The Northeast Blackout is the 1st Major Power Failure in the Digital Age. It is a time when Mobile Smartphones are becoming more interesting. Such an example is the Danger Hiptop, which actually had a view as a small Mobile computer.
The Danger Hiptop was marketed by T-Mobile as the T-Mobile Sidekick. It was the “Cool Thing” to have, before the arrival of Apple’s iPhone.
It was a Hot Day in August, 2003, and so there was a Power Failure. Things like this occur in NYC. But this is the Digital Age. And the world of Cell Phones also went dark.
I had Candy Bar Phones connected to T-Mobile and to AT&T Wireless.
AT&T was as useless as a brick. T-Mobile actually had both Data and Voice+Text. So, from the side of Queens Borough Hall on Queens Blvd, I placed a call to a friend in Colorado, who was originally from East Glendale in Queens:
“Ed, Mike in New York, could you please put on CNN and tell me what’s going on here. We have a Power Failure here”;
Ed in Colorado put on CNN. I could hear the TV. Then he broke in and told me that the Northeastern United States is in a Blackout. So I thanked him immensely, got on a packed Q60 Bus and went to Pizzeria Uno in Forest Hills to get some food.
T-Mobile worked. But the AT&T Phone did serve as a Flashlight.
Nextel Voice worked but not the Walkie Talkie portion. Verizon Wireless didn’t work though Verizon Landlines worked. Sprint was down except for Landline Long Distance.
But, T-Mobile kept going. They are owned by Deutsch Telecom. The Germans came through, digitally.
It was a Night to remember. And today I head back to T-Mobile.
M
A Roaming Catholic 