Anyone else here signed up to Google Fiber? After 13 months, I don’t think we could ever go back to DSL or cable.
It’s not available in my state of NY.
I’m on the list for updates. But I don’t think it’s coming any time soon 
That’s some impressive speed.
Wish we had it. But like all things, if the other end is not connected, no help there. I’m still at the mercy of some WAH (work-at-home) designers with dial up modems. Well maybe not that bad but even DSL ruins my day if it’s 5pm and waiting for someone’s files to upload…
Google fiber isn’t available in many cities, but I’m assuming it’s about the same as any fiber connection. What gets me is that we’re paying less now than we were for our old, slow 3 Mbps DSL line or our previous erratic cable connection that only worked about two thirds of the time.
Nice. I know that other companies also offer gigabit internet.
About 4 months ago I was tired of my really, really crappy 25 mbps down, 5 mbps up plan. Got a cheaper deal through another company and got 400 mbps down, 40 up. Not as impressive as fiber, but plenty fast enough for me (at the moment of course … as tech keeps improving I’m sure someday we’ll be bemoaning how we only have gigabit internet speeds. Ha.)
Yeah, gigabit speeds are overkill 99.9 percent of the time. The only time it’s useful is in transferring huge files, and even then things only transfer as fast as the slowest link in the connection. Besides, is there really a significant difference between waiting 15 seconds for a movie to download at 900 Mbps or waiting 30-some seconds at 400 mbps? Compared to our previous slow, expensive and unreliable connections we were stuck with for years, though, it’s great.
Two things:
- It seems like most people hate their cable provider, but I’ve been pretty happy with our service from Spectrum. Not as fast as Just-B, but the only time I really wait for the internet is a few seconds at the beginning of a Netflix stream or if I’m uploading a big file to a printer. At least the latter is billable time.
- I know I’m in the minority on this. Heck, I’m in the minority in my own home. But I am trying to do as little as possible with Google / Facebook / Amazon. Yeah, yeah, privacy is a pipe dream, but I want to keep on dreamin’ just a little longer. The only time I’ll buy something on Amazon any more is if it absolutely isn’t available any where else.
Wow, nice ping.
Me too. Google is infiltrating every single part of our lives. They go down, we’re hosed.
And, they seem much less user-friendly than they should be.
I use gmail, search and Playstore for my Android. That’s about it.
Exactly.
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It’s already too late you know.
You are already profiled six ways from Sunday, more so if you’re on Facebook.
Even if you have no presence, all those that have dealings with you do and through them your information is just as vulnerable to misuse and abuse. It’s appalling what people have given up, mostly unknowingly, in the interests of convenience. The internet of things? Yeah, no thanks, but in a lot of instances you may find you have no choice. Beyond google, check how easy it is to read and RFID chip, then think about your credit cards and passport etc. You’d be amazed at what is in the scan code on the back of your driver’s license.
I don’t need no tinfoil hat.
I want one of these:
And just think about how dependent we (the collective we) are on our smartphones.
Why, we don’t hardly even have to think any more…
I’m dependent upon the Internet, but if I never saw my company smartphone again, I’d be overjoyed. I’m always losing it, never think about it, rarely check my messages, and typically have all calls go straight to voice mail. I turn it off altogether on the weekends when I just don’t need it.
I don’t have a personal smartphone and likely wouldn’t get one if I didn’t already have this work iPhone. I’ve always just disliked telephones. I’d much rather write or talk to someone in person than attempt a conversation with a disembodied voice on a phone.
The main use I’ve found for my smartphone is listening to podcasts when I walk the dog, but I don’t need the phone part of my smartphone to do that.
Work issued cell phone is the bane of my existence. Technically not allowed to shut it off, it sometimes has seriously bad reception on weekends (sometimes because I’m actually in a no-tower area.) I don’t own one myself either. When asked why the location services was shut off I asked, “who wants to know?” The company can track them (and they have) but it’s none of their business where I go.
Thankfully I’ve never needed a work-issued phone (because as PD said, if you can’t turn it off, and its work issued you are expected to “answer” 24/7). Sorry, I’m not a doctor and my work is not life or death. I’ve even refused to get work email on my phone for the same reason.
Thankfully my company is good with separation of work time and “me” time.
Funny how things unfold differently for people. I almost never sit down at a computer for anything but work. I spend 42-55 hours per week at a client’s facility using their equipment, maybe up to 6 hours some weeks doing work for them or other clients on my home laptop, and virtually all other computing activity (work and personal email, text messaging, searching, navigating, shopping, sports, news, car audio [music and podcasts], etc.), happens via smartphone.
Yeah, it is interesting. As I mentioned, a smart phone is little more than an anxiety-producing nuisance for me, but I have some work-related travel, which requires staying in touch with the office during work hours. I typically turn it off when I’m not actually working. When I remember to do so, I’ll take my phone with me when I’m out and about camping, cycling or riding my motorcycle (just in case), but I keep it turned off unless I need it for something.
I’m never far away from email or the internet, though, and I spend way too much time in front of computers and tablets during off hours doing various things like freelance work, personal projects, hanging out here and killing time. I’m much easier to reach via email than telephone or text.
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I can tell from your rational view of smartphones and technology that you are not a millennial B.
<< full disclosure, I already knew that B was not a millennial >>
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Yup, baby boomer.
I grew up on a farm/ranch in a rural area. When I was a little kid, our telephone was a party line. When the phone rang twice, it was for our house. When it rang once, it was for the neighbors down the road a ways. When my parents would pick up the phone to make a call, they would have to listen to see if the neighbors were already using the line.
These new-fangled, smartphone contraptions are just too danged hard for me to figure out. If they put a rotary dial on them, I’d like them better. 
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LOL … we had a party line too 
Ahh the good old days