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Free Press vs. Verizon: Give Me Free Tethering or Give Me…

AT&T is fighting the “evils” of unofficial tethering. Verizon is doing the same. But who’s fighting for your right to ~~party~~ tether?!? That would be a nonprofit group called Free Press. Both AT&T and Verizon left the 700MHz auction with huge chunks of spectrum. Verizon has been using that spectrum for its 4G LTE network. Free Press believes that Verizon charging additional fees for tethering and blocking third-party tethering apps violates the FCC’s auction rules.

The organization lodged a complaint with the FCC, calling out Verizon for not allowing third-party tethering on its LTE phones. Verizon replied that it didn’t do any blocking; it merely “suggested” to Google that third-party tethering apps should be unavailable to its LTE phones through Android Market. In a press release addressing Verizon’s (almost funny) response, Free Press policy director Matt Wood said:

Verizon Wireless essentially claims that subscribers who use tethering apps are stealing service, but this argument is as ridiculous as it is offensive. When users buy wireless data service — whether capped or unlimited — they should be free to decide how they use that data. Verizon would rather call tethering a separate service and require its subscribers to pay twice for the same data. But under that warped view, what’s to stop a carrier from deciding that instant messaging or streaming video applications compete with the carrier’s own services, and consequently blocking subscribers from accessing these applications?

The good news is that Free Press is correct. The 700MHz spectrum is supposed to be “open”. The bad news is that the definition of open was bastardized by corporate lawyers and lobbyists. While blocking tethering solutions violates the auction in human terms, intentional vagueness and convenient loopholes will almost definitely allow Verizon to keep blocking unofficial tethering solutions.

I love that Free Press is fighting the fight against American mobile carriers. It is completely ridiculous that the same data gets handled and charged for in different ways. While I somewhat understand the need to reign in unlimited customers, double dipping on a tiered data system is a total scam.

Between outmoded data caps, silly throttling, data discrimination, and dumb tethering rules, it’s almost as if the carriers don’t want mobile broadband to truly evolve. Oh wait, they’re all afraid of becoming dumb pipes….

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Coffee Talk #382: Achievements, Trophies, and Gaming Habits

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, Amazon’s HTML5 iPad Kindle site, traveling to Utah to break office windows, or the Wisconsin recall, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Achievements and trophies have added a new twist to gaming. These kinds of rewards are arguably the biggest change this console generation has introduced. For the most part, gamers seem to love them. It’s fun getting a virtual pat on the back during the game. It’s fun getting meaningless points for the sake of having them. Achievements and trophies add a layer of permanent fulfillment that complements the satisfaction of clearing a level or beating a game.

That said, they’ve also changed the way many of us play games. I’m not much of an achievement whore, but I have a lot of friends that are. Some of my friends will keep playing a game after they’ve beaten it just to get all the achievements or trophies. On one hand, they’re getting more value out of a game. On the other hand, they’re not particularly enjoying it; they’re just obsessed with the virtual rewards. A lot of my friend endure mediocre or crap games just to get some extra trophies.

Compared to previous console generations, I play more games well after I’ve beaten them thanks to achievements. I’ve also kept with mediocre games for longer than I should have because of trophies. Have these rewards changed your gaming habits? Do you play longer than you used to because of them? Have you beaten crappy games just to boost your gamerscore? Have any of you pulled a Ted Regulski (beat all those crappy Burger King Xbox 360 games just for achievements)?!?

Thanks to bsukenyan for inspiring today’s column with this comment!

Gray Hairs and High Blood Pressure Courtesy of AnHosting

AnHosting has managed to botch the site’s server migration for the fourth time. This is beyond ridiculous. The numerous service outages of the last two weeks and the multiple failed migrations have been stressing me out. I have a bunch of other problems, but I’m paying AnHosting for the pleasure of this one.

Let’s rewind a bit. For the site’s first 15 months, AnHosting has been mostly excellent. Service was solid and consistent, no matter what kind of traffic the site was getting. 2011 has been spotty, especially since April. The last two weeks have been pathetic. The company is in the process of migrating all of its accounts to a new server facility. Due to my numerous service outages, I was promised early migration twice. That never happened. My scheduled migration never happened. The late migration I was assured of never happened.

Here’s the latest entry on my (really long) support ticket (opened on 7/26/11):

Okay, my account has not been migrated to the new server. This is partly hilarious and partly frustrating. To review:

8/3/11: James Griffiths offered to migrate my account early due to performance issues. This did not happen.
8/5/11: Josh Howard offered to migrate my account early, but this got messed up and the account remained on the old server.
8/8/11: This was when my migration was scheduled to happen, as per your migration date tool. The account remained on the old server.
8/9/11: After reviewing how ridiculous the sitation had become, Adam Croshaw wrote in ticket #25511570 , “I have talked with our technical team lead and he is making sure you are taken care of.” The account is still on the old server.

So two early migrations were mishandled. The scheduled migration didn’t happen. The late migration didn’t happen. How is this acceptable?

I commend you for finding new ways to irritate me on a daily basis — (multiple) botched migrations, (multiple) service outages, bizarre account suspensions, etc.

Now will somebody please live up to their word and do what they say they’re going to do?!?

Please excuse me while I wait for my daily service outage….

On the plus side, everyone that I’ve dealt with has been polite and courteous. I was also given two months of free service for my troubles. Still, I am so frustrated by what has been happening with the site for the last two weeks and AnHosting’s inability to rectify the situation. I’m pretty sure AnHosting is the primary reason why I’ve had headaches, stressed shoulders, and new gray hairs in the last week.

Thanks for reading this self-therapy blog-post!

Amazon Going Cheap and Readable with Android Tablet?

In the tablet market, there’s the Apple iPad…and everyone else. Nobody can touch the iPad at the moment. Tablets running Google Android Honeycomb aren’t as good as the iPad. The BlackBerry PlayBook isn’t as good as the iPad. With its recent webOS, the HP TouchPad is the second-best tablet on the market, but it’s still not as good as the iPad. The sales of all the aforementioned tablets reflect this; the iPad is a waterfall that keeps getting bigger, while its competitors are drops in a bucket.

Amazon has huge plans for the tablet market, but with so many competitors floundering, how can it hope to succeed? How can it hope to compete with Apple? Perhaps the answer is by being cheaper and offering a better reading experience than other tablets. PC Magazine’s Tim Bajarin recently wrote:

Multiple sources tell me that it will have the best reading experience of any tablet on the market. But, I am also hearing that Amazon is using pretty low-cost parts and not using any of the major manufacturers that are producing most of the tablets for mainstream competitors. Apparently, the company’s key goal is to make the tablet very inexpensive and then use a new business model to own the Android tablet market.

This might be the best strategy for Amazon. HP, Google’s partners, and RIM are trying to compete with Apple on a feature-by-feature basis. Those companies are trying to outdo the iPad in every way. If Bajarin’s sources are correct, Amazon hopes to take its slice of the pie by emphasizing price and its Kindle connectivity.

Amazon already has several pieces in place for its Android tablets. While some developers find it controversial, the company has had good success with the Amazon Android Appstore. Its Cloud Player offers a convenient way to listen to music on multiple devices and encourages Amazon MP3 purchases. Using screen tech that offers a superior reading experience and encourages Kindle book purchases is a potentially excellent differentiator. Not only would it round out the Amazon tablet’s cloud offerings, but it would make customers more likely to buy apps, music, books, and anything else they can find through Amazon.

I’d be totally down with a cheap Android tablet with great readability from Amazon. I’m a Kindle user, but I find that my eyes get tired way more easily on the iPad than on a Kindle Reader. I already use the Amazon Android Appstore and Cloud Player frequently. One of my few issues with the iPad 2 is that there isn’t a good way to handle multiple Gmail accounts while retaining all the native Gmail features. While the iPad 2 has had a huge impact on my digital life, I’d be willing to make room for the Amazon tablet that Bajarin describes.

How about you? Any of you curious about a cheap Amazon Android tablet with great readability?

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Watch Ken Levine Talk About BioShock Infinite

Check out this interview of Irrational Games’ Ken Levine talking about BioShock Infinite. The game was one of the best things I saw at E3 2011. Ken is awesome, BioShock Infinite will likely be awesome, and your day will be better for this double dose of awesomeness.

Check out this interview of Irrational Games’ Ken Levine talking about BioShock Infinite. The game was one of the best things I saw at E3 2011. Ken is awesome, BioShock Infinite will likely be awesome, and your day will be better for this double dose of awesomeness.

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Nokia N9 Not Coming to America?

After posting a tantalizing countdown clock that points to a September release for the Nokia N9, it looks like Nokia will not be selling the phone in America — at least not right away. Engadget has received a PR statement from Nokia that said that the N9 will not be launching in America. Here’s the deal:

After the very positive reception to the launch of the Nokia N9, the product is now being rolled out in countries around the world. At this time we will not be making it available in the US. Nokia takes a market by market approach to product rollout, and each country makes its own decisions about which products to introduce from those available.

Nokia N9 News wrote:

The site is taking this to mean that the Nokia N9 will not be released in America at all. However, the statement could mean that a U.S. launch will take place after the N9 is available in other territories. One conspiracy theory floating around is that Microsoft doesn’t want the N9 available in America because it wants Nokia to focus on its Windows Phone products in the U.S.

I would have loved to have seen the phone released in the U.S., but it looks like that won’t be happening in September. Also, I’m not buying the theory that Microsoft is blocking the release. As beautiful as the N9 is and as slick as its version of MeeGo seems, I really don’t think Microsoft gives a damn. The N9 geek-chic cool, but it isn’t a threat to anyone. That said, I still plan on picking one up…even if Nokia is making things difficult.

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Samsung Hercules (Galaxy S II) is Tempting…and Not

More info on the Samsung Hercules for T-Mobile has been leaking out and I’m really tempted to pick one up, but I also have some concerns that prevent it from being a day-one purchase. I first read about the phone on ThisIsMyNext and recently saw a photo of it on TMoNews. Although it’s being positioned as part of the Galaxy S II line, it’s more like a cross between the Galaxy S II and the Infuse 4G (AT&T). Here’s what’s going through my head with the Samsung Hercules:

Love

HSPA+ 42: The Hercules will be T-Mobile’s first HSPA+ 42 handset. This is probably the phone’s biggest selling point for me. I’m tired of my current 6Mbps/down service. The download load speeds should be better than Sprint WiMax and almost as good as Verizon LTE. The upload speeds will be improved too, but the increase won’t be as dramatic.
4.5-inch Super AMOLED Plus Screen: This is the best screen tech currently out there. The latest iteration of Samsung’s AMOLED tech is considerably better than its last. The color reproduction is better, while the power efficiency and viewing angles of the last gen are excellent.

Don’t Like

Build Quality: I’ve never been a fan of Samsung’s build quality. Their smartphones feel cheap compared to those that use more glass (iPhone 4) or metal (HTC Sensation).
Screen Resolution: While the screen tech is impressive, the resolution is not. 800 x 480 is not the best, especially for a 4.5-inch screen. I wish it had a higher resolution and a higher pixel density. I read a lot on my phone and have yet to see a handset that can match the text quality of the iPhone 4 with its vaunted “Retina Display”.

Unsure

Processor: The rumor is that the Hercules will features a 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon APQ8060. While that’s certainly a powerful processor, it doesn’t have the raw power of the 1.2GHz Exynos process in the original Galaxy S II. The Snapdragon is more efficient and has better battery life, but the Exynos is better for games.
Gingerbread: By the time this phone comes out in late September, Android 4 (Ice Cream Sandwich) phones will be a few weeks away. It sucks that America has had to wait so long for its Galaxy S II variants, but each major carrier wants a unique Galaxy S II model so that’s how the cookie crumbles. For bleeding edge consumers, this makes the Hercules a tough sell. The Hercules in September? Or Google’s next Nexus phone in October?
User Interface: I’m still not sure about TouchWiz 4.0. I played around with it on a friend’s phone at E3 2011, but need to spend more time with it. From what I saw, it’s a huge improvement over TouchWiz 3.0. That’s not saying much, as TouchWiz 3.0 wasn’t the best.

It was good to get my thoughts on the Hercules down. (It was also fun searching for Kevin Sorbo photos for this post’s thumbnail. That guy cracked me up.) Now that my thoughts are on screen, I’m actually less tempted to pick up a Hercules. The big selling point is the HSPA+ 42. Aside from that I think I’d be happier with a new Nexus or an iPhone 5. Let’s see!

Today’s Poll: Is a 22GB Xbox 360 Install Too Much?

During John Carmack’s QuakeCon 2011 keynote, he mentioned that there will not be a partial-install option for id’s upcoming Rage. Gamers can either run the game off of the disc or opt for a 22GB hard drive installation. Here are his exact words according to ShopTo News:

On the 360 we don’t have a partial install option; it’s all or nothing, which is kind of unfortunate. This means you have to install 21/22GB of stuff which takes a long time but if you’ve got it and you play it on the 360 that’s the way to go.

On one hand, 22GB is a lot of space and a full install would take a long time. On the other hand, it’s id and John Carmack; this is, perhaps, a case where gamers will bite the bullet simply because of the developer. Are you willing to give up 22GB of hard drive space for one game? Or is that too excessive? Will you make an exception because it’s id and John Carmack? Kindly take today’s poll and discuss!

[poll id=”128″]

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Three Reasons Why You Should Watch WWE SmackDown

CM Punk has been killing it on WWE Monday Night Raw and has been lauded for making the show the most interesting it’s been in a long, long time. All of the praise is deserved. Punk has been amazing on Raw and deserves credit for carrying the most compelling WWE angle of 2011. While most wrestling fans have their eyes on Raw, SmackDown has been quietly improving. WWE’s Friday show usually has the better wrestling, but lately it has been evolving into a unique and complete show. Here are three reasons why I’ve been marking out for SmackDown.

1) Bryan Danielson: A lot of you know that I’m a big Daniel Bryan fan and have been following his career since his Ring of Honor days. I believe that he’s currently the best mat wrestler in WWE and a phenomenal talent. While he has yet to find his groove on the mic in WWE, he has wrestled some fantastic matches that remind me of classic NWA bouts I loved in the ’80s and ’90s. He has a brilliant style that blends modern moves with old-school technique. I’m looking forward to seeing the build-up to his WrestleMania title shot.

2) WWE Divas That Can Wrestle: The Divas division has been a joke for far too long. That’s changing on SmackDown. They’re actually letting the ladies wrestle — a novel idea, hey?!? Two of my current favorites, AJ Lee and Nattie Neidhart, have taken advantage of their wrestling time, showing that WWE Divas can put on great matches. I love that SmackDown is showcasing women that can actually work a match. I especially love that AJ is getting airtime. She wrestles, plays videogames, and reads comics. All nerds should love and support her.

3) Sheamus vs. Mark Henry: I’m absolutely shocked that this angle is working. I’m amazed that Henry’s “monster” angle has made him the most interesting he has ever been in his career. I’m surprised that the fans took to Sheamus’ face turn so quickly. He was such a great heel and a fantastic villainous champion. The writers didn’t have much for him to do so they turned him face and the fans are loving it. If you had told me two months ago that monster Henry vs. face Sheamus would be a popular SmackDown angle then I would have called you nuts. Eventually, Henry will run out of steam and he’ll revert to the world’s strongest jobber. What’s really fun is watching Sheamus evolve. He has already proven that he can be a great heel and I’m curious to see if he can be a great face.

Raw is the flagship show and that’s never going to change, but don’t ignore SmackDown. There are great things happening on WWE’s “other” show.

Coffee Talk #381: I Dream of Next-Gen Consoles with SSD

Back in November 2009 we discussed our next-gen console dreams. At the time, my dream was for a TiVo-enabled console. While that dream is still alive, I have another wish for next-gen consoles…

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, the awesomeness of Curb Your Enthusiasm, finding solutions for your crap web host, or the future of HSPA+, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Back in November 2009 we discussed our next-gen console dreams. At the time, my dream was for a TiVo-enabled console. While that dream is still alive, I have another wish for next-gen consoles: solid state hard drives. With the introduction of hard drives in consoles, load times are much shorter than when games ran entirely off of discs. That said, load times still happen and they still piss me off. While the power of the PlayStation 3 is impressive, it’s annoying when it’s held up by a 5,400 rpm platter drive.

Solid state drives (SSDs) are much more suitable for keeping up with powerful CPUs and GPUs than platter-based drives. The throughput levels aren’t even close. It truly is a tortoise vs. hare comparison. In practical terms, look at the boot times of a MacBook Air (SSD) vs. a MacBook equipped with a 5,400 rpm drive. Next-get consoles with SSDs would start up faster and have considerably less load times than today’s consoles. As an added bonus, SSDs are much more durable and far less prone to failure than platter drives — a nifty benefit of not having moving (fragile) parts.

Best of all, the next-generation PlayStation and Xbox machines should hit sometime between 2013 and 2014. By then, the cost of a 256GB SSD should be cheap enough for a home console. Hell, if they don’t arrive until 2014 then maybe a 512GB SSD would be an option! Ah, the dream….

Anyway, that’s my latest next-gen console dream. What do you think of using SSDs in future consoles? How have your console dreams evolved since November 2009?