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Verizon's FiOS TV expansions: December 6, 2008
After a light week a week ago, Verizon has taken it pretty easy the past seven days too with just a handful of new FiOS TV expansions. Kicking things off are video franchise approvals in Danvers, Massachusetts and Lackawanna / Atlantic Beach, New York. Next, we're reassured that everyone's working as hard as possible to bring the fiber-based programming service to the City of Brotherly Love. Keep at it, folks -- we'll see you here next week. Same time (roughly), same place (definitely).Read - Massachusetts expansionRead - New York expansionRead - Philadelphia expansion
Verizon's FiOS TV expansions: November 22, 2008
Verizon's not slacking off as the run-up to the holiday season continues -- probably because folks are apt to have all sorts of free TV watching time here in the next month or so -- so we'll get right down to the releases. Up first are the towns of Middleton, Massachusetts, and the corporately-stacked Wilmington, Delaware, which have just granted the company a video license. Next, we head to the Pacific Northwest to see that Camas, Washington and Gresham, Oregon have agreed to do the same. Finally, we're told that Philadelphia-area residents are being treated to 30 new channels (17 of which are in high-def). That's it for this week -- we'll see you back again in seven days for (hopefully) even more.Read - Philadelphia channelsRead - Washington expansionRead - Massachusetts expansionRead - Oregon expansionRead - Delaware expansion
Verizon's FiOS TV expansions: November 15, 2008
It's been a slow week for FiOS TV expansions, but we suppose the hard-working individuals responsible for 233,000 new net customers in Q3 deserve a little rest and relaxation before getting back to the grind. Up first we have the Tampa Bay, Florida area getting gifted with a new wave of interactive features on their DVRs. Next, we see three more Trump (yes, that Trump) Properties receiving FiOS TV and high-speed internet services, and if you're curious as to which ones we're referring to, they are: Trump Parc, Trump Parc East and 610 Park Avenue. Lastly, we're notified that Verizon and the City of Brotherly Love (or Philadelphia, if you prefer) are working together to grant the carrier a cable franchise; if passed, Verizon would work to deploy its fiber-based network throughout the region over seven years. That's it for this week, so we'll see you back again in seven days for (hopefully) even more.Read - Tampa BayRead - Trump PropertiesRead - Philadelphia
Sprint XOHM WiMAX networks reportedly active in other cities
Flying out of BWI to Chicago, Boston, Dallas, Philadelphia, Washington D.C. or Northern Virginia? Make sure you pack in that SWC-E100, because we're hearing that Sprint's XOHM WiMAX networks are already live in each of those locales. According to a XOHM representative at a booth in Baltimore, the networks in each of those cities are already up, though they aren't officially supported as they're still "being tested." If any of you XOHM early adopters happen to head to any of the previously mentioned regions, bust out your ExpressCard and see if you get lucky (and then let us know how it goes).
Comcast SportsNet delivers every Flyers, Sixers and Phillies game in HD
Shortly after hearing that Comcast SportsNet would be broadcasting an awful lot of Washington Capitals in HD this upcoming season, along comes this. Philadelphia residents should be in high-def heaven for the foreseeable future, being that Comcast SportsNet has just vowed to deliver "all Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games -- home and away, regular season and playoff -- in high-definition for the first time." Fans will also be treated to high-def versions of pre- and post-game shows, and if you're interested in some exact figures, you'll see 64 Flyers and 69 Sixers games, all in high definition, beginning with the Saturday, October 11 Flyers vs. New York Rangers tilt and the Wednesday, October 29 Sixers vs. Toronto Raptors matchup.[Via HDSportsGuide, thanks Todd][Image courtesy of TheLineupCard]
XOHM's next stops: Boston, Philly, Dallas
Sprint's XOHM WiMAX network is finally due out this month in the launch market of Baltimore, with Chicago and DC to follow, and the company is already working on the next phase of the rollout, which will bring the high-speed wireless service to Boston, Philadelphia, and Dallas-Fort Worth. Sprint says it's already started installing WiMAX equipment in those three cities and that it's a "month ahead of schedule," but given the delays getting XOHM up and running in Baltimore, we're not exactly certain the "schedule" really matters. Still, it's good to hear that XOHM is growing up -- now launch, already.
Philadelphia pushes Comcast Center HD Video Wall as tourist attraction
There are a few must-do things when you wind up in the City of Brotherly Love: see the Liberty Bell, check out Independence Hall, scarf down an authentic cheesesteak and... peek the HD Video Wall at the Comcast Center? Shortly after wowing locals and making customers suddenly aware of where their money was going, the official visitor site for the Great Philadelphia area is now pushing the wall as a can't-miss tourist attraction. Comical though that may be, we can't say that it's really that absurd -- after all, who wouldn't want to see 2,000 square-feet of beautiful LED action when waltzing through a city on vacation? On that note, have any of you actually stopped and checked it out?[Via Gadling]
Philly's new Mayor doesn't want an iPhone
Last year the Mayor of Philadelphia, the city that I call home, made headlines for waiting outside an AT&T store to get one of the first iPhones. There is a new Mayor in town, Michael Nutter, and he has no interest in the iPhone. Mayor Nutter said, "I'm not an iPhone guy. I use a Blackberry. I usually go to the store, walk in and get one."Philadelphians will rest easier knowing that our mayor isn't sitting outside an AT&T store, though I think Mayor Nutter should give the iPhone a try. He might like it...
Local investors step in to save Philly's WiFi network
Well, it looks like Philadelphia's on-again, off-again WiFi network won't be going dark for good quite just yet, as The Philadelphia Inquirer is now reporting that a group of local investors are stepping in to keep it aloft. While complete details are a bit light at the moment, the new company is apparently at least considering going with an advertising-supported business model that'd provide free access wherever the network is available, as opposed to the $20 a month Earthlink was charging for the service. To bolster that potentially losing proposition a bit, the company will also apparently be going after institutional subscribers like hospitals and universities, who'd be offered the opportunity to extend their own secure wireless networks into the city.[Thanks Brad L, image courtesy of Stippling]
aloft opening swank hotel near Philadelphia airport
Just in case Jacksonville and Chicago aren't on your upcoming itinerary, aloft is hoping that you'll be spending at least a night near PHL. Beginning this week, aloft is accepting reservations for its Philadelphia-based hotel, which is scheduled to open wide for guests on September 8th. Per usual, each room will see a 42-inch flat-panel HDTV with a connectivity panel for connecting up cellphones, DAPs, laptops, etc., but we haven't got the nerve to actually phone 'em up and hesitantly inquire about nightly rates.
Illegal ROMs at Wizard World? What?!
I recently attended Wizard World Philadelphia, not because I'm a huge comic nerd or anything, but because my friends are. So, with a couple of buddies, I headed on down to the Philly Convention Center and prepared myself to be underwhelmed by the gaming action on tap and overwhelmed by the sheer amount of cosplayers there.Imagine my surprise when I actually stumbled on something I could write about. Well, it's not something I'm actually happy to be writing about. You see, for some odd reason, a vendor was allowed to be set up on the show floor, selling CDs chock full of illegal ROMs.
iSepta gives iPhone users Philly transit insight
iSepta, a new iPhone friendly site, has a limited audience, but to that audience (of which I am a member) it's a game changer. As I've mentioned once or twice here on TUAW, I'm a proud Philadelphia resident. As such I find myself using public transportation fairly frequently, which means I am forced to use SEPTA's website (that's the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, to you). SEPTA runs, amongst other things, the Regional Rail, which connects Philadelphia to its suburbs with a series of train lines. iSepta lets you plan your trip from the comfort of your iPhone without having to visit the official SEPTA site, which is decidedly mobile-device unfriendly. Starting a new trip with iSepta couldn't be easier: Click the 'New Trip' button, enter your starting station, then select your destination station. That's it. You're then presented with the next 5 trains that meet your criteria, as well as an option to view the weekday and weekend schedules. iSepta is even clever enough to simply swap your starting point and destination so you can quickly find out what time you need to be at the station to get back. You can also text iSepta with your starting point and end point and it will text you back with the next 3 trains. At the moment iSepta only offers up schedules for the Regional Rail, so users of Philadelphia's various other forms of public transportation are out of luck. The site also lacks SEPTA's up to the minute status about cancelled trains and late arrivals, but the developers are working on adding that. If it seems like I'm gushing here, that's because I am. iSepta is such a vast improvement over SEPTA's website that I'll be using to get all the info I need about the Regional Rail schedule whether I'm on my iPhone or at my Mac.
Eagles Television Network goes all HD for the 2008 season
Eagles fans, we can't guarantee you'll return to the top of the NFC East this season, but we can say you'll enjoy an Eagles Television Network lineup produced entirely in HD. Owner Jeffrey Lurie's film production experience (and we're sure an overpriced stadium beer or two) is apparently to thank for the transition, facilitated by some forward thinking during a recent master control upgrade, and new cameras from Panasonic. Unfortunately, the monitors in the stadium will still be standard def only, with no chance of an upgrade before 2009 at the earliest, but with Philly's history, odds are we can expect them before another sports championship in the city (though the Flyers may have something to say about that).
Philadelphia citywide WiFi officially shut down
We knew it was coming, but Philadelphia's citywide WiFi is now officially being turned off, and Earthlink is planning on pulling down all of its access points. Like basically every other municipal WiFi project, it seems like the cost of keeping the system going outweighed the benefits, and Earthlink couldn't find a buyer willing to take things over. Current Earthlink customers will get 30 more days of service, until June 12, and then it's lights bytes out. Here's hoping Philly coffee shops are ready for an influx of urban warriors.[Via Philebrity, thanks Andy R.]
Philadelphia's citywide WiFi close to shutting down
It'd be absolutely spectacular to actually see one of these admittedly ambitious municipal WiFi projects actually work out every now and then, but instead, we're seeing the nails start to sink into yet another citywide WiFi coffin. This go 'round, the network blanketing most of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is on the verge of sending out its last signals unless the city can devise a plan in short order to take it over from EarthLink, who unsurprisingly wants out on the double. Unfortunately, we don't have a great feeling about the system's future -- history has a way of forecasting, you know?[Via CNET, image courtesy of Stippling]
Science, Disney and ABC Family HD coming to Comcast in Philadelphia
If you thought Comcast's rollout of Science HD, Disney HD and ABC Family HD was all over, think again. We just received word from the City of Brotherly Love that the aforementioned trio is heading to Philadelphia's lineup in mid-May. Of course, you're probably still keeping busy with the five newcomers that landed earlier this week, but come May 15th, you'll have to whittle out even more time for three more. Not a bad problem to have, huh?[Thanks, J]
WoW TCG March of the Legion event dates and locations announced
As you may recall, Upper Deck recently announced the March of the Legion tour, a series of tournaments against their own legionnaires for fabulous prizes. They've updated the tour page today with information on the first leg of the tour, including the identities of the legionnaires and the places they'll be visiting, including Northern California, Wisconsin, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Philadelphia, Florida, Michigan, and Ontario (Canada). The events last through June, so there's sure to be more locations and dates added later. The legionnaires are no slouches, though. We're talking lead developers and high class judges for the TCG here, so it sounds like you'll have your work cut out for you if you want to win yourself a Varimathras extended art card and a Leeroy Jenkins T-shirt by defeating them. Of course, as mentioned, just showing up gets you that Weeble extended art card, and it sounds like the event should be fun. Let us know how it goes if you show up to one!
New Jersey Apple Store ready to open
Doesn't "Cherry Hill" sound lovely? It will sound even sweeter for Cherry Hill, New Jersey-based Apple fans this weekend when a new Apple Store opens on Route 38, next to A|X Armani Exchange and M•A•C Cosmetics (that's right, a Mac store next to a MAC store). The doors will open at 10:00 AM on Saturday, March 29th. You can get full travel directions here. This will be The Garden State's 10th Apple Store.Residents of Philadelphia will also benefit, as this store is about 5 miles away from town (for some reason, Philly itself still lacks an Apple Store).As usual, we ask any TUAW readers who visit the store to share their stories and/or pictures. Thanks, Rico!
Comcast bringing 5 new HD channels to Philadelphia on April 4th
With Comcast doling out the HD love elsewhere in the Northeast, it's about time the city of brotherly love got a dose of its own medicine. According to a fresh message delivered to a subscriber shacked up in the outskirts of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the aforementioned carrier will be adding five new high-def channels on April 4th. Included in the bunch are CNN HD (217), AMC HD (238), TLC HD (225), History Channel HD (217) and Animal Planet HD (230). Surely you can hang on just 2.5 more weeks, right?[Thanks, EPaps]
Philadelphia's KYW-TV enjoys all new HD facility
Barely a month after we heard that the WWE was pouring $20 million into upgrades for an HD production facility, Philadelphia's KYW-TV just may have 'em one-upped. The all new 120,000-square foot building reportedly houses two full television studios, "each with its own control room to allow for simultaneous broadcasts, a state-of-the-art master control room" and operations center. Both CBS 3 and The CW Philly 57 call the place home, and it's said that the "news operation is completely tapeless and high-definition both in-studio and in the field." Talk about getting with the times.
