After spending a nice 3 hours in Baltimore's Inner Harbor, I decided to ride my TMAX to the Arundel Mills Mall in Hanover, Maryland. I wanted to put some more tokens on my Dave & Buster's power card only to find out once I got there, I'd forgotten the thing. :-( My 2nd objective there was to test the mall's FREE Wi-Fi. I found out from the mall's website www.simon.com/mall/arundel-mills that it offers free Wi-Fi though they warn you that you'll have to agree to their terms and conditions (standard for free Wi-Fi). As I didn't have a problem with their terms and conditions, I gamely tried to connect at the Arundel Mills Mall. On the list of Wi-Fi signals, you click on Simon WiFi. I did that, my Nook e-reader tried to find me an IP address and, I promptly started getting Wi-Fi errors. Uh oh! Shades of the Starbucks at the Trump Boardwalk Hotel. I decided to move around the mall to see if that would help and, it helped in that the log-in page came up. It asked for my first and last names and either an email address or cell phone number. It claimed this information was mandatory in order to hook up. The company that runs the mall would use your email address to send you emails telling you of specials at the mall as well as new stores. If you supplied your cell phone number, they'd text about such things. I filled in the information and tried to connect and repeatedly got errors where I had to go back and try sending the information AGAIN. After the 3rd try, I noticed a little further down was a box you could check that would get you out of the emails or text messages. I checked the box as I wasn't feeling generous with the mall after all the problems I was having connecting to their Wi-Fi.
Eventually, I did get the service to work though I suspect I spent at least 15 minutes or more repeatedly trying to connect. During the whole process, I would receive at least 2 more Wi-Fi errors. Once I did connect, the connection was sufficiently fast. I will give the mall at little slack as I wonder if part of the problem was a number of people using their free Wi-Fi. The mall was packed today I suspect because it being Martin Luther King Day. I'll have to test the mall's Wi-Fi another day when there aren't such large crowds.
For now, I can't rave about this mall's free Wi-Fi. I had a real job trying to get it to work. If you wanted an easier free Wi-Fi connection, the Arundel Mills Boulevard McDonald's I reviewed was close by. It was definitely easier to use than the mall's Wi-Fi. Still, you can put this mall on your list of places that do offer legitimate free Wi-Fi. Happy surfing all!
Update February 17, 2014: I tried connecting to the Arundel Mills Mall free Wi-Fi and, I had problems again. I definitely wouldn't recommend their Wi-Fi. Also, while I was at the mall, I tried the free Wi-Fi at their Books-a-Million store. Their Wi-Fi worked great. However, Books-a-Million has apparently instituted a policy where if you don't belong to their Millionaire's Club, you have to pay a small fee to use their Wi-Fi. Club members get to use their Wi-Fi for free. As I'm a member, this isn't a problem for me but, it could be for others.
Monday, January 20, 2014
Inner Harbor Barnes & Noble Wi-Fi Review
After I had a nice lunch at the Baltimore Hard Rock Cafe, I walked next door to the Barnes & Noble located at 601 East Pratt Street in the Inner Harbor. The store is located in a former power station. The store has retained some of the huge piping and wooden floors from the former power station giving the store a nice character. In terms of Wi-Fi, once you press to connect to B&N under the Wi-Fi signals, a disclaimer may pop up. I don't remember if one did. I do remember I had fewer hassles hooking up to their Wi-Fi then I had when I tried to connect to the Wi-Fi at the Starbucks I tested in Columbia, Maryland. If you have a Nook e-reader like I do, the store will offer you free reading for up to 1 hour of a number of e-books. I didn't try it out so, I don't know how well it works or how vast the selection is. The store offers drinks for sale which can be nice while your surfing the web.
Overall, I was very pleased with this store. It was easy to connect to their Wi-Fi and, I had no serious hassles (see my review about Arundel Mills Mall). This is definitely an easy place to hook up to the web if you're in Baltimore's Inner Harbor. Happy surfing all!
Overall, I was very pleased with this store. It was easy to connect to their Wi-Fi and, I had no serious hassles (see my review about Arundel Mills Mall). This is definitely an easy place to hook up to the web if you're in Baltimore's Inner Harbor. Happy surfing all!
Sunday, January 19, 2014
Inca Kola Review
On a train trip from Ollantaytambo, Peru to Aguas Calientes, Peru to see the lost Inca city of Machu Picchu, I got to try Inca Kola for the first time. My tour director Mauricio told me it's the national soft drink of Peru. I found it different. To those of us in the United States (U.S.), Inca Kola is VERY different from what we're used to cola drink wise. All colas in the U.S. are black in color. Inca Kola is bright yellow. Also, Inca Kola has a some what sweet taste and, folks in the U.S. would say it tastes like bubble gum or club soda. To me, it tastes like bubble gum.
After my Peru tour ended and, I returned to the U.S., I stumbled upon Inca Kola at a Shopper's Food Warehouse (SFW) supermarket. As I'd an awesome time in Peru, I decided to get a bottle of the soft drink. I found I still like the stuff. Price wise, Wegmans sells a 2 liter bottle of it for $1.79 while SFW sells the 2 liter bottle for $1.89. However, SFW offers a greater range of the product. They have it in glass bottles, cans, plastic bottles and the diet version. Wegmans only offers it in the 20 ounce and 2 liter plastic bottles in the regular flavor i.e. no diet version. Inca Kola isn't found in the normal soda section of either store. You'll find it in the International Foods sections of each chain.
In preparation for this post, I did a little further research into the soda and, I discovered some interesting facts about the soda. The reason it is so popular in Peru is because it originated there and, the company based a lot of its appeal on Peruvian nationalism. Inca Kola is interesting in another way in that they are one example where the local brand beat out the International brand. Coca Cola tried to beat Inca Kola in Peru and lost due to better marketing on the part of Inca Kola Corporation and its parent company Jose R. Lindley Corporation (source: http://marketing.blogs.ie.edu/archives/2008/09/inca_kola_the_s.php). Sadly, Inca Kola decided to sell out to Coca Cola in 1997 for $300 million dollars though they got to keep the rights to the product in Peru as well as take over the distribution of all Coca Cola products there. Coca Cola in turn promised to promote the soda throughout the world and apparently has done so some what as it is available in the U.S. One last note though on the downside is that the U.S. version of Inca Kola may have more caffeine that its Peruvian version. According to a poster on the source webpage, the U.S. version may have 2 or 3 times the amount of caffeine than Coke (shades of Mountain Dew Batman). I wonder if Coca Cola decided to try to have the product compete with Mountain Dew in that way as they are close in color.
Overall, I like Inca Kola though others may not. I'm not crazy about the high level of caffeine in it but, I do like the taste and, it reminds me a lot of Peru when I enjoy a glass of the soda. Also, it isn't that much more expensive and than other name brands in the U.S. If you haven't tried Inca Kola and, you think you might like a soda that tastes like bubble gum, you might want to give it a try if you can find it. Happy drinking all!
After my Peru tour ended and, I returned to the U.S., I stumbled upon Inca Kola at a Shopper's Food Warehouse (SFW) supermarket. As I'd an awesome time in Peru, I decided to get a bottle of the soft drink. I found I still like the stuff. Price wise, Wegmans sells a 2 liter bottle of it for $1.79 while SFW sells the 2 liter bottle for $1.89. However, SFW offers a greater range of the product. They have it in glass bottles, cans, plastic bottles and the diet version. Wegmans only offers it in the 20 ounce and 2 liter plastic bottles in the regular flavor i.e. no diet version. Inca Kola isn't found in the normal soda section of either store. You'll find it in the International Foods sections of each chain.
In preparation for this post, I did a little further research into the soda and, I discovered some interesting facts about the soda. The reason it is so popular in Peru is because it originated there and, the company based a lot of its appeal on Peruvian nationalism. Inca Kola is interesting in another way in that they are one example where the local brand beat out the International brand. Coca Cola tried to beat Inca Kola in Peru and lost due to better marketing on the part of Inca Kola Corporation and its parent company Jose R. Lindley Corporation (source: http://marketing.blogs.ie.edu/archives/2008/09/inca_kola_the_s.php). Sadly, Inca Kola decided to sell out to Coca Cola in 1997 for $300 million dollars though they got to keep the rights to the product in Peru as well as take over the distribution of all Coca Cola products there. Coca Cola in turn promised to promote the soda throughout the world and apparently has done so some what as it is available in the U.S. One last note though on the downside is that the U.S. version of Inca Kola may have more caffeine that its Peruvian version. According to a poster on the source webpage, the U.S. version may have 2 or 3 times the amount of caffeine than Coke (shades of Mountain Dew Batman). I wonder if Coca Cola decided to try to have the product compete with Mountain Dew in that way as they are close in color.
Overall, I like Inca Kola though others may not. I'm not crazy about the high level of caffeine in it but, I do like the taste and, it reminds me a lot of Peru when I enjoy a glass of the soda. Also, it isn't that much more expensive and than other name brands in the U.S. If you haven't tried Inca Kola and, you think you might like a soda that tastes like bubble gum, you might want to give it a try if you can find it. Happy drinking all!
Sunday, January 12, 2014
Pacific Gas & Electric Bill Scam Alert
I thought I'd let everyone know that someone possibly in India is using the Indian company Anka International's email address (ankamachines.com) to send out bogus Pacific Gas & Electric bills. I received an email today informing me I owed the company over $500! There's a couple problems with that. First, Pacific Gas & Electric is based in California and, I live in Maryland. Second, I don't own a home or rent an apartment or house at this time. In fact, at this time, I don't have to pay any utility bills at all so, this is obviously a scam. Please be watchful of this apparent scam.
Thursday, January 09, 2014
U.S. Postal Service Is Hiring!
Today, I received a flyer letting me know the U.S. Postal Service is hiring City Carrier Assistants (I suspect this translates to substitute City Carrier) in the following areas:
- Washington D.C.
- Maryland Montgomery County
- Maryland Prince George's County and
- Southern Maryland Counties (it doesn't specify which ones)
The job pays $15.30 an hour and, you can earn annual leave based on the number of hours you work per pay period.
The job has the following requirements:
- must be 18 years of age or older
- have a current driver's license (you must be able to drive otherwise you can't do the job, at a minimum, you'll be driving your postal truck to and from where you'll deliver your mail)
- have a clear driving history for 2 consecutive years (please don't apply if you don't meet this criteria, you'll be wasting your time and the Postal Service's time and, they do CHECK!)
- be prepared to collect and deliver mail in all kinds of weather (this is no joke, trust me on that, I've been there)
- carry a mail bag weighing as much as 35 pounds (that doesn't include some of the packages you may have to lift in order to deliver them)
- must be able to walk or drive on an assigned route (city carriers do a LOT of walking though some have routes where there is a fair amount of driving)
The Postal Service claims they offer challenging job opportunities. That is big time true. The job is tough. You must have good organizational skills (you've got to organize all your mail and keep it that way as you deliver your route), be able to work efficiently on your own (no one will be holding your hand while you're out there once you've been trained) and in all kinds of weather. I've delivered mail in sweltering heat, pouring down snow, pouring down rain and in very strong winds (hold on to that mail!). Still, as you can see, it does pay well.
If you're interested in applying, go to: www.usps.com/employment, create a profile and do a search for jobs to see what positions are available. It could be the beginning of a new and challenging career. Good luck to you!
- Washington D.C.
- Maryland Montgomery County
- Maryland Prince George's County and
- Southern Maryland Counties (it doesn't specify which ones)
The job pays $15.30 an hour and, you can earn annual leave based on the number of hours you work per pay period.
The job has the following requirements:
- must be 18 years of age or older
- have a current driver's license (you must be able to drive otherwise you can't do the job, at a minimum, you'll be driving your postal truck to and from where you'll deliver your mail)
- have a clear driving history for 2 consecutive years (please don't apply if you don't meet this criteria, you'll be wasting your time and the Postal Service's time and, they do CHECK!)
- be prepared to collect and deliver mail in all kinds of weather (this is no joke, trust me on that, I've been there)
- carry a mail bag weighing as much as 35 pounds (that doesn't include some of the packages you may have to lift in order to deliver them)
- must be able to walk or drive on an assigned route (city carriers do a LOT of walking though some have routes where there is a fair amount of driving)
The Postal Service claims they offer challenging job opportunities. That is big time true. The job is tough. You must have good organizational skills (you've got to organize all your mail and keep it that way as you deliver your route), be able to work efficiently on your own (no one will be holding your hand while you're out there once you've been trained) and in all kinds of weather. I've delivered mail in sweltering heat, pouring down snow, pouring down rain and in very strong winds (hold on to that mail!). Still, as you can see, it does pay well.
If you're interested in applying, go to: www.usps.com/employment, create a profile and do a search for jobs to see what positions are available. It could be the beginning of a new and challenging career. Good luck to you!
Sunday, January 05, 2014
Arundel Mills Boulevard McDonald's Wi-Fi Review
As my readers know, I was a bit irked when I found out the Wi-Fi at the Benson Drive McDonald's in Columbia, Maryland was down. I really wanted to try McDonald's free Wi-Fi and see if it's any good. So, today, I made a visit to the McDonald's at 7053 Arundel Mills Boulevard in Hanover, Maryland just to try out their Wi-Fi.
I didn't see any markings on the building saying anything about Wi-Fi at this McDonald's. Maybe, they assume people will know about it. After I placed my order at the counter, I found a seat and turned on my Nook e-reader. I found this McDonald's uses AT&T Corp (ATT) for its Wi-Fi service (just like Starbucks). I don't know if that's true throughout the entire United States. The ATT Wi-Fi signal came in strong and, I had no problems getting an Internet Protocol (IP) address. When I clicked on a browser window, McDonald's page came up where I had to agree to their conditions as far using their Wi-Fi service. Once passed that, I was free to check my emails and surf the web.
I found the connection speed plenty fast though I can't post any numbers as far as bytes per second. I didn't do any extensive testing but, McDonald's free Wi-Fi should be fast enough for those doing normal surfing and checking of emails.
Overall, I was very pleased with McDonald's free Wi-Fi. I would definitely recommend it. Plus, according to their website, it is available in over 11,000 McDonald's restaurants. I'll definitely be putting McDonald's on my list of places to try when I want to use Wi-Fi to surf the web. Happy web surfing all!
I didn't see any markings on the building saying anything about Wi-Fi at this McDonald's. Maybe, they assume people will know about it. After I placed my order at the counter, I found a seat and turned on my Nook e-reader. I found this McDonald's uses AT&T Corp (ATT) for its Wi-Fi service (just like Starbucks). I don't know if that's true throughout the entire United States. The ATT Wi-Fi signal came in strong and, I had no problems getting an Internet Protocol (IP) address. When I clicked on a browser window, McDonald's page came up where I had to agree to their conditions as far using their Wi-Fi service. Once passed that, I was free to check my emails and surf the web.
I found the connection speed plenty fast though I can't post any numbers as far as bytes per second. I didn't do any extensive testing but, McDonald's free Wi-Fi should be fast enough for those doing normal surfing and checking of emails.
Overall, I was very pleased with McDonald's free Wi-Fi. I would definitely recommend it. Plus, according to their website, it is available in over 11,000 McDonald's restaurants. I'll definitely be putting McDonald's on my list of places to try when I want to use Wi-Fi to surf the web. Happy web surfing all!
Wednesday, January 01, 2014
Extended Stay Hotel Jessup Maryland Wi-Fi Review
One of the things Extended Stay America brags about is its FREE Wi-Fi. It is a noteworthy service considering what I've seen some places can charge to hook up to the Internet. I remember one Hyatt hotel in New York City I stayed at years ago that charged 50 cents a minute to hook up to the Internet.
At the Extended Stay hotels, they do have FREE Wi-Fi though they also offer a Wi-Fi service you have to pay for. What's the difference? Connection speed. The FREE Wi-Fi is what they call Wi-Fi Lite. Speed wise, it averages about 85 kilobytes per second (source: speed observed by me when I downloaded some map updates for my Global Positioning System (GPS) device). Their pay Wi-Fi service which I think they call high speed Wi-Fi costs up to $20 a month. The price depends on how long you want the service. I think they offer it for an hour, a day and a month (I use the month option). Connection speed wise, it does live up to its claim that it's 2 and 1/2 faster than their Wi-Fi Lite. I observed connection speeds of 235 kilobytes per second with it sometimes being faster than that.
Signal wise, they offer a very good signal which is pretty strong. To my surprise, I've even been able to pick up the signal in the hotel parking lot with my Nook e-reader. To those who might be tempted to try to get some FREE Wi-Fi this way, you have to have a password given to you when you check into your room at the reception desk in order to connect.
Another item of note. Each device you use to connect will be given it's own Internet Protocol (IP) address. You can use multiple devices to hook up to the Wi-Fi in your room HOWEVER, you will have to use the password the first time to log in on Each device. If you pay for the faster Wi-Fi, that will be good only for the device you pay for it on. It doesn't switch over to other devices you may use as I've found out from personal experience. If you want the faster service for a 2nd or 3rd device, you'll have to pay the charges for EACH device.
The faster service can be helpful if you're going to download some big files like GPS map updates or Windows operating system updates.
Overall, I've found the free Wi-Fi at Extended Stay America hotels (I've stayed at 2) to be a very nice service. It isn't free as you have to stay at the properties to be able to use it BUT, it can save you money or hassle (you don't have to go in search of a free Wi-Fi hotspot). I've been very pleased with it. Happy Internet surfing all!
At the Extended Stay hotels, they do have FREE Wi-Fi though they also offer a Wi-Fi service you have to pay for. What's the difference? Connection speed. The FREE Wi-Fi is what they call Wi-Fi Lite. Speed wise, it averages about 85 kilobytes per second (source: speed observed by me when I downloaded some map updates for my Global Positioning System (GPS) device). Their pay Wi-Fi service which I think they call high speed Wi-Fi costs up to $20 a month. The price depends on how long you want the service. I think they offer it for an hour, a day and a month (I use the month option). Connection speed wise, it does live up to its claim that it's 2 and 1/2 faster than their Wi-Fi Lite. I observed connection speeds of 235 kilobytes per second with it sometimes being faster than that.
Signal wise, they offer a very good signal which is pretty strong. To my surprise, I've even been able to pick up the signal in the hotel parking lot with my Nook e-reader. To those who might be tempted to try to get some FREE Wi-Fi this way, you have to have a password given to you when you check into your room at the reception desk in order to connect.
Another item of note. Each device you use to connect will be given it's own Internet Protocol (IP) address. You can use multiple devices to hook up to the Wi-Fi in your room HOWEVER, you will have to use the password the first time to log in on Each device. If you pay for the faster Wi-Fi, that will be good only for the device you pay for it on. It doesn't switch over to other devices you may use as I've found out from personal experience. If you want the faster service for a 2nd or 3rd device, you'll have to pay the charges for EACH device.
The faster service can be helpful if you're going to download some big files like GPS map updates or Windows operating system updates.
Overall, I've found the free Wi-Fi at Extended Stay America hotels (I've stayed at 2) to be a very nice service. It isn't free as you have to stay at the properties to be able to use it BUT, it can save you money or hassle (you don't have to go in search of a free Wi-Fi hotspot). I've been very pleased with it. Happy Internet surfing all!
Snowden River Starbuck Wi-Fi Review
The second place I decided to check Wi-Fi wise today was the Snowden River Starbucks located at 7090 Deepage Drive in Columbia, Maryland.
The Starbucks there is your standard Starbucks. It offers good parking, the standard Starbucks menu and FREE Wi-Fi (it isn't always free as I found out when I used it in Nassau, Bahamas, see my review on that). The Wi-Fi is provided by ATT. When you click on it, it says there is a log-in which threw me initially. However, I persevered and found out there isn't any password you need. You click on a button that takes you to an ad provided by the sponsor of the Wi-Fi which you can skip if you wish. Once you're past the ad, you're in. The Wi-Fi has good connectivity though I can't tell you what the connection speed is there. I didn't try to access any video to if it could handle that. I posted on my Facebook page and checked emails on my Nook e-reader and, it worked fine.
The only thing I could knock about the place was I wasn't wiped out by their peppermint hot chocolate venti I bought. I don't know what milk they used if they used any but, it wasn't very good though it did have a noticeable mint flavor to it. Still, this has nothing to do with the Wi-Fi which was the most important thing to me. Other people like me used it to surf the web and as far as I could see, they weren't having any problems either. This Starbucks did seem to be pretty popular as they were doing a good bit of business today. Happy web surfing all!
The Starbucks there is your standard Starbucks. It offers good parking, the standard Starbucks menu and FREE Wi-Fi (it isn't always free as I found out when I used it in Nassau, Bahamas, see my review on that). The Wi-Fi is provided by ATT. When you click on it, it says there is a log-in which threw me initially. However, I persevered and found out there isn't any password you need. You click on a button that takes you to an ad provided by the sponsor of the Wi-Fi which you can skip if you wish. Once you're past the ad, you're in. The Wi-Fi has good connectivity though I can't tell you what the connection speed is there. I didn't try to access any video to if it could handle that. I posted on my Facebook page and checked emails on my Nook e-reader and, it worked fine.
The only thing I could knock about the place was I wasn't wiped out by their peppermint hot chocolate venti I bought. I don't know what milk they used if they used any but, it wasn't very good though it did have a noticeable mint flavor to it. Still, this has nothing to do with the Wi-Fi which was the most important thing to me. Other people like me used it to surf the web and as far as I could see, they weren't having any problems either. This Starbucks did seem to be pretty popular as they were doing a good bit of business today. Happy web surfing all!
Benson Drive Columbia Maryland McDonald's Wi-Fi Review
Note to all: I specified Benson Drive in the title because there are 4 McDonald's Restaurants in Columbia, Maryland.
According to the McDonald's website, there are over 11,000 McDonald's restaurants that offer FREE WiFi. I had to pick the one who's WiFi was down. I'd never tested the WiFi at a McDonald's and, I wanted to see if there were any problems with it. The Wi-Fi at the 8305 Benson Drive McDonald's in Columbia, Maryland definitely has problems at the time of this post. The restaurant was reportedly recently remodeled. As far as I could tell, this was true and, they did a very nice job of it. However, according to the person who took my order there, while doing the remodeling, they cut 3 of the wires that helped run the WiFi at the restaurant knocking it out. I tested it with my Nook e-reader and found that I could pick up a very strong signal however, I got repeated WiFi errors if I tried to get an Internet Protocol (IP) address. So, for now, there isn't any WiFi at this restaurant. I plan to check back at the place in about a month or so and see if they get it fixed. Stay tuned for an update.
Update June 1st, 2014: My apologies to my readers for taking so long to get back to this McDonald's to test its WiFi. I finally made it there today. I found out the WiFi is working there though it seems to have some kind of problem. I kept getting WiFi errors saying no Internet connection even though I had an Internet connection that worked i.e. could post stuff on Facebook, check emails, etc. Go figure. So, you may get WiFi errors but, you will be able to connect to the Internet here. Happy Internet surfing all!
According to the McDonald's website, there are over 11,000 McDonald's restaurants that offer FREE WiFi. I had to pick the one who's WiFi was down. I'd never tested the WiFi at a McDonald's and, I wanted to see if there were any problems with it. The Wi-Fi at the 8305 Benson Drive McDonald's in Columbia, Maryland definitely has problems at the time of this post. The restaurant was reportedly recently remodeled. As far as I could tell, this was true and, they did a very nice job of it. However, according to the person who took my order there, while doing the remodeling, they cut 3 of the wires that helped run the WiFi at the restaurant knocking it out. I tested it with my Nook e-reader and found that I could pick up a very strong signal however, I got repeated WiFi errors if I tried to get an Internet Protocol (IP) address. So, for now, there isn't any WiFi at this restaurant. I plan to check back at the place in about a month or so and see if they get it fixed. Stay tuned for an update.
Update June 1st, 2014: My apologies to my readers for taking so long to get back to this McDonald's to test its WiFi. I finally made it there today. I found out the WiFi is working there though it seems to have some kind of problem. I kept getting WiFi errors saying no Internet connection even though I had an Internet connection that worked i.e. could post stuff on Facebook, check emails, etc. Go figure. So, you may get WiFi errors but, you will be able to connect to the Internet here. Happy Internet surfing all!
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