san francisco

Zipcar just launched Zipvan, a pilot cargo-van program, in San Francisco. Now, Bay Area Zipcar members can use a Ford E-150 cargo van for $14.75 per hour, or $99 per day.

Behind the driver and front passenger seats, the cargo vans offer 230 cubic feet of space--enough room for a queen-size mattress, band equipment, or a few pieces of furniture from IKEA.

The new Zipvan service will launch in January 2012 with 15 vehicles, at locations in San Francisco and Oakland. Initial Zipcar locations offering cargo-van service include: Market Street at 15th Street, 14th Street at Stevenson Street, and … Read more

It's hard to imagine anyone shedding tears over the loss of a billboard, but a lot of San Franciscans may find their eyes watering up if, as reported today, the much-loved Yahoo sign along Interstate 80 is taken down next month.

According to a report on The San Francisco Egoist, the Yahoo billboard will be no more as of next month. The report quoted Clear Channel Outdoor Vice President and General Sales Manager Jon Charles as confirming the sign's imminent removal.

A call by CNET today to Charles was not returned.

There are few signs in the United … Read more

Clutch those iPhones tightly.

Some evidence suggests that thieves are targeting the handset more than ever.

The good news is that, thanks to technology from Apple, as well as third-party security apps, authorities have a better chance of catching the bad guys and retrieving the phones. Not only can the device's GPS system help hunt down a handset, but apps such as iGotYa will snap photos of whoever is in possession of the phone.

The bad news is that sometimes, the cops grab innocent people.

Last week, police in Petaluma, Calif., kicked in the door of Moriah Stafford, and … Read more

San Francisco may have gone too far in mandating warnings about the radiation coming out of cell phones, a federal judge ruled on Thursday.

The ruling, reported by the San Francisco Chronicle, called for San Francisco to tone down its message and to remove the requirement for retailers to post warnings on their walls.

U.S. District Judge William Alsup said the warnings created an "untrue and misleading" perception that cell phones are dangerous and "somehow escaped the regulatory process." He added that the rule overstates the risks posed by cell phones.

The ruling is part … Read more

A San Francisco man whose home was searched by Apple security officials hunting for a missing, unreleased iPhone is in discussions with the computer maker, his attorney said.

Two Apple employees claimed they had traced the errant device to the residence of Sergio Calderon, 22, and then visited his house with four plainclothes officers from the San Francisco Police Department in late July. Calderon, who has said he was led to believe everyone who entered the house was a police officer, has hired attorney David Monroe.

Monroe declined to elaborate on the conversations with Apple.

Police have said a two-man … Read more

Police in San Francisco won't be able to provide sneak peeks of any upcoming Apple iPhone.

Investigators from the San Francisco Police Department had expressed interest in reviewing surveillance video taken in a bar where an Apple employee lost an unreleased iPhone in July. On the eve of an Apple press conference where the iPhone 5 is expected to make its debut, CNET has learned the surveillance video that may have shed some light about the handset--how it was lost and who possessed it--has been unintentionally erased.

The story of the missing unreleased iPhone, the second one Apple has … Read more

SAN FRANCISCO--Walking through the Marina District section of town here yesterday, I tried to find the local Apple Store, thinking I could determine why my MacBook Pro was having battery issues. The only problem? The store, which I've been to many times, was curiously nowhere to be found.

Today, it all makes sense. According to a news story making the rounds, the store I was trying to find, on Chestnut Street, and possibly at least two others around the country, are temporarily closed. In the case of this store, it seems that the facade had been blacked out in … Read more

San Francisco Police have asked the owners of the bar where an Apple employee lost an unreleased iPhone for permission to review the bar's surveillance footage, CNET has learned. The request is likely part of an internal police probe into how officers assisted Apple in searching for the missing handset, a police spokesman said.

Jose Valle, whose family owns Cava 22, a popular bar-restaurant in the city's Mission District, told CNET Friday that officers from the San Francisco Police Department visited the bar about a week ago and left a message that they wanted to see his surveillance … Read more

Too busy to keep up with the tech news? Here are some of the more interesting stories from CNET for Wednesday, September 21.

• In his testimony, Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt referred to Microsoft's mistakes (without actually naming the tech firm directly). Meanwhile, Google competitors such as Yelp tell senators during an antitrust subcommittee hearing that the company "rigs" search results. CBS news reports: "The early fireworks appeared when Sen. Michael S. Lee (R-Utah) produced data showing that Google's owned and operated properties often were among the top links." Google says trust us. More … Read more