Tag Archives: cellphones

Yik Yak

Posted on April 30, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

News flash: A new app that enables the posting of anonymous unfiltered thoughts can cause headaches for school administrators. Film at 11. A recent bomb threat alerted many Memorial High School parents and administrators to something that many Houston-area students … Continue reading →

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Metro to make real time bus info available

Posted on April 29, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Good news from Metro: METRO’s partnership with Google is getting real – as in offering real-time bus info. To sweeten the ‘real’ deal, METRO will also be providing Google with detour alerts as well. “We are focused on improving the … Continue reading →

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Calculator apps

Posted on March 26, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

This seems reasonable to me. Despite concerns about test security, Texas Education Commissioner Michael Williams announced Thursday that he would allow some students to use calculator “apps” on state exams next school year. Under current rules students may use only … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

There will be an app for your auto insurance

Posted on August 23, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Do you frequently forget to put your proof of insurance in your car and/or your wallet? The Lege has provided a solution for you. Thanks to a law passed during the 83rd legislative session, motorists will be able to pull … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

Parking Panda

Posted on July 28, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting Parking Panda, an online parking reservation system, launches Tuesday in Houston and Dallas. The site’s already up and running, taking reservations for lots around many area venues, including Minute Maid Park, Reliant Stadium and the Toyota Center. The concept … Continue reading →

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Uber

Posted on July 23, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Mark me in favor of this. A smartphone app could be the subject of the year’s most spirited regulatory battle at City Hall, as lobbyists line up for a fight that pits taxicab companies against a car-service technology company called … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

First Hackathon project released

Posted on July 7, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Cool. Budget Bootcamp, a new city website application that provides easy access to city budget information, is the first Houston Hackathon project to become reality.  Budget Bootcamp is hosted on the Finance Department’s website and provides citizens an educational walkthrough of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Websurfing | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Hello, Motorola

Posted on June 9, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Welcome to Texas. Cellphone pioneer Motorola announced Wednesday that it’s opening a Texas manufacturing facility that will create 2,000 jobs and produce its new flagship device, Moto X, the first smartphone ever assembled in the U.S. The company has already … Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Now there will be an app for your auto insurance

Posted on May 17, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Legislation allowing Texas drivers to prove their insurance coverage with a wireless communications device is on its way to the governor after winning final approval from the Senate on Thursday. The measure by Sen. Glenn Hegar, R-Katy, would bring … Continue reading →

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The updated TRIP app is here

Posted on May 4, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

This came in last week: If you’ve got a smart phone, we’ve just made riding our buses or trains a lot easier. Today, we officially launched the METRO T.R.I.P. app – a tool that retrieves our schedule information, predicts real-time … Continue reading →

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The Houston Hackathon

Posted on May 2, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

From the Mayor’s office: Houston Mayor Annise Parker today announced the City of Houston will host a 24-hour “Open Innovation Hackathon” on May 17-18 at the Houston Technology Center and at Start Houston. A hackathon is a day-long event in … Continue reading →

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Check this out

Posted on April 28, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Scan while you shop, and other technological advances to get you checked out faster. In February, San Antonio-based H-E-B invited customers to try out a new scanning “tunnel” for the first time at its McCreless Market location on South New … Continue reading →

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Online voter registration bills advance

Posted on April 23, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Some good news. House Bill 313, which received praise from committee members in a Monday hearing, and Senate Bill 315, which was voted out of committee Thursday, propose allowing voters to register online and have that application automatically authenticated rather … Continue reading →

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There oughta be an app for your auto insurance

Posted on March 11, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

This is a no-brainer. Digging through a cluttered glove compartment to find proof of insurance while a police officer waits may soon be an antiquated frustration in Texas. Lawmakers are considering bills that would allow drivers in the state to … Continue reading →

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TEC approves texting campaign contributions

Posted on February 8, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

From Jerad Najvar: After brief discussion and comments by Jerad Najvar, attorney for Harris County Republicans, the TEC voted unanimously to approve a draft opinion permitting Texas political committees to accept contributions by text message. APPROVED OPINION HERE (the first … Continue reading →

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The 311 app is here

Posted on January 30, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve been waiting for this. The brand-new Houston 311 app will allow residents to file a complaint and then track its progress. The program officially goes live Tuesday, city officials said. Here’s how the 311 app works, city spokesman Chris … Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

When will we have truly electronic voting?

Posted on November 21, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

When will there be an app to cast a vote in a US election? So at a time when we can see video shot by a robot on Mars, when there are cars that can drive themselves, and when we … Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

There’s an app for beating red lights

Posted on October 13, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Do you ever get frustrated when you get stopped by a string of red lights while driving? If you’re like me, you sure do. Wouldn’t it be nice to know how (legally) fast you should be going to maximize the … Continue reading →

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Texting campaign contributions

Posted on October 9, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

I see no reason why this should not be allowed. A Houston-based PAC is asking the Texas Ethics Commission to approve a proposal that would allow the committee to solicit text message contributions from donors in the state. The Federal … Continue reading →

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Fort Bend ISD goes BYOD

Posted on September 27, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Students in the Fort Bend Independent School District may now bring their own mobile device to class to connect to the school’s WiFi and be part of the curriculum. Fort Bend ISD’s policy allows students to use electronic devices to … Continue reading →

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Hang up and walk

Posted on August 18, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

We all know that texting and other smartphone tomfoolery while driving is a bad idea. Turns out that texting while walking isn’t so safe, either. On city streets, in suburban parking lots and in shopping centers, there is usually someone … Continue reading →

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Pothole app

Posted on August 13, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Harris County now has an app for reporting potholes and other problems. Users must download the app and set up a profile. After that, one can take a photo of the problem, point to its spot on the map or … Continue reading →

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New frontiers in spam

Posted on April 22, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Text message spam. Frankly, I’m surprised it’s taken this long to be seen as a major problem. Once the scourge of e-mail providers and the Postal Service, spammers have infiltrated the last refuge of spam-free communication: cellphones. In the United … Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Mobile broadband in Texas

Posted on March 28, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

For your perusal. Almost half of adult Texans, about 8.9 million, use mobile broadband devices — cellphones, laptops or tablets using a cellular network — to keep the Internet a constant companion, according to a survey by Connected Nation, a … Continue reading →

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There’s an app for binge drinking

Posted on March 17, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

There will be, anyway. And it’s not what you’re thinking because it’s the TABC that’s developing it. As college students from across the nation head to Texas beaches for spring break, the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission is already making plans … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

There’s an app for reporting handicapped parking space violators

Posted on October 29, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

In Austin, anyway. Ever see someone parked illegally and wanted to do something about it? Your chance might be coming. A new smartphone app could allow people in Austin to report illegal parking in spots reserved for people with disabilities. … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

McAllen ISD goes digital

Posted on October 27, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s a look at the future, coming to a school near you. A Rio Grande Valley school district plans to equip every one of its 25,000 students with Apple iPads, rolling ahead with a digitally enhanced curriculum effort that’s among … Continue reading →

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There’s an app for finding a bus

Posted on October 21, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Good news. Imagine this: You are walking around the Galleria and want to go to Discovery Green for a concert. But you’re not sure what bus to take. In a few months, you’ll be able use your smart phone to … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Self service checkout at supermarkets

Posted on October 6, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

This AP story about supermarkets scaling back on self service checkout aisles, which was recently in the Chron business section, has been making the rounds in the progressive blogs. Market studies cited by the Arlington, Va.-based Food Marketing Institute found … Continue reading →

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Charge your cellphone wirelessly

Posted on June 5, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Cool. San Antonio-based Pree Corp. is developing multiple technologies, including one that would pluck wireless transmissions from the air and convert the energy to power mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets and MP3 players. Rudy De La Garza, the company’s … Continue reading →

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Is there an app for doing a golf clap?

Posted on March 31, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

This just about blew my mind. Staying connected at the Shell Houston Open will be easier than ever this year, and golf fans won’t have to sneak their cellphones past the entrance gates to do so. Starting with this year’s … Continue reading →

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Texting while lawmaking

Posted on March 30, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

This is a fascinating issue. A bill by Rep. Todd Hunter, R-Corpus Christi , would make an addition to the Texas Open Meetings Act. And it would apply to any public meeting, whether it’s a House committee or a small-town … Continue reading →

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“Don’t call me, I won’t call you”

Posted on March 28, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Does anybody use the phone any more? In the last five years, full-fledged adults have seemingly given up the telephone — land line, mobile, voice mail and all. According to Nielsen Media, even on cellphones, voice spending has been trending … Continue reading →

Posted in Society and cultcha | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

No, I can’t hear you now

Posted on December 19, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

I haven’t attended that many events at Reliant Stadium – a couple of Rice football games, including the 2008 Texas Bowl, and a U2 concert – but that’s enough for me to confirm the lack of wireless coverage in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments