Clearwire is coming

So people who live in Middle Tennessee might have gotten a flyer on their door about a wireless broadband provider called Clearwire. It seems tempting. Pretty low prices compared to DSL and Cable Internet. I even thought about getting more information. Then I came across this website Clearwire Sucks

Turns out they have a ton of customer service and reception issues. I'll pass and stick with Cable and my wireless router. So buyer beware when it comes to Clearwire.

I also pimp the site because Clearwire's lawyers are threatening to sue and the blogger says if that happens she/he will post every detail. Good times.

Finally big ups to App State for knocking of Michigan. I hate just about every team in the Big 10 so it was a good time for me. I am not a Tennessee fan either so getting blown out by Cal did nothing for me. Top 4 teams I watch: Rutgers, Miami, Oklahoma, and Arizona State. Watch out for weekly football picks for college and NFL games on Fridays

NBC ejects from iTunes

From the New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/31/technology)

NBC Universal, unable to come to an agreement with Apple on pricing, has decided not to renew its contract to sell digital downloads of television shows on iTunes.

The media conglomerate — which is the No. 1 supplier of digital video to Apple’s online store, accounting for about 40 percent of downloads — notified Apple of its decision late yesterday, according to a person familiar with the matter who asked for anonymity because negotiations between the companies are confidential.

So basically, NBC wanted iTunes to raise their prices to increase NBC Universal's profit margins. Apple said no. NBC threatens to go to a startup website that desperately wants to be the next Youtube. Apple says Bye.

But wait there's more:

The iTunes service has sold songs for 99 cents each since its beginning four years ago, except for the recent introduction of songs without copy protection. Episodes of television shows sell for $1.99, with movies priced at $9.99.

NBC Universal and other companies say they want to increase prices by packaging content— say an episode of “The Office” with the movie “The 40- Year-Old Virgin,” because they both star the comedian Steve Carell.

This is the dumbest idea I've heard since Bush's decision to go to Iraq. Making people pay for a random episode of "The Office" just to see a movie is beyond stupid. Giving it to people for free is one thing. But adding on the cost is something else entirely. People who buy "The Office" will simply buy it.

Look NBC Universal think they have the upper hand. But one of two things will happen once NBC pulls out: 1. People WILL increase the number of shows they get through Torrents. People are not going to another website to pay more for the same thing they got on iTunes. 2. NBC will put it online for free like ABC/Disney for a short time and get an online ad sponsor.

Besides, there are smaller media companies who would kill to have their content on iTunes. This makes room for them.

In retail, no one screws with Wal-Mart. Why? Because there is not a close second in sales volume worldwide. Media companies think they can push Apple around with iTunes. The problem: there is no rival. You could sink millions into making a rival that has a very good chance at failure. How many people do you see walking around with a Zune (that's what I thought).

Rant over, sorry about the lack of posting. Ear infection sidelined me for a few days.

Eminem sues, zzzzzzzzzzzz

I'll admit it. I don't like Eminem. And save your emails defending his bad music. I don't want to read them. But he did make tech news. From the BBC

Rap star Eminem is suing computer firm Apple for allegedly selling his music in its iTunes store without permission.

A lawsuit claiming infringement of copyright has been filed on behalf of the singer by his music publishing company Eight Mile Style.

Apple pays Eminem's record label for each download - but Eight Mile Style argues it has not approved the deal.

"This is a significant issue in the music industry," said Norman Ankers, a lawyer for the company.

Actually Norm, it's not. You see Apple works with music labels to sell the label's music on through their ITunes platform. Label and ARTIST get money from every single or album sold. What is it about that concept do you not understand. So Slim Shady's problem is with his label, not with Apple.

"Generally, artists want their music sold," said Joel Martin, a spokesperson for Eight Mile Style. "We want it downloaded. We request that any provider that's offering downloads license it through the publisher."

"Apple is not accounting to us. They are accounting to Universal (Music)," he said.

If Marshall wants to cut out the middle person (Universal), let him. Then he can talk to Apple directly. To me, it is akin to saying Borders can't sell a CD because the artist did not themselves go to Borders. Borders talked to the label and Borders can't do that. See how stupid that sound.

If you want your stuff to be sold, sell it and shut up. If not, pull it and shut up. Either way, Em, just shut up.

Emusic goes indie

From the IHT, http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/07/31/business/emusic.php

EMusic, the nation’s second-largest online music seller after Apple’s iTunes, plans to announce a deal with AT&T today that will allow people to buy songs from independent labels through their cellphones, without the need to go through a personal computer.

Several services, including those run by Sprint and Verizon, let people buy songs directly over the air. But they focus on songs by mainstream performers like Prince, who has a deal with Verizon. EMusic sells music only from independent labels, a category that these days includes the new album from Paul McCartney as well as obscure punk bands. The arrangement with AT&T Mobile Music will make those songs available just as easily as the more conventional ones.

For indie labels, this is a probably a good thing. It lets their artists get their stuff out there. We'll see how the software client is set up. So, how much does it cost:

Tracks will cost more than they do over the Internet--$7.49 for five songs, as opposed to $9.99 for 30 at the online site--because of the expense of sending them over a mobile network to a user's phone. For that price, however, users can also get another copy of the song, which they can download from the Internet as an MP3.

It has potential for people who are interesting in stuff they can't find in Clear Channel-run radio stations (if people still listen to read) and the top 100 on iTunes. That would include me. But I don't think there are many people like me out there.

This is why the music industry is dying a slow death

Universal Music Group, the world’s largest music corporation, has decided not to renew its annual contract with Apple for selling music through iTunes Music Store. Without the contract, iTunes will lose a large number of tracks and maybe consumers too. However, Universal will be the biggest loser. Why? Online music sales are on the rise. Itunes has almost the entire legal market.

Universal Music said that it will sell music through iTunes at will - which means consumers can still purchase tracks - but Universal will remove its tracks from the store on short notices if both parties do not agree on pricing or other terms. The time is a little odd. Right after people bought their new Iphone.

The sticking point? That's right, UMG wants to raise prices. Or charge less, according to the New York Times.
link: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/02/business/media/02universal.html?ei=5065&en=1b940de192f6dfd7&ex=1184040000&partner=MYWAY&pagewanted=print

"Edgar Bronfman Jr., the chairman of Warner Music Group, reinforced that idea at a recent investor conference, saying “we believe that not every song, not every artist, not every album, is created equal.”

The bottom line: Apple just announced DRM-free song catalog where if you buy from ITunes at a higher price, then you can play the song on an Ipod, or a Zune, or your cell phone. UMG refuses to sign on. That would satisfy UMG, unless they want prices to be higher than 1.49 a song.

Memo to People Buying an Iphone on Ebay

DON'T. Apple is a lot smarter than Microsoft and Nintendo. 360 and Wii had little supply to meet the initial demand. The result: people forced to buy for inflated prices on Ebay. If you didn't buy it (like me), you pissed off that you had to wait and decided not to buy it at all.

Apple has PLENTY of Iphones. Very few locations have sold out. If they have, go to your local AT&T Wireless or purchase at Apple.com. Any option will have you paying less than you will pay on Ebay.

Here's a guess: Most of those losers, errr, Apple fans you saw waiting in line had their brand new Iphones up on Ebay by 9 p.m. Of course, they were marked up 300 or 400 hundy. One moron tried selling one for $12,000.

Of course, people are STILL going to ebay to buy the phone. DON'T

I-Day, The Verdict

Will probably wait for an iPhone. But I am going to the local Green Hills store in Nashville for a class on how to use (gasp), a phone.

I will at least wait until the price comes down (which it will) or the phone is equipped with 3G tech (which the next version will). So I will try to resist. Price isn't the issue because E did very, very well and had very, very good time in Vegas.

Will let you know how the class went

One more week..to deal with all of the Iphone rumors

Rumor: Iphone will be offered on a pre-paid plan.
Me: God, I hope so. That would be the only way I would buy it this summer

Rumor: Buying an iPhone without a 2-year contract will cost $999
Me: Crazy talk. I could (and would) get a MacBook to replace my ibook which costs exactly the same.

Bottom line: This was posted on Apple Phone Show (http://applephoneshow.com/index.php/archives/302) and sums up my thoughts on iPhone rumors perfectly:

"We’ve heard hundreds of iPhone rumors. Most (like 99%) turn out to be proven false before the phone has shipped. The Apple Phone Show’s Andy Ihnatko recently left this comment on a thread full of people guessing what was going to come of the iPhone. It says it all. 'When an iPhone rumor turns out to be bull — and at this point I’ve lost count — the source is usually some dude in a mall store who was probably trying to put something into a female customer’s pants that wasn’t made by Apple.'"

Harry Potter spoiled?

Someone has claimed to hack into the computer network at Bloomsbury Books (the publishers of the Harry Potter series) and claims that he has a copy of the final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. On a mailing list, he "reveals" the fates of Harry, Ron, Hermoine, Hagrid, Voldemort, Snape, Malfoy, and Hogwarts.

People are anticipating how the story ends (for those who do not read the series) because it is rumored that one of the main characters will die by the end of the final book in the series.

Bloomsbury Books won’t confirm or deny the validity of a post by a hacker named Gabriel.

I read the spoiler (what can I say, I prefer to know what is going to happen rather than be surprised). It sounds plausible, but I wouldn't bet my house on the book ending the way Gabriel says. Not going to post a link here, because either A) the person is a nut; or B) the person is a criminal. Google "Gabriel and Harry Potter" and you will find it inside of 3 minutes.

Safari for PC

Have not downloaded it yet. But word is that is looks exactly like the MAC version. I use Firefox when I use a PC. I use Safari when I use a Mac. Story

Apple this week announced that it will target the Internet browser market with its Safari browser, making it available to Windows users. The market is currently dominated by Microsoft’s Internet Explorer and Firefox, which holds 59.8 % and 33.7 % market share respectively (according to W3Schools).

Safari will draw users. But I am wondering will they get IE users or Firefox users. Even if I download Safari for PC, I will probably continue to use Firefox as my main browser. But we shall see

Internet Privacy

I wrote a bit about privacy earlier in the blog. Issue 2 of privacy is Allison Stokke. A high school track star who became an Internet sensation as losers, errr, obessed losers, errr, junior high school boys, errr, fans posted pictures of her on their website.

Reportedly, pictures in a local newspaper got posted on blogs and spread like wildfire. So she became an Internet star unknowingly. Because of that I am not going to post the pictures on this site. If you want pictures (and she is a cute women), go here.

She was recently featured on a front-page story in the Washington Post (which is the only way I found out about her). Maybe not the best way to put a clamp on the story.

Since I am officially the last person on the planet to find out about this, her popularity will peak.

CAN-SPAM?

Our government at its best:

The Federal Trade Commission is joining in the fight against SPAM. So they opened an email address: spam@uce.gov

They want people to forward spam they receive to the FTC as they will put it in their "database". From the FTC,

The FTC’s spam database has served as the basis for FTC cases involving pyramid schemes, money-making chain letters, credit card scams, credit repair scams, bogus weight-loss plans, fraudulent business opportunities, and other scams that were promoted via email.

Great theory, right? Finally, the government does something worthwhile. Well, guess what? The forwarded emails are being returned due to processing error. Wonder if the email is overloaded with SPAM? We'll see what happens.

By the way, Vegas is great.

(Blogger still hasn't fixed the editing buttons. They tell me it is not designed to work with Safari. My answer: Why the hell not? End of rant )

Is this sound sexist to anyone else? According to Kansas City Star (http://www.kansascity.com/595/story/151886-p4.html)

"Japanese women may soon be tapping on the hit Nintendo DS handheld game machine for beauty tips, such as taking extra fluids and monitoring skin tones.
“Dream Skincare” is part of recent efforts by Nintendo Co. to attract newcomers to gaming. Until recently, the gaming crowd has largely been young men fond of shooting and sports games.
But the Nintendo DS — which comes with two screens, including a touch panel — has been a big hit with older people and women with new kinds of games such as brainteasers and virtual pet games.
Players input their daily body temperature and weight by marking a graph that shows up on the touch panel, according to Konami Corp., which made the software.
The “beauty navigation software,” as the company describes it, asks questions that the player answers such as skin tone and smoothness, as well as exposure to sunlight and hours of sleep.
Advice on a daily regimen for healthy skin pops up on the screen, including directions to drink more water, or to eat apples and ginger, food that had a reputation for warming up the body.
Hormonal balance is key for avoiding wrinkles and age spots, and body temperature and weight fluctuations are good indicators for any hormone swings, which can get awry from overwork and stress, according to Konami.
Overseas sales for “Dream Skincare” are undecided. It’s set to go on sale in October in Japan for 4,500 yen ($37)."

Whether sales are successful or not, there are women who play shooting games and sports games. And there are guys interested in having healthy skin. But this probably gets into the larger issue of sexism and video games. Maybe we will tackle it at some point.

America's Army

For some reason, Blogger is only showing two editing icons in the editing bar. But they are "improving" the system again (Whenever I hear that someone is "improving" something and how this will be "so much better for me", I want to dive under a table. Because I know it won't be improved and it won't work out well for me). So no way to change the size of text or block quote or bold. They have keyboard shortcuts listed below, but I am boycotting them. End of rant.

Going to Vegas for the WSOP for a couple of weeks, but I wanted to give a quick note about America's Army (http://www.americasarmy.com/). They are coming out with the game on XBOX 360, according to a number of news outlets.
I don't play it because they discontinued MAC development and only update for PCs.

"The game will feature a multiplayer component for Xbox Live that will include eight maps developed by Red Storm Entertainment. True Soldiers will utilize the Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Warfighter 2 game engine." - From Punch Jump (http://news.punchjump.com/article.php?id=4323)

Previous installments of the game (download and online play) are free because it is funded by U.S. tax dollars. Whether the U.S. should be using tax dollars to fund supporting and development of a video game is another issue for another time.

But I wonder if this will be the first truly free game for the XBOX and how will it be distributed.

Memo to America's Army: If you are going to develop a game with tax dollars, then make it accessible to everyone. Not just PC people. Americans use MACs too.

Cost Breakdown

Done for me by Allen Sterns at Centernetworks

So let's take a look at the math.

• $640 Phone - $599 plus tax (~8%)
• $60/mo Voice Plan - cheapest plan with unlimited nights and weekends
• $40/mo Media Max 3000 Bundle - includes 3000 texts and unlimited MediaNet which I assume will work as the browse function on the iPhone
• $8/mo Fees - lovely fees

The total cost: Over a year, that's a grand total of $1,936. For that, you get 900 minutes of talk time a month, and 3,000 SMS text messages according to Stern. Also remember that you have to sign a two-year contract with ATT/Cingular.

His comparison of what that money buys you is illuminating:

* 387 Starbucks grande drinks
* 2,129 McDonalds hamburgers
* 968 rides on the NYC Subway
* A round-trip ticket to Japan from the USA
* A new LCD 42" TV with enough money left over to buy all 5 seasons of 24 on DVD
* A Mac Powerbook

And none of this includes insurance so when you sit on your iPhone and break it, you don't have to shell out another $500 for a new one.

A recent post had an interesting prediction about the future price of the iPhone:

Will the $599 price drop quick? Yep. My bet is that by the holiday shopping period, it will be down to $299.

My decision: Come June 29, I will likely wait and see what happens.