houston
Latest
Continental Airlines testing cellphone boarding passes
Paperless boarding schemes aren't exactly revolutionary, but they're still far from common at US airports. Now, however, Continental Airlines has announced that it will be trialing a cellphone-based boarding setup at Houston's Intercontinental Airport, which will enable single passengers to show personnel a jumbled mixture of blocks alongside their ID in order to hop on board. The three-month program will allow guinea pigs to receive a paper pass should their mobile / PDA run out of juice before boarding time approaches, and while hard plans for future use aren't laid out, it was noted that the process could spread to other airlines and airports if things go smoothly.
Spyshot: Apple Store Baybrook Mall, Webster, TX
TUAW reader, and Texan, Jason sent us a few photos he took of what will soon be Texas' latest Apple Store. It's located in Webster's Baybrook Mall, between Coldwater Creek and a place called Bags N Baggage (We're guessing that they sell bags). A quick look at Apple's jobs postings site revealed that a few retail positions are still available for this location.We aren't aware of a time table for this store, but we'll keep our eyes peeled. Thanks, Jason!
Ethernet speeds raised to 100 gigabits per second
Our consumer-grade home DSL is starting to look pretty paltry compared to the records that are coming out of research labs these days. While we told you about the latest speed record of 14 terabits per second over fiber in Japan, that really doesn't help use mere mortals who are still using 100Base-T routers in our homes and offices -- even though about a month ago, we spied one of the first gigabit routers on the market, which raised our spirits a bit. Well our hopes have been kicked up a few more notches today, with the news from GigaOm that Infinera, the University of California Santa Cruz, Internet2 and Level3 Communications have just demoed a 100 gigabit per second Ethernet connection over a fiber network between Houston, Texas and Tampa, Florida. Now if only we could get the IEEE bureaucracy and networking manufacturers to move this fast -- we need at least a gigabit per second in our pads, like, last year.
Video Games Live seats in Indy up for sale
Tickets are now on sale for the two Video Games Live shows planned in conjunction with Gen Con Indy Friday & Saturday, August 11-12.After a stop in Philly earlier this month, the VGL tour is moving on to Houston July 14th, Chicago August 5th, and then Indianapolis the weekend after that. More on reserving seats for the Hilbert Circle Theatre can be found on the official announcement page (via the pic to the right or the Read link below).Judging by the reviews of the Philly show so far, Video Games Live sounds like it could be a lot of fun. If they keep providing public access to Guitar Hero II, they may have sold this blogger on going already. We hope Midwestern gamers not attending the Chicago show can make a pitstop in Indy to keep Tommy's show on the road. So, yeah ... rock on.See also: Official VGL report from Philly (with some local links to boot) Video Games Live ticket purchases opened a bit early The official page for Gen Con Indy PS2 impressions: Guitar Hero II
Memorial City Store Grand Opening Announced
Mac geeks in and around the Houston, TX area have begun receiving the "Come meet your new neighbor" emails which Apple sends out in preparation for a new Apple Store opening. The store located in the Memorial City Mall will hold its grand opening on June 17th at 10AM. As is standard practice with store openings, the first 1000 people through the doors will get a special edition t-shirt emblazoned with the name of the store. Customers will also be registered for a prize package which includes a 17" iMac, iPod nano, Canon PowerShot digital camera, and HP Deskjet printer. The new location will feature "The Studio" to provide support for creative amateurs and professionals alike.As always, please send us your pictures and reports from the opening. Have fun!(Thanks to everyone who sent this in.)
