5 posts and columns on Amtrak

Snowpocalypse? Good Thing There’s an App for That.

in Mobile on December 27, 2010 at 10:18 pm PT

A smartphone won’t help de-ice the plane, but stranded travelers have been increasingly using their devices to cope with blizzard-related changes in travel plans. Traffic to the mobile Web sites of various travel companies is up 200 percent, according to Usablenet, which powers a number of airline and hotel Web sites.

Mainframes Remain Lucrative Business for IBM

in News on October 9, 2009 at 11:44 am PT

A mainframe computer may seem as out-of-date as a typewriter in the age of Google and iPhones. But the half-century-old business is still crucial and lucrative enough to be drawing scrutiny from U.S. antitrust investigators. International Business Machines Corp. is now almost alone in the market for mainframes: high-end computers that run everything from Amtrak’s reservation system to benefits payments for the Social Security Administration.

Poky Web Connection? Get Yourself to Delaware (Or Japan).

in Media on July 9, 2009 at 4:28 am PT

If you find yourself constantly cursing as your laptop struggles to stream a video clip, perhaps it’s time to consider a move. If you live in Delaware, you’ve got better odds at getting a high-speed connection than in any other state in the U.S. And if you’re really serious about speedy surfing, get yourself to Japan or South Korea. Bonus video: Break-dancing babies on rollerskates!
rollerbabies

Reporting Digital Map Errors

in Mossberg’s Mailbox on June 26, 2008 at 12:01 am PT

Walt Mossberg answers questions about reporting errors on digital maps, “virtual private networks” on Amtrak trains and saving Internet Explorer favorites.

Novatel Laptop Cards Can Access Internet, But Services Vary

in Personal Technology on August 31, 2006 at 12:01 am PT

Novatel has come out with a couple of new ExpressCard versions for Cingular and Verizon cellular broadband networks. I recommend both new cards. But the two high-speed networks are very different.