At the same time consumers are facing more and more aggressive bandwidth caps. Not saying your wrong, but streaming HD often will eat through a 100-250GB cap amazingly fast.
Are you suggesting that Netflix has been losing money on DVDs? Cuz if so how did they make it before streaming was even offered? I think you give them way to much credit. If anything word is that lots of their streaming contracts are ending soon, and guess what? Big media wants a bigger slice of the pie. Supporting what is essentially a doubling of price for many users is giving warm fuzzies to an entity that only has maximizing profits, while minimizing services as much as possible.
What bothers me most is that this is the second time in a year rates have gone up. My current $8.99 plan will soon be $15! I know this is mostly the studios putting the heat on Netflix, but it's still bullshit to not offer any discount for bundling DVD and streaming as the current "deal" provides. I always liked Netflix because I felt that like Steam, even though they have DRM, they provide a service (instant streaming) that helps balance the equation. Now I can't help but re-think my position as a paying customer when torrents are only marginally more difficult to acquire.
This is one of the major issues that has caused most of my family and those I advise on cell phone purchases to go with pay as you go phones. As the one holdout who needs a smartphone with major (asshole) network support I've grown so sick of the unknown and seemingly random small fees attached to my monthly bills. The scam is not only the fees themselves, but the god-awful wait time by most providers when it comes to waiting on hold to reach the provider and question or dispute a charge. They know damn well that for $1.99 a month most people won't tolerate being on hold for 15+ minutes and thus use it as a quick way to yet again fuck us over. Yet another reason to hate the U.S. cell phone industry with a passion. If the FCC is serious about this all I can say is suck it telecos.
You guys really have saved a lot of less popular games from the oblivion of closed main servers along with X-link Kai, and others. I'm not a grid player or a racing fan, and haven't used Gameranger in a few years, but it is an unappreciated service than deserves gamer's thanks. Mac gamers and uncommon title-obsessed fans should be especially thankful.
What will the US and European game exporting juggernauts of industry and the source of our last remaining exports do now!? War with Australia is the only way forward! Why couldn't you guys just let it be?... oh well just gotta find my flak jacket now brb.
People that need color printing for only an occasional document find benefit in inkject, especially if they print off an random photo here and there. But for B&W use only obviously laser is the way to go. Still some people just don't print much and need color only every now and then. The thought of having 2 separate printers for those people doesn't make sense, nor does buying an expensive color laser.
A significant portion of this new "4G next gen network" is gonna be HSPA+ which is a total joke to pretend is even worth bragging about. There are tons of networks using it since early 2008. Even so it hardly matters considering AT&T's insane caps.
I don't really care whether it's an evil plot or not. I don't care whether it's a "standard" or not. The only cell phone manufacturer that I know of that uses MicroSIMs is Apple. This means that when you go to buy a MicroSIM, they don't have it. This is a royal PITA.
Seems fair to me, I've personally never used a microsim, but I can see the issue presented by you. Obviously adapters only work one way too which makes your scenario a pain indeed. My post wasn't addressing the potential benefits or issues with SIM vs. MicroSIM, I just wanted to dispel any conspiracy conceptions that microSIM was some sort of Apple controlled walled-garden style lock-in.
I assume your not trying to call the standardized MicroSIM an evil plot by Apple. Sometimes I wonder why some folks can't just be happy criticizing Apple for all the real crap they do and must instead make up absurd new conspiracy theories that have no basis in fact.
A very good point indeed. I for one haven't watch Netflixed on a PC/Mac for almost a month. I used my iPhone or a virtual machine in Ubuntu quite often, or sometimes my Roku box. That being said, I think my original point about Silverlight penetration still stands. Even if only half the share of Netflix is on PC (unlikely) that is a hell of a lot further than it would have ever gotten alone.
Well one can only hope. Sadly the death of small ISPs has pretty much ended down here, and big teleco was the winner. Back in the dial-up days there were dozens perhaps hundred of providers here (and there I imagine). But DSL and cable have curtailed this with DSL still allowing a few 3rd parties who pay more for less and often market from a religious angle and thus don't fit my home. Today I live in a near duopoly between Qwest and Comcast, both of which offer poor service for top dollar. I'm not a smart enough man to claim to know the solution to all this, but I know that competition is needed. If the government must stand in than I suppose that is the case, but becoming a third world internet nation seems obscene.
To be fair there is a Win Phone 7 version and iOS (which has lots of MS apps thus far). I wouldn't scream fuck MS, but at the same time providing a Win7 Phone client before Android does suggest something. Perhaps the GP is biased, but reality doesn't seem too far off.
Indeed 7% is amazing. Just based on how many markets there are in the US with their own media and commercials it is impressive. I doubt AT&T or Verizon are much over double that and they are damn near required for most people these days.
I'm not fan of \any plug-in that makes compatibility harder with non so called "mainstream" OS's, but I do use an occasional utilize Mac or PC when at a friends's home to watch a film and can't help but notice it seems like the only use for MS Silverlight on the planet. If nothing else 7%+ of American PC's with Silverlight installed is pretty big for a product that has thus far felt like a massive failure. I can't for the world of me see how Adobe, Apple, or even Real or one of the other plug-in pushers didn't secure this deal.
The problem today is that at least in the US most broadband providers are TV providers also. The telecos who don't have a TV network have even gotten on board with "bundles" including DirecTV and Dish. They are smarter than consumers give them credit for though. You might think your poor service is proof of their incompetence- your wrong... sooo wrong. They will do anything to maintain a baseline of service that is merely tolerable because raising the bar costs them money and frankly where the hell will you go? To the other massive evil teleco/cable, overpriced wireless (3G/4G) or satellite? Dial-up perhaps? Of course not, they've got you buy the nuts. So expect Comcast's already pathetic 250 gig limit (even for 100$ monthly subscribers BTW) to go down (in GB per month), AT&T and Verizon are sure to follow (shocking!!). In the end, if they have their way, you will be able to watch Netflix, but it will cost in bandwidth fees nearly as much as it would cost to rent- with their respective pay-per-view fees. With today's government oversight and teleco mentality could it end any other way?
Yes. A lot of cities have fiber not available to the vast majority of the citizens of the state. I live in the capital of an middle-sized state and don't have any fiber option at my home at all.- and I live 2.5 miles for a fairly sizable downtown of in a city of 2.5 million or so.
Having lived in KC a few years back I can vouch for the need to revitalize the area. If bringing in fiber can help get improved access for schools, libraries and community centers it might just get some the many kids off the streets and away from the crime that is rampant in many of the neighborhoods. KC KS and KC MO are both sort of teetering between cleaning up their act like Chicago or NYC, or falling into hopelessness like Detroit. If improved internet access and the investment it brings can help push that in the right direction I am all for it. Glad to see Google choose an under-served area with as much potential as KC.
As someone who spent some time in the network TV world I just want to say you nailed it. These are indeed the 3 kinds of viewers. #1 is dying or moving on, #2 is stagnant with slight growth driven by free company boxes, and #3 is in huge growth thanks to smartphones, iPads, and media servers.
My biggest issue with most benchmarks is the underhanded deals between sites/mags and tech companies who provide incentives and free hardware. While I take individual benchmarks with a grain of salt as well for a lot of reasons, I'm far more confident that thousands of people haven't been bought and sold in the way ad supported publications seem to be.
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At the same time consumers are facing more and more aggressive bandwidth caps. Not saying your wrong, but streaming HD often will eat through a 100-250GB cap amazingly fast.
I meant $9.99 and 15.99 sorry for the typos. Point still stands.
Are you suggesting that Netflix has been losing money on DVDs? Cuz if so how did they make it before streaming was even offered? I think you give them way to much credit. If anything word is that lots of their streaming contracts are ending soon, and guess what? Big media wants a bigger slice of the pie. Supporting what is essentially a doubling of price for many users is giving warm fuzzies to an entity that only has maximizing profits, while minimizing services as much as possible.
What bothers me most is that this is the second time in a year rates have gone up. My current $8.99 plan will soon be $15! I know this is mostly the studios putting the heat on Netflix, but it's still bullshit to not offer any discount for bundling DVD and streaming as the current "deal" provides. I always liked Netflix because I felt that like Steam, even though they have DRM, they provide a service (instant streaming) that helps balance the equation. Now I can't help but re-think my position as a paying customer when torrents are only marginally more difficult to acquire.
Haahaa I actually was thinking the same thing.
This is one of the major issues that has caused most of my family and those I advise on cell phone purchases to go with pay as you go phones. As the one holdout who needs a smartphone with major (asshole) network support I've grown so sick of the unknown and seemingly random small fees attached to my monthly bills. The scam is not only the fees themselves, but the god-awful wait time by most providers when it comes to waiting on hold to reach the provider and question or dispute a charge. They know damn well that for $1.99 a month most people won't tolerate being on hold for 15+ minutes and thus use it as a quick way to yet again fuck us over. Yet another reason to hate the U.S. cell phone industry with a passion. If the FCC is serious about this all I can say is suck it telecos.
You guys really have saved a lot of less popular games from the oblivion of closed main servers along with X-link Kai, and others. I'm not a grid player or a racing fan, and haven't used Gameranger in a few years, but it is an unappreciated service than deserves gamer's thanks. Mac gamers and uncommon title-obsessed fans should be especially thankful.
What will the US and European game exporting juggernauts of industry and the source of our last remaining exports do now!? War with Australia is the only way forward! Why couldn't you guys just let it be? ... oh well just gotta find my flak jacket now brb.
People that need color printing for only an occasional document find benefit in inkject, especially if they print off an random photo here and there. But for B&W use only obviously laser is the way to go. Still some people just don't print much and need color only every now and then. The thought of having 2 separate printers for those people doesn't make sense, nor does buying an expensive color laser.
A significant portion of this new "4G next gen network" is gonna be HSPA+ which is a total joke to pretend is even worth bragging about. There are tons of networks using it since early 2008. Even so it hardly matters considering AT&T's insane caps.
I don't really care whether it's an evil plot or not. I don't care whether it's a "standard" or not. The only cell phone manufacturer that I know of that uses MicroSIMs is Apple. This means that when you go to buy a MicroSIM, they don't have it. This is a royal PITA.
Seems fair to me, I've personally never used a microsim, but I can see the issue presented by you. Obviously adapters only work one way too which makes your scenario a pain indeed. My post wasn't addressing the potential benefits or issues with SIM vs. MicroSIM, I just wanted to dispel any conspiracy conceptions that microSIM was some sort of Apple controlled walled-garden style lock-in.
I assume your not trying to call the standardized MicroSIM an evil plot by Apple. Sometimes I wonder why some folks can't just be happy criticizing Apple for all the real crap they do and must instead make up absurd new conspiracy theories that have no basis in fact.
A very good point indeed. I for one haven't watch Netflixed on a PC/Mac for almost a month. I used my iPhone or a virtual machine in Ubuntu quite often, or sometimes my Roku box. That being said, I think my original point about Silverlight penetration still stands. Even if only half the share of Netflix is on PC (unlikely) that is a hell of a lot further than it would have ever gotten alone.
Well one can only hope. Sadly the death of small ISPs has pretty much ended down here, and big teleco was the winner. Back in the dial-up days there were dozens perhaps hundred of providers here (and there I imagine). But DSL and cable have curtailed this with DSL still allowing a few 3rd parties who pay more for less and often market from a religious angle and thus don't fit my home. Today I live in a near duopoly between Qwest and Comcast, both of which offer poor service for top dollar. I'm not a smart enough man to claim to know the solution to all this, but I know that competition is needed. If the government must stand in than I suppose that is the case, but becoming a third world internet nation seems obscene.
Well the iPod was/is pretty mass market...
To be fair there is a Win Phone 7 version and iOS (which has lots of MS apps thus far). I wouldn't scream fuck MS, but at the same time providing a Win7 Phone client before Android does suggest something. Perhaps the GP is biased, but reality doesn't seem too far off.
American, but living close to Canada in the frigid Midwest. I think my complaints may apply to my northern friends as well though!
Indeed 7% is amazing. Just based on how many markets there are in the US with their own media and commercials it is impressive. I doubt AT&T or Verizon are much over double that and they are damn near required for most people these days.
I'm not fan of \any plug-in that makes compatibility harder with non so called "mainstream" OS's, but I do use an occasional utilize Mac or PC when at a friends's home to watch a film and can't help but notice it seems like the only use for MS Silverlight on the planet. If nothing else 7%+ of American PC's with Silverlight installed is pretty big for a product that has thus far felt like a massive failure. I can't for the world of me see how Adobe, Apple, or even Real or one of the other plug-in pushers didn't secure this deal.
The problem today is that at least in the US most broadband providers are TV providers also. The telecos who don't have a TV network have even gotten on board with "bundles" including DirecTV and Dish. They are smarter than consumers give them credit for though. You might think your poor service is proof of their incompetence- your wrong... sooo wrong. They will do anything to maintain a baseline of service that is merely tolerable because raising the bar costs them money and frankly where the hell will you go? To the other massive evil teleco/cable, overpriced wireless (3G/4G) or satellite? Dial-up perhaps? Of course not, they've got you buy the nuts. So expect Comcast's already pathetic 250 gig limit (even for 100$ monthly subscribers BTW) to go down (in GB per month), AT&T and Verizon are sure to follow (shocking!!). In the end, if they have their way, you will be able to watch Netflix, but it will cost in bandwidth fees nearly as much as it would cost to rent- with their respective pay-per-view fees. With today's government oversight and teleco mentality could it end any other way?
Yes. A lot of cities have fiber not available to the vast majority of the citizens of the state. I live in the capital of an middle-sized state and don't have any fiber option at my home at all.- and I live 2.5 miles for a fairly sizable downtown of in a city of 2.5 million or so.
Having lived in KC a few years back I can vouch for the need to revitalize the area. If bringing in fiber can help get improved access for schools, libraries and community centers it might just get some the many kids off the streets and away from the crime that is rampant in many of the neighborhoods. KC KS and KC MO are both sort of teetering between cleaning up their act like Chicago or NYC, or falling into hopelessness like Detroit. If improved internet access and the investment it brings can help push that in the right direction I am all for it. Glad to see Google choose an under-served area with as much potential as KC.
What a shock! Lemmies consult with my SCO buddies to decide the next approach.
As someone who spent some time in the network TV world I just want to say you nailed it. These are indeed the 3 kinds of viewers. #1 is dying or moving on, #2 is stagnant with slight growth driven by free company boxes, and #3 is in huge growth thanks to smartphones, iPads, and media servers.
My biggest issue with most benchmarks is the underhanded deals between sites/mags and tech companies who provide incentives and free hardware. While I take individual benchmarks with a grain of salt as well for a lot of reasons, I'm far more confident that thousands of people haven't been bought and sold in the way ad supported publications seem to be.