Oh, although it's a cumbersome solution if you can get your 360 plugged into a computer with wireless you can get it online that way. It's a little fiddly as you have to set up a shared connection for it but it's a cheaper alternative to a dedicated adaptor. It works for PS3's too, which is useful if you want to connect your PSP to your PS3 via adhoc and don't have access to a wired connection.
Just to note any sort of wireless bridge will do the same job as MS's wireless adaptor too. #gizmodoremainders
I don't find anything that odd about the general premise of there being different tablets with different connections.
I imagine that VZW will offer one for their network, AT&T one for theirs, and the generic one that comes from the apple store would only have wi-fi. Or maybe the device will have the guts for 3G (various bands) and wi-fi and you just pick a carrier.
Maybe not. Now that I typed it out it does seem complicated but I could see it. #gizmodoremainders
@tande04: I don't know about the whole "pick your own carrier" thing, but I'm sure they will be tied to at least one carrier, sort of like 3G netbooks are now. However, there are models of netbooks without 3G, like my Asus Eee that are wi-fi only and are not tied to a carrier.
Where have I seen this from Apple before...iPhone/iPod Touch...? Hmmmm.....
Apple isn't going to "confuse consumers". I'm siding with the analysts in my beliefs about the Apple tablet on this one. I believe one model will have 3g with (most likely) AT&T, and one with just wi-fi.
Some consumers NEED internet everywhere. That's what the 3G model is for. However, I'm sure Apple knows that a HUGE customer base simply won't be attracted to ANOTHER contract on top of their iPhone, which is why they will opt for the non-3G model (as I know I will).
When you think about it, it makes more sense to have two models than just one 3G-only model.
Or maybe Apple will cater to the consumer and let you just insert your SIM to pick your carrier, like every GSM device should be... #gizmodoremainders
@ovil200: There were 3G notebooks and netbooks that were sold without being tied to a carrier well before the carriers started subsidizing them.
My notebook at my old job had a VZW chip in it, just not activated. If you go to customize a laptop you almost always get that choice as well. You pay full price (no subsidy) but you're not locked into anything. Seems like the carriers are starting to get more comfortable with the idea of being just a pipeline.
The only problem might be how much bulk both (three?) cards take up in the tablet. #gizmodoremainders
Dan, you know I love you and all, but I'm just not sure I'm comfortable with an ass-slap.
Also, if the Apple Tablet will keep a girlfriend from leaving, will it get me one. My couch needs a cuddle buddy and I think I'd be willing to pay the Apple tax for one. #gizmodoremainders
@bagellord: Yeah a small town in a budget crunch, run by elected officials would rather voluntarily comply than face a court order. No surprises there.
Here's the real issue. Over free, public wifi networks, it's virtually impossible to find out who is committing the piracy. The MPAA is scared sh*tless that the trend towards public municipal networks like those proposed for big cities (New York, L.A., Las Vegas etc), some of which are currently under construction, will provide a safe haven for pirates, shielding them from any legal actions.
So we look at the MPAA's playbook. Find the most vunrable target and bring charges. Get a compromise ruling from a low level judge and build on the precident set by that case. This buys some time while they push for legislation requiring users of a public network to register to access the service, making them easier to ID.
Small town with only a few users... They have an ideal target there. The town officials decided to fall on this grenade for the rest of us. They'll comply with requests and back down from the fight, keeping it out of the courts for as long as they can. Rather than fight back through the courts, (where they may very well lose), they'll stall long enough to wage a PR war. Once the public is sufficiently outraged and the local jury pool influenced, their poised to win any legal battle. The MPAA will back down, declaring it a victory for themselves, but in reality, they won't get what they want. #wifi
@vlatro: Well said. The precedent this sets is frightening; a public, government entity has been coerced by a private organization into making decisions with public resources that are beneficial to said organization. #wifi
Meanwhile teabaggers and Becktard "conservatives" are crying about their fear of "big government".
While industry cabals and multinational corporations hire think analysts and consultants to find new and exciting ways to figuratively, if not literally rape every man, woman and child. And, as corrupt and inefficient as it can be, "big government" is the only thing that comes close to stopping them. And in this case, it seems to have failed.
What I don't understand is why the city would listen to the MPAA at all. What terrible precedent does this set? Who gave the MPAA this sort of power over government?
Furthermore. How does the MPAA actually know about the download? There is zero information concerning how the MPAA became aware of the download. #wifi
"The MPAA focuses most of its efforts on catching the source of the [pirated] movies." -- Heh, sure.
""We target piracy at its source," she [the VP of corporate communications for the MPAA] said. "We really focus on keeping the product out of the market in the first place."" -- I'll say.
"LaVigne has done some homework and found a program that would prevent the illegal downloads from happening in the future; however, it would cost the cash-strapped county about $2,900 to implement, $2,000 for equipment and then $900 annually for the filtering program." -- I'm sure that's a sacrifice the MPAA is more than willing for you to make.
Good read if you wanna see what everyone else outside our little tech circle is hearing. #wifi
@Varash:
@Kirkaiya:
@not_a_virus.exe.vbs:
The MPAA don't have the power to do this, likely they just bullied the administration into doing it. They don't have the ability to actually pull the plug though. If the town administration stood up to them and said no this wouldn't have happened. #wifi
@Odin: I was wondering if anyone else followed the links back. This seems like the MPAA notified the admin about the illegal download and the town shut the thing down. It said nothing about the MPAA filing suit or threatening the town in any way. Of course, it doesn't say the opposite either, and maybe the MPAA did threaten them, but for the reasons pointed out in many comments below, even a fresh-out-of-law-school lawyer is going to figure out that such a threat is a monumentally weak case.
As much as I like Boing Boing, and as much as I hate the MPAA, this strikes me as a very misleading article. #wifi
@AmphetamineCrown: All the letter says is to cease and desist immediately. Not that I would know... It's not like I have received a few... I just know a guy who knew a guy that did. #wifi
Killing the entire MPAA (and I guess I can throw in the RIAA too) sounds awfully fine right about now. Does anyone want to round them all up so I don't have to go chasing them? #wifi
@not_a_virus.exe.vbs: What you are missing are the facts that boingboing neglected to mention. The MPAA didn't actually shut the town's wi-fi down. The town chose to shut it down voluntarily after hearing from the MPAA. It is still a shitty situation, but the town probably wants to think things over and try to avoid further problems before they go "live" again.
We must not forget, as cool as he may be, Cory Doctorow (and boingboing) is prone to the most extreme hyperbole that the universe has ever witnessed, ever.#wifi
Aside from really wanting a super-router like the one in that photo, this article really makes my blood boil. How is that the MPAA (or RIAA, etc) can have legal authority to block access to so many people, based one person's illegal activity? If I were the townspeople, I'd try suing the MPAA - that would be a nice change!
And - worse - doesn't this just open the door to a new form of vandalism, where bored miscreants with laptops can drive around any town (or airport, whatever) with free WiFi, and *intentionally* download something, with the intent of pissing off the entire town.
In fact... I have a car. And a laptop. And those people over in Shelbyville really suck!
Maybe the G adapter will start to approach reasonable cost now...
As it is, my PS3 is on my home wi-fi, as is my Wii, PSP, DS, and iPod Touch, but my 360 has to bridge through my PC because it didn't come with a wireless chipset... instead they want me to pay several times the going rate for a PC adapter for what's now basic even in handhelds. #xbox360wirelessn
*cough* Ripoff *cough*
I bought a netgear wnhde wireless bridge kit ( [www.amazon.com] ) to do this. Not only does it have extra QOS stuff for media center built in but I can hook up both my xbox and playstation 3 to it. #xbox360wirelessn
11/17/09
Just to note any sort of wireless bridge will do the same job as MS's wireless adaptor too. #gizmodoremainders
11/17/09
I imagine that VZW will offer one for their network, AT&T one for theirs, and the generic one that comes from the apple store would only have wi-fi. Or maybe the device will have the guts for 3G (various bands) and wi-fi and you just pick a carrier.
Maybe not. Now that I typed it out it does seem complicated but I could see it. #gizmodoremainders
11/17/09
I choose mosquito!
...sorry, I am really feeling this stout. #gizmodoremainders
11/17/09
Where have I seen this from Apple before...iPhone/iPod Touch...? Hmmmm.....
Apple isn't going to "confuse consumers". I'm siding with the analysts in my beliefs about the Apple tablet on this one. I believe one model will have 3g with (most likely) AT&T, and one with just wi-fi.
Some consumers NEED internet everywhere. That's what the 3G model is for. However, I'm sure Apple knows that a HUGE customer base simply won't be attracted to ANOTHER contract on top of their iPhone, which is why they will opt for the non-3G model (as I know I will).
When you think about it, it makes more sense to have two models than just one 3G-only model.
Or maybe Apple will cater to the consumer and let you just insert your SIM to pick your carrier, like every GSM device should be... #gizmodoremainders
11/17/09
My notebook at my old job had a VZW chip in it, just not activated. If you go to customize a laptop you almost always get that choice as well. You pay full price (no subsidy) but you're not locked into anything. Seems like the carriers are starting to get more comfortable with the idea of being just a pipeline.
The only problem might be how much bulk both (three?) cards take up in the tablet. #gizmodoremainders
11/17/09
Also, if the Apple Tablet will keep a girlfriend from leaving, will it get me one. My couch needs a cuddle buddy and I think I'd be willing to pay the Apple tax for one. #gizmodoremainders
11/13/09
11/13/09
11/13/09
Here's the real issue. Over free, public wifi networks, it's virtually impossible to find out who is committing the piracy. The MPAA is scared sh*tless that the trend towards public municipal networks like those proposed for big cities (New York, L.A., Las Vegas etc), some of which are currently under construction, will provide a safe haven for pirates, shielding them from any legal actions.
So we look at the MPAA's playbook. Find the most vunrable target and bring charges. Get a compromise ruling from a low level judge and build on the precident set by that case. This buys some time while they push for legislation requiring users of a public network to register to access the service, making them easier to ID.
Small town with only a few users... They have an ideal target there. The town officials decided to fall on this grenade for the rest of us. They'll comply with requests and back down from the fight, keeping it out of the courts for as long as they can. Rather than fight back through the courts, (where they may very well lose), they'll stall long enough to wage a PR war. Once the public is sufficiently outraged and the local jury pool influenced, their poised to win any legal battle. The MPAA will back down, declaring it a victory for themselves, but in reality, they won't get what they want. #wifi
11/15/09
11/13/09
While industry cabals and multinational corporations hire think analysts and consultants to find new and exciting ways to figuratively, if not literally rape every man, woman and child. And, as corrupt and inefficient as it can be, "big government" is the only thing that comes close to stopping them. And in this case, it seems to have failed.
What I don't understand is why the city would listen to the MPAA at all. What terrible precedent does this set? Who gave the MPAA this sort of power over government?
Furthermore. How does the MPAA actually know about the download? There is zero information concerning how the MPAA became aware of the download. #wifi
11/13/09
11/13/09
"The MPAA focuses most of its efforts on catching the source of the [pirated] movies." -- Heh, sure.
""We target piracy at its source," she [the VP of corporate communications for the MPAA] said. "We really focus on keeping the product out of the market in the first place."" -- I'll say.
"LaVigne has done some homework and found a program that would prevent the illegal downloads from happening in the future; however, it would cost the cash-strapped county about $2,900 to implement, $2,000 for equipment and then $900 annually for the filtering program." -- I'm sure that's a sacrifice the MPAA is more than willing for you to make.
Good read if you wanna see what everyone else outside our little tech circle is hearing. #wifi
11/13/09
@Kirkaiya:
@not_a_virus.exe.vbs:
The MPAA don't have the power to do this, likely they just bullied the administration into doing it. They don't have the ability to actually pull the plug though. If the town administration stood up to them and said no this wouldn't have happened. #wifi
11/13/09
As much as I like Boing Boing, and as much as I hate the MPAA, this strikes me as a very misleading article. #wifi
11/13/09
11/13/09
11/13/09
11/14/09
11/13/09
Unless he used a laptop with solar panels...
Alright everybody, time to shut down the sun. #wifi
11/13/09
11/13/09
Read the article linked in the one on Boing... They got a letter telling them to stop sharing the movie and in response the owner shut it down.
11/13/09
We must not forget, as cool as he may be, Cory Doctorow (and boingboing) is prone to the most extreme hyperbole that the universe has ever witnessed, ever. #wifi
11/13/09
And - worse - doesn't this just open the door to a new form of vandalism, where bored miscreants with laptops can drive around any town (or airport, whatever) with free WiFi, and *intentionally* download something, with the intent of pissing off the entire town.
In fact... I have a car. And a laptop. And those people over in Shelbyville really suck!
11/13/09
Even better,
People around the states should start downloading stuff in wireless networks around MPAA and RIAA people.
Make the downloads extra nasty in content to sic cops on them too! #wifi
11/13/09
11/13/09
It was a Hannah Montana movie! #wifi
11/13/09
11/10/09
As it is, my PS3 is on my home wi-fi, as is my Wii, PSP, DS, and iPod Touch, but my 360 has to bridge through my PC because it didn't come with a wireless chipset... instead they want me to pay several times the going rate for a PC adapter for what's now basic even in handhelds. #xbox360wirelessn
11/10/09
11/10/09
Not really, they only shaved about $20 off it. The price was dropped weeks ago. #xbox360wirelessn
11/10/09
I bought a netgear wnhde wireless bridge kit ( [www.amazon.com] ) to do this. Not only does it have extra QOS stuff for media center built in but I can hook up both my xbox and playstation 3 to it. #xbox360wirelessn