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A Better Commute with Technology on the Park and Ride http://www.jumpstartmypc.com/blog/index.php/2010/07/13/a-better-commute-with-technology-on-the-park-and-ride/ http://www.jumpstartmypc.com/blog/index.php/2010/07/13/a-better-commute-with-technology-on-the-park-and-ride/#comments Tue, 13 Jul 2010 22:41:08 +0000 Chris Sully http://www.jumpstartmypc.com/blog/?p=2138 The idea of telecommuting (working from home) has appealed to me for a long, long time.  Imagine working for a salary and never having to leave your house.  The time spent commuting, breaking for lunch and sitting in meetings could be transferred to a quick trip to the mailbox, a little time on the treadmill or simply a rerun of Seinfeld while you ate your sandwich.  For many, this is not an option, but what if you could find a happy medium between office and working from home?  For me, that new medium is the park and ride.

As with any new venture or activity in my life, I try to apply technology to improve the situation.  Today, as the ultimate test, I am writing this blog post between the office and home.  I’ll finish and post the article all from the comfort of my gray and red, high-backed recliner on wheels.  But how?  Well, without sounding too much like an advertisement, I am utilizing some fairly new technology available from CLEAR.

CLEAR is mobile internet that was launched in Houston back in April.  My plan, the Pick 3, came with a USB modem that connects to my laptop.  Within one minute of turning on my laptop, I can be on the internet and browsing the web at some pretty tremendous speeds.  Here is a screenshot of the speedtest that I ran just now.

3.0 Mbps Download While Mobile

For those of you not familiar with the speeds, numbers and what it all means, 3.0 Mb/s is far beyond anything dial-up could ever do, but slower than the speeds provided by “in-home” providers like Comcast, AT&T DSL and Uverse.  That number fluctuates as we move along the road and, from time to time, there is a quick signal loss, but I have been connected for about 90% of the trip so far.

To take things a step further, I could connect a CLEAR Spot portable WiMax-to-Wi-Fi device (shown below) and create my own wireless signal as well.  With the wireless signal I could:

  • Share my internet connection with other travelers
  • Use my iPod Touch to load apps, listen to music online, etc
  • Use the Wi-Fi built into my phone to quickly download emails, texts, video, etc.

CLEAR Spot Means More Connections

CLEAR is available in many cities throughout the US (28 last I counted) and covers many homes, businesses and bus routes (like the one I am on now) to help users stay online while moving around town.  I have been using the service myself since April and I could not be happier with the service, the cost or the company.  Check it out for yourself today by contacting a representative (I just happen to be one), visiting the official CLEAR web site or stopping by one of the many kiosks in a mall near you.

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