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Archive for the 'Mission Viejo' Tag

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Orange County doesn’t go crazy for Google’s 1 gbps fiber Internet

March 26th, 2010, 3:48 pm by

Today’s the last day for cities to make a bid to get Google behind them in building a city-wide  fiber-Internet service delivering up to 1 gigabit-per-second download speeds.

As of this 10 a.m., Google said it received 600 community responses and 190,000 responses from individuals by way of cities renaming themselves, great YouTube videos, public rallies and hundreds of grassroots Facebook groups. Funny stuff.

Quite a handful hail from Orange County. An updated count will be available later today.

The 1 Gbps speed is up to 100 times faster than what many consumers get. One gigabit is 1,024 megabits, so compare it with your own service. Most cable and DSL users get about 3 megabits per second for about $20 to $30 a month.

This is also no small investment because it requires city permits and digging up the streets to lay fiber-optic cables and all the way up to a customer’s house. No wonder the company got 600 bids from cities.

“We’re thrilled to see this kind of excitement, and we want to humbly thank each and every community and individual for taking the time to participate. This enthusiasm is much bigger than Google and our experimental network. If one message has come through loud and clear, it’s this: people across the country are hungry for better and faster Internet access,” James Kelly, the product’s manager wrote on the official Google Blog.

Google now plans to review the requests and consult with city officials. The winning communities should know by the end of the year.

Here’s my unofficial list of area cities that want Google fiber:

If I left anyone out, let me know or comment below.

I didn’t spot anything from some usual suspects, like Irvine, Huntington Beach or Santa Ana. But there was one Orange County city that is definitely not interested. Laguna Beach voted against pursuing Google (read the Register story: Laguna Beach won’t apply for Google broadband).

Previously on Google:

Posted in: Internet • • • • • • • • • | 8 Comments »

Verizon improves cell coverage in Foothill Ranch, Mission Viejo

January 15th, 2010, 10:43 am by

UPDATE: Verizon just told me about 4 more new cell sites in Orange County. The 4 sites were new as of November. See below...

Verizon Wireless logoMaybe it’s because AT&T just announced 6 areas in Orange County where it boosted cell reception with a new cell site. I also heard from Verizon Wireless about its recent upgrades.

For Verizon Wireless customers who live, work or drive near a neighborhood in Foothill Ranch and Mission Viejo, check your signal. It should be better after the company added two new cell sites in those cities.

The locations of the new cell sites are:

  • Foothill Ranch: 25931 Towne Centre, Foothill Ranch, which improves coverage in the City of Foothill Ranch, along both Portola Pkwy and the 241 Tool Rd.
  • Mission Viejo: Near Santiago & Live Oak Canyon. The new site provides new coverage along the terrain challenged Live Oak Canyon Road.

UPDATE: From November, Verizon said these four cell sites in Orange County are also new:

  • Anaheim Hills: Auburn – Near Cannon Rd & Via Escola. Improves coverage in the terrain area of Anaheim Hills and helps improve the handoff between MTX51 and MTX55 along Cannon Street
  • Orange: South Culver – 241 Toll Road. This site provides new coverage along 241 Toll Rd from north of the 133 & 241 interchange up to North Culver site to the north.
  • Orange: North Culver – 241 Toll Road, Orange . This site provides new coverage along 241 Toll Rd from south of the 261 and 241 interchange to the new South Culver site to the South.
  • Orange: Bronson – 1235 W. Town & Country Rd. This site improves coverage along the Garden Grove Freeway including the Mall and Medical Centers located nearby.
Eight other new Verizon sites outside of Orange County, as of January 2010, are:
  • Simi Valley: Santa Lucia – 2691 Tapo Cyn Rd, Simi Valley -Enhances coverage in the area around Tapo Cyn Rd and Alamo St
  • Victorville : Roy Rogers – 15182 El Evado Rd, Victorville – Improves coverage around the intersection of Mojave Dr and Elvado Rd
  • Wildomar: The Farm – 24240 Bundy Cyn, Wildomar -Improves coverage along Bundy Canyon Rd as well as improving coverage to the community of “The Farm.”
  • Los Angeles: Wadena – 4344 Winchester Ave, Los Angeles -Strengthens coverage along Huntington Drive as well as improving coverage for the nearby residential neighborhood
  • City of Industry: Valinda – 15920 Amar Rd, City of Industry – Improves coverage along Temple Ave and Amar Rd as well as the Industry Hills Recreation Center and Workman High School
  • San Bernardino: Cable Air – 1837 W. 11th St, San Bernardino -Improves the Cable Airport and surrounding areas
  • Highland: Patton – 3398 Highland Ave, Highland – Improves coverage in a residential neighborhood in Woodland Hills including Woodland Hills Country Club
  • Fontana: Via Larga – 11660 Sierra Ave, Fontana – Improves coverage to Sierra Ave in Fontana

Any spots in Orange County where Verizon really needs to add a cell tower to improve coverage? Leave a comment below to let them know.

More on mobile coverage around Orange County:

Posted in: Cell phones • • • • • • • • • • • • • | 14 Comments »

Are Microsoft Store employees channeling the Wiggles?

November 19th, 2009, 11:30 am by

With this post, Gadgetress welcomes Eugene Garcia, an OC Register photographer and videographer extraodinaire. He’ll be sharing favorite viral videos, plus video tips and tricks with readers. If you have any you want share with him, contact him at egarcia@ocregister.com.

If this was an audition tape for So You Think You Can Dance, I doubt they’ll be going to Vegas.  Because the judges haven’t been kind. It’s been called “lame.” And even… “creepy.”

If you haven’t already seen the Microsoft Store employees cutting the rug in Mission Viejo, then check it out:

YouTube Preview Image

The store’s shoppers seem a little perplexed with the PC guys. But their grooves are getting MAZEL TOV! from the viewers. It’s garnered nearly half a million clicks on Youtube in a couple of days.

the-wiggles-picTake that – all you emo Apple Store employees!

But “I gotta feeling” about the PC’s resemblance to an earlier group. You know, the one that tore up the Disney Channel a few years back:

(The Wiggles in their prime.)

TAKE THE POLL:

What would you tell the Microsoft Store dancers?
View Results

Posted in: Videos • • • • • | 22 Comments »

Cox wants you to vote which O.C. high school should be on TV

November 4th, 2009, 4:57 pm by

Cox Game of the Week voting.As the local cable companies delve into adding extremely local flavor, Cox Communications is offering a new twist on broadcasting local high school football games. It wants viewers to choose which one gets to be on TV next.

The Rancho Santa Margarita cable company, which serves much of South Orange County, airs a game of the week every Friday night at 11:30 p.m. Usually, the game is picked by Cox. But this week, Cox is leaving it up to viewers.

There are six possible games in the running and right now, it’s a close race between the Dana Hills vs. Mission Viejo and the Irvine vs. University games. The latest numbers are below:

Orange Lutheran vs. Santa Margarita   1.66%
Dana Hills vs. Mission Viejo   39.05%
Tesoro vs. Aliso Niguel   0.41%
Irvine vs. University   38.55%
San Juan Hills vs. Laguna Hills   3.51%
Northwood vs. Trabuco Hills   16.83%

Interested parties, or uninterested parties, can vote HERE.

Voting ends Thursday (Nov. 5)  at noon, so you better get your vote in! Around 15,000 votes have been received. Only one vote per IP address per day. While this sounds like it’s popular with the audience, Cox spokeswoman Lana Ong tells me the contest is just for this week’s game.  Stay tuned if Cox is moving coverage of high school games this way in the future.

The winning game will air Friday, Nov. 13.

Recent Gadgetress headlines:

Posted in: Video & TV • • • • • • • • • | 1 Comment »

What does a PC guy think about the new Microsoft store?

October 29th, 2009, 4:22 pm by
Ed Schwartz, Stump the PC Club contributor

Hi, I'm Ed

Gadgetress’ weekly Stump the PC Club answer guy Ed Schwartz ventured into the crowded new Microsoft store that opened in Mission Viejo today. We already know what Apple fanatics think about the store and we saw that many of the folks in line overnight were just waiting for the free rock concert (watch the opening video).

Now, Schwartz, he’s a loyal PC guy. I was curious to know what he thought about the store. He’s not anti-Apple, by the way. He admits to venturing inside the Apple store occasionally to see what’s new

Schwartz stopped by the large, bright store around 11:30 a.m. today because, “Oh, curiosity. That’s my thing. I just want to know what’s going on,” he said.

Plus, he said, any store’s first day is likely to be full staffed. He immediately went to find help to get some readers’ Windows 7 questions answered. This is where he learned the difference between the blue shirts and the red shirts. If you have a tech question, ask someone wearing a red shirt.

“It took me three employees before I found one who could confirm some Windows 7 questions. They all had blue shirts until I got to the guy with the red shirt,” he said.

Microsoft opens first store in Mission Viejo. Photo by Ed SchwartzApparently, the red shirts work in the back and help out when tech questions get too hard.

Schwartz couldn’t help but compare the Microsoft store with the Apple store, starting with the shirts. There’s also Microsoft’s Answer Desk, which is very similar to Apple’s Genius Bar. Anyone can bring in their Zune or other Microsoft-related device and get help. There are also free lessons and there are special one-on-one sessions where for $99, you can get one hour of face time with a Microsoft expert every week for one year (that’s the same price as Apple’s One To One sessions).

He spotted laptops from HP, Dell and Lenovo, but that’s it. There were netbooks from Asus, Samsung and others, and all-in-one PCs from Sony. But what about Fujitsu, the brand he uses? Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Computers • news • • • • • | 35 Comments »

Who is in line at the Microsoft Store?

October 28th, 2009, 11:47 pm by

Who's in line for the new Mission Viejo Microsoft store?

For the couple hundred people camped out in the parking lot at the Shops at Mission Viejo for the opening of California’s first Microsoft Store, the question isn’t Apple or Microsoft. The real question is: Microsoft or Justin Bieber?

As early as 3:45 p.m. Wednesday people began lining up for the grand opening of the store, only the second one in the nation, which opens at 10 a.m. Thursday.  Lines are expected to swell to over 1,500 people.

Lured by tickets to a parking lot gig by Bieber, a Canadian tween pop sensation, kids and their parents are huddled in lawn chairs and blankets, trying their best to stay warm.

“I have a 15-year-old daughter who is a die-hard fan of Justin Bieber,” said Stefanie Tran, an Aliso Viejo mom gadgetresssmallwho is camping out for daughter Nicolette. “We’re here for her … but I’ve heard about Windows 7 so I’m kind of excited about that. I want to see how it is.”

Not everyone is here for the show. Navid Zamani, of Laguna Niguel, will wait through the night with the hope that the Microsoft Store will stand toe-to-toe with the Apple Store.

“I’m just happy that they’re finally standing up against Mac. I’m surprised it took them so long to figure out that the Apple Store is the key to their success, to a degree,” he said.

There are advantages to coming early. Patrons including Kevin Pamittan, of Lake Forest, were already rewarded by Microsoft for their efforts.

Pamittan, pictured at top, recieved a Microsoft Zune HD for answering a simple Microsoft-related question. Employees also came to the line with a wheelbarrow full of free copies of Windows 7.

“It makes it worth while, coming out here. Not only just to see the store, but getting all this free stuff will make me a Microsoft fan even longer,” he said. ”I appreciate that they gave out Windows 7 because it shows their appreciation for people who are dedicated and spent the night.”

For information about opening day giveaways and the story behind the store, read the Register’s story about the Microsoft Store in Mission Viejo.

Follow the link to view a slide show showing who is in line a the Microsoft Store and what they had to say about the wait.

Please enable Javascript and Flash to view this Brightcove video.

Posted in: news • • • | 41 Comments »

Microsoft Store debuts Thursday

October 28th, 2009, 2:04 pm by

gadgmicr

Microsoft Corp. will open it’s first California retail store, and only second location in the nation, on Thursday at the Shops at Mission Viejo. Register blogger and reporter Niyaz Pirani has the scoop about the Microsoft Store opening here.

Don’t forget to check back here tonight, around 11 p.m., to see who’s already waiting in line for tomorrow’s event.

Posted in: news • • | Comments Off

Microsoft’s first O.C. store opens Thursday — will you be there?

October 27th, 2009, 11:59 am by

Microsoft plans to open second-ever store in Mission Viejo.Microsoft is taking a stab at selling its own software and toys directly to consumers. In a store. In Mission Viejo.

This will be the company’s second store nationwide. The first opened last week in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Our Mission Viejo reporter Niyaz Pirani is covering Microsoft’s attempt at brick-and-mortar retail. It’ll be the first to go head-to-head with an Apple store at The Shops at Mission Viejo. Here are some of Niyaz’s past stories.

Niyaz plans to camp out with everyone Wednesday night and blog about his experience right here.

Will the new Mission Viejo local store be as popular as the Arizona one? According to one report, “hundreds of people who waited as long as 12 hours,” showed up for the opening last week. Those folks appeared to be eying the goodie bags and free entertainment  a la pop singer Ashley Tisdale. Some words to describe the new store: “Really cool,” “about time,” “really cool” again, and “one last shot” for Microsoft.

Here are lots of photos of the new Arizona store from Destructoid.com.

As for the new one in Mission Viejo? Who out there will be going on day one? Let us know because we want to interview you! Leave a comment below or e-mail thegadgetress@ocregister.com.

Posted in: news • • • • | 16 Comments »

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