Author Archives: admin

Japan’s Softbank buys Sprint because CEO Son says U.S. networks too slow

U.S. car manufacturers decades ago milked profits out of poor technology
and got outcompeted by Japan on both quality and price.
The same thing is happening right now with fast Internet service.
We may not have to wait for Verizon and AT&T to get around
to offering

affordable fast 4G LTE Internet service:
Sprint may do it first, now that Japan’s Softbank is stepping in.

Roger Chang wrote for CNET News 15 October 2012,

Japan’s Softbank poised to supercharge Sprint network:
Softbank CEO complains that U.S. networks are too slow, and with his $20 billion bid for Sprint, he aims to do something about that.



Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son isn’t impressed with the high-speed
wireless networks in the United States.

“Everytime I come to the U.S., I say ‘Oh my God, the mobile phone
network is so slow,'” Son said during a conference call with
analysts today.

Now, Son is in a position to change things to his liking after
Softbank and Sprint Nextel agreed on a deal in which Softbank would
take a 70 percent stake in the U.S. carrier.

Sprint, which has struggled as a distant No. 3 carrier behind AT&T
and Verizon Wireless, could get a boost from the deal, in which
Softbank spends $12.1 billion to buy the controlling stake and
another $8 billion in investment into the company.

What’s he aiming at improving?

Continue reading →

Solar college campuses far to the north: why not at VSU?

This spring,
the University at Buffalo did it,
and now
Rutgers is doing it:
installing solar arrays for power and profit.
Rutgers is in New Jersey,

the #2 state in solar power.
We have a lot more sun down here.
How about we catch up and get ahead in solar power,
starting with VSU?

Brita Belli wrote for ecoemagination 25 September 2012,

Renewable U: College Campuses Invest in Renewable Energy



Over the summer, crews at Rutgers University's Livingston Campus
began transforming a 32-acre, 3,500-spot parking lot into one of the
largest solar canopy arrays in the nation. The array will have a
capacity of 8 megawatts, enough to power 1,000 homes.

The canopy is more than just eco window dressing — Antonio
Calcado, Rutgers vice president for facilities and capital planning,
expects that with the financing structure, grants and energy
credits, the investment will return about $28 million to the
university over the next 20 years. A previous solar project had a
similarly rapid payback.

“Combined with the electricity we produce, it's a winner all
around,” says Calcado. “We're an institution of higher
learning—we teach this stuff—so we should also lead by
example. It's a living laboratory in many respects.”

Lead by example: now there's an idea!
An idea that might even attract businesses.

-jsq

4G LTE Internet services costs too much, can come down

More people would buy 4G LTE if the price was lower,
which we know is possible because it is 2 to 10 times lower in Europe.
And then a lot more people around here would have fast Internet service.

Kevin J. O’Brien wrote for the NYTimes 15 October 2012,

Americans Paying More for LTE Service


Vodafone LTE
A comparison by Wireless Intelligence, a unit of the GSM
Association, suggests that being in the biggest LTE market has not
brought low prices to U.S. consumers.

According to the study, Verizon Wireless, which is a joint venture
of Verizon and Vodafone, charges $7.50 for each gigabyte of data
downloaded over its LTE network. That is three times the European
average of $2.50 and more than 10 times what consumers pay in
Sweden, where a gigabyte costs as little as 63 cents.

Standard business practice:
sell a new service for as much as the market will bear,
and come down in price over time.
Except in the U.S. there isn’t much of a market,
with only 2 or 3 wireless carriers offering 4G LTE,
as the article notes:

Continue reading →

South Georgia Statehouse Districts for 2012 Elections

Having trouble figuring out where the redistricted Georgia House and
Senate districts are?
If you just want to find out which districts you are in,

My Voter Page by Georgia Secretary of State is the fastest way to find out.
Here also are

maps from GeorgiaInfo.

Your Vote Counts
Remember,
you can vote

today, tomorrow, Friday, Saturday,
or on the great election day, November 6th 2012.

Georgia House


Georgia House districts in south Georgia, 2012 elections

Georgia Senate


Georgia Senate districts in south Georgia, 2012 elections

-jsq

First Annual Lowndes County Animal Health Fair 2012-11-03

Animal Health Fair flyer seen on the door of the
Lowndes County Commission Chambers yesterday evening at their 5:30 PM
Regular Session.


Lowndes County Animal Health Fair flyer


Lowndes County Animal Health Fair flyer

Pictures by John S. Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE),

Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 23 October 2012.

This is the event
discussed by County Clerk Paige Dukes the previous morning:

On November 3rd the animal shelter along with the Humane Society
will have the first animal health fair here in Lowndes County. It’s
hoped that this is going to be an annual event, held the first
Saturday of November. And the purpose is to mirror the benefits you
see for people health fairs.

-jsq

Candidates again tonight @ AAUW 2012-10-24

Will any of our incumbent state legislators show up this time?
Their challengers have spoken every time.

AAUW logo
7PM tonight is the last time to see all the local candidates in one place:
Wednesday 24 October 2012,
Performing Arts Center, Valdosta High School, 3101 North Forrest Street, Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia,

AAUW presents a Political Forum.
This one, unlike some previous ones, is advertised on the sponsoring
organization’s website
(although oddly not on its
facebook page)
and
in the VDT calendar.

So far, Ellis Black (R 174) 0 of 3, Amy Carter (R 175), 1 of 3, and Tim Golden (R Sen-8) 1 of 3.
Challengers Teresa Lawrence (D 174), JC Cunningham (D 175), and
Bikram Mohanty (D Sen-8) all spoke at 3 of 3.
Videos of the previous forums:


Candidates at 30 Club forum at Serenity Church

Candidates at Homebuilders Association Forum at Rainwater Conference Center

Meet the Candidates by Chamber of Commerce at VSU


vote
Don’t forget

to vote,
today, tomorrow, Saturday, or on that great election day, November 6th 2012.

-jsq

Videos @ 30Club 2012-10-22



Here's

a video playlist
of the Candidate Forum last night organized by the 30 Club at Serenity Church.
Probably more commentary later; for now, in the interests of speed, just the raw videos.


Candidates Forum, 30 Club,
J.D. Rice, President

Video by John S. Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE),

Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 22 October 2012.

-jsq

Solar yes, nuclear expansion no —David Staples for GA PSC



After

he spoke at last Thursday’s Political Forum,
David Staples said something interesting out in the hall and I asked
him to repeat it for the video camera.

Here’s

the video,
followed by
a transcript.


Video by John S. Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 18 October 2012.

Here’s the
transcript:

I think right now we need to look at solar.
The two new nuclear reactors probably shouldn’t be built right now.
You look at the wholesale power rate curves,
and where it’s most expensive, and it’s during peak hours.
Wholesale power is 50 cents a kilowatt-hour,
and the electric companies are buying at wholesale rates,
What do we need to offset that with?
We’ve got something to do that with: solar.
The cost has come so far down that that’s something
we should be spending our money on rather than
than building nuclear reactors right now.



Solar PV costs

dropped 50% last year.

Southern Company’s new nukes

continue to run farther over budget.

If

Denmark can do it
maybe

Southern Company and Georgia Power should stop manufacturing buggy whips
and

help get Georgia on the solar train.

Staples is

on record for solar
and as he says
ethics matter:
all the incumbent GA PSC members
have taken campaign donations from
people closely associated with the industries they regulate,
(including

Stan Wise)
and Staples
has apparently

only accepted donations from clean sources.

-jsq

 

TV ad by Steve Oppenheimer for GA PSC



According to Ted Terry,

We are the first PSC campaign in over a decade to go up on the
broadcast airwaves!

Here’s

the video:

About those rate hikes:

Georgia Power hikes prices for gas and nuclear, then complains about solar
and

We can charge you even if it’s cancelled! —CWIPped Georgia Power

About

the GA PSC incumbents all accepting campaign contributions from people
closely associated with the industries they regulate.

Steve Oppenheimer is on the record as

wanting more energy efficiency
and renewable energy (including solar energy).

-jsq

Video of 6 minute meeting @ LCC 2012-10-22


Here’s a single video of this morning’s entire Lowndes County Commission
Work Session.
The railroad item was neither of the ones
on which I was speculating.
The animal shelter wants a 24 hour “cooling-off period” with a submitted
animal kept at home before “evaluation” by the shelter.
The Tax Commissioner wants to refund some taxes they apparently accidentally
overcharged.
The Fire Chief has bids for equipment for the new fire truck.
And there’s going to be an animal health fair.
They vote tomorrow evening at 5PM.

Here’s

the video,
followed by

the agenda,
with links to the relevant parts of the video,
and a few notes.


Video of 6 minute meeting

Work Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),

Video by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE),

Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 22 October 2012.

Thanks to Dexter Sharper for use of his video camera.

Here’s

the annotated agenda:

Continue reading →