The Consumers Union

On Wednesday, August 19th, we went to the Consumers Union (publisher of Consumer Reports) in Yonkers and were given a tour of their testing labs, where engineers determine the best of everything we buy: cleaning sprays, ovens, humidifiers, cribs, video cameras, cell phones and more! It looked like a great place to work - like being in a fun high school science lab. We got a special tour of the lab where they test cell phones out of the box and interviewed Gerard Catapano who is in charge of electronic equipment testing labs...



Here is a link to a useful article on cellphone service from Consumers Reports: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine-archive/2010/january/electronics-computers/cell-phone-service/overview/cell-phone-service-ov.htm

-Helki

Time Flies When I'm Talkin on The Phone

Photoshop Image by Leon Richardson

Acting with a Big Phone

this is one of my acting experiences! although i thought i looked crazy it was fun. the big phone is attached to a tower and airwaves which represent buying a phone that comes with a plan. the same day we also performed a skit about dropped calls. it was hilarious but cute lol! even though it was a hot day in new york it was very fun and i would definitely do it all again! -Brianna

Interview with Verizon Wireless

We went to a Verizon building where we interviewed Michelle who is in charge of Verizon's wireless network in New York City and David who was a PR representative. They explained how a cell phone works. Once the signal leaves the cell phone they enter a room or building called the switching station. Then the signal would then be transported to the phone on the other end. They also showed us these switching rooms where a bunch of computers and machines contained our voice mails, text messages and calls. David said these machine were the brains . They also explained that the reason there is an early termination fee is because they are subsidizing these phones and if they just sell you the phone they wont be making any profit. the early termination fee pays for the phone and they said that it is the same amount as if you stayed with the plan till the end of your contract. Also they both continued to sell their company and explain how their network had the best service coverage.

Interview with Tim Wu

On August 2,2010 we interview Tim Wu. He is a professfor at Columbia. What outstand me the most in this interview is when I realize that all the cellphone companys is only focus how they going to make money. I made the poster below before the interveiw Tim. It was a highway with T-moblie, Spirnt, AT&T, Verizon and they are not a loud to cross each other lane. Tim said a metaphor like this "The companies will not cross each other lanes but trys to be better then each other."

-Lashawn Bourne

Telecommunications Highway

Lashawn 7/30/10

The way our cell phone providers use the radio spectrum in the USA is like dividing a public highway into exclusive lanes that cant be shared.

Interview wih Sascha Meinrath

On Thursday July 29, 210 Brianna and I went to Washington D.C. to interview Sascha about how the spectrum is regulated and how that affects cell phone services. His job is the director of the Open Technology Initiative at the New America Foundation and he recommends policies to the FCC about how cell phone companies and the spectrum should be regulated. He mentioned that if we have more unlicensed spectrum available to consumers we would be able to use the spectrum more efficiently and it would be more affordable.

This is a picture of Brianna and I in front of the White House

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This is a picture of Brianna holding mesh
network router. Mesh networks allows everyone
who uses it to talk directly to one another.