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I’m sure we’ve all heard the stories about the guy getting arrested for sitting in his truck using someone’s wifi or another web surfer getting nailed for using a coffee shop’s wifi outside the cafe.  Now in Maryland that type of thing can land you in jail and set you back a few.

If you do purposely steal someone’s wifi you can be subject to three years in jail and a $1,000 fine.
A new bill introduced by Del. LeRoy E. Myers has been drawn up to clarify what a wifi connection is and specifically what it means to use someone else’s wifi without their permission.  Meyers claims this is meant to show what is intentional theft of the signal and accidental use.
Many cases can be citied when a politician champions a cause due to the fact that they are directly affected or it happened to them and they want to stop it.  Case in point: Meyers’ neighbor bought a laptop with wireless and was using Meyers home wifi connection thinking it was his through his cable TV.  Meyers says accidental use, like this one, should not be prosecuted.

What does accidental use mean?  Who’s fault is it that common users leave default settings on their routers to enable anyone to get online?  Could that neglegance mean the want people to use their signal?

Read the bill here.

If you’re a subscriber to the Dish Network on you were chomping at the bit to get those HD Channels, you’ll have to wait a little longer.
Dish Network planned on using a new satellite to provide it’s customers with new HD Channels. Shortly after launch on Friday the AMC-14 satellite fell back to Earth.

The new Ku-band satellite is owned by SES Americom and was under contract by EchoStar the provider of Dish Network services.  The Launch went as planned from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on top of a Proton rocket.  According to statements from International Launch Services the vendor of the project, the payload failed to reach it’s planned orbit.
The new satellite was to add more than 70 channels to compete with DirectTV.  Some of these channels would have been locally based for a specific geographic market.  Industry analysts are now seriously looking into the future of the satellite television market place.  This is a huge set back for Dish Network.

Be aware: This is the same unit sold at Radio Shack under a different name (Zenith DTT900 Digital-to-Analog Converter Box)

I like many Americans use over-the-air television. In 2009, analog signals will go away and a digital TV will be the only way to get OTA TV. A week or two ago I received 2 coupons for a DTV converter box which will allow my analog tuner TV to get those digital signals. I was able to get the Insignia DTV converter box at Best Buy for $20 after the coupon. Here are my first impressions:

Signal Reception:
I’m not entirely sure how digital TV signals get sent out, but I was able to get much better reception on channels that were fuzzy/snowed in the analog world. Sounds great, right?
Signals that I was able to get (enough to watch the channel enough) I cannot with this box. When I tune to the channel I get a “no signal” message on screen. One of those channels (WNET-Thirteen) was what I watched the most. My local Channel 13 is sending out their signal on DT60, which I still cannot get.
Anticipating this change over, I bought a new antenna and placed it in the attic of my house. I have gone to some lengths to get these TV signals. It is a disappointment that I cannot get those signals.
Unlike analog TV, which comes in fuzzy (but watchable) when the signal is bad, DTV will become pixelated during bad weather or at random times.

The Box:
One of the major reasons why I got this box as opposed to the other one out there was that there was some control on the unit itself. Although basic, if you loose the remote, the controls will allow you to turn the power on and change channels.
The remote control feels cheap, but still functions. It would be helpful if the remote controlled the TV volume. Instead it controls the volume of the audio coming out of the box. Seems OK until you change your input to watch a DVD and get blown away by the noise.

The software:
I was surprised to see a menu that deep for a $60 TV box. An autoscan tuner function helped with the setup and programming of channels. A basic programming guide is available that was akin to my digital cable box. A concerned parent will be glad to know you can block programs with a parental control function in one menu screen.

Overall impressions:
It would seem that the maker of the unit brushed aside the needs of people who truly need to purchase a converter box or go without TV in 2009. Knowing people will easily spend $60 on a “need” when they’re really spending $20 makers of these units will take the cheap way out.
With the major component of the unit, reception, being as poor as it is I would not recommend this unit to anyone.
In my area there are 3 units available (including this one) and one of them is the same box under a different name. The return policy at Best Buy does not cover the $40 coupon, which now leaves me with a brick in my living room.

Earlier in the week I received the TV Digital Converter Box Coupon.  So I looked around at what box I would buy.  In my area there were two places I’d want to go, Radio Shack and Best Buy.  The only website with good detail of their products was Best Buy.  So I called my local Best Buy (Store 400) 2130 State Route 35, Holmdel NJ and got put on hold waiting for the video department (I wanted to know if they had any boxes in stock).

I was never put on hold, the reciever was placed on the desk so I was privy to conversations I shouldn’t have been.  When the young lady picked the phone back up she asked me who I was holding for and I responded, “The TV slash Video department”

“What do you want?” She asked

“Wanted to see if you had any of the Insignia Converter Box…” I replied

“We have 58 of them”, she answered with a slight pinch of frustration in her voice.

“So the answer is ‘yes’, you do have them, thanks for the help.” I added with a bit of snark to my response.

Now I pack up the fam an head out with my $40 coupon.  When I get to the store I head right to the aisle where I’ve seen similar devices before.  In Store 400 it’s to the right as you enter and on the 2nd to last aisle before appliances.  With two kids in tow I have to quickly scan for the Insignia NS-DXA1.  It’s not there.

So I head to the counter inthe video department and ask the associate, “Do you guys have any of the Insigina DTV converter boxes?”

The associate that seemed oddly out of the kahki uniform replied, “You have to wait a month.”

I’m thinking to myself, “A month, that girl on the phone said you have 58.”

“You need to get a coupon to buy it.” He said to help quell my unrest.

“I have the coupon.” I replied.  Now I just want it on principle.

“They’re up in the rafters, you’ll have to wait.”  He told me as my kind smile was turning to a frown.  “We’ll get some down for you.”

Now I’m starting to get the impression that Best Buy doesn’t care about these boxes.  After all studies have shown that people with low-incomes need these boxes (which retail for about $60).  I’ve also heard statistics that people of color are more likely to need these in 2009 than their white counterparts.  This is all going through my head as my wife takes the kids for a walk and I’m staring at the lone employee who can use the movable staircase gets my box.  The nice area for the TVs happens to have a register.  Since I want to get out in a hurry before someone blows up in frustration (hopefully my kids) I ask if I can get rung up in the TV area.  The out of uniform associate assures me I can.

The stock guy/qualified stair man gets down and starts to walk way from the register where I’m standing with my wallet in hand (literally).  “You can follow me sir, you’ll have to pay up here anyway”, he instructs me.  So I follow them up to a ad-hok conference with the stair man, out of uniform, and new walkie talkie associate.  This is all due to a tiny little sticker on the box that says that special return rules apply to this box.

I’ve done my homework to make an informed decision on how I want to spend my $20 (after the $40 coupon) and I want to get out.  They say how it’s not returnable after 30 days hand me the box and I’m on my way.

I’m not really one to complain about experiences like this.  I understand that the employees working at night in these types of stores are mostly high school & college kids making enough to pay off their car, gas money, or even school.  I was there myself.  But being friendly, understanding, not easily frustrated, and just nice should be standard operating procedure when working anywhere.

After coming home from the office yesterday I was surprised to see a letter from the TV Converter Box Coupon Program.  This is a program sponsored by the US Government to offset most of the cost of receiving over the air digital television.  In early 2009, analog signals will not be sent out.

I applied for two coupons a number of months ago.  The coupons looked very much like a credit card.  The number on the card did not match up with the 16-digit scheme we are familiar with using Visa, Mastercard, AMEX, Discover, etc.

Below the coupon was a list of about 8 stores within the radius of my mailing address.  In my case Radio Shack, Wal-Mart, Best Buy, and Circuit City were listed as retailers.

I was very eager to use my new “credit cards”.  It seems like a local retailer was not.  I’ll explain later.