The Geekcast is Back!!

 

Geek this week, news & on my radar

 

News

 

News: FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler announced this morning that he will invoke Title II and reclassify consumer broadband access as a telecommunications service, something that is anathema to Internet providers.

First, the asinine: I give you the Competitive Enterprise Institute’s Ryan Radia:

This regulation will essentially cause consumers to pay more for less. In addition to imposing a new annual fees on each broadband subscriber, the FCC’s proposal will almost certainly cause Internet providers to invest less in their networks, meaning consumers and internet-based services will see fewer speed and reliability improvements. If Congress doesn’t rein in the FCC, broadband providers will soon look and act like power companies and the old Ma Bell telephone monopoly: stagnant, slow-moving, and anything but innovative.

That sounds bad! Taxes! But here’s the FCC [emphasis: original]:

The Order will not impose, suggest or authorize any new taxes or fees – there will be no automatic Universal Service fees applied and the congressional moratorium on Internet taxation applies to broadband.

So there’s that. To Radia’s second point, Verizon has admitted that reclassification of broadband under Title II will have no impact on how it invests in both wireless and wired connections.

On the other side of the political spectrum, Senator Al Franken, an outspoken advocate for net neutrality, was predictably ecstatic [emphasis: original]:

This is a big victory. It’s is a win for consumers, for small businesses trying to compete with the big guys, and for innovation. It’s welcome news for all of us who have fought to keep the Internet free and open, and I’m so glad that the millions of Americans who spoke out in support of strong net neutrality rules have been heard.

As always, net neutrality is either the fundamental essence of what the Internet was and should be, or it’s something that will axe investment and break the web’s back. As always.

And how about the industry group that nearly every non-ISP tech company* you can name is part of — the Internet Association? I am here to deliver satisfaction:

Internet companies are pleased to hear that Chairman Wheeler intends to enact strong, enforceable, and legally sustainable net neutrality rules that include bright-line rules that ban paid prioritization, blocking, and discrimination online.  The details and implementation of the proposal matter, and we look forward to seeing the text of the order to ensure that a free and open Internet is fully protected.  The Internet Association remains results oriented, and it is essential that the end result protect the user experience as a first priority.

We thank Chairman Wheeler for including equal treatment of wireless and fixed broadband connections in his proposal.  There is only one Internet, and users expect that they be able to access an uncensored Internet regardless of how they connect. It is also important that broadband gatekeepers not use interconnection as a chokepoint to thwart net neutrality protections by degrading consumer access and harming online services.

 

http://techcrunch.com/2015/02/04/tech-companies-praise-the-fccs-net-neutrality-plan/

 

Geek this Week

 

Aaron – Amazon Echo

 

Gozer – Advanced Warfare DLC & Disney Infinity & WD Net900 Router and Terabyte hard drive & MK X preorder,

 

Predictions:

 

2014 Results

 

2014 Tech Predictions:

Aaron:

Nintendo will release 1 game on mobile to test the waters

Apple will move into a new category of product. no watch no tv

Yahoo will have a major PR issue that puts Marisa Mayer on the ropes as CEO

Someone will announce plans to actually build the Hyperloop

 

Gozer:

Nintendo will release a gamepadless Wii U for $250

Microsoft will gain the lead in the console wars with exclusive titles and Kinect less console for $400. Titanfall is the new Call of Duty. Call of Duty will slowly fade away

Apple will release iWatch

No one will by curved oled phones, no curved iPhone

 

———————-

 

2015

Aaron –

 

1. 
   
2. Apple Watch is a huge hit but people will think it’s not selling enough.
   
3. Star Wars episode 7 will be better than anything in the prequel trilogy.
   
4. Yahoo is purchased for a decent sum of money.
   
5. Samsung gets out of the handset market.
   
6. Windows 10 is a smashing success and revives the company.
   

 

Gozer – Disney movies will make between 3 and 4 billion dollars in 2015.

 

Top 4 movies of 2015: 1) 50 Shades, 2) Star Wars ep:7, 3) Avengers: Age of Ultron &

4) Jurassic World

 

Xbox one and PS4 will be in a closer race then ever before all year

 

Sony will end the PS Vita, in North America but not in Japan

 

Apple will completely revamp the look of their MBPs and MBAs

 

Floating tvs

Listener Feedback:

 

Hi guys, like I said before, with cold weather, I run indoors, so I go through podcasts quickly. Aaron, no worries, I’ve been running with Nike+ for a while — black belt and over 4000 miles logged. So can’t switch to any other app — I’m locked in. One of my many hobbies (besides, programming, home automation, fitness … circuits…painting (art/comp sci double major in college) .. there is more) anyways is woodworking. Working where I work has allowed me to get into some expensive hobbies. Woodworking with Festool — is a more recent one. Festools is best described as the Apple of woodworking tools. Everything is engineered so that making cabinets is fun, and making perfect cuts and joints is easy.(comes with an Apple style price tag) My recent creations were a table stand for a terrarium, it’s 1 inch lattice sides and doors..I googled it for fun. To buy something similar is 2 grand easy (cost me < 200 is wood — not counting the tools of course). The last one I’m wrapping up now is a 14 foot entertainment center/storage unit for the basement. It’s an addictive hobby, plus when friends and family see what you can make, they start making requests. So I got a queue into January for other pieces to make. Fun never ends. Keep running Aaron. I run a lot because I find it keeps my migraines to a less frequent rate. Something about endorphin released and blood vessel dilation…not sure.

 

Yakov

 

Shout out to Chris our first Patron!

 

On the radar

 

Gozer –   Ultrasabers.com & Star Wars Episode 7 plans

 

http://www.saberforum.com/index.php?topic=22717.0

 

Aaron – Excited to learn when the next Apple announcement will be