Will Verizon's $720M NFL Deal Pay Off?

Verizon is spending $180M per year with the NFL over four years totaling $720M for their FiOS RedZone channel. NFL fans will get touchdowns and other important plays from the live games taking place on Sunday. When a team goes inside its opponent’s 20-yard line, fans will see the plays as they happen. The channel will switch from game to game with live look-ins and highlights. NFL RedZone is a subscription channel that costs $49.99 for the season. It will be available on FiOS TV in both HD (channel 835) and SD (channel 335).  Live sports appears to be the remaining last straw helping to retain cable subscribers.

This NFL deal with Verizon is worth about 50% more than the NFL's previous mobile distribution deal with Sprint, which was valued at $120 million. Last year, the NFL signed a new four-year deal with satellite television provider DirecTV worth $1 billion annually, or 40% more than its previous contract. DirecTV has exclusive rights to Sunday Ticket, which allows fans to watch every NFL game on Sundays. Extensions of existing deals with deals with Fox, CBS and General Electric Co.'s NBC Universal unit included increases of less than 5%. Read more in WSJ

You also may have notice these commercials on NBC's Sunday night football (see video below) and for the average person who  knows what it means to be on the "most advance network in the world"?   After all the US is embarrassingly five years behind the rest of the world and I wouldn't promote this fact because TeliaSonera is actually the largest 4G LTE  network in the world.  Verizon has also wasted an entire NFL season promoting a 4G LTE network that is not even available yet and phones are not expected to launch until 2011.  Is January and February a good time to promote the launch of your new phones after the Holiday?  Another Verizon Wireless dirty little secret is that your current 3G Verizon phone will not work on the new network.

Verizon is launching 4G LTE services in 38 markets and 62 Verizon 4G LTE airport locations covering 33% of the population or 100 million potential customers at the end of 2011.  Verizon says they plan to increase their 4G LTE coverage to 200 million people by the end of 2012 and 285 by 2013 which is basically their currently 3G network that has less than 750 kbps speeds. Verizon Wireless has said their 4G network will provide downlink speeds of between 5-12 mbps using the carrier’s 700 MHz spectrum holdings.  The average person doesn't realize yet that at these speeds LTE competes with free broadband WiFi that is typically faster.  Will consumers spend the extra $200 - $400 for year for data services that are most often free over Wifi?  The reality is Wifi hotspots are growing 25X faster than LTE cell phone towers and this is growing at a rate of 40% per year vs 8% for new cell towers.  I think Verizon is starting to look a lot like the Federal Reserve and a bit over optimistic about the amount of customers that will be using their expensive 4G LTE network.  If its free its me and if I have to pay now way!

iPad 3G vs Wifi Cost Comparison

Have you thought about the total cost of ownership of an iPad before you have purchased it?  Have you thought about tethering your HSPA+ smartphone to not pay for another data plan?  Is it worth the $180-$360 per year to have access to your data while roaming around town or does it make sense to use an iPad without a data plan?  If you are like most of us you are simply using the device to browse emails, read news and use the various applications on the platform.  Since you can't want YouTube videos with Flash you might just stick with the 250 MB plan.  However, if you are a heavy data user and consume a lot of videos you will want the "unlimited 5GB" per month plan.  AT&T is trying to get their grandfathered customers off of the AT&T all you can eat data plans so beware.  Also, here are some tips on how to tether your iPad to a 3G phone which will save you money not paying for a data plan you don't need.  Also, if you travel internationally you will want to avoid using your data over the 3G network because of the ridiculously expensive AT&T international data plan rates.

iPad WiFi Only (16GB)  vs iPad 3G (16GB) + Data Plan
WiFI Only = $520.00
3G (250MB) = $890.00 ($180 per year)
3G (5 GB) = $970 ($360 per year)

iPad WiFi Only (32 GB)  vs iPad 3G (32 GB) + Data Plan
WiFi Only = $590.00
3G (250MB) = $830.00 ($180 per year)
3G (5 GB) = $1,110 ($360 per year)

iPad WiFi Only (64 GB)  vs iPad 3G (64 GB) + Data Plan
WiFi Only = $590.00
3G (250MB) = $980.00 ($180 per year)
3G (5 GB) = $1,160 ($360 per year)


























7" Android Tablet PCs Under $300

If you like saving money and open buying non-mainstream electronic products that are not overpriced then you have found the right place.  How you can save more than $200-300 by buying a product that does not have millions of dollars of marketing behind it and lose nothing.  Here are a few Android tablets that will compete with the iPad on price and functionality and have the same applications as the iPad in the Android Marketplace.  ZTO, Augen, ABEL, SNS, Neewer, HeroTab, Velocity, Coby, Zenithink, iRobot, ePad, Plexon, Archos & Ican are all legitimate companies who manufacture their products in China just like the iPad.  If you are looking for cheap wifi-only tablets and 10" android tablet PCs check on this link we have created with other Amazon.com products.  Don't be afraid of using a tablet without a data plan because WiFi hotspot are growing 25X faster than 3G or 4G cell phone towers.  All you can eat data plans are hard to come by on 3G or 4G networks these days.  AT&T no longer offers any all you can eat data plans so you need to think carefully about using tablet devices with WiFi only.

Verizon's 4G LTE Dirty Little Secret

Your Old Verizon Cell Phone Will Not Work on 4G LTE
We get many questions from readers like:  Will my old cell phone work on the 4G LTE Verizon network?  Is 4G LTE for cell phones?  Will their high speed data plans be worth the price when I have free WiFi?  How much will their new phones cost?  Is 4G LTE worth all the hype? 

One of Verizon's dirty little secrets you may not know is that if you own of their current phones they won't be compatible with their new 4G LTE network. LTE Verizon doesn't even have any 4G LTE phones for sale even though their commercials during NFL games launched in November 2010 tell you its the greatest thing ever.  LTE phones are not going to be cheap and Verizon expects to launch 5 or 6 phones in 2011. Another frustrating fact is that Verizon will be launching selling a LTE compatible iPad but who knows what the price will be?  Our thesis has always been that 4G LTE will go down in flames eventually as all the hype wears off.  Free WiFi competes with 4G LTE but you won't hear that from the largest wireless carriers who rely on overprice data subscriptions for half ass service.  Rule the Arrogance Verizon.

Related Articles:
List of Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Airports

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10" Android Tablets from $150 to $499

If you are into saving money and open buying products that are not overpriced than you have found the right place.  Here are a few Android tablets that will compete with the iPad on price and functionality.  Zenithink, iRobot, ePad, Plexon, Archos & Ican are all legitimate companies that make products that should be considered before buying an iPad.  If you are looking for cheap 7" tablets check on this link we have created with other Amazon.com products.  Don't be afraid of using a tablet without a data plan because WiFi hotspots are growing 25X faster than 3G or 4G cell phone towers.  All you can eat data plans are hard to come by on 3G or 4G networks these days.  AT&T no longer offers any all-you-can-eat data plans so you need to think carefully about using tablet devices with WiFi only.

Cheapest WiFi Only Android Tablets

The definition of a tablet computer usually means no physical keyboard and the screen is seven inches or larger. Contrary to public opinion the iPad was no the first tablet on the market and there were many manufacturers like Archos, Nokia, Motorola, Zenithink, Augen, iRobot, Maylong, Plexon who were making them long before. However, Apple has educated the consumer masses that tablet computers are awesome and has provided the fuel for buyers. However, their closed system does not allow you to watch Flash video and thus would prevent you from watching YouTube and many other web sites. We decided to put a list of Android tablets together and surpassingly came up with 9 tablets available at Amazon.com. If you simply want a device to browse the internet and play Android games purchase one of these devices for $100-$400 and save a bunch of money. If you are like many of us and don't use your data plans enough outside the home or office to pay for a 3G or 4G data plan that Wi-Fi only should be sufficient.

T-Mobile WiFi Calling Works Great

 

So far I have used the T-Mobile WiFi calling feature a number of times inside homes and buildings and it works great on the G2. It appears that once you are registered on the network it minimizes the signal from HSPA+ or 3G to reduce interference.  I am also able to send text messages as well over WiFi.  So far I have not dropped a call and the connection is very clear.  Once again congratulations to Kineto Wireless for making this happen.  You will not likely see other US carriers following their lead because it is not a profit center for them and disrupts the growing femtocell business.

I still have two remaining business questions: Why is T-Mobile Wifi Not Free especially when you are overseas and will you be charged international calling rates if the call originates on a WiFi network in Europe for example?

Best Cell Phone Reception Boosters

weboost cell phone booster

#1 Wilson Electronics Signal Booster Review 
Extends the calling range and signal strength of any phone on any North American cell service provider (except Nextel/iDEN)

#2 Desktop Amplifier for 800/1900 MHz Band 
Compatible with all US and Canadian cellular providers, excluding iDEN, Nextel, and MIKE. Also, it supports CDMA, TDMA, GSM, and AMPS cell phone technologies, as well as data protocols such as GPRS, 1xRTT, HSDPA, EVDO, and EDGE.

#2 Wi-Ex Signal Booster for your Home or Office 
 3,000 ft Dual-band device works with 800/1900 MHz frequencies from all major carriers AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon, Alltel, Cricket, and more (not compatible with Nextel)

Smart WiFi Antennas Could Start a Consumer Revolution

Researchers at Gonzaga University are trying to accomplish by testing "smart antenna" technology that will improve Wi-Fi performance by blocking interference. This technology could be very disruptive if it gets into the hands of small business and entrepreneurs.  Everyone has had the problem of going into a crowded Starbucks and suffered through a congested Wi-Fi network or poor signal. The airspace is full of lots of people trying to communicate over the 2.4GHz band, which is used for WiFi.  Now imagine if all  WiFi networks were open  and not password protected by wireless broadband users and you can access any WiFi network free while driving or walking around town?  Kind of like sharing tap water out of the faucet?  The reality is cell phone coverage stinks and WiFi hotspots are growing 25x faster than cell phone towers.

WiFi access points are typically "dumb" and radiate power in all directions at once. This is typically caused by too few access points and too many end users. Now what if improved Wi-Fi antennas could do a better job of detecting how many devices were nearby and could push data out to each person more rapidly on an individual basis? The new software or antenna firmware will try to optimize the transmission between your computer or smartphone and the access point while also minimizing what you're receiving from other computers. In theory the WiFi access points would do this very quickly, and actually it would take less time dealing with each radio one at a time than trying to push out data to them all at once.

Two of the main types of smart antennas include switched beam and adaptive array smart antennas. Switched beam antennas make a decision as to which beam to access, at any given point in time, thus optimizing the network.  New adaptive array antennas allow the it to steer the signal beam to any direction of interest while simultaneously blocking interfering signal.  Read more on Wikipedia.

Carriers Bluffing on Cell Phone Signal Booster Network Interference

Mobile operators have avoided facing the reality of consumers frustrated with congested networks and entrepreneurs who have found solutions to fix coverage problems. Now comes a report from the New York Times that the leading mobile operators in the USA are contending that wireless boosters interfere with the smooth running of their networks. What's ironic is "cell phone boosters" have been around for a few years with companies like Wilson Electronics and Wi-Ex.  This equipment is used by law enforcement and often used at stadiums to boost coverage.  Fast forward 10 years and now with an investment in femtocell made, the mobile operators are screaming stop, and seeking assistance from their trade body, CTIA and the FCC to limit or eliminate the use of the wireless boosters when in reality the solution to provide coverage in many places really has been Wi-Fi.  Here are products that have been sold directly from Amazon Wireless for many years.

Read more about the craziness of this idea at VoIP Watch.

List of Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Airports

Verizon Wireless will commercially launch its' 4G LTE network in 38 major metropolitan areas by the end of 2011 here is a list of the Verizon's 4G LTE cities. In addition, they will launch 4G LTE in more than 60 commercial US airports listed below. Initial devices to be USB modems for laptop connectivity because their aren't any phones that have LTE capabilities. We expect to offer LTE consumer handsets in mid-year 2011.  It will be interesting to see how WiFi competes with LTE in these airports as its essentially free in most places.   I am surprised to see Verizon not initially promoting their LTE coverage in stadiums since its rumored they will be spending close to a billion dollars over the next few years with the NFL for sponsorship and marketing.   Here is a list of your Airports that will have LTE and very few devices capable of using the network.

LTE Airports
Austin-Bergstrom International, Austin, Texas
Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshal, Glen Burnie, Maryland
Bob Hope, Burbank, California
Boeing Field/King County International, Seattle, Washington
Charlotte/Douglas International, Charlotte, North Carolina
Chicago Midway International, Chicago, Illinois
Chicago O’Hare International, Chicago, Illinois
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International, Covington, Kentucky
Cleveland-Hopkins International, Cleveland, Ohio
Dallas Love Field, Dallas, Texas
Dallas/Fort Worth International, Fort Worth, Texas
Denver International, Denver, Colorado
Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
George Bush Intercontinental/Houston, Houston, Texas
Greater Rochester International, Rochester, New York
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, Atlanta, Georgia
Honolulu International, Honolulu, Hawaii
Jacksonville International, Jacksonville, Florida
John F. Kennedy International, New York, New York
John Wayne Airport-Orange County, Santa Ana, California
Kansas City International, Kansas City, Missouri
La Guardia, New York, New York
Lambert-St. Louis International, St. Louis, Missouri
Laurence G. Hanscom Field, Bedford, Massachusetts
Long Beach/Daugherty Field, Long Beach, California
Los Angeles International, Los Angeles, California
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International, Metairie, Louisiana
McCarran International, Las Vegas, Nevada
Memphis International, Memphis, Tennessee
Metropolitan Oakland International, Oakland, California
Miami International, Miami, Florida
Minneapolis-St. Paul International/Wold-Chamberlain, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Nashville International, Nashville, Tennessee
New Castle, Wilmington, North Carolina
Newark Liberty International, Newark, New Jersey
Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International, San Jose, California
North Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada
Orlando International, Orlando, Florida
Orlando Sanford International, Sanford, Florida
Palm Beach International, West Palm Beach, Florida
Philadelphia International, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Phoenix Sky Harbor International, Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix-Mesa Gateway, Mesa, Arizona
Pittsburgh International, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Port Columbus International, Columbus, Ohio
Portland International, Portland, Oregon
Rickenbacker International, Columbus, Ohio
Ronald Reagan Washington National, Arlington, Virginia
Sacramento International, Sacramento, California
Salt Lake City International, Salt Lake City, Utah
San Antonio International, San Antonio, Texas
San Diego International, San Diego, California
San Francisco International, San Francisco, California
Seattle-Tacoma International, Seattle, Washington
St. Augustine, Saint Augustine, Florida
St. Petersburg-Clearwater International, Clearwater, Florida
Tampa International, Tampa, Florida
Teterboro, Teterboro, New Jersey
Trenton Mercer, Trenton, New Jersey
Washington Dulles International, Dulles International Airport, Washington, D.C.
Will Rogers World, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
William P. Hobby, Houston, Texas

Will AT&T's New Faster HSPA+ Network Result in Fewer Dropped Calls?

Will HSPA+ Help AT&T Improve Coverage or Should they Jump to LTE

AT&T said that it would be its HSPA+ rollout this year but will that mean improved data congestion and fewer dropped calls. AT&T CTO John Donovan said have upgraded 80% of the network to HSPA+, which will offer noticeably higher data speed rates that the 3G network speeds. AT&T CTO also said that data growth rates have actually slowed over the past few months. Is this because iPhone users are all offloading data to WiFI now and fed up with the 3G network?  We happen to think that the carriers have hit a wall and wireless Armageddon will soon be upon us and the WiFi revolution will be in full tilt. 

Clearwire Hidden Data Cap & Early Termination Fees Class Action Investigation

Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ: CLWR) Misleading Advertising Investigation

Does your wireless internet service seem slower than it should be? Do you have difficulty streaming movies or downloading large files pm up data card or Clearwire device?  Are you not getting coverage where you were promised?

Milberg LLP is investigating Clearwire Corporation, a provider of wireless internet services. Clearwire promises consumers “unlimited, high speed” internet. Milberg is investigating the possibility that contrary to these promises, Clearwire imposes a hidden “cap” on usage and once users exceed that cap, Clearwire deliberately slows their internet speeds, depriving users of the high-speed internet access for which they paid. Making matters worse, Clearwire imposes an early termination fee, so users who have been “capped” cannot cancel their service without paying an additional fee. If you believe that your internet speed has been reduced by Clearwire and you wish to talk to a lawyer from Milberg LLP about this, at no obligation to you, please complete the form.

Milberg LLP has been representing consumers and investors for more than four decades and serves as lead counsel in federal and state courts throughout the United States. Please visit the Milberg website for more information about the firm. If you wish to discuss this matter with us or have any questions concerning your rights and interests with regard to this matter, please contact the following attorney:

Is Google Buying Verizon FiOS?


I am starting to see some interesting searches on our Deadzones.com for curious people looking for information about "Google buying Verizon FiOS".  I have no information to confirm whether this is true but would appreciate any anonymous tips in the comments section below.  After listening to Eric Schmidt's interview yesterday at the Web 2.0 conference it is now apparent that Google is afraid of Government regulation, especially in wireless.  For competitive and regulatory reasons they have not gone into the wireless market.

I decided to piece together some public information to see if it would make sense.  The more I write about it and do research it could be a "match made in heaven" for people who love high-speed access and reliable service.  Google buying Verizon FiOS makes a lot of sense and gives them a network to finally get into the wireless game.  They have by far the best high-speed broadband service into the home and its just another reason why consumers would want to cut your cable TV cord and start using Google TV.  Verizon FiOS is the 4th largest home broadband provider with 15M homes. Google has also been quietly building out its fiber network which is great for customers who have been struggling with dropped calls and coverage.

Google announced plans to build an experimental, ultra-high-speed broadband network and the response has been tremendous from potential users. Hundreds of communities and hundreds of thousands of individuals across the country have expressed their interest in the project. Google is not going to be able to build the network in every interested community but they certainly could do it quickly by buying Verizon FiOS. Their plan is to reach a total of at least 50,000 and potentially up to 500,000 people from this experiment that will help improve Internet access everywhere.


This rumor is further justified after Verizon stopping the expansion of its FiOS network early this year. The decision leaves many high-speed broadband seekers in 32 states without the option of signing up for the powerful FiOS network. Verizon has focused FiOS rollout efforts mostly near its primary customer base on the East Coast, although it has hit major markets in California and Washington state. FIOS has been largely focusing its efforts on completing existing fiber buildouts especially in the dense parts of Philadelphia; Washington, D.C.; and New York City. These are areas where Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Cablevision offer tough and well-funded competition.

AT&T Sells Free WiFi Not 3G on Galaxy Tab

AT&T Galaxy Tab

Its very strange to see AT&T promoting free WiFi and not trying to sell their iPad 3G data plans.  “We have the largest Wi-Fi network and at no additional charge the customers and plan subscribers get access,” said Schwadron, in an interview. “We’re giving our customers a lot of choice.”  Customers who buy Samsung’s tablet from AT&T can access the Internet either through AT&T’s mobile-phone network for a monthly fee or via Wi-Fi service, which is often free. We already knew the Samsung Galaxy Tab was coming to the big four U.S. carriers, and today AT&T finally revealed their launch details. AT&T’s version of the Tab will go on sale next Sunday, November 21st for $649.99.

AT&T is the last U.S. carrier to launch Samsung’s seven inch tablet and they are also the most expensive. Sprint and T-Mobile sell their tablets for $399 with 2-year contract while Verizon sells their Tab for $599 at full retail price. Customers can also purchase the Tab off-contract from Sprint and T-Mobile for $599, so AT&T is the only one to charge $649.

Customers will be able to choose from two data plans from AT&T – a $14.99 pay-as-you-go plan for 30 days with up to 250 MB of data or a $25 pay-as-you-go plan for 30 days with up to 2 GB of data. If customers use all the data included in their plan before 30 days, they can purchase another pay-as-you go plan.

Tap and Pay Mobile iPhone & Android Wallet Is Amazing

Tap and Pay Mobile Android Phones Are Awesome

180 million Americans use credit and debit cards to shop today and the market is growing even more rapidly Worldwide as credit becomes more accessible. Android's upcoming version 2.2 (named Gingerbread) is apparently going to support a touch and pay system that will use near-field communications and GPS to make a payment on the mobile phone. The new Android phones will have a chip that let you tap your phone against special sensors to complete a specific action like paying with a credit card. Many pundits will likely say there are security risks but hopefully, Google will take the transaction layer out of the hands of the carrier and put it into a company like PayPal who has likely seen every scam their is.  I would also expect Google to just provide the infrastructure layer as well and an API so retailers can easily build upon applications. The credit card industry already has standards which Google will be proliferating on mobile devices so pundits don't have to worry about industry fragmentation.  This could enabled tremendously fast adoption and will likely spur many new companies. No longer will Android phone users need to carry a wallet with credit cards and loyalt cards.  Companies like Groupon should be scared!

How Does 4G & LTE Compete with Free?

How does AT&T, Verizon, Sprint & T-Mobile make a business of selling expensive 4G and LTE mobile data plans when WiFi is free?  I constantly structure trying to understand the consumer value of having an expensive high speed paid connection anywhere but in the car.  WiFi hotspots are growing 25X faster than cell phone towers and now outnumber them Worldwide by far.  So when you think about signing up for that expensive data plan with caps you might want to think about how to become more resourceful as a consumer and look to use the more free wireless access at similar speeds.  You might want to learn how to use a Pad without a data plan.  

I think the financial media and the wireless industry analysts have wildly over projected and overlooking a major trend that could derail the 4G / LTE train.  Here are three industry "expert" forecasts below which wildly assume there is no competition and no alternatives to 4G, Wimax & LTE:

Infonetics: "Forecasts the worldwide LTE infrastructure market to grow approximately 10 times from 2010 to 2014, to $11.5 billion. The firm, citing tremendous growth coming from smartphones and tablets, also increased its subscriber forecast from previous estimations. It anticipates close to 165 million worldwide LTE subscribers by 2014."

Juniper: "It took nearly six years for 3G mobile services based on UMTS/HSPA to reach 100 million subscribers but it will take LTE just four years to reach the same milestone, say researchers at Juniper Research. The number of LTE subscriptions worldwide will grow at a cumulative average growth rate of 404 percent from 2010 to 2014 and reach 136 million subscriptions by year-end 2014, Juniper forecasts."

Coda Research: "A new study forecasts that European users will lead the charge into LTE with a compound annual growth rate of more than 50 percent. This latest report from Coda Research states that, by 2013, North America will have 7 million LTE users, Asia/Pacific 13 million, and Europe 15 million. However, Europe will be overtaken by Asia/Pacific in 2016, with the Chinese becoming dominant users in the region."

AT&T WiFi Growing 25X Faster Than 3G


AT&T has more than 23,000 U.S. hotspots with locations in all 50 states, and over 125,000 hotspots globally through roaming agreements.  See the US AT&T hotspots locations map.   The chart above shows a very interesting trend that is great for all wireless data consumers representing how in AT&T’s WiFi network is growing 25X faster than its wireless subscribers. The most interesting thing is that the number of Wi-Fi connections is moving significantly higher which only means subscribers are linking up more and there are a whole lot of new subscribers too. Another interesting fact is that Free WiFi hotspots are growing 5X faster than cell phone towers and this figure is likely going to have to accelerate to keep up with the growing demand for WiFi data offload. This chart is pretty much in line with the growth of cloud computing which demands mobile data offloading.  How does 4G & LTE compete with Free WiFi?  How will this affect sales of AT&T iPad 3G when you might only need WiFi in the future?

This is a great trend for AT&T customers who are all competing for 3G coverage in San Francisco and coverage stinks on the network.  This is also great for frustrated customers who have received refunds for poor data coverage and dropped calls.  This should eventually alleviate much of the 3G network congestion that customers have experienced while driving in their car or in an area with a lot of iPhone users.

10 Reasons to Cut your Cable TV Cord

There really is not much of a reason to keep paying your cable TV company they're $200 per month for programming when you can start using these ten technology innovations.  The CEO of Netflix, Reed Hastings is delusional if he thinks Netflix is not causing consumers to cut the cord.  Most of these disruptive devices, software, and innovations finally allow consumers to download and video programming on demand.  On-demand programming is simply watching what you want when you want it.  No longer will you have to stumble through horrible menus on your DVR to find programming when you can simply download it with your high-speed broadband connection.  Some of these electronics might event be nice gift ideas for the Christmas Holiday.  

 

 



4G Wireless/ Mobile TV  

Apps Stores

iPad & Galaxy Tablets


    Cable TV operators like Comcast, Cox, Cablevision & Time Warner should be very scared of the newest trend and latest quarter of losing cable TV subscribers for the first time. It's not because of the recession as many cigar-smoking executives would want you to believe.  It's because these "fat cats" have not done anything to innovate in the last ten years and would rather send dividend checks to shareholders than improving your cable TV set-top box. Cable operators have been screwing their customers for years and the FCC has done nothing about it.  I believed for a few years that cable companies were going to win the wireless home race because of their connections into the home.  In my opinion, they have failed to execute a wireless phone marketing strategy against their competition AT&T U-Verse, Verizon Fios, Sprint & T-Mobile. 

    According to an AP, article companies are losing customers in droves and recorded the first quarterly loss of 216,000 subscribers.  We expect this trend to continue for the coming years and cable companies are going to have to think of other tricks like 3D channels and sports TV programming to keep their subscribers happy.  Who knows free mobile TV could be in our near future.

    ESPN & NFL Saves Cable Subscribers

    The Only Thing Keeping Cable TV Subscribers Paying
    ESPN, NFL & NBA might have the most content leverage television business these days.  Every person I ask today says they are watching less network TV these days and if they do it's likely a PGA Golf, NFL football, NBA basketball, NHL hockey or MLB baseball game.  The second I ask is if you could dump your $200 per month cable TV bill, would you?  Some say yes if they are not sports fans and others who are sports fans say they can't give it up.  However, they say if the content was available over the internet like MLB.com they might consider it.   The cable companies know this and this is one of the reasons they are not rushing to put their programming online or make sports content "on-demand".  One other thing that are keeping cable customers tied is the upcoming promise of 3D TV Channels.  If you haven't watched the Hawaiian Open in 3D at Best Buy or Fry's on their demonstration LCD or Plasma TV's you will want one immediately. 

    No matter how much content you consume on TV your cable bill is still this same each month.   So if you are a grandmother in Iowa who watches very little sports programming you are subsidizing this network because you have to each month.   U.S. consumers pay around $70 billion each year to cable and satellite companies to watch movies and TV shows on big screens in their living rooms.  This is probably about 75% too high and it's likely only a $25 billion dollar business if people truly paid what they used. 

    I would like to see the NHL adopt similar a similar strategy to MLB and allow fans to watch games over the internet and on-demand via Google TV or Boxee.  I think it also makes a lot of sense for these cable companies to piece mail the content you watch but this will not happen until there is a groundswell adoption of Google TV, Xbox or Boxee.   The FCC is corrupt and just a bunch of industry puppets who work for the networks so they will never do anything.  The NAB will do everything in their power as well to sue anyone who distributes their content illegally as well.  Hopefully, a better World is coming where content is king and not programming.

    Google TV Will Disrupt the Cable Distribution Monopoly

    It's great to see networks like Fox starting to pull their programming from Google TV.  This only means one thing!  Networks who believe in programming and cable companies who believe in paid distribution feel threatened.   Google TV is a disruptive technology platform that seeks to destroy a monopolistic distribution model of content and companies like Comcast denies Google TV as a competitor. The cable distribution monopoly and give consumers what they want.  Programming is about to become a thing of the past as more and more consumers just consume what they want when they want.  Not only do they select their programming on-demand but they are not doing it on multiple devices like the iPhone, iPad and Android.  Cable operators have leverage because they are in the broadband access business and starting to get into the wireless broadband access business.  The only thing I think that will begin to protect their business in the short term is to emphasize 3D TV channels which provide a tremendously cool viewing experience (only at night). 

    For the longest time cable companies like Comcast, Cablevision, Cox, Time Warner have made most of their money charging networks carriage rights.  The FCC knows consumers are getting screwed and has not disrupted this shady business practice and networks have been getting away with it making money hand over fist.   Well, this is all about to change if you can now consumer your programming directly over the internet.  You don't need a cable line any longer when you can download the programming over your neighbors shared WiFi network or your wireless carrier 4G, LTE or Wimax network.   The chart below shows you how the cable companies are losing leverage for the distribution of their content.  They used to own almost 50% of the channels and now they own only 15% as the number of channels have increased and the content has become more specialized.  Great examples of this include the NBA, NFL and MLB who have started their own networks and don't rely on CBS, ABC, NBC and Fox for all of their content distribution. 

    Cowboy Stadium Cell Phone & WiFi Coverage?

    Cowboy stadium inside

    Carriers are starting to get more aggressive about improving WiFi, 4G and 5G coverage inside NFL stadiums and we want to know how they are doing.  

    China Mobile Phone Text Virus is Spreading


    Smartphone Wifi security and now viruses on cellphones are something new to worry about.  It looks like China has now been hit by a particularly difficult "zombie" virus.  Shanghai Daily, says a so-called "zombie" virus disguised as an anti-virus app has infected more than one million cellphone users in China. It has left mobile phone users vulnerable to the malicious hackers. The "zombie" virus is hidden in a fake anti-virus app. Once the app is installed, the virus sends all of the names and phone numbers on a user's SIM card to the hackers, who then automatically take control of the phone, sending spam texts out to recipients.

    The texts include lots of links that infect other phones with the same virus. The texts are also sent to pay-to-text phones that suck those users dry of messaging fees. The virus has spread to 1 million users, and continues to run rampant on mobile networks. The government is having a difficult time finding the hackers, but the Chinese National Computer Network Emergency Response Technical Team Center is working to get to the bottom of it.

    Its not clear which mobile phones or mobile operating systems are experiencing the virus problems but would appreciate any feedback from users who have some insight into this.

    Smartphone Apps WiFi Only Option


    If you are like the typical smartphone and cell phone user you are getting ripped off paying too much for your cell phone service plan.  Why, because the pricing plans are rigged and no matter what you change or remove from your plan you will always be paying $50-$100 per month.  Or worse yet you are overpaying for data and received bill shock. Even worse the carriers try to make it as difficult as possible for you to understand how much data you are using and want you to go over your data limits. Consumers who go over their data plans are not warned and often get shocked when they see their cell phone bill.

    I am proposing that every application built on Android, iPhone and Windows be more transparent about whether you want it to access the carrier network or Wifi.  Also, it should track the amount of data it uses on the 3G, 4G, or LTE network.  Mobile apps fear data caps and carriers need to mandate this going forward for each application. Lawyers will be all over this with class-action lawsuits in the future if developers don't take it upon themselves to provide consumers with solutions that help them understand the amount of data they are using.  The most ethical developers will actually measure your usage and then tell you when are reaching a threshold.

    If you are the typical consumer you are likely using 50% of your voice minutes, more text messaging and more data.  It's kind of crazy that 70% of your monthly bill is comprised of talk minutes yet you probably use data on the phone 90% of the time.  Another thing that is crazy is that you are likely uploading and downloading most of your data on your home Wifi network.  You are already paying for this data access and your cell phone company does not provide you with any transparency of how much data you are using on the 4G network.


    With all of the problems the carriers are having getting their data networks in order.  They should be helping their customers use their 3G and 4G networks less and encourage customers to offload data via WiFi.  I think the future of 3G and 4G or LTE networks will be as a last resort and Wifi will be the standard now that hotspots are growing 5X faster than cell phone towers. AT&T was the first carrier to do this by removing all you can eat plans.

    WeFi is a WiFi hotspot location service that works on a netbook, laptop, Symbian and Android platforms. The company helps members find nearby hotspots, complete with maps of their locations. There are also Symbian and Android mobile apps to work with WeFi on the go. The company collects anonymous data from devices that connect to a hotspot via the service, along with general information like how many devices are connected to a particular hotspot. With a population base of over 5 million users and a database of 60 million hotspots globally, the statistics show big changes in Wi-Fi usage. 50% of all Android devices analyzed consumed more than 500 MB of data per month each through Wi-Fi hotspots, and 20 percent of those Android owners flew through more than 2 GB of data over the month. That surprised me to see all of the free Wifi web usage and carriers need to change quickly as AT&T Wifi only has 20,000 free locations and this needs to change quickly for them to keep up.

    T-Mobile 4G Phones: G2 & MyTouch Compared

    The MyTouch 4G and Tmobile G2 are both supporting HSPA+ or 4G T-mobile's network. Both the MyTouch 4G and G2 both run on Android 2.2 and the new WiFi calling feature that allows customers who don't have coverage in the home to make and receive calls on WiFi. The G2 is slightly heavier than the MyTouch but feels more solid.  I prefer the new G2 slide-out keyboard that has a hinge versus the MyTouch slide.  The MyTouch is selling for $50 cheaper but I think it's worth it to pay up for the G2.  Having a phone that is developed and integrated with Google applications will likely pay off in the long-run.  The only reason you would likely prefer the MyTouch is likely the front-facing camera. However, if you look at the G2 phone there is a place on the front of the phone that looks a lot like a front-facing camera. A front-facing camera may not currently be available in the G2 software but I have a sneaky suspicion that it will have it as well soon.  If you like this review see our review of the Samsung Vibrant vs HTC G2

    Microsoft Windows 7 Phone User Interface Review


    Microsoft might finally have a phone that will appeal to consumers as well as enterprise IT departments.  The phone actually feels less "geeky" than previous Windows Mobile operating system versions. Windows 7 is using a new user interface that uses a "glance and goes" technique for navigating on the phone.  The home screen uses a system called "live tiles" which essentially are mini windows within the same home screen.  So without having to navigate into individual apps it shows the data or the action within one screen to save steps.  This could be useful if you are using lots of apps like email, phone, IM, Facebook & Twitter.  Apparently, the smooth scrolling and navigation are the best features of the new phone.

    I think conceptually it makes a lot of sense.  However, I am not thrilled with the text formats and the edges of the apps.  I personally prefer rounded edges and think the devil is in the details with this issue.  I suppose if you are still a heavy Microsoft Windows user within an enterprise you will not likely notice the difference.  One thing that confuses me is who is their target market?  Blackberry users I presume who is tied to the enterprise.  I really don't see any Android or iPhone users converting to the new Microsoft Windows 7 platform.  Android phone notifications are still by far the best and feel better.

    Below is a lengthy 20-minute review provide by Slashgear for your viewing pleasure.


    As always please submit your comments and reviews on the product below. We are particularly interested in the cell phone reception and the network quality switching between

    AT&T Listening to Dropped Calls on Twitter

    AT&T Listening to Customer Tweets is "FOS"
    When I read the fluff press release about AT&T listening to tweets it made me want to puke with disgust.  The real issue is what do you do with all of the information that you gather?  AT&T simply doesn't have the capacity to do anything with the customer service complaints because they are inundated already with customer service calls that don't help network optimization one bit.  The fact is the carriers have no idea what is going on with their network and its spinning out of control.  If they are trying to convince social media and Twitter users that this is going to be the silver bullet that helps field complaints more efficiently they are dreaming.  

    We have been gathering cell phone coverage, dropped call and customer service complaints for the last 10 years.  Yet, AT&T wants nothing to do with the data we gather from their customers and would rather turn a blind eye and ignore Deadcellzones.com.  This press release might be one of the biggest phony media marketing hoaxes I have ever seen from the telecom giant next to their coverage map ads that are also FOS.
    "Using software developed internally by its own researchers, the telecom is listening for user complaints on the social network, and then extracting the tweet's timestamp and location, mapping out where the complaint originated and comparing that data to its system logs and customer service calls. Wang explained how AT&T uses two different levels of filtering to parse the data. First, it pulls all tweets somehow related to AT&T and then it uses more specific queries to find tweets directly related to service issues. In the latter case, it looks for messages saying things like "call dropped" or "3G," for example."
    Listening to customer dropped call tweets based on location is completely Full of S H I T.  You don't need location-based services for a customer to tell you were their service stinks.  Customers have been doing it on Deadcellzones.com for over a decade and mapping the information to give to AT&T and the FCC for free and neither will take it.  DCZ has mapped over 100,000 AT&T dropped call complaints. I have been preaching for years for the carriers to adopt a consumer-generated coverage map to field complaints about where their coverage stinks.  What is AT&T's solution to try and keep their customer pacified?  Deploy a "Mark the Spot" app and not tie the data into your customer service or network operations department.  Then pretend you are listening to customer service complaints on Twitter.  

    Here is what I recommend Twitter users do after reading this article.  Tweet #ATTFU.

    Crown Castle Boosts Cell Reception at Amway Center in Orlando, FL


    Orlando just moved into a new $480 million Amway Center, touted as a technological marvel but cell phone coverage was overlooked during construction. Orlando city officials say the various wireless carriers are working to improve coverage inside the massive stadium but think the bureaucratic process could take months. It's unclear exactly which carriers are experiencing spotty coverage because the quality of coverage apparently varies from carrier to carrier. Some Magic fans are reporting no issues at all.

    Cell phone boosters are apparently on the way provided by a company contracted by the city called Crown Castle. It is a public company trading under the ticker CCI and is installing about 150 cell-boosting antennas which will be completed by the end of the month. The longer process will come trying to get the individual wireless carriers contracted and piggybacking on the Crown Castle system.

    It isn't clear what the stadium is technically using if it is a Picocell, Femtocells, Repeaters, or Distributed Antenna System (DAS). This is going to be an ongoing issue at many NFL, NHL, MLB, NBA, NCAA, stadiums around the US in the coming months. Stadium cell phone coverage is a focus for many carriers as they begin to roll out 4G, Wimax and LTE networks.  Other questions remain whether the stadium owners were friendly to the fans and implemented their own free Wifi network.

    Mobile Cloud Computing Demands Wifi Data Offload

     
    Mobile cloud computing subscribers was 42.8M in 2008, (approximately 1.1% of all cell phone subscribers) and is expected to reach 1 billion subscribers in 2014 (almost 20%). Mobile cloud applications have been driving this adoption moving data storage away from mobile phones themselves and into the cloud, bringing apps and mobile computing to not just smartphone users but a much broader range of mobile subscribers. Will the carriers be able to handle this additional data traffic over their new congested 4G networks or will users demand data offload through Wifi?  As cloud computing creeps into the home and onto other electronic devices, into the car, games and music devices it demands data offload to Wifi.  Why? Because very few cellular networks actually provide in-building coverage and ever will.

    Companies like Dropbox for iPhone users and Google's various email, calendar and contact services that are the primary applications driving the growth.  Enterprises have been much slower to adopt than small businesses but this is expected to change as companies like Blackberry catch on. One of the benefits of owning a smartphone and being a heavy Google user is to have everything backed up in the cloud.  There are many benefits to this including the ability to change phones on the fly and contact, calendars, files are automatically synced.  This saves a tremendous amount of time for anyone who uses a laptop and a smartphone every day for work.  Syncing data in the cloud might be one of the biggest productivity enhancements for the business world in this decade.  If you are like me and don't like to waste time you will especially like the features of having all your emails in the cloud.  This will enable you to delete your inbox or read emails during downtime or while you are in traffic.  I find myself spending far less time in front of my laptop answering emails because I have typically deleted them during breakfast or on my commute (shhh!).

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