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SF Cab Riders Can Now Surf the Internet

Posted by Roblimo on from the something-to-do-at-long-red-lights dept.

Ant sent in this SF Chronicle story about Yahoo equipping 10 San Francisco cabs with laptops and radio modems as an ad gimmick. I plan to add this feature to my limo pretty soon - and I'll run Linux, of course, which I'll bet the Yahoo cabs don't. Heh!

4 of 47 comments (clear)

  1. Why don't run Linux in the cabs ? by Oestergaard · · Score: 3

    I once participated in setting up a box to play MP3s in a bar. It was supposed to be operated by drunk clueless people, and it ran Linux. Why ? Because when it booted, it booted up an X server with a nice background image and an MP3 player. No window manager, no logins, no start buttons, no nonsense.

    By the way, it also booted from the network, so there was no need to fsck if people power-cycled it.

    In fact, it worked really well. There was no way people could minimize/close the MP3 player, and even if they managed to do so, a simple power-cycle would bring the box back up and functional in less than a minute.

    You don't need notepad to surf the web, especially not in a cab. I'd go with an OSS anytime, if I had to set up such a system again.

  2. Well, good luck -- but I doubt it by jflynn · · Score: 3

    It sounds like they thought of theft alright, but I'm not sure they are ready for the abuses that public devices suffer. Looked at a phone booth or bus stop recently? How many drunks tossing their cookies into the keyboard will it take before replacement is required? I won't speak of other sources of bodily fluids.

    Then there are the people who just think it's lots of fun to configure black text on black background and similarly hilarious stunts.

    And the old favorite, lets see who can leave the most disgusting screen for the next customer game. Who may of course be a child. Best reboot 'tween customers I think.

    It also possibly sounds a bit dangerous perhaps. Those who unthinkingly leave cookies might have others using those same services, logged to their account, after they leave the cab. Remember to logout from Yahoo mail, and to *not* check "save password." Remember, this allows console access, so security is meaningless. You need to deal with password catchers and copies of BO2K thoughtully left by customers for the next victim.

    I suspect that after a short time, cabs will provide a place to connect your laptop if you wish, but will make no attempt to supply one.

  3. Taxi's and Modems by j+a+w+a+d · · Score: 3
    On April 16, Wired News ran a story entitled Hailing a Taxi Online..

    This guy put a Webcam, laptop, and cellular modem in his taxi. Since it runs 24/7, I'm sure that his cell phone bill is through the roof.


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  4. What Internet-savvy cab drivers say by Enoch+Root · · Score: 5
    10. "Man, Downtown is lagged today..."

    9. "I'm 128-bit encrypted. It's safe to give me your money."

    8. "Fast? My nickname at the cab company is T3!"

    7. (Running Microsoft) "Where do you want to go today?"

    6. (Running Linux) "Watch me ride at the speed of a charging penguin!"

    5. ("In" driver) "W3r r u h3adin???? # pr0b13m0!!!!!!"

    4. "What address? Sorry, lady, that's a 404!"

    3. "I'm gonna try to get to the superhighway."

    2. (Overdoing it) "www.thankyouverymuch.com!"

    And the top reason Internet-savvy cab drivers say...

    1. "Ever heard of the Blue Windshield of Death?"

    "There is no surer way to ruin a good discussion than to contaminate it with the facts."