A Las Vegas company that did its part to help Hurricane Katrina victims reconnect; a surge in searches for state-of-art communication devices; and disaster information for kids fill today's version of Net Notes.
When telephone lines went down and power outages made even mobile phones unusable, Smart City came to the rescue when storm refugees settled into their temporary homes in Houston. The company installed nearly 950 voice and data lines in the Astrodome, Reliant Park and the George S. Brown Convention Center in Houston so storm refugees could talk with relatives and get online, a company statement said.
"Our customer service and technical staff and Smart City managers were flown in from all over the country to expedite the project," Smart City President Paul Ashley said. "Our goal was to enhance the networks as fast as we could so that people could contact their loved ones and let them know that they were OK."
Smart City also created a private wireless network for more than 50 Federal Emergency Management Agency computers to connect with its headquarters and 400 computers for refugees in Houston to access the FEMA Web site to apply for temporary financial aid.
The company is well-versed in disaster response; it worked with Cisco after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks to create the telecommunications backbone of the FEMA Web site for emergency management operations. It also provided emergency services in Orlando, Fla., after a series of hurricanes hit the area in 2004.
What do people search for when they see land-line and traditional mobile phones fail? Satellite phones, of course.
According to a statement from Shopping.com, searches for "satellite phones" increased 942 percent during the two-week period from Aug. 22 to Sept. 8. Satellite phones provide connectivity anywhere in the world, allowing users to communicate independent of traditional telephone systems.
A search for the device found a range of options, from monthly rentals to high-end units that double as satellite modems. Rates vary greatly, depending on the locations being called. For more information, start at Sat Phone Store (www.satphonestore.com)
The site features tips for disaster preparation geared to grade-schoolers, with an area for teachers and parents.
"Herman the Spokescrab" leads you through the site. Highlights include the "Disaster Area," featuring information on hurricanes and other natural disasters.
TIP OF THE WEEK What's hot? (http://shopping.com/cdi) See the complete list of top shopping search terms and major gainers. Not surprisingly, iPod continues to top the list. What's in second place? Go see for yourself!
