Tag archive: Bay Area

Maybe being near Silicon Valley has a way of altering one's perspective, but few municipalities have flirted with the idea of offering free Wi-Fi Internet access to its residents more than San Francisco. Google got Wi-Fi up and running in Mountain View, but then demurred on extending the system to San Fransisco, noting they were a search engine company, not an ISP. Then Earthlink—and actual ISP!—took up the cause, only to… Read More

Following a long period of negotiation and debate, the city of San Francisco has inked a deal with Internet service provider Earthlink to provide universal, affordable Wi-Fi Internet access for the city. The deal is one of the most high-profile metropolitan Wi-Fi efforts—and, although unnamed in the agreement, Google apparently has a hand in operating aspects of the service. The deal calls for Earthlink to build a test network with an… Read More

TrafficGauge, a company which designs handheld devices for commuters to get real time traffic information, today said they are unveiling their product to San Francisco Bay Area drivers to help ease commute headaches and make better driving decisions such as choosing an alternate route. The handheld is priced at $79.95 and requires a monthly subscription fee to get the real time traffic information. The wireless TrafficGauge Mobile Traffic… Read More

Goodwill and Dell have announced an innovated computer recycling service in the Bay Area that offers people a easy way to get rid of their old computers without harming the environment.  The Computer Recycling Project is the most comprehensive computer recovery, reuse, and recycling opportunity for the residents of San Francisco. The pilot program offers drop off spots for computers free of charge.  As a public/private… Read More

“The digital video recorder company on Friday will give away 40GB Series 2 recorders to Comcast customers who bring their cable bill and a gift for The Family Giving Tree charity to TiVoheadquarters in Alviso, Calif. The giveaway will last from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., or until they run out of units, and will be limited to one recorder per household. Service fees are not included the giveaway, which is only for first-time TiVo owners. “… Read More

State Sen. Liz Figueroa, a Democrat from the Bay Area city of Fremont, said Thursday that it should be illegal for a company to scan the text of its customers' e-mail correspondence and display relevant advertising–even if customers explicitly agree to the practice in exchange for a gigabyte of storage. “Telling people that their most intimate and private e-mail thoughts to doctors, friends, lovers and family members are… Read More