Futhermore, the city's Department of Telecommunications and Information Services isn't even sure where the device is located. So far, Childs isn't talking. Despite giving up info to SF's charismatic mayor, there are still a lot of pieces left to the puzzle. Maybe another meeting with the mayor is in order—except this time fists should ask the questions. [NetworkWorld via Tech Digest]

AT&T U-VERSE INTRODUCES TOTAL HOME DVR, TAKING

‘WHEN YOU WANT, WHERE YOU WANT’ TV VIEWING

TO WHOLE NEW LEVEL

Latest U-verse TV Enhancement — Made Possible by IP Technology — Enables DVR Playback on Any TV Throughout the Home

DALLAS, Sept. 9, 2008 — DVRs have given customers the flexibility to watch TV programs on their schedules, but limited where the programs can be watched by restricting recorded content to certain TV sets and rooms in the home. Now that’s about to change for AT&T U-verseSM TV customers. Using the power of AT&T’s Internet Protocol (IP) network, families no longer have to plan how or where they watch and record their favorite shows.

AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) today announced the launch of AT&T U-verse Total Home DVR, giving U-verse TV customers the freedom to play back Standard Definition (SD) and High Definition (HD) recorded programs on any connected TV in the home.

U-verse Total Home DVR is now being introduced to customers in the Bay Area at no additional charge and is planned for deployment to all U-verse TV customers by the end of 2008.

“AT&T U-verse is about providing the latest in entertainment and technology for a better TV experience,” said Jeff Weber, AT&T vice president of video products. “With our 100 percent IP network, we are able to constantly evolve features and services to match the needs of viewers. Total Home DVR is the latest addition to our portfolio of unmatched features that give U-verse customers more control, on any TV, at a great price.”

AT&T U-verse Total Home DVR customers can:

• Watch HD and SD DVR recordings on other connected TVs in the home. In addition to your DVR, you can access, play, pause, rewind and fast forward any recorded SD or HD program on up to seven additional U-verse-connected TVs. All U-verse DVRs and receivers are HD-capable.
• Pause a recorded show and pick up where you left off in another room.
• Play back multiple, independent viewings of the same recorded show on different TVs.
• Play back up to four recorded shows at once. Up to three can be HD recorded programs.
• Watch up to five HD programs simultaneously throughout the home, including two live HD programs and three recorded HD programs.
• Record more of the show you want to see with soft padding, which automatically adds 1 minute to the beginning and 2 minutes to the end of each pre-scheduled recording.
• Organize recorded content by series. Series recordings will be grouped as a single heading in the recorded TV menu, making it easier for customers to manage and select their recorded programs.
• Store up to 37 hours of HD content or up to 133 hours of SD content, which is more storage than most cable providers’ DVRs.
• Record up to four programs at once on a single DVR — another feature that is exclusive to AT&T U-verse TV.
• Set the DVR while on the go from your PC or wireless phone. With AT&T Yahoo!® Web and Mobile Remote Access to DVR, you can schedule recordings from any Web-connected PC or compatible mobile phone (wireless service charges apply) by using your AT&T High Speed Internet account.

“While some other providers may claim to offer some form of whole home DVR, AT&T U-verse Total Home DVR is the only one that truly lets you play back recorded programs from a single DVR on any connected TV in the house,” Weber said.

Using IP technology, Total Home DVR capabilities will be seamlessly provided to existing customers’ DVRs without the need to swap their current equipment. The U-verse network architecture and IPTV service allow Total Home DVR functionality to be enabled by a software update, without any action or hassle for existing customers. The updates occur on a market-by-market basis, and existing AT&T U-verse customers in a market will gain the new functionality as their home equipment receives the update.

Total Home DVR is the latest addition to the constantly evolving suite of features that has been introduced to all U-verse TV customers at no extra charge since the AT&T U-verse launch in June 2006. These include:

• Mobile Remote Access to DVR, which lets you schedule and manage DVR recordings from any compatible mobile phone.
• AT&T U-bar, which brings customizable weather, stock, sports and traffic information to the U-verse TV screen, without interrupting the current program.
• AT&T Online Photos from Flickr, which allows you to simply and conveniently browse the photos you've uploaded to flickr.com and watch slide shows on your U-verse TV screen from the comfort of your couch.
• Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Football, which allows you to track the progress of your fantasy team — including current team matchups and league standings — directly from your TV screen through the AT&T U-bar.
• YELLOWPAGES.COM TV, for fast and easy searches to find local businesses and other information via your TV screen.
• AT&T Yahoo! Games, so you can play your favorite online games — including Sudoku, Solitaire, JT’s Blocks, Mah-jongg Tiles and Chess — on the TV screen.

AT&T has also announced today the availability of AT&T U-verse Voice to all U-verse eligible customers in the Bay Area, bringing consumers a next-generation digital voice service with unique integrated features. AT&T U-verse services are currently available to more than 580,000 living units in the greater Bay Area, marking a significant expansion since AT&T U-verse launched locally in December 2006.

In the future, AT&T plans to add to its Total Home DVR service with the ability to schedule recordings and pause or control live TV from non-DVR receivers.

AT&T is deploying next-generation AT&T U-verse services as part of its mission to connect people with their world, everywhere they live and work, and do it better than anyone else. Customers benefit from integrated AT&T services across the three screens they value most: the TV, the PC and the wireless phone.

For additional information on AT&T U-verse — or to find out if it’s available in your area — visit http://uverse.att.com, call 800-ATT-2020 or visit a local AT&T retail location.

Apparently, the passcodes recovered by Mayor Gavin Newsom last Monday did not grant administrator access to the entire system as everyone had hoped. Instead, they provided access to a computer at the Hall of Justice that no one was aware of. They also discovered that Childs had set up more than 1,000 computer modems in locked cabinets and other hiding places as part of a network he was building right under the noses of his superiors. Prosecutors now believe that Childs envisioned a meltdown of the entire system that would target supervisors he considered to be incompetent and inferior to himself. And, the best part was that the system was booby-trapped so that routine system maintenance would trigger the destruction of sensitive city records. Child's hands would be clean—so to speak.

We have also learned that Childs had a troubled past and lied about it to get his job. As a teen, he spent time in jail for aggravated robbery and was arrested a second time for assault. Police have also recently found ammunition in his home that he was not authorized to have. Why his past was not uncovered during a background check is unclear, but when you put a man in charge of the entire computer network for the city of San Francisco, you would think that due diligence would be in order. At this point, Childs remains in prison with bail set at $5 million until further decisions regarding his fate are set during a hearing on September 24th. [SF Gate and SF Gate]

Despite being in jail, the authorities are worried that he may have enabled a third party to access the system and destroy sensitive information. Administrators still do not have access themselves, but they maintain that the system is up and running and that no serious data problems have come up thus far. The exact motives behind Child's crimes have not been determined, although his frustrations at work seem to be a likely culprit. Still, why someone would commit a crime and throw away a $150,000-a-year job after "almost" being fired is a mystery to me. And I highly doubt that using the true passcodes as a bargaining chip is going to earn him any leverage. [SFGate]

The SFPark network is also adapable to parkers' habits. If a resident wants to add more time to the meter, they won't have to return to their car to do so, and spots can be calibrated for longer evening parking stays as well. The battery-powered sensors, manufactured by Streetline Industries, are good for 5-10 years before they need to be replaced.

San Fran joins two other North American cities in the smart parking movement. In both Niagara Falls and Vancouver, city officials installed new parking meters that accept payment via cell phone in 2007. So that's three out of hundreds of US (and worldwide) cities that have an answer for parking problems. If parking is an issue in your city, what's being done about it? [Streetline Networks via Gear Fuse]

Clothing concepts that double up with unusual functions have been around for a while, but this one seems to be one of the more useful and practical solutions, even if it isn't the epitome of fashion. (Disclaimer: I am not a fashion pundit.) [textually]

Once you snap a picture of the code, your phone will bring up the Citysearch's review page, letting you know whether you should go in. Also, a tourism company is shoving these onto some tourist locations, bringing up a 15 to 20-second audio snippet of what you're looking at. If they could stick this on things like busses, taxis, waitresses, drug dealers and prostitutes (all common in SF), we'd gladly use this service. [SFGate via New Launches]

Though experts say it's unlikely such a situation would arise, a lack of protection against such a wind could cause feelings of motion sickness and discomfort in residents. The nearly-completed building is the largest structure built in SF in over 30 years. [SF Chronicle via Curbed SF]

The goal is to bring the number of solar installations up from 660 to 10,000 citywide over the course of the next 10 years. So what would it cost for you to go solar under the initiative?

For a typical homeowner in San Francisco, installing a 3-kilowatt, rooftop solar electric system costs $24,000, according to Barry Cinnamon, president of the California Solar Energy Industries Association. Between a $4,000 city rebate, a similar $7,000 refund available through the state and a federal tax credit of $2,000, they would be able to get the price down to $11,000, Cinnamon said.

If that amount were underwritten through a city-backed loan, the costs would be spread out over time and eventually recouped in under a decade through lower electricity bills, he said.

My guess is that many of these 455 cities are going to catch on to the fact that there's no business model and, in the wake of impending citywide WiMax, no real motivation, and will similarly ditch the plans. This quote from EarthLink chief Rolla Huff about says it all:

"We will not devote any new capital to the old municipal Wi-Fi model that has us taking all the risks. In my judgment, that model is simply unworkable."

UPDATE: Check out the comments — apparently, a lot of small cities have pulled this off. [AP/Yahoo]

And Lam's answer? Put it down his pants? Get your own ideas, Lam.

Much more coverage and video to come tomorrow.

Video by Richard Blakeley and Sarah Meyers

Now for the details: Jerry is only buying one iPhone for himself instead of the two he is allowed. Unlike Packer, he doesn't get his jollies from waiting in lines. Actually, he just really wants the phone. Despite using a G3 Powerbook, Jerry claims he's quite the gadget freak. Yes, that's right, the first guy in line for an iPhone on the west coast only has a G3. And tonight he's getting a care package with a PS2, some board games, and a few fully charged laptop batteries. So there you have it. He's Jerry, he's first in line, and he's ready for his iPhone.

So if you've got a PS3 to sell, be careful where you sell it. And bring some large friends for backup. – Jason Chen

Fatal stabbing over Sony PlayStation [SFGate via 1pstart]

Spint Nextel "Grenade": Unlimited Voice, Messaging, Data [RCR Wireless News via Electronista]

What sets this guy apart, aside from only being $199? It lets you use the same UK based number no matter what country you're in. Usually you have to pop in a new local sim card when you change borders, which is accompanied with a different number. The only thing that's going to hurt is the flat $.90/minute outgoing calls. I guess it will be like calling from a hotel, where you just ask the person to call you back instead of racking up a huge bill.– Ben Longo

Nat. Geo. Announces Affordable Global Cell Phone Coverage Solution [Yahoo!]

This agreement to bring free universal wireless internet access to San Francisco is a critical step in bridging the digital divide that separates too many communities from the enormous benefits of technology.

San Francisco finalizes Wi-Fi deal with EarthLink, Google [SF Gate]

It's a similar story here in New York as a friend of mine went to Times Square and could not find one person to get all social with. Granted, Times Square isn't exactly a HOPE conference with a high concentration of technologically savvy people, but for heaven's sake, if you can't get social in San Francisco or New York, where can you? – Nicholas Deleon

Looking for Zune love [CNET]

This faux pas, especially at an event heavily attended by the press, doesn't bode well for Google's plans to set up a municipal WiFi network in San Francisco. If they can't get a simple thing like wireless access working on their own campus in a controlled environment, Google and Earthlink may have some tough times ahead.

Google Goes Wi-Fi, WHY!? [eWeek]