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.

Related Article

CLEAR 4G Launching in Houston – The Skeptic’s View

If you are anything like me, your research will encompass several resources and a large dose of skepticism.  After all, when something sounds this good, there must be a catch.  What are they not telling us about the product?  With this article, I hope to provide you with something that you will not get anywhere else, a personal look at the product and the service here in the Houston, TX area.

The Pitch and the Product

I was first approached about CLEAR long before the service was available here.  A representative found my web site (JumpstartMyPC.com) and asked to meet with me about an exciting opportunity.  Over some coffee, he began to tell me about CLEAR, and their WiMax offering, that was coming here to my town.  Home internet service, mobile internet service and home phone for one low price.  Service without wires.  Service that would cover almost the entire city of Houston, including 1,900 square miles and more than 4 million people.  My first thoughts were “this sounds awesome, but what is the catch?”  I have been burned by so many “great deals” before and this one did sound “too good to be true.”

The Skeptic in Me

Over the next month, I researched CLEAR’s 4G offering online, looking at the other cities that already had service and what the user’s had to say.  I began to develop a checklist of challenges that this new service would have to beat if I was going to be on board fully.  Here is that list, along with the reality I was met with after signing up for CLEAR and testing it for the first 3 weeks:

Speed – First, and most importantly, I needed speed.  A long-time Comcast/Roadrunner cable modem user like me needs pure, raw speed for downloads, movie streaming, music, gaming, etc.  I didn’t want to sacrifice speed for savings, no matter how good the money was.  As a CLEAR representative said to me “if someone offered you free internet service, but you had to go back to dial-up, would you do it?”  NO!

REALITY: WOW! I have been blown away by the speed that CLEAR has to offer.  At home, I’ve gotten as high as 13Mb per second downloads.  That is blazing fast!  On-the-go I have gotten over 10Mb per second.  I’ve tested the service in the car, in the bar, at the doctor’s office, in the parking lot…. I’ve tested it while riding in the HOV lane, down 290 at 70 miles per hour.  It just works and it works almost everywhere in Houston.

Ease of Use – While it probably wouldn’t be difficult for me to make a change, how would it affect my family?  I mean, could we still use WiFi in the house?  Would everyone be able to get onto the internet without extra software and passwords?  I didn’t want to jump through any extra hoops.

REALITY: The only trick to setting things up at home was finding the right place for the home modem.  Since it picks up the WiMax signal over the air, from a tower, I just had to figure out which way to point it. After placing the modem in the front room, I was able to pick up on the signal from the closest tower (which is actually .75 miles away from the house).  Other than that, it works exactly the same as the high-speed service I was getting from Comcast.  No one notices the difference.

Gaming – I am a gamer.  I love my XBOX and the ability to play online against people all over the world.  I heard that you couldn’t get onto XBOX Live with this new service.  If that’s true I would have to keep my Comcast service while using CLEAR and that would mean a higher monthly bill.  I really can’t afford that right now.

REALITY: Even though I thought it would be horrible, I decided to give it a try.  Holy Cow! It works. I jumped right onto Modern Warfare 2 and began running, shooting and communicating just like before.  The only difference is a slower ping time (latency) that Live seemed to compensate for.  XBOX simply matched me up with players of a similar connection and we were off to the races.

Replacing Other Services – In order for me to get the most out of this service (CLEAR) and save the most money, I would need to be able to cancel Comcast internet service and my home phone.  The 2 together cost me over $85 a month and I don’t even use the home phone.  CLEAR’s Pick3 plan would be lower than that and includes a USB modem for use on-the-go.

REALITY: Gaming, check!  High speeds, check!  I still needed to check my home phone service.  After connecting the Voice Adapter (a $15 device) I connected the base unit for my home phone.  Presto!  The home phone and all of the additional hand sets in the house worked immediately.  I made a few calls and had no problems with connecting or sound quality.  I could hear them and they could hear me.

Bonus Time

After 3 weeks and countless hours of testing, I was almost convinced that CLEAR was the way to go.  Then, I started thinking about the extras.  These were things that I couldn’t do before.  Things I only dreamed of before.  Honestly, the geek in me is still jumping around like a little kid on a sugar high.

• Mobile – I can get almost the exact sames speeds on-the-go with the USB modem.  Friday afternoon, I worked for 2 hours at the bar.  Nothing like Stella while you work.
• Travel – Sure, I can get high-speed anywhere in Houston, but I can also take my modem to other cities.  There are already 28 cities in the US with CLEAR and plans for many more to come.  Texas has more coverage than any other state in the country, which is perfect for me.  UPDATE: As of 1/1/2011 I have traveled to 3 other U.S. cities and used my CLEAR USB with out any issues or additional costs.
• Phone Number – I have already started the process of “porting” my home phone number over to my new VOIP service.  In a few days, my old home number will work without my old home service.  Bye, bye telephone company.  UPDATE: Shortly after this article was posted, my home phone (via CLEAR) activated and I have been using it since.  Other than a slightly “hollow” sound on calls, there is no difference in quality of service.
• Multiple Connections - Sure, I can hook up a router and get WiFi at home, but I can also use the home modem and the USB modem at the same time.  That’s like having 2 high-speed internet connections in the same house at the same time.  Nobody will be slowing down my connection by using the internet in another part of the house.
• The Future – Electronics companies are lining up to produce devices that use WiMax technology (cars, gaming devices, computers, etc.) and as the technology is adopted in more cities and devices it will just get better and better.  I am already happy with my service and we have just gotten started.  What’s next?

If you have any questions or concerns about CLEAR internet service in Houston, or any U.S. city for that matter, don’t hesitate to leave a comment below.  I’ll be happy to answer questions and help you make a decision about switching to CLEAR.

Disposing of old and obsolete electronic products (at least the ones that didn’t sell on eBay or that garage sale you had) is a serious, often over-looked, issue in the U.S. and the problem is growing exponentially.  Our country throws out about 400 million units per year and worldwide, about 4,000 tons of “e-waste” is discarded every hour.  Many of these devices contain toxic, harmful chemicals and materials that can cause major damage to our environment.  So the question is “how can I properly discard my old electronics legally and easily?”

In researching this subject, I found it interesting that I couldn’t locate federal or state law prohibiting the disposal of electronic items for standard curb-side trash pickup.  While I am sure it exists, it wasn’t easily accessible or even described in several Google searches I performed.  Instead, I located numerous state and city-funded programs that provide free and convenient recycling for old computer equipment as well as other commonly used electronic devices.   While I am sure anyone can locate their state specific programs easily, I have provided a few options below, including some for Texas residents, as an example of what is possible.

OPTIONS FOR e-WASTE DISPOSAL

Sell

First and foremost, you should see if you can recover some cold, hard cash for the electronic item that you are done using.  Online auction sites, forums, craig’s list, and even local garage sales can help you cover the purchase of your next gadget.  While it may seem like a pain to handle these transactions, here are a few things to think about:

• A Nintendo game cartridge (produced in 1987) recently sold for $41,300 at auction. The owner was going to simply donate the item before he heard of other success stories for similar items.
• AC adapters and charges often sell for $10 or more on eBay.  I have paid as much as $30 + shipping for a cable that I needed for an older device.
• Sega Genesis Portable systems still sell for over $50 on eBay.  This system came out over 15 years ago and still holds some real value.

Donate

One man’s trash is another’s treasure.  Donating to Goodwill or any other charity can benefit others and, come tax time, you can write off the value of these items.  While using TurboTax to do my taxes this year, I was provided with an estimating tool that provided values for donated items.  My car-load of items was worth almost $300 (according to TurboTax).  You would be pleasantly surprised at the values they gave many common items.

Drop-Off

If you don’t want to mess with eBay or itemizing your deductions on next year’s tax return, look for a drop-off location or drive in your area.  Some state and city programs help with the Who, What, When and Where issues that many of us don’t want to deal with

• The Texas Take Back program provides a wealth of information on the programs provided by manufacturers and has links to information on TV, computer and cell phone recycling.  For instance, did you know that every FedEx Kinko’s location accepts cell phones and PDAs for free recycling?
• Best Buy locations provide recycling kiosks for inkjet cartridges, rechargeable batteries, cell phones and more.  They also have a Tech Trade-In program that offers gift cards in exchange for gently used electronics.  TV and appliance pickup is available, for a fee.
• The Houston e-Cycle drive is going on tomorrow April 16th, 2010 and Houston residents can can recycle up to 5 items from an approved list at the ABC-13 studios on Bissonnet.

The Houston e-cycling drive - APril 16, 2010

BEFORE YOU DONATE or DROP-OFF

Before you get rid of any computers, laptops, iPods, GPS units, cell phones or anything else with an internal memory, be sure to “wipe” the data.  You don’t want personal information falling into the wrong hands and putting you at risk for your good deed.  A quick Google search can provide instructions for individual devices, but for computer hard drives, we have some specific instructions from one of our previous articles:

How To Properly Dispose of that Old Hard Drive

WiMAX is a new internet service that allows users to access the internet wherever they are, wirelessly.  At home, in your car, at the park, at a coffee shop…. the possibilities are limitless.  Depending on your city and the coverage provided by your local distributor, WiMax covers hundreds to thousands of square miles and allows you to enjoy true high-speed internet on the go.  Imagine how having high-speed internet access anywhere/anytime could change the way you surf, think and live.

This 4G (fourth generation) service is not available everywhere in the US now, but major cities and surrounding areas are being added constantly.  To date, WiMAX is available in over 25 cities of the United States (covering 10 states) and overseas.

Officially announced this week, Clearwire (also known as CLEAR) is launching 4G WiMAX service right here in Houston, TX.  Houston will be CLEAR’s 28th market and will cover more square miles than any other city in the US.  “In the Houston metro area, coverage extends as far north as Conroe and northeast as Kingwood; as far west as Katy and southwest as Richmond/Rosenburg; as far south as Alvin and southeast as Clear Lake; as far east as Baytown.  CLEAR service will also be available in the city of Lake Jackson to the south of Houston.” (quote from Clearwire Launches 4G WiMAX Service in Houston)  That is more than 1,900 square miles and more than 4 million people.

CLEAR 4G WiMAX Houston Coverage Area

CLEAR’s brochures and materials promise download speeds of up to 6Mb/s and I have to admit, when I first heard this I thought “yeah right.”  It wasn’t until I obtained and activated my devices that I became a believer.  Yesterday, I began using the Home CLEAR Internet on my laptop and the very first test I performed proved that these speeds were possible.  For those of you who are unfamiliar with the terminology or confused by the numbers that internet service providers often throw at us, “6Mb/s” means 6 megabits per second.  This speed is about 50-75% faster than the ISP national average (taken from results on speedtest.net) and means I could download an entire song (about 5MB) in under 10 seconds.

Over the next few months, Houstonians will hear more and more about WiMAX and CLEAR, as the official launch is set to take place in May.  For now, CLEAR is in pre-launch and is rolling out service through distributors as they put the finishing touches in place.  I will be writing more about WiMAX 4G as I use the home, mobile and home phone devices.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I will be selling CLEAR service as a licensed distributor.  The views and comments expressed in today’s article are the result of my actual use of the product and the facts provided are taken from actual tests (speedtest.net) and the article referenced from wimax.com.  The reason that I decided to sell CLEAR is simple.  JumpstartMyPC.com is here to help  PC users get the most out of their computer.  CLEAR is a natural fit for this and offers their services at very reasonable prices.  Many users will find that they can actually reduce their monthly bills by taking advantage of the packages offered by CLEAR.  This is exactly what attracted me to their company and the WiMAX 4G service they provide.

If you are located in the Houston area and interested in finding out more about CLEAR 4G, please don’t hesitate to contact us.  Our number is provided in the Contact section of our web site.  For those outside of Houston, TX, simply Google your city name and CLEAR to locate a local dealer.

Groupon.com is a “daily-deal” type site, but with a twist.  The deal is a coupon for a local business that is only valid when there is enough interest from the group (thus the name Groupon).  Luckily, for the majority of our readers, Houston is one of the cities featured on the site.  Here is how it works.  A new “item” is posted each day and site visitors can decide whether they want the deal or not.  When enough people commit to a purchase of the item, “the deal is on!”  The time counts down (since the deal is only good for one day) and anyone else can jump in before it expires.  The idea is fabulous, but the execution is even better.  Here are some of the top reasons that Groupon.com is a must-add for your favorites:

• The site is very clean, organized and easy to follow.  Check out this screen shot of today’s deal (below)
• Sharing is easy.  Use Facebook, Twitter or email to share the site/deal with friends and family in seconds.
• The deals are good, local and varied.  Don’t see something you like today, check back the next day.  See some of the recent deals here.
• Keeping up with the deals is easy.  Simply sign up to receive them by email, or follow Groupon on Facebook or Twitter.
• Logging in is easy.  If you are already a Facebook user, you can use Facebook Connect to login right there on the Groupon page.
• This is not some fly-by-night site.  They have already sold 1,144,423 coupons, and counting.

Notice the deal for today.  $30 for a “One Month Fitness Package” at Body3 Fitness Center.  The discount is huge (85% off their normal price) and timely.  I am sure that more than one of our readers is already contemplating that New Year’s resolution to head back to the gym.  What better way than Boot Camp?  I can attest that these boot camps often run close to $200 a month (without a gym membership), so you better grab this deal while you can.

BONUS: Also, as part of their “Resolution Motivation” week, Groupon.com is offering $10 in Groupon Bucks to anyone who makes 2 separate purchases before midnight on January 3rd (this Sunday).

Disclaimer: I am not paid by Groupon.com nor was I compensated in any way prior to writing this article.  I did however, selfishly include links to the Groupon.com site that would yield my a $10 bonus, as part of their “refer a friend” program.  You can do the same if you want to share the site with others.  Just look up at the top for the “Refer Friends” link.