Airwaves....The Next "Land" Grab?

From Assoc. Press Mad Scramble For More Airwaves

As mobile phones become more sophisticated, they transmit and receive more data over the airwaves. But the spectrum of wireless frequencies is finite — and devices like the iPhone are allowed to use only so much of it. TV and radio broadcasts, Wi-Fi networks and other communications services also use the airwaves. Each transmits on certain frequencies to avoid interference with others.

Wait until the "physical world" gets connected.

Now wireless phone companies fear they're in danger of running out of room, leaving congested networks that frustrate users and slow innovation. So the wireless companies want the government to give them bigger slices of airwaves.

A ton of new "land" is available here



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The iPod Nano With Video..A Threat To YouTube?

The iPod Nano and iTunes...disruption ahead for the video industry.

Now that iPod introduced a Nano that is capable of recording video, is YouTube's business in jeopardy?

Will this feature allow users to make money from their content creation?..not just using their Nano but from other video creating devices as well? (phone, camcorder).

Almost everyone has some sort of iPod device and uses iTunes as their upload/download and storage portal. Once people start shooting video with their Nano, and storing on iTunes, wouldn't the next logical step be to earn advertising (and subscription) revenue from public uploads?

Would you take and upload more videos if you knew you could get paid for them? What type of videos would you take? What kind of videos would you pay for?

The Cell Phone, The New Computer

From Live Science Daily Text Messages Exceed 4 Billion Daily

During the first half of 2009, users sent about 740 billion text messages. That's about 4.1 billion per day, or nearly 17 texts per day by everyone with a data-capable phone.

That total was about double the number seen in the first half of 2008, when "only" 386 billion text messages were dispatched.

As texting rates rise, the average call length has been falling dramatically.

Morgan Stanley's Mobile Internet Report

Morgan Stanley just came out with their Mobile Internet Report.

One thing to keep in mind when they refer to the "mobile Internet" is that it will include more than just mobile phones. Think Kindles, MP3s, cars, billboards, appliances, RFID tags, barcodes....just about ANY physical object will be Internet enabled.


"the impact of the mobile Internet will be bigger than the impact of the desktop Internet, personal computer, minicomputer and mainframe"

"the mobile Internet has the potential to create/destroy more wealth than the prior computing cycles"

Here's a quote that caught my eye "winners of each new cycle often create more market capitalization than winners of prior cycles"

the past winners include Google, Microsoft, Cisco, eBay....what will be the Next Google for the Mobile Internet, and how much will it be valued at?

The Google Phone..Disruption In The Wireless Industry Ahead

If the phone isn't tied into a wireless provider, does this count as another example of cloud computing?

If there are no contracts, how will this affect the cell phone manufacturers with regards to rebates?

How long before the Verizon, Sprint etc stores are completely gone? Best Buy Mobile is doing a great job of taking traffic from local wireless stores due to pricing.

From CS Monitor Google Phone Upsets Mobile Industry

"Google could sell the phone directly to consumers without a contractual relationship to a cellphone service provider"

"consumers could use the phone on any service that uses GSM technology — that is, runs with a SIM (subscriber identity module) card.

Instead of being locked into AT&T or Verizon service, for example, consumers could take their newly purchased technology where they pleased, taking advantages of typically shorter or nonexistent contracts that companies offer when shoppers bring their own phone to the deal"

Installation Cost Is Now A Bigger Factor With Solar

 From Reuters,  Solar Companies focus on nuts and bots to cut costs.

That decline has put a spotlight on installation, which now makes up a greater share of the total cost, and has prompted installers, developers and even panel makers to look for low-tech tricks, like quick fasteners and predrilled holes.

Pondering Primate December Newsletter

Pondering Primate December 08


CNN pitches a cheaper wire service to newspapers, an alternative to The Associated Press
link

WalMart adopts wind power link

The new remote link
Wiimote, which is essentially a 3D mouse, and thus ideally suited for the speedy, point/click/drag navigation that a true big-screen Internet experience requires

FCC pushing free Web plan link

Credit card industry may cut $2 trillion of lines of credit link

Even cows being hit with greenhouse gas tax link

Advertisers tap another sense to pitch products link

Experiential marketing is also an acknowledgment that products and brands must offer alternatives to the interruptive model of peddling that has been the mainstay of advertising for more than a half-century, which disrupts what consumers want to watch, read or hear

The “phone book” for the Internet. New domain .tel link

Increased definition of “broadband” to Mbps by 2010
Telcos and tech companies issue “call to action” for national broadband strategy.
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Tax breaks, low-interest loans to build out high-speed networks. link

Energy

F.P.L breaks ground on the first utility-scale solar investment in state (Florida)
link


Electrified walls and ceilings. While AC has huge advantages over DC for transmitting power, Patterson said, many of the devices in use in buildings today have to convert it into direct current, with resulting efficiency losses link

How much is the express lane worth to drive during rush hour?
From .25 to $2.65 tolls change according to traffic volume. link

Google teams up with Hallmark Channel for TV ads link

GE stops producing incandescent bulbs link

Should we watch oil stocks to determine economic recovery? (correlation of oil to economy)
link

RFID boarding passes..EZPass comes to airline industry link

Apple to sell $99 iPhone at WalMart? link

In-store price comparison using mobile phone and barcode comes to a halt at Target.
link
Will this lead to a boom in sales of cell phone jammers?

Facebook offers a universal ID (signon resource) and similar to OpenID. Facebook users will be able to log onto other sites connected with the service. When you view a TV show on Hulu, or read something on the Chronicle, it can show up in your Facebook News Feed, alerting your friends as to what you're watching and reading. Then they can click on it, too. Public cookies?
link

New fabric resists water like no other link

Power line networking
Power line networking chips (and the algorithms that go with them) essentially allow communication signals to travel on the same wires that go to the lights. As a result, rapid, finely tuned commands can be shuttled from a utility without worries that other radios or environmental disturbances will hamper it. link

New players in accelerometer space (the chip that detects motion in remote devices)
link

Keeping DNA samples from people with no criminal convictions is a breach of their human rights a European Court ruled. link

Several major cities will be without a daily newspaper by 2010 link

Google uses 16.5% of US consumer Internet capacity, expected to rise to 37% by 2010
link

YouTube launches high definition link

NBC to cut back number of hours it airs programming. link

Treasury Bills trade at negative rates for first time. link
Government can finance the stimulus packages with cheap debt.

Cancer to overtake heart disease as leading killer by 2010 link

Google wants preferential treatment for Internet traffic link

Obesity tax on non-diet soda link

New York State unveils new taxes ..including iTune downloads
link

Facebook the new lawsuit delivery service? link

YouTube accounts for 25% of all Google searches and now is the 2nd largest search engine. More searches done through YouTube than Yahoo.
link
Google’s $1.65B acquisition pays off.

Coupon websites fastest growing online properties

VHS era is winding down. The last big supplier of the tapes is ditching the format, ending the long fade-out of a product that ushered in the home theater. link

Airline passengers can buy carbon offsets link

Internet surpasses newspapers as main source for national and international news.
link

Websites to get cinema-style ratings. link