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.

Government Crackdown on Online Movies!

Just recently I have noticed some of the favorite web sites to view movies & videos online for free have been either blocked by the feds or have been seriously limited in their ability to provide such videos online. There are a few like TVShack, Watch-Movies.Net (WARNING THIS SITE IS FILLED WITH AUTOMATED POP-UPS AND SUSPICIOUS SCRIPTS AND DOES NOT ALLOW ONLINE VIEWING OF ANY VIDEOS, JUST LINKS TO OTHER SUSPICIOUS SITES), OVGuide and others. It seems that it has become much more difficult for Internet users to see these once great sources of free content. I'm sure the big bad movie industry's hired gun Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and others have had some if major influence in this stance of actions to protect copyright material from being viewed publicly free of charge even if it is in a poor video quality and many times pirated by some fanatic in a theater with a camcorder. I guess they are in the right to do such actions after all they must protect the owners rights to earn a living on thework produced and let's just say that the theater industry isn't exactly rolling in the money now a days with the advent of pirated online videos/ movies. Hulu seems to be taking it the proper way paying some sort of royalty fee to the industry and or owners of the content and still providing a free plus subscribed online experience. For those still willing to explore the Internet for free movies and or videos, there are still sites out there to connect to outside the realm of the industry and the Federal government of the US but take care it could come at an unexpected price. Stay legal and give the devil its dues by either seeing the movie when it's released in theaters or buying the Blue-ray/ DVD when available, you will end up in the end with a better quality video source and do the right thing.

Comcastic Offer and Customer Friendly!

I just recently received my new replacement of a free Motorola cable modem from Comcast (My current ISP) along with an added FREE bonus to keep, a Netgear Wireless N 150 router. I was told they are offering this to current customers that have a need for one if they have the older Patriot Media cable modem like devices that I had. It was easy enough to setup initially and then activate over the phone with a Comcast representative but I ran into serious issues when it came to my Vonage's VOIP services. Having a very good Internet signal with Comcast's new cable modem replacement, I thought the cause of the problem was Vonage andspent over 1.5 hours over the phone (cel phone prepaid) with a service support representative(s) telling me to connect and disconnect wires and power to all the units in order to get it working. It seems that some of the older Vonage devices are not quite compatible with the new cable ISP standards and mine could be one of them but Vonage refused to have it replaced without a cost factor to me, which I felt was unjust. In the end I got the Vonage's device to work but not with any of their help at all, on my own as always. It seems that Vonage is plagued with the "treat their customers like crap" syndrome that many other companies are adapting and suffering from at the moment where on the other hand, Comcast that I have been so critical about is taking a more customer friendly policy especially with these two free upgrades.

The new Netgear Wireless router has some especially useful built-in utilities to monitor Internet Use especially handy with Comcast's current data ceiling policy (which I hope they finally remove). This device was really easy to setup and it's built-in interface is a breeze even for the novice of users. It came new with all the documentation & installation CD which is not really required to get it up and running, just a good Internet signal and connection.

In conclusion, I hope that Comcast's present policies continues to be positive ones like this really nice offering that benefitted both parties. Happier and well treated customers are usually better, recommend the service and or company and stay longer with them as truly committed customers.

IPad Clones rival the Apple Hard to get & Expensive Unit.

While exploring the market of touch tablet PC's on the Internet I have found that there are many really good alternatives reasonably priced and with better features then the infamous Apple IPad which is impossible to get at the moment. So what does a consumer do with

money to burn and desire to buy Apple's Ipad but non available, they look overseas primarily to the chinese market. There are several suppliers andmodels NOW available at the fraction

of the cost of IPad like the so called EPad's, APads and others. Commonly referred to as MID

's they vary in style and size from 7 inch to bigger but I found that the 7 inch to be more hand

friendly & weigh less. Granted these clones do not have Apple's OS, support or maybe even battery life but they don't cost $500 starting and limited to AT&T's death grip of service nor its unchangeable memory storage size once a model is picked and yes you can have one TODAY if you want with Android (a fast growing mobile OS). Be warned there are some touch tablet MID's out there like the SMartQ that has installed a very difficult customized and cloned Android system and not the general Android OS without ability to add or customize properly its use despite its hardware perks and price. Main street tech media doesn't really want to cover these overseas items for reasons only one can imagine but you as a consumer can research them online through Youtube videos and others then buy online (I recommend Ebay for its buyer protection policies) so go out and explore Apple is not your only choose ot the best one.

Mac Backtrack on Iphone Issue!

It looks like Apple and Steve Jobs in particular had to swallow some humility pill partially regarding the IPhone's antenna issue after getting attacked finally by Consumer Reports bad recommendations and the heat from the press. Although main stream tech media reporting makes light of the issue, this is a big problem and issue at Apple's attitude towards it's customer based taking for granted their minions and zombie like following that is now corrupted by the not so willing to swallow the mind numbing Apple compliance pill. Now they are offering to give for free the bumper guards up until September of 2010 and refund or give purchase credit for those who bought one since the release of the IPhone 4's from Apple. Apple's problems are not over, there is still the issue of shortages of stock availability of both the Iphone 4 and the previously released IPad's loosing many more customers ready to buy but looking for other alternatives (Wii strategy?). Customers should always come first and NO company should take for granted their following or customers to just blindly continue no matter what abusive practices they wish to impose on them, learn from Microsoft's experience now falling drastically in it's own following it also took for granted. So Apple had it's Toyota moment as some tech journalists have said just recently on their online podcast's (the real future of tech journalism). Despite this fix by Apple and semi apology (really?) by Steve Jobs (the GOD of Apple World), I still predict that the overall sales will not reach expected due to these issues and other pointed out by users. Don't get me wrong they will sell plenty and cause the market to move but I don't believe they will get what was foretasted by both Apple and tech media. I still personally like Apple products despite it's faults but must think twice about committing to any new product of theirs until some of these issues are addressed.