Category Archives: Local

Caltrain WiMax tests a success!

Intel and Nomad Digital tested WiMAX on Caltrain yesterday, the first step towards rolling out high-speed Internet on the full rail line from Gilroy to San Francisco. The test was successful at 79 mph between Palo Alto and MIlbrae, allowing the network to go live within the next two months. The system uses Sensoria mesh network receivers on the train to provide a WiFi bridge and wireless base stations placed every few miles along the track. Caltrain will offer the wireless service for free, and anyone living or working near the Caltrain line might have a nice fat Internet connection…

San Francisco municipal WiFi is live

MetroFi announced today the deployment of wireless mesh networks at San Francisco’s Civic Center, Ferry Building and Portsmouth Square. I visited all three locations this evening and SF TechConnect, San Francisco’s wireless access grid, is definitely alive and broadcasting. Using the network supposedly currently requires visiting a splash screen and accepting a terms of service document, but I could not establish a connection to any of the nodes. (pictured above are the three network locations plotted on a Google Map. Please open this post in a web browser if you do not see a map) Macworld reports the system…

Friday geek outing

Many geeks are in town for the O’Reilly Where 2.0 conference this Wednesday and Thursday. I’m planning a geek outing for Friday if anyone is staying in the area and would like to see some sights and unique things, leave a comment and I will announce more details soon. We can do some geolocation-specific things like GoCar or Segway tours, visit the Lucas Letterman Digital Arts Center in the Presidio, walk the Golden Gate Bridge, or many other things. I liked my Seattle experience of a group breakfast followed by group excursions. Let’s plan for a 10 a.m. breakfast at…

Bay Area tech employment on the rise

Every day this week I have received an e-mail and phone call from Bay Area technology companies looking for a technical product manager. Some companies I have never heard of, others have a market capitalization in the billions. I would love to say they heard of me through my weblog, but most found me on Monster or some similar service. These companies just signed some big deals, more are coming, and they need to hire people quickly to support the new business. The Bay Area economy is picking up and many companies just can’t hire fast enough. Referral bonuses are…

The Canvas turns off all wall outlets

The Canvas is a café and gallery located on the edge of Golden Gate Park in the Inner Sunset district of San Francisco. It is a nice, bright space with its own parking lot, good food, and interesting people. They also have free wireless Internet access and you will notice many laptops alongside food and drink. On a sunny weekend The Canvas can be crowded, and in the past The Canvas turned off their wireless Internet access to encourage turnover during their peak times. This weekend The Canvas decided to turn off all wall outlets, in what I assume is…

Suspicious package at Embarcadero station

A suspicious business envelope, standard overnight envelope size from on the street police information I could obtain, was found at the Embarcadero MUNI station late morning. By 11:45 a.m. the San Francisco police department had closed Market Street for two blocks from Main Street to Fremont Street as well as half a block to a full block for side streets. Not much known right now, but a lot of office workers are heading out for lunch to find Market Street cordoned off by police tape. Update: Bay City News reports a “white cylindrical container with black end caps, was found…

The Canvas Gallery and Cafe shuts down weekend WiFi

The Canvas Gallery and Cafe, located in San Francisco’s Inner Sunset district, no longer offers its patrons free wireless Internet access on Saturday and Sunday. There are now signs throughout the space to inform patrons of free wireless Internet Monday-Friday “with purchase.” This change in policy happened within the last week, as I was at the café and online last Sunday. I assume the change allows for greater turnover during weekend hours. I know of other businesses who choose not to offer wireless access because of this same turnover concern. Is wireless Internet access another perk reserved for off-peak hours?…

Farallon Islands to San Francisco by kite-board

On Sunday afternoon Steve Gibson, Chip Wasson and Jeff Kafka rode their kite-boards from the Farallon Islands to Crissy Field beach. The 28-mile stretch of ocean is known for strong currents, large swells and one of the highest concentration of great white sharks in the world. The trip took 2 hours, and no sharks were harmed….