Hop Right Over Those Commercials

Not since 1984 when the commercial networks tried to get a Federal Judge to declare illegal the use of the new Betamax tape machine have commercial TV networks been in such a twitter over the introduction of a new electronic gizmo. It seems that Dish, the satellite TV company, has a new product.  Called Hopper, the device is a digital video recorder on steroids.  According to the ads for Hopper it can record and store up to 2,000 hours of HD programs and record up to 6 shows at once.  It can be connected to up to four high definition televisions and play out different recorded programs to each one at the same time.

Hopper can automatically record all the programs in the entire primetime schedules of the major commercial networks and store the programs for up to eight days.  As of this writing the networks that can be recorded are ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox.  It would seem that all of these features would be embraced by the TV magnates.  A closer look at Hopper reveals that this new DVR can be set to skip all commercials.  While skipping commercials is not new to the digital recording world, the Hoppermakes is so easy that the networks feel that none of their messages will be seen.

In late May CBS, Fox and NBC filed separate law suits in Los Angeles Federal District court.  The suits all accuse Dish of promoting to its customers the deletion of commercials and causing financial damage. The argument continues to contend that enabling people to watch time-shifted programs without commercials undermines the ability of the networks to offer the same shows through other commercial-free video services like DVD or Blu-Ray.  The suit states that allowing Dish and its customers to store programs indefinitely hurts the market for those shows in other distribution platforms.

The Dish executives counter that it is not Dish or Hopper that skips the commercials. The customer must activate the machine to perform that function.  You have heard that argument before “….guns don’t kill people…” 

This is only the latest in the battle between the status quo and new technology.  While the music industry tried to fight change, the fact is that it has been changed.  How people listen to music and buy (or don’t buy) music has changed.  Distribution channels restructured with the introduction of digital music storage and expansion of the Internet.  Television viewing, too, is now undergoing rapid and significant change.  More people than ever are abandoning “appointment viewing” and opting for time shifting or on-demand options via the web.  For the networks to fight against this new technology instead of looking for a new financial model that embraces it may lead to their demise.

Keep Your Voice Down

The receipt of an email recently reminded me that even in this high tech digital world there are certain conventions and courtesies that we should consider. Some are just plain good manners. Others have some significance for security. The email in question was from a friend pointing out the release of a new movie that she thought all her friends should “absolutely go see.” The email was addressed to more than 50 different people. That in itself is not a problem. The way she addressed the email was. She put the entire list of addresses in the “To” field of the email header. In so doing, everyone that received the email also got the names and email addresses of the entire list.

The correct way to address an email that is going to a long list of unrelated people is to put all the addresses in the “Blind Copy” field. That way nobody who gets the email gets all the addresses. While this missive may have been harmless it did provide an easy way for would-be hackers to harvest a list of active email addresses.

There is another downside of sending a single email to so many addresses. Some ISP (Internet Service Providers like Fuse, Road Runner, etc.) will tag such an email as spam and block the delivery.

Speaking of email etiquette, the use of all upper case characters IS EQUIVALENT TO SHOUTING AT SOMEONE. Long gone are the days that computers could only display upper case letters. Keep your voice down when writing the next email.

Be careful when you use the “reply” feature. There are usually both a “reply” and “reply all” function. If you use the latter you send the reply to all addressees on the original email. There have been instances when entire corporate networks were brought to a standstill because several people used the “reply all” function. The number of replies can grow exponentially.

Finally, in my opinion the most important suggestion is don’t give someone your email address if you only look at the in box once every third Tuesday of the month. There is no sin in not using email. You will not be looked down on or shunned from your circle of friends if you chose not to use email. You will be considered rude if you don’t reply to a request or invitation sent you by email after you provide an email address. Providing an email address is just like giving someone a phone number. If you don’t answer your phone you shouldn’t tell someone to call you. It is the same with email.

Most of these hints are just common sense things. SO BE SURE TO READ THEM OVER SEVERAL TIMES.

A New Kind of War

Time was when many of us thought about a computer virus in the context of the inconvenience it caused. Perhaps it looked up our computer or harvested names of friends from our digital address book. Not to make light of the hassle the viruses may have caused, but after being attacked by some online miscreant, with a little work most of us were able to put our cyber house back in order. Computer viruses and cyber attacks are now making their way to the top of the list of things we need to really worry about.

Recently the “Flame” virus has been getting a lot of attention. This is no pesky computer program lurking on the Internet seeking to attack your home computer. Rather it is a very sophisticated set of complex programs aimed at spying on governments and large corporations. Not only is it able to retrieve sensitive information surreptitiously from corporate data banks, reports indicate that it can actually take control of a desktop computer activating the microphone and recording conversations within the offices. All of this happens without the user noticing that their system has been compromised.

It is unclear who developed Flame. Some analysts point to Israel. Others implicate the United States. To be sure, it is not some high school kid camped out in his parents’ basement. The recent discovery by Iran that their networks have been infiltrated causing some of their nuclear systems to malfunction adds to the intrigue.

The shift of international conflict morphing from dropping bombs and shooting guns to cyber warfare should come as no surprise. Bombing a bridge to disrupt an enemy’s ability to move troops and armaments has now moved to cyber attacks aiming not at the purely physical infrastructure but at the computer systems that now control most every aspect of modern life.

Our communications, our water and power systems, our traffic lights and our financial systems are now computerized and interconnected. There is hardly any facet of modern life that does not have as its operating core our computer networks and the Internet. For sure there are smart people in government who realize that the next major war will be less about armed troops and more about our enemy seeking to disrupt the social fabric.

It is not hard to imagine the economic damage even a short interruption of our systems would cause. This goes for major systems like air traffic control and minor inconveniences of not being able to use a credit card or ATM. Look for more emphasis being placed on adding more levels of security to our systems and building redundant and duplicate networks for our most critical requirements.

Digital Scams Never End

Few things get me as upset as an advertisement for a product or service that is nothing more than a scam, but the copy or narration for the ad is written in such a way that everything in it is essentially true.  A few weeks back there was a two page color ad in the Sunday supplement to the Cincinnati Enquirer for a new way to get rid of cable or satellite television services and “those costly monthly bills” and still get “over 900 programs” including weather reports, movies, sports and children’s programming.

 

The ad went on to announce that a NASA scientist had developed this breakthrough in technology that allowed the reception of free channels by connecting this device to any digital TV.  There were copious color pictures of an assembly line filling orders and various testimonials from satisfied customers.  Was this just too good to be true?

 

You may have already guessed that this ad was for a TV antenna.  That’s right, it may have been made to look more contemporary but it was a set top antenna.  The cost for this miracle device including postage and shipping is some $60.  This same antenna can be purchased from Radio Shack for about $15.

 

I read the ad several times and there was nothing that was untrue.  Even the NASA scientist’s design could be true if he made the antenna structure a bit different from older models.  So what is a consumer to do?  Today there are so many devices that come to market with features that only a few years ago would have been impossible.  Some, like the magicJack, actually function as promised; other products, like the antenna described above or gold plated HDMI cables, are a rip off.

My suggestion is to stay away of any product that requires advertising copy more lengthy than a novel.   An ad for products featuring Amish craftsmen involved in the manufacture of high tech heaters is another dead give away.  And of course any ad that gives a specific time to call the 800 number based on your zip code is a big red flag.

 

By the way, you can improve the rabbit ears reception by adding a small sheet of aluminum foil.  That discovery did not require a NASA scientist.

Facebook Meets Wall Street

The recent FacebookIPO has dominated not only the financial media, but people who have never in their life purchased a share of stock or actually know what an IPO is were discussing around the water cooler the pros and cons of investing in this iconic social media company.  For sure, a company that was launched in a college dorm room about 8 years ago being valued in the billions of dollars is news.  For many, a vision of making a lot of money on this investment is irresistible.  After all, didn’t Apple stock once sell for about $4 per share?  Last look showed it trading in the $500+ range. 

 

It seems to me that while Facebook has quickly become a staple of daily life for millions of people around the world, its value to advertisers, the real driving force behind its recent stock valuation, could quickly wane.

 

In my experience there are three types of Facebook users. People in the first group have a Facebook account and most likely used it a few times when they first signed up.  After the first few days they forgot about it and perhaps now visit infrequently… if they can remember their password.  These accounts are in the minority but still inflate the reported extraordinary number of subscribers. And since they seldom sign on, members of this group seldom see the advertisements.

 

On the other side of the spectrum are the Facebook fanatics.  These are the folks that feel the need to let all their digital family know that they just enjoyed eating a Big Mac or that they are at the super market buying some grapes.  In many ways they live on and through Facebook.  These are also the people that you really want to “unfriend” but you don’t want to hurt their feelings. Since they live on Facebook one would presume that they see some of the ads.

 

The third group, and in my opinion the largest, is made up of people who look at the site once or twice a day to catch up with friends and family.  They review a picture of the grandkids or a vacation spot, read a rant or two about a politician or see an invitation to support a cause.  Facebook  is just one, albeit convenient, way of staying in touch.

 

I consider myself a member of the latter segment of users and therein is the issue.  I don’t pay attention to the ads.  I know they are there but I am certain they have not influenced me to buy or think or call or do anything.  I don’t think I am alone.

 

So if Facebook is to live up to its multi billion dollar value based on effective advertising, we may have a problem.  I would hate to see Facebook adopt the “in your face pop up” strategy that the Enquirer uses on line.  Unfortunately that may be the only option.

Wired Phones On The Wane

A brief article caught my attention recently. It seems that some phone companies are petitioning the government for permission to get out of the phone business. Perhaps that is a bit of an overstatement; in reality the companies want the government to release them from providing wired phone service at a reasonable price to most anyone who would like to have it.


It is called Universal Service and the roots of this mandate can be traced as far back as 1913 when the Federal Government gave AT&T a virtual monopoly for providing phone service in the United States. It was restated in 1934 with the Federal Communications Act which called for “rapid, efficient, nation-wide wire and radio communication service with adequate facilities at reasonable charges to all the people of the United States.” The Universal Service mandate assured that all citizens of the country would have phone service and that the phone company would not provide such a service only to the wealthy or only to those in large densely populated cities. That mandate has been modified several times, but to this day requires the phone company to provide a wired service to all but those in the most remote locations.

So why would the phone company want to stop stringing wires? The answer to that question can found by taking a look at your family and friends. Most of us know people who have dropped the traditional wired phone and use only a mobile phone. The younger the person the more likely it is that he or she will use only a cell phone. So with fewer people paying the monthly charge for a wired phone, the less money the phone company makes. Unfortunately, a reduced number of paying customers does not translate into a significant reduction in the cost to maintain the wired network. So there is less profit. And the profits are only going to get smaller.

In the US we have a very robust and reliable phone network. It has been around for a hundred years and at one time was the model for the world. Today a look at developing countries will show that instead of modeling phone systems after ours, these emerging countries are jumping ahead to a cellular network. They will never have wired phones in private homes, only cellular service. Building a few towers serving thousands of customers is much less expensive than stringing wires to remote villages and towns.

For sure the wired phone network in this country is not going to disappear soon. It is that very network that connects many of our cellular carriers and allows for transparent communication between wired and non-wired phones. What may change quickly is having that network continue to include private homes. Having a wired phone hanging on the wall in the kitchen may soon seem as quaint as a milk bottle in the ice box.

Lightning Can Fry Your Computer

Over the last few weeks some strong storms have pummeled our area. Not only have we had several inches of rainfall, we have experienced Mother Nature’s light show with some spectacular lightning. One bolt visited our neighborhood and left some serous damage to some of our computer equipment.

The lightning bolt hit very close to our house. While it did not damage the house and the lights only blinked, it fried my wifi router and my wife’s computer. The latter was not even plugged in. When storms approach, my wife is very careful to unplug her computer from the AC power.

Though I am not sure, I think the surge came into our house not on the AC power line but through my hard wired computer network cable. Our house has both wifi and a hard wired network. While my wife had unplugged her computer’s power cable, she did not unplug the network cable. Actually it was my fault because she didn’t even know she had a network cable as I had recently installed it because the wifi signal in her office was weak.

All of our computers do have surge protectors for the AC power, but I did not have surge protection on the network cables. This is something that I will add now that I have a brand new wifi router to replace the one fried by the storm.

Here are some hints to limit your exposure to lightning damage. First, make sure that you have a surge protector on all computers that are plugged into an AC outlet. This includes a lap top if you are using it on household current rather than on battery power. If you are using the battery, unless the lighting strikes very close, you are protected. If it strikes close enough to harm your lap top, the computer will be the least of your worries.

If you have wifi in your house the lightning can’t travel over the wifi network but, as happened to me, it can travel on the network cable line from your modem to your router and on to any computer connected to the wired network. So, either install an inline surge protector on the network line or unplug the network line from the router and modem during severe weather.

During a storm, if you absolutely don’t have to use your computer, unplug it from the AC outlet and any other outside connection, i.e., network cable, telephone line, etc. Lightning is unpredictable. It can travel in strange paths. A strike a mile away can travel through power lines, cable TV connections and telephone circuits. If it finds its way into your digital device it can turn it into high tech toast in a millisecond.

Surge protectors can be found at most all electronics stores. It is a good idea to use one, not only on computer equipment, but with TVs, game systems and audio systems. The protection is not expensive and can save hundreds of dollars in repair or replacement.