Recent Comments:
FCC looking into 911 calls from inactive handsets {Engadget Mobile}
May 2nd 2008 2:30PM Tell that to a battered wife who is trying to get away from an abusive stalker husband. Most cities have programs to get inactive phones into the hands of these women so that their scumbag spouses can't track them down and do them harm.
As for the complaint, perhaps these municipalities should be investing some homeland security grants in tech that can trace these calls instead of spending it on dumb things, as they usually end up doing.
That article was pretty lame quoting 10k 'fraudulent' 911 calls from inactive phones in a 3 month period across Tennessee. So, how many 'fraudulent' calls were there from other sources in that time frame, as well as home many 911 calls in total? Bad reporting.
Study finds high prices, hamstrung players limiting Blu-ray's dominance {Engadget HD}
Apr 30th 2008 9:22AM There really is no good comparison between BD prices coming down and HDTV prices coming down.
Analog tv is going away, so we all know HDTV is here for to stay. Also old analog tvs can't be made anymore, unlike DVD production, which is still in full swing.
Study finds high prices, hamstrung players limiting Blu-ray's dominance {Engadget HD}
Apr 30th 2008 9:08AM I love (read: am always annoyed by) the excuse 'it's cheaper on Amazon'. It was used by the HD camp for the combo discs and now being used here to justify high BD prices. You have to remember that most people still go B&Ms for their purchases. I'm sure you'll find a nice correlation of early adopters also shopping on amazon, but just about everyone else checks the Sunday ads to see how much they have to pay for discs.
Audi gets official with TTS and TT TDI {Autoblog}
Apr 29th 2008 1:52PM I just need an A3 tdi with quattro and I'm good thanks.
Audi announces new A3 will reach U.S. in Fall {Autoblog}
Apr 25th 2008 7:03AM the diesel 2.0 would help that, not to mention get me to buy one if paired with the quattro setup.
AT&T posts killer first quarter, data growth "robust" {Engadget Mobile}
Apr 23rd 2008 11:13AM Hey all, too lazy to google this, but will AT&T let you unlock your phone after X months like T-Mobile (3 months for them)?
That would be about the only thing keeping me with T-mobile, as their reception and data services have been extremely spotty in Indianapolis for the past few months.
Netflix to charge "premium" for renting Blu-ray Discs {Engadget HD}
Apr 22nd 2008 9:05AM Sounds like they're passing along costs and also letting everyone know they're getting squeezed on the prices.
It's my guess that they're not getting much of a deal for bulk blu raypurchases. Unfortunately, forcing Netflix and Blockbuster to charge more for discs won't drive consumers to buy instead of rent as they manufacturers are probably dreaming (while passing the pipe among themselves).
Sorry guys, but most of the people I know that have gone high def (hd, bd, or hd then bd), have all immediately gotten a Netflix or Blockbuster account.
UAW threatens to walk out on Chevy Malibu production {Autoblog}
Apr 19th 2008 9:47AM The rub on that general arguement in the past has been that, in order to build a comparable car to a bmw or honda, it would have to cost several thousand more to make up for the pension and labor burdens.
Anymore though, with the dollar sucking so badly, it's not so much the case. This, of course, is why foreign companies are putting plants in like crazy in the u.s., getting in on the cheap labor, from both the exchange rate, as well as the workers being 'new', so they can hire them in at a base salary.
Analysts predict diesels to make up 20% of U.S. market by 2020 {Autoblog}
Apr 15th 2008 11:34AM We all know diesels are coming, but the pressure to produce more diesel fuel as well as reduce the price of it won't come from us, the average joe car driver. It will come from the trucking industry.
With ethanol jacking up food prices, and new diesel cars helping to jack up transportation prices, something definitely has to give. My money is either on lower taxes for diesel fuel or higher taxes on gasoline. It will probably be the former, but will be done to spur sales.
Once enough people realize what a sham the ethanol kick is, their congressmen/women will be scrambling for the next best way to reduce oil dependency, as well as appeasing the trucking industry.
FCC gives national SMS alert system stamp of approval {Engadget Mobile}
Apr 11th 2008 11:27AM I imagine the messages will be free, since there was a requirement to send them to out of contract phones as well (used for emergency only/battered wife shelter for example)
Those of you not living in the midwest or tornado alley probably wouldn't see the direct value of this. Most homes these days insulate so well that you never hear a warning siren. The best way to reach a mass audience these days is by text. Then you can even alert people driving in the area a dangerous storm is around.
The amber alert is a good tool too.
All of these realy on sending texts to people only in specific cell tower ranges though. Hopefully this system has that kind of specific control.
Overall though, if you look at the big picture, this is yet another reason to have all networks use the same frequencies for phones (like Europe), to make this sort of endeavor less of a nightmare. The upside for us would be the ability to buy your phone, then shop for a provider.
