Wi-Fi on Metra Trains: Pricey, but Worth It?

Why doesn’t Metra have wireless internet on its trains yet? Mostly because it would be enormously expensive and a technological challenge, too. But should they?

Should Metra get Wi-Fi? Even if it’s expensive and hard to implement and maintain?  The commuter-rail network is considering the possibility, the Chicago Tribune and other news agencies report, but price and technology continue to be two major barriers, despite that a DePaul University report shows 48 percent of Metra riders use personal electronic devices during their commutes.  According to the paper, it could cost over $70 million to install wireless internet on all 11 Metra lines over five years—though some of that could perhaps be recouped by paid plans or sponsorships—and there’s a fear that the technology might quickly become obsolete or go unused by customers who prefer other connectivity, like smart-phone hotspots or air-cards. "(…

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Lynn Hudoba: I Love My Calendar Girl

But am I counting the days in anticipation or just marking time until my eventual demise?

When I first entered the workforce, back in ye olde 1980s, the Interwebs did not exist. There was no Facebook or Twitter, no online shopping or eBay, no TMZ or People.com. I’m not sure that we screwed around any less at work than people do today, so I won’t go off into one of those “in my day…” rants. We were just limited to killing time with actual, rather than virtual, people and activities. If I wanted to gossip about people behind their backs, I had to do it with co-workers. Or call my friends who were also in dead-end entry level jobs. You just had to keep your eye on the opening-to-your-cubicle-which-cannot-really-be-called-a-door in case the boss happened by so you could bust out some officious-sounding convo, which was the '80s …

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Lynn Hudoba

2:09 pm on Wednesday, March 7, 2012

We low techies must stick together!   more ›

Lynn Hudoba: Magnificent Obsession

Finally, one of my autistic daughter’s fixations has morphed into something constructive.

High on the list of autistic traits are “narrow interests,” which can range from the fairly benign, like a nerdlinger obsession with American presidents and dinosaurs, to the mildly annoying, like Thomas the Tank Engine, to the more, shall we say, impactful, like dismantling toilets. There is virtually no obsession too esoteric that it cannot be indulged today via the Internet, specifically sites like YouTube. We have many little friends that are into elevators, and you would be amazed at how many videos can be found of random people riding elevators … and helpfully telling you details about them. Suffice to say that if I ever find myself at the Tanglewood Mall in Roanoke, VA, I will never have to wonder if their JC Penney has a Dover …

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Lynn Hudoba

8:41 am on Monday, March 12, 2012

Awww....thanks Clare. That makes MY day :)   more ›

Jeff Ward: Notes on West Suburban Civilization

Jeff Ward: The Internet, Sales Tax and an Off-the-Mark Tribune Editorial

Am I the only one with a keen perception of the obvious?

I’ve gotta stop reading that Chicago Tribune op-ed page because it’s making me crazy. There was a time when, of the five newspapers arriving daily on my driveway, the Trib would be the first freed from its overstretched plastic prison. Now the Sun-Times is No. 1. And here’s one of the reasons for that top-five shift. In a Nov. 18 editorial, the Tribune tackled the touchy topic of Internet sales tax by coming out in support of U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin’s “Marketplace Fairness Act,” which mandates attaching sales tax to every Internet purchase. Considering individual states’ prior boondoggle-ish attempts to collect that tariff, the editorial did manage to get one thing right. Durbin’s streamlined bill is head and shoulders above anything …

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District 180 Approves Wiring Upgrade in Schools

Project will increase Internet connectivity at Ann M. Jeans Elementary and Burr Ridge Middle schools.

The District 180 School Board approved plans for a $100,000 wiring project at Ann M. Jeans Elementary School and Burr Ridge Middle School that in the end could only cost the district $10,000. The district was awarded about $90,000 through the E-Rate program, which is administered though the Federal Communications Commission. The E-Rate program provides discounts to schools and libraries to obtain affordable access to the Internet and other communications tools. Funds are derived from service fees charged to telecommunications companies. “This is just fantastic. We’re fortunate and excited about the chance to upgrade the wiring in the building,” Community Consolidated School District 180 Superintendent Tom Schneider said.  “And at 10 …

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UPDATED: Phone, Internet and TV Service Restored to Burr Ridge Comcast Customers

Repair crews are in the process of fixing ripped fibers that caused the outage.

UPDATED 5:56 a.m. on July 3 Telephone, Internet and television service has been restored to all customers affected by Friday's outage. Comcast crews were able to replace the wires connected to the damaged node. UPDATED 7:21 p.m. Although Comcast had expected to restore service by 7 p.m., customers were still without power at 7:21 p.m. Friday night. Comcast has not provided any information on when customers can expect the return of phone, Internet or television service. Earlier: Damaged Node Leaves Burr Ridge Comcast Customers Without Phone, Internet or TV Burr Ridge Comcast customers lost phone, Internet and television service on Friday afternoon. According to Comcast, the outage was due to a damaged node in Burr Ridge, which led to an …

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