A Visit From the Geeks

     

                        ...with sincere apologies to Clement Clarke Moore

’Twas the week before Christmas, when all through the land
Not a computer was working as there was no broadband.
The software was loaded, wires connected with care,
In hopes that Bell, Time Warner or Verizon soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of a new iPad danced in their heads;
Unable to Tweet, Twitter or Facebook
Dad could order neither iPad nor Nook

When out on the driveway two trucks pulled in,
We sprang to our windows to investigate the din.

The LEDs reflecting on the new-fallen snow
Gave the luster of high-tech to everything below.
When, what should appear to my wondering eye,
But one rep from Bell and the other, a cable guy,
 

More punctual that most, with tool belts they came,
Both knocked on the door and asked for our name:
“No Smith, Jones or  Johnson do we have on our lists
Are you sure that dispatch might not have missed?”

A quick call to the office confirmed our plight

and they both said they could set things right.

They spoke no more, but went straight to their work,
One checked the phone line the other gave a smirk,
“That’s old tech” he explained,

“Cable is better for the internet to be sustained.”

Back and forth they argued well into the night

While my wife and I feared going on line was getting out of sight.

And then, in a twinkling, we heard up above
The clanking of a ladder and someone shout “Shove!”

As we drew in our heads, and were turning around,
Down the chimney the DirectTV man came with a bound.

He was dressed all in blue, from head to toe,
And his face indicated that he was someone in the know

A bundle of tools he had flung on his back,
A drill and saw and of course a spare battery pack.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work
And installed a new dish, receiver and one added perk

A new satellite modem was part of the deal

Internet for only $150 a month, what a steal.

This will bring your modem back he inferred;

It not too late to order on line he assured.

So we logged on to Amazon and the iPad we did find
Compete with free shipping from UPS, oh how kind.

With our broadband back we were both in awe

And bought most everything on line that we saw.

There were tablets, iPods and a new smart TV,

A laptop, cell phone and of course a Blue Ray DVD.

As the three went to their trucks and were driving away

“Don’t forget the extra batteries” we heard them all say.

More Gift Ideas....

Last week I gave you some ideas for gifts and stocking stuffers for the techie on your list.  Here are some more ideas that will delight someone with a digital sweet tooth and not break your holiday budget.

Watching TV programs on demand via the internet has become very popular.  You don’t need to invest in a new smart TV to take advantage of offerings from Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon TV or any of the other programming services streamed online.  For $35 to $40 you can give a Google Chromecast or Amazon Fire TV Stick.  Both of these units, about the size of a USB memory stick, plug into an open HDMI port on your digital TV and allow access to most all internet delivered TV services.  Of course you must have Wi-Fi, a good internet connection and a subscription to one or more of the TV services.  Both devices are easy to use and set up.  The Chromecast requires a smartphone or computer to operate.  The Amazon Fire Stick comes with a separate remote control.

For a few more bucks you can purchase Apple TV or Roku units.  Both provide most of the same features as the less expensive offerings and both come with separate remote controls, so it may be worth the higher price of about $100.  All of these devices are available online and at most big box electronic stores.

For the hobbyist there are several offerings from WEMO.  I wrote last year about this company that sells wireless devices to control electrical devices and lighting remotely from a smartphone or tablet.  WEMO has expanded their product line to include coffee makers, slow cookers and even wireless webcams.  Perhaps the most “geeky” addition is a universal module that can be customized to control most any household device.  The latter requires a bit of knowledge of wiring and electricity.  For the right person who loves to take things apart and tinker, this gift is sure to be a hit.  You can see all the WEMO offerings on line at www.wemothat.com

Seems that each year the digital stuff we want to keep increases almost exponentially.  The good news is that the cost to store our bits and bytes continues to fall.  Why not give a high capacity USB storage drive?  They come in various sizes from 500 Gb to 6 Tb and larger and plug into most any computer.  A good choice is a 1Tb drive. It will set you back less than $70.  1Tb (about one trillion bytes) is enough to store about 16,000 hours of music, 1000 hours of HD TV or 300,000 high quality photographs.

At about the size of a ham sandwich, it is a better alternative to the more than 120 individual DVD disks that it would take to store the same amount of data.  Of course, for those priceless photos and videos be sure to make a backup. This can be done most easily with a second unit. You can find these portable storage drives online and at most stores selling computer supplies.

I hope that these suggestion were helpful and result in some happy faces around the tree.

Holiday Stocking Stuffers and Gifts

It’s that time of year again when many of us are on the lookout for a gift or stocking stuffer for our techie friends or relatives.  This week and next I will give you some ideas that should help in your quest and not break your budget.

No matter if we are using the most powerful feature-filled iPhone or a five year old “flip” phone, we need to keep them charged up or they revert to nothing more than digital bricks.  Many kitchen counters or junk drawers today have more different cables and plug in power supplies than foodstuff.   The phone, the iPad, the GPS, the MP3 player all have chargers.  Fortunately most also are using USB cables.

For less than $25 you can replace all of these different plug-in chargers with a unit that mounts directly on your existing 110v outlet.  The unit has multiple regular AC receptacles for the coffee pot or radio as well as two or more USB power ports. You can use these ports rather than the individual chargers that came with your device.  An added benefit is that there is a built-in power surge protector in the unit.  There are several models available.  Best bet is to go on line or to a store that specializes in computer equipment like MicroCenter.

For the more ambitious, you can buy units that actually replace the existing AC receptacle in the wall with one that has both regular plugs and USB plugs.  They are as easy to install as replacing a regular receptacle.  You can find them at Home Depot for about $15.

While some new cars have USB power ports factory installed, older cars don’t.  It is not uncommon for several devices to require power while driving over the river to grandma’s house.  You may have the kids in the back seat using a tablet and also want to charge your phone and perhaps plug in the GPS.  There are several companies that make a multi-port USB power adapter that plugs into the standard power port (nee cigarette lighter). I have seen these for sale at automobile parts stores, electronics stores and of course on line.  Depending on the number of ports, plan on spending between $10 and $20.

No matter how much we prepare there will be times when we really need our phone and the battery is on life support.  About the size of a deck of cards, a portable battery power pack can be a real life saver.  The device has a rechargeable battery and a USB port.  When not in use it can be stuffed into a purse, backpack or briefcase. The unit stays charged for months. You can find various models on line and at most big box and electronics stores.  They cost between $20 and $60 depending on the number of charges they can handle.

Cable / Broadcasters Holding Their Breath

Just like toddlers who threaten to hold their breath until they get what they want, the cable operators and broadcast station owners seem to be doing the same thing.  Almost every week brings another example of these legacy services trying to hold back the advance of technology and the desires of their audiences.  Also, almost every week there are industry developments that bode ill for the status quo.   Until they see the error of their ways it looks like we as consumers are in for frustration.

Case in point.  You might remember I wrote extensively earlier in the year about a new company called Aereo.  The company provided local TV stations to subscribers wishing to watch these stations on a computer, smartphone or tablet.   I was an early subscriber and it was great to be able have that flexibility. I could take my iPad out on the deck and watch my favorite program.  The cable and broadcasting community thought otherwise and eventually sought an opinion of the US Supreme Court to put Aereo out of business.  Aereo lost the case, ceased operation, and just last week announced they would seek Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

So now you and I are left with Time Warner’s wimpy app that allows only some of the channels we pay for each month to be viewed on an iPad, computer or smartphone.  Of course, not all the cable channels are available and none of the local broadcast stations.  Viewing the latter requires me to use my TV set.  If I leave the confines of my house the number of channels available on my iPad decreases even further.  Right now the BBC and Aljazeera America are about the best of those offerings. Standing on the sidelines and watching these old media companies try to figure out how to hold on to their grip on TV entertainment is both comical and frustrating. 

Even companies that advise broadcasters are struggling in this new environment. Nielsen, the leading TV audience measurement service, continues to refine their survey process at a time when measuring an audience for a single program episode is no longer just a matter of counting people watching at one specific time.  Time shifting, first with the help of VCRs and more recently with slick new digital options and online streaming, has made the audience reports suspect at best.  Even large sophisticated media savvy companies like P&G have questioned Nielsen’s numbers.

We consumers are in for more frustration as slowly but surely the keepers of all things TV, the cable operators and broadcasters, move into the 21 century and abandon business models developed in the 1950s when we had three or four TV channels.   

Another Option Connecting To the Internet

There has been much in the news lately about the Internet.  Last week I wrote about the relatively slow access speeds we have in the United States.  President Obama weighed in on the Net Neutrality discussion and there were reports about hackers continuing to wreak havoc on our financial institutions.  Solving these issues is well beyond the purview of most of us.  We are more concerned with finding a reliable and affordable ISP (Internet Service Provider) to get us connected.  Think of an ISP as the on-ramp to the information superhighway.

For most of us at home or in small businesses there are few ISP options.  The phone company and the cable company are usually the only games in town.  For large corporations, universities and government there are several more robust options.  One that has been around for a long time but which is extremely expensive and somewhat clunky for home users, is satellite delivered internet service.  You see examples on roof tops of gas stations and big box stores. Small dishes abound. While satellites do allow access almost anywhere, its high cost has put it out of reach for many home users.  A new company, Exede.com www.exede.comis trying to change that.

Exede.com has started to advertise on TV and radio, offering an affordable option to the hard wired ISP.  I have not tested out the system but have done some research on what they offer.  Based what I have found, I think it may be an option for those seeking high speed access to the internet, but who live in locations not well served by traditional providers.  But, like with all introductory offers, it is wise to look at the fine print.

Much like satellite-delivered TV, Exede.com installs a small dish on your roof that receives and transmits a signal to an orbiting satellite.  Both incoming and outgoing data are sent via satellite.  This makes Exede.com different than some earlier satellite ISPs which used the satellite for incoming data only (downloading) and your telephone line for outgoing data (uploading).

The company offers three bundles that have monthly fees based on the amount of data you actually use.  This is a big difference from the traditional wired ISPs that most often provide unlimited data usage for home computer use.  Deciding what bundle you need requires you to examine how you use the Internet.  If you daily use email, surf the web, use social media, and watch a few videos, the basic package providing some 15 gigabits per month will serve you well. The introductory monthly fee for this service is $49 ($39 if you bundle with their phone service). If, on the other hand you watch lots of movies and TV on Netflix or Hulu Plus, you may need to sign up for the premium package costing about $100 per month.

Exede.com promises speeds of about 12 mb/s for downloading, which is better than most of us have with our wired ISP.  But there are some restrictions on when you use the service.  Use in the early mornings (3AM thru 8AM) is free while use during the heart of the business day is metered, and counts against your monthly allowance.

For those who are not able to get good service from a wired ISP, Exede.com might be a good option.  Be sure to read the details  so you don’t get locked into a plan with a hefty exit clause like some mobile phone plans.

For those who are not now able to get good service from a wired ISP, Excite.com might be a good option.  Be sure to read the detailshttp://www.exede.com/documents/master/exede-disclaimer.pdf so you don’t get locked into a plan with a hefty exit clause like some mobile phone plans.

Internet Just Not Fast Enough?

When it comes to technology, the USA would seem to be a world leader.  We have iconic tech companies like Apple, Intel and Microsoft.  People both young and old, rich and poor, rural and urban regularly use the latest smartphones, tablets and GPS devices.  Even our cars are replete with every new digital device known to man.  We have access to hundreds of channels of television in our homes and in our palms.  Indeed, the USA is a leader in the development of these new technologies.  But we are significantly behind the rest of the world in the state of the networks that link all of these devices and services together.

The Global Internet Report issued in early 2014 shows the USA 30th in the average network download speeds available to consumers.  Hong Kong leads the world having average internet access of almost 60 megabits per second.  This is more than 3x the average speed available in the USA.  Ahead of the United States are large counties like France, United Kingdom and Russia, as well as smaller states like Estonia, Iceland and Ukraine.

How can it be that the country that wrote the book on the Internet, the PC and the smartphone can lag behind on such a basic necessity of digital life in the 21st century?  The answer is a bit complicated.

First of all, the networks that serve the US have been around for decades.  That means that while they are ubiquitous and reliable, they are also old.  Also, many of the networks we use for getting on to the Internet were not initially designed for that purpose.  Many of us still get our Internet connection from the local cable company, whose networks were designed to deliver TV content—not bi-directional high-speed data.

The Comcasts, Time Warners and AT&Ts of the world have invested billions of dollars building out these networks.  They would much rather reap the profits than invest in new expensive higher speed networks.  There is no competition from others with better service because they are the only game in town. .

Thirdly, in most of the rest of the world the networks are operated by the government.  The networks are considered the same as any public resources like roads, water, sanitation and electricity.  As such there is not a requirement to make a profit.

As more of us Americans use the Internet and the networks that connect us to it for services aimed at both leisure and business, the current speeds available are going to pose a real impediment.  A combination of the public and private sectors will be forced to address the issue.

  

You might be interested in the speed you have at your home. Just point your browser to www.speedtest.netand find out.  Then compare the results with the average speed in Romania.   

Apple Pay Gets Some Pushback

A few weeks ago Apple launched its new electronic payment system utilizing the iPhone 6 called ApplePay.  Many consumers and retailers, increasingly concerned about credit card fraud, looked closely at this new way of paying for items.   Apple Pay is promoted as a much more secure method of paying for everyday items and services than traditional credit or debit cards alone.  While your traditional credit card or bank account does indeed get charged for your purchases using Apple Pay, the retailer never actually gets your card number.  For each purchase you make, Apple Pay generates a unique single-use code that your iPhone sends wirelessly to the retailer’s cash register.  That code is used by the retailer to retrieve payment from your account.  Again, this code is only for that specific purchase and does not contain your real credit or debit card account information, password or account number.

When first announced, Apple listed several major stores that would accept Apple Pay and listed as partners most of the major credit card companies and large national banks.  It looked like Apple may have again scored big with another game changing product.

Well, another 800 pound gorilla had yet to weigh in.  Last week Walmart and a few other large national chains have formed a consortium that is pushing another mobile payment system that is not compatible with the Apple system.

I guess it was inevitable that there would be more than one player in the billion dollar electronic payment industry.  Merchants for years have bridled under the charges that the major credit card companies, e.g., American Express, MasterCard and Visa, have levied on customers’ purchases.  Fees of 2 percent or more are customary.  With many big box, high volume stores operating at single digit profit margins, these fees are painful.

Led by Walmart, some large national chains like Best Buy, CVS and Target, are promoting a new mobile service called CurrentC to be launched next year.  It will not use the Near Field technology employed by Apple and some Google payment systems.  Rather it will use QR codes, and more importantly be platform agnostic.  In other words, you won’t need an iPhone.

It is much too early to predict which one of these competitors will win. It may be that both will co-exist.  There may well be one or more other entrants into the fray since billions of dollars are on the line.

If the stores behind CurrentC can establish a new payment system that is not dependent on Visa or MasterCard, that does not require fees paid to these thirds parties and that opens up a trove of consumer behavior information, the Holy Grail of retailing will have been found.

In the end it the consumer will decide.  I remember many years ago when certain retailers and restaurants would only take one credit card.  So if you had a Visa and the store only accepted MasterCard, you were out of luck.  Other than some major events like the Olympics and the Super Bowl, where only one card is honored, most places take most any plastic you can provide.  The same will be true for competing mobile payment systems.  Much to their chagrin, the McDonald’s down the street or the gas station on the corner will have to take your money whatever way you want to give it to them.