Now it’s clearly too early to judge Google TV on its own merits. I expect the service will run very smoothly and will integrate nicely with Android and the upcoming Chrome OS. Regardless, Google is beginning to control the entire ecosystem. You wake up to the tune of Google TV, check your messages in android, and log onto your Chrome OS notebook, all through your google fiber Internet connection.

This past week Google announced that they beat the Viacom lawsuit and wouldn’t have to pay any settlement, securing the future of YouTube. Fortunately for the millions of users on the popular social, video sharing website. However, Google continues to have complete dominance over their users. Any monetization of youtube videos goes through Google and for the most part Google inherits control over your videos. Don’t think about easy podcasting support either, what happens on YouTube stays on YouTube.

Google is always collecting data on you. Have you ever considered that Google knows your search trends, friends via email, and location? Well, its true. I mean, how else to do they target ads? Let’s consider two big issues with one conglomerate possessing so much information about you: invasion of privacy and security issues.

I’m not sure about you, but I don’t want anyone knowing that much about me. Nothing good can come from big brother knowing my location and my friends. It is valuable for Google to know that I like technology and therefore show me tech focused sponsored ads but I truly dislike location services. It is just creepy when they show me an ad of a local computer shop. It makes me peer over my shoulder expecting to see a Google camera or spy following me around.

Speaking of email, have you ever considered what happens when you delete an email. Well, when you press delete the message is actually stored on Google’s servers for another six months or longer. In fact, sometimes the message gets flagged and will never be deleted from the Google archives. Do they have a right to keep my personal information indefinitely even though I want it deleted?

No one expects Google to collapse anytime soon but what if their servers are compromised. I mean, if China can hack Google who’s to say someone else can’t do it again and collect your personal information. Think about it, all your personal information exposed to the public eye or worse, to someone looking to harm you. As the old proverb goes, “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” The fact that Google is continuing to collect more and more information from us is simply dangerous. No one should have this much influence over our daily lives.

In a different world, let’s say Google does shut-down. Or, what if Google decides to suspend or delete your accounts? All your videos, emails, contacts, pictures, and more are lost forever. I’ve been having some issues with Google as well and the process is extremely irritating. It’s almost impossible to get through to a real person and the automated system is simply useless when you have an issue. It’s not easy for a massive company such as Google to manage all this, don’t get me wrong, but they are simply unable to service their huge volume of users. And to them, if a small percent of users have an issue, it doesn’t matter. A small minority will always have problems so its cheaper to simply ignore those people than it is to offer better service.

I’m not suggesting you stop all contact with Google. At this point, it is simply impossible. But I do recommend that you diversify your online usage. Perhaps upload videos to another service or use a separate email operator. Google isn’t intentionally trying to harm you, but insulating yourself from Google’s power isn’t a bad idea either.

To begin, let’s talk about coverage. Both the GSM operators in the United States have notoriously bad 3G service. Don’t get me wrong, AT&T has the largest footprint in the USA, covering about 97% of all Americans with their Edge service. However, 2G networks such as Edge make anything more than simple text emails impossible. Moreover, T-Mobile is quickly expanding the footprint of their 3G network, a network which only a short time ago didn’t exist, but has yet to make it widely available. As such, consistency and HSDPA don’t go together in the United States. And don’t even get me started about basements, office buildings or parking garages. Can you say “No Service” with any more certainty?

CDMA carriers fair a little better, although they aren’t immune to the same pitfalls as AT&T and T-Mobile. Verizon Wireless loves to boast their reliable network as much as any carrier I’ve seen. Although more constant than AT&T, I’ve experienced network fluctuations and lack of coverage in my area. Sprint is equally inconsistent, particularly with the extremely limited coverage of their ’4G’ WiMax network.

In addition, none of the current mobile data networks available to the public even come close to DSL, cable, or fiber optic broadband speeds. I routinely get bellow 1Mbps download and average about 250Kbps upstream on AT&T’s 3G network. A reality simply unacceptable when you have content to share with the world. Verizon and Sprint, CDMA Rev. A, are comparable in real world situations although they have lower theoretical maximums. T-Mobile, on the other hand, continues to play catch-up with their HSPA+ rollout.

The combination of poor connectivity and slow speeds illustrate the overall terrible quality of these mobile data networks. In fact, whenever you really need to get some work done it seems the network gets even worse. I was trying to upload a picture from my iPhone the other day and AT&T’s 3G network refused to cooperate. Three times.

Let’s talk about some applications for a moment. The Evo 4G touts video chat with its front facing camera as a key feature of the device. Unfortunately, the service doesn’t work very well. Over WiFi the quality is VGA on a good connection and the frame rate is decent at best. Over 3G, you’re lucky to even keep the conversation connected. In fact, Apple is specifically blocking Facetime video messaging over 3G.

Video streaming is another example. Services such as MLB At Bat and the ABC player tout high quality video streaming to your mobile device. Over WiFi, watching my Yankees or my favorite episode of Castle is very enjoyable. When I tested the services over Sprint’s 4G network during a car ride, all I got was extremely low quality video streams and major lag. Essentially, the video wasn’t even watchable.

Of course, we aren’t always using our mobile devices in such strenuous situations. Some times sending an email or checking twitter is all we desire. Reading text isn’t too troublesome for 3G but when more advanced content, like images, come into play, expect delays. In fact, the gods at AT&T sometimes decide just to ignore this media all together and refuse to load the content. Don’t you just love passive censorship?

Even worse is the pricing structure for mobile data. Of course, specifics vary from carrier to carrier but generally speaking mobile data is over priced. For relatively slow speeds and connection issues it is hard to justify $30/month for unlimited data. In fact, AT&T recently removed unlimited data usage in favor of a 2GB, $25/month price tag. Even if your carrier still offers ‘unlimited’ data, remember unlimited really means a 5GB limit before your account gets flagged.

Overall, in today’s society I find it inexcusable that the major telecoms have no gripes with offering such a poor service. Obviously I’m a big user and therefore am critical of a product I use very frequently, but there is definitely merit to the argument. It’s 2010 for goodness sake, we can make big screen televisions an inch thick and we can drive completely electric cars for miles on end. Mobile data is undoubtedly years behind, a travest that irritates me day in and day out. If only one carrier went out on a limb and launched a powerful and consistent option I’d switch in a heartbeat. I mean, we can dream right?

Let’s start with an example: eBooks. Everyone has seen an eBook in one form or another. On the Kindle or iPad, eBooks have brought reading back into the media spotlight. Touting a kindle on the beach is much more socially acceptable than reading a hardcover monstrosity on the same sand. However, there is no library for eBooks. You pay, you read, and you repeat. The current consumption model is very monotonous and can be costly for an avid user.

On one hand, the authors and editors need a cut. How can one survive without being payed for their work? On the other hand, as a consumer in a digital world, paying for a few hundred pages is hard to stomach with the wealth of information on the web. Obviously published novels are deeper and more useful than the average blog post or RSS headline but that mindset of free prevails.

Music and Television are also great examples of this mindset. I’m sure you know a handful of people who stuff their MP3 players with illegally downloaded albums and episodes. From Hip-Hop to Rock, Comedy to Drama, media is always being consumed. But how can one afford to listen to new music and watch new shows on their current budget? It was only a few years ago that setting up an antenna brought all the entertainment one yearned for and a radio provided all the tracks one desired. On a salary very similar to those times, $1 per track and $2 per episode feels outrageous.

Again, the artists and producers deserve a piece of the pie but when Youtube and download aggregators offer free entertainment, it’s hard to pull the trigger and help the “rich get richer”. DRM and an increasingly aggressive law team try to combat these issues but there is no end in sight. I mean, when the number of illegal downloads a piece of media gets is used to illustrate its popularity, the culture is hard to overcome.

Digital has made our lives much more convenient. However, its ease of use has made it mentally harder to pay for media. Youtube and Social Networks offer free entertainment that users can enjoy while keeping their hard earned dollars. Which brings us back to balancing prouder payment and the consumer lust for free. The moral’s of the end user are declining while content creators continue to push ads and cost onto the already weakening market. But how can the demand for consumption and payment equalize?

Imagine a world without ads and hidden costs from website to website. Imagine listening to all the music you want, wherever you are, for no additional charge. Imagine an ecosystem where both producers and consumers are happy. Welcome to my internet. The idea is simple, your ISP is the gateway to media.

Included with your service is access to a huge library of content. Prices are no longer tiered for speed but media consumption. Now don’t confuse this with a pay per bit model because that too breaks the consumers proclivity towards free. Heavy users, like today, pay the most for their connection while users who only watch a few movies and TV shows pay less per month while strict email checkers pay even less than that. Similar to pay per bit, except heavy users aren’t killed with cost because the top plan is unlimited.

Basically, the mindset of today remains the same. Big consumers pay the most while those currently with dial-up pay only a fraction for their limited use. Simply put, your ISP pays the content producers based on your usage and your monthly bill now correlates to consumption.

For instance, let’s imagine the stereotypical teenager. She likes reading Twilight books, listening to the newest Rap singles, and watching medical dramas. (We all know this person) My internet gives them access to all the media they want while her ISP pays a fraction to Little, Brown and Company books, Jay-Z, and Fox media. Out of, let’s say, a $100/month plan each content creating entity gets a piece of the pie. On the downside, each piece of media is valued at a much lower cost than before. However, the issue of stealing content will be greatly reduced. Viewers will no longer have the urge to steal the media they want. Content producers, on the other hand, will bring in even more profit than before because fewer people are stealing the content. More media for consumers and more money for producers, a match made in heaven don’t you think?

Now clearly this is more of a dream than a plan for immediate role-out, but it offers a lot of insight into consumption reform. Users aren’t financially burdened or tempted to turn to the dark side to consume media while producers benefit from fewer thefts. This is my ideal internet, what’s yours?

But the one thing that puzzled me the most was their AOL dial-up service. Personally, it would be impossible for me to function without high-speed internet as school, work, and this online endeavor are bandwidth hogs and speed is critical to success. Regardless, this situation got me thinking about why individuals continue to use dial-up service even though they know it’s a terrible internet option. Without further ado, let’s see why AOL dial-up is still in existence.

1. Tradition:
   There are traditionalists in all fields, groups, and categories that are hesitant to change and try something new. From old video games to politics, old collections to daily routines, some people like the structure of what they have always had or done. I know from experience it can be hard to give up these habits. For some, the internet isn’t a big deal and they don’t feel its necessary to change what they’ve used for ten years.
2. Lost Contacts:
   It’s inevitable. Anytime you change your email address or phone number, you are bound to loose contact with someone. Even if you update all your contacts with your new information, you are bound to forget someone. By canceling AOL, you loose both your long time email address and your screen-name with your well built buddy list. Sometimes, a less competitive service is worth keeping your friends.
3. Virus Protection:
   An actual advantage of the slow speed comes in the form of a less conducive virus environment. Even though you can still infect your machine, malware needs to be downloaded too and if you catch the issue early enough, you can quickly disconnect and your machine should still be fine because the damage couldn’t be downloaded in time.
4. Portability
   One thing I didn’t consider until speaking with my Grandma is ease of use. All you need is a modem and any phone line to connect to AOL. Whether you are at a neighbors house or halfway around the world, you can connect to the internet with your AOL credentials just as if you were home.
5. Cost:
   One of the biggest reasons to remain with dial-up, cost. Speaking to users, they pay around $19 total for all the dial-up they can use. Not a bad deal with competent broadband prices starting in the mid $40/month range.

What is your internet connection speed and could you live with dial-up service in 2010?

Prepare Your Content
You want to consume media on your iPad. I know it. Otherwise, what’s the point? Just as the iPhone before it, Apple is locking down the iPad to play only a few video and audio formats. Why? Apple wants you to purchase content through iTunes. Music and video from iTunes, of course, works perfectly on the iPad giving iTunes a boost in sales because of simplicity. If you get your media from other, less reputable sources, make sure to convert your media to the appropriate format.

For audio content, the iPad supports AAC, proteced AAC, MP3, MP3 VBR, Audible, Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV. Most likely, the music and podcasts you listen to now are already in the correct format. In terms of video, the iPad supports H.264 encoded video up to 720p in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats. The iPad also supports 480p content in the MPEG format.

You may also watch video content on the web. Although the iPad doesn’t support flash, it does support HTML5 video. At launch, a handful of providers will support the iPad, including CNN, vimeo, and Sports Illustrated. Apple is compiling a growing list of website who play nice with the iPad to check your favorite website.

Did You Pre-Order?
Just as the iPhone before it, expect supply of the iPad to be limited at launch. Whether the crunch corresponds to marketing or logistical issues, consumers will be scrambling to get their hands on this device. Unless of course, you were smart enough to pre-order the device. In late March, Apple opened up pre-orders allowing customers to order online for guaranteed April 3rd delivery or reserve a unit for in-store pick-up at launch. Although convient for early purchasers, those looking to purchase on launch day will find it more difficult to locate an iPad.

All hope is not lost. Reservations expire at 3:00 in the afternoon so if your store is out of units, check back at around 3 to pick up a device not claimed. Perhaps a better shot, check out your local best buy. Although not available online, local best buys with certified apple departments will be selling the iPad on April 3rd. The inventory for each store is confidential, with sources claiming only 15 per store. Best buy’s will not be opening early but a best buy rep says best buy will be issuing iPad tickets before the store opens to ensure the safety of their customers.

Set-Up
As with other Apple devices, the iPad will feature simple set-up. Like the iPhone or iPod line, plugging the device into your computer should be the brunt of the set-up.

However, you need iTunes 9.1 to sync your iPad. On a mac, go to software update and make sure you have the latest version of iTunes. On a PC, launch iTunes, click on help, and then select “Check for updates” to confirm you are running the correct software.

Once your software is updated, your iPad will show up just as any other iPod or iPhone. Simply follow the prompts and choose to sync your music, photos, apps, and videos.

Apps
According to Apple, all most apps currently in the app store will run on the iPad. The idea here is to get the huge library of iPhone and iPod touch applications running on the iPad. To do this, the iPad will scale these nonnative applications. However, from early reports, scaling isn’t perfect and some apps run terribly on the iPad. To ensure a great experience, here are some native apps you should install on your iPad.

• iBooks
  Designed by Apple, iBooks allows users to, you guessed it, read on their iPad. Simply sync your DRM free ePub documents in iTunes, and get to reading. Oh wait, you are looking for new content. iBooks doubles as a book marketplace allowing you to purchase your favorite titles and new releases all from your device. This application also allows you several in book features as well, including search, bookmarking, and font adjustments. Look out Kindle, iBooks is coming.
• ABC Player
  Looking to watch your favorite ABC content right from your portable device, this app is for you. Allowing you to view full episodes of Lost, Grey’s Anatomy, and the rest of the ABC lineup, this application is great for consuming quality media. In fact, this app won’t cost you a penny and ABC is not charging anything per episode, so you essentially get all the media you want for nothing. Why download an episode in iTunes for $1 when this app legally gives it to you for free?
• WordPress 2.4
  I love wordpress. I have been using it for years to manage my various blogs and have never had any problems with it. Version 2.4 of the wordpress app is designed for the iPad allowing you to create and edit blog posts and monitor comments all from one simple application. If you run wordpress, this app is critical to your mobile workflow.
• Netflix
  Are you a netflix subscriber? If so, prepare yourself for unlimited streaming right on your iPad. This netflix application allows you to watch all the TV shows and movies you want as part of your netflix unlimited membership. The app itself is free for netflix subscribers. With plans starting at $4.99 per month, video content on the iPad is getting cheap.
• NPR
  I get a lot of my news from national public radio. I currently listen periodically on my freecom musicpal and look forward to catching up on the days news directly through the iPad friendly application. At a cost of nothing, why not download NPR to stay connected?
• iWork
  Consuming media, checking email, and causally browsing the web is fun but sometimes we need to get some work done. Apple has engineered the iWork suite specifically for the iPad allowing you to professionally create, edit, and view word documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. For $30, or $10 for Pages, Numbers, and Keynote respectively, managing schoolwork or business information cannot be easier.

The iPad looks to change the market the way the Macintosh, iPod, and iPhone changed their respective markets. But the iPad is dependent on third parties to produce high quality apps and content to enjoy. Although launch looks to offer a wide variety of this media, I expect the future to hold an even brighter outcome. The iPad will be the device of the future.

Our customers want to be able to deliver their video content to every screen without sacrificing the quality, interactivity and monetization capabilities they have come to expect from the Brightcove platform. The Brightcove Experience for HTML5 fills the gap between the current playback capabilities of the emerging standard and what our customers need to operate successful online video businesses

-Jeremy Allaire, Brightcove chairman and chief executive officer.

Since the release of HTML5′s video playback features, flash, a bloated and buggy platform, has lost a lot of support. Now that Brightcove has formally adopted HTML5, it is clear flash content is on the way out with the more economical HTML5 option as its primary replacement.

The announcement comes on the heels of the iPad launch. The iPad, like the iPhone and iPod touch, does not support flash because of its huge footprint. In fact, Brightcove repeatedly sites these apple products as beneficiaries of HTML5 video. Clearly Brightcove didn’t want to loose a huge market of mobile users by remaining married to flash. I look for more content delivery platforms to adopt HTML5 in the coming months to support these popular mobile devices.

Mobile internet is on the rise through support from these very popular and easy to use apple devices. With Hulu and other distributors rumored to be working on iPad friendly viewing options, its clear the days of flash dominated media are over. We’ve bashed Apple for not supporting flash over the years but, in fact, they have ushered in a new technology that works much better than current industry standards.

Both The New York Times and Time inc. support HTML5 today with other Brightcove clients coming soon.

Press Release

Verizon was able to test the passive optical network system (XG-PON) network running at 10 Gbps downstream and 2.4 Gbps upstream. The test also confirmed that XC-PON can run side by side with Verizon’s current signal, gigabit passive optical network (GPON), without interference. GPON currently supports 2.5 Gbps downstream and 1.24 Gbps upstream. Combined, Verizon is able to achieve a total of 12.5 Gbps downstream and 3.64 Gbps upstream which can be used with the current ONT’s installed on homes across the country.

Let’s take a step back for a second. XG-PON won’t be officially ratified until late-2010 or later so we won’t see these blistering speeds next week. Additionally, these speeds would be shared between around 30 homes at each node. That’s not to say the end user wouldn’t be able to get blistering speeds but don’t expect to run a speed test at these exact numbers.

Furthermore, remember that most users would never need these speeds. Even users who browse the internet all day or share their network with several other users don’t need anywhere near these speeds. In fact, most servers cannot accept these speeds anyway so it’s not as if browsing the web would get any faster. You would only need these speeds for high bandwidth applications such as “unicast HD video streaming, ultra-high-definition video, 3D video, user-generated content distribution, or video conferencing.”

Although I doubt I would ever need these speeds it’s nice to know that the curent fios architecture could support it. Imagine the possibilities though, home users could run servers and high-bandwidth web shows right from their homes with similar speeds to industrial models. It makes small online content producers like me very happy to see how bright the future is.

• Joost. Joost is an online video website that allows you to watch all types of media from films, to music videos and TV shows. Categories are broad ranging from tech and gaming to animation or action. After watching a short ad, you are greeted by the standard definition video of your choice. Joost even has a free iphone application for watching all of their content on your iPhone or iPod touch. The only downside to joost is that it is more of an aggregator of free video content then a place to find a new TV show.
• Hulu. Hulu has become my favorite online method for watching television shows. Supported by all the major companies, this legal online video site can supply you with all the latest TV shows you want for nothing more then a few thirty second ads. Hulu even offers several movies to wet your whistle. At 480p, shows look fine and are easily enjoyable. In fact, Hulu even offers a few episodes in 720p for everyone who wants the extra resolution.
• External TV Antenna. A TV antenna is a great way to get free, high or standard definition video as soon as it is available. Many companies, like NBC or Fox News, broadcast their programs live over the air just waiting for you to watch them. Many new HDTV’s have built in antenna’s for picking up this OTA content so check your current model first. Otherwise, you can buy an external antenna. From their, you can watch the content live on your tv or connect the antenna to your computer and record these broadcasts. For more information on TV antenna’s, check out antenna web, they have everything you need to know.
• The iTunes Store. Apple’s itunes is most widely known for it’s mp3 selection. However, apple has expanded their offerings and now sells standard and high definition TV shows and movies. (You can even rent movies from the store.) Older movies cost $9.99 while new releases cost around $15. Not all movies are available for rent though, but those that are cost around $4. TV shows cost $2.99 an episode or you can buy a season pass saving a little per episode.
• Netflix. With plans starting at $4.99 a month, it’s never been easier to rent DVD’s. While it does take a day or two to ship to your home, netflix is a great service for anyone who wants content delivered straight to their door. In fact, netflix has a huge library of blu-ray movies too so you can enjoy full 1080p content right on your television set. Furthermore, a small portion of their content can be watched instantly on your computer to compensate for shipping times.

With internet media booming it has never been a better time to cancel your cable subscription. Of course having cable is the easiest and most consistent method for obtaining this media when you consider how easy it is to loose OTA signals or for your internet to go out but is having your media as soon as it is released as important as the money it costs? That depends on you and how much money you can save.

Ebay is a great way for your skills in the world of work to be improved. It will support life lessons including communicating with individuals to sell merchandise and to establish a sense of how to approach people with a plan. Plus, ebay is perfect as a second job. You can easily use your extra income to indulge yourself once in a while or pay off any debt you have. Besides learning and the fun produced from this business, you will also be able to make a profit. Additionally, I’m sure that you have odd things around the house that are not being used can be made into money. For example, old phones could be sold for compensation or an unused camera. This is free money as it’s not being used and if you are not planning on using it anytime soon, why not sell? I’ve already seen what is necessary to make a profit on ebay and believe me there really is no downside. You can find out anything you want to know about ebay to reassure yourself on any questions you have.

What is needed?

An account on paypal will be extremely necessary in becoming an ebayer, regardless if you want to be the occasional seller or a power-user. Wikipedia writes, “PayPal is an e-commerce business allowing payments and money transfers to be made through the Internet. It serves as an electronic alternative to traditional paper methods such as cheques and money orders. PayPal performs payment processing for online vendors and auction sites such as ebay. On October 3, 2002 PayPal became a wholly owned subsidiary of eBay.”
I also feel that you should create another checking account for the sole purpose of ebay. In this account, you should deposit assets in small amounts just for ebay which is then linked to Paypal and furthermore used to make your purchases on ebay. The reason this is necessary is so you can control the amount of money in your Paypal account and not accidentally purchase more then you have. Perfect to keep you out of any debt you could incur from ebay. Plus, it also adds another layer of security to an already bolstered defense. The defense is bolstered because Paypal already offers buyer protection so if you don’t receive an item or you believe the item is Significantly Not as Described by the seller, you will be reimbursed.

How

To Actually make money, you will need to selling things. Duh. What you don’t know is that to make money, you don’t actually have to own the item prior to deciding to sell it. You can buy something for X on ebay and Sell for Y when Y>X. What about ABC? That example can be hard to understand but really it’s simple. If you can sell an item for more than you purchased it for, you are making money. So look around, do you see fluctuating prices for something? Find it cheap, buy it and then sell later. Also look into things that are broken. You can usually get these items very cheep and after getting it fixed, you can make your money back. Please though, make sure people will actually buy the item. The worst thing is buying a camera lets say, getting it fixed, and no one buying it. So you are out money and time, plus, now you have an additional camera on your hands. Check to make sure there are people buying the item before you buy one. Remember, you don’t have to buy and then sell in the same week. Hold the item for a while until the market is good and than sell the item then. Also, don’t be afraid to take a loose. It’s better than holding on to a lot of items you don’t want. Plus, you can get some good feedback which will help you down the road.

The offer for the free domain name is no longer valid. Godaddy has ended giving away the free domain name codes. If you were a part of this offer congrats and enjoy the domain. If not, I’m sorry but feel free to buy that domain you wanted and continue with that hobby!
-Michael

Wouldn’t you like a new place on the internet? Maybe you have a project you want to start or a casual blog you would like to announce. Well, you need a domain name right. Well, of course they are cheap but you can get one for free domain name from indycarrewards.com/ by godaddy.

There really isn’t much more to say about that but along with the free domain name you can get a 15% off code for any godaddy purchase, 10% anything from the official indycar store and a FREE Digital IndyCar Magazine subscription. All you have to do is go to indycarrewards.com/ and enter your name and email address. Plus, you can pay by gift card so you don’t have to enter in billing information.

Verizon has recently announced that Fios, Verizon’s fiber optic network, will see an increase of speeds. This update is pretty significant considering Verizon is announcing extremely fast speeds compared to average American ISP’s. In a press release Verizon announced:

The 50/20 Mbps service will be available in New York and Virginia for $89.95, and in other States for $139.95 a month with an annual service plan. The 20/20 Mbps FiOS tier is available in all FiOS markets for $64.99 a month with an annual service plan

Verizon went on to say that their mid-tier plan will be upgraded from 15/2 Mbps to 20/5 Mbps and their basic tier will be upgraded from 5/2 Mbps to 10/2 Mbps.
Press Release

Verizon also mentioned their plans to extend their coverage area to major cities. Verizon expects to cover all residents of new york city, in all five boroughs, in the next 5 to 6 years. Verizon also mentioned their interest in Philadelphia and Washington D.C.

I have fios available in my area and have been seriously looking at switching. For most, the decision would be instant to move to fios but other family members have comcast email addresses and aren’t so sure they want to switch. With increased speeds for the same price my hopes for switching are renewed. Plus, in the future with more people having the opportunity to subscribe to this great service I can see fios’ market share increasing.

With all this in mind, if available, do you plan on switching to Fios? I mean, you are getting relatively great speeds at a pretty good price. Plus, you can expect good quality consider all the fiber lines fios is running on have been installed in the past years. So, for the best speeds on a new network, check out fios.

Update:
Well, after much discussion and comcast continuing to screw with us by serving us unreliable cable at very high prices, I have signed up for Verizon Fios. My service will be installed July 2 so look for more information around that time.

I find this highly ridiculous. I have a connection from comcast rated at 6Mbps and I am pretty happy with it. Sure, it takes a long time to upload youtube videos and live streaming has issues but come on. I would kill for 40Mbps while a lot of Koreans find this just average. Some US businesses don’t get these speeds yet there are people who complain about it.

More importantly I think this survey shows a huge problem with american service providers. With ISP’s charging outrages fees upward of $40 you would think you would receive first rate service. Wrong. For me at least I get fluctuating uptime and slow speeds atop my $45/ month charge. It’s time for us as consumers to stand up and demand a lower price or faster speeds with better reliability.

Overall, I find it hard to believe that 46Mbps is just decent. However, it brings up the even bigger issue of american ISP’s ripping off their customers. South Korea is at the forefront of internet connectivity and I think America should take some tips from Korea. I mean, the tech world would be much better if everyone could complain about 46Mbps.

There is one way to get your bill lowered: call and cancel your services. Most likely, the rep will offer you a decent deal to convince you to stay. However, sometimes the rep doesn’t give a hoot and just goes ahead and cancels you service. You can call the next day and cancel the cancelation but it’s a hassle. Come on comcast, give your current customers a break.

I have herd of success of contacting comcast through their comcast cares department. I have had some preliminary talks with frank from comcast cares through twitter. (By the way you can follow me on twitter at http://twitter.com/blue42richman) You can also email this department at we_can_help@cable.comcast.com and try to get some better support. When/if I email comcast through the ‘we care’ department I will post my results. If you have had results, please tell me about it.

In most areas comcast has a monopoly on the media market and it’s nearly impossible to stray from comcast. Personally, I have verizon fios available in my area but I can’t switch at the moment. My family has been brainwashed into thinking the service and price will be the same with verizon. Plus, my parents both use comcast email addresses which impedes switching. But enough about that. Comcast needs to be competitive especially in my area because, in my opinion, verizon is offering a better service at a better price with better customer service. If comcast continues to not care about there customers I predict we will see an influx in new service with verzion, satellite services and other local cable companies. Honestly, this can’t too soon.