четверг, 10 сентября 2015 г.
uAT&T, Verizon Must Pay To Investigate Landline Service Quality Problems In Californiar
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The California Public Utilities Commission plans to get to the bottom of why Verizon and AT&T phone service isn’t consistent in the state by making it clear that the state hasn’t forgotten a years-old order requiring that both providers conduct and finance investigations into their infrastructures.
The Commission once again directed the companies to provide financing for an independent consultant to begin an analysis of their networks in the next three months following the determination that the performance of AT&T and Verizon networks has “consistently failed to meet existing service quality metrics.”
The decision [PDF] comes nearly four years after the commission first recommended such an investigation following a series of widespread telecommunications outages on the networks back in the winter of 2010 and 2011.
At that time, CPUC found that neither provider was restoring services within its standardized time limits, despite the fact smaller network providers were able to meet the required restored service time frame.
Two years later, in February 2013, the CPUC ordered the companies to conduct and pay for investigations, saying it was necessary “to gauge the condition of carrier infrastructure and facilities and ensure the facilities support a level of service consistent with public safety and customer needs.”
However, both AT&T and Verizon objected to taking financial responsibility of the studies, and to date no analysis has been conducted.
AT&T claimed in a response [PDF] to CPUC’s decision earlier this year that the Commission’s out-of-service metric was “inherently flawed and the allegations of substandard performance are flatly wrong.”
The company said it had submitted “extensive and unrefuted” evidence that prove the metrics were out of date based on the declining use of traditional landline phones.
Likewise, Verizon argued [PDF] that both companies’ networks were reliable and healthy, noting that the Commissions’ determination that delaying a study would be harmful to consumers is wrong.
Still, CPUC said the arguments from the companies misunderstand the logic of the study and provide no reasoning why the investigation should not go forward as ordered.
“Given the absence of relevant circumstances or new evidence, we find that it would not be appropriate to further defer the ordered study,” the CPUC decision states. “Further delay could undermine the integrity of the regulatory process by suggesting that if enough time passes without action on a Commission order, that order can be disregarded.”
Under the decision, Commission staff must report on collecting funding from the companies within three months, and provide a status report on progress toward completion of the investigation within six months.
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uRestaurants Prep For All-Day Breakfast Battle With McDonald’sr
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In just a few short weeks, McDonald’s will find out whether its move to offering all-day breakfast was a great idea or a rotten egg, but family restaurant chains that rely on breakfast to make their bottom lines aren’t waiting to find out and are launching promotional assaults to win the hearts (and wallets) of America’s pancakes and sausage eaters.
BurgerBusiness.com points to numerous new promotions and marketing campaigns being launched in advance of the Oct. 6 debut of all-day breakfast at McDonald’s.
Like Shoney’s bringing back its “$5 All-Star Breakfast,” which has bacon, potatoes, a biscuit and two “freshly cracked” eggs — and this at a time when egg prices have been soaring.
Similarly, IHOP is talking up its “Double Dipped French Toast,” Perkins has introduced a new “Griddle Up” menu, and Golden Corral ads featuring Jeff Foxworthy espouse the virtues of “Breakfast for Lunch and Dinner 7 Days a Week.”
BurgerBusiness notes that traffic at family dining restaurants has been down about 3% over the last five years, while breakfast has been the fasting growing daypart in fast food for the last year.
Family restaurants and diners have long relied on customers who wanted a breakfast fix after 10:30 a.m., so McDonald’s could pose a threat to their business if it’s able to fulfill those consumers’ afternoon hunger for bacon and eggs. Many of these chains don’t have anywhere near the buying power of McDonald’s and may have trouble keeping prices affordable if egg prices continue to increase.
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uFake Comcast Employee Sought In Sexual Assaultr
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Even if you don’t have a service call scheduled, you might be inclined to answer the door when someone in a cable company uniform comes knocking. But police in California are on the lookout for a man who allegedly posed as a Comcast employee to enter a woman’s house and sexually assault her.
A Union City Police Dept. sketch of the suspect who posed as a Comcast employee in an effort to gain entry into his victim’s home.
CBS San Francisco reports that the attack occurred on Aug. 24 in Union City, CA, when a woman answered her door for a man — described as white, around 30 years old, between 5’9″ and 6′, 180 lbs., muscular build, with short black hair, and wearing a red Comcast shirt — claiming to be from the cable company.
He said he was making a service call, but the woman says she told him that she hadn’t requested one. She tried to shut the door to prevent the man from entering but claims he forced his way into her home and the assaulted her.
Reps for Comcast tell CBS that it employees do occasionally make unannounced service calls — after all, there might be a problem in the area that not every customer is aware of — but that these workers should always have a photo ID readily visible. Before opening the door, Comcast customers can call (800) 266-2278 to verify that the service visit is legitimate.
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uShoplifting Suspect Flees Walmart, Runs Across Highway, Causing Crashesr
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dIt’s understandable that someone suspected of shoplifting would want to flee the store, but someone caught in the act north of Seattle fled across an interstate highway and up an onramp, causing multiple crashes. Don’t be like this person. Be sure to bring along a motor vehicle when you shoplift. An even better idea: don’t shoplift.
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A Snohomish County sheriff’s deputy was injured while trying to apprehend the highway escapee, who had run out of the store and onto I-5 in Lynwood. Having a pedestrian run across the highway only resulted in what police called “minor” traffic accidents, which is fortunate.
Sheriffs did eventually catch up with the shoplifting suspect, but hasn’t released any other information about the incident.
Fleeing shoplifter runs across I-5, causes crashes near Lynnwood [Seattle Times]
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uFiat Chrysler Recalls Nearly 1.2M Ram Trucks Over Airbag Deployment Issuesr
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(I Am Rob)
It seems as if we’ve had a nice break from the incessant recalls of vehicles equipped with airbags that may not deploy properly, putting drivers and passengers in harm’s way. Unfortunately, they say all good things must come to an end, and so, Fiat Chrysler announced this week that it will call back nearly 1.2 million trucks in two campaigns for issues related to side-impact safety devices that can inflate in the wrong position and driver’s airbags that may deploy without a crash.
Fiat Chrysler (FCA) says the first recall will cover approximately 1.06 million model years 2012 to 2014 Ram 1500, 2500 and 3500 pickup trucks and 3500, 4500 and 5500 Chassis Cabs sold in the U.S.
According to a notice [PDF] filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the recall was initiated after FCA conducted an investigation into the possibility that airbags can deploy without an actual crash occurring.
Starting in September 2014, the auto manufacturer began looking into the issue by testing three Steering Column Control Modules.
Over the next several months testing of various columns and vehicles found that some trucks may have steering wheel wires that can wear out due to contact with a spring. FCA says this can cause a short circuit that could make the driver’s side airbags inflate without a crash.
Additionally, FCA’s submitted chronology [PDF] of the issue states that a February 2015 warranty analysis revealed additional problems with the module including wiper/washer function issues. However, the company says that its review found less than 1% of vehicles with the wiring problem will lead to inadvertent airbag deployments.
Still, the company tells NHTSA it has received 32 Computerized Accident Incident Reporting System notices, 5 Vehicle Owners’ Questionnaires and 18 field reports related to the issue.
In all, FCA says it is aware of two injuries caused by the problems, but no crashes.
Owners of the affected trucks will be notified and dealers will inspect each vehicle, tie off the wiring harness and install protective caps on the springs.
In a second, smaller safety campaign this week, FCA announced the recall of approximately 188,000 model year 2014 and 2015 Ram 1500 trucks with side airbag curtains that may not deploy properly in the event of a crash.
According to a notice [PDF] submitted to NHTSA, the side airbags may not fully overlap the vehicle pillars, upon inflation they may not position as intended. FCA says this could lead to an increased risk of injury to the back seat occupants.
The company is unaware of any crashes, injuries or complaints related to the issue.
Owners will be noticed by the company and a dealer will fix the issue.
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uT-Mobile Slashes iPhone 6S Price To $20/Month; Offers Lifetime Coverage Guaranteer
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At yesterday’s big reveal of the new — ooh, ahh — iPhone 6S, Apple estimated that the standard 24-month installment plan for one of these new phones would run around $27/month. Apple itself is launching a new offering at $32/month with the ability to upgrade every year. This morning, T-Mobile raised the big “give us a try” flag by saying it will sell the iPhone 6S for only $20/month.
According to the company, customers who get an iPhone 6S through T-Mobile’s Jump! On Demand program will pay $20/month for 18 months. They can either turn in their phone and upgrade at that point or pay $164 if they want to keep the device. In total, that comes out to $524 to own the 6S outright, about $125 less than what you’d pay in 24 installments of $27.
The larger iPhone 6S Plus will go at the monthly rate of $24/month, compared to the Apple-estimated $31/month for this device on other installment plans. T-Mo did not provide a buyout cost for customers looking to hold on to these devices so we don’t know how it compares in terms of total savings.
This is an aggressive promotional move by T-Mobile, which is attempting to distance itself from Sprint and pick up customers unhappy with the larger competitors at Verizon and AT&T.
It’s an interesting bit of backsliding for a company that declared itself the “Uncarrier” and got rid of phone subsidies in favor of less-expensive monthly data plans — a model that all of the competition has begun to embrace. By eating a sizable chunk of the iPhone 6S’s total cost, T-Mobile is once again subsidizing — though not as extensively — its customers’ device purchase.
Let’s just see if other providers also slash the installment price on the 6S or if they stand firm and choose to not fight a price war with T-Mobile.
In addition to the iPhone price cut, T-Mo announced a lifetime coverage guarantee for customers who buy these new devices through Jump! On Demand (which they really need to rename, if only to spare me from having to type that obnoxious exclamation point).
The company says that — for as long as a customer is using their 6S or 6S Plus — “if you aren’t completely satisfied with your coverage experience we’ll refund you for every penny you’ve paid for your new device in the first month, or after that, we’ll unlock it at no charge so you can use it with one of the other wireless companies. We’ll even refund up to a full month of your service. For phones that get unlocked, we’ll let you keep our standard interest-free payment plan at our standard prices. No charge. No hassles.”
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