Have you seen the Bob Woodward stories from his new book about how 'Groundbreaking Covert Techniques' have significantly allowed the US to know every word the Prime Minister says and allows US to "locate target and kill" the bad guys.
It certainly seems to be that they are doing this will cell phones.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/04/AR2008090403160.html?hpid=topnews
see my blog from San Francisco where we discuss Google's offer of Free WiFi (interesting...) to the city for a defacto Yellow Pages Franchise
It's the new Business Model for capturing Yellow Pages and Local Newspaper Advertising
This Click-to-Call is part of that strategy to capture small local business advertising (like your local Deli) which are currently speading their local ad dollars on NewsPaper Display Ads and Yellow Pages (for which their value is hard to measure, unlike paying for leads with click to call - good for consumers, bad for local newspapers and local yellow pages, potentially bad for community businesses competing with nationwide chains, bad for local government with local ad spending now going to google, vs local ad jobs)
http://www.webnetic.net/2005/11/why_should_you_car e_if_google.html
I wonder if the various Noise Reduction Codecs coming out would make Cell Phone calls on BART actually reasonable. Heck the trains are so loud at times, that might be the only way to talk to the person next to you - that is by calling them on their cell.
http://www.nctclearspeech.com/noise-cancellation.h tm
if you read the Answers to Written Questions submitted by Sept 7th doc, you'll see that the city is not really interested in using wifi to it's full potential.
52. Q. Does the City plan to use TechConnect as a _primary infrastructure_ for Emergency/Disaster Service?
A. The City anticipates using TechConnect as one network to provide service in an emergency situation. The City does not plan to rely on a single technology, network or service for emergency/disaster service.
They have no SLA's that require the network to last after a disaster with redundancy, batteries, alternative power etc It seems, they narrowly changed the question and gave an elogated answer because they want free wifi from Google rather than holding out for a better overall city solution.
We need to find ways to allow real public participation in the creation of the wifi network for the city. Particularly one that works right after our inevitable earthquake.
Right now the city is taking Comments through end of September, but it is starting to seem they have already decided to go with whatever Google offers.
The SF approach to public comment is pretty lame - blind email only - please encourage them to get into the 21st century with e-rulemaking technologies to help create the best SF Muni RFP. Also encourage the committee to post electronically all the RFI/RFC submittals - since some groups may try to avoid publicity by submitting them only on paper.
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Have you seen the Bob Woodward stories from his new book about how 'Groundbreaking Covert Techniques' have significantly allowed the US to know every word the Prime Minister says and allows US to "locate target and kill" the bad guys. It certainly seems to be that they are doing this will cell phones. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/04/AR2008090403160.html?hpid=topnews
Um, have you ever read Hollywood's Variety magazine? They were doing keywords before tagging was invented. http://www.variety.com/
No the san francisco solution is not tax payer financed nor is it run by the city.
see my blog from San Francisco where we discuss Google's offer of Free WiFi (interesting...) to the city for a defacto Yellow Pages Franchise It's the new Business Model for capturing Yellow Pages and Local Newspaper Advertising This Click-to-Call is part of that strategy to capture small local business advertising (like your local Deli) which are currently speading their local ad dollars on NewsPaper Display Ads and Yellow Pages (for which their value is hard to measure, unlike paying for leads with click to call - good for consumers, bad for local newspapers and local yellow pages, potentially bad for community businesses competing with nationwide chains, bad for local government with local ad spending now going to google, vs local ad jobs) http://www.webnetic.net/2005/11/why_should_you_car e_if_google.html
I wonder if the various Noise Reduction Codecs coming out would make Cell Phone calls on BART actually reasonable. Heck the trains are so loud at times, that might be the only way to talk to the person next to you - that is by calling them on their cell. http://www.nctclearspeech.com/noise-cancellation.h tm
Not even close, they have been promoting this same line of BS for five years now. http://www.sfexaminer.com/articles/2005/07/13/news /20050713_ne01_barcell.txt
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2 003/03/28/BA298009.DTL&hw=nextel+bart&sn=003&sc=16 7
Here's the SF Muni WiFi site
http://www.sfgov.org/site/tech_connect_page.asp?id =33899
if you read the Answers to Written Questions submitted by Sept 7th doc, you'll see that the city is not really interested in using wifi to it's full potential.
52. Q. Does the City plan to use TechConnect as a _primary infrastructure_ for Emergency/Disaster Service?
A. The City anticipates using TechConnect as one network to provide service in an emergency situation. The City does not plan to rely on a single technology, network or service for emergency/disaster service.
They have no SLA's that require the network to last after a disaster with redundancy, batteries, alternative power etc It seems, they narrowly changed the question and gave an elogated answer because they want free wifi from Google rather than holding out for a better overall city solution.
We need to find ways to allow real public participation in the creation of the wifi network for the city. Particularly one that works right after our inevitable earthquake.
Right now the city is taking Comments through end of September, but it is starting to seem they have already decided to go with whatever Google offers.
The SF approach to public comment is pretty lame - blind email only - please encourage them to get into the 21st century with e-rulemaking technologies to help create the best SF Muni RFP. Also encourage the committee to post electronically all the RFI/RFC submittals - since some groups may try to avoid publicity by submitting them only on paper.
A sample wonderful e-rulemaking site:
http://dotank.nyls.edu/projects/ERulemaking/sys_in dex.pl
Here's some great ways we could use technology and smartmobs ideas to improve the city response
http://www.stephensonstrategies.com/
Send your email comments requesting more open public participation and real support for disaster recovery wifi to the following:
TechConnect Information Line: (415) 554-5008
Email: techconnect@sfgov.org
Board of Supervisors:
http://www.sfgov.org/site/bdsupvrs_index.asp?id=72 71
particularly:
tom.ammiano@sfgov.org who as been an advocate of SF Wifi and
Ross.Mirkarimi@sfgov.org
Mayor:
Telephone: (415) 554-6141
Email: gavin.newsom@sfgov.org
SF Office of Emergency Services
http://www.sfgov.org/site/oes_index.asp?id=1399
ANN.STANGBY@SFGOV.ORG (Disaster planning Chief)