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Las Vegas Review-Journal Al Gibes column: ONLINE GUY: New broadband service from Cox is fast -- very fast
Dec 19, 2009 (Las Vegas Review-Journal - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) --
The arrival of true high-speed Internet service to Las Vegas and a high-tech guitar, complete with digital lessons, highlight today's Net Notes.
-Cox Ultimate Internet
(bit.ly/8pOtzR)
Broadband just got broader, thanks to the new 50-megabits-per-second "Ultimate Internet" package from Cox Communications, available now in Las Vegas. It's faster than any other option for residential Internet service, by a lot.
With the service, which costs $119.99 per month, you can download a 50-minute video file in about three minutes. The same file will take you about 14 minutes with 10 mbps service, which is still pretty quick, and about 150 minutes with 1 mbps service.
It's like filling your swimming pool with a 36-inch water main compared with a fire hose or a garden hose. The new service is nearly 900 times faster than the dripping faucet of a 56 kilobits-per-second dial-up modem that was state of the art about a dozen years ago.
Similar speed gains were seen during a live side-by-side-by-side demonstration of the connection options when downloading photo and audio files. You can see the details of the tests on my blog at (lvrj.com/blogs/onlineguy) under the headline "Pulling a fast one."
"What this does is maximize the potential of the Internet," said Juergen Barbusca, Cox's manager of communications in Las Vegas.
Customers will need to upgrade their modem to a DOCSIS 3.0 model, which Cox sells for $99.99. The modems are also available at local electronics retailers for about the same price. I found them for priced between $76 and $96 at various online merchants by searching for them on bing.com.
Cox will continue to offer the 10 mbps and 18 mbps services for customers not needing the lightning-fast speed.
Business pricing for the 50 mbps service is $469.99 per month. Both sets of customers should call 702-967-3584 to arrange service and installation.
-Fretlight Guitar
(www.fretlight.com)
Carlos Santana I'm not. Never will be, but I gave it a shot when asked to test out a new guitar.
The Fretlight from Optek Music Systems of Reno is a real guitar, with built-in aids to make learning the instrument easier. As it's name suggests, the frets light up to help students find the correct fingering. The instrument comes with software that includes two beginner lessons and samples of intermediate and advanced training. Additional lessons can be purchased online for $14.95 each.
The full-size, six-string instrument is hefty. I recommend adding a strap, which isn't included in the $430 Starter package. Other packages range from $580 for the Player's package to $900 for the Pro Guitarist package. There's also an acoustic/electric model for those looking to be more like Johnny Cash.
No concert date yet for me. I'm still practicing.
Share your Internet story with me at agibes@reviewjournal.com.
To see more of the Review-Journal or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to
http://www.lvrj.com. Copyright (c) 2009, Las Vegas Review-Journal Distributed by
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email
tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax
to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave.,
Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.
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