Acronym Update 07/31/07

Dear Friends,

I’m pouring all of my journalistic efforts into the August issue of The Acronym right now, so I am not delving into an deep technical subject matter here. Today’s Update shines some light on the world of science…. albeit a very humorous side of it.

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University have “created” a genetically engineered mouse with mental illness. They hope it will advance their cause to find more effective treatments for schizophrenia and other related conditions.

This story, from England’s THE TIMES publication will take you all of 5 minutes to read…

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/science/article2159295.ece

Enjoy!

Have a wonderful week,

Kevin

Acronym Update 07/24/07

Dear Friends,

Today’s topics: “Greeting card” e-mail scam and new TiVo boxes

Part 1

I had mentioned a few weeks ago that there was a “greeting card” e-mail scam going around. I mentioned that these messages included links to suspicious addresses where you were supposed to retrieve your card and it was not clear who the sender was. Legitimate e-card services like Blue Mountain or Yahoo! Greetings are very upfront about who is sending you their cards. As it turns out, this situation was more serious than I initially thought. The FBI is involved now. Check out this article from Saturday’s Washington Post….

http://tinyurl.com/37jf4a

If you use an e-mail program installed on your hard drive (such as Outlook Express, Windows Mail, Apple Mail, Thunderbird, anything other than web mail, etc.), please turn off your automatic preview pane.

In Outlook Express, this can be done from the View menu. Click Layout and un-check “Show Preview Pane.” In Apple Mail, simply double click on the gray divider line between the message list and the preview pane. In both of these set-ups, you will now have to double click on your messages to open them. It may be an extra click, but it will help you avoid unwanted attachments and links. You should be able to determine if a message is JUNK by looking at the sender and subject from the message list. If you are unsure, about a message. Do not open it! Delete it!

If you need instructions for other e-mail programs let me know.

Part 2

I read recently in the Wall St. Journal that by the end of this year, 37% of American households will have an HD-TV set. Having an HDTV, generally requires you to rent an HD cable box from your cable provider. Yes, some TV’s have a Cable Card slot built in, but most people do not buy those models or rent a box anyway because Cable Card technology is inferior. Some of my customers recently asked me where they could buy their own cable box because they did not want to rent an HD converter box at a cost of over $8.00 per month and even more if they wanted to record video. In the past, I explained that there really was not a market for digital cable boxes that you could buy outright. Even if there was, the cost would be $400 to $500 for an HD box. The cost was prohibitive and the conversations usually ended with the price tag.

Yesterday TiVo announced that they are introducing TiVo HD, a Digital Video Recorder (DVR) with an HD cable box built in at a cost of only $299. You will be able to buy the box online or at major electronics retailers. It will have a Cable Card slot which a technician will have to install for you. Comcast, the largest cable co. in Conecticut, does not charge a monthly rental fee for the card, but as of last check they charged $16.95 (one time) to install it. One of Cable Card technology’s major limitations is that it does not support the On Demand programming that most digital cable customers cherish, but TiVo makes up for that by allowing you to plug their box into your broadband Internet connection to purchase downloaded movies from Amazon.com, watch free Internet videos, and share videos throughout your house. It sounds very similar to Apple TV. TiVo HD does have a monthly fee of $12 to $15 per month depending on how you pay for your subscription. Currently digital cable customers who rent an HD cable box / DVR from their service provider pay upwards of $20 a month for the device.

You can find out more by reading this article discussing the launch of the new TiVo HD.

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/070724/aqtu105.html?.v=11

Always willing to answer your questions,

Kevin

Acronym Update 07/16/07

Topic:   Cable TV and Internet Concerns

I’m going to summarize a few responses I’ve given to clients recently concerning broadband cable Internet and home TV services.  I think you’ll find this very interesting…

#1 ) Q:  (Aside from issues with the cable company’s servers,) Why is my cable Internet so slow at certain times of the day?
A: I covered this partially a few weeks ago in an Update and want to re-iterate that it’s a growing problem, especially since adults are more dependent on and finding more uses for their broadband Internet connections.

I mentioned in that previous Update about peak usage time for cable internet service being typically from 4 to 11 PM during the school year.   Every kid logs on…. downloads music, movies, plays interactive games…. only a certain amount of bandwidth is available.   You know this slow song and dance … I’ve gotten lots of phone calls on this …. You want to know why you’re surfing at 200 kbps when your service is rated for 6000 kbps.  Remember, with cable internet the “rated speed” for your connection is just an “expected benchmark.”  You should be able to browse at that speed during normal times, but you could also go faster during times of low network usage.    Regardless of what your cable Internet speed should be, 200 kbps on a 6000 kbps connection is UNACCEPTABLE.

Here is some new information:   I read last week that by the end of 2007, 37% of American homes will own a high-definition TV.   If you are a cable TV customer, please understand that HD programming requires far more data (bandwidth) to be streamed from the street through the cable lines into your house than standard analog cable TV.  If you have a 2nd or 3rd set that is HD capable, the demands you are placing on the “cable pipe” are even greater.  Factor cable Internet into one of these scenarios and you may be rationing yourself down to table scraps of web surfing speed, especially if your neighbor has a similar set up.  If your cable internet connection at your home is priority number 1, (ie. You work out of the house or have several children that depend on the ‘Net for homework. ) ask your cable co. to install  a dedicated cable line to the room where you keep your cable modem.  Cable co.’s used to do this by default when customers had their connections installed, but over time most new sign-ups opted for self-install kits that allowed the customer to plug the their modem into an existing cable outlet and split the connection if need be.

If you feel that you have not been negatively affected by this problem, there is no need to change.   Otherwise, a dedicated cable line to your modem could definitely help you out.  There is no additional monthly cost for this, but you may pay a $30 to $100 fee (one – time) to your cable provider for the technician visit.

#2)  Q:  Is my cable bill going up next year?  Why?  What is U-Verse?

A:  Yes.  Governor Rell.   A product that may never see its full potential.

Yes, Connnecticut residents’ cable bills are going up in 2008.  The franchise tax on your bills is going up from 5.0 % to 5.5%   Money collected from franchise taxes helps to pay for your local public access stations — a noble cause indeed.   However, the tax increase is anti-consumer and anti-competitive.

Governor M. Jodi Rell signed this bill into law last week.   She believes that this tax increase will help increase competition in Connecticut’s TV markets  This tax increase applies to all cable TV bills and direct-to-home satellite TV bills (DirecTV and Dish Network).   The tax on satellite TV (in effect, a franchise tax) was instituted a few years ago when cable companies cried that they could not compete because satellite TV providers could offered more at lower prices.   FYI, Connecticut is only one of eight states that has this type of tax on direct-to-home satellite TV.    There is a third medium for TV service that is coming into play in the Nutmeg State.   AT&T is offering U-Verse TV service which is transmitted over fiber optic phone lines into your house through a combination DSL modem / digital TV receiver box.  The cost for up to 3 boxes, including one DVR (digital video recorder = 21st century VCR) is included in the price.

However, U-Verse is a product that may never see its full potential.  AT&T claims that they have spent nearly $4 billion dollars developing this product to offer to their customers in states where they provide local phone service.   It doesn’t seem like there has been a great return on investment yet, because less than 50,000 customers have signed up nationwide.  Additionally, AT&T has chosen inferior technology to deploy their new service by brining the fiber optic lines only to a nearby telephone pole (Fiber To The Node).   Verizon (not Verizon Wireless) has opted to go with a vastly superior means of distributing their new TV service, where they are the local phone co. (ie.  Massachusetts, NY, NJ), by bringing fiber optic lines right into your home (Fiber To The Home).   For the record, Verizon has nearly 1 million customers for its “FiOS” service.  Here in Connecticut, AT&T has been accused of engaging in class warfare by picking and choosing where they want to offer the service.  To the best of my knowledge it is only being offered in parts of Fairfield County (of course), and sections of Newington and Wethersfield.   They are not advertising it on TV, because most people couldn’t sign up if they wanted to.  So as they upgrade certain neighborhoods to handle the U-Verse service, AT&T is going around in an ice-cream truck (don’t laugh) to recruit customers and sending representatives door to door.  AT&T is not bound by franchise rules here in Connecticut.  They were generously given a statewide franchise exemption by the Department of Public Utility Control.  It will be quite a long time before they offer the service in large cities or areas deemed “low income.”   In my opinion, it is a shame that they were able to get away with this because 1) I don’t believe increased taxes are a good public policy for increasing competition and 2)  you are basically forced to have AT&T home phone and DSL service to get their TV service.  Boo-hoo AT&T!!  Don’t go breaking my heart……

Have a spectacular week,

–
Kevin

Aconym Update 07/07/07

Today’s Topic: iPhone frenzy

…iPhone, It’s Here…

You’d have to be living in an igloo if you have not heard or read any media reports concerning Apple’s new iPhone device that was released last Friday, June 29th. The demand has been red hot, but there are some things you should know before you buy one for your kids or yourself.

A brief overview: The iPhone is a “smart-phone”: a cell phone, iPod, and mini computer all built into one. It runs on AT&T Wireless service (formerly Cingular).

Key info:

1) It only runs on AT&T Wireless service. If you want to be or remain a customer of Verizon Wireless, Sprint, T-Mobile, etc., you cannot use the iPhone. Period!

2) It only works with AT&T Wireless service. If you want to use the iPhone as a stand alone device, without cellular service — you are out of luck!!

3) If you are currently under contract with another provider, you will have to pay a cancellation fee – possibly as high as $250, to break that agreement so you can sign up as an AT&T customer. As insane as it seems, there are thousands of people who have canceled their existing wireless contracts prematurely so that they could “escape” and become an iPhone user / AT&T subscriber.

4) If you are switching from another provider, regardless if you are in a contract or not, do not cancel your old service before signing up with AT&T. Not canceling with “company x” will allow you to “port” (transfer) your existing wireless number to AT&T for use with your new iPhone. You will be able to use your new iPhone with your old number within 2 hours after activation, wait about 3 days to cancel with your old company to ensure that the number porting has been completely processed by both companies.

5) Price: Don’t have a heart attack! The 4 GB (gigabyte hard drive) iPhone sells for $499. The larger capacity, 8 GB model sells for $599. Apple and AT&T intend for these to be market priced products…. meaning there will be no discounts. Furthermore, if you are an existing AT&T customer and are due for a phone upgrade discount — you cannot use that promotion with the purchase of a new iPhone. You will pay $499 or $599 regardless of your previous relationship with AT&T. There is a positive side to this fixed pricing structure. If you are an existing AT&T customer, in the middle of your contract and not due for an upgrade discount, you can order your iPhone directly from Apple or purchase one at an Apple Store for the same price and simply swap your SIM card from your existing AT&T phone into your new iPhone.

6) Where to buy: http://store.apple.com , 1-800-MY-APPLE, Apple Store retail locations, and corporate AT&T Wireless stores. This should be self-explanatory, but I want to expand on this point by saying that iPhones are not sold at AT&T Wireless stores owned by authorized resellers or Radio Shack. Sometimes it is hard to differentiate between a corporate store and a reseller because the storefronts can appear quite similar. In central Connecticut, the Westfarms mall AT&T store and the 3298 Berlin Turnpike store are considered “corporate.”

7) Service plan: A minimum $39.99 per month calling plan is required along with a $20 per month data plan (that includes unlimited EDGE Internet access and 200 SMS / text messages). The $39.99 voice plan features 450 daytime minutes, and 5000 night and weekend minutes. If you are a frequent talker you may prefer the $59.99 – 900 minute voice plan, or the $79.99 – 1350 minute voice plan. These plans included unlimited night and weekend minutes. Regardless of which voice plan you choose, remember that you are required to take the $20 data plan as well. It is not optional. The iPhone is not meant for those who don’t intend to access the Internet or e-mail on from their new toy.
A word about data: As I mentioned in #7, the data plan includes unlimited EDGE data access. EDGE is a very SLOW network. In fact, at times it may be as slow as your old dial-up Internet connection that you dropped years ago. The iPhone doesn’t sound like such a great deal then, right? Don’t lose hope – the iPhone also has a “WiFi” chip built in. This means that you can access Internet and e-mail features from the network inside your house, at work, the public library, Panera Bread, or other locations using your iPhone — AT NO COST. Your Internet experience will be significantly faster in WiFi mode than using AT&T’s EDGE network. Just remember, WiFi is only available in specific locations — such as the ones that I’ve mentioned. EDGE is available across much of the U.S.A. and can help fill in the gaps in between WiFi access points — but it is slowwwww and only good for e-mails (without photos) or very simple web pages.

9) Web surfing: Critics and iPhone users agree that the Safari browser built into this device is the best browser ever found on a cell phone. It displays a full web page in minature form at first and then allows you to expand the text of the article you want to read by tapping your finger on the touch-sensitive glass screen. Likewise you scroll down long web pages by moving your finger on the glass and even type your emails using an on-screen keyboard that you can make appear or disappear whenever you want.

Final words: I did not rush out to buy an iPhone on 6/29, but that doesn’t mean I won’t get on board at a later date. If you are looking for a true “convergence device” that incorporate your 3 most treasured gadgets into one – iPod, cell phone, and computer – the iPhone is your meal ticket. It doesn’t have the full functionality of a laptop but it is the right size for taking to bed with you. You can easily put it on your nightstand or tuck it under a pillow. Guard it with your life. The tooth fairy would love to steal it from you!!

Yours truly,

Kevin