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Disasters and Other News
SkyBOX: Disasters and Other News
by Evie Haskell
I've been having some trouble keeping my eye on the multiplatform ball, what with grandstanding presidential candidates, failing banks, $700 billion bailouts and golden parachutes blooming over some of those most responsible for the mess. But then my family got up close and personal with the aftermath of a natural disaster and ... wham! ... that multiplatform ball came rolling back.
It was in Houston last week for my father-in-law's funeral when two things became crystal clear: (1) Hurricane Ike cut a mighty, MIGHTY wide path of destruction; and (2) With all else falling apart, wireless was the hands down winner.
As of last Monday, much of Houston was still without electricity. Homes and businesses were dark amid piles of decimated trees and shredded signs. Many hotels were closed due to soaked carpets, shattered glass and the like. The hotels that were open were packed with wealthy Houston residents escaping their powerless homes and with emergency workers. Not surprisingly, many of these emergency workers were armed with satellite-powered accoutrements. (In case you've missed it, these have become positively de rigueur in times of natural disaster.) A bit more surprising (although it probably shouldn't have been) was the fact that the city was communicating almost entirely by cell phone.
The land lines were down but, even shortly after the hurricane hit, the cell phones were up. And many of these phones weren't just calling friends and relatives, they were providing news and entertainment as well as directions, stock quotes, emails and the like. They were ... well, the high tech ones were .... acting as complete voice, video, data platforms even amid the aftermath of a major hurricane.
So yea, we've all seen it in airports and offices and sometimes in the car just ahead and sitting through a green light. But last week in Houston it looked pretty clear that wireless is shaping up as one major multiplatform winner.
SkyBOX: Disasters and Other News
by Evie Haskell
I've been having some trouble keeping my eye on the multiplatform ball, what with grandstanding presidential candidates, failing banks, $700 billion bailouts and golden parachutes blooming over some of those most responsible for the mess. But then my family got up close and personal with the aftermath of a natural disaster and ... wham! ... that multiplatform ball came rolling back.
It was in Houston last week for my father-in-law's funeral when two things became crystal clear: (1) Hurricane Ike cut a mighty, MIGHTY wide path of destruction; and (2) With all else falling apart, wireless was the hands down winner.
As of last Monday, much of Houston was still without electricity. Homes and businesses were dark amid piles of decimated trees and shredded signs. Many hotels were closed due to soaked carpets, shattered glass and the like. The hotels that were open were packed with wealthy Houston residents escaping their powerless homes and with emergency workers. Not surprisingly, many of these emergency workers were armed with satellite-powered accoutrements. (In case you've missed it, these have become positively de rigueur in times of natural disaster.) A bit more surprising (although it probably shouldn't have been) was the fact that the city was communicating almost entirely by cell phone.
The land lines were down but, even shortly after the hurricane hit, the cell phones were up. And many of these phones weren't just calling friends and relatives, they were providing news and entertainment as well as directions, stock quotes, emails and the like. They were ... well, the high tech ones were .... acting as complete voice, video, data platforms even amid the aftermath of a major hurricane.
So yea, we've all seen it in airports and offices and sometimes in the car just ahead and sitting through a green light. But last week in Houston it looked pretty clear that wireless is shaping up as one major multiplatform winner.