The biggest story so far this week is Netflix’s notification to users that they are raising their fees…big time. The backlash on their Web site and on social media sites like Twitter and Facebook is a major P.R. disaster for the company. Basically, Netflix is putting together separate tiers of service…one for streaming and one for DVD rental. My own costs will be going from $9.95 to $15.95. That is a big jump. I plan to discontinue the DVD service and just use streaming for now (Price is $7.99). And from what I read, that is what Netflix really wants to happen. And according to other sources, Netflix is willing to take the heat and stick to its guns. We shall see.
If your computers use Windows 7, you most definitely want to read the 4th story here: Its all about how to do a clean reinstall Windows without wiping out your hard drive. Everything stays in place, except that you now have a fresh version of Windows. Pretty cool. I will be doing that myself this weekend and will let you know how it goes.
The other big story is that Spotify, the music on-line service that took Europe by storm is now here in the US. Will be giving that a try also when I get my invite. But, for this point on, you have to read these and the other stories without my help. Enjoy. - JRC
Netflix price hike creates social media firestorm
It seems that people are unhappy with Netflix and its decision to change the pricing plans and effectively raise the price of the DVD rental plan by 60%. Very, very, very unhappy.
Netflix's pricing backlash: Follow the money, churn rates
Netflix swapped out its pricing plans, angered customers and effectively separated its streaming movie and DVD rental businesses. Why? Netflix is betting that it has pricing power since it will have to pay higher content costs going forward.
Spotify Hits the U.S. Market: Is It Worth the Hype?
The much-hyped online music service Spotify has come to the U.S. after much success in Europe. Started as a way to create a "legal alternative to music piracy," Spotify is now the second-largest source of revenue from digital music for labels in Europe. But it's unlikely that Apple is shaking in its boots about the competition with iTunes. Spotify has a database of 15 million songs and a 3-tiered plan runs from free to $9.99.
Win7′s no-reformat, nondestructive reinstall
Microsoft won’t tell you this, but you can do a fast, nondestructive, in-place, total reinstall of Windows 7 without damaging your user accounts, data, installed programs, or system drivers. That means you may never have to do a full, from-scratch reinstall again, even when your system is misbehaving so badly that a full reformat-and-reinstall seems the only answer!
Google Chromebook Lacks Luster and Purpose
The Chromebook is lightweight and inexpensive, and it offers a full-featured Web browsing experience. But its low-end hardware, lack of versatility, and primitive support for commonplace computing tasks such as printing, file management, networking, and media playback make it a poor choice for everyday use, particularly in a business setting. Read on for the details.
Windows 8 will run on all Windows 7 PCs (and Vista PCs too)
Worried that you’ll have to buy a new PC in order to be able to run Windows 8? Don’t! Microsoft has said that the Windows 8 system requirements will be the same, or perhaps even lower, than those of Windows 7.
Microsoft offers keyboard with 128-bit encryption
Microsoft has unveiled the new Wireless Desktop 2000, a keyboard and mouse combo for $40. You can buy it now from Microsoft.com, though you should note that it requires either Windows XP (excluding Windows XP 64-bit), Windows Vista, or Windows 7. The Wireless Desktop 2000 includes Microsoft's first keyboard that features Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) 128-bit encryption - the same technology trusted by the US government to secure their wireless connections and which industry leaders consider to be one of the most secure encryption standards.
The Best Free Web Apps of 2011
Not only are they free, you can run these apps on any computer over the Web—no installation needed. Maybe it's time to do your work in the cloud.
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