Archive for the 'Lexington KY News' Category
Subscribe to This Category

With the wireless broadband network now available in Nicholasville, Kentucky.

Verizon Wireless customers can enjoy two prime services:

• BroadbandAccess, the enhanced high-speed wireless service that equips Verizon Wireless’ business customers with a truly untethered mobile office experience, enabling them to wirelessly access their calendars, the Internet, e-mail, and critical business information residing behind their companies’ firewalls; and
• V CAST, a consumer-oriented multimedia service that gives customers access to the most comprehensive selection of downloadable music, high-quality videos, and the coolest 3D games found anywhere.

This very, very small market is a part of the Lexington Metro Service Area, which is already covered by Verizon Broadband.

Related news

Verizon covers Penn State with Wireless Broadband.

Maine and Connecticut get wireless broadband coverage increase from Verizon.

As it continues to deploy in secondary markets, Verizon is lighting up Western Kentucky with over 1400 square miles of broadband coverage. This includes Paducah, Mayfield, Murray and Benton.

“Western Kentucky is a vital market with dynamic, tech-savvy business people, consumers, students, and faculty who want to stay connected,” said Greg Haller, president–Kentucky, Indiana, and Michigan region, Verizon Wireless in a release. “The expansion of our broadband network here provides customers with access to the very latest wireless technology.”

With BroadbandAccess, business customers, residents and visitors can expect average download speeds of 600 kilobits per second (kbps) to 1.4 megabits per second and average upload speeds of 500 kbps to 800 kbps. This service is based on EV-DO Rev A.

Verizon Wireless was the first national wireless provider to commercially launch a high-speed wireless broadband network in the United States, which is available to more than 210 million people across the country. In Kentucky, Verizon Wireless’ broadband network is also available in Louisville Metro, Lexington and Owensboro.

Murray State University students will surely be one major beneficiary of this setup.

In a related bit, it looks like Verizon and AT&T will be converging on the 3GPP LTE technology for 4G connectivity (100Mbps wireless.) Nokia is running tests now. Expected retail availability 2012.

A cool picture of the different technologies is here.

In today’s New York Times, a fabulous piece gives the account of Steven Kurutz and his friend Chris’ slow, musical meanderings through Kentucky’s bourbon heaven and should not be missed.

While I don’t drink much, I’m a big fan of Woodford Reserve, which is very close to Lexington and the only bourbon distillery I’ve visited. But after reading this I find myself tempted to head out of the city and do a little poking around myself.

In a report in CRN Australia, Xerox Chairman and CEO Anne Mulcahy said Friday the company would have little use for Lexmark if the company bought it out, tossing cold water on a question over whether they would buy Lexmark: “There is nothing that Lexmark would bring to the table that would really be value-creating for us.”

“….Lexmark, Lexington, Kentucky, is in the midst of a difficult year in which it has seen sales and earnings under pressure, an underperforming consumer business and pressure in the part of its business that makes and sells printers to OEM customers, like Dell….”

Lexmark reports its earnings Tuesday. It is one of the largest employers in Lexington, and the biggest employer of high-tech talent in the city. It has been the subject of increasing takeover chatter in recent weeks despite stock upgrades by some analysts last month.

A little Lexington news to share. 400 will be hired to staff a variety of positions at Amazon.com’s facility here in Lexington. This is a response to Amazon’s excellent growth, of course, and very good for Lexington. The Lexington Fulfillment Center was established in November 2000 and fulfills customer orders for products from Amazon.com.

These are mostly warehouse, maintenence, operations, and human resources positions.

Amazon has been consistantly praised for its successes in offering a huge variety, an excellent affiliate program and some of the industry’s best customer service.

“Lexington has been a great success for Amazon and our customers,” said Michael Passales, general manager for Amazon’s Lexington facility. “As we continue to expand our product and category selection, we are looking forward to hiring even more individuals who will help us deliver a great experience for our customers.”

Amazon is hosting weekly job fairs every Wednesday through the month of October from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. at its facility located at 1800 Mercer Road in Lexington, and information about upcoming Open House events is available by calling 859-381-2299. Management positions can also be applied for online at www.amazon.com/careers.

For qualified people in Lexington currently working at smaller, old-fashioned warehouse ventures, this represents a chance to get involved in one of the most advanced logistical systems in the world. The high-tech warehouse environment at Amazon will offer outstanding experience with modern systems with great benefits and a terrific entry into your career history.

One side-note about the photo above. Note the vacant field next to Amazon? I’m pretty sure they’re not planning on growing corn.

The Yellow Bikes concept is a community sponsored, all volunteer program dedicated to providing human powered transportation to residents, workers and visitors in and around downtown Lexington, Kentucky.

There were originally around 80 Yellow Bikes meant to be shared among all members of the community for use in and around the downtown area - then people started STEALING THE BIKES. A lot of the bikes are now gone - acquired by private individuals and locked in the bylands far from their intended use - probably far from Lexington by now. Or so I thought…but as David Hohney’s article pointed out that outrage about the bikes’ disappearance has been categorized as one big “meh” so they could be in the sheds and garages of ‘burbs all around town.

But now, we have Christopher Rowe, Bike Wrangler. There’s a new Sheriff in town, folks. But we need to deputize this guy. Take him to the gun range. Arm him with some serious firepower. Give him the power to lock people in stocks downtown, or at least make them ride the bikes on Vine Street or along Main Street between Midland and Ashland … nah, that would be cruel and unusual punishment.� I suggest that you bring the bikes back and quietly lock them somewhere downtown and slowly leave without drawing his attention.

Ok, Christopher … time to get serious now.� put away the spoke clickers and choose your weapons - it’s you against the world. The six shooters will fit in the basket, but the rifles will help at long range. And if you can learn that cool trick where you cock the rifle one-handed while in motion, I’ll bet the intimidation factor will speak volumes. I recommend a warning shot,� ONE warning shot.

But really, people admire Lexington’s efforts here. Take some pride in this effort and bring the bikes back downtown. Otherwise, Christopher cannot guarantee your safety.

Perhaps we should have a Yellow Bike “Hall of Shame” collection of photos and a Google Map. Thoughts? I’ll set it up if people will snap photos of the Yellow Bikes OUTSIDE city limits on PRIVATE property. Let me know what you think. We could send the photos to Christopher . “Turn over the bike and nobody gets hurt.”� � People… do you really want to tangle with this guy?

I’m hopeful that we can proceed with a trust-based system soon, or perhaps a European style rental solution or call solution because downtown is not that big, but just big enough, for a bike to help.