Gizmodo: Time

Five-Faced Diesel Watch: Screw You, Midwestern States

Sean Fallon — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 15:00:00 EDT

So, what if you don't live in the same time zone as New York, LA, Tokyo, Paris or London? Well, that means this Diesel Timepiece would be nothing more to you than a gaudy way to buff up your watch arm. Fortunately, a thinner, daintier version exists for those wishing to forgo the pre-ordained cities for five choices of your own. All you have to do is remember which one is which. Available for $550 and $495 respectively.

[Diesel via Technabob via Boing Boing Gadgets]

Visa and Eight Banks Test Real-Time SMS Notifications For Transactions

Jason Chen — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 18:40:00 EDT

Visas and eight banks ("PNC Bank, SunTrust Bank, U.S. Bank, Wachovia, and Wells Fargo in the United States, and Royal Bank of Canada, TD Bank Financial Group, and Vancity in Canada") are testing real-time SMS notifications whenever your card makes one of a few types of transactions. The 2000 pilot beta customers can pick alerts for ATM cash withdrawals, internet or telephone charge, an out-of-country charge or a charge that's over a pre-defined amount. You can choose to have these alerts go to your phone or your email (if you're cheap like us and don't want to burn up all your messages), which you can then immediately use to alert Visa to any fraudulent activity. Great idea or greatest idea? You be the judge. [Slashphone]

Slide-Rule Clock Will Match Your Mathcamp Trophy

Dan Nosowitz — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 20:00:43 EDT

This clock, made by Greg Blonder from a Lego Mindstorms set, is an homage to the slide rule. It's super simple to read; the upper rule tells the hours and the lower tells the minutes. They move independently, and the stationary window shows the time. This update to a retro gadget is kind of hypnotizing to watch, even if it takes up about a foot of shelf space. As much as we like this, we're wondering when Greg will come out with an abacus Lego clock.

[MAKE]

Giz Explains: How Broadband Usage Caps Will Kill Internet Video

matt buchanan — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 15:00:00 EDT

NBC's scheduled coverage of the 2008 Olympics is absolutely breathtaking in its scope: It's broadcasting over 3,600 hours of the world's greatest athletes performing feats that reveal how shapeless and amoebic the rest of humanity is—that's 1,000 more hours than the last 12 Summer Olympics combined. The internet is a huge component of their nearly omniscient coverage. You can even download and watch full-length events. But NBC has a fat red warning on the page: If you've got metered or capped broadband, you might want to think twice before downloading. It's the first shot by major media in the next great battle for the internet's future. Here's why you—and most media companies—should be worried about the new wave of internet pricing.

This might seem like an odd topic for Giz Explains, our weekly "WTF is that?" series, but a bunch of comments last week revealed a need to plainly explain the tussle going on between internet service providers, the Federal Communications Commission, content providers and you, and how it's shaping the way you'll use internet over the next couple of years. First, a quick primer.

Comcast was caught slowing down BitTorrent traffic last year by the Associated Press. It (re)sparked cries for government-mandated net neutrality—treating all internet traffic equally, whether it's email, Skype or a bootleg of The Dark Knight over torrent. While that didn't happen, a complaint against Comcast went through the FCC, which ruled against it last week, saying that slowing down BitTorrent was a naughty thing to do, and that they must disclose all management practices to subscribers.

In the meantime, a different network management trend started to emerge among the major ISPs: metered broadband, aka data caps. It's like dial-up service or wireless data: After reaching your alotted amount of data for the month, you pay extra, maybe through the nose, as our northern neighbors in Canada are familiar with. Conveniently, it's "net neutral," since it doesn't discriminate against particular kinds of traffic, and it's fully disclosed to subscribers so it satisfies guidelines discussed by FCC Chairman Kevin Martin. In case you're looking to file a complaint, Electronic Frontier Foundation Senior Staff Attorney Fred Von Lohmann told us, "There's certainly nothing to stop them from pricing that way if they want to."

Time Warner was the first major to float the plan, which is currently in testing, with a 40GB cap at the high-end. Comcast is considering a metered approach as well, its spokesman has confirmed. AT&T is the most recent major ISP to jump onboard, and it'll be testing caps in the fall. Not to mention Cox Cable and a whole mess of regional ISPs already implement them.

Here's the rub: The P2P apps ISPs point to as pillaging their networks are increasingly a nonexistant bogeyman. Video is now the actual bandwidth monster, and it's only getting hungrier and hungrier.

The thing about all that video is that it competes with what your ISP is probably delivering to your other screen in the living room. Why watch 30 Rock on your couch at specific time when you can grab it on demand on your laptop with Hulu, or on a Netflix Roku box? That awesome Vudu box you bought? Pulling in Transformers in HD uses your cable provider's pipes, but it doesn't see a dime from the transaction.

Suppose you decide to be pseudo-green and opt for an all-digital approach from Vudu or Apple TV, and you have a moderate habit of two movies a week. A 90-minute movie running at a constant bitrate of 2.5 megabits per second (you're talking HD here) will swallow 1.69 GB. If you've got a 40GB cap, eight movies will eat over a quarter of it. And that's just your rental habit, with today's specs. The 1080p flicks they'll be streaming tomorrow will be even more bandwidth intensive.

More importantly, today's geek frontier is tomorrow's mainstream playground. Like game demos on Xbox Live? Or games-for-purchase on Steam? Those are a gig or two a pop, and as more and more games are distributed digitally, the gigs will add up. Which is also part of the problem as far as the ISPs are concerned: AT&T's tech chief glibly notes that "traffic on our backbone is growing 60 percent per year, but our revenue is not."

While I wanted to tell you that data caps will destroy the internet as we know it, really video is what's actually facing the greatest threat. Time Warner has openly said content providers can't have it both ways. And the EFF's von Lohmann told us that while he hasn't "seen any evidence that [metered broadband] will radically change the internet" he is "worried that companies that have their own video they're delivering over the same pipe they deliver internet service will have an incentive to reduce caps" and it's a "valid concern worth watching." It would effectively have us paying twice for video delivered over the internet. Most people can barely stand paying for it once.

Stonehenge, The Analog and Digital Clock Robot

Mark Wilson — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 10:00:00 EDT

The Stonehenge Robot isn't the most practical means to keep time, but it's got charm to spare. Programmed to carefully move any of 14 double-sided cards to display the proper time, Stonehenge gets some leeway as the cards are designed to stick to the magnetic table. The only potential problem is that the robot may require more than 1 minute to shuffle the display. But in such cases, Stonehenge predicts its lag and compensates by simply grabbing the next appropriate digit(s). Here's a clip of the Stonehenge doing its thing:

[NorrisLabs via SlipperyBrick]

Bring Romantic Business Time Anywhere with Portable Conmoto Suitcase Fireplace

Jack Loftus — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 16:00:00 EDT

Fireplaces are great for ambiance, but generally not portable. Kooky German design firm Conmoto, who brought us the bookshelf fireplace back in December, has solved the portable problem with the Travelmate Portable Fireplace. At 55 lbs. it will require a little effort to cart it from room to room, but we think the resulting night of intimacy, wherever it happens to be, will be well worth the strained back.

The Travelmate boasts some environmental benefits too. The small fuel tank uses bio-ethanol, which burns for 2.5 to 3.5 hours.

The aluminum and glass casing is also weather resistant, making this an acceptable addition to the backyard barbecue. That's a romantic barbecue, mind you. And it better be romantic, with a $3,300 asking price. [Unica Home via Inventor Spot]

Yahoo! Music Store Will Compensate Customers For DRM-ed Music

Elaine Chow — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 18:30:00 EDT

Yes, Yahoo! Music Store's shutting down their DRM servers, but Big Purple's said that it'll definitely still be taking care of its customers. According to a Yahoo spokesperson, anyone who bought DRM music from the store “will be compensated for whatever they paid.” No word on timetables or what form the compensation will take, but possible options include cash back or an un-DRMed MP3 version of the same track. [Information Week]

Gateway Shutters Online Store, Exits Direct PC Sales Business Completely

Elaine Chow — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 15:30:00 EDT

Gateway will now no longer be selling its PCs through Gateway.com and has shut down all its direct PC sales to become a 100% retail channel PC company. The move is only somewhat surprising—its newish parent company Acer has always focused on offering its goods through resellers. But seeing how Gateway was one of the original success stories for the selling PCs directly to consumers model, the shuttering of its online store is a little like the death knell of an era. [Cnet]

Intel Wants FCC to Make Set-Top Box Ethernet Ports Mandatory

matt buchanan — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 13:40:00 EDT

This would be great: Intel reps paid a visit to the FCC to lobby for making ethernet ports a requirement in new set-top boxes, meaning every set-top box would be IP capable. So connectivity like the cable industry's tru2way dealio and home networking would go from bustable industry pact to government mandate. Odds of this happening? Well, there is a precedent like this, and FCC Chairmain Kevin Martin does enjoy stabbing the cable industry in the balls with burning pokers of openness, but nothing's certain. [Ars]

Brando's USB Fidget Sports Toy is Designed to Waste Your Time

Kit Eaton — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 07:27:00 EDT

In the world of USB gizmos there's the useful, the strange and now the totally and utterly useless. Brando's "Fidget" toys are designed to replace doodling as a time-wasting activity in the office, or something like that anyway. They're mini USB devices in the shape of different sports balls, that come with a desktop mini-game that you control simply by tapping on the ball. The game's bleeping and repetitiveness may either de-stress you, or distress you: but you'll have to find that out for yourself. There's soccer, golf and basketball to choose from, they play with Windows, and will cost just $14 when on sale at the end of July. [Brando]

Shape Up Alarm Clock Dumbbell Won't Shut up 'Til You Do 30 Reps

Kit Eaton — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 11:00:00 EDT

Shape Up from Fred and Friends is one of those bullying-style digital alarm clocks, designed to force you awake. It's shaped like a mini dumbbell and won't stop buzzing until you do 30 reps. This would not get me out of bed in the AM, nossir. But it might make me smile. Smile happily as I grip its conveniently throwable shape and fling it heartily out of the window into the garden, and slip back to sleep. There's no info on price or availability, you may be pleased to know. [OhGizmo]

AquaRain Bath Fountain Puts on a Show Using Your Bathwater

Elaine Chow — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 17:00:00 EDT

I've never found bath time boring enough to need a water fountain and a light show, but in case you hate not being reminded of the Bellagio every time you step into the tub, the AquaRain is here to allay your washroom ADD. The AquaRain floats in your bathtub and pumps bathwater through its jets to create a fountain effect. Four LED lights—red, purple, blue and white—can be remixed to turn your shower into a rave. On sale at Japan Trend Shop for $49, hilarious Engrish included. [Japan Trend Shop via Gizmo Diva]

Giz Explains: CableCARD and the Future of Cable TV

matt buchanan — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 19:00:00 EDT

The big bad cable industry is under assault. The internet is stealing viewers who can check out their favorite shows on Hulu while fiber and IPTV deliver speed and features they can't quite match. Yet. A new cable internet standard rolling out this year will let them catch up speedwise. To battle the dizzying array of possibilities IPTV offers, the cable industry has its own white knight: Tru2way, a new kind of CableCARD that will deliver real interactive features to cable subscribers, and kill the loathed cable box in the process.

Tru2way is actually the brand name for a common Java-based middleware stack and software platform (aka OpenCable, aka OCAP) that'll be supported across the entire cable industry (all the majors like Comcast and Time Warner others are way onboard). Hardware comes into play by way of CableCARD, the little card you can plug into your TiVo (or whatever) to get cable on it without a set-top box. It decrypts the encrypted signal the cable company sends out.

Up until now CableCARD has had some problems: It was meant to replace your set-top box, but besides crappy industry support, it was missing stuff like the programming guide and VOD. Tru2way aims to fulfill the original promise. Not only will tru2way be in half of all actual cable boxes by 2013 according to ABI Research—Time Warner already has a million boxes out there—TV manufacturers like Panny, Sammy and Sony are building tru2way sets that won't need cable boxes. (ABI principal analyst Steve Wilson tells us that Sony's agreement is particularly important in pushing tru2way forward, since it got the cable operators to agree to the same set of specs and common goals, like a full rollout by 2009.) So tru2way isn't vaporware—it's not a butter smooth road, but you will probably see it fairly soon(ish).

The biggest tru2way advantage for consumers is that the box becomes an option based on the capability of your TV. You'll finally get the program guide, VOD and other advanced features with a tru2way TV, without a black behemoth next to it. And, as is implied in the name, it allows two-way communication, something older CableCARD devices couldn't do. That means cable operators can offer a lot of the same interactive features as AT&T's U-verse IPTV service. Since it's a common platform for all cable operators, a developer's app that works for Time Warner will work for Comcast and vice versa, no messy porting required. And it's just Java, so there's not much of a learning curve, paving the way for lots of innovative apps (if the cable co. allows them), not to mention the obvious like local weather widgets, voting, news, RSS. ABI's Steve Wilson also mentioned an on-TV caller ID app similar to AT&T's.

The major catch is that this requires new hardware, either a new box (from the cable company) or a new TV (from you wife's pension fund). Cable dudes are going to cycle to the new boxes gradually, not replace them all at once, and that will take some time. Also, don't expect these wonderful new services to be wonderfully free, Wilson tells us. The super-sweet stuff is going to be part of higher-tiered services that are probably gonna cost you. And the boxes themselves might be pricey. There will lower levels with more basic interactivity, but those cheap-o boxes will have a slower rollout. (Though it'll be hastier in markets invaded by FiOS and U-verse according to Wilson.)

So, while CableCARD and tru2way aren't going to invade the country overnight, the way most people watch TV—even if they actually still sit on a couch in front of an actual boob tube—is going to change significantly in the next couple of years. But it's not like they have much of a choice anymore. Even now, people (mostly young whippersnappers) are changing the way they watch TV, whether or not the cable companies and telecoms go along. Time to evolve... or die.

Time Harp Instrument is Motion-Sensing, String-Playing Howler

Kit Eaton — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 16:30:00 EDT

"Argh, um, ooh... actually that's kinda interesting" is an approximate record of my thoughts as I heard the Time Harp play in this vid for the first time. The robo-musical instrument grinds plastic discs against strings to make them resonate, activated by motion sensors. And it produces...well, a kind of vooming hum that is almost, but not quite, entirely unlike the sound of Dr Who's TARDIS dematerializing. Designed by Larnie Fox, I like it for its low-tech strangeness and eerie sounds. Plus its the sort of sound that'll pop up in the background of some dance tune or other, and now you'll know where it came from. [Makezine via Crunchgear]

Big Time Digital Wall Clock: You've Finally Made It, Timex Watch Guy

Mark Wilson — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 10:30:00 EDT

The Big Time Digital Wall Clock has no qualms about its place in your life. It's giving you the time. And doing it the big way. At over three feet wide and a foot and a half long, the Big Time clock features an admittedly stylish circuit board backing. Maybe we'd consider the purchase if it weren't so, you know, big. Available in four color schemes, the Big Time clock will set you back $130, but we're pretty sure that it doubles as a Big Time nightlight and Big Time tanning bulb if you're budget is smaller than your Big Time lifestyle. [Lazybone via 7Gadgets]

We Can't Wait for the New iPhone G3

Mark Wilson — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 18:30:00 EDT

"It's even faster than the old iPhone G3."

Found on Time. Think you can do better? You probably can. Hit the comments and give it your best shot. [Time via BGR]

Get Around the Time with Lexon Around Clock

Kit Eaton — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 09:00:00 EDT

Minimalist clocks pop up from time to time, and while sometimes they're just good enough for you to know it's "three-ish," the Around clock can actually let you know it's "three fifteenish." It's about as simple design as you can get: with a rotating dial and a red wire that tells you the time. From Lexon, it's available for $45. And you can't get that tune out of your head now can you? Round round get around.... [Acquire]

Space Wedding Doesn't Include 62.1-Mile High Club Membership

Jesus Diaz — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 08:45:00 EDT

Soon, all those silly individuals who like to marry underwater, on top of mountains, jumping off planes, or even in church, will have another way to get into this futile and utterly-frustrating experience that some people like to call "marriage," but that I would like to call The China Syndrome. Space will now be the ultimate frontier for grooms and brides in 2011, when Rocketplane Kistler Japan and wedding planner First Advantage start to sell their one-hour ceremony to marry in zero gravity, at 62.1 miles above the planet's surface.

The companies plan to use the Rocketplane XP suborbital spaceplane for this, at the cost of $2.2 million per wedding. It's not that expensive, considering that this will buy you a live broadcast of the marriage, a reception for your guests on the ground, original space wedding dress (whatever that means), transportation to the launch site, accommodations, four days of rehearsal and the obligatory photo and video album to show to your friends that your marriage started high before free-falling in flames onto the ground.

Alternatively, you can save yourself $2.2 million, plus the money of the divorce or the vacation in Bermuda.

We used to argue and fight, we finally decided, we either take a vacation on Bermuda or get a divorce, one of the two things, and we discussed it very maturely, and we decided on the divorce, 'cause we felt we had a limited amount of money to spend, y'know. A vacation in Bermuda is over in two weeks, but a divorce is something that you'd always have. — Woody Allen

[Space Wedding via Pink Tentacle]

ISP Backlash May Mean The End of Usenet

Jason Chen — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 13:00:00 EDT

Ever since New York's attorney general specifically targeted newsgroups and usenet for child pornography (which is deplorable), there's been a backlash of ISPs dropping support for the network altogether. Crunchgear lists Time Warner, Verizon and Sprint either cutting off all support or limiting it to various non-binary categories, making people who access usenet for an easy way to download free movies pretty angry. Will ISPs dropping it mean the start of a slow death of usenet as a whole, or will third-party usenet access sites (which charge fees) keep it alive for a while yet? [Crunchgear]

Man Travels Back in Time to 1738, Brings Laptop and LCD Display With Him

Jason Chen — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 12:20:00 EDT

DVICE calls this the most luxurious office cubicle, but we see the world's first time traveler. Here's what we think: Mr. Jared Nelson discovered the secret of time travel. He then packed up his favorite gear, which includes his Dell laptop, an LCD display, headphones, a digital camera which he used to take this photo, his office phone (he likes teleconferencing?) and his leather chair that he swiped from the VP when Dan was on vacation.

After getting back to 1738, he recreated his cubicle the best he could out of parts available at that time. Jared then proceeded to live out the remainder of his life—all 10 days of it—sitting in that cube and suffering from malaria. [Nielsendata via Dvice]

Sprint and Clearwire Promise WiMax Will Be Totally Open, Can Replace Your ISP

matt buchanan — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 20:40:00 EDT

In its filing to the FCC oh-so-politely asking for the okay to merge Sprint's and Clearwire's spectrum assets into the WiMax monolith New Clearwire (helpfully poked through by Ars), they make a lot of groovy promises to stoke the FCC's approval stamp into action. Like it'll be totally open: "New Clearwire will permit consumers to use any lawful device that they want so long as it is compatible" and you can "download and use any software applications, content, or services" as long they're not illegal or mucking up the network. And they're promising to cover 140 million people in the US in 30 months with claims of sustained speeds of 6Mbps downlink, 3Mbps up. Why's this cool?

As Ars points out, it seems to be the "third pipe" many hoped that the 700MHz auction would deliver (before Verizon snapped up the open access C block)—that is a third, totally open broadband alternative to cable and DSL that would provide some competition and shake up the established players.

New Clearwire's WiMax network will also be available for "non-exclusive" wholesale, meaning anyone can buy resell Clearwire's WiMax services under their own brand—basically as an MVNO—which Sprint, Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks have already signed up for, with the cable companies interested in offering quadruple play services (cable, internet, phone, wireless internet). Course, all this still depends on WiMax getting off the ground and then not getting trounced by LTE. [Ars]

P.S. WiMax, LTE and more explained here.

Time Warner Monthly Data Caps Detailed

matt buchanan — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 18:20:00 EDT

We'd heard about Time Warner Cable's test run of consumption-based billing in Beaumont, Texas, back in January, though details were scant. Now they're plentiful. The plans (for new subscribers only) start up on Thursday, but thankfully they're not as bad as we imagined—the overage fee is only $1/GB and is waived the first two months. Plans start $30 for 768Kbps downloads and a 5GB cap, and go up to $55 for a pretty sweet 15Mbps downstream and a 40GB cap. Not egregious, but we still hate it, especially since you'll probably be seeing this in lotsa places, sooner than you'd expect.

Designed to thwart hardcore data slurpers (and soon HD video downloads that'll in time seriously compete with cable's offerings), consumption-based billing throws us back to the days AOL—sure, it's more data, but the principle is effectively the same, and it'll to regular consumers sooner than the cable industry would have you believe, especially once online video actually gets rolling. While Time Warner emphasized to us it's just a test, we don't expect this to stay in Texas for long, especially with Comcast mulling over similar plans. Long live internet in the US. [Yahoo]

Casio Oceanus Watch: Solar Drives Atomic

Mark Wilson — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 13:00:00 EDT

The Casio Oceanus Super Chronograph is the world's first solar chronograph watch that syncs with atomic clocks. Using a multi-band radio, the watch can check in with the US, UK, Germany and Japan to keep precise time—and solar energy consumption means that you'll potentially never run out of battery (the watch can draw energy from indoors and outdoors alike). In other words, this Oceanus could literally always have the correct time—which is a little too much accountability for our tastes. [Casio via techfresh]

Gigantic, Ceiling-Sized Digital Clock Threatens to Crush You with Time

Adam Frucci — Fri, 30 May 2008 09:00:00 EDT

Do you ever feel like time is hanging over your head, adding apprehension and dread to your life? Like it could just crash down and kill you at any moment? Like time has an annoying buzz to it and that it throws a harsh, flat light? Either you have OCD or you've got one of these gigantic, florescent digital clocks hanging on your ceiling.

The clock, an art project by Realities United, is only two digits, so it can only show time in minutes. If you've got a good sense of what hour it is it shouldn't be too much of a problem, but having to tilt your head back to check the time might get annoying after awhile. Oh well, it certainly looks cool, and that seems to have been the point. [Realities United via New Launches and Core77]

Leopard OSX 10.5.3 Now Available

Wilson Rothman — Wed, 28 May 2008 13:04:34 EDT

Mac Software Update now contains Leopard OSX version 10.5.3, which addresses issues with AirPort and other networking reliability, and resolves a few Time Machine and Time Capsue problems—Aperture is now compatible, we're told. It also has improved Spaces usability. Check it out and let us know if you find anything else out. Full update list: [Apple]

Singapore Airlines Flights Get iPhone/iPod Docks and 15.4-inch LCDs

Jason Chen — Thu, 15 May 2008 20:00:00 EDT

Singapore Airlines is installing iPod docks and 15.4-inch widescreen LCDs in their all-Business Class Airbus A340-500 flights between NY/LA and Singapore, ensuring that we're going to be flying with them if we ever have to travel to that part of the world. Each business customer can dock their iPhone or iPod and watch their own movies on the included noise-canceling headphones—which will be interrupting when the captain wants tell you to look off to your left so you can see a drunken Superman mooning your plane. Flights from Newark with this will start May 15 (today), and August for the LA ones. Maybe now business passengers won't engage in business time whilst in the air.

What's the Oldest Piece of Technology You Still Use Today?

Adam Frucci — Thu, 15 May 2008 11:00:00 EDT

I'm sure many of you have ancient, obsolete gadgets kicking around your home, maybe gathering dust in the back of a closet somewhere. You know, that old Mac Plus you didn't have the heart to throw away or an old cassette Walkman in the back of a junk drawer somewhere. But how many of you still use on a regular basis a gadget that the rest of the world considers to be an antique? Do you still do your taxes on an old Tandy? Will someone have to pry your Diamond Rio from your cold, dead hands? Send us a picture! We want to see your still-in-use devices from yesteryear. Send pictures to contests@gizmodo.com with the subject line of "old tech" and I'll post a gallery of the best and most amusing submissions next week.

WiMax Just Might Make It: Sprint's WiMax and Clearwire Officially Merge

matt buchanan — Wed, 07 May 2008 13:41:18 EDT

The massive WiMax joint venture expected to be announced today is official, though the rumored details were a bit off. Sprint's WiMax division is merging with Clearwire to form a single WiMax company called...Clearwire. (But Sprint will own most of it.) Happily, the clusterfuckiness factor is lower than we figured. Google, Intel, Time Warner and Comcast are all contributing in ways that actually seem helpful and logical. Here's what they're gonna do, besides chip in $3.2 billion, all told.

From the cable companies, you'll be seeing some quadruple play action, with them offering WiMax and 3G bundles with their services. For Intel's part, they'll be pushing WiMax in the Centrino 2 chipsets (as expected). And Google will be leading development of internet and advertising services, in addition to being Sprint's new default search on mobile phones. This whole thing is kind of amazing, actually : WiMax has gone from being a sure-fire also-ran to suddenly viable in a matter of weeks. Still a long road ahead, but they're in much better shape than it seemed even a week ago.

KIRKLAND, Wash. and OVERLAND PARK, Kan. - May 7, 2008 - Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ: CLWR) and Sprint Nextel Corporation (NYSE: S) today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement to combine their next-generation wireless broadband businesses to form a new wireless communications company.
The new company, which will be named Clearwire, will be focused on expediting the deployment of the first nationwide mobile WiMAX network to provide a true mobile broadband experience for consumers, small businesses, medium and large enterprises, public safety organizations and educational institutions. The new Clearwire expects to dramatically enhance the speed and manner in which customers access all that the Internet has to offer at home, in the office and on the road.

Sprint and Clearwire also announced today that five innovative technology, content and communications leaders
- Intel Corporation (NASDAQ: INTC) through Intel Capital, Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG), Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ: CMSCA, CMCSK), Time Warner Cable Inc. (NYSE: TWC), and Bright House Networks - have collectively agreed to invest $3.2 billion into the new company. The investment by the five strategic investors will be based on a target price of $20.00 per share of Clearwire's common stock, subject to a post-closing adjustment. This adjustment is based upon the trading prices of new Clearwire common stock on the NASDAQ Market over 15 randomly selected trading days during the 30-trading day period ending on the 90th day after the closing date. The price per share will be based upon the volume weighted average price on such days and is subject to a cap of $23.00 per share and a floor of $17.00 per share. In addition, Trilogy Equity Partners, led by wireless veteran John Stanton, will invest directly in the new Clearwire's common stock.

Upon completion of the proposed transaction, Sprint will own the largest stake in the new company with approximately 51 percent equity ownership on a fully diluted basis assuming an investment price of $20.00 per share. The existing Clearwire shareholders will own approximately 27 percent and the new strategic investors, as a group, will be acquiring approximately 22 percent for their investment of $3.2 billion, both on a fully diluted basis assuming an investment price of $20.00 per share.

Sprint and Clearwire also announced a series of commercial agreements with the strategic investors, including 3G and 4G wholesale agreements.

"For Sprint shareholders, this is an opportunity to unlock and bring visibility to the value of our significant spectrum assets, technology and expertise, by leveraging the technology, applications and distribution strengths of our investors, who together command nearly a half- trillion dollars in market capitalization," said Dan Hesse, president and chief executive officer of Sprint. "We've made an excellent start developing XOHM WiMAX services. Contributing those advances to a strongly backed new company - in which we'll hold the largest interest - provides Sprint with additional financial flexibility and allows Sprint management to leverage and focus on our core business.

"Additionally, the agreements allowing the new company and our cable company investors to bundle and resell Sprint's third-generation wireless services strengthen the distribution of our current services while reducing the complexity and enhancing Sprint's cable relationships,"Hesse added.

Clearwire Chairman Craig O. McCaw, said, "The power of the mobile Internet, which offers speed and mobility, home and away, on any device or screen, will fundamentally transform the communications landscape in our country. We believe that the new Clearwire will operate one of the fastest and most capable broadband wireless networks ever conceived, giving us the opportunity to return the U.S. to a leadership position in the global wireless industry."

Benjamin G. Wolff, chief executive officer of Clearwire, said, "The combination of robust next-generation mobile WiMAX technology and nationwide spectrum that we believe is optimal for delivering mobile broadband services - coupled with substantial new financial resources, a team of experienced wireless industry veterans, and distribution and technology agreements with some of our nation's leading communications, technology and content companies - creates what I believe to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

"Given the complexity of this transaction, we have taken the time and effort to do it right, by thoughtfully leveraging the resources and opportunities that we and our investors are bringing to the table. This transaction is tremendous news for the entire Clearwire team - our shareholders, our customers and our employee-partners, and we look forward to partnering with the talented team from XOHM to achieve our shared vision," Wolff added.
The strategic investors are among the nation's leaders in communications technology, chipset development and Internet advertising, content and distribution. It is expected that the new Clearwire will have a time-to-market advantage over competitors in fourth-generation services, supported by strong spectrum holdings and a national footprint. Further, it will build on the strong foundation of Clearwire's rapidly growing subscriber base of nearly 400,000 wireless broadband customers as of year-end 2007, as well as Sprint's continued XOHM WiMAX network build-out in certain markets throughout this year.

"This agreement is a historic step forward for WiMAX as it represents the first nationwide deployment of a next-generation mobile broadband Internet in the U.S.," said Paul Otellini, Intel president and CEO. "The agreement also signifies growing industry support for WiMAX. Given its flexibility, coverage and speed, WiMAX will enable the mobile Internet and is already opening doors to a host of new and exciting applications, devices and business models around the world."

"Google is a firm believer in supporting new ways for people to access the Internet," said Eric Schmidt, chief executive officer and chairman of Google. "We are proud to invest in the new Clearwire alongside several leading technology and communications companies, and we believe that its planned WiMAX network will increase the ability for users to get high-speed broadband anytime, anywhere."

"This is a great coalition of innovative companies that have joined together to create the next generation of mobile wireless products. It is exciting to be on the ground floor of this new venture that we believe will create unprecedented high-speed wireless products and make them available across the nation," said Brian L. Roberts, chairman and chief executive officer of Comcast Corporation. "This transaction is attractive to us strategically and financially and puts in place very attractive wholesale relationships for access to Sprint's existing 3G and Clearwire's 4G networks, giving us complete flexibility to introduce wireless mobility in terms of product innovation and deployment."

"This exciting new venture enables Time Warner Cable to help shape the next generation of wireless services in ways that will complement and enhance our products and services," said Glenn Britt, Time Warner Cable's president and chief executive officer. "We're committed to giving our customers more control over how and where they can easily connect to what's important to them - entertainment, information, and each other. The agreements we're announcing today are a financially prudent way for us to add mobility to our offerings when our customers demand it."

"We are pleased to join our fellow cable operators as well as the new technology and wireless investors in this strategic venture. This broadband wireless relationship will help us to continue to provide the best possible competitive services for our customers, today and in the future. It is consistent with our commitment to delivering customers the products and services that they desire, whenever and wherever they want," said Robert J. Miron, chairman and chief executive officer of Bright House Networks.

The new Clearwire expects to offer mobile wireless Internet services on a broad array of new devices that will be made possible by integrated WiMAX chipsets, scalable operating expenses and a commitment to an open architecture.

Mobile WiMAX is a standards-based wireless broadband technology designed to operate multiple times faster than today's 3G wireless networks. With embedded WiMAX chipsets in laptops, phones, PDAs, mobile Internet devices and consumer electronic equipment, mobile WiMAX technology is expected to allow users to wirelessly access a range of multimedia applications, such as live videoconferencing, recorded video, games, large data files and more - anywhere in the network coverage area.

The transaction has been approved by all of the parties' boards of directors, and is expected to be completed during the fourth quarter of 2008. The transaction is subject to various closing conditions including, but not limited to, the approval of Clearwire's stockholders, and receipt of regulatory approvals, including the approval of the Federal Communications Commission and clearance under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act.
Governance

The new Clearwire's board of directors will be comprised initially of 13 members, including seven directors to be named by Sprint of whom at least one will be independent; four named by the strategic investors of whom at least one will be independent; one named by Eagle River, the private investment company controlled by wireless pioneer Craig O. McCaw; and one independent member to be nominated by the new company's Nominating Committee.

The parties currently expect Craig McCaw to serve as non-executive chairman of the board. Along with McCaw, other directors expected to serve for an initial one-year term as new Clearwire board members are Dan Hesse, Sprint's president and CEO, Brian Roberts, Comcast's chairman and CEO, and Glenn Britt, Time Warner Cable's president and CEO. In addition, John Stanton, chairman and CEO of Trilogy Equity Partners and former chairman and CEO of VoiceStream and Western Wireless, is expected to serve on the board.

Overview of the New Clearwire
The new Clearwire will apply for listing of its common stock on the NASDAQ under the ticker "CLWR." The management team will be led by Benjamin G. Wolff, currently CEO of Clearwire, as the new company's CEO and Barry West, currently Sprint's Chief Technology Officer and XOHM business unit leader, as president of the new Clearwire. Staffing for the new Clearwire will include the talent from both Clearwire and Sprint's XOHM business unit. The headquarters of the new Clearwire will be located in Kirkland, Wash. The new company will continue to have a significant employee presence, including research and development, in Herndon, Va.

The investment by Intel Capital, Google, Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks will be used to advance the development of the new Clearwire's mobile WiMAX network. This nationwide footprint is underpinned by the substantial next-generation wireless broadband spectrum portfolio that Sprint and Clearwire collectively hold in the United States. The combined wireless spectrum should allow the new Clearwire to achieve greater coverage, cost and operational efficiencies, and bandwidth-utilization than either company could by operating alone. The new Clearwire is targeting a network deployment that will cover between 120 million and 140 million people in the U.S. by the end of 2010.

In addition to spectrum, Sprint will contribute to the new Clearwire certain hardware, software and all of its WiMAX-based trademarks and other WiMAX-related intellectual property. The new Clearwire expects to materially reduce capital and operating expenditures by leveraging Sprint's existing infrastructure, reducing the cost of building out the mobile WiMAX network nationwide. The new Clearwire expects to utilize Sprint's towers, fiber network and IT support at favorable bulk rates. Sprint also will realize cost savings for its core business by sharing certain costs of towers and other infrastructure.

The agreements with the strategic investor group define significant new commercial relationships, including:

* Intel will work with manufacturers to embed WiMAX chips into Intel® Centrino® 2 processor technology-based laptops and other Intel-based mobile Internet devices, and will market the new company's service in association with Intel's performance notebook PC brand.
* Google will partner with the new Clearwire in the development of Internet services, advertising services and applications for mobile WiMAX devices. In addition, Google will be the search provider and a preferred provider of other applications for the new Clearwire's retail product.
* Google will partner with the new Clearwire on an open Internet business protocol for mobile broadband devices. The new Clearwire will support Google's Android operating system software in its future voice and data devices that it provides to its retail customers.
* Sprint, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, and Bright House Networks will enter into wholesale agreements with the new Clearwire, becoming 4G providers of new Clearwire's mobile WiMAX service.
* Comcast, Time Warner Cable, and Bright House Networks and, after completion of the transactions, the new Clearwire, will enter into 3G wholesale agreements with Sprint, becoming bundled providers of Sprint's wireless voice and data services, expanding the reach of Sprint's network to more customers, while providing the cable companies a simpler, more effective vehicle to bundle wireless services.
* Sprint and Google have also entered into an agreement related to Sprint's mobile services, whereby Google will become the default provider of web and local search services, both of which will be enabled with location information, for Sprint. Sprint will also preload several Google services - including Google Maps for mobile, Gmail and YouTube - on select mobile phones and provide easier access to other Google services.
* Google and Intel have options to enter into 3G and 4G wholesale agreements with Clearwire and Sprint respectively and have no current plans to do so.

[Sprint]

WiMax Joint Venture: Sprint, Clearwire, Comcast and Time Warner With $$$ from Google and Intel, Maybe Announced Tomorrow

matt buchanan — Tue, 06 May 2008 19:43:27 EDT

Sprint and Clearwire are apparently set to do the almost unthinkable: Get WiMax off the ground. Fortune is reporting that Sprint and Clearwire are expected to announce as early as tomorrow the formation of a massive WiMax joint venture with Time Warner and Comcast. Intel and Google are rumored to be throwing money at the new WiMax party (more?). If you'll notice, this basically rolls up most of the past WiMax rumors into one convenient ball of fun—indicating they were spot on, or that this is just repackaged BS, so don't throw away the salt lick just yet. Godspeed, WiMax. UPDATE: Matt Richtel at the NYTimes corroborates it.

He puts the deal value at $12 billion all told, with a billion from Comcast, (another) one billion from Intel and half billion each from Time Warner and Google. The other new nugget is the updated timeframe for WiMax: Two years, meaning it'll effectively arrive at the same time as LTE from AT&T and Verizon, making WiMax's uphill battle that much steeper. That said, we'd consider changing "may not be easy for the group to create a wide-ranging and adequately reliable service" to "big ego clusterfuck."

Update 2 The Wall Street Journal brings more color (like that Comcast roped Time Warner into the deal Sprint's request) and more of the human story, odd for usually cold Journal, focusing on surprisingly affable (almost cheery given Sprint's situation) Sprint CEO Dan Hesse: "It's sort of like, 'Dan, you haven't vacuumed the bedroom,"' Mr. Hesse said. "Well, that's because the house is on fire. I will get around to it later." It's not behind the subby wall, so if you've gotten this far into the post, you should read it. [Fortune]

DIY Clock is Ultimate Minimalist Analog Clock for Creative Types

Kit Eaton — Fri, 02 May 2008 05:17:47 EDT

Whatever it may look like, designer Bomi Kim has not invented a different kind of time-delay sex toy: his "Meaning of time" is actually a DIY clock. In fact, it's about as minimalist a clock concept as you'll ever see. The body contains the mechanism, and has holes for you to stick hands into. Stick in anything, stick in sticks if you like, then use the spike to stick it up somewhere. Complete freedom of creative expression, and rather clever we think. It's just a concept, for now. [Yanko design]

Steve Baller Honored on the TIME 100 List by Guy Kawasaki

Jason Chen — Thu, 01 May 2008 19:30:00 EDT

We make fun of Microsoft's Steve Ballmer all the time—we just did it again just now—but there's no denying what an influential figure he is. Even Guy Kawasaki, a guy who used to be Apple's chief evangelist, can't deny that he gets stuff done. Guy puts it this way:

He is actually Microsoft's combative, take-no-prisoners chief warrior. If you want 95% of the wallets of every market that you're in, then you want this Steve. If you want 95% of the mind share of every market that you're in, then you need the other Steve (Jobs).

Guy interviewed Ballmer on stage at a Microsoft conference back in March, where Steve threw Kawasaki's MacBook Air on the ground (jokingly, kinda). He ends the story with this. "Whether you like the company or not, give credit where credit is due: Steve Ballmer kicks ass." [Time]

Question of the Day: How Much Time Do You Spend on The Computer?

Sean Fallon — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 16:30:00 EDT

There is no doubt that many of us spend entirely too much time sitting in front of a computer each day. Naturally, this problem is even more acute for people who rely heavily on computers as part of their jobs. That having been said, the question is simple: how much time do you spend on a computer each day (on average)? Think of it as an Ironman competition for nerds.

10 Percent of Broadband Subscribers Suck Up 80 Percent of Bandwidth But P2P No Longer to Blame

matt buchanan — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EDT

The most consistent rationale for ISPs to throttle p2p applications or charge by the byte is that a small minority of users drain a vastly disproportionate amount of bandwidth, like the planet-raping aliens in Independence Day. Om Malik pulls a few of these numbers out of Arbor Networks' CTO, who develops all the traffic management tools your ISP probably uses, so while there's a conflict of interest (portents of internet doom sell more stuff) they have the data. Ten percent of subscribers consume 80 percent of bandwidth, a super-leeching 0.5 percent swallow 40 percent of bandwidth, and the rest like your mom, 80 percent, sip less than 10 percent. But p2p isn't the culprit.

No, p2p is no longer the single biggest traffic whore, responsible for only 20 percent of total traffic. It's streaming video, like YouTube and Hulu, which is now 50 percent of total traffic. During peak congestion—the times when Comcast will slow you down for hitting the pipe too hard—70 percent of it is http.

Which explains Comcast's flip on network management and why it's a total smokescreen. P2P is no longer the number one leech on networks, it's streaming video across regular old http. So they don't need to throttle p2p exclusively anymore—they need to slow the whole pipe down, hence the new "protocol agnostic" scheme. But they can look good showing off how much they love p2p. It remains to be seen how much of it the FCC will eat up. [GigaOM]

CableLabs Responds to CableCard Screwjob Allegation

Wilson Rothman — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 20:45:00 EDT

The good folks at CableLabs replied to today's piece about CableCard customers getting screwed out of HD channels. To their credit, they did not ask for a correction, because we didn't print anything inaccurate (though they do claim the HD Guru may have). They just wanted us to consider some "clarifications," arguments that go far to highlight the tension (hatred bordering on violence?) that exists between Big Cable and the consumer-electronics companies. The short version: Cable content is always changing, two-way CableCard exists in theory if not at Best Buy, the dongle could work on anything with a USB port and upgradeable firmware, and, oh yeah, you'll probably be buying all-new gear before this thing blows over. Jump for a more spelled out—but still excerpted—version of CableLabs' rebuttal argument:

• "Content available on cable networks is changing all the time. New services are added, some are redesigned and others are removed."

• "SDV technology is designed to expand the range of services offered by cable operators, not reduce them."

• "Many CE companies chose to implement receivers that lack the necessary circuitry to provide a full two-way cable experience with the CableCard."

• "No product was ever originally designed to work with this new Tuning Adaptor including the existing Tivo UDPC products...Since consumer products don't use Microsoft Windows, they don't have plug-in drivers. Instead a new firmware update is needed to include the necessary driver controls to interact with this new external device. Makers of any existing UDCPs that already have a USB port (there are many) are just as able to provide new firmware as Tivo, if they chose to do so."

• "Consumers should look for products identified as tru2way to ensure they will be able to get all the new and advanced services their digital cable systems can deliver."

Last we checked, Panasonic was the only one with a tru2way TV pegged to an actual shipdate, and Comcast was the only cable company even talking about implementing it this year, but again, hopefully we'll hear a lot more about this come the NCTA's Cable Show on May 18-20. We certainly look forward to hearing good news from CableLabs (and we're sure they look forward to sharing some). [CableLabs; Original HD Guru Story]

CableCard Users Are Getting Screwed Out of HD Channels

Wilson Rothman — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 12:40:00 EDT

Our friend Gary Merson, the HD Guru, has uncovered an issue that may soon piss you off. Cable customers who use the current CableCard to decode signal directly in their TV, a TiVo or Windows Media Center PC may soon start losing HD channels because of a change in technology. To conserve bandwidth, cable carriers are moving from a direct stream of video to "switched digital video," which use two-way digital cable boxes to see what customers need then send it to them. CableCards are only one-way, so they can't make use of any SDV coming down the pipes. What does this mean? Merson says that as of April 15, Cablevision has cut off CableCard access to 15 Voom HD channels, and Time Warner will apparently make similar cuts.

Cablevision and Time Warner Cable say that there is a CableLabs fix, a USB-based dongle that will enable the upstream communication required for SDV. But Merson says makers of CableCard TV sets (fewer and farther between these days) can't make use of any USB dongles. TiVo, on the other hand, said in December it would release the SDV-compatible dongle at an unspecified time this year, though they're not talking any more about it at the current time.

It's a lot of cable-tech mumbo jumbo, but if it means losing channels (and not getting any kind of payback for the loss, says Merson), well, it's a crisis. Fortunately, the big industry Cable Show will be happening soon, so let's make sure they have something to talk about. Check with your provider, and let us know if you're experiencing any SDV-related shafting on your end. [HD Guru]

Is CBS Blocking Shows From Your DVR?

Benny Goldman — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 20:10:00 EDT

John Sciacca at Sound & Vision says his DVR no longer lets him record his favorite show, Survivor. Sciacca claims that despite setting his Time Warner box to record every episode of the reality show, when the time comes, it acts as if there is nothing to record. Sometimes, he says, the record light even goes on during the show, but it isn't saved to the hard drive. Apparently he's not the only one stuck without Survivor.

Following Sciacca's advice, I ran a Google search for "'Survivor' 'dvr' 'didn't record'", and found several message board posts detailing similar problems. The issue is present in other DVR types as well, including DirecTV and standalone TiVo. However, some other users say that they haven't experienced any problems with their time-shifted Survivor eps at all. To make sure this problem was confined to Survivor, I checked other popular shows like Lost and American Idol, and came up empty-handed.

We've put in a call to CBS to explain this paranormal activity, and the folks there are looking into the problem. Sciacca suggests that this may be a case of altering show metadata to instruct DVRs to stop recording—in the past, networks have been known to alter their programming to stop DVR users from getting content (and skipping ads)—but we will reserve judgment until we hear more. In the meantime, if you've been experiencing similar problems, please share. [Sound & Vision]

Will Your ISP F You In the A? Bandwidth Hogs Beware

matt buchanan — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 12:45:00 EDT

As the amount of bandwidth we devour has skyrocketed, so has ISPs' need to police our appetites, even as they offer more bandwidth to whet it. We talked to the biggest ISPs around to get their official positions on traffic management and content filtering to see what's in store for your pipes. Here's where you find out which ISPs may screw you, and which ones swear to Giz they won't. Update: We've got new responses from AT&T and Speakeasy.

The scariest scenario is invasive "packet filtering," where companies look at what you're downloading and punish you for perceived misconduct. Comcast was the poster child for BitTorrent throttling before getting cozy with it to avoid an FCC smackdown, and AT&T infamously broached the idea of filtering its entire network for copyrighted content. Beyond packet filtering, there are two potentially more widespread ways big ISPs can try to bring down the Torrent mad: "Caps," already used by local ISPs such as BendBroadband and Sunflower, are set amounts you can download each month. Anything over that, like cellphone plans, means overage penalties. "Throttling" is the ability of the ISP to, any given moment, put the brakes on your connection when you're being too much of a resource hog. Here's where the ISPs stand on the tactics above and your pipes.

AT&T

We have said consistently that AT&T will not allow itself to become a policeman or enforcement agent on the Internet. We have also made clear that there is nothing inherently wrong with P2P applications like BitTorrent, which are advanced, and legal, technologies that are used and welcomed on our network... We do not block or degrade any P2P application to manage network congestion. At the same time, we feel that any company involved with the Internet should be concerned about illegal activity, whether it is identity theft or intellectual property theft, and should be prepared to cooperate in legal means of addressing such problems while protecting fully the privacy of our customers.

Content filtering somewhat touchy, but there are indications they're backing off the idea after the huge outcry. When we pressed AT&T on the issue of throttling down overzealous pipe users, the company declined to comment. Hopefully that just means it is still deliberating the issue.

Update: AT&T wrote in with an additional statement: "We can't give you details on our specific network management techniques to handle times of high-volume" citing similar reasons as Time Warner, "but those techniques don't include degrading or blocking traffic."

Comcast:
Here's the statement we got pre-BT chumminess, though we now know that Comcast is moving to a more management style that'll temporarly slow all traffic, whether it's cracked copies of Final Cut Pro from your favorite P2P or YouTube, to a drip during congestion:

We have a responsibility to provide all of our customers with a good Internet experience and we use the latest technologies to manage our network so that they can continue to enjoy these applications. During periods of heavy peer-to-peer congestion, which can degrade the experience for all customers, we use several network management technologies that, when necessary, enable us to delay—not block—some peer-to-peer traffic.

When we pressed about filtering, we got:

Comcast is not currently using or testing any filtering technologies. We agree that copyright owners have a right to protect their content. We work well with them under existing law and will continue to work with content owners to find solutions to help support their efforts around piracy. We cannot speculate on what AT&T is doing or how its technology works.

Time Warner
We talked to Alex Dudley, Time Warner's PR VP. In addition to referring to us to TWC's acceptable use policy, he told us that "we both reserve the right to manage our network and try and explain to our customers and others that it's important that we manage the network." As to how the system works, he says, "We haven't been pro-active in talking about what we may or may not be doing because it's proprietary" and to stave off "another ISP go[ing] in and market[ing] against that." Content filtering "is not something we've discussed in detail here" but Time Warner "supports AT&T's right ot manage their network anyway they see fit."

Verizon
This was most the straight up: "We don't manage our network by throttling, slowing or curbing service, either on DSL or FiOS." In reference to content filtering, we weren't given a new statement, but referred to earlier remarks by public affairs VP Tom Tauke that it is "reluctant to get into the business of examining content that flows across our networks," the most pro-active stance against content filtering. However, it's still no fan of the government stepping in: "These are decisions best made by network engineers and operators—not policymakers."

Speakeasy
They got back to us after we went to press, but here's what they had to say on network management: "Our position on this is that [we] attempt to manage our network to account for peak usage so that we do not need to throttle bandwidth of customers pending applications in order to keep our pipes unclogged." And on content filtering: "Speakeasy does not currently do any content filtering, and at this time we have no plans to filter content."

The Takeaway
Since BitTorrent became a rallying point for net neutrality advocates (and caught the attention of the FCC) ISPs have made a show of stepping back from P2P hampering to shield themselves from both nerd backlash and FCC Chairman Kevin Martin's steely gaze. Verizon and AT&T, for instance, both pointed me toward their corporation-friendly "P4P" file-sharing development initiatives for more effective downloading (at an unknown cost), and Comcast has touted its R&D with BitTorrent.

All of that's a pretty effective smokescreen for moving to more hardcore capping and throttling, allowing them to cry "We treat all traffic equally, neutrally even!" while nuking all of your traffic without prejudice. Most people downloading the hugest amounts are probably not paying for all that content. And note that everyone except Verizon left themselves plenty of hedge space on the issue. Time Warner says it doesn't talk about it because it's afraid others will use it in marketing; well, Verizon is kinda sorta using their total lack of filtering as an underground marketing thing already, which is especially effective when coupled with FiOS's insane speeds.

Even with ever-higher speeds, bandwidth will remain an issue for ISPs as they try to cram more and more HD content down pipes you're using to download movies, swap music and other increasingly bandwidth-intensive applications. So more management is going to go hand and hand with more bandwidth, make no mistake.

But it doesn't have to be a bad thing, if they're smart about it. They make a genuine movement to smarter protocols and management techniques that don't hose anyone's broadband (like that P4P stuff, if it's really open), but instead help everyone squeeze every last bit out of it as efficiently as possible. We can only hope.

Hard Boiled Eggs in a Bag ... If You Dare

Benny Goldman — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 12:20:00 EDT

Don't have 12 minutes and/or the ability to boil water? Someone has gone and done the impossible work of hard-boiling eggs—and sticking them in a bag—for you. Sure, they cost 400% more than regular eggs, come in a recession dozen (9 or 10 to a bag), and were given a glowing review of tasting "stale, rubbery, and hard", but hey, it's a time-saver. [Apartment Therapy]

Yahoo Flirting With AOL Something Fierce, Microsoft Still On Doorstep With Flowers

Wilson Rothman — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 11:24:51 EDT

An unnamed source (aren't they all?) confirmed a rumor that had been floating before: that Yahoo, in order to escape being grabbed by Microsoft, would hurl itself at the second-ugliest suitor in the room, AOL. The new details say that Time Warner would pay some cash up front for a 20% stake in a joint AOL-Yahoo program. The AOL side, valued at $10 billion, would include all properties (such as our worthy competitor Engadget) but not the dial-up service that your grandma and pretty much no one else still has. Microsoft still may get its way, though: Word is that it's teaming with MySpace-owner News Corp for some kind of a three-way proposition. [Reuters]

Time Machine on Airport Extreme is an Unsupported Feature, Might Go Away in the Future

Jason Chen — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 18:45:00 EDT

OS X Leopard's Time Machine works on Airport Extreme routers as of the last firmware update, but TidBITS found out directly from Apple that it's an "unsupported feature." What does this mean to you, the guy who wants to use Time Machine on the Extreme you purchased last year instead of shelling out a couple hundred bucks for a Time Capsule? It means you should upgrade to the most recent firmware now, before Apple updates again and takes out the feature. It also means that you should check the internet whenever there's a firmware update from now on to see if the feature's been removed before you update. To be completely safe, just save a copy of the most recent one somewhere. [Tidbits]