After years of talk about Network Neutrality it seems the cable and telco industries are poised to win the battle. The FCC will vote on December 21, to impose some very common sense, vanilla NN rules on cable ops and telcos.
What the cable ops and telcos got in exchange will have a far greater impact on the Internet and consumers than NN ever would have. Cable/telcos now get to implement "usage-based billing." UBB is a practice already in place in Canada and Comcast, at&t, TWC and others are itching to implement it here. So wave goodbye to unlimited web-surfing as you will now pay for every minute you spend looking at Gmail, Google Maps, Amazon, eBay, Facebook and more.
This is a disaster for those that keep talking about a digital divide. Low income consumers will now have even less incentive to get online since the more they go online-- the more it will cost them. Not a good move for those that have the least Internet access.
Cable telcos also dodged a bullet in terms of additional regulation of information services. There WAS considerable talk that cable / telcos provision of Internet access would be subject to the "intensive scrutiny" of Title II regulation but they dodged this as well.
So for all the talk about Google "owning" the Obama Administration-- they took quite a beating on NN. Given the public and media screaming that accompanies every story of Comcast or at&t trying to favor or hurt anyone on the Internet, it is doubtful the marketplace would have allowed ANY cable / telco to treat ANYONE unfairly even without rules on NN. So what did Google and low income consumers win here? Not much.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Sunday, November 14, 2010
One term President?
When the President lands tonight at Andrews AFB after his week long effort to diffuse the election, what did he accomplish? In spite of dragging a herd of American CEOs along with him to India, there was no agreement in Mumbai. He asked the China to stop manipulating their currency. They didn't listen. Both Korea and Germany said they think our economic policies are insane. Good times.
This is getting to be an administration in free fall. There is very little in the way of results and less in terms of even projecting bold leadership. With the Reps set to take over the House you can forget any action on gays in the military or any other policy loved by the left. You might think this would present an opening for a Blue Dog Democrat to take on Obama from the right (or what passes for the right in the Democratic Party), I don't think so. The left is more pissed about the lost opportunity that is Obama than anyone else. Some obscure member of the House with just enough funding and credibility to do damage will soon emerge. When that happens and even more weakened President Obama will limp toward the general and be defeated by a Republican.
In the end, we will never be lucky enough to see Sarah Palin as the Republican nominee. She is just too much of a cartoon character. While in the Alaskan wilderness she utters one line in her new reality show that I think best sums her up: "Why would I wanna be in some political room somewhere when I could be here?" Some "political room?" You mean the state capitol or a city hall or the Pentagon? In the end, even The Tea Party will realize she has no clue. Mitt Romney, a much more appealing candidate will likely be the nominee. If things continue as they are (what did Jimmy Carter say? miasma? I don't think he ever actually said it but he owns it) were looking at a one term president.
This is getting to be an administration in free fall. There is very little in the way of results and less in terms of even projecting bold leadership. With the Reps set to take over the House you can forget any action on gays in the military or any other policy loved by the left. You might think this would present an opening for a Blue Dog Democrat to take on Obama from the right (or what passes for the right in the Democratic Party), I don't think so. The left is more pissed about the lost opportunity that is Obama than anyone else. Some obscure member of the House with just enough funding and credibility to do damage will soon emerge. When that happens and even more weakened President Obama will limp toward the general and be defeated by a Republican.
In the end, we will never be lucky enough to see Sarah Palin as the Republican nominee. She is just too much of a cartoon character. While in the Alaskan wilderness she utters one line in her new reality show that I think best sums her up: "Why would I wanna be in some political room somewhere when I could be here?" Some "political room?" You mean the state capitol or a city hall or the Pentagon? In the end, even The Tea Party will realize she has no clue. Mitt Romney, a much more appealing candidate will likely be the nominee. If things continue as they are (what did Jimmy Carter say? miasma? I don't think he ever actually said it but he owns it) were looking at a one term president.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
'Monsters' - Monsters Official Movie Site - Starring Whitney Able and Scoot McNairy - Now on Demand EVERYWHERE and Now In Theatres
An interesting movie made by three people, two cameras and two laptops. We saw it On-Demand a couple of weeks ago before it ever appeared in theaters-- sort of Heart of Darkness with aliens. More than 300 articles have been written about the movie according so Google News, so you know it's true.
'Monsters' - Monsters Official Movie Site - Starring Whitney Able and Scoot McNairy - Now on Demand EVERYWHERE and Now In Theatres
'Monsters' - Monsters Official Movie Site - Starring Whitney Able and Scoot McNairy - Now on Demand EVERYWHERE and Now In Theatres
Luigi Macluso RIP
He was 62 when he died in his sleep on October 26. He was an architect, a race car driver and a businessman that revitalized the watch brand Girard-Perreagaux. He was most responsible for bring back mechanical watches when everyone thought quartz watches would render everything that came before it obsolete.
He developed watches for Ferrari and Formula 1 as well as the designers Zegna and Boucheron. Someday, I will own a GP.
He developed watches for Ferrari and Formula 1 as well as the designers Zegna and Boucheron. Someday, I will own a GP.
Friday, November 12, 2010
A Coordinated Attack
In yesterday's edition of The Hill there were no less than seven negative stories on Google. Everything from demands for hearings on "wi-fi" spying to a story about how The Tea Party is opposed to an issue important to Google.
Seven stories is a lot in one publication. Harvey Rosenfeld's fingerprints are all over this. Having spent some time this year with the Central Valley Tea Party, I know that Net Neutrality is not one of their issues. There is some sort of coordinated effort to undermine Google politically and eventually I'm sure the goal is financial as well.
More interesting, for a company that employs 4/5s of the world's geniuses, is the fact Google does not appear to be fighting back. Where is the response? Even an acknoledgment of the attacks would help Google blunt them.
One of the stories was on how The Tea Party has been encouraging Republican members to oppose further rules on net neutrality. Really? The Tea Party is outraged over a concept as obsure as NN? I doubt it. Someone has put them up to the task.
The question is when and how Google will respond? In politics there is a window and Google can not wait too long.
Seven stories is a lot in one publication. Harvey Rosenfeld's fingerprints are all over this. Having spent some time this year with the Central Valley Tea Party, I know that Net Neutrality is not one of their issues. There is some sort of coordinated effort to undermine Google politically and eventually I'm sure the goal is financial as well.
More interesting, for a company that employs 4/5s of the world's geniuses, is the fact Google does not appear to be fighting back. Where is the response? Even an acknoledgment of the attacks would help Google blunt them.
One of the stories was on how The Tea Party has been encouraging Republican members to oppose further rules on net neutrality. Really? The Tea Party is outraged over a concept as obsure as NN? I doubt it. Someone has put them up to the task.
The question is when and how Google will respond? In politics there is a window and Google can not wait too long.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
A Quick Chat With Google TV’s Lead Dev About The Network Blockade, Apps, And Google TV Hitting The PS3
A great idea that every broadcast or cable programmer, system operator would like to bury. Techies love the raw hardware though.
A Quick Chat With Google TV’s Lead Dev About The Network Blockade, Apps, And Google TV Hitting The PS3
A Quick Chat With Google TV’s Lead Dev About The Network Blockade, Apps, And Google TV Hitting The PS3
Oakland Mayor's Race
Jean Quan wins with 50.98% of the vote. Lots of pissed-off people in Perataville over the outcome but I think it was closer than it could have been.
1. DP had no 2nd place or 3rd place strategy. Why not? Votes on the second, third and fourth ballots are how he was elected pro Tem.
2. Let's face it, five years of the FBI and every local newspaper looking into DP's consulting biz, proposed legislation, family and friends all took a toll. Given all that I was amazed he came in first election night.
3. Upper middle-aged white guy. Pretty much a non-starter in one of the top three most liberal, if not radically liberal cities in the country.
The good news for DP is that he is now free to take a big job in Jerry Brown's horseshoe.
1. DP had no 2nd place or 3rd place strategy. Why not? Votes on the second, third and fourth ballots are how he was elected pro Tem.
2. Let's face it, five years of the FBI and every local newspaper looking into DP's consulting biz, proposed legislation, family and friends all took a toll. Given all that I was amazed he came in first election night.
3. Upper middle-aged white guy. Pretty much a non-starter in one of the top three most liberal, if not radically liberal cities in the country.
The good news for DP is that he is now free to take a big job in Jerry Brown's horseshoe.
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