Motorists using State Route 89A between Sedona and Flagstaff should allow extra travel time next week when the roadway is reduced to one lane near Slide Rock while a new cell tower is installed.
SR 89A will be narrowed to one lane between mileposts 381 and 384 from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, December 13, and Wednesday, December 14. Flaggers will be on site to provide alternating north- and southbound travel through the work zone and delays are possible.
Drivers should proceed through the work zone with caution, slow down and watch for construction personnel and equipment.
ADOT works to inform the public about planned highway restrictions and closures, but it’s possible that unscheduled impacts might occur because of weather or other factors. For the most current information about highway conditions statewide, visit ADOT’s Travel Information Site at www.az511.gov, follow ADOT on Twitter (@ArizonaDOT) or call 511, except while driving.
A study from Microsoft involving more than 2,000 people has found that the average attention span has dipped to a low 8 seconds – down from 12 seconds in 2000. A goldfish has an attention span of 9 seconds.
There are many effects from smartphones and the like on the human body which are never written about. Information technology (IT) is much more powerful in unrecognized ways than is generally acknowledged.
Because these various IT devices are often very close to a person’s body, they can and do have profound effects on the human bioelectric field. The key factor in this ever-intensifying dynamic between human and technology is the length of time of daily interaction.
In other words, picking up a cellphone to make a couple of calls a day is one thing; being tied to your smartphone 24 hour a day, 7 days a week is something altogether different. Herein lies one of the key causes of the shrinking attention span. Additionally, constant exposure to cell phones near our heads may be dangerous.
WILLIAMS — It’s spring and you are planning a trip on old Route 66. Maybe take old Route 66 through Parks and on into Flagstaff. Or maybe down to Ash Fork. Maybe you want to visit one of the many car shows in Williams and Flagstaff this summer, but do not want to look like the average tourist (Loose the iPhone. It’s a dead give-away).
Thanks to I-40 Fleet Services on Route 66, you can now travel in style. You can rent elegance in every form from their 1964 C-4 convertible Vet—for about half what you would pay in Vegas or Phoenix—to the Bobcat front end loader.
From $59.95 to $159.95 (additional charges may apply) you can rent a Chevrolet Cobalt, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Dodge Caliber, Dodge Grand Caravan, 15 passenger van, and, now, a 1994 Chevrolet Corvette.
I-40 Fleet Rentals, at 441 East Route 66 in Williams, has a variety of equipment for rent for large and small jobs and yard work. Their service trucks do RV and truck repairs along I-40.
Since it is time to check the oil and anti-freeze in your own car, they remind customers that they will take the used oil and coolant off your hand for free.
I-40 Fleet Rentals has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. So if you have a need to rent large equipment for a large job, have some yard work planned, or need to rent, say, a C-4 Vet convertible, call I-40 fleet services at 928-635-9199 for more information. If they don’t have it, they may be able to tell you where to get it.
Do you hate Windows 8.1? You are probably not alone. But the hate may be over. The constant switching from the Desktop screen to the App screen is coming to an end with Windows 10. That is the good news. The other news might not be so welcome. The upgrade might be free and it is right around the corner.
Windows is apparently so set on limiting piracy that they originally intended to give Windows 10 free to anyone who is currently operating Windows 7 to the terrible 8’s. Also those who purchased a Microsoft phone. ZDnet is reporting that is a big maybe. The gist of the article is that it all depends on where you obtained the copy of that Windows that you are using. It appears that if you are operating an OEM machine—a manufactured computer that you purchased with an aforementioned version of Windows on it—you will get a free upgrade to Windows 10.
If you built your own computer, you should be okay so long as you obtained a “genuine” copy of either Windows 7 or 8.1.
I was forced into Windows 8.1 by a traitorous computer running XP that turned on me and failed. With some practice I was able to move around Windows 8.1 with a certain amount of comfort. Not with like, mind you; just comfort. I found a function to add features to Windows 8.1—quite by accident. When I tried it, I received the window in the following Figure to the left. The bottom of my PC did not have the Microsoft XXXX-XXXX-XXXx-ad naseum key required by Microsoft on the label. I searched the computer system information and found the only key I could find. I pressed the I Already Have a Key button and my key was not accepted in the Window that resulted shown in the Figure to the right. Adding new 8.1 features was not that critical, at that point. I am still busy trying to relearn yet another Windows operating system while attempting to continue getting other work accomplished. My only purpose was to see what cool 8.1 features I was missing. It begs the question, however, if my operating system is “genuine” enough to qualify for the free Windows 10.
Originally Microsoft intended to distribute this free Windows 10 through a normal update. If you recall, manufacturers had an agreement with Microsoft to upgrade their recently sold XP machines to Windows 7, if you did so within a specified time frame. While some may get the new upgrade, others may not. At least not without some difficulty. The big losers appear to be large corporations.
Another problem that has surfaced is for those who add alternative operating systems such as Linux or even previous versions of Windows to their machine. This applies only to OEM machines and not to home-built machines. The complexity of the issue is beyond the scope of this article and may be found at ARS Technica. Essentially Microsoft is working with OEMs to lock out the ability to incorporate alternative operating systems into the OEM machine. This is a nerd-exclusive subject that should not bother the average user.
Many people do not create a restore disk when prompted to do so. When their hard drive crashes and they have to replace it, they are surprised when they put in the new hard drive and it does not automatically come up like it did when they bought it. There is a reason for the restore disk, folks. My concern is that if my hard drive crashes five-years from now and and I use the restore disk that I created because I am smart, will I still be able to upgrade to Windows 10? (Or Windows 12, by that time)
Another concern that I have is software. I have some older software that blistfully resides in my Windows 8.1 machine. Thus far I have been surprised to find only one that does not. Will the new Windows 10 wipe out the remaining remnants of XP programs?
The issue to the average user is what the new Windows will look like and how it will act. For those who were frustrated at having to learn a whole new Windows, the bad news might seem that you will have to learn a new Windows. In reality, however, you will be learning an update of the old Windows. The Windows Start button is back!
When you press the Windows Start button on the taskbar, you will not be treated to the Apps page. You will get, well, a menu. The menu, however, is different. The Apps will be included in the menu. They are customizable as they are on the Start Page in Windows 8.1.
Users of the Beta versions are giving Windows 10 good reviews. Not rave reviews, yet. But good reviews. It appears that Microsoft is committed to handing out the new Windows 10—Internetally speaking—to Windows 7 and 8.1 users for free as long as you upgrade within a year from the date of the release of Windows 10. The latest on the release date is simply sometime this summer. Some are saying as early as June.
If any of this is distressing you because you love Windows 8.1 and cannot do without it, you might want to consider seeking professional attention.
COCONINO COUNTY – In April of this year Coconino County passed an ordinance regulating the use of portable communications devices while driving. Included are all manner of devices such as PDAs, laptops, pagers and other electronic communications devices. That ordinance was amended by the passage of Ordinance No. 2014-09 (PDF).
Although installed and handheld two-way radio devices are not included in the definitions, they are covered in the exemptions to the ordinance. A technical reading of the ordinance would make the use of family radio service (FRS) devices illegal as they do not require a license for use.
The only devices allowed to be used are hands-free mobile phones and GPS units programmed prior to driving. Texting while driving is completely banned.
The ordinance reads:
A person shall not drive a motor vehicle while using a portable communications device to engage in a call unless that device is configured to allow hands-free listening and talking, and is used exclusively in that manner while driving. Texting and typing while operating a motor vehicle are banned.
Exemptions include:
When the driver uses a hands-free mobile device.
When the purpose of the call is to communicate an emergency to a police or fire department, a hospital or physician’s office, or an ambulance corps.
When operating an authorized law enforcement or emergency vehicle in the performance of official duties.
When a driver holds a valid amateur radio operator license issued or any license issued by the Federal Communications Commission or the driver uses a two-way radio, including radios used in the Citizens Band (CB) service.
When a person is driving a school bus or transit vehicle that is subject to Arizona Revised Statutes or United State Department of Transportation regulations.
When a person is driving a motor vehicle on private property.
When a driver has pulled off of the traveled portion of the roadway in a safe and legal location and placed the vehicle in park in order to operate a handheld portable communications device.
Texting while driving has been a known problem for years. Cell phone companies and State departments of transportation have produced ads warning of the dangers.
The fine for the offense is $100 increasing to $250 if you are involved in an accident. Not to mention that the offenders insurance rate may increase. It may, however, extend to a higher cost. A teen in Massachusetts was convicted of vehicular homicide in 2012. He was convicted to the maximum penalty of 2-1/2 years.
(JUNE 6, 2012)
Teens being distracted by other teens while driving may be as much of a problem. An attempt by Arizona to address this situation was defeated a few years ago. The State of Arizona has no current statewide ban on texting or the use of cell phones while driving.
According to the June 4 Williams News, the Williams Police Department has chosen not to enforce the ban because of the difficulty in enforcement.
FLAGSTAFF — Culminating multiple years of research and several months of deliberations, the Coconino County Board of Supervisors approved an ordinance that aims to curb distracted driving within the County.
On Tuesday, the Board unanimously passed County Ordinance 2014-03: Regulation of Portable Communication Devices and Texting While Operating a Motor Vehicle. During the meeting, members of the public who addressed the Board spoke favorably of the ordinance and urged its passage to increase public safety.
“Our board feels strongly that this is a public health and safety issue that needs to be addressed. Countless studies have shown that distracted drivers are far more likely to be involved in a crash than those who are focused on what’s going on around them,” said Board Chairman Matt Ryan. “On behalf of the Board of Supervisors, I thank the Public Health District Advisory Board, our public health staff and Sheriff’s Office for helping address this critical issue.”
For years, County officials postponed passing its own ordinance, hoping that Arizona lawmakers would enact a statewide law placing restrictions on the use of cellphones and other devices while driving, Supervisor Ryan said.
While many bills have been introduced in the Arizona Legislature in that time, none have become law. Arizona is one of three states without any form of regulation on the use of cellphones and other devices while driving.
“It was important for the safety of our residents that we implement these safety measures in our area,” Supervisor Ryan said. “However, we still urge our lawmakers to consider a similar measure at the state level.”
The ordinance passed Tuesday goes into effect in 30 days on May 22. The ordinance states that “a person shall not drive a motor vehicle while using a portable communications device to engage in a call unless that device is configured to allow hand-free listening and talking, and is used exclusively in that manner while driving. Texting and typing are banned while operating a motor vehicle.” Continue reading →
WASHINGTON—Before January of this year, people could unlock cell phones in order to utilize whatever phone service they chose. After January 1st, that option was locked-out. That is to say that you could no longer unlock your cell phone and had to buy a new cell phone to switch services. Although unlocked cell phone are still sold through several stores and Internet sources.
The Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act, H.R. 1123, would repeal Paragraph (3) of section 201.40(b) of title 37 of the Code of Federal Regulations, amended by the Library of Congress in October of 2012, to allow consumers to unlock cell phones. Cell phones were locked based on Copyright infringement.
This would, of course, allow consumers to switch services without having to purchase new phones. The Bill, with 8 cosponsors, was referred to the Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, And The Internet on the 15th.
It is expected that cell phone industry lobbyists will be out in force.
The law’s been around for 15 years. Last year, the Library of Congress ruled unlocking a phone without the carriers permission violates copyright law.The ruling took effect Saturday.—FOX News Charlotte
Unlocked cell phones offer consumers more options, especially when it comes to mobile devices and service providers, but a new federal law criminalizes the fairly-common cell phone trick.
In October, The Library of Congress reached a ruling that made unlocking cell phones illegal. The new law kicked in on Jan. 26.
According to CNN, the new law applies only to phones purchased after January 26.
