Comcast thinks that its customers won't notice if it increases their monthly service charge by $2, if they call it an "equipment charge" increase rather than a service charge increase. They're increasing their revenue by $358 million per year without taking on any additional costs or providing any additional services. Consumers, fight back!

Please visit http://digg.com/tech_news/Comcast_sneaks_in_rate_increase_as_equipment_charge to read more and help me publicize Comcast's most recent attempt to cheat its customers.

Reports coming in from all over that Comcast is in major fail mode. Will they manage to restore service before 9:47 p.m.?

UPDATE: Looks like they managed to avoide frenzied hordes of Sox fans with torches and pitchforks.

The Globe reports Comcast is buying the piece of NECN it didn't already own.

BPD Area E-5 alerts the neighborhood that Comcast is starting an "extensive" door-to-door marketing campaign in West Roxbury (it's running through June!) in which sales representatives will attempt to meet with residents to take back their equipment before they drop dead from their exclusive diet of Kung Pao chicken, which is a Chinese delicacy explain exciting new Comcast offerings.

Police say all Comcast sales reps will have red beards and be out of shape sing in weird monotones about videogames be turtles wear "Comcast Contractor" shirts and jackets and have photo IDs. Also, police emphasize:

This campaign is designed to "meet" with residents. Comcast will not be soliciting residents for money. If you are approached by individuals seeking money beware that this person may not be a Comcast representative and as always call 9-1-1 for assistance.

Don't worry, weary Westie: Cable Guy won't be followed by FIOS Guy because Verizon sucks doesn't offer FIOS anywhere in the largest city in New England, except for a couple of blocks in Dorchester.

Storm knocks out service in Brookline, Roslindale, no doubt points inbetween, but how can you report if your Internet is broken and you don't have, oh, a 'Net-enabled smartphone?

If you have an analog TV and analog Comcast cable service without a converter box, and you turn on WGBH-TV-2 right now, you're going to see something very wrong: video of normal WGBH programming, accompanied by audio of WGBH's continuously-looping Ready for Digital TV special.

The picture says "This TV is DTV Ready" while the sound says, from time to time, "This TV set is not ready for the switch to digital TV in February 2009". Also, the picture is shrunk down and enclosed in a black box.

WGBH says this is a "Comcast engineering problem", not a problem with WGBH's broadcast or with your TV set.

David Scott reports that the Comcast local channel is laying off most of its employees (including, presumably, Sara Edwards) and will end all operations in New England in early January. Some of its sports shows might wind up on Comcast SportsNet New England, he reports.

Matt O'Malley shares the secretest of secrets of how to create a 30-second skip-ahead button for your Comcast DVR remote. Guaranteed to work until the next time Comcast discovers it and sends out secret rays to reprogram the remote - and make Matt disappear.

Not everybody uses their broadband just to download porn. Sometimes on-call social workers need access to Google Maps to find out how to get to emergency locations in the middle of the night. And sometimes, Comcast just doesn't care, John Greiner-Ferris explains.

Mark O'Neill spots one of the Red Line's infamous sperm-donor ads. That SO needs to be placed next to one of Comcast's new "Wanna hook up?" ads (is Comcast really admitting it wants to screw you?).