Local Residents Tempering Ike's Aftermath

I remember sitting in the KTRH and KPRC anchor chairs in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina and Rita. It was my job to talk with people on air and disperse information. I also got an earful of hate from listeners who were not happy with local and federal government response.

Fast forward three years later and my stint in the KTRH anchor chair last night was vastly different. The lines were full of callers but this time the attitudes seemed to be much better for the most part. Instead of spewing bile towards the mayor, president, FEMA, God and anyone else who could be blamed, the listeners I spoke with seemed to be thankful and realized that things would soon return to normal.

We reported that 69% of local residents were without power last night and still the callers let me know that they understood the mighty task that Centerpoint is going through. Many offered tips on boiling water, washing dishes and sharing generators and refrigerators with neighbors.

Maybe we can all get along.

I will be hosting NewsRadio 740 KTRH in-depth team coverage of Hurricane Ike tonight again from 10p-Midnight. Give me a call to share your stories or tips - (713)212-KTRH.

I will also appear and take calls on Great Day Houston tomorrow during their special live afternoon show from 3p-4p. KHOU-TV, Channel 11.

I should be in studio for my regular Saturday "High-Tech Texan Show" on The 9-5-0 from 11a-2p and then back in the KTRH anchor chair that evening from 7p-9p. Hang in there H-Town and stay classy (and cool).

Anchoring KTRH Monday and Tuesday Night

Been monitoring the electricity situation (or lack thereof) and slowly but surely Houston is coming back online. We have been hosting family members at the Garfield Hilton since our power has been on since Sunday afternoon. Air conditioning, cold beer and Cowboys on MNF - doesn't get much better.

Sadly I have to leave home around halftime and head up to the Galleria area. Our program director at KTRH asked to me fill in from 10p-midnight tonight and Tuesday to help anchor more post-Ike coverage. Taking one for the team I made sure the TV was working in the studio so I can keep an eye on Tony Romo and company.

Log on and listen live and give me a call in studio to alk about your Ike experience, local and national government response or even to vent.

I'm hoping to dodge all the cops on the Southwest Freeway since I'll be breaking curfew.

Y(IKE)S!!! The Sky Is Falling

I must say my brethren in the local electronic media have been doing a bit better with Hurricane Ike coverage than with past storms. I didn't sense as much hype and hysteria - at least earlier this week - as they, er WE, have done in the past.

But as of yesterday afternoon, GAME IS ON! KPRC, KTRK and KHOU all scrapped the national morning show feeds today and I just noticed they shook off the nightly national news from their affiliate HQs. It's all local all the time now. Let's just hope this thing blows over (and we still have power) by Sunday so they don't pre-empt any NFL games.

If you've ever wondered what it's like for reporters to cover a major storm, take a look at some of these iPhone-snapped photos from this afternoon. I was at our Clear Channel radio offices on the West Loop as our folks prepped for round-the-clock coverage, at least on NewsRadio 740 KTRH. Though our studios are on the 5th floor there are no chances being taken.

Plywood was laying in the hallway ready to board up the double-paned windows in case of breakage. Mattresses, blankets and cots were folded up waiting for reporters, anchors and producers to use them for catnaps over the weekend.

And let's not forget food and drink. Charlie Pena, the longtime office manager, made a Sam's run early Thursday and came back with a truckload of supplies to satisfy even J.P. Pritchard. Chips, salsa, cookies, water, soda and almost every other carbohydrate you can imagine is piled high in the several kitchens throughout the office. And if you can't find any batteries in the city, that's because they are all here.

Programming changes have already come down from the Big Wigs. All regular Saturday programming on KPRC is cancelled for continuing weather coverage. That means my show will not be heard this weekend. Ironically, Mayor White was scheduled to be my first guest to talk about Monday's NSTA State of the City Technology Forum which I had planned to emcee. That event was just now rescheduled for Monday, Oct. 6. I got a call from the mayor's office this afternoon with an apology for him being a bit preoccupied this weekend. No prob, Bill. You go guy!

I am on standby to go in to the studio to help anchor coverage and listener response on KPRC and KTRH but we should return to our regular show next Saturday, September, 20.

Buckle up people and be safe.

Selling Your Old iPhone

• The new iPhone 3G has been out for over one month and selling pretty well, I might add. Every time I pass an Apple store I see a line of about a dozen people waiting to get one and the regional AT&T stores have been sold out since the first weekend they went on sale.
  
  A lot of the people buying the new devices were owners of the original (1st gen) model that was released in June 2007. Some of these owners are still baffled about what to do with their original device now that they have the new 3G model.
  
  The folks at Newsradio 740 KTRH asked me to comment on ideas of what to do with your old iPhone. I'll speak with J.P. and Lana this Wednesday morning at 7:30am but here some quick tips and links:
  
  
• Give it away (I'd rather have the cash)
  


• Sell it (that's what I did with mine)


• Jailbreak it (kind of tricky but it can be "unlocked" to use on another network)


• Turn it into an iPod Touch (kill the cell/data service
  

A quick check of eBay found over 53,000 iPhone-related items. First gen iPhones range from about $250 up to $500 for unlocked versions. If you are not a fan of eBay there are other options to sell the device online. NF Technology Services will buy it from you (and other Apple products). Gazelle is another service that will buy your used iPhone and other gadgets

What did you do with your old iPhone?

Another new communication innovation

Here's a little secret (or sneak preview) of something pretty unique that will be happening very soon at some of our local radio stations.

Talk radio hosts pride ourselves on talking to and with our listeners. It's been easy...dial 713-212-5950 (for my particular station) and you can get on the air. For several years we have been reading emails at computers in front us (for some of us who know how to use email) and last year we implemented an IM feature (again, for some of us who know what IM is).

I have hosted my own videoconference silmulcast since 2006 and soon we will put the power of communicating with us in the hands of a device that most everyone has - a cell phone!

Our AM stations (The 9-5-0, 790 The Sports Animal and NewsRadio 740 KTRH) will soon launch a texting service to contact the hosts and receive breaking news, sports, weather, traffic, contests and of course, the all-important technology news and updates.

I volunteered to jump start this effort which will begin on-air in a few weeks. HOWEVER, for my blog readers, go ahead and join now. Ssshhhh...

From your cell phone, text TECH to 777111. Welcome to to my club. You'll never know what you'll get.

KTRH Monday Morning

As if your weekend wasn't boring enough...I will be sitting in for Joe Pags on 740 KTRH Monday from 9a-11a. I'll try to open my mind and yours a bit by staying away from tech topics as much as I can. Andy Pettite, HGH, Ron Paul's Money Bomb, Dolphins win, Romo hurts thumb, Dan Fogelberg dies should be some of the topics we hit. And of course I will try for the "get" of the year - a live Roger Clemens interview.

Congratulations to P. Solliman from Houston who won a Sony VAIO laptop on my show last Saturday. We're giving away another one this weekend and you can start now by going to the Dreamray website and "finding me."

And typing of Ron Paul, why is he so popular on the Internet? He's got more MySpace friends than any other Republican candidate. He raises millions of dollars simply by asking people to click. For Paul, it's a shame that we don't go to the polls in November online.

Shop Til You Drop

It's late Thursday night and I can only imagine how many people are already lined up in front of stores to save a few bucks on a TV or microwave. And it's chilly, too.

Black Friday is here and I'm looking for horror stories, good deals, ripoffs, the best places to park and shop online. I'm sitting in for Joe Pags on KTRH from 9a-11a. I'll lean on you to provide comments about these questions while I work with the Clear Channel traffic department (or what's left of it) to tell you how packed mall parking lots are.

I'll also take emails while you are out and about and if you can send me a photo of your shopping experience I will even try to post them. The most creative ones get a prize.

My regular Saturday show on The 9-5-0 is a doozy. Got an interview with a dude from Palm and we'll give away a Palm Centro or two. But I also have a magician/psychic coming in to read minds. Who says local radio is dead??

Hook 'em Horns!

Houston, We Have A New Website

Launch. Complete.

By now you probably have seen our new website at www.hightechtexan.com. The boys from Dreamray came on my radio show last Saturday and flipped the switch while we were on the air. We quickly received several dozen emails with favorable comments and a smart suggestion or two.

The only non-flattering comment I remember reading was something about my choice of shirts. Noted.

Many people are taking the week off for Thanskgiving or at least slowing down a bit at work. A big topic on the show was online holiday sales. I mentioned that many sites likes Best Buy, Amazon, OfficeMax, Circuit City and Apple are rumored to have good deals beginning as early as this Thursday. If you find any sweet sales make sure to leave a comment here.

I sometimes wake up early on Black Friday to catch a few deals. I'll skip that this year as I will be sitting in for Joe Pags on KTRH between 9a-11a. Tune in as you are looking for a parking space (which could actually take up those entire two hours).