VRPCWORLD 1st Podcast

Just the 1st of many videos/ podcasts so keep checking out the YouTube account at: http://www.youtube.com/vrpcworld

The Death of Cable TV!

Reading and listening to many of the news related articles in reference to the cable industries last attempts to stay alive within the new world order of the Internet revolution, has made me to imagine quite easily a world without Cable TV service at all. With net neutrality becoming a topic to discuss not only in our homes but now with our federal government agencies and elected officials, how it will affect the cable TV industry is a very scary topic for the industry or media to bring up at this time. You have to wonder how cable TV will be able to continue when so many people (and growing every moment) now more and more dependent on direct access to movies and shows on the internet when they want it and NOT from a cable TV channel line-up. The cell phone industries boom lately had a lot to do with the publics ever growing demand for more media intense content online. This puts the cell phone providers (and also Cable TV) in a corner of unexpected and uncontrolled data hunger from the public. It is in many ways directly related to Apple's unpredicted talented attempts to make cell phones & mobile devices used more with media friendly Internet apps but the home desktop use has largely been ignored and it's on the rise. This is largely due to the news medias lack off reporting on this not very well discussed or openly subject of the industry (what problem?).

The cable providers band aid cure (as we can see) are just imposing unwarranted data ceiling limits to the general public and making up excuses that they "just can't handle it". An industry that has been around so long and claim to be able to provide unsustainable speed performance most of the time to the consumers as reported just recently by the Federal government agencies that oversee them. Now Apple and in some parts Google's Android OS has created another surge in demand for content with their new product lines success. The Android OS is now powering up many cell phone devices and is on its way to becoming the de-facto OS for most tablets to come and who knows what else. The demand is great but the need to know by those involve in the industry on how to gouge their consumers inside this new world order is scary but they are working on it believe me. The consumer must be vigilant against this new form of consumer abuse within our new Internet world to come or the industry will have its way. The audio and video industry is learning how not to completely stifle the innovative leaps in technology, they need to so as well.

So do not be surprised if someday soon you see different packages from your cable providers making less emphasis on their Cable TV channel line-ups and more on phone services (cell also) and of course your direct line access to the Internet based services. We are all seeing how many home intended devices (TV's, Blue-ray players and more) are Internet friendly with built in and downloadable apps ready. At times, these devices are a bit too friendly for the cable industry to handle, but thats ok. They have cured it (at least they think so) with the "finger-in-the-dyke" analogy of hope and their data limit policies rammed down our throats.

REVIEW: Ipad's/ Epad's from China

Through the use of Ebay's listings to purchase many items (recommend it) and other sources you can find easily, you can get a cheap but useful IPad like device made in China. These touch tablets (EPad/ APad) are inexpensive to get, and fill in a hole left open by the fever to get an IPad when none are available through Apple's website or stores due to their shortages. Leave it to Apple's big shots to start a new wave of need and then not take advantage of it by making enough units. Most IPad owners lucky enough to get one are in the tech media with a few exceptions. I also found its small 7 inch footprint to be easier to handle for long periods of time in my hand(s).

I have found these units to be intriguing both in it's very low price and the features they both have. They both use the Android OS/ Firmware (1.7+) but customized by the manufacturer's with some limits that can be at times frustrating, not to mention some Chinese language references. Although they both include Google's Android Market app, neither one of them work properly getting stuck in the download process when an application is selected to download. The Apad at first did seem to work after clearing out cache & data stored on various Android applications through the settings/ application management utility but don't reset the device or you will loose this ability, some missing app or utility is wiped out in this process. The touch screen is just as good as most cell phones out there today with similar hardware and it takes getting used to. For the people who had their hearts set on getting an IPad knowing how well the IPhones worked, you are not going to enjoy these devices for they are not IPads but for the price it's not really so bad and serves a purpose. Many Youtube video reviews on these types of touch tablets from China, but beware many look alike models.


Having sparked my childhood curiosity of knowing what's inside and makes it work, I tore into my Epad to be surprised by the level of technology and design these so called CHEAP touch tablets have inside. It should really be no surprise to anyone this fact because most or our products are made overseas like china and they have the experience to do something like this but outside the US corporate control of over pricing and gauging the consumers. Most US based tech reviewers and so called experts do not have it in their interests to speak positively about these products preferring to convince us that our USA branded ones are better, you feel better paying for more I guess. There are exceptions to this tech media bias but they are few, so take care who's advice you believe before buying, they have hidden agendas and many times sponsors that encourage them to do this.

Google and Verizon go into bed to kill Net Neutrality!

Hearing all this news about Net Neutrality both online and in printed media (a dieing industry), forces me to touch upon a subject I have been addressing for some time especially with my ISP. Unrealistic data limits imposed by both cell phone carriers (5GB per month,really) and your ISP's (your cable provider usually like Comcast with 250GB limit per month) must be addressed and reflect the reality of today's situation. The reasons that so many online tech media buffs are in an uproar about this is because it affects them the most (using cell phones like a fat lady in a candy store) and they don't like it. I do not convict them from bringing this important subject to light on there shows or news articles, God knows someone has to do it with so many indifferent people unwilling to take action or point it out.

I have always said, since the advent of data limits by the carriers that the practice was unfair and also crippling to the video on demand or streaming industry which is just begining to flourish with innovations. These rules and practices stifle innovations in these industries and is a greedy power play by the carriers to earn more income at the expense of customer service trying to make a quick buck with no regard to their own stable financial futures. As an example, just take a look at our US auto industries plunders and their inevitable fall from the consumers confidence and support where they were forced to file for bankruptcy, mergers, and eliminating many product lines. The auto industry had to adapt to our current reality and seek out the help of the federal government with bailouts (and who knows what else) just to survive and so does the internet carrier companies before they become the GM's and Chrysler's. Consumers in the end is the primary force for success or failure so it's best not to screw with them. It's funny, there are laws currently enacted and several federal & state agencies suppose to protect us from these types of abuses, but they are either have an interest to keep quite and do nothing or they're too stupid to do the jobs they were hired to do (and may I note with expensive salaries to do so).

I enjoyed main street media (non techy) covering this topic like Countdown from MSNBC with Keith Olberman (hope spelling is right) but we all have to become involved and contact the FCC, FTC, the White house or anyone else with power to do something about this now before the axe falls on this subject. In the end it is up to us (the masses involved, the majority) to point this out and not to tolerate it, so get off that couch and do something about it now before you start getting zapped and regret it. By the way tech media critics, cell phone technology exists today and not in some imaginary future (will not mention critics or show but you know who you are) so this topic will effect all of us now even the few elite among us.