

BambisMusings — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 11:45:02 -0000

I guess we won't see Corning Willow on the iPad Mini, huh? There's apparently plenty already available on the Corning manufacturing floor.

But Gorilla Glass 2/II will be very cool too.

Re: AT&T’s Limited Data: Should You Care? Vote in Our Poll

BambisMusings — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 18:59:08 -0000

Another great place where things get changed mid stream by them and you have no recourse.

Re: AT&T’s Limited Data: Should You Care? Vote in Our Poll

BambisMusings — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 11:20:43 -0000

Good question on the 3G MicroCell.

Re: AT&T’s Limited Data: Should You Care? Vote in Our Poll

BambisMusings — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 11:00:35 -0000

Don't forget that some folks don't have a broadband choice other than using a usb dongle for cellular wireless broadband, or tethering their phone.

Re: AT&T’s Limited Data: Should You Care? Vote in Our Poll

BambisMusings — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 10:32:07 -0000

When AT&T, Verizon, etc., can sell unlimited bandwidth on a one to one basis through an intermediary to companies for $149 to over $200 a month depending on whether it is in contact, or depending on the contact length, you know it's not really about the bandwidth is it? Oh, and this is a stationary system point to point, btw. And they charge you anytime it has to be moved. So no mobility here even though it's cellular.

Now I mean secure end to end connections for stores and businesses. And the provider company requires that you let them pull the money every month direct from your account if you only have less than 10 'locations.' They do say you can't stream video 24/7 .. but they also say they won't allow whatever you are doing to 'interfere' with the 'network' ...

I really don't think they have a 'real' bandwidth issue if they can sell these types of deals to companies/corporations all while crying bandwidth poor to normal users.

More like an issue with wanting to leave bandwidth allocated to make them so much more on 2-3 yr contracts with companies or even more on companies that pay month to month -- where they can make unreasonable demands by promising secure connections required by governments for businesses' credit card transaction requirements.

And we all know there are companies that will only be using it for their 'secure' connections for their cash registers but paying for 'unlimited'. While others use it in their offices for normal business use Internet. Oh, and did I mention these connections are at up to 1.5MBps.

And I know this because I looked into it. The situation wasn't reasonable for normal users, but for companies that can guarantee that no one using it will be streaming video 24/7, it would work well. But their demands were totally unreasonable and their guarantees 'iffy' if they perceive your usage is mucking up the network, and you can't even resell it even though you are paying that much. Course they do 'manage' the connection 24/7 for theirs and your benefit.

So you have two companies (carrier and provider of this service working hand in hand) breathing down your neck about bandwidth...no thanks.

Re: AT&T’s Limited Data: Should You Care? Vote in Our Poll

BambisMusings — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 10:26:46 -0000

Koolaid...

Re: AT&T’s Limited Data: Should You Care? Vote in Our Poll

BambisMusings — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 09:47:42 -0000

yep...it's crap all right...

Re: AT&T’s Limited Data: Should You Care? Vote in Our Poll

BambisMusings — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 09:45:56 -0000

You are so right! They really are way out of step...especially since they are trying to use their cellular wireless as the only way to get 'broadband' in rural areas rather than lay cable. So why charge us so much if we come from an area with NO WIRED alternative!!!

Why charge so much for ANY user, but especially to those in areas where they have an effective monopoly on any viable 'broadband' alternatives.

The ironic thing is, Verizon does a great job at providing that bandwidth via the cellular broadband ... but heaven help you if you go over! They, to date, have done a much better job than AT&T in the data area. AT&T doesn't even offer 3G in our area so it's Verizon Wireless or nothing of any real value ....

We can't even get an iPhone/iPad here to quibble over price of their data packages...

Re: AT&T’s Limited Data: Should You Care? Vote in Our Poll

BambisMusings — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 07:39:52 -0000

Excellent point and question.

When I first saw this, comparing it to what I had on Verizon Wireless (which sucks) but the only game in town BTW, I thought it would be better than what I currently have. But anytime you have a shrinking data width for a set rate and outrageous overage fees, it takes you back to the 1980s per minute charges.

Carriers have been trying to get back there for soooo long. Plans on both Verizon Wireless and AT&T are crappy deals for consumers.

It's is totally unfair to the consumer but what do they care.

Just like Verizon Wireless has me over a barrel (in our tiny town in Virginia where they are the only viable game in town for anything that even remotely acts like broadband for a small business owner), AT&T has iPhone/iPad owners over a barrel too due to exclusivity of product.

Was reading about a guy who had already ordered and the iPad was already on its way so he couldn't cancel and by the time he gets it in the mail and activates it, he will be beyond the unbelievably short span of time to say no. Seems to me he really still could cancel when it comes in, but the point is, that he ordered when it was one thing, and will be held to this crappy alternative plan?

Where's the FCC/FTC when you need them on these unreasonable plans?

Re: AT&T’s Limited Data: Should You Care? Vote in Our Poll

BambisMusings — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 01:20:52 -0000

This is just so wrong on so many levels. I would definitely complain loudly!

Re: AT&T’s Limited Data: Should You Care? Vote in Our Poll

BambisMusings — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 21:04:03 -0000

So true! And that will happen a lot faster than anyone wants to admit!

Re: AT&T’s Limited Data: Should You Care? Vote in Our Poll

BambisMusings — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 21:02:57 -0000

BTW: I am not saying I like this plan or any rentware plan that eats at you by the 'minute', 'megabyte', 'gigabyte' ... it's just compared to what I am living with, it sounds better considerably better than paying $250/mo for 1GB overage on a 25 CENTS per Megabyte plan like Verizon does unless you get another device.

Re: AT&T’s Limited Data: Should You Care? Vote in Our Poll

BambisMusings — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 20:34:37 -0000

First, the basics: The new un-unlimited data plans offers options of 200 MB for $15 a month and 2 GB for $25 a month. If 2 GB ain't enough, you can tack an extra $10 to your bill for every extra gig.

Wouldn't mind something like that from Verizon actually.

Paying Verizon $120/mo plus taxes/fees for two devices providing a TOTAL of 10GB/mo now (and if we go over it's 25 CENTS PER MEGABYTE!) with no way to get more AT A MORE REASONABLE (I can't believe I am saying that!) unless we go ANOTHER $60/mo with a THIRD USB wireless mobile device FOR A TOTAL OF $180/MO!!! ... it is outrageous in an area where there are NO ALTERNATIVES for real, well, close to real broadband, at all -- IE., wired BROADBAND where people pay $65/mo for all you can eat bandwidth.

On this wireless plan from AT&T, it would be, $105/mo for 10GB/mo, and if I needed more I could actually get it for $10/GB. Not the best one could hope for (especially in an area where there are no alternatives), but hey ... try our Verizon plan...

Re: EtherPad Blog: EtherPad is Back Online Until Open Sourced

BambisMusings — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 13:32:18 -0000

LOL! Well, then, much thanks to the EtherPad and Wave Teams for doing the right thing, as well as Google as a whole. :-)

Re: EtherPad Blog: EtherPad is Back Online Until Open Sourced

BambisMusings — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 11:37:26 -0000

Excellent point cdibona! Google has done a great thing today and I for one am very pleased with Google's 180 and they did it very quickly. They are to be commended.

Sometimes it's not easy being a 'do no evil' corporation and it is great that when one facet of the corporation messes up with that, another facet steps in -- reads reality and makes it right.

Re: EtherPad Blog: EtherPad is Back Online Until Open Sourced

BambisMusings — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 10:55:57 -0000

What great news! EtherPad users get a reprieve, Google gets to use EtherPad on Google Wave and the Opensource community gains a new feather in its cap!

Sounds like a win win all around!

Re: Town of Dendron Water System Upgrade - Stimulus.Virginia.org

BambisMusings — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 11:25:49 -0000

Water is a vital part of any community. It is sad that a new water system would require having a baseload 1.5MW coal fired power plant towering over our little rural town with not only little over 300 souls, but among them children and the Surry County School system only 3 miles away (health officials have said children shouldn't be within 30 miles of a coal fired plant!), as well as the sick and elderly.

Let's see, on the one hand we have a promise of a new water system provided by ODEC versus on the other hand, having to live with the health, air, water and other issues associated with living near (and I mean most of us within the Town of Dendron would live 0.6 - 1 mile) of the coal plant. And to bring it down to real numbers, a Hampton Roads newspaper, The Daily Press, put it this way:

"No to coal in Surry (DailPress.com)

Old Dominion Electric Cooperative, which is seeking approval for a massive, coal-burning power plant in Surry County, serves fewer than 300,000 homes in Virginia. Those homes need a reliable source of power, but this plant would exact an environmental cost far out of scale to the number of people who would benefit.

Carbon dioxide: By the company’s public projections, the plant would discharge 14.6 million tons a year into the air. To put that in scale, based on EPA numbers, it’s equivalent to the annual output of 2.5 million average passenger cars.

• Mercury: ODEC’s projections say the plant would discharge at least 100 pounds of mercury. Many lakes, streams and rivers are already contaminated by dissipated mercury, and the more the state tests, the more warnings it issues about eating fish from contaminated waters, because mercury causes neurological damage and retardation. The Blackwater River in Surry and Isle of Wight is already contaminated.

• NOX emissions: Nitrogen oxide emissions are a major source of smog and haze, air pollution and acid rain. The plant would put 3,000 tons into the air yearly.

• Health effects: Human bodies pay the price for “clean coal.” The coal plant would mean more asthma attacks, more chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, more heart attacks, more deaths.

More at:
http://www.dailypress.com/n...

Please consider Upgrading Julie's proprosal. Thank you. Help us have clean, healthy water without depending on having to deal with the dangers of living close to a coal plant and destroying the rural and historical aspects of the area.