New York-based marketing firm BBH is running what they're calling a "charitable experiment" this week at the South by Southwest tech and arts festival in Austin, Texas. They've outfitted 12 homeless men, and one woman, with equipment that turns them into walking 4G wireless hotspots. It's a simple, innovative solution to an important, pressing problem: lack of internet.

Anyone who's spent some time wandering the streets of a city knows this is a problem. You've maybe even been there yourself. And you've definitely seen those poor souls, standing on the corner, unable to get a strong signal on their phone, or, even worse, only able to connect to a slow Edge or 3G network.

But the "Homeless Hotspots" program has the potential to change all that:

This year in Austin, as you wonder between locations murmuring to your coworker about how your connection sucks and you can't download/stream/tweet/instagram/ check-in, you'll notice strategically positioned individuals wearing "Homeless Hotspot" t-shirts. These are homeless individuals in the Case Management program at Front Steps Shelter. They're carrying MiFi devices. Introduce yourself, then log on to their 4G network via your phone or tablet for a quick high-quality connection. You pay what you want (ideally via the PayPal link on the site so we can track finances), and whatever you give goes directly to the person that just sold you access.

Obviously, there are questions. Is this program a sustainable way to solve an urgent problem? Wouldn't it be better to attack the systemic issues that create internetlessness in the first place — to address the decades' worth of cuts to infrastructure and aid, and the cultural biases that lead people to blame lack of internet on personal choices and moral failings? And isn't there a more compassionate and dignified way to treat those without internet than forcing them to stand next to homeless people wearing "I'm a 4G Hotspot" t-shirt?

ARTICLE COURTESY OF GAWKER

Photo courtesy of Jockline

this article from here:

THE MOUTH, MARCH 8TH, 2012 –– Perhaps you read where Peter Gabriel wanted Rush Limbaugh to stop playing his music for rejoiners. Now, Rush (the band) has sent a C&D to make Rush (Limbaugh) stop playing Rush. This prompted Bill Michaels' of Cumulus' 97X/Quad Cities' Dwyer and Michaels show to ask: "You want us to play your music on the radio when it helps you sell records, but now your huge nose (Geddy) is out of joint and you want to stop a dj from playing your music??" He then brings up Chrissie Hynde from the Pretenders. "She's a huge environmentalist and Limbaugh uses her song "My City Was Gone" as his theme music at least 2X per hour, 3 hours per day for almost 30 years. How come she isn't squawking? Money, of course. He has a deal to pay her $100,000 per year, every year he pays her just to play that song!" says Michaels. The distinctive opening riff from this song has been used as theme music for Rush Limbaugh's talk show since 1984 during his days at KFBK in Sacramento, CA. Reportedly, Hynde once demanded that Limbaugh stop using the song, which he did. However, she did an about-face and offered Limbaugh the use of her song in exchange for his donating $100,000 to PETA. According to Limbaugh, Chrissie Hynde never said she didn't want him to use it. She isn't a fan, but her parents are and that is why she has allowed him to use it.

here's the cease and decist letter