The Verge, a very highly respected tech journal, has published a story saying our beloved Internet is in deep trouble, thanks to Comcast, AT&T, Verizon and others. They seek to control Internet access and set the prices for everyone…from big Internet companies like Netflix down to what you and I pay. (Warning, the story contains profanity to demonstrate the seriousness of the issue)
Worse, they have no plans to improve the Internet infrastructure because they don’t have to. They have a virtual monopoly guaranteed them by our own government. In South Korea, the customers can expect 300 MBPS for a lot less money than we pay for average speeds of 15-20MBPS. And, according to the article, Americans pay more for these slower wireless speeds than anyone else in the world!
Of course, Washington could help by blocking the Comcast/Time Warner merger, but don’t count on it. Comcast has over 100 lobbyists in Washington to make sure Comcast’s wishes are followed. What we really need is a guarantee of Net Neutrality but don’t look for it from our government. They have sold their souls to the devils of greed.
Our second story relates how Netflix has succumbed to Comcast’s underhanded dealings and signed a new agreement with them to make sure there are no more Netflix service slow-downs that have become quite common at Comcast. Look for more agreements with other carriers coming soon. Also look for price increases at Netflix.
I urge you to read our first story to fully understand what is going on with our once-free and open Internet. -JRC
News and Opinions
The Internet is Really Messed Up (Profanity in Title Deleted by Editor)
(Warning...lots of "f-bombs" here) Massive companies like AT&T and Comcast have spent the first two months of 2014 boldly announcing plans to close and control the Internet through additional fees, pay-to-play schemes, and sheer brutal size...
Confirmed: Comcast and Netflix have signed a paid peering agreement
It’s officially confirmed. Comcast customers will likely have a better Netflix experience thanks to the Comcast and Netflix signing a direct interconnection agreement. Its proof that blackmail still works. Netflix customers should expect price increases.
MasterCard program will protect credit card purchases using your smartphone's location
With this system, the credit card company will simply check the location on your smartphone to see if you're in the same place as your card.
Microsoft to Cut Windows Licensing Price by 70% to Compete with Apple and Google
Microsoft is set to cut pricing of Windows 8.1 by 70 percent for computer and tablet manufacturers, according to Bloomberg, partly due to increased competition from both Apple and Google in the PC space.
Google Maps update finally goes live
The revamp features a cleaner new look, as well as tweaked search tools and improved directions tools, and lets users view locations in 3D using Google Earth.
Computer Tips and Tricks
The 9 Best Browser-Based Photo Editing Tools
These editing tools are all free for basic edits, though some offer ad-free premium services for a reasonable price. Most rely on Flash, so be sure to first update your browser’s Flash plug-in for optimal functionality.
Google adds 'unsubscribe' button in Gmail for all users
Google has now provided a useful tool to get rid of those annoying subscriptions that you may or may have not signed up for, and even taking the trouble to locate an unsubscribe button in those unwanted promotional emails
Simple Guidelines for Protecting Your Gmail Account
Google offers quite a few tools to help you keep unwanted persons out of your account, but they only work if you activate them.
7 Free Things You Can Do On Amazon Without Spending A Single Dime
This is about diving into Amazon’s depths and coming up with useful free resources you can make use of.
One tweak can make your Windows PC virtually invulnerable
In its 2013 Microsoft Vulnerabilities Study, Avecto found that you could mitigate almost every single Critical vulnerability simply by removing administrator rights. The exact number was 92 percent.
Mobile Computing
Apple Fixed A Bug In iOS 7. It’s A Doozy
On Friday Apple announced a fix to a security bug in its iOS 7 system without much fanfare. Saturday, Web security experts parsed the patch to figure out what exactly the problem was… And apparently it’s very serious. If you haven't already downloaded it to your iPhone or iPad, do it NOW!
25 Tips for Mastering iPhone Photography
You can achieve higher quality photographs by attaining a basic understanding of photographic principles, learning to use some of the great photo apps available to you, and nurture a passion to succeed as a photographer and artist.
How to get your family photos onto your iPad
The iPad can make a great family photo album, provided it has your photos on it. This article will go over some of the best ways to put your favorite photos on to the iPad.
Mobile World Congress 2014
Here is all the latest news coming out of this year's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona including and in-depth look at the brand new Galaxy S5. This is the biggest mobile computing show in the world so take a look and see what is coming your way.
The 5 Commandments For Choosing The Right To-Do App For Productivity
Author: I have a confession to make. I’m an obsessive to-do list tester. In the past five years I think I’ve tested approximately 20 productivity management tools, and I’ve yet to stick with a single one.
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