June 11, 2008

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But how good a phone will it be?

June 11, 2008 in News, problems | 7 comments

I’ve seen a waterfall of iPhone 3g coverage, but nobody yet has answered the question that actually matters most to a lot of people: How good a phone is it? The original was adequate as a phone, but that’s it. Basically it was very average as a phone. Looked great, worked okay.

My guess is that one reason was the metal back. The celluar signal hasn’t been made that isn’t hurt by metal surronding the antenna. The new phone has plastic in the back. Much better idea, signal-wise.

Be interesting to see how it goes.

Whether report

June 11, 2008 in News, problems | 3 comments

Says here at Weather.com,

Severe Thunderstorm Warning
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA 1157 PM EDT TUE JUN 10 2008
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TAUNTON HAS ISSUED A
* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR… EXTREME EAST CENTRAL WORCESTER COUNTY IN CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS… WESTERN ESSEX COUNTY IN EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS… THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF LAWRENCE… EASTERN MIDDLESEX COUNTY IN EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS… THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF…WALTHAM…NEWTON… LOWELL… FRAMINGHAM… NORTH CENTRAL NORFOLK COUNTY IN EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS… EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY IN SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE…
* UNTIL 1230 AM EDT
* AT 1152 PM EDT…NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING PENNY SIZE HAIL…AND DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH. THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM TYNGSBORO TO ASHLAND…OR ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM LOWELL TO FRAMINGHAM…AND MOVING EAST AT 55 MPH.

… with this picture:

It’s 1212am now, and the breeze just turned into a wind. Lightning in the distance. Ominous sounds.

… And now it’s 1231 and nothing has happened. The story at Weather Underground is very different:

I like the little arrows, which are much more revealing than the moving-blob motion of the Weather.com map. It also contradicts the warning, with motion to the east-northeast rather than the east.

Anyway, it’s still hot as hell here. Even late at night. Relief was in sight, then… gone.