cablevision

Comcast runs trial Wi-Fi service at NJ transit stations

In an effort to keep/acquire new broadband customers, Comcast is testing Wi-Fi service at about 120 New Jersey Transit rail stations, according to DSLReports. The trial is for existing customers only and is designed to gauge user interest, spokeswoman Mary Nell Westbrook said, adding that no formal announcement of the service has been made.

The move comes after Cablevision launched its Optimum Wi-Fi program throughout the tristate area last fall. The two companies are collaborating to extend the reach of their wireless networks, enabling Comcast customers to access their operator's Wi-Fi at train stations in Cablevision territory and vice versa.

Although the two companies worked together on technical tests, the Comcast and Cablevision services in New Jersey will remain entirely separate, though there will apparently be some gear cohabitation. "A Comcast customer cannot access any of the Optimum Wi-Fi Hot Zones," notes Westbrook. "For the trial, our services are both available at all of the locations that are included--generally New Jersey Transit commuter rail stations--but the two services are offered separately."

Rail stations with free Wi-Fi include those along the Northeast Corridor, Morris, Essex, Montclair-Boonton, Main-Bergen County, the North Jersey Coast, Pascack Valley, and Raritan Valley lines. Coverage areas at each station include platforms and parking lots, but do not extend to the trains. … Read more

Supreme Court declines to hear cable DVR case

Correction: An earlier version of this story misidentified a service called Mystro TV. That service was tested by Time Warner Cable.

The Supreme Court has declined to hear what could be a watershed copyright case that has the potential to make it easier for people to record and watch their favorite movies and TV shows at home.

On Monday, the Supreme Court asked the U.S. Department of Justice to look at a case involving a new service proposed by Cablevision that allows people to record broadcast TV shows and movies on a digital video recorder that sits in Cablevision'… Read more

Buzz Out Loud 838: Hot troll-on-troll action

On today's show, it appears that the person who caused Apple's stock to drop like a stone on reports of a Steve Jobs heart attack was just "doing it for the lulz." So, he didn't even short-sell the stock? Wow. Stupid trolls. Also, Oprah declares the Amazon Kindle her most favoritest gadget of all time. Wow. Kindle for President?

Listen now: Download today's podcast EPISODE 838

Report: Teen planted fake story about Steve Jobs http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-10074401-37.html

Will the Kindle Get an Oprah Bump? http://www.nytimes.com/external/gigaom/2008/10/24/24gigaom-will-the-kindle-get-an-oprah-bump-26376.htmlRead more

Digital City: Episode 2

It's the highly anticipated second episode of Digital City, our ongoing conversation about technology and urban spaces. Look for a new episode every Monday, available here at digitalcity.cnet.com or on iTunes. Listen now: Download today's podcast Digital City rundown Episode 2

Market Meltdown continues!!! World Stock Markets have lost $26 Trillion since the peak of almost exactly one year ago.

Apple -- $92 -- was north of $160 a couple of weeks ago Sirius -- 39-cents! Seriously! GameStop $27 -- was $60 last Xmas season Take-Two -- $11 -- was $25 or so for most of … Read more

Cablevision completes first phase of Wi-Fi build

Cablevision on Thursday said it has completed the first phase of its Wi-Fi network in New York and that it still plans to complete the network within two years.

The first phase of the network deployment was in parts of Nassau and Suffolk counties, including commuter rail platforms and station parking lots.

The cable company, which serves parts of New York City and its suburbs, announced its Wi-Fi offering in May. It plans to offer the service, which will provide 1.5-megabit-per-second download speeds, to its 2.4 million high-speed Internet customers at no additional charge.

The company currently doesn'… Read more

Buzz Out Loud 785: Don't cross the Olympic streams

We tried to give NBC the benefit of the doubt when it comes to Olympic streaming, but then we tried it. And it's ridiculous. Also, we wonder if the iPhone makes you fat, even as it fattens Steve Jobs' wallet. We also discuss the technicalities of invisibility cloaks, and opt-out of Obama's aggressively hip Internet outreach campaign.

Listen now: Download today's podcast EPISODE 785

Defcon ends with researchers muzzled, viruses written http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10013156-83.html

Judge orders halt to Defcon speech on subway card hacking http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10012612-83.html

Apple hits 3 million … Read more

Buzz Out Loud 781: Cablevision born again!

OK, we mean it's 'reborn,' thanks to a U.S. Court of Appeals, which reversed charges that Cablevision's remote-storage DVR violates all kinds of copyright laws. But 'born again' has some nice drama to it. But "born again" has some nice drama to it. In other news of the day, Steve Jobs admits Apple seriously biffed the MobileMe launch, and it's a pretty good internal memo, at that. In downer Apple news, no Black Hat security panel for you. Oh, and Friendster is back! With venture capital! Listen now: Download today's podcast EPISODE 781 … Read more

Cablevision wins DVR appeal

A U.S. appeals court has sided with cable provider Cablevision in allowing the company to offer its network-based DVR service despite arguments from the movie and TV industry that it infringes on their copyrights.

On Monday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York, ruled that Cablevision's proposed new service that allows movies and TV shows to be recorded on remote storage servers in Cablevision's network "would not directly infringe plaintiffs' exclusive rights to reproduce and publicly perform their copyrighted works." The appeals court overturned a lower court's decision … Read more

Cable hedges its wireless bets

It's mobile or bust for cable operators that seem to be trying anything and everything to get into the wireless market.

One of the biggest shifts over the next decade in the cable market is likely to be a move toward wireless services. As cable operators face stiff competition from phone companies, cable operators large and small are looking for ways to take their services mobile.

Brian Roberts, CEO of Comcast, the largest cable operator in the U.S., talked up his company's investment in a new joint venture to blanket the country with 4G, or fourth-generation, wireless … Read more

Cablevision to build Wi-Fi network

Cablevision is building a Wi-Fi broadband network in the New York area, the company said Thursday.

The company said it will use wireless mesh technology to build a high-speed Wi-Fi network that will cover parts of its cable footprint in New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey. The new network will take two years to complete. And the company thinks it can build it relatively cheaply spending roughly $100 per subscriber, Chief Operating Officer Thomas Rutledge said during the company's quarterly earnings call Thursday.

Cablevision's approach is very different from other citywide or regional Wi-Fi projects that cities and … Read more