Industry

Dumping Gear the Green Way

If you collect as many gadgets as I do, it’s inevitable a percentage will outlive their usefulness. In the past, I’ve purchased Office Depot’s tech recycling boxes ($5) to unload that broken and limited-value gear. In fact, I’ve got an overflowing box ready go. Which is why LifeHacker’s recent coverage of Best Buy’s expanded recycling … Read more

WiFi Logs (& Continued Comcast Cap Silliness)

Again, Twitter proves to be a useful blogging tool… Paul Alfieri, formerly of Motorola and now with Limelight Networks, directed followers this morning to CNET’s coverage of a proposed sweeping network bill: politicians on Thursday called for a sweeping new federal law that would require all Internet providers and operators of millions of Wi-Fi access … Read more

Cable’s New Approach to Placeshifting

comcast-time-warner-cable-online-tv-video

Although we’ve seen some minor attempts by cable operators to let subscribers place-shift their TV programs – witness Comcast’s Any Room initiative – for the most part cable TV customers are stuck watching their shows in one place. Today several news outlets are reporting that the big cable companies have a plan in the works to change that. Time Warner Cable and Comcast are both looking to make their content available online to existing subscribers. The service would theoretically replicate Slingbox functionality, except without the extra box.

I have extremely mixed feelings about what Comcast and TWC are trying to do. As a consumer, this doesn’t do much for me. So much TV is already available on the Internet, I don’t feel like I’m missing much. On the other hand, it makes sense for cablecos to start aggregating content online. They need a presence on the Web, and as long as consumers are using up their bandwidth to watch TV online, the cable companies may as well be getting some of the revenue. In other words, what’s the downside?

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Hulu Drops The Hammer

I sort of figured this day would come… Based on my perception of the licensing/royalty complexities and content providers fear that a current web video catalog piped to the television competes with live broadcasts. Hulu has shown their true colors – spawned of big media and beholden to big media. And Boxee has become a … Read more

Digital Media Bytes

A periodic roundup of relevant news… from our other blogs: LTE on the Streets of Barcelona Parts of of Barcelona that are decked out in an LTE network which Motorola deployed the network over the last two weeks specifically for mobile broadband demonstrations throughout the Mobile World Conference. Hauppauge & MSFT Bringing Windows 7 HD-PVR … Read more

Choosing a Broadband Card (Verizon or Sprint)

For the better off of ten years, I’ve been a fairly frequent business and pleasure traveler. And staying connected has always been a top priority. Back in the old days, our options were quite limited – usually involving dialup access of some sort. I distinctly recall using a Palm V and modem to quickly check email, without firing up a laptop, while on the road in 1999 or 2000. The situation is much better these days, with numerous and exponentially faster wireless options.

Although both can be great options, for the purpose of this post, we’ll set aside mobile phone tethering and pervasive WiFi services to focus on dedicated data cards. If your (or your employer’s) budget permits, broadband cards (or integrated services) generally provide the quickest and most secure way to hit the Internet from a laptop and run about $60/month. The last few years, I’ve utilized several 3G cards from Verizon, Sprint, and AT&T (plus a 4G Xohm card, pictured above) all over the country.

In choosing a broadband card and service, most modern 3G hardware should be fine. Assuming you can get a good deal (which you usually can), the key factors in making a decision are access, coverage, and contract terms. Of course, if your employer is providing the card, this could be out of your hands. But notice I said 3G. That should immediately rule out T-Mobile with their fledgling 3G network and Clear/Xohm+Sprint with their slowly expanding 4G WiMax network – the footprint is small, and only suitable for folks who rarely need to access data services outside their home area. So that leaves AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint (3G).

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Piracy, Streaming & “What Works” for Online Video

Both the New York Times and The Economist recently published articles examining online video. Brian Stelter and Brad Stone in the NYTimes talked to the MPAA, Eric Garland of Big Champagne and the owner of the streaming site SuperNova Tube; the authors conclude that the pirates are “winning” the battle against the studios. The Economist instead … Read more

Marketing the Verizon Hub

Prior to delivery, we’ve definitely seen the potential in Verizon’s Internet widget station here at ZNF. But as release approached, with the implementation and contract details revealed, my enthusiasm has waned. In fact, I turned down a hands on briefing at Verizon’s HQ last week. However, that didn’t dissuade another PR flack from rebutting a … Read more