http://www.gizmodo.com/gadgets//katrina-houston-call-to-give-me-stuff-124701.php -- Katrina: Houston Call to Give Me Stuff Joel Johnson — I am unbelievably frazzled, and we haven’t even really done any hard work. I apologize for a lack of coverage today, but I spent the entire day locating and securing a van, getting some initial self-sufficiency supplies, and picking up the donated 50x15 PCs from AMD. In all the craziness, I actually forgot to put up our HELLO HOUSTON HELP US OUT post, which was horrible, because I would like to leave around noon tomorrow. So consider this that post—if you were planning on donating some equipment or supplies, please take a look at our list after the jump. Before you do, though, please realize that we will not be able to drive around to pick things up. I have too many things to do and plan to be offline all morning. We are near the Sharpstown Country Club, for a physical reference. Here are the first-run critical supplies that we need most direly: * Fuel containers. We have not been able to secure them in Houston so far; stores are sold out. * Bottled Water. * Non-spoiling food. * Gasoline. Those we can use probably as much as you can provide. As for electronics, we could use: * VOIP Hardware. We need this very, very badly. * Flat-panel monitors. * Power inverters (cigarette lighter). * Working UPS units. * Solar panels. * EV-DO cards. (Very needed). * Inmarsat equipment. * Ethernet routers and switches. * Wi-fi hardware of all types, including antennas. * Materials to build antenna and other electrical gear. * PCMCIA Wi-Fi card. * Long-haul wireless gear. If you can provide these things, feel free to call me in the morning (as early as necessary; I’ll wake up). We’re always happy to accept cash donations as well, but the more physical gear you can provide (especially the fuel, food, and water) the more cash we’ll have for travel expenses. I am keeping an XLS of the donations and expenses so far, but because I want to publicly thank people in a place that a potential hard drive crash will not erase, I will be putting up information here. Let me begin by thanking out gracious Houston hosts, including James T. and Lacey, and the folks from the various Houston activist groups who acted as our initial guides. Also, thank you very much Marc H. Nathan of Bulldog Financial, for coming out to deliver a box full of Ethernet and Wi-Fi routers. Thanks to an unnamed executive at Verizon who gave me more information about the infrastructure of the Gulf Coast disaster area in 10 minutes than I have been able to gather from multiple sources all day. Of course, thanks again to everyone at AMD, especially Chris Aarons, who helped us secure the small-form factor PCs we will be deploying. And thanks again to Will Hawkins, who I did not get to spend nearly enough time with, because he spent almost every available hour assisting folks at the Astrodome in setting up computers and networks. It’s too bad you can’t stay longer, Will. You’ve done more than the rest of us put together. My contact number: (347) 495-0610 Also, eat me Nokia, for making a phone that is nearly impossible to charge via solar or battery. And while you’re down there, welcome Circuit City, who by handing over their cell phone section to Verizon whole cloth has made it nearly worthless for people who just need some basic phone accessories. As usual, if you have other equipment donations, please refer them to CUWireless.net. If you have an idea of something we should have that we did not list (medicines, perhaps) then please call me and offer. Permalink: Katrina: Houston Call to Give Me Stuff
