If You Live in San Francisco and Want to Be a Good Neighbor…

January 5, 2008 by Andy Kaufman · View Comments 

go to this site and help Meraki build a free wireless network to eventually cover all of San Francisco.

Free the Net

After noticing the ‘Free the Net’ network while at BarCamp Block last August, I did a bit of research and saw that Meraki was offering free repeaters to San Francisco residents that were willing to place them in the properties in hopes of building a citywide wifi mesh network.

From their FAQ

Free the Net is a community-built network. Meraki provides the technology, but we rely on people to help build and grow. There are a number of ways you can help:

  • If you can see the Free the Net signal, sign up for a free repeater to boost your signal.
  • Volunteer to host an outdoor repeater on your roof or balcony. The outdoor units help spread the signal throughout your neighborhood and are critical to the growth of the network.
  • Spread the word! Tell your friends and neighbors to sign up at http://sf.meraki.com.
  • Check out the network map and keep yourself up-to-date on our progress.

I’ve been rocking one for the past few months and can attest that they are super easy to setup (plug in= done) and that it feels good to do my part to bring the free wireless interweb tubes to my neighborhood.

Check it out!

Hey BART Riders, Changes Are Coming on Jan 1st

December 26, 2007 by Andy Kaufman · View Comments 

from BART’s website

Starting January 1, 2008, BART riders will see enhanced service including:

* More trains, more often after 7 p.m. Monday-Saturday & all the time Sunday
* Double the trains to most stations on the San Francisco International Airport (SFO)/Millbrae extension
* Faster commutes times and direct service from Millbrae to downtown San Francisco
* Earlier start time for train service to SFO

along with a…

MODEST FARE ADJUSTMENT – BETWEEN 10 AND 30 CENTS

Starting January 1, 2008, the second in a series of four, CPI-based fare adjustments will take effect. But the modest, 5.4% increase still offers commuters a significant savings over driving especially when you consider gas prices have shot up a whopping 30% in California since BART last had a fare increase.

Most BART commuters will see between a 10 and 30 cent increase in fares, making the average fare $2.92 or 21 cents/mile. That’s less than half the cost of driving a car, which the American Automobile Association puts at 52 cents/mile.

Still wondering what’s up the wi-fi though. Does anybody know?