Americans, rejoice: the FCC has just released its finalized "Open Internet" rules, making net neutrality the law of the land as of November 20, 2011. Since they were first introduced nearly a year ago, the rules have generated some considerable backlash among broadband internet providers—Verizon and MetroPCS have already sued to block net neutrality, although that lawsuit was tossed out for being filed way too far in advance. Expect more legal action in the near future, after the rules are formally published tomorrow. So what, then, does net neutrality mean for you as a consumer? Are the provisions set forth by the FCC really in your interest, or are they merely a stop-gap to aid corporations and shut up advocates? The full text of the Open Internet rules can be found here, but here are a few of the more important points.
A person engaged in the provision of fixed broadband Internet access service, insofar as such person is so engaged, shall not block lawful content, applications, services, or nonharmful devices, subject to reasonable network management (44)
Translation: ISPs are prohibited from selectively blocking (censoring) content. This point is pretty straightforward, and pretty important. There have been issues with ISPs blocking popular services in favor of forcing customers to use their own (inferior) alternatives. This rule puts a stop to that practice.
A person engaged in the provision of fixed broadband Internet access service, insofar as such person is so engaged, shall not unreasonably discriminate in transmitting lawful network traffic over a consumer’s broadband Internet access service. Reasonable network management shall not constitute unreasonable discrimination (46)
Translation: This one's a bit more complicated and multi-faceted, as there's several parts to what the FCC terms "unreasonable discrimination," some of which many may not agree with. The purpose of this restriction, the FCC says, is to maximize the control that end users have over the traffic they want to see. Firstly, the FCC states that "discrimination," or the uneven distribution of bandwidth or content, is more likely to be accepted by consumers if providers are wholly transparent about discriminatory practices. Basically, the FCC will allow selective prioritization (or "enhancement") for certain content if that's what the consumer chooses, so long as there are even-playing-field alternatives. Tiered plans are apparently here to stay, as the FCC considers it unfair for "lighter end users of the network to subsidize heavier end users" (48). This provision also institutes what the FCC calls "use-agnostic discrimination," which means that the ISP can vary bandwidth to individual end-uses depending on those individuals' prior usage. This is in line with the current ISP fad of throttling high-volume users and may incite backlash from consumers, depending on the severity of the "discrimination." Importantly, though, the prohibition of action that "impairs free expression" means that ISPs can't slow traffic to sites that are politically misaligned with them or individuals who are critical of the corporation. Although this hasn't been as prevalent of an issue in the past, it is nonetheless a very good safeguard to have. Other restrictions prevent "pay for priority," a practice that strangles small sites and upstart businesses.
A network management practice is reasonable if it is appropriate and tailored to achieving a legitimate network management purpose, taking into account the particular network architecture and technology of the broadband Internet access service. (55)
Translation: ISPs are allowed to take action against traffic that is harmful to the network itself or to end users as well as to filter content as instructed by end users. This basically states that ISPs can provide parental controls and other such options. Such options should always be opt-in or opt-out, and the tools used should be periodically evaluated so as not to interfere with legitimate traffic.
Mobile broadband presents special considerations that suggest differences in how and when open Internet protections should apply. Mobile broadband is an earlier-stage platform than fixed broadband, and it is rapidly evolving. (61)
Translation: Mobile networks are not bound by the majority of these rules. They still have the ability to discriminate to an extent and even block applications, although the FCC still applies "certain of the open Internet rules, requiring compliance with the transparency rule and a basic no-blocking rule." Only time will tell if other regulations will come to the world of mobile networks. Again, the full text can be found here, if you want every detail about the FCC's decisions. Suffice it to say that although their new regulations don't leave us 100% satisfied, we're nonetheless grateful for these first steps. Although it will undoubtedly be met with considerable resistance from the corporate side, the day when these rulings become law can't come soon enough. Don't bank on the 20th of November, though.
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In another wave of consumer groan Netflix, the provider of on-demand streaming media and DVD service, announced yesterday that it was going to separate its two services into independent companies. Netflix will continue to provide on-demand streaming of media (movies, shows, documentaries, etc.) but the DVD service will now come from the offshoot company, Qwikster.
One would have thought that Netflix, after reading the hundreds of negative tweets and seeing its stock price take a dive, would have taken much better care of its announcements moving forward so as to avoid the same consumer backlash. But alas, this was not the case.
During my visit to Taiwanese technology company Genius over the summer, I had the opportunity to check out some of their prototypes. One of them was a really intriguing set of speakers, twin towers packed with drivers. Being prototypes, they weren't completely finished so I was able to listen and provide input to help hone them into great speakers that Americans would enjoy.
At the time I was very impressed with the price goal of ~$100 and combination of sound quality along with two analog and one digital inputs. For the price, the sound was fantastic. Not to mention the stunning classic looks of the unit. The design was plain, simple, and elegant.
 | | genius-sp-hf2020 |
One thing I was concerned about however was the sound quality. There was considerable clipping at high volumes. At low to medium volumes, the speakers sounded great. They filled the room, had very good bass response for the speaker size and had very crisp treble along with smooth mid range. Still, if you were to use the built in equalizer function on Bass mode and turn the speakers up, there would be distortion. Something needed to change.
A month after my visit a set of SP-HF2020 were at my door-- no longer a prototype. This set would be identical to those already in warehouses across the US. Did Genius take my advice and put better quality drivers to avoid distortion? Was the sound signature still balanced and full bodied?
The answer, thankfully, was yes. They sounded great! Even better than when I heard them in Taipei at all sound levels, especially at high volumes. I was very impressed. Unfortunately most retailers are selling them for more than the original $100 target but not by much. You can still get some great speakers for just over $100.
Some great features of the SP-HF2020 include the fact that it has its own digital input. That means you can take a DVD player or your digital Coaxial output and plug it directly into your speakers. You can also input with two analog devices such as an iPod or iPhone. Not only that, but it comes with a remote allowing you to control the unit from your bedside.
I tested it out with a 32" LCD HDTV which was its designed use, but I also hooked it up to my triple monitor display computer and it did a great job on both. My only issue was that the remote control seemed finicky, so maybe Genius can design a more sensitive remote control system next time. Either way, it was such a minor drawback that I have no issues with completely recommending them. For a 2.0 system for around $100, you can't go wrong with the Genius SP-HF2020.
Genius HF-2020 Digital 4-Way Hi-Fi Speakers - $116.96
We here at pnosker.com have very specific demands of our testing equipment. When we're benchmarking computer components, what we need is a case that allows us to quickly put together a system for testing, and then equally quickly replace various parts. The order of the day here isn't decibel reduction or portability or aesthetics or cooling: rather, it's convenience. For the pnosker.com test bench, we needed a chassis that would provide easy access to all the components, but still contain them safely and securely. For that, we turned to the guys at highspeedpc.com and their Top Deck Tech Station, an open-air, build-it-yourself chassis purpose-built for quick and easy component replacement.
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Apple has not been afraid to start patent wars almost daily, and today is no difference. While many tech experts believe that these lawsuits are frivolous, apparently one has been deemed to carry weight by a German court. According to an article posted on Huffington Post, a German judge has awarded an injunction against Samsung to prevent them from selling their Galaxy Tab 7.7 tablet device. While this injunction is only in effect in Germany, Apple has been trying to get similar injunctions awarded all across the globe, including the United States, South Korea, and Australia.
Apple and Samsung have been in battle for months because Apple believes that Samsung has blatantly copied their technologies. Apple claims that the Galaxy Tab 7.7's design too closely mirrors that of the iPad. In addition, the customized version of the Android OS that is featured on the Galaxy Tab 7.7 almost directly copies the user interface of Apple's iOS, the company claims.
It is surprising that an injunction has been awarded between two high-profile companies, but with the emergence of patent wars across numerous technology companies over the past year, these types of legal rulings are more likely to become common in the future. Patents have proven such a valuable commodity, both in the technology they protect and the ability to avoid drawn out patent wars, that companies have started merging with other companies purely to acquire their patents. Google's acquisition of Motorola for $12 billion is the latest prime example of this emerging pattern.
Apple and Samsung, however, are not friends and won't be merging anytime soon, so it will be interesting to see how the patent wars between these two companies end up.
So, who didn't see this coming? In a move that's sure to bring up memories of the early 80s' United States vs. AT&T, the US Department of Justice has just sued to block AT&T's proposed takeover of T-Mobile, citing the deal's potential to "substantially lessen [wireless] competition."
Now, before any of you antitrust fiends get too excited, know that this movement doesn't necessarily mean the merger will or will not actually occur--it just gives an indication of the government's stance on the issue. The DoJ, according to court papers, considers T-Mobile an "independent, low-priced rival" to AT&T and a "significant competitive force." And although T-Mobile is the the smallest of the four major carriers (AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint being the others), the proposed AT&T-Mobile would beat the current market leader Verizon Wirelss for the top spot and wholly eclipse Sprint.
Read the press release on the next page, or go to Engadget to check out the companies' responses to the government's actions.
If you've ever flown American Airlines you likely would have seen Bose's marketing genius at work. Starting with Bose's Quiet Comfort headphones in the 1990s, First Class passengers were loaned a pair to use for the flight. This continues today with the current QC2 and QC3 models as loaners in the first class cabin. Additionally, their in flight magazine has many Bose ads. The combination of trial in-plane and good advertising has turned them into a powerhouse claiming their "Better Sound through Research" philosophy brought riches to the company. The truth is Bose products sound pretty good, have decent science behind them, but are very very expensive.
More recent innovation in the headphone industry has led to cheaper active noise canceling headphones such as those from Panasonic, Creative, and several other consumer brands. It has also led to the development of other high-end brands such as Monster Cable's Beats by Dre line of ANC (Active Noise Canceling) headphones. Still, when you get a cheaper product you are often plagued with issues regarding circuit whine which creates a high pitched annoying sound with the noise cancelation turned on, odd harmonics and unbalanced sound output, or lack of comfort. The expensive products are of course very expensive with Monster's Beats by Dre at almost $300. There really is not much in the middle of the pack in terms of cost. Below $100 and above $200 is where most of the popular products lie. That's where Able Planet's line of headphones come in.
Some say the days of PC gaming are over. Some evidence is undeniable: publishers are moving away from the PC in favor of consoles. DRM controversies seem to arise every other week, turning the PC gaming scene into a virtual police state. Hardware giant HP has just announced their intention to separate their PC branch entirely. Admittedly, it looks bleak.
Thankfully, Razer, the international gaming peripheral colossus, doesn't seem to have gotten the memo. Razer has just announced its biggest product yet: the Blade. CEO Min-Liang Tan bills it as the first “true” gaming laptop (rather than desktop replacement), and, on paper, it looks to be one of the most well-rounded laptops today.
A couple months ago, we took a look at Cooler Master's SF-19 notebook cooler, a product from Cooler Master's CM Storm line of gaming-oriented peripherals. Today, we're going over their new Sentinel Z3RO-G gaming mouse, an updated version of CM Storm's older Sentinel Advance. With all the trappings of a very serious performance mouse—a 5600-dpi twin laser sensor, adjustable weights, and 128kb of onboard memory—the Sentinel Z3RO-G looks very promising. In addition, Cooler Master is cross-promoting the mouse with Shattered Horizon, a game by famous PC benchmark software studio Futuremark, and has included a copy of the game with the Sentinel Z3RO-G. So, has Cooler Master's gaming skunkworks built a legitimate contender? Find out after the jump.
As many people expected over the course of Steve Job's fight with cancer, he has finally thrown in the towel and decided to resign as CEO of Apple. He has requested to resign his position of Chairman and director as well. Finally, he recommends appointing Tim Cook as new CEO to replace him. Tim Cook is the Apple COO and current interm CEO of Apple Computer.
For those who don't know, Steve Jobs has been back and forth between leadership roles and absent from the company due to his fight against pancreatic cancer since 2004. In 2009, he underwent a liver transplant and appeared to be much better but in early 2011 he was granted a medical leave of absence and has been effectively gone from Apple.
MEElectronics is one of our favorite small companies. They make a great line of value headphones that are surprisingly good sounding. With a neutral balance and some neat features such as tunable earbuds, MEElectronics is definitely a group that's innovating like American companies used to. Their product that we most recently got our hands on are their A151 earbuds powered by balanced armature drivers.
Unlike most earbuds, Ultimate Ears' top of the line products aren't made in China. In fact, they're made right in one of the wealthiest areas of the United States: Orange County, California. Being in such a location is convenient for many of their customers-- musicians, Hollywood stars, athletes, and audiophiles with a little bit of money in the bank.
Instead of being located in a high end shopping mall or in downtown Los Angeles, Ultimate Ears is found within a corporate complex sharing a building with a shipping company. You wouldn't know it from the outside, but what's inside is what's truly impressive. Inside the Ultimate Ears building in Irvine, California is where some of the best sounding and highest performing in-ear monitors used on stage by many of the top artists are made.
 | | The UE Foyer |
When you first enter the Ultimate Ears lab you will notice how musically centered it is themed. The first room you enter when you are considering a set of their top in-ear monitors is the studio room with a full band set. Several guitars, both acoustic and electric, bass guitars, keyboard, and drums are all present with mic setups all around. In the middle is a coffee table filled with magazines that have featured their products. On one edge of the room is a computer with a headphone amplifier attached. Also present is a universal version of every one of their high-end custom in-ear monitors so you can try each one and figure out exactly what you want. On the opposite side of the room is a chair for you to sit in while you have impressions made. The process of getting impressions made will be covered by us next week, so make sure to check back and learn more!
A 5.9 magnitude earthquake centered in northern Virginia just occurred about 10 minutes ago, causing buildings to mildly shake across the northeast United States. Within a matter of minutes, users took to Facebook and Twitter to report their incredulous thoughts that a moderately-strong earthquake actually struck the northeast, an area mostly immune to moderate, not to mention strong, earthquakes. The social media response took off faster than I have ever seen, and it truly shows the power of social media tools like Facebook and Twitter to spread news in a rapid, viral like fashion.
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