http://www.techdirt.com/ Easily digestible tech news.... http://www.techdirt.com/blog/wireless/articles/20130521/20101423164/att-says-you-can-use-any-video-streaming-app-you-want-just-as-soon-as-it-can-get-meter-running.shtml#c391 Thu, 23 May 2013 09:57:06 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/blog/wireless/articles/20130521/20101423164/att-says-you-can-use-any-video-streaming-app-you-want-just-as-soon-as-it-can-get-meter-running.shtml#c391
OK, so it's annoying that their bundled apps are limited. But so long as they let people download and install other apps that are not limited, that's still a neutral network.

We all know they want you to pay for the bigger data packages, then use as little as possible. That's good biz for them. So they bundle video apps that are crippled. Why would you expect you to offer "weapons" to forces that are not their allies? Do you think they are the CIA?

No surprise they do what they do. And no real scandal to talk about, since the fix is as easy as downloading a better option. I think that non-deletable bloatware in general is a bigger issue.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/blog/wireless/articles/20130521/20101423164/att-says-you-can-use-any-video-streaming-app-you-want-just-as-soon-as-it-can-get-meter-running.shtml#c378 Thu, 23 May 2013 09:47:26 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/blog/wireless/articles/20130521/20101423164/att-says-you-can-use-any-video-streaming-app-you-want-just-as-soon-as-it-can-get-meter-running.shtml#c378
A cellular voice line, connected and left on for 24 hours a day and one month, would use in the neighborhood of 3-4 GB of data. It cannot possibly use more, and most likely will use much, much less.

OTOH, a mobile data user is able to transceive tremendous amounts of data, not limited by the fact that the codec is 8-16 Kbps. And the more a carrier upgrades the network and the phone, the more data each subscriber can move.

Voice is just data. But data is not just voice.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/blog/wireless/articles/20130521/20101423164/att-says-you-can-use-any-video-streaming-app-you-want-just-as-soon-as-it-can-get-meter-running.shtml#c361 Thu, 23 May 2013 09:40:13 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/blog/wireless/articles/20130521/20101423164/att-says-you-can-use-any-video-streaming-app-you-want-just-as-soon-as-it-can-get-meter-running.shtml#c361
They charged more for tethering, but they also blocked it, fought against it, and the OS and firmware installed made tethering apps hard to install, and only available to moderately skilled hackers.

In this case, they're just saying "You wanna stream video, you download the app."

If tethering had been that easy, there would never have been any tethering controversy at all.

PS: Their tethering stills sucks *even* when you pay for it. They put a complicated app on the phone to manage tethering, and it checks with the network to ensure that you have paid for tethering, then it pops up several useless warnings like "Tethering will turn on your Wi-Fi. Yes, no?" then it turns finally tethers. Probably about 15 seconds delay for what should be 2. That inserts complexity and delay. I'd rather use hacks, even though I paid.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130408/01345422620/authors-guilds-scott-turow-supreme-court-google-ebooks-libraries-amazon-are-all-destroying-authors.shtml#c972 Mon, 8 Apr 2013 15:04:41 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130408/01345422620/authors-guilds-scott-turow-supreme-court-google-ebooks-libraries-amazon-are-all-destroying-authors.shtml#c972
I vote for Wayne LaPierre!]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130402/12223322549/deep-dive-prenda-law-is-dead.shtml#c1429 Wed, 3 Apr 2013 12:07:21 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130402/12223322549/deep-dive-prenda-law-is-dead.shtml#c1429 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130402/12223322549/deep-dive-prenda-law-is-dead.shtml#c1418 Wed, 3 Apr 2013 12:03:48 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130402/12223322549/deep-dive-prenda-law-is-dead.shtml#c1418 http://www.techdirt.com/blog/wireless/articles/20130311/01344922277/government-might-want-to-legalize-phone-unlocking-unfortunately-it-signed-away-that-right.shtml#c1028 Thu, 14 Mar 2013 19:58:05 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/blog/wireless/articles/20130311/01344922277/government-might-want-to-legalize-phone-unlocking-unfortunately-it-signed-away-that-right.shtml#c1028
That's ironic, because in their country it is ILLEGAL for a cellular carrier to subsidize a phone at all.

However, with big companies like Samsung, LG, and Pantech selling phones to the USA, why would Korea want to extend the life of phones beyond 2 years by unlocking them to a second-hand market?]]> http://www.techdirt.com/blog/wireless/articles/20130304/10334222192/white-house-says-mobile-phone-unlocking-should-be-legal.shtml#c314 Tue, 5 Mar 2013 07:00:55 PST http://www.techdirt.com/blog/wireless/articles/20130304/10334222192/white-house-says-mobile-phone-unlocking-should-be-legal.shtml#c314
You are correct...partly.

The current battle to allow unlocking by petitioning the White House and Librarian of Congress for an exemption to the DMCA is most def a copyright issue. But that's not the real problem.

The real issue is: "Why are the telcos allowed to lock our phones in the first place?" and that's a telecom issue. The very absurdity of being legally "allowed" to unlock our own property, but needing to ask the telco for the keys is preposterous (although their are hacker methods to unlock, most people just call their telco to request the keys, and they oblige under certain conditions that *they* deem fit).

Now, I'm usually the telco apologist on Techdirt, but in this case, there is no fair way the telcos can both foist Early Termination Fees and contracts on customers AND lock phones.

This practice diminishes the resale value of our equipment, and is an environmental issue, as more used and locked phones are tossed in a drawer for 3 years, then tossed in a landfill when deemed too old. Re-use would limit environmental impact.

I like the example of Belgium, where SIM-locking cellphones has been illegal for almost a decade. If their government is serving the citizen, whose is ours serving?]]> http://www.techdirt.com/blog/wireless/articles/20130205/03222421885/canadian-schools-ban-wifi-based-bad-science.shtml#c1004 Thu, 7 Feb 2013 02:34:41 PST http://www.techdirt.com/blog/wireless/articles/20130205/03222421885/canadian-schools-ban-wifi-based-bad-science.shtml#c1004 http://www.techdirt.com/blog/wireless/articles/20130128/02192521803/how-unlocking-your-phone-may-now-be-crime-500000-fines-5-years-prison-first-offense.shtml#c1249 Tue, 29 Jan 2013 03:46:11 PST http://www.techdirt.com/blog/wireless/articles/20130128/02192521803/how-unlocking-your-phone-may-now-be-crime-500000-fines-5-years-prison-first-offense.shtml#c1249
Tell that to Jamie Thomas.

http://www.guidethroughthelegaljungleblog.com/2007/10/recording-indus.html]]> http://www.techdirt.com/blog/wireless/articles/20130123/12010721767/verizon-charging-you-more-as-bandwidth-costs-them-less.shtml#c376 Sat, 26 Jan 2013 15:20:41 PST http://www.techdirt.com/blog/wireless/articles/20130123/12010721767/verizon-charging-you-more-as-bandwidth-costs-them-less.shtml#c376
Tim,

As much as I'd love MORE competition, we have enough right now to refute your premise: someone DOES "compete on price or value of service". Lots of someones.

Sprint offers unlimited all-in plans with a nationwide network of EV-DO and is currently upgrading to LTE. T-Mo offers plans with no subsidy and $50 for unlimited use. Republic Wireless, an upstart MVNO, is coming out with Wi-Fi-heavy phones that roam onto Sprint with $20/mo unlimited plans. Then there are various other MVNO options.

Now, some comments have already addressed their belief that Sprint or T-Mo don't offer as good network coverage or LTE speeds as Verizon. Well, OK. But don't go buying the Lexus, and complain to me that it isn't as cheap as the Hyundai. Any Verizon customer can switch out their carrier to cheaper options without limits, and take their phone number with them.

The fact is, putting in an LTE network is not cheap. Verizon did it first in the country (and very early for the globe), and has an advantage as a result of that gutsy early investment. There are rewards for moving the infrastructure forward with smart investments. We call those "profits". Right now, they can reap some, but eventually there will be more LTE from other carriers and prices will fall.

Don't bitch about VZW's pricing. If you honestly think it's a bad deal, go to a cheaper provider. They're out there.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/blog/wireless/articles/20130111/03432221640/nokia-running-man-middle-attack-to-decrypt-all-your-encrypted-traffic-promises-not-to-peek.shtml#c262 Sun, 13 Jan 2013 13:11:13 PST http://www.techdirt.com/blog/wireless/articles/20130111/03432221640/nokia-running-man-middle-attack-to-decrypt-all-your-encrypted-traffic-promises-not-to-peek.shtml#c262
Mike didn't mention the main reasons that companies provide this proxy browsing for mobile devices, so I'll list the top three:

- When your phone traffic goes through a proxy, the proxy detects the kind of phone you have, and its resolution. It then scales down images so that a bunch of unviewable data isn't transmitted unnecessarily. Also, heavy content like flash can be edited out if the device can't display it. This makes the browsing experience faster, without sacrificing any quality. Network operators also like the lighter traffic.

- Some proxies can detect when your browser cannot display some content, and can reproduce the content in a way you CAN see it. Like taking a streaming video and turning it into a series of JPGs. This can add to the capabilities of your limited phone.

- going to one proxy server is supposedly easier to manage for your phone than going to dozens of different TCP/IP connections to all the different servers and ad servers that make up a web page.

If you remove the spying aspect...this can be a win win for network operators AND customers.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/blog/wireless/articles/20130111/03432221640/nokia-running-man-middle-attack-to-decrypt-all-your-encrypted-traffic-promises-not-to-peek.shtml#c252 Sun, 13 Jan 2013 12:54:31 PST http://www.techdirt.com/blog/wireless/articles/20130111/03432221640/nokia-running-man-middle-attack-to-decrypt-all-your-encrypted-traffic-promises-not-to-peek.shtml#c252 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130103/10491421570/as-expected-ftc-announces-close-google-investigation-with-no-antitrust-charges-minor-tweaks-to-biz-practices.shtml#c156 Thu, 3 Jan 2013 13:51:38 PST http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130103/10491421570/as-expected-ftc-announces-close-google-investigation-with-no-antitrust-charges-minor-tweaks-to-biz-practices.shtml#c156
Shall we wait to see the quarterly or annual report to determine exactly how much this is a "business crushing blow"?

I'm betting it is completely immaterial, and has no effect on the annual financials.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/blog/wireless/articles/20121211/06492921346/10-years-later-t-mobile-finally-kills-phone-subsidies-it-doesnt-mean-youll-pay-more.shtml#c476 Wed, 12 Dec 2012 12:01:54 PST http://www.techdirt.com/blog/wireless/articles/20121211/06492921346/10-years-later-t-mobile-finally-kills-phone-subsidies-it-doesnt-mean-youll-pay-more.shtml#c476
What could happen is that, if enough people choose the lower total-cost option of buying their own phone, we could end up with a vibrant market for phones, direct to customer from phone maker. The impact of this change would be that handset makers would START making phones designed to delight the end user. They don't currently do so. For now, they make phones to delight their actual customers...which are the carriers.

This would mean faster innovations, nothing "blocked" on the phone. Hoorah!]]> http://www.techdirt.com/blog/wireless/articles/20121211/06492921346/10-years-later-t-mobile-finally-kills-phone-subsidies-it-doesnt-mean-youll-pay-more.shtml#c462 Wed, 12 Dec 2012 11:58:58 PST http://www.techdirt.com/blog/wireless/articles/20121211/06492921346/10-years-later-t-mobile-finally-kills-phone-subsidies-it-doesnt-mean-youll-pay-more.shtml#c462 http://www.techdirt.com/blog/wireless/articles/20121205/08294221238/indian-village-bans-unmarried-women-girls-using-mobile-phones.shtml#c407 Thu, 6 Dec 2012 10:58:25 PST http://www.techdirt.com/blog/wireless/articles/20121205/08294221238/indian-village-bans-unmarried-women-girls-using-mobile-phones.shtml#c407
(I loved using that word here.)

Lets we forget, we're the country of "legitimate rape", mandatory internal ultrasounds, and other such fundamentalist fantasy.

We may be ahead of Sunderbari Bihar, on an evolutionary scale, but not by much.

Now, what I say we do to solve this problem is to send Kevin Bacon into their town, and baby, just start danciiiin.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20121117/16492521084/that-was-fast-hollywood-already-browbeat-republicans-into-retracting-report-copyright-reform.shtml#c5725 Tue, 20 Nov 2012 11:09:22 PST http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20121117/16492521084/that-was-fast-hollywood-already-browbeat-republicans-into-retracting-report-copyright-reform.shtml#c5725
Many wealthy individuals in Hollywood skew democrat, true. However, Fox news would have you believe it's 100%, because there's nothing better for viewership than a boogeyman.

Meanwhile, the big corporations, their chief executives, lawyers, MBAs, lobby groups, etc. skew GOP. They want less union power, more pro-IP legislation, and more international IP protection. This is generally seen as "pro business" and thus right wing.

Despite what Fox News wants to portray, Hollywood is not some liberal bastion. It is a mixed bag, like much of the nation. It probably has more voters that skew left, but the money goes to both parties.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20121117/16492521084/that-was-fast-hollywood-already-browbeat-republicans-into-retracting-report-copyright-reform.shtml#c5719 Tue, 20 Nov 2012 10:55:24 PST http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20121117/16492521084/that-was-fast-hollywood-already-browbeat-republicans-into-retracting-report-copyright-reform.shtml#c5719
Hollywood has tons of lobbyists. These lobbyists have a clear purpose, and are ever-present in DC and connected to congresscritters.

The GOP via RSC puts out a paper that suggests copyright reform in the direction that the Hollywood lobbyists don't want.

The lobbyists have, many many times in the past, lobbied against the positions taken in the RSC paper.

Now, the question:
If the RSC paper drops, would the Hollywood lobbyists
a) do nothing
b) raise a big stink, make a bunch of emergency phone calls, and let their voices be heard loud and clear by the GOP congresscritters?

Any fool with a brain can see that the lobbyists would jump on answer (b). It is specifically THEIR JOB to do just that. They have done it over and over in the past.

It's like finding a dog shit in your back yard after leaving your dog fenced in their all day. Where did that dog shit come from? Hmmmm. Lemme see. The dog shits back there every other day. We've seen him do it on occasion. He still eats. He had motive, access, and time. I'm gonna take the mental leap and say the dog did it.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20121117/16492521084/that-was-fast-hollywood-already-browbeat-republicans-into-retracting-report-copyright-reform.shtml#c5652 Tue, 20 Nov 2012 10:44:23 PST http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20121117/16492521084/that-was-fast-hollywood-already-browbeat-republicans-into-retracting-report-copyright-reform.shtml#c5652
Did you post to the wrong thread?]]>