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VUDU FREE-TO-VIEWER AD-SUPPORTED TV

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As if cable and satellite TV systems weren’t under extreme competitive pressure already, now Wal-Mart is breathing down their necks. The nation’s largest retailer owns VUDU, a streaming video platform that is rolling out an ad-supported free-to-the-viewer movie service.

VUDU currently charges $3.99 for a 1080p movie download. Through its new “Movies On Us” feature, the downloads will be free to the viewer, provided he’s willing to sit through commercials

The first of the ad-supported movie downloads include True Grit (the 2010 remake starring Jeff Bridges), and School of Rock, starring Jack Black. VUDU is promoting both titles heavily.

For any movie title, VUDU will offer the choice of renting it, buying it, or streaming the “Free with Ads” version. Some of the rental and purchase options are available in 4K or Ultra HD.

Jeremy Verba, VUDU’s general manager, said, “This new service provides value for customers who want movies and TV for free, when and how they wish to watch, without sacrificing quality.”

The streaming video market is getting ever more crowded. Last year, Dish Network launched Sling TV, a multichannel streaming VOD service. AT&T has signed carriage contracts for more then 100 channels for its DirecTV Now platform, to be launched by the year’s end. Turner Networks has been working on its own streaming VOD (video on demand) platform, FilmStruck. It’s unveiling has been delayed until November, though, because of a series of technical glitches. Comcast has conducted consumer tests of its TV everywhere VOD service. PlayStation Vue, originally a gaming platform, has has moved into streaming TV.

(For advice about any TV or internet service, talk to us. We can compare all providers and plans available in your neighborhood. Then order any service with just one phone call)

 

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ROKU RELEASES $30.00 STREAMING STICK

Video without Cable or Satellite Subscriptions

If you’re seeking a way to stream video to your computer, it’s getting easier. And it costs less than ever before.

The market for internet video streaming devices is getting ever more crowded. One manufacturer after another is producing dedicated streaming sticks or boxes to meet the growing demand for video services without conventional cable or satellite subscriptions.

Roku’s New Streaming Devices

Roku, which has long been a leader in the market, has pulled ahead in the  industry’s price war with Monday’s introduction of the Express Player, a new streaming stick that will retail for a mere $29.99. This beats the $35.00 price for Google’s Chromecast Stick and the $40.00 price for the Amazon Fire TV Stick.

The Roku Express works on TV sets with HDMI connections, and handles 1080p HD signals. Another model, the Express+, works on older TV sets without HDMI ports.

Other New Roku Models

Beside the Express models, Roku released three upscale streaming devices on Monday: the Premiere, the Premiere+, and the Ultra. The Premiere handles Ultra HD or 4K streaming at up to 60 frames per second. The Premiere+ features the same capabilities, plus High Dynamic Range (HDR) support. The Ultra has all of the capabilities of the Premiere and the Premiere+, and it decodes Dolby Digital and Dolby Digital Plus Surround Sound. For local media playback, the Ultra also features a USB port. The Premiere will retail for $80.00, the Premiere+ for $100, and the Ultra for $130.00.

So far, Roku is the only manufacturer of dedicated video streaming devices to enroll in Comcast’s Xfinity TV Partner program, an effort to incorporate Comcast’s TV Everywhere app into streaming devices via open HTML5 standards.

All Roku devices will work with any internet service fast enough for video. This includes HughesNet.

Roku dominates the streaming device market, with about a 49% share.

(For timely and reliable information about TV and internet services, talk to us. We can help.)

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NET NEUTRALITY FIGHT TO END?

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The ongoing battle over the FCC’s ‘net neutrality’ rules has been bitter, and has hitherto offered no sign of abating. Several engineers at Stanford University, however, claim to have found a way out of the impasse. We don’t have to fight over this, they say. A technical fix is at hand.

The Stanford engineers say they have pioneered a technique that would enable  internet users to tell ISPs and online publishers when or if they want ‘preferential delivery’ for some data. (An ISP is an internet service provider.)

‘Net neutrality’ means ISPs must treat all data equally. They won’t be allowed to favor some content, nor to block or throttle other content.

The political battle over such net regulations has been loud and ferocious.

Professor Nick McKeown, Associate Professor Sachin Katti, and PhD Yiannia Yiakoumis say their new method, ‘Network Cookies’, could render the debate moot. An open internet and preferential delivery can coexist. The user decides what content gets favored delivery, while ISP administrators and content sources are unbiased; they throttle or speed data only in response to user preferences.

The Stanford engineering team field-tested the Network Cookies on 161 home networks connected with Google, sending boosted service requests from home routers to the ISP. The Network Cookies got heavy consumer use.

McKeown said, “…They’re simple to use and powerful. They enable you to fast-lane or zero-rate traffic from any application or website you want, not just the few, very popular applications. This is particularly important for smaller content providers– and their users, who can’t afford to establish relationships with ISPs. Second, they’re practical to deploy. They don’t overwhelm the user or bog down user devices and network operators…”

If this is all McKeown’s team says it is, then there may be no need for the Federal Government to weigh in on ‘net neutrality’ at all.

(For the best internet service, you need a reliable connection. Talk to us. We can help.) 

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SECURE BROWSING: CHROME CRACKS DOWN ON UNENCRYPTED SITES

Chrome, the most popular web browser in the world, will soon be getting rough with websites that don’t use proper encryption. Such sites can expose visitors to hacking and malware.

The next version of Google’s famous browser, Chrome 56, will be active in January 2017. The new version will warn web surfers about any sites that are still unencrypted. In a small window next to the address bar, Google will mark such sites as “Not Secure”. This warning will flag any sites using the older HTTP application protocol, rather than the more secure HTTPS. Later, these pages will also be marked with red triangles.

 

WHY CHROME IS CHANGING ITS SECURITY PROTOCOLS

Google’s current method for warning users is very different: a “neutral indicator”. Emily Schechter, an executive in the Chrome Security Team, explained why Google is changing its warning protocols. “When you load a website over HTTP”, she said, “someone else on the network can look at or modify the site before it gets to you.” Attacks via such means are not uncommon.

 

HOW YOU CAN SURF MORE SAFELY

Meanwhile, there are several steps by which you can make your Chrome browsing safer.

The easiest ways are to activate privacy extensions.

Disconnect is an extension that enables blocking of sites that would otherwise track you across the internet. Disconnect will also increase your connection speeds noticeably.

Adblock Plus and uBlock Origin will block autoplay video, pop-ups, and other annoying ads. They will not only keep advertisers from tracking your internet use, they will reduce your data consumption dramatically. If you worry about exceeding your data cap, you need an ad blocker.

Web of Trust is a worldwide community. It rates websites based on user experience. By regularly checking ratings on Web of Trust, you’ll have a better handle on which websites to avoid.

 

VIRTUAL PRIVATE NETWORKS

Logging in through a virtual private network (VPN) is an advanced approach to browser security. Some people call VPNs ‘the nuclear option’. They require somewhat more effort to set up than the Chrome extensions, and you’d have to pay for the best ones. The advantage of a VPN is that it encrypts your data, then routes it through secure external servers. Nobody- not even the NSA or your internet service provider- knows where you’re going on the web.

 

(For secure browsing, you need a secure internet connection. Talk to us. We can help.)

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BLADE RUNNER: IS THIS YOUR FUTURE?

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In Blade Runner, a 1982 science fiction movie, large corporations control nearly everything. The individual is almost powerless. It’s virtually impossible to hold anyone accountable for anything important, because decision makers are faceless and remote. Bureaucracy pervades every facet of life.

Some people argue that the hellish vision in Blade Runner is our future. Gigantic corporations will consolidate their control over our economic life.

Such predictions may seem to be credible. Certain corporate giants, such as Facebook and Google, threaten to acquire near monopolies in their markets- and in control of information. Microsoft, Apple, General Electric, and Exxon are still among the world’s largest firms. If present trends continue, can you keep your independence? Is a Blade Runner type of dystopia inevitable?

In the past, size was a decisive market advantage. Giant corporations owned infrastructure, industrial machines, and factories. They owned distribution networks. They could produce much more than smaller businesses could. Their expenses were spread over a larger number of units. It was much easier to organize production within one firm than among many. In the Machine Age, massive size made sense.

Is this true today? Will it be true in our future?

It might not be. In the Information Age, the advantage of size is not as great as before. Some of the means of production, previously out of reach for individuals and small businesses, are much more accessible. Anyone with the necessary skills can write a new app. With only a computer and a web connection, he can make and sell his products from home.

Bringing new industrial products to market is no longer the exclusive domain of corporate giants. With about $20,000, you could buy a router, a CNC machine, and a 3D printer, and they’d be almost as accurate as the ones owned by industrial giants. If you can’t afford your own machines, you can rent time on someone else’s. You could even rent a factory instead of building your own. This can be true of large scale production, not just product development. Some computer chip designers have been renting capacity in chip foundries owned by others.

The Blade Runner may not have been prophecy. For every centralizing economic trend, there is a decentralizing trend, so we are not doomed to a miserable future of domination by giant corporations. In the future, we may have greater control over our lives.

We will say more about this in another post.

(To take control of your economic future, you need a reliable internet connection. If you don’t have one, talk to us. We can help.)

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CHROME BLOCKS FLASH

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Unless you’re a masochist, you hate the Adobe Flash Player. If Google Chrome is your browser, though, you’ve had to live with it anyway.

This is about to change. For at least a year, Google has planned to replace Flash with HTML5. Yesterday, Google publicized several details of the plan, which includes blocking any Flash content that loads ‘behind the scenes’-about 90% of the Flash content on the web- beginning in September. In December, HTML5 will be the default player for games and video, except on sites that support only Flash.

The Flash Player has been in decline for several years. Its slump has only accelerated recently, and is likely to continue. In addition to Chrome, Microsoft’s Edge and Mozilla’s Firefox browsers are planning to reduce or eliminate their use of plug-ins like Flash in favor of HTML5.

Though Flash is still incorporated into the Chrome browser by default, Google has been steadily reducing its scope. In September 2015, Chrome 45 began pausing “less important” Flash content automatically. This “less important” content is chiefly animation, ads, and anything else not “central to the webpage”.

Flash is widely reviled for slowing the loading of requested content, consuming too much data and memory, radically reducing battery life, and being dangerously insecure. New vulnerabilities seem to surface every few weeks.

Once Google makes HTML5 the default player for Chrome, Flash will be available only for the websites that run only on Flash. Visitors to such sites will be prompted to enable it, and will be given the options for it: run once, always run, or never run (see the enclosed image).

Chrome is the most popular web browser on the market. According to the federal government, it handles more than 34% of all website visits. Internet Explorer (now Edge) is in second place, with just over 28%. Apple’s Safari is in third place, with just over 20%. Firefox is fourth, with 11%.

(Regardless of what browser you use, you need a reliable internet connection. Talk to us. We can help.) 

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HULU LIVE TV SERVICE 

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What had been rumored for months is now official. Hulu has confirmed that it will soon be launching a live streaming TV service.

Cord Cutter News, having acquired a copy of a survey Hulu sent to a small sample of its elite subscribers, reported that the internet video streaming service will charge $35.00 for its basic channel package streamed to one in-home or mobile device. For $50.00 per month, the customer will have the option of streaming the package to multiple devices. The offer includes 20 hours of DVR storage and live or on-demand access to all four major broadcast networks.

This last item is interesting, because CBS has not been mentioned in news reports about about carriage rights deals for Hulu’s new service.

For $20.00, the customer can increase DVR storage capacity to 300 hours.

The basic package likely will have about 80 channels, including AMC, ESPN, TBS, TNT, and USA. Sling TV, the pioneer in multichannel streaming TV, charges only $20.00 for its basic package, but it has only 27 channels. PlayStation Vue offers 55 channels in its Access Slim package for $30.00 per month.

Early reports indicate that Hulu’s live TV service will sell HBO as a $15.00 per month premium option, and Cinemax for $10.00 per month. Showtime, WWE, and Starz/Encore are also likely to be in its lineup, probably as $10.00 premium options. NFL RedZone and FOX Soccer Plus may also be included as premium options.

Hulu’s Live TV service is likely to become active late this year.

YouTube is another veteran internet video streaming service that has begun to offer paid curated content. Its $10.00 per month ‘Red’ platform offers ad-free video geared for teenagers and young adults.

(To get the most out of streaming video services, you need a reliable internet connection. If yours doesn’t measure up, talk to us. We can help.)

 

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BRAVE NEW (AD-BLOCKING) BROWSER

Do you hate internet ads? Are you fed up with autoplay videos that distract you, slow down your browser, and consume an inordinate share of your data allotment? Brandon Eich says he has a solution for you.

A few years ago, Eich was the CEO of Mozilla. He was hounded out of his job by a Twitter mob over a small donation to a political cause. He has not been idle since then, though, and now he is poised to compete with his old employer.

Eich and his partners have raised $4.5 million in seed money for an ad-blocking browser to be called Brave. Eich says it will begin operating in September.

Unlike other browsers, in which the ad-blocking function is handled by third-party supplements or extensions. Brave has it built in. Brave says that its desktop version will be 40% to 60% faster than the competition, and the version for mobile devices will be two to four times faster than comparable browsers. Both desktop and mobile versions will consume far less data, and will dramatically extend battery life. Brave will feature several privacy and security functions: malware filtering, phishing protection, script blocking, fingerprint shields, and support for data encryption via HTTPS Everywhere.

Earlier this year, Eich said that Brave will insert its own ads, but they will not inhibit performance. The ads will be placed “only in a few standard-size spaces” found by a cloud robot, and will target users “only by a highly re-identifiable cookie”. In other words, targeting will be anonymous. You won’t have to give up your personal information to advertisers, as you would when using most other browsers.

The Brave ad platform has not been universally popular. In April, more than a dozen U.S. news organizations, including the New York Times Company, Dow Jones (owner of the Wall Street Journal), and the Gannett Corporation (owner of USA Today) sent a letter to Eich, claiming that it is “blatantly illegal”. Eich says that Brave has discussed the program with top New York publishers since then, and he believes they will learn to accept it. “If there is a role for ads”, he says, “they have to be fewer and more effective.”

(To get the most out of your browser, you need a reliable internet connection. Talk to us. We can help.)

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AVOID GETTING HACKED

Was it the Russians?

We learned last week that someone hacked Democratic National Committee servers, then leaked embarrassing e-mail to WikiLeaks. The ensuing media firestorm had DNC officials on the defensive, and intensified friction between the Sanders and Clinton camps. The DNC blamed the Russians for the breach, though evidence of their involvement is meager and circumstantial.

You might believe this has nothing to do with you. Since you don’t have to worry about international spy rings, you don’t need to concern yourself with cybersecurity. Right?

It would be dangerous to assume that you’re safe. Governments, including our own, could turn their attention to you if they think you have information they need. Corporate interests, criminal gangs, and individuals might spy on you for the same reason. If you work for a company with valuable intellectual property, you face a higher likelihood of becoming a target. How, then, can you avoid being victimized by hackers?

Protecting your computer files begins with educating yourself. According to CrowdStrike, a cybersecurity firm, the DNC breach was a case of ‘spear-phishing’. Spear-phishers exploit familiarity with their victims. These hackers know at least a little about their intended victims. It may be their names, e-mail addresses, or references to social events, friends, or family members. The spear-phisher pretends to be someone his intended victim knows.

Spear-phishing e-mail comes from forged (‘spoofed’) addresses, and appears to be from someone the intended victim knows. For example, it may seem to be from a colleague or a supervisor.

Spear-phishing attacks can be difficult to avoid because they appear to come from trusted sources. Successful spear-phishers usually begin with ‘social  engineering’. This is research of the victim’s social media profiles and online activity. The ‘social engineer’ attempts to learn as much as possible about the victim, his friends, and his employer.

How, then, can you avoid falling prey to such attacks? First, monitor your online activity. Take an especially close look at your presence on social media. Are you giving too much information away? Does the world at large need to know your cat’s name, where your mother lives, or all the awards you won in elementary school? Visit TakeThisLollipop.com to track how much you’re sharing. It may make your hair stand on end.

Second, think before responding to e-mail. If someone you know sends a message that’s out of character, be suspicious. Be especially careful with requests for urgent response or wire transfers of money.  If you’re unsure, call or text the apparent source for confirmation. Avoid downloading attachments to messages you weren’t expecting.

Finally, ask your employer to do more. Businesses can block e-mail from unfamiliar sources with authentication software. ValiMail is one e-mail security firm that enables organizations to control who sends e-mail under their names.

With a few simple precautions, you can avoid hacking of your e-mail. Stay alert, and your files should be secure.

And avoid getting close to Vladimir Putin. He’s a rascal.

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Pokemon GO: the Animated Apocalypse?

Signs of impending apocalypse continue to accumulate. The human race becomes ever more decadent. We, in turn, are ever more nervous wondering when The Almighty, His patience exhausted at last, will decide to ring down the curtain on history.

The current Pokemon GO craze isn’t reassuring. Released officially in only a few countries barely a week ago, it has taken much of the world by storm. In some areas, so many players were involved that they overloaded the game servers. Large crowds of players have gathered in cities, and the game has even led to the discovery of a dead body.

In case you haven’t noticed, Pokemon GO is a wildly popular augmented reality game. Players use the GPS functions in their iOS or Android phones to find Pokemon characters, which are overlaid on the ‘real world’ displayed on their screens. By going to the locations displayed, players can ‘catch’ and collect Pokemon characters– 250 different ones. The game further encourages movement in the real world with actual landmarks designated as Pokestops or gyms. A Pokestop is a venues for collecting Pokeballs and other in-game items. A gym is an arena in which rival teams battle.

According to players we know in Austin, there are few Pokestops or gyms either in downtown Austin or on the UT campus. There are many in New Braunfels. We don’t know why.

Some information technology analysts consider Pokemon GO an enormous social good. Unlike other internet or video games, this game encourages people to explore the ‘real world’ outside of their homes. Pokemon Go encourages exercise and face-to-face communication with other people.

There is a fly in the ointment, though. The arenas and treasure caches for the game are not just in major landmarks. Some Pokemon Go sites are memorials, museums, graveyards, hospitals, churches, private homes, and police stations.

One can even catch Pokemon in Auschwitz, the most important Holocaust memorial.

In so recklessly designating Pokestops and gyms, Niantec, the owner of the Pokemon universe, has commandeered public, private, and commercial venues for its own commercial purpose. Homeowners have complained about groups of players gathering outside their homes at all hours of the day and night, and about drivers stopping for several minutes without leaving their cars. Some hospitals have filed criminal complaints against players who entered restricted areas, and a police station in Darwin, Australia was nearly unable to function for hours because it was overrun by players.

So far, Niantec has failed to address these problems. It is leaving affected homeowners, businesses, and public institutions no means for removing their locations from Gym or Pokestop status. Niantec is responding only to reports of augmented sites “that present immediate** physical danger- for example, they are in the middle of a road or on railroad tracks”. (Emphasis is ours.)

The game has obviously gotten out of hand. It is interfering with commerce, religious and communal functions, private family life, even emergency services.

The Almighty has tolerated an awful lot from mankind, but Pokemon GO has to be testing His limits. It certainly is testing the patience of many of us.

(Editor’s note: Some people have taken Pokemon GO to extremes. Still, it demonstrates some of the potential of augmented reality. You may have multiple uses for AR in your home. To get the most out of it, you need a reliable internet connection. Is yours adequate? If it isn’t, talk to us. We can help.)