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Comcast has been riddled in the news lately. Bandwidth caps, overage fees all for simply surfing the internet. However they simultaneously opened Fancast - a Video Download site which won’t go against that cap. They also have Comcast.net, Disney Connection and Rhapsody Player Plus - All within their community.

There was another company that tried to keep their members contained within their virtual fence. That company was AOL.  However, AOL has been opening up for all to use. Still, I have to ask the question: Is Comcast becoming the next AOL?

AOL came onto the scene after the previous versions, CVC, then Quantum Link, almost put the company into Bankruptcy.  AOL created a “Walled Garden”, or a community within their systems but also the ability to move outside the walls if needed. AOL was the most used Dial Up Internet provider - but as people started moving to cable or DSL, AOL began to lose its luster.

Recently, Comcast has been under fire because it was trying to give everyone the best experience possible. They started by curbing Peer to Peer and high bandwidth users. When they were stopped - as well they should have been - Comcast moved on to more drastic measures.

On October 1^st, Comcast will be implementing a 250 GB cap on their customers internet access: That is, unless you use their community services. Fancast, the video download site, won’t be applied to the cap. I would guess that Rhapsody, Disney and any other service that is a part of Comcast will also be available to download at will. Of course, that is just a guess, but if I was a business with alliances, I would give them special preference so all customers are happy.

Comcast has been under fire with the overcast that it is acting like a Monopoly. If they continue to give unfair advantage to the internet community, it may be determined as such. However, in order to be a Monopoly, you must drive out competitors to be the only game in town. Comcast has not done such - there’s DSL, wireless and of course dial up options if you choose to leave. Comcast is not trying to affect any of those businesses.

As for their other services, anyone can sign up for and use Fancast. Therefore, as a non-ComCast customer, I can watch the same shows as any ComCast customer. The only difference is if I was a ComCast customer and want to go to a different site to watch the same content, I would be charged against the bandwidth usage. That does give an unfair advantage over a site like Netflix, iTunes or Hulu.

Of course, maybe Comcast is trying to deter the Peer-to-Peer community in another way since they have been slapped on the wrists for curbing this group. If they cap at 250 GB, then give the customers a bevy of high-bandwidth sites they can use without affecting the cap, the customers may never get to that 250 limit unless they use those unapproved sites and services. Once again this is speculation, but it would be a sneaky way to curb those downloading copyrighted material.

The key will be if ComCast gets paid for those services to be under the cap-free zone. I, as a webmaster, shouldn’t have to pay an ISP if I have a website that delivers large amounts of content. That would then be considered an unfair advantage.

AOL’s Walled Garden did face some questions about Monopoly. They did have content that you could only get to if you were an AOL member. Of course, all I then had to do was pop in a CD and register for a 30 day free trial. I wouldn’t be surprised if companies were charged to be inside the wall.

So is Comcast a Monopoly, or a Walled Garden? Are they giving an unfair advantage to unaffiliated companies? Will this Cap cause customers to move back to slower methods? Only time will tell that, but the reality is, the average internet user might not even come close to 250 GB. Just as long as I don’t start getting Comcast CD’s in the mail…

Other Posts of Interest:

• Do We Need Comcast to Cap Bandwidth Usage?
• Episode 48 - 8-27-08 - Coffee Leaves and Cameras

It was a Commodore Vic 20. We were up North at our Grandma’s house for Christmas in 1981. Our cousins had a Vic20 and we played some cool games. When we got home at the end of the week, we opened our presents and low and behold, we had a Vic 20. I swear I got up early every day of Winter break to play on this new machine. I did have to fight for use with the rest of my family, but I think I got some good time on it.

The Vic20 was released in January 1980. It sold for $299. It had a 1 mHz, MOS 6502 chip and 5 K of RAM. You connected this machine up to a standard TV using a RF modulator. Gorf, Snackman, Raid on Fort Knox and any game that came from COMPUTE! Magazine that we spent the time to type into the machine and save on the Tape drive. Those were the days….

My next computer was a Commodore 128 in 1986. It was backwards compatible with the Commodore 64 and had 128KB RAM with a 4 mHz processor. I got into Sprite editing. I made a Balloon fly across the screen. It was pretty cool.

While in school, I worked on the gamut: Apple II, IBM PC jr (the chicklet key one), Atari 800XL where I created my first musical composition: The Beatles ‘Hey Jude’.  We were also avid players of Ultima II, III and IV.

Then Apple showed up in full force. Apple Macintosh was the greatest new machines and Apple refitted our computer lab. 24 machines were connected via Appletalk. We connected a Video camera up to it and took digital snapshots of the students, worked on music and even built small robots and a pinball machine.

In the background, there was one 286 machine. It ran Windows 2.0 and had some great programs like a music composition program and a graphic design program.

I ditched the 128 for an IBM 286 PS/2 machine in College. I used that at home while using Macintosh in the lab for Music Composition using FINALE! In 1994, I started working in IT as a Tester for Biomedical equipment. I was given an old 386 board to work on in my spare time, but quickly ditched it for a 486DX2. I bought 8 SIMM chips for $40 a chip.

That machine lasted me 1 1/2 years. I updated the processor, then finally broke down and bought my first Pentium. It was a P90, but something was wrong with it, so I took it back and got a P166 at 66 mHz. I also bought a RealTek 14.4 modem / soundcard. It had software that could turn a computer into a multi-level voicemail system.

From there, it was a P200, PII 266, PIII 500, PIV 1.6 gHz and then a Dual Core 1.5gHz system, which I use to this day. I also have a Dell 2.8 gHz for the audio rig, a Athlon 3000 2.1 gHz for ustream and 2 laptops, 550 mHz Gateway Solo and 1.8 gHz Celeron Lenovo.

I did get another Mac a while back. It is a 800 mHz Power PC machine. Someday I will upgrade it, but it does what I need it to for now.

So why am I telling you this? Part to let you know my Computer background - Part for nostalgic reasons. It’s interesting how we went from Vic20’s to Multi Core PC’s. And all in a 30 year span.

It would be cool to actually get a Vic20 or a Classic Macintosh to play on. See if I can remember how to work it. Maybe build a simple game again. Connect a bread board and program an LED or something.

But then again, I like what I got now.

Other Posts of Interest:

• Fakes on the Internet
• Can your Laptop Battery Really Explode?

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Other Posts of Interest:

• Webware 100 Winners - Who won, and what’s new.
• Customer Service - How Social Networking makes the job that much harder.

10 years ago I walked into the local dealer and picked up my first cell phone. I believe it was a Nokia 920. My work cell was a Motorola Clam Shell, then I believe a Nokia 720. I then got a 5100 series, followed by a 6300 series. 2 years ago I purchased the Razr3, and now I have an HTC 8125.

5 cell phones in 10 years. Throughout those times I have called, texted, surfed and played the occasional game of Bubble breaker. My phone has been by my side all this time. So has my wallet and keys. But which one would I want the most if I had to choose one?

IDC and Nortel Networks did a study to find out what is more important – your cell phone or your wallet. 38 percent of over 2000 people polled wanted their cell phone. 30 percent went for the wallet, while the remainder went for something else.

It’s interesting that a little thing like a phone can make you decide that you can leave things like your wallet at home. I could never do that. I would feel naked without my wallet. Then again, I would feel naked without the cell phone or my keys.

We seem to value the things that work easiest for us. Then again, I used to have a watch on my wrist and a ring on my finger (no, not a wedding band – just a regular ring). 15 years ago I went along with my life without a cell phone. Could I ever give it up now? How about my wallet or keys?
The interesting thing is, yes. I could give up my wallet. After all, what IS in my wallet? We’ll start with the most important thing. Money. I can always carry a money clip or just stick the bills in my front pocket.
My ID, Debit and Credit cards make up the majority of my wallet. But ya know, in a few years I wouldn’t be surprised if those would both be on my cell phone in some way shape or form. Think about it – a scan able ID via infrared? A scan on the Credit card reader, in which you punch in a couple numbers into the phone and you just bought something?

Even business cards can be scanned into your address book. Why have a piece of paper when you can have your phone take care of it for you?
Now keys are important, right? Not really. I rarely use my keys to enter my car or house. If you equip your car and house with keypads, you just punch in a number and boom. Your car is unlocked and started, and your house is locked or unlocked. There are even some public restrooms in Finland that will open with a text message.

Keys, shmees. Don’t need those archaic things. All I need is a cell phone and a good battery.

Reality is, cell phones do a lot more than call a person. Some cell phones can even access the internet, VPN into your home computer and let you work. Internet maps, Videos, MP3’s and whatever else you can think of.
Some have played with the idea of embedding your cell in your arm, or behind your ear. Battery technology has told us we can charge a certain type of battery just by holding it to our skin. Could you imagine having this technology as a part of you – working off human power?

There are some that oppose the cell, though. Even some people that are 100% techies. They want nothing to do with a cell phone – they would rather have the land line and use payphones : that is, if you can find one.
Technically, my phone matches a Pentium 233 mHz machine from back in 1997. Newer models have 600 mHz processors, 192 MB of RAM and 4 GB of storage. It’s a long cry from the first “Brick Phones”, but as we evolve, so does our technology.

Maybe someday we won’t need keys. Maybe someday we won’t need wallets. Maybe even someday we won’t need cell phones. But for now, I’ll take all three, thank you.

Thanks for listening. My name is Jeffrey Powers for Geekazine dot co…. Oh wait, almost forgot my cell phone.

Other Posts of Interest:

• Can your Laptop Battery Really Explode?
• Watch Out for iPodestrians and iPodrivers.

The story of Exploding laptops is not a new one. The Lithium battery in your laptop expands to the point where it breaks the encasement. Dell, Sony and IBM ended up recalling a series of batteries to prevent computer loss.

Today scientists announced they had made a solid, non-flammable polymer to replace the liquid electrolyte that is used to make the batteries. The science is new, and wont see the light of the public eye for 3 to 5 years, mainly because the polymer needs work to hold a longer charge. However, will this help the laptop not explode?

A few years ago I dealt with an issue in desktops where they would either start acting quirky or stop working altogether. The result was what they called “Exploding Caps” - the Capacitors in the machines would expand due to faulty manufacturing. Capacitors are a vital part in most electronics because they store energy to push it out in the needed areas of the machine. They are in your desktop, laptop, Digital camera and most other electronics. Heck, there are even capacitors in your car.

Bottom line is that we take things for granted. We feel safe putting a device that pushes 19 Volts and holds many harmful chemicals on the lap. We put a potential grenade next to our eye. We even get into a large steel contraption and turn the key hoping it won’t go up in flames.

There is a video on YouTube simulating an exploding laptop (basically put together with help so it could explode). The initial explosion might not hurt, but if you don’t take immediate action, major damage will ensue. Here is why: A laptop battery is comprised of “Cells”. Usually there are 3-4 cells in a battery. Once one cell causes a breech, The other cells will eventually follow.

Think of it like the scene in “Back to the future 3″. When 3^rd log ignited, it causes the fire to get so hot it incinerates the train’s engine. When that chain reaction happens, the laptop gets hotter and more dangerous. Fire can get up to 1000 degrees or more, simply because you are dealing with an electrical AND chemical fire.

Now imagine you using your laptop: Is it sitting on your lap right now? Are your hands resting right above the battery? The initial cell explosion would most likely burn, but you would have enough time to react and get away from the machine.

Will that change my mind on using a laptop? Not really. However, it will make me more aware of how I use the machine. I still find it funny how some people leave their laptops on 24/7. Some have it constantly plugged into the wall, which can cause undo strain on the battery and ultimately cause it to fail.

I also see people close the lid, unplug it, then put it in their bag so they can go home. All because they don’t want to turn it back on, so it spends twenty minutes or more in a bag during a commute. Not to mention the sidetracking you can do, like go to the store on the way home to pick up a gallon of milk and bread.

The reality is the average laptop will not explode. The battery would need to have a defect in it to begin with. But you never know. An aborigine could come out of the brush and shoot an arrow directly in the battery causing a breech and sending your laptop to computer heaven.

The only thing you can do IF your laptop heads into flames is be prepared to know what to do. Don’t throw water on it. Remember - this can create a fire hotter than a standard fire. A Class D fire extinguisher will help stop the fire. Try to use something to push it into a trash can or something non-flammable. Keep the laptop plugged into a surge strip - that way if the fire breaks out, the surge protector trips.

I have an older laptop and have had it on my lap approximately 60 percent of the time when I use it. I am not concerned about it exploding. I suppose there will be some time I go to turn it on and it wont respond. But that is just like any device - eventually it will fail.

BTW - if you want to feel conscious about the environment, then the laptop you want is a MacBook Air. It’s made with an all-aluminum case, BFR and PVC free circuit boards, arsenic free glass and a Mercury free  monitor.

Other Posts of Interest:

• The Computers in My Life
• Someone is always Challenging Someone – Apple iPhone vs. Blackberry