Alabama
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Birmingham, Alabama becomes next city to get AT&T's U-verse TV
The siege is on. A mere seven months after AT&T first made clear that it was intent on making Alabama a U-verse state, we've learned within the past week that the services will be coming to Cullman and now Birmingham. Starting tomorrow, U-verse TV and high-speed internet will be available for ordering in select parts of the city, just a week before the Wolfpack of NC State treks down to trample the Scarlet Knights of Rutgers. Stay patient, Alabama -- AT&T's lines should be headed to your hood within the next little while.
AT&T finalizes deal to bring U-verse to Cullman, AL
We knew that AT&T was moving in hot and heavy in an attempt to make Alabama its home turf, and now it looks like the plan is beginning to succeed. A recent writeup in The Cullman Times asserts that the deed has been done and that "Cullman, AL residents will soon have their first taste of cable competition." Mayor Max Townson along with the city council "recently approved the final contract agreement with AT&T to provide cable services to city residents," and when said service arrives, it will battle against local mainstay Time Warner Cable for those hard-earned pay-TV dollars. Sadly, no exact launch date was provided, but we are told that the contract will allow AT&T to "turn it on within the next six months to a year."
Six more markets get HD locals on DirecTV
Can't say it still feels like summer in some parts of the US, but regardless of semantics, DirecTV is forging ahead with its HD locals rollout. Effective immediately, a half dozen more markets can find at least a couple of the big broadcast stations in HD, with Mobile, Richmond, South Bend, Syracuse, Toledo and Youngstown all getting gifted. For details on which DMA got which stations, head on down to the read link.[Thanks, VANBROTHERS]
WEAR-TV brings HD news to Florida panhandle
Starting this month, viewers in the Florida panhandle (Pensacola, Fort Walton Beach and Mobile, Alabama to be more precise) can start catching their local news in high-definition. The region's ABC affiliate (WEAR-TV) has finally seen fit to bring a clearer view of its newscasts to locals. Hailed as the "first and only" local station in the Mobile-Pensacola Metro area to air its local news in HD, the station is showing five different sessions per day in high-def. [Warning: PDF read link][Thanks, Scott]
Huntsville, AL and Denver, CO net HD news stations
Add two more to the growing list of news stations in America that have made the switch to high-def. Word from respective locals informs us that WHNT (the local CBS affiliate) in Huntsville, Alabama is now broadcasting news in HD, while KMGH (the local ABC affiliate) in Denver, Colorado has done the same. Any others out there needing recognition while we're on a roll?[Thanks, Mike and Steven]
Montgomery's WSFA 12 first in central Alabama with HD news
While Alabama has been the recipient of quite a few new HD channels here recently, folks located in and around Montgomery will be treated to even more high-def. The local NBC affiliate (WSFA 12) has become the first station in the central part of the state to air its local newscasts in high-definition. WVTM-TV in Birmingham already claimed that "first in Alabama" crown, but WSFA isn't complaining about being number two overall. Tune in tonight and let us know how it looks.
Bright House Networks adds a half dozen HD channels in Birmingham, AL
No sooner did Time Warner Cable toss in six new high-def stations in Wetumpka than Bright House Networks has matched it up in Birmingham. With the threat of AT&T's U-verse hanging over the existing cable carriers, BHN has apparently seen fit to add in Discovery HD (659), TLC HD (666), National Geographic HD (667), Food HD (668), HGTV HD (669) and MGM HD (684). Alright TWC, ball's in your court once again.[Thanks, Andrew]
TWC ups the HD ante in Wetumpka, Alabama
Ever wonder what it takes to get your cable carrier to get on the ball and throw in some new HD channels? We hear whispers of a rival coming to town works wonders. Call it a coincidence, but not too terribly long after AT&T began laying out plans to string U-verse to Alabama, Time Warner Cable has decided to bolster its high-def lineup for no apparent reason. Customers in the Wetumpka / Montgomery area can now view TLC HD (306), Discovery HD (307), National Geographic HD (308), HGTV HD (309), Food Channel HD (310) and MGM HD (784). Hey AT&T, why not threaten to come to a few more neighborhoods? [Disclosure: Engadget is part of the Time Warner family][Thanks, Jonathan]
Huntsville, Alabama Apple Store will open on Saturday
Clear your calenders for Saturday, Huntsville Apple fans. The Apple Store at Bridge Street is set to open its doors at 10:00 AM. While you're waiting, check out the photos at ifoAppleStore.The store is located at 6782 Old Madison Pike in Huntsville, next to Bebe and The Walking Co. You can get full travel directions here.If you visit the store on opening weekend, please send us your stories and photos. This will be Alabama's second Apple Store.
AT&T making moves to bring U-verse to Alabama
Don't think for a second that AT&T is snoozing on Verizon's rapid expansion of FiOS services around the nation. Within the last month, AT&T has announced plans to upgrade and spread its fiber-optic network in Illinois and Wisconsin, and if it has its way again, Alabama could be next. According to a new report in the Decatur Daily, AT&T has "submitted a proposed public-benefit agreement with the city" of Decatur, and if approved, it could be the inroad needed to bring U-verse to portions of the entire state. Of course, no launch time frame is being discussed just yet, but it's noted that over 18 other cities and counties have already signed similar agreements. Competition -- it's a beautiful thing. [Warning: subscription required for read link][Thanks, Jamie]
Birmingham, AL totally confused by OLPC purchase
We knew we were in for some rough chuckles when Birmingham, Alabama signed up to provide an OLPC XO to every K-8 student last December, but we didn't think they'd be this silly from the get-go: apparently the mayor's office, which negotiated the deal, is now saying the school board needs to add WiFi to every school for the laptops to work. That's news to us -- the mesh-networking XO was designed to be used in rural parts of the developing world, after all -- but we're still puzzling out what mayoral advisors John Katopodis and Bob McKenna meant when they said they're "trying to make the whole city WiFi," or where they got a quote of $39 per school to enable wireless access. Of course, the only response from the school board was one member who worried about students accessing porn -- which seems to be a real theme with the XO -- but for some reason we're not at all surprised that bureaucratic officials have totally missed the point of the OLPC project.[Thanks, Jay]
Birmingham, Alabama schools getting 15000 OLPC XOs
If you (or your kiddo) just happens to be a first through eighth grader in Birmingham, Alabama, you (or your offspring) will soon be playing with an XO during regularly scheduled class time. Mayor Larry Langford has recently announced that a $3 million deal was signed in order to bring in one laptop per child for the aforementioned grades, or 15,000 XOs in total. Apparently, the schools will become the first in the nation to receive heaps of the low-cost lappies, which were sold to the district at $200 a pop. As for logistics, students can expect to receive their machine on April 15, 2008, and while pupils will be allowed to take 'em home, the school system can and will disable any that inexplicably "disappear."[Image courtesy of OLPCNews]
Apple Store The Summit: Your reports
Apple Store Summit Mall, the long-awaited first Apple Store for the state of Alabama, finally opened this Saturday, the 14th. While we enjoyed Jeremy's sneak peek of the store's exterior, we're eager for interior shots as well. So, if any of our trusty TUAW operatives visit the store this weekend, please share your reports and/or pictures. Here's hoping you scored a T-shirt.While you're there, show your love and set the display Macs internet homepages to TUAW!
Spyshot: Alabama's Apple Store revealed
Earlier this week, we mentioned that Alabama's very first Apple Store - in Birmingham - will finally open this coming Saturday the 14th. TUAW operative Jeremy saw our post and went down to the Summit Mall, camera in hand, and took this shot of workers revealing the store's facade. That's a cute display in the front window, though we thought the iPod shuffles were actually a lot smaller.Thanks, Jeremy!
Apple Store Birmingham - Finally
We first reported on Apple's intention to put an store in Birmingham's Summit Mall a year ago. The fact is, it has been six years since Apple acquired "store #5" in that mall. This Saturday, April 14, the wait will finally end as this store has its grand opening. This will be Alabama's very first Apple Store.If you're going to attend this opening in Alabama, please send us links to your photos and reports! Good luck and have fun.Thanks, Joseph!
Self-healing panels cry for help when damaged
Scientists at the University of Alabama have just developed a "self-healing material," that releases a "syrupy epoxy" stored inside an outer polymer paneling when the exterior is breached. The epoxy flows into cracks or damaged areas and sets when exposed to UV light, reports NewScientist. In addition, embedded circuitry alerts technicians armed with a special wand to damaged areas. As the website reports further: "This is because the wand induces a current in the embedded circuit when it is intact. When the circuit is damaged this cannot happen and the wand sounds an alarm." We hope that these eggheads plan on collaborating with the University of Michigan's self-healing chip project so that both universities can create the ultimate in self-sustaining electronics. [Photo: University of Alabama]
