iPhone coming to The Shack: Dallas and NYC this month, nationwide in 2010?
by Ross Miller 
posted Nov 6th 2009 @ 7:52PM
new york city posts
Apple Genius says 30 percent iPhone call drop rate is average in New York
by Donald Melanson posted Sep 30th 2009 @ 12:29PM
To be sure, a certain number of dropped calls are to be expected when you're dealing with the wonders of cellular communication, but some phones do seem to fare worse then others when paired with certain carriers in particularly congested regions. Apparently fed up with such problems in New York, Gizmodo reader Manoj decided to stop by an Apple Store to see if something might be wrong with his iPhone -- this, after apparently being assured by AT&T that everything was all right on its end. After a few tests, the Apple Genius determined that Manoj's phone was dropping 22 percent of its calls, which turns out to actually be "excellent" compared to most iPhone users in the New York area, where a dropped call rate of 30 percent is said to be average -- according to the dude at the store, anyhow. The Genius further went on to confirm that the phone was indeed "fully functional," and that the problem is "consistent with the service provided by AT&T." So, nothing to worry about, folks -- everything is "normal."
[Thanks, Canis]
[Thanks, Canis]
Oh, by the way: August 24, 2009
by Chris Ziegler posted Aug 25th 2009 @ 12:37AM
Here's some of the other stuff that happened in the wide world of mobile for Monday, August 24th, 2009:
- Sony Ericsson is taking its Java runtime downmarket, committing to roll it out to what it's billing the "entry 3G segment." On a completely unrelated note, is it just us, or was the mini-golf game that came on the T610 one of mankind's greatest entertainment achievements of all time?
- It appears that parts of Europe will be receiving a tweaked version of the Samsung B7320, creatively rechristened the B7330. Differences are mainly cosmetic with one critically important material change: the screen's now up to 320 x 320 resolution from the original model's QVGA. German site AreaMobile is quoting a local release in October, but other than that, it's anyone's guess. [Via the::unwired]
- A whole bunch of new 850MHz 3G spectrum is now online in AT&T's San Francisco and New York City networks. 850 does a better job of penetrating buildings than 1900, and if there's one thing the Big Apple has plenty of, it's buildings -- so we'll see if this improves the dropped call situation at all.
- If you have a curious tendency to drop your phone into kiddie pools, throw it at brick walls, and engage in lengthy heart-to-hearts from Antarctica's Base Esperanza, you'll be delighted to know that Sonim's ultra-rugged XP3.20 is now shipping in the US unlocked for $399. [Via Gearlog]
NYC cabbies could have cellphone use blocked while driving... but probably not
by Laura June posted Apr 14th 2009 @ 8:36PM
The Taxi and Limousine Commission of New York City (also known as the TLC) is considering some changes to the way that taxis and their drivers will operate in the future as part of its "Taxicab Passenger Enhancement Program." Among the wild ideas being floated is one that would "block" anyone in the front seat from using a cellphone -- most notably, of course -- the driver. Driving while using a handset is already illegal in New York, but this measure would apparently kill the ability to use a hands-free device as well. The TLC is trying to have an open discussion with New Yorkers on its website about other possible ways to make taxi rides more... enjoyable "in the future." We're betting this one will never happen but hey -- you never know. Our suggestion? Stop acting like we asked you to cart us to the gates of hell when we tell you we need to go to Brooklyn.
[Via WCBS]
[Via WCBS]
T-Mobile announces April 21st "private launch event" in NYC
by Joshua Topolsky posted Apr 9th 2009 @ 12:31PM 
Well well well. Well. What do we have here? Apparently the cats and kittens over at T-Mobile have something special planned on Tuesday, April 21st. We've just gotten a very brief email letting us know that something was going down, but without any other detail. Obviously our gadget-alarms started clanging, and the way we see it we've only got a few things to get excited about. Will we see the launch of Cupcake? Could this be the official US unveiling of the Magic? Or perhaps we'll finally get to see the new Sidekick which just hit the FCC. Look -- anything is possible, but whatever happens, we'll be there. What do you guys think is in store?Emergency broadcast messaging coming to NYC
by Michael Caputo posted Sep 22nd 2007 @ 7:09AM
In a crisis situation, every moment is crucial in saving lives. Starting in early 2008, New York City will pilot a program that will deliver emergency notifications via text messaging alerts. "These messages could contain crucial information about the steam pipe explosion or subway flooding," says COO Paul Klein of Cellcast -- the company that will be providing the solution to the city -- "and these type of alerts can delivered even if wireless traffic had crashed the networks." [Via textually.org]
NYC residents to use cellphones as line of defense
by Michael Caputo posted Jan 25th 2007 @ 8:08AM
The Mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg, has announced a plan to equip the city's 911 centers with the ability to accept cameraphone images from its residents. If you see a dangerous situation, snap a picture, and send it to a 911 operator via MMS or email. Sounds good to us -- but it may not seem as cutting edge as you think. Several months ago we a mighty similar patent, but New York's system has the distinction of being... well, real. We do see a few problems with this: A) Quality of the picture, B) Convenience of taking a picture or placing a call and C) getting the perp to smile for us.[Via Cameraphone Report]
Modeo announcing NYC trial next week
by Chris Ziegler posted Jan 4th 2007 @ 12:30AM
See, that wasn't so bad, now was it? We're guessing a few DVB-H fanboys and girls this side of the Atlantic were miffed at the news Modeo had slipped the go-live date for their trial (or "commercial beta," as they're calling it) in New York City -- but just two short weeks later, everything's ready to rock. A few hundred lucky participants will get hooked up with HTC Foreseers to experience music and video services powered by Modeo's DVB-H network, which GigaOM reports will be officially blessed next week at CES. Without any carriers yet signed to their platform, the folks at Modeo have got to be sweating bullets at this point, especially in light of the fact that Verizon and Sprint have both hopped aboard the MediaFLO bandwagon. Cingular and T-Mobile have yet to finalize their plans for mobile TV, but we'd imagine they'll be keeping a keen eye on Gotham for the next few months.NYC mulling pay-per-use phone lockers for students
by Chris Ziegler posted Jan 2nd 2007 @ 11:38PM
In our formative years we were kept on the straight and narrow with wireless leashes, and we got in touch with our folks the old-fashioned way -- two cans and a string -- and that's the way we liked it. Modern high school students, though, have a decidedly different take on the best way to drop a line, ditching pay phones (or, heaven forbid, the principal's office) in favor of trusty cellphones. Yipes, seems we've got a little hiccup: New York City's public schools have recently started clamping down on its longstanding ban on wireless goodies on school grounds, leaving a healthy percentage of tech-savvy pupils in the lurch. Parents aren't too happy, either, noting that it's the most effective way to keep tabs on lil' Johnny and Susie from afar in the event of an emergency. School officials are responding with the standard arguments, distraction and the threat of cheating, and are coming to the table with a proposal to install lockers outside schools for the sole purpose of housing phones during the school day. Sounds to good to be true, right? A rare case of taxpayer dollars being put to exactly the right use at exactly the right time, you say? Well, there's a catch: thanks to the crushing cost of said lockers, students would likely pay 25-50 cents a day for the privilege of being separated from their technology for a few hours. Needless to say a legal fight seems inevitable, though parents, teachers, and the school board will try to iron things out on the 18th of this month with a little face-to-face time. Of course, they could just give in and make texting a school subject, but we're not really seeing that happen.Modeo slips date for New York trial
by Chris Ziegler posted Dec 18th 2006 @ 8:03PM
The wait for DVB-H-based mobile TV this side of the pond may have just gotten a little longer. A management shakeup at Modeo -- patron saint (along with Hiwire) of American DVB-H -- has hit the company as their search for a carrier partner continues, and its commercial-grade service trial in New York City using HTC's Foreseer appears to be a casualty. Originally scheduled for a Q4 2006 launch, the trial will now begin (knock on wood) in early '07. Between Hiwire and various MediaFLO-based efforts coming down the pike, Modeo's drama may not ultimately mean much to mobile TV's outlook in these parts, but it'd be tragic nonetheless to see one of these guys bite the dust before they even get out of the gate, would it not?[Via Phone Scoop]
Details emerge on Cingular's NFC plans
by Chris Ziegler posted Dec 15th 2006 @ 3:40PM
We'd previously noticed that Cingular was collaborating with Citigroup on some sort of mobile payment system in New York City, though details were pretty slim for the picking at the time; now the carrier has come out with full disclosure on exactly what it is they have up their sleeves. Like its Atlanta trial last year, the New York program involves Nokia handsets fitted with NFC (near-field communication) guts -- though for the sake of the trial participants, we hope Cingular is offering something a little more up-to-date than the lowly 3220 this time around. Unlike Atlanta, however, Cingular has switched up their financial partner from Chase / Visa to Citi / Mastercard, giving users the ability to use their phone for payment anywhere Mastercard's PayPass system is accepted. Parties involved expect the trial to last a total of three to six months, at which point we should all have a better perspective on how folks feel about shedding cash by tapping their cellphones against various surfaces. Of course, Japan seems to like it just fine -- so why not us?
