JQ On Technology

Is the Convergence Finally Starting?

nobody@vox.com(JQ) — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 14:14:05 -0700

The "convergence" that people have been talking about for over two decades usually refers to the convergence of television and what is now known as the World Wide Web. Essentially, getting Information and entertainment in one place--your living room screen.

There have been attempts at such convergence for nearly as long as people have talked about it (I myself was involved in a very early attempt known as videotext...but that's another "we blew millions of dollars" story for another time). Most convergence projects have failed miserably, including even recent forays by the likes of Apple (see Apple TV Hype). But a confluence of technologies and regulations may be bringing convergence closer to reality.

At the beginning of July, FCC rules regarding cable boxes came into effect stipulating that cable companies must now separate the cable security controls from the set top boxes most people rent. It only applies to brand new cable boxes (most are simply refurbished models), but it may spur the adoption of so-called cable cards. Cable cards are credit card-sized devices that are programmed with the descrambling information needed for you to legally watch the channels you pay for. Cable cards have the virtue of being removeable, so that you could plug one into a TV's cable card slot and do away with the cable company's box (and lower your monthly charges in the process).

But the real importance of cable cards is that they may open up other services through your television. Tivo's top-of-the-line box, for example, can accept a cable card. Thus eliminating the awkward programming hassles and IR blasters needed to get the darn DVRs to change channels. It also improves the picture from a Tivo box by eliminatng the digital to analog to digital conversion of the television signal.

More important, the cable card feature also makes new services much easier to deliver. As an example, Tivo and Amazon recently announced that they would begin offering Tivo suscribers movies to rent or own delivered directly from Amazon.com to their Tivo boxes. No computer required. It essentially directly connects your TV to the Internet and that's something no one else has yet been able to do in such a sleek fashion.

"So what?" you may well ask, "I can already order movies on demand from the cable company on my TV." Yes, but the difference is that an Internet store like Amazon could potentially offer you a much wider array of titles--and possibly better prices.

The move toward convergence will be slow, however. Tivo's Series 3 box is expensive and the monthly subscriber fees onerous. But there are other smaller, nimbler companies out there looking to offer new services that hinge on cable cards. So stayed tuned....

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Why Is the iPhone Slow?

nobody@vox.com(JQ) — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 09:09:57 -0700

Faster in future?

Apparently not content with their carefully planned marketing and seeding of the iPhone hype machine, the heads of both Apple and AT&T have been doing something they hate doing: talking to reporters and making excuses.

The issue that so concerns Apple's Steve Jobs and AT&T's Randall Stephenson is the somewhat deceptive nature of Apple's TV ad campaign. It shows an iPhone quickly switching between Web pages, something that is not possible on the phone...unless it is connected to a stationary Wi-Fi network with its own high-speed Internet connection.

At issue is the fact that the iPhone can only use AT&T's slower EDGE data network and not its much faster HSDPA (High-Speed Downlink Packet Access) network. The carrier has been touting the HSDPA network like mad, but to defend the iPhone, AT&T is suddenly bending over backwards to dismiss its own faster network saying that the new high-speed access isn't available in many markets.

The execs have also offered other strange excuses that smack of TP. To wit, Jobs says that putting HSDPA support into the phone created a power drain. However, it is well known that Wi-Fi is a major power drain in mobile devices, and the iPhone supports Wi-Fi..

So what is the real reason for the iPhone's slow Internet access? The truth may be much simpler. A representative for a global cell phone maker recently was showing me their new product line when I asked if the phones would support HSDPA. The answer was, no. According the spokesperon, all of the phone makers have been having a difficult time making their phones work with AT&T's implementation of HSDPA. So given the tight time frame for the iPhone launch, the truth may simply be that Apple couldn't get the higher speed data access working in time.

Now doesn't that sound more likely? (And it didn't hurt a bit.)

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Still More Reasons Not to Buy an iPhone

nobody@vox.com(JQ) — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 07:40:25 -0700

Thumbs Down iPhone

13. It uses a non-standard headphone jack, so you can't use better headphones or earbuds without buying an expensive adapter.

14. It doesn't have voice dialing or voice recognition.

15. It doesn't support wireless Bluetooth stereo, so you can't use wireless stereo headphones with it.

16. You can't shoot video with the phone's camera.

17. It does not have a GPS receiver for important location information.

18. Owners cannot remove the battery, so if there's trouble, you'll have to send your phone in for service.

19. It does not use a SIM card, so owners are forever tied to AT&T--even after the two-year contract expires.

20. No instant messaging.

Can't remember the other reasons not to buy an iPhone? Revisit the Web page at J-Q.com and reasons 11 and 12.

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More Reasons Not to Buy an iPhone

nobody@vox.com(JQ) — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 09:02:32 -0700

Thumbs Down iPhone

To add to our Top 10 Reasons Not to Line Up for iPhone, here are a couple more:

11. It will not play Flash files, the de facto standard for animations on the Web. (So much for that full Internet experience Apple keeps claiming it has.)

12. The sun. No matter how bright the iPhone screen is, it can't overcome the power of sunlight to create glare and wash out colors. So expect to see iPhone owners scurrying for the shade every time they want to place a call.

If you really want a slick, touch-screen phone, why not consider the original iPhone: the Prada by LG. It is smaller than the long iPhone, doesn't lock you into iTunes (just plug the Prada into a USB port and download any music you like), and it doesn't lock you into a two-year contract with Cingular, er, AT&T. The Prada is an unlocked phone, so it will work on T-Mobile or AT&T.

Of course, the Prada is wicked expensive, too. But is $750 really too much to ask to be cool?

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PC World or Apple World?

nobody@vox.com(JQ) — Thu, 03 May 2007 12:00:19 -0700

Apparently these are strange times at PC World magazine. According to a report based on insider information, the editor-in-chief at PC World resigned this week when the new management crossed the line separating church and state (i.e., the distinction between those trying to garner advertisers and those trying to produce independent reviews and articles). To wit, spiking an article that was deemed potentially offensive to Steve "Where's the wrecking ball?" Jobs.

I'm a big believer in keeping those two often conflicting interests separate, holding to the idea that if you write something that people find helpful or entertaining, the advertisers are sure to follow. (Or put another way, I won't tell you how to sell ads and do marketing surveys as long as you don't tell me how to test and critique a product, movie, book, etc.) So readers here can rest assured that the lines will always be brightly demarcated on this site and at J-Q.com.

Unfortunately, that may not be the case any longer at PC World. Though I detest the infinite regress that is often referred to as the blogosphere, here are various links for those who want to delve further into the apparent scandal:

PC World Editor Quits Over Censorship

PC World Editor Quits Over Soft Reporting

Steve Jobs May Be Hazardous To Your Job

PC World Editor Quits Over Apple Story

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Music Distortion Field

nobody@vox.com(JQ) — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 15:30:37 -0700

Music Please

Apparently, Apple's reality distortion field is now warpng the perspective of music companies.

On Monday, EMI announced it would offer its catalog of music for sale on Apple's iTunes store free of copyright protections. Tracks from the likes of Norah Jones will first be offered without copying restrictions on iTunes next month for $1.29 each. Yes, that's more than the standard 99 cents a track, and no, The Beatles still won't be available online.

The change has come about mainly because Apple refused to do what it begged the music industry to do, namely, open up for licensing (or even for free!) the company's proprietary digital rights management (DRM) controls. That's the part of song file that prevents you from copying it on too many machines, making countless CDs, or--heaven forbid--playing the tracks on any portable player save for the iPod. Indeed, it was the height of disingenuous obfuscation when Steve Jobs issued a statement saying that the record companies should offer music without copy protection...when he is the one who would not open up Apple's music control software.

Be that as it may, next month Apple plans to confuse everyone when it starts offering some songs you can copy at will--and some you can't. Which will be which? Who knows. Like most people, I follow the bands, not what record label they happen to be on. And I don't want to have to jump through hoops (can I copy it or not?) just to play a few tunes. (EMI will also offer the same copy protection free tracks at other sites, it says.)

Of course, there are already plenty of tracks online for sale without copyright protection and hassles, most notably from emusic. Or you could get even better quality sound--and a wider variety of choices--by buying CDs. You could even get a CD of that classic "Never Mind the Bollocks Here's the Sex Pistols." Now, how did that song go? "EMI, EMI..."

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