Can the Internet really compete with cable TV?

As an expected Federal Communications Commission vote for more cable regulations nears, Washington wonders whether competition from Hulu, iTunes, Verizon's Fios, and so on should justify less regulation.

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Net Neutrality: Follow the Money

It’s been framed as a fight for freedom but Net Neutrality is really a battle of business models. The outcome will almost certainly affect We The People’s wallets or/and Internet experience so we’d best keep a wary eye on everyone who is trying to “help” us.The latest skirmish began last Thursday when the Federal Communications Commission voted unanimously to begin work on formalizing a set of rules that would, among other things, bar (PDF link) Internet service providers from blocking legal content or altering the delivery speed of content based on who owns it, who created it or who wants to access it.The FCC has stated that Thursday’s vote simply opens the subject for official discussion, with the goal of codifying principles that have been applied on a case by case basis over recent years. Many, many months of discussion are expected before anything becomes law. But the battle lines have been drawn.ISPs argue that they own the infrastructure that delivers the bandwidth, they have to maintain it and support their customers and therefore should be able to manage the services they provide in order to reduce network congestion and maximize profits. Internet Application companies, businesses who offer services and content via the Internet, are usually in favor of Net Neutrality because they want to get their stuff to customers without having to pay more to do so. One of the ways an ISP could ramp up profits is to make deals with Internet Application companies who would pay more to provide consumers with an optimum experience. If, say, your company streams video you could pay an ISP to ensure that viewers can access your service at the best possible speeds. So the people watching your videos will be happily munching popcorn while your competitor’s viewers are throwing their popcorn at their computer’s screen in frustration. Pay-for-optimum-play service agreements would also affect small businesses and entrepreneurs. If you are a kid in a dorm room with a few bucks and a plan for the next Google, Twitter, YouTube or Facebook you may find that a big corporation can deliver a less-innovative offering more effectively because they can afford to pay ISPs for first class delivery service.Net Neutrality rules are intended to ban such speed machinations but the FCC’s Net Neutrality proposal specifically does not block the practice of “throttling,” which typically involves reducing the quality of service provided to the ISP’s most active users after a predetermined amount of data has been downloaded. Most ISPs tend to slow P2P or other resource-hungry network activity. The FCC’s Net Neutrality proposal specifies that broadband providers would be allowed to “engage in reasonable network management” as long as ISPs are open about the fact that they are throttling. ISPs would also be able to “develop and deploy new technologies and business models, including by offering managed or specialized services that are distinct from traditional broadband Internet access service.” There are good arguments to be made on both sides of the Net Neutrality argument, but those who are currently shaping the conversation have apparently decided not to simply present their business case to the general public. Thankfully no one has yet figured out a way to tie Net Neutrality to Protecting The Children, but tried and true concepts like “Freedom” and “Government Interference” and “Greedy Big Business” plus “Jobs” and “Innovation” are being flung about with great abandon.The National Cable and Telecommunications Association did a great job of hitting all the right points in their response to the FCC’s vote:“(the organization) support(s) a free and open Internet. However, we continue to believe the broadband marketplace is an unparalleled American success story and already offers consumers an open Internet experience. So, we welcome the opportunity to make our case that investment, innovation and consumer welfare are all enhanced by continued government restraint. Given the tremendously high stakes, we hope the Commission will approach these issues with a healthy skepticism of hypothetical harms, and with a full understanding of the very real consequences that regulatory action may have on investment, job creation, and the continued expansion and improvement of next generation networks.”The freedom from government interference rallying cry has been echoed by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz), who just happens to be the biggest beneficiary of political contributions from telecommunications companies according to data provided by the Sunlight Foundation. Last Friday McCain introduced the Internet Freedom Act, which would prohibit the FCC from “proposing, promulgating, or issuing any regulations regarding the Internet or IP-enabled services.” in order to keep the Internet “free from government control.”It’s easy for a tech-loving person to dismiss McCain, who admitted that he, according to an interview printed 7/13/2006 in The New York Times, has never “felt a particular need to e-mail.” But arguments made by the other side are equally self-serving and shrouded in rhetoric. As thirty venture capitalists stated in an open letter to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski:“The promise of permanently securing an open Internet will deliver consumers and innovators a perfect free market that drives investment, job creation, and consumer welfare. These principles should apply across all Internet access networks, wired or wireless. Investment and innovation at the edge of the network will create not just jobs but also new tools and opportunities for communication, education, health care, business, and every other human endeavor.”Since everyone is beating the patriotic drum it might be best to reflect on what our founding fathers -- the folks who initially developed the protocols that power the internet -- have to say about Net Neutrality. Their beliefs are laid out in an open letter (PDF Link) from Vince Cerf, Stephen D. Crocker, David Reed, Lauren Weinstein and Daniel Lynch to the FCC. This letter states that the FCC’s “network neutrality proposal’s key principles of ‘nondiscrimination’ and ‘transparency’ are necessary components of a pro-innovation public policy agenda for this nation” noting that “successful companies have deployed their services on the Internet without the need to negotiate special arrangements with Internet Service Providers, and it's crucial that future innovators have the same opportunity. We are advocates for ‘permissionless innovation’ that does not impede entrepreneurial enterprise.” The letter then states that “One persistent myth is that …network neutrality would forbid charging users higher fees for faster speed circuits. To the contrary, we believe such features are permitted within a ‘network neutral’ framework, so long they are not applied in an anti-competitive fashion.” Critics of Net Neutrality have warned that if ISPs aren’t allowed to extract money from Internet Application companies they are likely to start charging consumers on a per-gigabyte-usage basis. We’re far from any final word on Net Neutrality, but don’t be shocked if the combatants ultimately all agree that pay-for-play is fine as long as consumers are the ones who are paying. For a hilarious take on the current state of Net Neutrality, check out the clip from The Daily Show below. �The Daily Show With Jon StewartMon - Thurs 11p / 10cFrom Here to Neutralitywww.thedailyshow.comDaily Show Full EpisodesPolitical HumorHealth Care Crisis��
Hot Future Tech Coming to Your Mac, iPhone and iPad

Some seriously cutting-edge tech is cresting the horizon, ready to take your Apple devices and other gear to the next level of awesome. We’ve searched out the breakthroughs on the verge of becoming reality to discover how Macs, iDevices, and other tech are about to become even more impressive.�Illustrations by ArtBombersIf you’re a regular reader of Mac|Life, you know that every January we look at the fanciful future of Apple, ranging from the prototype cars to the VR goggles that might emerge from Cupertino one not-so-soon day. This is not that story. This story is about real tech that genuinely works--it’s visible on the horizon, and it could be in your Apple gear in a year or three. Think of this story as a preview of the near future.Of course, we can’t say for sure that all this technology will end up in future products (we’re good, but we’re not psychic). Some of it may never leave the lab. What you can rely on is that old standards will hit their technical limits, and progress will march on. But for a reasonable-guess preview of how Macs, iPhones, iPads, iPods, and other tech will grow, evolve, and improve in the coming years, continue reading.�The Display's the Thing�Since the original Macintosh, our screens have been passive windodws into Apple's machines. That's about to change.�3D in Your Home�Three-dimensional TV has been a glimmer in the eye of television and movie studios since House of Wax and other 3D features first popped out at audiences in the 1950s. But the gimmick never caught on, thanks in large part to clunky technology that sacrificed picture quality. As James Cameron would be happy to explain to you, times and tech have changed, and in 2010, 3D is making the jump from the big screen into our homes…and hands.Despite technological advances, the principles behind 3D haven’t changed much in 60 years. When a 3D image is displayed, two pictures of the same scene taken from different perspectives are shown. Those spiffy glasses make sure each is sent to only one eye, then our brain combines the two images into one, complete with the illusion of depth. A more mysterious part of the brain is responsible for deciding if it’s worth paying 10 bucks for popcorn at the multiplex.But really, we can’t picture Steve wearing those dorky glasses at the introduction of the iMac 3D (but when we do, it always puts us in a good mood). Simplicity is Apple’s mantra, and what’s simpler than 3D screens that do the filtering for you, providing a 3D picture while eliminating the need for special eyewear? Such screens--called autostereoscopic displays--exist today. Some are peppered by tiny lenses that direct images to each eye; others use a layer of fine slits to split the display’s light in two. One of these technologies is about to get a boost from Apple’s biggest mobile-gaming rival, Nintendo. Announced this March and due for release in spring 2011, the Nintendo 3DS will be nothing less than a shot from the House That Mario Built across Cupertino’s bow. This next-gen upgrade to the popular DS handheld will sport sophisticated dual touchscreens, motion control, and--mamma mia!--autostereoscopic 3D.Competition is another Apple mantra, and it’s no secret that Apple sees games as a big part of the success of its Multi Touch devices. Steve won’t sit still if competitors like Nintendo can gain an advantage that draws gamers away from Apple and back to the Mushroom Kingdom. If Cupertino can improve on the 3D experience offered by Nintendo’s next handheld, you can bet that App Store games--and maybe even the iPhone and iPad OS--will enter the third dimension too.�OLEDs...So Pretty!�Today we watch videos everywhere from the living room to the hotel room on our HD TVs, MacBooks, and iPads. As great as those devices are, couldn’t they all stand to have even thinner, brighter, and more energy efficient screens? Trick question--of course they could. The good news is they will, thanks to OLEDs, an acronym for organic light-emitting diodes.OLED screens aren’t grass-fed, free-range displays sold at Whole Foods, but they do use organic material (that is, material derived from the element carbon) to produce a picture. Unlike traditional LCD screens that require power-hogging backlights to project their images, OLEDs generate their own light when electricity passes through the organic polymers sandwiched between layers of film in the display. Because those layers are only about 500 nanometers thick (that’s even skinnier than a human hair) and don’t require much else besides a power source to work, OLED screens can be dramatically slimmer and lighter than conventional displays now on the market.Better still, large OLED displays are relatively easier to make than LCDs, and their gorgeous picture makes your spiffy plasma TV look like a 1950s Zenith. That’s because there’s no need to grow sheets of fragile crystals. Instead, organic molecules are sprayed onto film in a process much like inkjet printing, and that film can be transparent, flexible, or even foldable. An OLED screen’s flexibility and toughness make it suitable for use in a wide range of gadgets, most of which haven’t been invented yet. From giant HDTVs and miniaturized smartphones to futuristic heads-up displays in cars, OLEDs can potentially be incorporated into almost anything--potentially even woven into clothing. And because of their brightness, vibrant colors, and wide viewing angles, you’ll always look great in your 720p iSweatshirt Pro.But don’t camp out in front of your local Apple Store for certified-organic MacBooks or casual wear just yet. While OLED screens are popping up in more and more devices (perhaps most famously in Google’s Nexus One smartphone), the technology’s best days are yet to come. Manufacturing OLED screens is still an expensive proposition, leading to high prices and tepid consumer interest. But as OLED’s momentum builds and costs drop, expect to see a gradual shift in the computer and electronics world away from LCDs, much like the transition that phased out bulky, inefficient CRTs. And expect to see Apple jump on the OLED bandwagon when the time and money are right. With its combination of energy efficiency, size, and image quality, we think OLED has a bright future in Apple’s Macs and its growing line of sleek mobile devices.�E-Papers, Please�Popularized by e-readers like the Kindle, e-paper has plenty to offer a company focused on mobile devices. Its slim design is durable, lightweight, and legible in bright sunlight. The secret lies between the sheets--plastic sheets holding tiny wells filled with black and white particles suspended in liquid. When the wells are charged, the particles move to the screen to appear as text. No backlight is required, and because electricity is only used once to draw the contents of each page, e-paper sips power compared to the LCDs in Apple’s portable lineup. Color e-paper is so hot, you gotta wear gloves. Metaphorically speaking, that is. Photo: LG.Phillips LCD., LTD.But while e-paper does monochrome well, most of today’s e-readers use filters to colorize their black and white text with pictures--and they simply can’t compare to LCDs. That will change. Philips is working on new technology using colored particles in a process much like blending ink dots in traditional print. The results should finally make good on e-paper’s promise, but they’re still years away.Even then, will Steve subscribe to e-paper? The iPad’s LCD screen would seem to be the last word on the subject, but Apple could always use multiple displays in its devices. For instance, e-paper battery monitors could offer much more information than the little green lights they use today.�The Wireless War�If you’re like us, your living room entertainment setup is the second most precious collection of gear in your home (next to your beloved Mac, of course). Every night, you’re on the couch with a bowl of popcorn in front of an HD screen complete with a Blu-Ray player and 7.1 sound. Trouble is, that sweet setup means fistfuls of wire to fuss with. But those knots may not stay tangled much longer.As home entertainment setups get more complex, something has to give. If two competing wireless standards--WirelessHD and Wireless Home Digital Interface (WHDI)--have anything to say about it, that something will be our HDMI, DVI, and other AV cables. Both standards promise something like Wi-Fi for multimedia. Compatible devices (laptops, game consoles, and mobile phones) will use them to find your HDTV automagically over the air in a system that “just works”--and the whole idea of ditching all those cords works in a big way for us.WirelessHD devices may be available from Panasonic, LG, Vizio, and other manufacturers by the time you read this. WirelessHD delivers uncompressed video up to 1080p, multichannel audio, and other data--including Hollywood-approved DRM--at speeds up to 4Gbps, with a theoretical ceiling of 25Gbps. That’s a lot of data, but WirelessHD will only carry it up to 33 feet. The WHDI standard will move your movies as far as 100 feet, but at only up to 3Gbps. You’ll be able to compare how the two standards fare against each other when WHDI devices hit stores late this summer or early fall. Only time will tell which of these standards will be a hit with consumers or whether Apple will adopt one or play a waiting game. Let’s hope we’re not kept waiting for the release of Avatar 2 before we can stream movies, games, and more from our iPads to our televisions.» Future Apple Devices: iPad 3, iMac 3D, Cinema Display» Expected Arrival Date: 2013» You'll Also See It In: HDTVs, handheld game consoles, displays» Future Awesomeness Rating: Deeply AwesomeNext page: Printers and Processors >>Powerful Prints�Yes, print and printers have a future in our networked world. No, they won't be like anything you've seen before.�Fab It Yourself�Teleporters and matter replicators may be the stuff of science fiction, but with 3D printers, you can create physical objects with your Mac out of thin air (and a lot of plastic). Apple hasn’t sold printers since 1997, but if anything could get them back into the game, 3D printing is it.For decades, 3D printers have been used to create “rapid prototypes” for manufacturers and architects. The idea is much the same as conventional printing--you design something on your computer, and the printer produces a hard copy. But these hard copies need time to cool. 3D printers take designs built in 3D modeling programs and melt plastic to “print” them with thin strands built up layer by layer into a finished product. The idea is about to get a big boost from HP, which will begin selling 3D printers this year at “bargain” prices expected to start under $15,000. So much for 3D printing for the rest of us, right?The MakerBot prints...in 3D! Want.Not quite! If you have a techie DIY streak, 3D printing can be yours today for under $1,000. MakerBot’s compact Cupcake printer is available as a kit that, once assembled, lets you manufacture objects up to 4x4x6 inches using Lego-quality ABS plastic. The idea is catching on, and other low-cost 3D printers (like the RepRap and Desktop Factory) are poised to slowly do what HP’s high-end offerings probably won’t--make 3D printing the desktop publishing of the next decade.Of course, it will take a while for 3D printing to catch on, but if it does, expect Apple to take note. After all, our Macs have helped us make things since 1984. There’s no reason to stop now.�An Inkless Job, But Someone Has to Do It�Let’s face it, next to Mafia Wars and Farmville, printing is one of the biggest energy hogs in an office. The paper and toner cartridges required by today’s printers consume a lot of energy to use and recycle. But greener workplaces may be one step closer to reality thanks to two new inkless, reusable printing technologies that are poised to send old-fashioned hard copies sailing on a one-way trip into the wastebasket of history.Late last year, Japan’s Sanwa Newtec company introduced the PrePeat 3100 II, a compact black-and-white printer that prints using heat instead of ink. The secret’s in the “paper”--flexible, waterproof, recycled plastic that reacts to the PrePeat’s thermal mechanism. Best of all, when you don’t need a page any longer, you can just feed it back into the PrePeat to erase it or print a new document as many as 1,000 times per page. Right now this green new world will cost you (the PrePeat retails for $5,600), but expect prices to drop if the technology becomes more widely adopted.Meanwhile, researchers at Xerox are using ultraviolet light to develop a technology called Erasable Paper. The process hits specially coated paper with a specific wavelength of UV rays to print your document to the page, and you can erase and reuse a sheet whenever you need to. If that sounds like a tanning bed for interoffice communications, you’re more right than you know. Like a tan, these printouts fade away over time, and within 24 hours, a UV-printed page will be blank again. While self-destructing Mission: Impossible documents are cool (and well-suited to sharing data with short lifespans), the limitation is one reason Erasable Paper is still being refined in Xerox laboratories.» Future Apple Devices: iLife '13» Expected Arrival Date: 2013» You'll Also See It In: iLife '13» Future Awesomeness Rating: Fit To Print�Dueling Processors�Current technology can only take CPUs so far. But don't worry--tomorrow's breakthroughs are being designed today.�More Cores for Your Buck�Smaller processors offer greater speed and improved energy efficiency, but engineers racing to make the best chips possible are running afoul of the laws of physics. Conventional manufacturing methods can only make circuits so small, and even the power of Steve’s reality-distortion field can’t change that. But some amazing new technologies might.For years, multi-core technology has given us Apple chips that pack the power of multiple CPUs into a single chip. Intel’s Xeon, Core i7, and venerable Core 2 Duo processors deliver up to six cores, and eight-core machines are coming soon. We hate to break it to those processors, but a new prototype from Intel unveiled late last year promises that a lot more muscle is on the way to the Mac.Intel calls it the single-chip cloud computer (SCC), and it boasts a whopping 48 cores on one processor…with room to grow to over 100. Computers derived from the SCC will bring the brawn of today’s massive data centers (the “cloud” of the chip’s name) to desktop-sized machines, paving the way for smaller, greener clusters. Initially, Intel is planning to build only 100 of these experimental chips so engineers can figure out what to do with all that power before it lands on the market. Intel is just one of the companies now developing “many core” processors, but given its relationship with Apple, it’s a good bet that the first Mac with the power of the cloud will have Intel inside.�DNA Processors�Meanwhile, another company is taking a radically different approach to building tomorrow’s processors. Last year, researchers at IBM announced a chipmaking breakthrough that uses something called “DNA origami,” and it’s as cool as it sounds. The process arranges strands of DNA into shapes used as scaffolding for carbon nanotubes and silicon nanowires, the tiny structures that could one day move data through really, really small processors.DNA origami is a “bottom-up” approach to chipmaking that builds the chip’s circuits, as opposed to more conventional “top-down” methods that carve silicon away, and it has a promising future. DNA designs could potentially deliver chip circuits as small as 6 nanometers--that’s just dozens of atoms wide! So Apple has good reason to keep an eye on how its story unfolds. They’ll have to be patient. The technology is still evolving and likely won’t produce commercial chips for another five years at the soonest.» Future Apple Devices: MacPro Extreme» Expected Arrival Date: 2015» You'll Also See It In: Windows PCs, Skynet» Future Awesomeness Rating: Sheer GeniusNext page: New Wires and New Storage >>Magic Buses�Our future gadgets will do more wirelessly than ever before. But they'll be able to do even more with wires.�It's USB's World, We Just Live Here�Once an upstart newcomer, USB has become an elder statesman in the electronics world with a presence in almost every device on Earth. But USB’s data-transfer speeds, last boosted by USB 2.0’s introduction in 2001, haven’t aged gracefully. Thankfully, USB 3.0 is here to breathe new life into an old favorite.USB 3.0 cables definitely lose the beauty contest to Light Peak (below).At first glance, USB 3.0 (a.k.a. SuperSpeed USB) doesn’t seem like a radical departure from its predecessor, and that’s a good thing. It’s backward-compatible with USB 2.0 and even uses the same rectangular port we all know and love, so your old devices will work just fine with the new standard. So don’t worry, you won’t have to buy a new USB beverage warmer for your cubicle.But USB 3.0 brings two new tricks to the table. The first is speed--its transfer rates reach up to 5Gbps, or 10 times USB 2.0’s performance. The second is improved power management, which means reduced power consumption and more juice for devices that need it. USB 3.0 gear is already on the market, so it’s only a matter of time before Cupertino rolls out the first Macs with the SuperSpeed standard. We hope they come soon--we’ve got HD video to import!�One Wire to Rule Them All�Fiber optic cables, long used by telephone companies to connect landline phone calls, have numerous advantages over traditional copper wires. So why haven’t they made it to the desktop yet? Intel hopes to put that question to rest with a new technology called Light Peak.Light Peak is Intel’s answer to…well, just about every cable in use today. From HDMI to USB, if it carries data, Light Peak can replace it. That’s because Light Peak’s bandwidth starts at 10Gbps, and its theoretical ceiling is a whopping 100Gbps. And since Light Peak’s flexible fiber optic cables transmit light, not electricity, they can carry data up to 100 meters without a hitch. That’s plenty more meters than we need, but some room to grow can’t hurt, right?Light Peak brings fiber optic speed to computing. And pretty colors, too.However, despite a planned 2011 rollout, don’t expect to sync your 5G iPhone with Light Peak. Intel is still working out ways to combine power with Light Peak to charge devices while beaming data at warp speed. One thing’s for sure, though--when Light Peak finally strikes, it’ll be fast.» Future Apple Devices: Almost all of 'em» Expected Arrival Date: 2011» You'll Also See It In: Every gadget on Earth» Future Awesomeness Rating: Blazing Hot�Reading, Writing, Revolutionary�Say goodbye to your old drives. Say hello to a new world of speedy storage.�It's RAM! It's a Hard Drive! It's Both!�There’s nothing New Age about “universal memory,” but it could usher in a new age of computers and electronic devices. Universal memory is any next-gen storage that combines the speed and affordability of today’s DRAM with the permanence and capacity of flash memory. Two technologies are fighting to rewrite the rules, and the winner may be coming to the Mac sooner than you think.Phase-change memory (PCM) gets our vote, if only for its cool name, which is derived from the use of chalcogenide glass that changes from a crystalline to an amorphous state with heat. It’s the same material used to make rewritable optical discs, but in PCM, the two states represent different electrical charges, or a zero and a one. PCM represents a major leap in durability over flash memory, and can be written to up to 100 million times versus flash’s upper limit of just 100,000 read-write cycles. Samsung has already begun producing 512MB PCM modules for use in mobile phones, but 1GB modules are still on the way. Looks like phase-change doesn’t happen overnight.The race for better memory is run on a tiny field, though, and IBM’s racetrack memory may have the inside track. It uses something called spintronics--don’t you want to hear Steve say that at a keynote?--to manipulate electrons into moving magnetic bits down nanoscopic, U-shaped “racetracks” to read and write data at blazing speed. Yet racetrack memory’s biggest asset may be its scalability, theoretically allowing HDD-size capacity to be squeezed into a much smaller area than competing technologies allow. But until racetrack memory is ready to leave IBM’s labs, this dark-horse contender will be one to watch, not buy.�Kind of Blu�Steve famously quipped that bringing Blu-Ray to the Mac was “a bag of hurt,” but Sony’s multimedia power-platter is still rolling along after years of Cupertino’s cold shoulder. Movie lovers--and anyone who wants to share giant files--can take comfort that when Blu-Ray finally arrives on Macs, it’ll be better than ever. Having long shed its 25GB limit, Blu now boasts capacities of up to 400GB, and 1TB discs are coming in just a few years. The promise of this year’s 3D Blu-Ray players is just one more feature that will keep Mac fans gazing longingly--sigh--at Big Blu’s bag of tricks.» Future Apple Devices: MacBook nano, Apple TV Blu» Expected Arrival Date: 2013» You'll Also See It In: Smartphones, PCs» Future Awesomeness Rating: Memorably CoolNext page: Networking, Power, and Interaction >>Network It Out�Tomorrow's wireless communications will be more important than ever. Good thing our networks will be able to keep up.�4G or Not 4G?�Poor AT&T. Just as it’s getting the hang of supporting the iPhone on its 3G network, 4G networks will begin popping up from Sprint this year and from archrival Verizon in 2011. What does that mean for us, besides catty PR fights among the carriers? A blazing fast mobile internet with enough bandwidth for HD movies, video chats, and--we hope--fewer dropped calls.Like 3G wireless networks, 4G isn’t a single new technology. It’s a blanket term for a range of technologies and specifications that add up to the same thing: speed. Current 3G offers downloads of roughly 1.4Mbps. Compare that to 4G’s promised bandwidth of at least 100Mbps, and you’ll see what the fuss is about. 4G works its magic in part by using MIMO (Multiple In Multiple Out) technology to broadcast using several antennas simultaneously on multiple frequencies.4G’s strengths make its eventual adoption by Apple a no-brainer, no matter which carrier has the iPhone next year. Apple is serious about establishing the iPad as a mobile media device, and it’ll want a big pipe to carry movies and music to cellular customers. That’s just what 4G provides. As for the iPhone, who knows? Steve may decide to stick with AT&T and its 4G network expected to roll out alongside Verizon’s in 2011.�Crank Up the 802.11AC�Closer to home, we’ll use 802.11n Wi-Fi, but at faster speeds than we’ve seen before. Apple has sold 802.11n devices since 2007, but the protocol’s final standard was only approved in 2009. Happily, that means the business of making Wi-Fi as fast as possible can begin in earnest. Like 4G, 802.11n uses MIMO to improve performance, but manufacturers couldn’t take full advantage of the technology before the protocol was complete. Now that it is, devices can officially support maximum speeds between 400 and 600Mbps…if your hardware has the antennas to deliver the boost. Expect that hardware to start arriving in stores later this year.But the Mac life is never a simple march of progress, and there’s always something new on the horizon. Sweet! Work drafting the next Wi-Fi protocol, 802.11ac, has already begun. Devices supporting the new standard aren’t expected until 2012 at the earliest, but they’ll boast speeds of up to 1Gbps when they’re available. At press time, Ethernet’s agent was unavailable for comment.» Future Apple Devices: 2G iPad, Airport Express Plus» Expected Arrival Date: 2011» You'll Also See It In: Smartphones, netbooks» Future Awesomeness Rating: Wildly Wireless�More Power to You�Apple is going power mad. Its future devices will charge up almost anywhere.�Powered by the Sun�Solar power is overdue for a makeover, and if anyone can do it, it’s Apple. In 2008, it applied for a patent to slip solar cells beneath a device’s LCD screen, and early this year, it applied for another patent to cover portable devices with solar collectors.Solar-powered MacBooks? Yes please!�Wilder still, a March 2010 patent describes a MacBook with a solar panel that folds to collect sunlight or even to illuminate the LCD screen without drawing power from the battery. We’re still waiting for these designs to see the light of day--ha!--but it’s clear someone at Apple has spent a lot of time looking at the sun.�Go Wireless�Besides flying cars, wireless electricity is the ultimate in futuristic convenience. Today’s charging mats come close, but the magnetic induction they use keeps devices tethered to one spot. That’s why we hope Apple adopts WiTricity’s technology for truly wireless power up to several feet away from the base station. The science involved would baffle the DHARMA Initiative, but it involves something called sharply resonant strong coupling to generate an oscillating magnetic field that’s captured and converted to electricity by a sensor in your device. Or it will, anyway, when WiTricity-powered gear reaches stores sometime in the future.Wireless power? As in, electricity beamed through the air? Shocking.» Future Apple Devices: iPod solar, ElectroMagneto MacPro» Expected Arrival Date: 2015» You'll Also See It In: Nice weather, mad scientists' lairs» Future Awesomeness Rating: Simply Electrifying�Your Valuable Input�No matter how cool Apple’s upcoming products are, they’ll only be as good as what we can do with them. Here’s how we’ll interact with the future.�Touchier Mice�The mouse has plenty of life left, at least according to Microsoft. It’s produced some stellar mice over the years, but Redmond’s recent Multi Touch prototypes could be the best yet. The FTIR (Frustrated Total Internal Reflection) Mouse’s high-res camera tracks finger gestures through a curved piece of clear acrylic so you can scroll, swipe, and pinch around on the acrylic in order to manipulate onscreen objects. The Orb Mouse works on much the same principle, but offers a whole hemisphere to interact with in your hand.The shrunken Side Mouse looks more like a wrist rest than a traditional rodent--its tiny camera tracks your fingers as they move across your desk or whatever surface you happen to be working on. Best of all, these mice incorporate the Multi Touch equivalent of keyboard shortcuts to perform zooms and other common commands quickly. Cupertino, start your copiers!Microsoft's FTIR Mouse makes magic out of a high-res camera and a piece of acrylic that together create Multi Touch-style input.But the coolest input technology on the horizon for Apple’s gear lies in--big surprise--touchscreens. Future Multi Touch devices will sport haptic feedback, or the sort of physical response you’ve gotten for years from vibrating gamepads and cell phones, to help make input feel more natural. In 2011, Artificial Muscle is bringing to market its EPAM (Electroactive Polymer Artificial Muscle) technology, which tenses and relaxes touchscreens in response to input. That sounds pretty fascinating all by its lonesome, but Apple’s recent patent applications show it has something more subtle in mind--a layer inside the touchscreen that delivers vibrating feedback localized to specific onscreen buttons and switches. That level of fine-tuned feedback would make typing on the iPad’s large screen even more satisfying and could pave the way for MacBooks without physical keyboards.» Future Apple Devices: Majestic Mouse, MacBook Touch» Expected Arrival Date: 2012» You'll Also See It In: Microsoft's mice» Future Awesomeness Rating: Terrifically TactileNext page: Too Wild for Apple? >>Too Wild for Apple?�Some of these technologies may seem out there even for Apple, but yes--chuckles aside--they’re real. Besides, today’s head-scratchers could be tomorrow’s game-changers. Maybe.�Huff and Puff into the Mic�You’ve finally gotten your mind around Multi Touch, but are you ready for Multi Puff? Zyxio’s Sensawaft technology lets you control a mouse cursor, scroll through text, or do just about anything else with your electronic devices using only your breath. The assistive possibilities for disabled users are obvious and awesome, but breath control could have other, less practical uses, too. Imagine blowing into your earbuds’ microphone to control music playback, skipping an annoying voicemail with a hiss, or puffing on your iPhone to zoom in for a kill while playing your favorite shooter. Apple’s engineers could do so much with this, it’s breathtaking.�Keep Your Finger on the Pulse�An iPhone fingerprint scanner makes a lot of sense, especially considering that Apple has so many intriguing patents out on the idea. Sure, a fingerprint-savvy screen would simplify security--and make “slide to unlock” really mean something--but we like to think about the possibilities for everyday iPhone control hinted at in Apple’s patents. With the iPhone of tomorrow, specific fingers could be used for certain functions, letting you change settings without even looking at the screen. You could use your thumbprint to play a song, your index-finger print to rewind, and your middle-finger print to...er…emphatically skip a song for those tunes so bad that a one-star rating just doesn’t cut it.You might not be able to remember a passcode that unlocks your iPhone, but we're betting you'll be able to remember your fingerprint.�Project Your Ideas�Pico projectors--low-power, handheld projectors--are handy for quickie presentations or impromptu slideshows with the family. Some of them even project with RGB lasers instead of white light for a picture that’s always in focus. But the image of these mini projectors will really improve if Apple ever makes good on recent patents to integrate them into MacBooks and iPhones. Sure, you could strike up a Keynote presentation on the go with a MacBook Pico, but throwing up movies, music, iTunes visualizations, and photo albums anywhere sounds like a lot more fun.�Wii Want Our Apple TV�Motion control brought gamers flocking to the Nintendo Wii, but can it do the same for Apple TV? Someone in Cupertino must think so, judging by a patent for a Wii-like motion-controlled remote to go with Cupertino’s set-top box. Sounds good to us. Apple’s Remote iPhone app is great, but it’s always seemed very “un-Apple” to require another device to deliver a satisfying Apple TV experience. Motion control--especially with the enhanced precision and reliability brought by the floating magnetic compass noted in Apple’s patent--would be a slick solution, and not just for easier navigation. Apple’s patent also describes using the remote to draw on the screen and manipulate photos with the flick of a wrist. That could give Steve’s favorite hobby product some much-needed pizzazz to help it catch the public’s eye. After all, the day will come when Cupertino will update the Apple TV again, and when it finally does, you may not even recognize it. What can we say? We want to see the little guy make good.Next page: Patently Awesome >>Patently Awesome�Apple’s patents are tea leaves that portend what technology’s cutting edge will look like for years to come. Here are some of tomorrow’s ideas Cupertino thinks are worth protecting today.�Nine Lives, Three Dimensions�OS X is the big cat that makes Cupertino’s products tick, but it’s Apple’s hardware that usually captures the public’s attention. That oversight will finally be corrected if a patent for 3D OS X becomes a reality.The 3D in question depends on parallax, the effect by which objects appear to change their position relative to each other as a viewer’s perspective changes. By keeping tabs on your position (likely with a head tracking iSight camera), this “OS parallaX” would alter the appearance of onscreen objects to form a simulated 3D space in which you could interact with files, study 3D objects, and more. While this could open up exciting new ways to use your Mac, it would also require complex new hardware and software, so don’t count on peeking behind alert boxes anytime soon.�An iPhone Gamepad�Judging by a recent patent, the iPhone and iPod touch might have more than just high-tech improvements in their future. Thanks to a unique accessory, someday soon we may be gaming old-school--with a twist--on our Multi Touch devices.In a few years, near field communication will let your iPhone be the boss of your videogame console, TV, and even your sprinkler.We love playing games on the iPhone, but sometimes we pine for the 20th century simplicity of physical controls. Call Apple’s potential solution the “GameFrame,” a shell that fits around your iPhone to add a D-pad, buttons, and other handy moving parts to the iPhone experience. Too old-fashioned for you? The device could also communicate wirelessly with HDTVs, opening the door to big-screen App Store gaming on the go. Hero of Sparta 3 on a 40-inch flatscreen? We’re so there!�"Home Screen" Gets a New Meaning�The iPhone’s superpowers seem to be growing by the day, but you haven’t seen anything yet. In the future, you won’t think twice about using it to lock the door, turn on the lights, and even water the lawn of your personal fortress of solitude.Apple’s recent home-control patent hinges on a technology called near field communication (NFC), a short-range wireless technology that’s slower than Bluetooth while offering a much quicker pairing time. That’s just the thing to control the Xbox, DVD player, and garden-sprinkler system shown in the patent application. Unfortunately, this remote-control magic requires NFC-enabled devices that are, like the iPhone that will interact with them, years away.�Slice the Mac into Pieces�To create, sometimes you must destroy, and the most intriguing Apple patent we’ve come across yet takes apart the familiar Mac we’ve used for decades and scatters it into…well, something else. We’re not sure if what it describes is a portable computer, a desktop machine, or something in between, but we call it the “MultiMac.” And we want one.The "MultiMac" splits a Mac into its component parts, which live where you'll use them.If it was built today, MultiMac’s components--a projector display, input devices, and a CPU--would be separate components, each powered wirelessly and communicating with each other over the air from wherever you wanted them to be. You could tuck the CPU on a bookshelf, surf from the couch, and project a movie on the wall as if using one device. Apple’s focus (pardon the pun) seems to be on the projector, which would do more than just show vacation pictures. The patent describes it as a networked device with multiple sensors controlling focus, color, or even built-in cameras. What are the chances those cameras could power a 3D OS X? Hey, we can dream.Will MultiMac be a novel new computer that ties together exciting new technology, a sophisticated Keynote presentation system, or a hub to synchronize a home full of mobile devices? We’re not sure, but that’s half the fun of being a Mac fan. Only Apple knows what’s coming next, and they’re not telling…yet.�
BBC's Bill Thompson Hates Being Fingered As a Fraud

Daniel Eran DilgerIn response to the article "BBC Prints Irresponsible Rubbish on Apple," Bill Thompson wrote me explaining that he didn't like being called out on his errors. However, he failed to explain how he was accurate in his rambling diatribe assailing Apple as equal to Microsoft in anticompetitive, market monopolizing behavior.Instead, Thompson referred to me--in the plural--as "excitable Apple Zealots," as he republished my article in his blog with more of his own comments. “I don't want to sign up to your forum, however nice your art projects may be,�? he wrote me in an email. “I'll be posting this on my blog shortly, but you may like to post it too.�?According to readers, Thompson commonly doesn't post the comments they leave on his blog. At his main pulpit, there's not even a pretense of allowing readers feedback. As reader Thomas Olson noted, "What irks even more about the swill he [Bill Thompson] publishes on the BBC website, is that there is no place for public feedback, so us common folk can call BS on his rant in real time for the world to witness. BBC is still a delusional, vertical content gatekeeper, who believes they're somehow 'in tune' because they happen to have a website."Thompson is Still Wrong.I wrote Thompson back, noting that "while I don't agree in key areas, I do admire and respect your willingness to debate, and I don't intend my criticism to to come across as a personal attack."I'm not advocating an "easy ride" for other companies, including Apple. What I stated was that Thompson provided no proof for his wild assertion that Apple was as bad as Microsoft. I indicated the history of Microsoft's troubles with the EU dated back into the 90s, and even earlier in the US. Microsoft has been found guilty repeatedly, internationally; Apple has not. That should factor into Thompson's "just as bad" rhetoric.It's great that Thompson doesn't share the BBC's position on iPlayer, but my article was as much castigating the BBC as it was his article specifically. Thompson didn't even make the headline. So when I talk about the problems of the BBC, he can't take it personally. However, using the BBC as his mouthpiece, and the BBC using him as a way to deliver the message that Microsoft's problems are really common and nothing out of the ordinary and that Apple is doing deceptive, anticompetitive things... are both still examples of hypocrisy. It's a bit like hearing from FOX News that other countries terrorize their citizens and propagandize fascism.The iPod Changes That Break the Third Party Apps.Apple doesn't publish a third party API for the iPod's file system details, nor does it describe the iPod as an open platform. Windows does, yet Microsoft breaks third parties' software to establish its own dominance in new markets. This happened with Office apps, web browsers, media players, developer tools, etc. This is not the same thing as Apple being popular with the iPod. Pretending there is an open market and yet running it as a monopoly is not the same thing as selling a unique, closed product that may be popular.If BMW refined their vehicles in a way that required aftermarket car stereo companies to adapt their products to fit its new cars, you'd have a situation similar to Apple's iPod change for Linux. However, if one company owned the entire market for all vehicles on the road, and decided to destroy the market for car stereos and take that over itself, you'd have Microsoft. There is no similarity here.This Depends On How You See Lock-In.Thompson wrote, "This depends on how you see lock-in: if I can't play music I buy from iTMS, something I'm encouraged to do at many points in my use of iTunes, on any other player, or use any other jukebox than ITunes with my iPod, then once I've made my initial choice to have an iPod I am in an Apple ecoystem that I can only extract myself from with some effort. It's not absolute - IBM mainframe users also had a choice back in the 70's. It just wasn't a realistic chouce. [sic]"Wrong again. You can play purchased music by burning a CD, or directly using iTunes Plus non-DRM music. The problem with DRM is a issue of the music labels, not an iTunes lock in issue. Thompson is again repeating a myth. Jobs railed against DRM, then fought for weak restrictions to appease labels, and is now pushing labels to make music downloads as easy to use as CDs with DRM-free downloads.Thompson doesn't understand what's involved, and ended up making false comparisons. What other source for open music is there? WMA is locked down Windows-only tight (like the BBC's iPlayer), MP3 music is only available from indie labels. You can't get open music downloads from any of the big labels representing popular music apart from EMI's iTunes Plus. By repeating false information, Thompson only serves to cloud reality and turn back the clock.[Top Myths of 2006 - Myth 4: The iTunes Monopoly Myth]I Am Not A Crook!Thompson wrote, "I don't like being accused of being a liar, and that sort of comment undermines any other points you may be trying to make." Well then, he shouldn't represent himself as an expert, while publishing web rumors he doesn't really understand. It's not my fault he is misrepresenting the truth. That's what a lie is. If the truth "undermines points I make," doesn't he understand that lying undermines points he may be trying to make?In weeping over being called on his false comment, Thompson neglected to answer the fact that purchased tracks from iTunes can be effortlessly burned to CD for use on other players, following the most liberal and open fair use rights in the industry. Incidentally, feigning outrage is no way to answer criticism unless your position is indefensibly wrong.What about the supposed iPod accessory lock-in? Apple's dock connector isn't an ISO standard, but there isn't an ISO standard for a connector that pairs USB, Firewire, audio and video on the same cable. At the same time, the dock connector cable is standardized and documented, it does not change with every model, and there is no DRM on it that prevents anyone from building compatible cables. So he's wrong, there's no lock in involved.The Ringtones Monopoly.Thompson suggested I was being hypocritical for noting that "Apple sells ringtones and doesn't support homebrew attempts to copy ringtones to the iPhone. Yes, this is unfortunate. Users shouldn't face limitations from using their own song clips, and they shouldn't have to pay extra to carve out a ringtone from songs they purchased or already own. However, this isn't entirely Apple's decision because it has to answer to the labels. It's also not illegal, and it has nothing to do with anticompetitive monopoly dominance of the music industry."A contradiction? I agree that ringtones are an unnecessarily complex legal issue, and that customers are being held up by the labels' overbearing demands. But Thompson calling Apple's move anticompetitive or an establishment of a monopoly is uninformed sensationalism. Apple's ringtone prices are a fraction of any other providers, and while Apple did cave to their demands over preventing users from easily copying over their own, it did so to win a more significant battle to open up music, not to limit the market or establish more control.Thompson misrepresented ringtones as being something similar to Internet Explorer or Windows Media Player, as if Apple is muscling into a new market to dominate it using an existing monopoly. The assertion is silly and uninformed. Apple doesn't make significant profits on its music sales, including ringtones. Further, Apple isn't in the ringtone making business, and has no obligation to facilitate this for users, just as it has no good reason to lose a fight with movie studios over the overbearing laws that prevent legal ripping of DVDs.[Apple's iTunes Ringtones and the Complex World of Copyright Law]Bundling, Price Fixing, and Monopoly Tying.Thompson can criticize Apple's business model, but calling it a way to expand market dominance is an error of simpleton logic. It's really the opposite: an opportunity for rivals to compete against the iPhone by offering a nicer way to play "My Humps" when their phones ring. So far, the US ringtone industry revolves around $2.50 - $3.00 clips that expire after several months.Thompson suggested I forward this defense to Microsoft for its Windows Media Player bundling. How does he not understand this? Apple competes against other mobile makers and other mobile providers in an open market. Microsoft does not compete in an open market. It holds a monopoly in PC operating systems acquired illegally using anticompetitive and anti-consumer tactics. It is now using its monopolies to expand into new markets. Apple is not. Apple has not created a monopoly in MP3 players any more than Symbian has a monopoly in mobile phone software. There is a functioning market for both; so if Apple does something consumers don't like--such as charging 99 cents for a ringtone, competitors can go elsewhere... but they'll have to pay $3 for one that expires after a year from Verizon, or roll their own solution. Or set their iPhone to vibrate.Windows Media Player does not compete in an open market; it's tied to a monopoly product that exercises complete control over the PC desktop. There are no options for most users. Linux isn't a viable option for the majority of desktop users because of the Office monopoly and file incompatibilities, and the exclusive OEM contracts with PC makers Microsoft uses to support its Windows monopoly.Ringtones are a consumer feature, not a significant, competitive industrial market being threatened with monopolistic takeover, as is the case with media playback and servers, or web browsing and servers, or office productivity application software. Fantasies of Cheap Cables and iTunes on Linux.Thompson wrote, "just as I can go into Game and buy a cheaper third party Xbox cable or controller that has not been authorised by Microsoft so I expect to be able to buy less expensive iPod accessories and if I can't then I see an indication of an attitude towards the market that worries me."But that's wrong; you can buy iPod accessories at any price from a variety of vendors, even no name ones. Compare the price of Xbox cables to what Apple itself sells, then go find even cheaper stuff. There's no monopoly position in iPod accessories because there is no real barrier for competition, as there very much is on the Windows PC desktop. Again, cable manufacturing isn't similar to the media broadcasting industry or the office software market.He suggests freeware alternatives to iTunes might solve world peace or help one achieve Nirvana, but that's irrelevant. Apple doesn't owe anyone a free ride because there is not a free market around "iPod player jukebox software," just as there is no free market surrounding "engines in BMWs" or other component parts of products. I can't go buy a new BMW with whatever third party engine I want, even if I think I want one that does things that BMW's wouldn't offer.In contrast, Microsoft claimed all along that Windows was an open platform, and PCs were sold as an open market for software. That's very different. If Microsoft faced real competition on the desktop, it could bundle anything it wanted to. But it does not, so it can’t.You can't say, 'if Microsoft can't bundle WMP, that must mean Apple can't offer iTunes either;" it's a false comparison because Apple didn't kill off competitors with twenty years of backstabbing and anticompetitive practices, and does not operate a monopoly. You can buy alternatives to the iPod from Creative, Sony, Microsoft, HP, SanDisk and lots of others. You can not effectively buy commercial alternatives to Windows due a variety of barriers in the market.Thompson Advocates Real Network's DRM.Defending his comment that "when it comes to music downloads it [Apple] is just as bad as Microsoft on servers," Thompson wrote, "the behaviour towards Real was appalling and remains indefensible. They [Apple] broke Harmony [Real's Helix DRM] because they could and because they wanted to lock competitors out - what other spin can you put on it?"There is no open market for selling iPod DRM content. Apple said some silly things in the Real squabble ("tactics of a hacker" was particularly stupid) but Real had no right to sell DRM music for the iPod. Apple only forced them to sell open content, and anyone can still sell open content that plays on the iPod, as eMusic does. Defending Real's DRM is just another example of Thompson not getting it.Paul Thurrott is similarly upset that Apple can't be forced to license Windows Media DRM, allowing Microsoft a free ride on the iPod in its efforts to spread its own viciously anti-consumer media software platform. Apple doesn't have to serve the whims of two companies that failed in the marketplace because they tried to exploit consumers and found that their user base ran off to greener pastures.The EU Courts and IP.The EU certainly should fix the problems of the music business in its countries, and demand fair use provisions from music and media providers as I noted. However, trying to spin the complex situation off as proof that Apple is anything like Microsoft is not only disingenuous, it's an outright lie. Using a bunch of half-baked, ignorant web rumors to support a position that Apple should just allow anything and everything is also dishonest.Thompson maintains that's not what he said, writing, "I want Apple to play fair (get the joke?), to be open about interfaces and file structures and to compete in an open market for music players and jukeboxes, because I actually think we will all benefit and even Apple will end up making better, sharper products and making more money."It's fine to criticize Apple over an open source ideology, but Thompson needs to accurately represent himself as a Cory Doctorow waving a communism flag; don't pretend to be defending free markets and attacking monopolization while at the same time insisting that Apple hand away all of its intellectual property to competitors and write anti-iTunes software for the community. Thompson pretends to celebrate the success of an innovative company whilst inciting a communist revolution against it, using the jingoism of busting the trust of monopoly powers that don’t exist. What do you think? I really like to hear from readers. Comment in the Forum or email me with your ideas. Like reading RoughlyDrafted? Share articles with your friends, link from your blog, and subscribe to my podcast! Submit to Reddit or Slashdot, or consider making a small donation supporting this site. Thanks!
BBC Prints Irresponsible Rubbish on Apple

Daniel Eran DilgerThe BBC has joined the London tabloid press in printing a series of articles skewering Apple over invented suppositions based entirely upon misinformed speculation and some outright lies. The worst part is that the BBC is being grossly hypocritical in its misinformation campaign against Apple, because the company is up to its eyeballs in the Microsoft-encrusted scandal surrounding its proprietary, Windows-only iPlayer imbroglio.[UK Tabloids Pick Up Zoon Awards for Technical Incompetence]Beyond Spin: Bill Thompson Wades Through BBC Hypocrisy to Spread False Information.It's bad enough that the BBC needs to bend facts to support fear, uncertainty and doubt about the iPhone. Now consider that the BBC--as a public corporation funded by British TV license taxes--is building its web video strategy on failed, proprietary technology propped up by an internationally convicted monopolist. At the same time, its publishing a uninformed rant based on speculation and conjecture that accuses Apple of doing things that approach the gravity of its own activities.This hypocrisy slows from the words of Bill Thompson, who followed the crowd in reporting that Microsoft's failed appeal in its EU monopoly case says less about Microsoft's established, anticompetitive practices spanning the last thirty years than it does about Apple's iPod popularity over the last five. Thompson weeps for Microsoft because "its every move is examined for evidence that it might be making life difficult for its rivals," while noting that "some of its competitors seem to get a very easy ride." One might expect the BBC to make excuses for the crimes of its iPlayer partner as it giggly walks lockstep with Microsoft in using the company’s proprietary and Windows-only DRM for video distribution of its publicly funded content.[BBC's iPlayer's Prospects Looking Bleak - Slashdot]Thompson's Specious Attack on Apple."The best example of this [easy ride] is Apple," Thompson announced, because the company got so much coverage for the iPhone despite it being "closed, locked down and restricted." Actually that's not a good example at all, because Apple doesn't have a market monopoly in mobiles. Apple has also never been convicted of monopolistic behaviors in the UK, the EU, or the US because it doesn't have a monopoly and doesn’t act to stop competition the way Microsoft has. Thompson admits that the iPhone doesn't leverage monopoly control among mobiles, but says "the situation is very different" in the area of music players and music downloads. What is this very different situation?"Apple has spent much time trying to ensure that anyone who buys an iPod is completely locked in to an Apple-centred world," Thompson wrote, "in which they use iTunes, buy from the iTunes Music Store, purchase only Apple-certified iPod accessories and, ideally, abandon their plans to migrate from Windows XP to Vista and instead purchase a shiny new iMac." Yes, Apple does want to sell Macs and serve its customers. However, it's simply a lie to say that iPod users are "locked into" anything, let alone being harmed by not being able to migrate to Vista, which Apple actually supports on the iPod and iTunes.Users are not locked into iTunes Music Store purchases; recall that the wags like to point out that a tiny minority of the music on iPods is purchased from iTunes and the vast majority comes from ripped CDs. Purchased tracks from iTunes can also be effortlessly burned to CD for use other other players, following the most liberal and open fair use rights in the industry. Thompson simply lied. Saying that iPod users are locked into Apple-certified iPod accessories is also not true at all. Apple tries to earn licensing revenue from putting a "made for iPod" logo on devices in the same way Nintendo puts its "seal of approval" on its games, but anyone can deliver iPod accessories, and there's no way for Apple to stop headphones and boomboxes from working with the iPod. Thompson lied again. His first idea was that iPod users are locked into iTunes. Yes, Apple sets up a system that's easy to use out of the box, but users aren't forced to use it. The iPod can be used with a variety of other applications, or even wiped clean and used with completely alternative firmware like RockBox. Again, Thompson just lied.[Time for Apple to face the music? - BBC NEWS]Thompson Lies Some More: Ringtones.In order to jump from lying about the iPod with generalities and get into specifics, Thompson announced, "the recent launch of the new range of iPods, including the video Nano and the iPod Touch, has shown just how far Apple is willing to go to make life difficult for its users in order to shore up its dominant position in the market for music players and downloads." He backed up his claim by browsing for some sensationalist headlines, doing zero fact checking, and then printing his findings with an enraptured spin that is simply shameful hypocrisy coming from anyone working for the BBC.First, Thompson complains, Apple now sells ringtones and doesn't support homebrew attempts to copy ringtones to the iPhone. Yes, this is unfortunate. Users shouldn't face limitations from using their own song clips, and they shouldn't have to pay extra to carve out a ringtone from songs they purchased or already own. However, this isn't entirely Apple's decision because it has to answer to the labels. It's not illegal, and it has nothing to do with anticompetitive monopoly dominance of the music industry. It's really the opposite: an opportunity for rivals to compete against the iPhone by offering a nicer way to play "My Humps" when their phones ring. So far, the US ringtone industry revolves around $2.50 - $3.00 clips that expire after several months. Thompson lied with a half story and a false premise that do nothing to support the idea that Apple has a monopoly.[Apple's iTunes Ringtones and the Complex World of Copyright Law]Thompsons Lies Some More: Video Output.His second proof that Apple is "shoring up its dominant position" is that "it seems that the new generation of iPods will not output video through cables or docks that aren't Apple authorized and have a specific 'authentication' chip." It seems? Why doesn't Thompson point out that he read some high pitched conspiracy theory about why older cables and docks don't work with the new models, and is presenting it as a proof of anticompetitive, monopolist behavior without even checking the claim out?The reality is that all the new iPods continue to support the same docks as they did, but their video output has changed due to using different hardware. The Nano and Classic continue to work with old docks and cables, while the Touch and the iPhone will require a new dock connector cable because they now output both composite and component video. They work differently; no conspiracy, no spy authentication chips. The iPhone and the latest generation of iPods will work via a dock connector cable without a dock unit, so there's no chip involved. Even if there were, it would not be illegal for Apple to sell proprietary cables such as those that come with the Xbox, the Zune, the Palm Pilot, and most every music player and mobile phone on the market. The only difference is that Apple has kept its dock connector the same over the last several years so that iPod customers can reuse their old cables. Even if Thompson doesn't understand the issues and didn't bother to look into it, presenting false information as facts to support an idea that they do not support is still a lie. [An in-depth iPod Touch review: Video output differences - AppleInsider]Thompsons Lies Some More: Linux Music Management."The nastiest little change is to the iTunes library itself," Thompson wrote. Apple made minor changes to the metadata database used on the iPod. When this change broke unauthorized music management software, some Linux advocates announced press releases saying Apple was persecuting them and trampling their rights to use the iPod. It turned out that the outcry was simply overwrought, and that a fix was easy to deliver. What Apple had really done was improve how the iPod stores its data so that it would be less susceptible to file corruption. Apple doesn't officially support the small minority of people who use the iPod with Linux or alternatives to iTunes on other platforms, so it bears no accountability for fixing their homebrew software when it makes changes to its products. It might be valid to complain that Apple should offer such support, but ignoring Linux has no relationship to establishing a monopoly or market dominance. If Apple was offering a locked in, anti-consumer product, it wouldn't have open source users buying its product in the first place. Unlike the Xbox and Zune, Apple doesn't stop users from installing Linux or RockBox on their iPods, a difference Thompson can’t seem to grasp. Thompson admitted that Apple "will not limit copying or restrict attempts to strip digital rights management code from tracks" and "will not stop people adding non-DRM files they have downloaded from the internet to their library," but then jumped at the opportunity to speculate that Apple is shutting out Linux users, as if Apple would prefer Linux users to either install Windows or buy a music player elsewhere. Which scenario helps Apple "maintain music dominance?" It's an inane argument.Irresponsible Open Source Mouths.Remember when the EFF irresponsibly announced its speculation that Apple was stuffing megabytes of personal information into iTunes tracks? It later recanted, but didn't apologize for the false accusation. The fact that open source advocates are quick to fire out accusations but commonly shrug off any accountability for what they say makes their comments very hard to take seriously. Thompson's uncritical, uninformed parroting of such accusations is not only stomach churning, but egregious given the BBC's wholehearted support for a video distribution system that unilaterally forces people to use Windows to access content that is not available elsewhere, as iTunes music is.Thompson keeps going, castigating Apple for stopping Real from selling its own flavor of DRM that promised support for the iPod, and impugning Apple for supposedly having "business practices do not stand up to scrutiny." Thompson added, "when it comes to music downloads it [Apple] is just as bad as Microsoft on servers."Oh really? Do you have to pay Apple client access licenses for the right to connect your iPod to iTunes or to access the Music Store? Does your music die after three plays or three days? Do you have no choice in the market for MP3 players apart from devices that run the iPod firmware or use Apple’s iTunes software? Equating Apple with Microsoft would be foolish for anyone to do, let alone some misinformed, generalizing, sensationalist wag writing for a public corporation that ties its video downloads to Microsoft's Windows-only DRM.Thompson's Faulty Conclusion to a Shoddy Article.The great model of interoperability, Thompson points out, is Microsoft's PowerPoint. That's because Apple was able to deliver Keynote with PowerPoint compatibility. "Apple can sell Keynote because it took PowerPoint apart and figured out how the files work," Thompson explained.Perhaps Thompson doesn't get it: Apple's ability to maintain compatibility with PowerPoint is just as tenuous as Linux users' ability to make iTunes-compatible song management software for the iPod. Microsoft doesn't support standards in PowerPoint. It uses a crufty, weird, undocumented, proprietary format that changes with every release. That's why the industry is aligning behind Open Document as an international standard, and why Microsoft stuffed ballots in Cuba, Azerbaijan, and Sweden to fast track the establishment of its own proprietary formats as a false "standard" without having to answer the concerns of worldwide standards organizations who overwhelmingly determined that Microsoft's OOXML format was problematic and technically inferior.Oblivious to all this, Thompson announced, "had Apple been unable to do so [reverse engineer the proprietary PowerPoint format], or found that every time it figured out what was happening Microsoft changed the format, it would have complained loudly." Apparently Thompson has been paying no attention to technology over the last two decades as the world community has complained about Microsoft's doing just that.[Office Wars 3 - How Microsoft Got Its Office Monopoly][Office Wars 4 - Microsoft’s Assault on Lotus, IBM][Myth 4: The iTunes Monopoly Myth]The reason Microsoft was on trial in the EU dates back to complaints filed in 1998. The independent US monopoly trial followed up on earlier complaints from the FTC and Department of Justice. Similar complaints haven't ever been filed about Apple's iPod business, but rather only about the arcane, territorial pricing of music established by the big labels, most of whom are owned and managed by European companies.The EU certainly should fix the problems of the music business in its countries, and demand fair use provisions from music and media providers. However, trying to spin the complex situation off as proof that Apple is anything like Microsoft is not only disingenuous, it's an outright lie. Using a bunch of half-baked, ignorant web rumors to support a position that Apple should just allow anything and everything is also dishonest. Doing all of this speciously false complaining while standing on the Microsoft-enamored soapbox of the BBC just makes Thompson look even more incompetent and clueless about the reality around him. What do you think? I really like to hear from readers. Comment in the Forum or email me with your ideas. Like reading RoughlyDrafted? Share articles with your friends, link from your blog, and subscribe to my podcast! Submit to Reddit or Slashdot, or consider making a small donation supporting this site. Thanks!
Internet, schminternet

I am baffled by the Google-Verizon agreement on nonnet-nonneutrality. I'm mostly baffled by why Google would put its name to this. What does it gain? As I see it, the agreement makes two huge carve-outs to neutrality and regulation of the internet: mobile and anything new. So ol, grandpa internet may chug along giving us YouTube videos of flaming cats, but you want to get that while you're out of your house? Well, that's the nonnet. I can hear the customer “service” rep explaining this to us: “Oh, no, sir. That's not offered on the internet. That's on the schminternet.” You want something new? Anything created after 2010? “Schminternet, sir.” And transparency in essence creates a third carve-out: So long as the phone company tells you it's screwing your bits, it's ok. But wait. Mobile is the internet. Mobile will very soon become a meaningless word when — well, if telcos allow it, that is — we are connected everywhere all the time. Then who cares where you are? Mobile? doesn't matter. You're just connected. In your car, in your office, in your bedroom, on the street. You're connected. To what? To the internet, damnit. “No, sir, I told you, the schminternet.” Besides, Google itself proposed using the broadcast white spaces to create “wi-fi on steroids,” enabling us to do anything we could imagine and creating the competition that is the only real solution to net neutrality, competition that would force telcos to provide open, fast, reliable service at a decent price or we go elsewhere, competition that could even — oh, if only — put a few telcos and even cable companies out of business. Good, old, American competition. That was where Google's interests were supposed to lie: the more we use the internet, they say, the more money they make. White-space steroid wi-fi would get us to use the internet more. But that would be new. “Schminternet.”. Grrrr. “Sir, sir, if I could interrupt you. We do offer the things you want. Let me connect you to a sales representative for our schminternet department. She will be glad to explain the fees, limitations, and regulations to you. I'll be putting you on hold now….” : LATER: In my tweet, I called this a Munich Pact. Netizens are now citizens of the Sudentenland. Just as Czechoslovakia was not invited to its cutting apart, so were we not invited to Google and Verizon's parlays. But the internet is ours, not yours, Verizon and Google. This is why we need our Bill of Rights in Cyberspace. As the Google-China drama played out, I said that Google was acting, against its own desire, as our ambassador to China and other nations. I said that's not good for us, as Google has its own interests and they don't necessarily align with ours. Google is a corporation. (And I've just scored a point for Siva in the debate we hope to have at SXSW about whether companies have to be evil or can be good.) So as after China, I will argue that it is up to us to create our own principles so we can point corporations and government at them. Otherwise, they will take over our land without us at the table. Pass the sauerkraut, Herr Chamberlain. : AND: I now own Schminternet.net. What should I do with it? Something new, of course. : QUESTIONS: So If I take an iPhone or iPad away from my home and its wi-fi and start using cellular spectrum, is that the internet or the schminternet? If you launch, say, a new video university, because it's new, is that internet or schminternet? And if it's schminternet, do I have to negotiate with each carrier to carry it? Who gets to say it's new? Me or them? Who gets to say what the limit is of the service I would get on the old, plain internet, forcing me to us and pay for the schminternet? Oh, and I really still do not get Google's interest in playing this role. OK, folks now it's time for your conspiracy theories.
How to Use Your Mac and Your iPhone to Completely Automate Your Home

Modernize your home and simplify your life with these painless products and strategies that automate your house, apartment, castle, or whatever keeps the roof over your head.� �Illustrations by Hanoch Piven Still using jagged little strips of metal to unlock your front door? Paying someone to feed your pets while you’re away for a weekend? Then it’s time to truly enter the second decade of the 21st century. Setting up home-control automation that runs from your Mac and iPhone is surprisingly simple, and the results can feel like magic. We kick things off with a primer that takes the hassle and jargon out of home control, then dive straight into showing you the best possibilities for managing your home’s lights, entertainment, security, and loads more. Just wait until you check out the washing machine that tweets when it’s finished a load…�What Exactly is Home Control?�You might’ve also heard it called “home automation,” and you might be a bit reluctant to slog through all the jargon and devices that the phrase brings to mind. But really, it’s simple. There are two types of home-control systems: the fantasy technology you see at Disney’s Tomorrowland and the gear you can actually deploy in the real world. Unfortunately, manufacturers of home-control systems have overpromised and under-delivered for so many years that many people have just stopped listening.Good news: It’s safe to start listening again. There’s still a yawning chasm between fantasy and reality--we’re a long way from having a robot butler greet us with our smoking jacket and a perfectly muddled mojito as we step out of our flying car. But we can manage nearly every system in and around the home: lighting, heating and cooling, home theater, security, even irrigation.Why bother? Home-control systems are appealing for many reasons: They deliver unparalleled convenience and efficiency, they add value to your home, they strengthen your home’s physical security, and they help reduce your impact on the environment. With the right tools, you can monitor and manage all your home systems whether you’re on the couch, in the car, or at work. We’ll discuss those specific applications in the following pages, but first, it’s important to begin with an overview of the basics. Which home-control standard do you want to use? There are four major ecosystems to choose from, and naturally, they’re mutually exclusive (at least for the time being)…�X10/Insteon�Introduced by Pico Electronics way back in the 1970s, X10 is the granddaddy of home-control technology. The passage of time and the long absence of significant competition helped X10 amass the largest installed base of any home-control technology, despite a reputation for being as reliable as a British sports car from the same era.X10 devices use a primitive form of power-line networking, meaning commands travel over your home’s existing electrical wiring. The X10 protocol doesn’t include a feedback loop, so there’s no way for devices sending commands to know whether those commands have been received and executed. The technology is also highly susceptible to electrical noise, which X10 devices sometimes interpret as valid commands. This can result not only in false negatives (a light or an appliance doesn’t turn on or off in response to a command), but also false positives (turning on or off in the absence of a command).Insteon, developed by SmartLabs (a major distributor of X10 products) in 2001, builds and improves on the X10 protocol without rendering X10 devices obsolete. Like the ZigBee and Z-Wave standards we’ll discuss next, every node on the Insteon network is capable of receiving information and passing on the command to the next node if it’s not the intended target. Unlike those two standards, Insteon devices use both radio frequencies (RF) and power lines to communicate (this retains X10 compatibility and reaches devices where radio waves can’t penetrate).SmartLabs' Insteon uses radio frequencies and power lines to communicate.SmartLabs maintains its own online retail operation and sells directly to the do-it-yourself market. The Insteon ecosystem is extremely robust in terms of the systems it can manage. You can buy plug-in and in-the-wall lighting controls; thermostats; motion, door, and window sensors; irrigation controllers; and more. Third-party support is very good in some respects and surprisingly limited in others. For instance, you’ll find a number of Mac software controllers (see below), but none of the major lighting-control manufacturers in the U.S. (Cooper Wiring Devices, GE, Intermatic, or Leviton) build Insteon-compatible switches, dimmers, or receptacles.Insteon’s failure to gain support from other manufacturers will likely limit its long-term prospects. The development of a bridge (a device capable of translating commands from one standard to another) would save Insteon customers from getting hosed if the market ultimately embraces one of the other competing standards. �ZigBee�ZigBee is the only home-control specification based on an IEEE standard (IEEE is the leading standards organization for device manufacturers; you’ve likely heard of its 802.11 standard for wireless networking). And you might think ZigBee’s designation as an international standard would automatically render it the marketplace winner (after all, how many wireless-networking products buck 802.11?), but far fewer ZigBee products are available to the do-it-yourself crowd than either Insteon or Z-Wave.Part of the problem is that early versions of the ZigBee standard didn’t guarantee interoperability; companies were allowed to develop products that worked only within their own proprietary systems. ZigBee does have a strong presence in the energy-consumption and -management market, where it’s embedded in thermostats inside the home and in utility smart meters outside it. One of the largest home-control manufacturers, Control4, builds complete ZigBee-based systems; but you must acquire it from a contractor who will handle the installation (charging you handsomely and limiting your expansion options in the process).Few ZigBee devices are sold at retail today, and none of the Mac home-control software programs we looked at are capable of operating a ZigBee network yet. Still, ZigBee’s status as an IEEE standard carries a lot of weight, and that could make it a major contender down the road.�Z-Wave�Z-Wave is a proprietary wireless home-control standard developed by Zensys, and it enjoys robust support from more third-party manufacturers than either Insteon or ZigBee. Cooper, GE, Intermatic, and Leviton offer comprehensive Z-Wave lighting controls; Wayne-Dalton builds garage-door openers; Schlage manufactures door locks; and so on.Control your home's temperature with this Z-Wave thermostat from Trane. You can buy nearly all these products at retail, but Wayne-Dalton’s HousePort and TrickleStar’s Z-Wave widget are the only Mac-compatible home-control programs we’re aware of, and they’re both very rudimentary. But Z-Wave has gathered more industry-wide momentum than either Insteon or ZigBee (including a critical endorsement from Intel), which could help it become the eventual home-control standard. Hybrid ZigBee/Z-Wave systems are also an option--Control4, for instance, introduced a bridge device late last year that enables its ZigBee system to control Z-Wave devices. Handy.�The Future Awaits… �Even more good news: There’s no need to make a decision just yet. In the next few pages, we’ll outline the most useful automation options for everything from automatically turning on your lights to amazingly simple webcam security to streaming video servers. Once you decide what’s right for your home, refer back to this primer to decide which hardware standard and corresponding software is right for you. Then it’s time to get your DIY on… even if doing it yourself amounts to Googling “professional home automation installers.”�Home-Control Software�You'll need to manage your entire home-control system by running software on your Mac that "talks" to your various interfaced devices. The major software players are:Indigo: Perceptive Automation’s Indigo Lite ($89.95) is compatible with Insteon and X10 modules, but not ZigBee or Z-Wave. It includes both a built-in web server and client/server architecture, so you can control the entire system locally or remotely. You can also schedule events (turn on the outside lights at dusk), set up triggers (send an email message if a door sensor is activated; monitor and program your Insteon thermostat), and more. Indigo Pro ($179.95) adds a host of advanced features, such as voice-command response. You can also control Indigo with your iPhone using the free app Indigo Touch.Indigo's software enables you to control your system remotely.XTension: Sand Hill Engineering’s XTension ($149.95) is compatible with X10 devices, several RF and niche interfaces, and certain wireless weather-monitoring products manufactured by Oregon Scientific. A technically savvy audience--even home automation contractors--will find a lot to like, but the software doesn’t support ZigBee, Z-Wave, or Insteon modules, which is… odd.Thinking Home: Always Thinking’s Thinking Home ($79) works with X10 and Insteon modules, but not ZigBee or Z-Wave devices. It’s not as sophisticated as Indigo, but it covers the basics and boasts an easy-to-learn user interface. �Next Page: Lights, Power, Heating, Actions! >>Utilities: Lights, Power, Heating, Actions!�Play puppetmaster with your home's utilities from your Mac and iPhone, and reap the benefits of convenience and efficiency.�Light Your Way�Lighting automation puts the “utilitarian” into home-utility automation. These upgrades are flashy only on a literal level; you probably won’t go bragging to coworkers about how your House of the Future can turn its lights on and off. But these techniques form the foundation of home automation and make a great place to kick things off.For starters, try teaching your house to turn on the lights as you pull into the driveway. In addition to a basic home-control setup with Mac software and a hardware interface, you can add driveway-sensor modules ($169.99) or an automation-savvy garage-door retrofit ($71.99). Or just get a new garage-door opener ($189) with a Z-Wave interface to both control and monitor the door. With your Mac software, you can then build an if-then script that ties into your home lighting. If a car pulls into the driveway, activate the exterior house lighting. If you open the garage door, turn on the entryway lights inside.XTension lets you graphically assign icons that match your home setting.More sensors can create additional options. An outdoor motion sensor with floodlights ($54.88) can turn on when someone passes by. Your Mac could then log the time it happened and snap a webcam picture of your yard.You can take the process indoors, activating room lighting based on a motion sensor ($34.99). Full indoor automation can be harder since you might want to lounge around, but sitting without moving would turn the lights off. Still, it can work well in certain situations, such as lighting up a party as it moves around into different rooms.�Control Utilities and Devices Over the Internet�Most home automation software can connect online, letting you control devices from anywhere. Cancel your sprinkler schedule on a rainy day, open the shades in your teenager’s room at noon, adjust your thermostat when away, and otherwise tap into your setup over the Internet. Indigo and Thinking Home (see above for details) enable a web server within the automation interface. XTension uses an optional plug-in, X2Web ($39.95), to connect online.Indigo Touch, a free iPhone app, lets you change home-heating conditions from wherever you are. You could also remotely connect to an online Mac and control the whole computer as if you were sitting at home, directly using the automation software of your choice. Several remote-access tools enable this approach, including GoToMyPC ($19.95/month) and LogMeIn Free (free). LogMeIn even offers an iPhone version of the app, LogMeIn Ignition ($29.99). Or if you’re on MobileMe ($99/year), the Back to My Mac feature does the same thing. These tools might also be easier alternatives to setting up online components in the automation software because you shouldn’t have to make special network configurations on your home router to allow access.Open-ended plugs, such as the EZ102X4 (top) and the ApplianceLink V2, let you connect any device to your automation network.And many iPhone apps offer another way to connect to your hardware over the Internet. Indigo Touch (free) is a companion for that desktop software. Otherwise, just search for “X10,” “Insteon,” or “home automation” to browse the App Store. Be sure to read the requirements closely--some interface with software on your home Mac, while others talk directly to certain Internet-enabled automation controllers.�Create Your Own Animal House�You can more easily take good care of your pets in an automated house, especially if you’re coming home late or taking a short vacation. Some hardware ties directly into your setup, while you might have to creatively hack other devices.For occasional meals, consider an internet-connected device, such as the Petwatch feeder ($269.99). The hardware includes a webcam so you can view your pet wherever you are.With this Petwatch feeder, you can watch and feed your pets remotely.If you’re technically minded--or you can draft someone who is--get creative with other home automation devices for great pet combinations. Some pet doors unlock when Fido or Whiskers get close; their collars hold a key. For one option, try a Solo Pet Door ($395 and up). This device retracts when it senses a magnet that your pet wears.We couldn’t track down any pet doors that talk to home automation systems, but you can combine a door like this with your own sensors. Add a proximity sensor and webcam to track and record your pet movement; you could even have your Mac email or SMS a picture. If you add a power relay to the mix, such as the EZIO2X4 ($134.99) or Insteon ApplianceLink V2 ($34.99), you can lock the door remotely. Maybe you want to give your pets access depending on the time of day. Or you could lock the door after a cat returns from a night of carousing. (There’re loads of creative options out there; for a few more, see Top Ten Wonders of the Home Automation World below.)�Use Home Control To Live Greener�A home-control system can also help you to reduce your carbon footprint and use previous resources more efficiently. Here are six ways to get started:>> Rather than leaving your exterior lights on all day so your home isn’t dark when you get home, retrofit your light switches and use home-control software to turn them on when the sun sets.>> Conserve water by installing programmable sprinkler controllers that can adjust their irrigation schedules in response to weather conditions and forecasts.>> Create a vacation “scene” that turns your HVAC system off while you’re away. The system can also turn various lights on in the evening and off at night, using a randomized pattern that will fool prospective thieves into thinking the house is occupied.>> Install a programmable thermostat that turns your climate-control system off 30 minutes before you leave and 30 minutes before you’re scheduled to return home. Use your iPhone to remotely update the routine should your plans change.>> Reduce your electrical consumption and improve your media-room ambience by installing a dimmer that brings down the lights when you press Play on your remote control.>> Add an Insteon-enabled 220-volt control to your current high-voltage electrical appliances, such as a water heater (a notorious energy-waster), and conserve money and power by shutting them down during the day or when you’re away from home for extended periods.�Next Page: Become Master of All You Survey >> Security: Become Master of All You Survey�You install software updates to keep your Mac and iPhone secure. Let them return the favor by keeping tabs on your home while you're away.�Keep an iSight on Things�Mac has a built-in iSight--or almost any QuickTime-compatible camera attached--you’re one step away from a surveillance system. All you need is software like Security Spy ($50) or EvoCam ($30), and you’re in the counterespionage business. Each application records pictures and video to your Mac continuously, according to schedules you define, or when it detects motion in a camera’s field of view. Just launch the app, point your iSight where you expect snoops to sneak (like a doorway or maybe the desk holding your plans for world domination), then leave your computer running. When the camera picks up movement, the software can start recording, email you a photo of the suspicious event, or alert the Mac running your home automation system to trigger a larger security plan. If you’re more curious than concerned, both applications can upload pictures to an FTP site and serve video to the internet, letting you view your camera’s feed from a browser. You can even log in remotely and tweak your security camera’s settings.EvoCam's surveillance system indulges your counterespionage fantasies.An iSight or webcam is fine for a small room, but Security Spy and EvoCam can monitor and control multiple video sources simultaneously. If your need to know extends to several rooms or even outdoors, you’ll want to weave a larger web of spies... er, cameras.�Expand Your Horizons�Stepping up from a single-camera system doesn’t have to be difficult. The same software and principles apply; you’ll just add additional cameras, video servers, or network cameras to view and control it all from a central Mac. Video servers send footage from multiple cameras to your wired or wireless network. If your cameras are digital, other Macs running surveillance software can do the job of the server. But if you’re using analog cameras like Q-See’s night-vision-capable QSC48030 ($199.99), you’ll want a dedicated server like Axis’ 240Q ($499.99) to digitize the signals so they can be seen by your Mac.Monitor from afar with Axis's 214 PTZ camera.Network cameras have built-in web servers that can join networks without the need for extra gear. A wide range of network cameras is available for every budget, from Panasonic’s webcam-style, 802.11g-enabled BL-C131A ($299.95) to the Axis 214 PTZ ($1299.00), which wouldn’t look out of place in a villain’s lair (or on a department-store ceiling). These and many other network cameras also sport lenses that can remotely pan, tilt, or zoom in to give you a better view of the action.There are endless varieties of hardware to consider, but the good news is there’s plenty of gear out there to fit your needs. Both Security Spy and EvoCam’s sites offer lists of compatible equipment that make good starting points for building a home-surveillance network.�Sensor Yourself�Handy as video surveillance is, it probably won’t be a good fit for every room in your house. For places where cameras are impractical, obtrusive, or just plain weird, Insteon motion sensors and magnetic door switches can keep tabs on who goes there when you’ve gone out.SmartLabs Design’s battery-powered Wireless Motion/Occupancy Sensor ($34.99) installs almost anywhere to detect motion in a 110-degree arc at a range of 40 feet. When an intruder is discovered, the Mac running your Insteon system can send you an email, turn on lights, or release the hounds. Because these motion detectors work by sensing heat, you’ll want to install yours in places without extreme fluctuations in temperature. That includes areas near heating grates, fireplaces, or large windows that get lots of sun.SmartLabs' wireless motion sensor alerts you to intruders.If motion detectors won’t do the job, guard your perimeter with SmartLabs’ TriggerLinc Wireless Open/Close Sensor ($34.99). Half the sensor attaches to a door, and the other half installs beside it on the door frame. Opening the door breaks the magnetic contact between the halves, letting your network know a would-be 007 has entered the room or found the hidden compartment in your desk. Since the TriggerLinc is compact and wireless, it installs on just about anything that opens: windows, drawers, server closets, you name it. You’ll never wonder if the babysitter has raided your liquor cabinet again.�Unlock the Possibilities�Security isn’t just about keeping people out. It’s also about letting the right people in, and the internet can help. The web lets you access secure information... why can’t it open your front door? For a monthly fee of $12.99, that’s just what Schlage’s LiNK Starter Kit ($299) can do. Its lever lock (also available in a dead bolt model) replaces the one already installed in your door, and ten buttons above its traditional keyhole allow entry with a programmable access code. But the lock also sports a battery-powered transmitter that talks to the included Bridge, a base station that connects to the internet and creates a wireless network for other LiNK devices, like the lamp controller that rounds out the kit.Schlange's LiNK Starter Kit remotely opens your front door.Once you’re a LiNK subscriber, you can log in to Schlage’s site and control your lock from anywhere. Need a friend to check your house while you’re away? No problem--remotely program your lock with a custom access code. The in-laws arrived while you’re stuck at work? Just open the door for ’em (or don’t, we won’t judge). You can even use the free Schlage LiNK iPhone app to manage access while you’re on the go. If you’re worried about being locked out when the internet is down, Schlage claims its locks’ batteries will last up to three years... but keeping a spare key on hand never hurt anybody.�Put Professional Security a Touch Away�Schlage’s LiNK is one of several commercial packages that combine home security, automation, and the iPhone to monitor and control your home without fuss. Even if you’re not the DIY type, you can bring your peace of mind into this century.Commercial security companies offer plans and products designed to work together seamlessly. Products can include motion detectors, cameras, and other sensors run from a central control panel on a wall instead of your computer. While the basic idea is the same as a home-built system--devices monitor your house and warn you in case of trouble--commercial systems can offer integrated fire detection and alerts to personnel who will contact the authorities in an emergency. Plans cost anywhere from $30 to $50 a month (plus installation fees), but their features and simplicity may be worth the expense.For a monthly fee, commercial security companies can provide more than peace of mind.Alarm.com, CPI Security Systems, and Platinum Protection each offer free applications that let iPhone users control their security systems. These apps let you arm and disarm your system, monitor camera feeds, receive notifications when sensors detect something, and view a history of recent security events. Want to know what time your teenager really got home from his friend’s house? There’s an app for that.�Next Page: Just Stream It >> Entertainment: Just Stream It�Your entertainment wants to be set free... and you want it to be too. These four easy setups will help you get the most out of your music, movies, and TV.�Enjoy Your Music Everywhere�Setting up a streaming audio system for the first time is like that day when you switched to a DVR to watch TV--you’ll wonder how you ever enjoyed your tunes without it. Once all your music’s on a home network, you can listen to your songs from any computer or standalone music-playing device. Whether you’re unwinding, waking up in the morning, or broadcasting beats throughout your house for a party, you don’t have to fuss with issues like which Mac has which MP3 or where that blasted CD got to--all your music is where you want it to be.Mac fans typically choose between three major music-streaming systems: Apple AirPort Express ($99), Sonos hardware ($349 and up), or Logitech Squeezebox devices ($149 and up). Each system has its own infrastructure, including ways to control everything from an iPhone or iPod touch. And each one has benefits and drawbacks in certain situations.Apple's AirPort Express wirelessly connects your Mac to your stereo.As expected, Apple’s AirPort Express is the best match for iTunes… and little else. These little boxes connect to a small set of computer-style speakers or into a home stereo, so factor those costs into your budgeting. You’ll need one AirPort Express and speaker set for each room you want to play music in. An Apple TV ($229) can also do double duty, streaming music even when your TV is off.While AirPort Express scores with simplicity, there are a few drawbacks. One or more Macs will have to be left on to play music, and extra features that the other systems pack--such as alarms and online services beyond basic streaming radio--don’t work without additional software.Next up: the Logitech Squeezebox devices. They work well once set up, but they feel more complicated than the other choices. Their server software runs off one of your Macs, telling Squeezeboxes where to find your songs. Like the AirPort Express, you’ll have to have a Mac running to access home audio.Sonos Bundle--along with the Sonos app--turns your iPhone or iPod into a remote control.Unlike Apple’s option, Squeezebox devices can play back more internet choices, including Rhapsody and Napster subscriptions. And you won’t have to keep a Mac running when playing online sources--woot! Logitech also offers several Squeezebox devices, from a clock radio–style box with a built-in speaker to hardware that connects to an entertainment center. Consider the Squeezebox if you can sacrifice some of the AirPort Express’s simplicity for better internet features.Last but not least, Sonos rules high-end audio streaming because of the care put into its hardware and interfaces. And audiophiles can really hear the difference between a Sonos device and its competitors. Like Logitech, Sonos hardware comes in a few packages, some designed to attach to a home stereo, one with built-in speakers, and some that connect to speakers. Sonos devices lack an interface beyond volume/mute buttons, so you’ll typically control everything with the excellent standalone remote ($349) or iPhone app. Sonos’ internet streaming choices match the Squeezebox, but unlike either competitor, Sonos hardware can play music directly from a network hard drive, so you don’t need to keep a Mac running. But Sonos might K.O. your budget as much as it does its competitors. You can pick and choose which gear you want, but plan for roughly $500 or more per room. Yowza.�Share a Single iTunes Library with Multiple Macs�You’re probably thinking, wait… iTunes works well to share libraries and stream audio over a network. And if you’re happy with that method, there’s no harm in sticking with it. But iTunes sharing doesn’t let you sync music from any system to an iPod or compile ripped songs in a single location--and again, your main Mac needs to be left on for it to work. Fortunately, you can show your music who’s boss and let all of your Macs access a consolidated iTunes library.Before you begin, consider using TuneRanger ($29.99) to sync different libraries together into one master audio source. Then transfer that combined music folder to a network server or always-on Mac that everyone can reach. Launch iTunes on one Mac while holding Option, pick Choose Library, and navigate to the library file on your network.This time, the dreaded can't-find-library box is a good thing.On the other Macs, hold Option when launching iTunes, but make a new library on the local hard drive when prompted. On those systems, change the media folder location in the advanced iTunes preferences to point to the music shared on the network. Within the advanced iTunes preferences on all Macs, be sure to enable the checkbox to copy files to the media folder when adding to the library.Now install Syncopation ($24.95) on each Mac to keep the iTunes libraries synced. Check the setup documents for details, but be sure to click the option to Import Tracks Without Copying in the Advanced preferences.�Breathe Music into Old Macs and iPods�If you’ve got an old Mac sitting around, you can dust it off and turn it into an audio client. Translation: You’ll be able to control it from another computer, pushing songs over your network as if it were Squeezebox or AirPort Express hardware.You’ll never have to turn on--or even connect--a display, either. Try Airfoil on your host computer ($25) with Airfoil Speakers for Mac (free) on the old-Mac-turned-audio-client. You can even duplicate results on an iPhone or iPod touch with Airfoil Speakers for Touch (free).Stream MP3s and internet radio to your stereo with Softsqueeze.Even if you have no Squeezebox hardware, you can install the basic Squeezebox Server (free) software on your main computer to stream audio. Then add Softsqueeze (free) to your old networked Mac, and the Squeezebox software will treat it just like standalone hardware from Logitech.�Get Started on Streaming Video�Yes, your screen-viewing time can get better. Instead of sharing videos directly between various Macs, you can streamline your consumption of movies and TV by creating a central server that holds all your video. With this method, you’ll leave the server running instead of having to keep various Macs online. You’ll be better organized too.Don’t overthink the biggest piece of hardware in this process: the server. Just repurpose nearly any Mac sitting around. Even a five-year-old laptop or iMac will do the trick. Or for bonus points, turn an old PC into a Linux server.Once you scrounge up an old computer, consider its drives. For a moderate video collection, you’ll want about 60GB of free space. If you gobble down video like Wimpy takes to cheeseburgers, plan for 120GB or even more. Also aim for a speedy drive interface; essentially, just avoid connecting over original USB, which you might find on old systems. And be sure you’ve got a DVD drive if you’re going to transfer over movies. Check out this article for tips.Your network makes up the other biggest factor for streaming success. 100BASE-T is a must; if you have any old 10BASE-T devices between the server and clients, video will stutter. Ideally, consider gigabit (1000BASE-T) devices. If you must have a wireless client or server, get at least 802.11g or 802.11n Wi-Fi, and keep 802.11b devices--the original AirPort standard--off the network. In many situations, old devices slow down the network to maintain compatibility. That said, more than 10 years after Apple introduced AirPort, we still prefer an all-wired connection because it’s more reliable and faster than most wireless networks.Once you connect everything, you’ll just store all video files on the server and play them from client Macs or other devices. Again, iTunes provides the simplest way to manage everything: Run it on both systems, and use shared libraries to stream the video.iTunes can also help you get started with video streaming.But several other software options deliver fine alternatives. Bundled with OS X, Front Row’s big interface is ideal for watching shows across the room. Plex (free) and Boxee (free) are also built around long-distance interfaces and add more internet features than Apple’s software. Check out this article for even more tips, including additional TV-connected devices that can stream shows and directions to hack an AppleTV to run Boxee. Have fun!�Next Page: Top Ten Wonders of the Home Automation World >> Top Ten Wonders of the Home Automation World�You've seen home automation by the book--now check out home automation off the hook. These labors of love take the good life to a level even the Jetsons never imagined.�10. Grass Has a New Enemy� We’re all about using the right tool to make a job easier, especially when that job is mowing the lawn in the summer heat. Terry Creer must agree--his remote-controlled lawn mower grafts an electric lawn mower to the wheels of a motorized wheelchair operated with a hobby-store radio controller. Swapping out the wheelchair’s original joystick for a wireless receiver keeps the mow-bot on the right path, and a fail-safe mechanism kills the motor if the controller’s signal is ever lost. Total cost for the project was less than $500. Sipping a cold drink while the lawn mower does all the work? Priceless.�9. Tweets, Shoots, and Leaves�Want to make the world a greener place? The Botanicalls tweeting plant monitor lets you do just that, one plant at a time. It’s a $99.99 kit that, along with a soldering iron and a little patience, lets you build a leaf-shaped moisture sensor that you stick into a plant’s soil. Once installed in your plant’s pot, the Botanicalls runs on AC power and plugs into your router’s Ethernet port to tweet when your leafy friend is feeling a little dry. With Botanicalls, you can embrace the DIY spirit, expand your techie know-how, and keep the flora in your life happy. What could be better?�8. "Alcohol? Why, It's My Primary Function, Sir."�When you sense the need to party, Jamie Price’s Bar2D2 is definitely the droid you’re looking for. Built in eight months from plywood, polycarbonate, and a used electric scooter, Bar2 works the room by remote control, serving drinks wherever he’s needed. A beer elevator brings cold bottles to any partygoer’s reach, and six onboard mixers let Bar2 make a galaxy of cocktails with the push of a button. And when the music starts, his sound-activated neon lights help make the party fully armed and operational. Maybe the Empire would have been cooler about that whole rebellion thing with a few of these guys scooting around the Death Star.�7. Dryer Sheets and Washer Tweets�Getting clothes dirty is fun, but washing ’em is a drag. Who needs the stress of waiting for the spin cycle to end? That’s why we wish we had Ryan Rose’s tweeting washing machine. The limit switch installed on its timer lets a simple microcontroller know when the washer is on or off. Red LEDs added to the washer’s controls show when it’s waiting for a wash to start, and a green LED shows when a wash has begun. When the load is finished, the washer tweets an update and displays an alert on a wall-mounted screen. It’s the coolest thing to happen to cleanliness since the bubble bath!�6. The World Will Tweet a Path To Your Door� You might think a wireless doorbell would be convenient enough, but not Roo Reynolds. His tweeting doorbell transforms an everyday wireless doorbell and ringer into an internet-connected chatterbox that gets two alerts for the price of one. The doorbell works like any other, but the ringer mechanism--squeezed into an Altoids can carefully cut to expose the ringer’s wireless antenna--sports a tiny circuit board that’s attached by a USB cable to a nearby computer. When visitors drop by and ring the doorbell, the computer tweets a simultaneous alert. Now that’s a curiously refreshing idea!�5. Just the Cats, Ma'am� When the neighborhood critters started sneaking through Ioan Ghip’s cat door for free meals, he took matters into his own hands, DIY-style, to make a tweeting cat door. First he outfitted the collars of his cats Gus and Penny with RFID (radio frequency identification) tags. Then he added an RFID reader and computer-controlled servo to the cat door so it would recognize only his two cats--no squirrels, raccoons, or bears allowed. Now when the spare laptop that monitors the cat door detects the lucky kitties nearby, it opens the door and tweets an update, while a webcam snaps a shot of them coming or going. Say cheese, guys!�4. And We Thought Kernel Panics Were Scary� Who says all automated homes have to be convenient and relaxing? Not automation contractor Jeffrey Lehman. Years ago he teamed with Halloween Park, a haunted-house attraction in Strinestown, Pennsylvania, to turn the spook show into a fully interactive, living videogame. Fiendishly clever use of motion detectors and other sensors guides victi… er, visitors through 26 rooms of creepy interactive puzzles that must be solved to escape the park… alive! Doors creak, lights flicker, and the terrifying Dead Fred leaps out of nowhere--all in response to people’s actions. Amazing what you can do with the right gear, ingenuity, and a healthy desire to scare the crap out of folks.�3. "Incoming Romulan Ship! Fire Blu-ray!"� Maybe it’s the big screen, but doesn’t it seem natural to mix Star Trek with a home theater? Yet that’s only half of what’s so cool about Gary Reighn’s entertainment command station, The Bridge. Sure, it’s packed with a starfleet of gear: a video projector, media players, and X10-powered lights--all under remote control. But what makes The Bridge so appealing isn’t its slick final-frontier technology--it’s that it looks like a fun place to hang out, just like the original Enterprise. Gary didn’t forget the home when he set out to build himself the ultimate home entertainment center on a budget, and it sure looks like he got his money’s worth.�2. Now U Can Automate Cheezburger?� The problem: feeding Mathew Newton’s cats Frankie and Elmo while he’s away. The solution: the internet-controlled cat feeder. A cereal dispenser stores the cat food, and a motor turns a flap to drop food into a splitter that sends the kibble to each kitty’s bowl in roughly the same portions. Here’s the trick: The feeder is controlled by the port status lights in an old Ethernet switch. Remote commands from a browser activate the lights, and their signals tell the feeder when to let Frankie and Elmo get their nom-nom on. Wow. No one can say these cats don’t have a well-trained owner.�1. Push-Button Party Palace� Each Wonder uses home automation in cool, creative ways, but the sheer excess of Zack Anderson’s MIDAS--ahem… that’s a Multifunction In-Dorm Automation System--deserves special notice. Made from a mini ITX motherboard and a battery of X10-controlled sensors, appliances, and displays, MIDAS transforms the room with the tap of a touchscreen (or even voice commands). There’s a work mode for studying and a relax mode for chilling, but when it’s time to party, swatting a big red panic button dims the lights, draws shades that serve as projection screens, and kicks out the techno jams. Sound-activated strobes, laser lights, and a fog machine do the rest. Surveillance cameras and a fingerprint-scanning security system keep everything safe while Zack’s away, but we have to wonder--why leave? �
How Bandwidth Caps Hurt Your Mac & What Apple Can Do About It

As a responsible Mac user, I usually feel immune from most Internet threats…except for one. Using my Mac exactly as Apple intends it to be used sometimes renders my Internet connection virtually unusable for up to a month, and costs money to fix. Could this happen to you? It depends on whether your Internet provider has a bandwidth “metering” policy (or “cap”). These caps are one of the most controversial topics for Internet users in 2009, and can put a significant crimp in your Internet use. Recently, Congressman Eric Massa (D-NY), who represents the Rochester area, introduced the “Broadband Internet Fairness Act” (H.R. 2902) (PDF). Massa got involved soon after Time Warner Cable unsuccessfully used Rochester as a test market for metering. Under this bill, the FTC would have veto power over such caps and thus allow them only under certain agreed-upon scenarios. In my hometown of Lawrence, Kansas, the standard level of cable Internet service has a limit of 3GB of bandwidth per month. Overage is charged $2 per GB. Downloading a single movie from the iTunes store will blow through an entire monthly limit, and even the cable company's most expensive “premium” service only allows 50GB of bandwidth. In 2009, that's not really much bandwidth at all. Once you've hit your limit, you have to severely restrict usage until the next month, or face a large bill. Your Apple TV remains stale without its new content, your iMac stops downloading podcasts, and your iPod weeps because it's sick of the same old music you had last month. Apple is the leader in multimedia content creation; new Mac users are always pleasantly surprised by how easy it is to buy from the iTunes store, or create their own content. A common question we get in our local user group is “I'm not sure what I did wrong, but all of a sudden I have a substantial overage bill from my cable company.” Of course, the user did nothing wrong, other than subscribe to a few podcasts, and perhaps download a new Apple software update and buy some shows with iTunes! The Mac is also blessed with great online backup services like MobileMe, yet when our user group did a presentation on backup strategy, I had to warn novice users to be careful lest their backups end up costing them an arm and a leg in bandwidth overage fees! While on the surface this appears to be an isolated issue with a few providers, it is not. Bandwidth metering is a growing threat to cable Internet users in many cities. The American Cable Association (ACA) has come out in support of bandwidth caps, and the former chair of the ACA, Patrick Knorr, who implemented bandwidth caps in Lawrence, stated in multiple interviews that flat-rate Internet pricing is an “unsustainable” business model. Unfortunately, using the Internet normally with bandwidth metering is also unsustainable. When Mac owners are worried about downloading movies, doing backups or performing system updates, that hurts the Apple brand. Apple is continually innovating new ways to make the Mac OS the best Internet operating system, creating a whole ecosystem with iTunes, MobileMe and iLife. All of these great products rely on the ubiquity of the Internet. When Internet providers start making normal Internet use an expensive proposition, Mac users lose. Apple should lead the way and come out against bandwidth caps. Given that many of the offerings on the iTunes store actually compete with cable TV, Apple should be vigilant that cable companies do not use bandwidth metering as a way to stifle alternative ways of viewing content. Additionally, Apple should add a bandwidth meter to the Airport routers; that way the bandwidth use of entire households can be tracked. If bandwidth caps are inevitable, Apple can arm the consumer with data to monitor their usage and dispute discrepancies with their ISP. Apple could be an ally for consumers (even the “PC guy” in the commercials would be helped!), while at the same time standing up for its own brand and vision of consumer Internet use. If you disagree with the idea of bandwidth metering, make sure your voice is heard by giving customer feedback to your own Internet provider and writing your member of Congress. I had better end this article now…bytes and bits equal dollars and cents for me, unfortunately!
Wall Street Breakfast: Must-Know News

Six banks fall short on capital. As news of the preliminary stress test results continues to leak out, sources say at least 6 of the nineteen largest U.S. banks will need additional capital. Some may get extra money from the government, but most of the capital will likely come from the conversion of preferred shares to common equity. The Federal Reserve is in the process of hearing appeals from banks (including Citigroup (C) and Bank of America (BAC)) that were told they need a larger capital cushion. Final test results are due to be released next week. Citigroup tries to plug capital hole. Citigroup (C) is trying to convince the government that the bank doesn't need more capital beyond recent plans to shore up its balance sheet and cut costs. However, executives have also told regulators that a capital shortfall identified in the stress tests could be filled by selling large businesses (potentially including core business units), further reducing its balance sheet or asking more investors to convert preferred shares into common stock. In short, anything but accepting additional government aid. Separately, Citigroup has reportedly asked the Treasury for permission to pay bonuses to many key employees. Shares +6.6% premarket (7:00 ET). Lewis on the line. Bank of America (BAC) holds its annual meeting today, and shareholders will vote on whether CEO Ken Lewis should be re-elected as the company's chairman of the board. Though Lewis is likely to win re-election to the board by a wide margin, a separate shareholder proposal forcing Lewis to give up his position as chairman is still too close to call. The votes come amid news that the company could require up to $70B in extra capital as a result of the government's stress tests. Shares +3.9% premarket (7:00 ET). New mortgage mod rules. The White House unveiled new guidelines in its foreclosure-prevention program to address borrowers with home-equity loans and other second mortgages. The original plan didn't address this group of borrowers, despite the fact that roughly half of seriously delinquent borrowers have a second mortgage. Under the revised plan, companies participating in the loan modification program must automatically modify the second mortgage when the first is reworked. The government will share in the cost of reducing the interest rate on second mortgages for five years. Chrysler reaches debt deal. Chrysler's largest lenders and the government reached a major breakthrough on debt reduction, agreeing to write down $6.9B in debt to just $2B ahead of Chrysler's bankruptcy deadline tomorrow. Despite the progress, "there is still some way to go in the negotiations," said a White House spokesman, "so I wouldn't rule anything in or out." SEC's fraud-fighting team. After a series of high-profile failings, the SEC is creating a team of specialists to focus on fighting fraud and to make the agency "more smart, more swift and more successful." The idea is a major shift for the SEC, which traditionally has relied on enforcement personnel who were generalists. Details of the new plan are not yet finalized. AIG tries to lower default risk. Less than a month after resigning, senior AIG (AIG) executive James Shephard has reportedly decided to stay on as the deputy chief of Paris-based Banque AIG. Insiders say Shephard was pressed to stay in order to help stave off the risk of default on $234B of derivatives; his continued presence at the unit will likely deter several European banks that bought derivatives from taking legal action to force AIG to repay them. Verizon, MSFT team up on iPhone rival. Verizon (VZ) is said to be holding talks with Microsoft (MSFT) over a touch-screen music-playing mobile phone that could compete with Apple's (AAPL) iPhone. Talks are still in the early stages, but a phone could be introduced next year. Verizon is also reportedly in talks with Apple about selling a version of the iPhone. Falling demand, prices hurt ArcelorMittal. ArcelorMittal (MT) posted a wider-than-expected quarterly loss (see details below) as demand slumped and falling metals prices forced the company to lower the value of its inventories. Steel consumption is expected to drop another 15% in 2009, and the company is bracing for market conditions to 'remain challenging.' Shares -2.0% premarket (7:00 ET). Dendreon shares yo-yo on prostate drug. Dendreon's (DNDN) shares plunged dramatically yesterday, falling 45% before trading was halted. The sudden drop was in advance of a meeting at which the company presented data on prostate cancer drug Provenge. As it turns out, Dendreon executives reported that Provenge extended the median survival of prostate cancer patients by 4.1 months and improved 3-year survival by 38%. The findings raise fresh expectations of FDA approval, and sent the stock soaring in premarket trading (+127% at 7:00 ET). IBM boosts dividend. IBM (IBM) raised its dividend by 10%, and authorized another $3B in stock buybacks. Despite losing Sun Microsystems (JAVA) to Oracle (ORCL), IBM executives said the company absolutely still has the flexibility to make a major acquisition. Retail sales. Retail chain store sales fell 0.7% from a week ago, ICSC reported, and dropped 1.7% Y/Y. Consumer traffic fell for most segments, including grocery, drug, department stores and discounters. Redbook recorded that chain store sales gained 1.6% in the first three weeks of April, better than the 1.3% rise expected. Strong seasonal sales drove the improvement. Home prices fall (.pdf). S&P/Case-Shiller's 20-city home price index fell 18.6% in February from a year ago, slightly better than the 19% drop seen last month. All 20 areas were still lower from a month ago, but 16 of the 20 saw an improvement in their annual returns. It's the first time since Oct. 2007 that the index didn't post a record annual decline. Confidence ticks up. Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index improved considerably in April, rising to 39.2 from March's 26.9. Expectations rose to 49.5 from 30.2. "The sharp increase in the Expectations Index suggests that consumers believe the economy is nearing a bottom, however, this Index still remains well below levels associated with strong economic growth." Mfg contraction slows. The Richmond Fed's Manufacturing Index contracted more slowly in April, rising to -9 from March's -20. Shipments gained twelve points to -3, new orders rose eighteen points to -2, and the jobs index edged up two points to -26. Mortgage apps fall. Mortgage applications fell 18.1% from a week ago, MBA reported. The average interest rate on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages inched down to 4.62% from 4.73%. Earnings: Wednesday Before Open Aetna (AET): Q1 EPS of $0.96 beats by $0.03. Revenue of $8.6B (+10.5%) vs. $8.5B. Reaffirms FY '09 EPS guidance of $3.85-$3.95. (PR) American Tower (AMT): Q1 EPS of $0.15 beats by $0.01. Revenue of $409M (+6.9%) vs. $408M. Issues in-line guidance for FY '09, see revenue of $1.64-$1.77B vs. $1.68B consensus. (PR) ArcelorMittal (MT): Q1 EPS of -$0.78 misses by $0.39. Revenue of $15.1B (-49.3%) vs. $15.9B. (PR) Baker Hughes (BHI): Q1 EPS of $0.82 beats by $0.06. Revenue of $2.7B (-0.1%) vs. $2.6B. (PR) Burger King (BKC): FQ3 EPS of $0.34 in-line. Revenue of $600M (+1.0%) vs. $607M. Sees FY '09 EPS of $1.39-$1.42. (PR) Endo Pharmaceuticals (ENDP): Q1 EPS of $0.67 beats by $0.04. Revenue of $335M (+15.5%) vs. $338M. (PR) FTI Consulting (FCN): Q1 EPS of $0.60 beats by $0.08. Revenue of $348M (+13.3%) vs. $341M. (PR) General Dynamics (GD): Q1 EPS of $1.54 beats by $0.08. Revenue of $8.3B (+18%) vs. $7.8B. (PR) Hess (HES): Q1 EPS of -$0.18 beats by $0.09. Revenue of $6.9B (-35.8%) vs. $5.6B. (PR) IAC/InterActiveCorp (IACI): Q1 EPS of -$0.02 misses by $0.02. Revenue of $332M (-10.4%) vs. $330M. (PR) Jones Apparel Group (JNY): Q1 EPS of $0.28 beats by $0.18. Revenue of $891M (-8.6%) vs. $875M. (PR) MeadWestvaco (MWV): Q1 EPS of -$0.46 misses by $0.22. Revenue of $1.35B (-10.8%) vs. $1.44B. (PR) MedcoHealth Solutions (MHS): Q1 EPS of $0.63 in-line. Revenue of $14.8B (+14.4%) vs. $13.7B. Sees FY '09 EPS of $2.67-$2.77 vs. $2.73 consensus. (PR) MGIC Investment (MTG): Q1 EPS of -$1.49 misses by $0.12. Revenue of $435M (+2.7%) vs. $436M. (PR) Moody's (MCO): Q1 EPS of $0.41 beats by $0.07. Revenue of $409M (-5.1%) vs. $393M. Declares a quarterly dividend of $0.10/share. (PR) PepsiAmericas (PAS): Q1 EPS of $0.20 beats by $0.04. Revenue of $1.1B (-3.7%) in-line. Issues upside guidance for FY '09, sees EPS of $1.83-$1.90 vs. $1.80 consensus. (PR) Praxair (PX): Q1 EPS of $0.93 beats by $0.01. Revenue of $2.1B (-20.3%) vs. $2.4B. Sees FY '09 EPS of $3.85-$4.15, revenue of around $9B. (PR) Qwest Communications International (Q): Q1 EPS of $0.12 beats by $0.04. Revenue of $3.2B (-6.6%) in-line. (PR) Reynolds American (RAI): Q1 EPS of $1.00 beats by $0.05. Revenue of $1.92B (-6.6%) vs. $1.97B. Sees FY '09 EPS guidance of $4.15-$4.45. (PR) Rockwell Automation (ROK): FQ2 EPS of $0.29 in-line. Revenue of $1.1B (-24.8%) in-line. (PR) Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.A): Q1 EPS of $0.54 misses by $0.54. Revenue of $58.2B vs. $55.2B. Q1 dividend +5% to $0.42/share. "Industry conditions remain challenging, and our focus is on capital discipline and costs." (PR) SAP AG (SAP): Q1 EPS of $0.22 misses by $0.07. Revenue of $2.4B (-4%) vs. $2.6B. (PR) Sealed Air (SEE): Q1 EPS of $0.33 beats by $0.05. Revenue of $988M (-16.3%) vs. $1.03B. (PR) Siliconware Precision Industries (SPIL): Q1 EPS of $0.01 beats by $0.01. (PR) Southern Company (SO): Q1 EPS of $0.42 beats by $0.01. Revenue of $3.7B (-0.3%) vs. $3.5B. (PR) SPX (SPW): Q1 EPS of $0.81 beats by $0.06. Revenue of $1.2B (-13.9%) in-line. (PR) Talisman Energy (TLM): Q1 EPS of $0.30 beats by $0.16. Revenue of $1.8B (-21.5%) vs. $1.7B. (PR) Time Warner (TWX): Q1 EPS of $0.45 beats by $0.07. Revenue of $6.9B (-7%) vs. $6.8B. Reaffirms FY '09 guidance of $1.98 EPS. (PR) Time Warner Cable (TWC): Q1 EPS of $0.75 beats by $0.14. Revenue of $4.4B (+4.9%) in-line. (PR) Tyco Electronics (TEL): FQ2 EPS of $0.14 beats by $0.10. Revenue of $2.5B (-32.9%) vs. $2.4B. Sees FQ3 EPS of $0.01-$0.06, revenue of $2.35B-$2.45B. (PR) United Microelectronics (UMC): Q1 EPS of -$0.09 beats by $0.04. Revenue of $319M (-59.6%) vs. $337.5M. (PR) ViroPharma (VPHM): Q1 EPS of -$0.77 misses by $0.93. Revenue of $60M (+18.2%) vs. $65M. (PR) Waste Management (WMI): Q1 EPS of $0.42 beats by $0.01. Revenue of $2.8B (-14.1%) vs. $3.0B. (PR) Wyeth (WYE): Q1 EPS of $0.89 beats by $0.01. Revenue of $5.4B (-5.8%) vs. $5.5B. Reaffirms FY '09 guidance, sees EPS of $3.33-$3.53 vs. $3.50 consensus. (PR) Wyndham Worldwide (WYN): Q1 EPS of $0.41 beats by $0.06. Revenue of $901M (-11%) vs. $839M. Reaffirms FY '09 EPS guidance of $1.61-$1.85, FY '09 revenue of $3.5-$3.9B. (PR) Earnings: Tuesday After Close Ace Ltd. (ACE): Q1 EPS of $1.99 beats by $0.03. Shares flat AH. (PR) Buffalo Wild Wings (BWLD): Q1 EPS of $0.47 beats by $0.01. Revenue of $131.6M (+35.3%) vs. $129.1M. Shares -11.1% AH. (PR) Cabot Oil & Gas (COG): Q1 EPS of $0.41 beats by $0.03. Revenue of $234M (+6.5%) vs. $213M. Shares +4% AH. (PR) Carter's (CRI): Q1 EPS of $0.19 beats by $0.03. Revenue of $357M (+33.6%) vs. $335M. Sees Q2 EPS of $0.07-0.10 vs. $0.10. Shares -5.3% AH. (PR) Cemex (CX): Q1 operating income of $36M (-29%). Revenue of $3.7B (-32%) vs. $4.03B consensus. (PR)Dreamworks Animation SKG (DWA): Q1 EPS of $0.68 beats by $0.23. Revenue of $263.5M (+67.6%) vs. $211.5M. Shares +14.6% AH. (PR) Cerner (CERN): Q1 EPS of $0.52 beats by $0.01. Revenue of $392M (+1.9%) vs. $418M. Full-year guidance in-line. Shares -3.5% AH. (PR) Chicago Bridge & Iron (CBI): Q1 EPS of $0.51 beats by $0.06. Revenue of $1.3B (-10%) vs. $1.25B. Shares +17.9% AH. (PR) CommScope (CTV): Q1 EPS of $0.14 beats by $0.04. Revenue of $742M (-26.1%) vs. $753M. Q2 revenue guidance in-line. Shares +3.8% AH. (PR) E*TRADE Financial (ETFC): Q1 EPS of -$0.41 misses by $0.01. Revenue of $497M (+6%) in-line. Allowance for loan losses increased $120M to $1.2B. Says it will need to further boost its capital position, through selling shares and/or a private cash injection. Shares -27.6% AH. (PR) Hertz Global (HTZ): Q1 EPS of -$0.25 misses by $0.03. Revenue of $1.56B (-23.3%) vs. $1.8B. (PR) Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL): Q1 EPS of -$0.47 misses by $0.40. Revenue of $494M (-12.4%) vs. $541M. Decreases semi-annual dividend to $0.10 from $0.25. Assets under management fell 11% to $41B. Shares flat AH. (PR) Life Technologies (LIFE): Q1 EPS of $0.72 beats by $0.15. Revenue of $785M (+124.1%) vs. $749M. Shares -0.7% AH. (PR) Massey Energy Company (MEE): Q1 EPS of $0.51 misses by $0.02. Revenue of $768M (+19.2%) vs. $739M. Says it has taken meaningful action to cut costs, and expects positive cash flow this year. Shares +0.6% AH. (PR) Nalco (NLC): Q1 EPS of $0.17 misses by $0.02. Revenue of $868M (-13.1%) vs. $933M. "We are pushing aggressively on productivity to help offset the impacts of weaker end markets." Shares flat AH. (PR) Psychiatric Solutions (PSYS): Q1 EPS of $0.50 beats by $0.01. Revenue of $450M (+6.3%) in-line. Sees full-year EPS of $2.24-2.32 vs. $2.21. Shares +8.5% AH. (PR) RF Micro Devices (RFMD): FQ4 EPS of -$0.10 misses by $0.05. Revenue of $172.3M (-21.9%) vs. $166.1M. Sees FQ1 EPS of flat vs. consensus of -$0.02. Shares -4.15% AH. (PR) Stericycle (SRCL): Q1 EPS of $0.47 beats by $0.01. Revenue of $277M (+8.8%) in-line. Shares flat AH. (PR) Sun Microsystems (JAVA): FQ3 EPS of -$0.07 beats by $0.12. Revenue of $2.61B (-20%) vs. $2.86B. Shares -0.2% AH (company is being acquired by Oracle (ORCL)). (PR) Superior Energy Services (SPN): Q1 EPS of $0.72 beats by $0.04. Revenue of $437M (-1%) vs. $418M. Shares +1.7% AH. (PR) Textron (TXT): Q1 EPS of $0.26 beats by $0.25. Revenue of $2.53B (-23.6%) vs. $2.78B. Sees full-year EPS of $0.45-0.75 vs. $0.97 consensus, and revenue of $11B vs. $11.8B. Launches sale of 19M shares, and $300M in convertible senior notes. Shares -5% premarket. (PR I, II) Total System Services (TSS): Q1 EPS of $0.26 misses by $0.04. Revenue of $409M (-2.6%) vs. $474M. Sees full-year revenue of $1.63-1.66B vs. $1.95B consensus. Sees net income down 11-13% vs. a previous 0-3%. Cardholder transaction volume was down 4.3%. Shares -8.3% AH. (PR) Trimble Navigation (TRMB): Q1 EPS of $0.28 beats by $0.02. Revenue of $289M (-18.7%) vs. $297M. Sees Q2 EOS of $0.32 vs. $0.35 and revenue of $285-315M vs. $320M. Shares -3.6% AH. (PR) Trustmark (TRMK): Q1 EPS of $0.41 beats by $0.12. (PR) V.F. Corp. (VFC): Q1 EPS of $0.91 misses by $0.03. Revenue of $1.72B in-line. Sees full-year EPS of $4.70-5.00 vs. consensus of $5.31. Shares -8.2% AH. (PR) Today's MarketsOverseas markets were broadly higher Wednesday, fueling gains in overnight futures trading.
Game Over

The question we were left with two weeks ago was "Why has America lost its broadband leadership?" but it really ought to have been "Whatever happened to the Information Superhighway?" It died. This column has been around long enough that I actually covered terms like "Information Superhighway" and "National Information Infrastructure" back when they were commonly in use and may actually have meant something. That was pre-2000, I'd say, because once the Internet bubble began to burst, followed of course by the 9/11 terrorist attacks, people simply got interested in different things. And just when the population as a whole gets interested in different things is when -- at least in American culture -- a lot of shady business begins to happen. What we are talking about here is the Telecommunications Act of 1996, the first real rewrite of the Communications Act of 1934 that established the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the first place. The 1996 Act was primarily the work of Senator and then Vice President Al Gore, who may not have invented the Internet but sure helped push it into commercial operation. The Telecommunications Act of 1996 was intended to open up communication services to broad competition on the most basic level, so of course the nation has since 1996 gone from 15 national broadband ISPs to five and a dozen big landline telephone companies to three. When it comes to government policy things hardly ever work out the way you expect them to. In 1996 I had 384-kilobit-per-second (kbps) symmetrical DSL while my TV production partners in the UK had nothing at home and 128-kbps ISDN at the office. America was the top broadband country in the world. But now we're in the middle of the pack among developed countries and there are nine DEVELOPING countries that have more and better broadband service than does America according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). To those who say this is BS and that we're actually ahead of the world if you control for rural populations, family size, the effect of Wi-Fi hotspots, etc., I say that is simply wrong: we are behind and losing ground. And the countries ahead of us, a diverse lot including France, Iceland, Japan, Korea, Switzerland, the UK, and even Canada, are for the most part growing faster than we are in large part because of this IT advantage. There are many reasons for this change of circumstance, but much of it comes down to government policy or lack of it and some of it comes down to pure luck. In large part we've been locked in our own little world where government and business feed on each other in ways that are always symbiotic and often destructive, but this time the rest of the world just passed us by while we were distracted by other things. Two weeks ago I mentioned, for example, that my friend Ira in Yokohama, Japan pays less than $30 per month for 100-megabit-per-second fiber-to-the-home Internet service. Well it turns out that in Japan such plans can cost as little as $10 per month, which is less than what our telephone companies claim it costs simply to maintain their billing infrastructure. If it costs $10 per month per subscriber for our telephone companies to stay in business without even pushing electrons over the wires, how can they charge that little for 100-mbps Internet service in Japan? What do they know that we don't know? Japan is an instance where I believe luck was actually a factor in the country's broadband success. Most things cost more in Japan than they do in the U.S., not less. The country's export-based economy was built on selling the same goods for more in the country where they were made than they sold for in Peoria. Sometimes this price differential was absurd, too. In the mid-1990s I had an Internet start-up (it later failed) and wanted to place one of my PC-based servers in Japan. So I went to NTT, the big Japanese phone company, and asked for space in one of its data centers where the company then maintained most of Japan's Internet resources. It was reasonable for me to do this because NTT was an investor in my company. But they told me that while they would love to host my little server (I was building a content distribution network with features that have still not been matched by any subsequent service), as a regulated monopoly they would have to charge me the full retail price for rack space and bandwidth -- $75,000 per month! What changed for Japan was a new government policy fostering competition in a very similar manner to our own Telecommunications Act of 1996. In fact the Japanese policy was inspired by the U.S. law. But this policy would have been meaningless in Japan, a country even more corrupt than the U.S., had not one ISP decided to push the new rules to their limit. SoftBank BB took a multi-billion dollar risk and began offering broadband service in Japan at ridiculously low prices using the NTT infrastructure. The company was literally throwing money away, which a regulated monopoly could never do but SoftBank could, selling most of its U.S. operations along the way to support this expensive habit. For 2-3 years the company was so stretched by the service that simply paying to NTT the disconnect fees for getting out of the business would have been enough to throw SoftBank into bankruptcy. It was simply luck that SoftBank's broadband ISP turned to profitability before the company was completely broke. And once it was profitable, SoftBank BB suddenly had lots of competitors. Ira has his choice of nearly 20 ISPs willing to pump photons into his apartment in Yokohama. These services are NOT run at a loss. SoftBank BB and Japan set a standard that has been replicated in most of the countries that have better broadband penetration and service than the U.S. The model is a single connection to the home managed by a utility but with Internet bandwidth and services provided over that connection by any of a number of competitors. We had that, too, for a while in the 1990s but the big telcos, the incumbent local exchange carriers (ILECs), hated it and worked to undermine their new competitors, the Competitive Local Exchange Carriers (CLECs). And none of those competitors had the deep pockets or the willingness to assume risk of a SoftBank BB, which literally broke the Japanese monopoly. Part of the reason why we didn't stay on a similar path is because of the highly developed U.S. cable TV industry, which is unique in its scale. The telephone companies generally didn't care about the cable companies because they were in different businesses. Until one day the cable folks started installing DOCSIS cable modems and suddenly they were in the same business, which the telcos hated, but it was too late. Worse still, by then the cable companies had as much clout with the government as the telephone companies did and maybe more because cable companies had relations with every city and town government as well as with states and the FCC. The cable companies weren't going away, their eyes locked on stealing voice service from the local phone companies. The way the U.S. has embraced ISP diversity is different than in most of the rest of the world. Where the 14 OECD countries ahead of us on the list generally use telco infrastructure to provide Internet bandwidth, we use a combination of telco and cable. There's a problem with that from an efficiency standpoint. In the U.S. we're supporting two completely separate and different technical infrastructures, two billing systems, two service departments, two head offices, two corporate jets. There are economies of scale as our cable and telephone companies consolidate, sure, but they'll never become one and the prospect that the telcos would continue to be forced to share their infrastructure with competitors is being removed by the transition to fiber, because those advanced pipes are exempt from sharing under a subsequent revision of the Telecommunications Act. It is very doubtful, almost impossible, that we'll catch up to those countries ahead of us in broadband penetration. They are too far ahead and our native demand is simply less because our Internet economies are developing more slowly. Absent some miracle, the game is already over. As I wrote two weeks ago, the situation is likely to improve somewhat over the next year or two as the telephone companies sacrifice a little to lock us in before we switch to DOCSIS 3 cable modems and the cable companies, in turn, offer incentives to jump to their voice products. But these companies don't think at all in international terms and they simply don't care about international competitiveness or the growth of our economy. They should, but they don't. And they don't because they have never had to. Though they are required to operate in the public interest and to provide public services, these monopolies have never been forced to consider our place in the world. If there's a solution to this problem it isn't wireless. U.S. mobile carriers are as far behind their foreign counterparts as U.S. ISPs are generally. For all the companies' talk of unlimited mobile broadband, three Slingboxes can take down an EVDO cell. What would happen if AT&T gave every iPhone as much bandwidth as it could easily use? Gridlock. And WiMax is effectively useless too, because the sweet spot in cell size is so large that no ISP can provision enough bandwidth to serve even a quarter of the people who might potentially sign up. They could do it with smaller cells, but then the companies wouldn't make money. These are moving targets of course, but nothing is going to change without a dramatic new policy or the entry of a deep-pocketed competitor with a death wish like SoftBank, and I don't see even them ever doing it again.
Apple’s September 1 Music Event: Our Magic Eight-Ball Predictions

If you had placed bets on when Apple would schedule their annual media-centric event for next month, we hope you put your money on September 1, because the company has announced that’s when the gauntlet is officially being thrown down.What can we hope to see Cupertino announce next Wednesday? We dusted off an old magic eight-ball and translated the results for you, so read on and find out what’s on deck -- or not.“Signs Point to Yes”: New iPods, iTunes 10, iLife ’11Although new Apple products are typically shrouded in mystery prior to events such as the one on September 1, we have the advantage of tapping into nearly a decade of history and dug up clues as to what is most likely going to be announced next week. The original iPod was first introduced in the fall of 2001, and almost every year since, without fail, Apple has refreshed our favorite media player with new powers, new models and bigger storage.We shook up our magic eight-ball and indeed, it came up with a cheery “All signs point to yes” regarding new iPods -- specifically new iPod touch models featuring shiny new Retina Displays. The iPod nano should also get a refresh, with bigger storage capacity and a higher-quality camera, although the eight-ball stopped short of predicting 720p HD video recording, sorry.A new iPod shuffle is probably also in the cards, mostly because it’s the iPod form factor that Apple still hasn’t gotten quite right yet -- it’s too little for most users, especially when the price point between the shuffle and the nano will likely narrow yet again this year.Sadly, the eight-ball is also predicting the end of the line for the iPod classic, much as we hate to see it go. Let’s face it -- hard drives for portable media players were a great idea back in the day (that is, until you dropped one), but flash storage is where it’s at now. However, the remaining iPod models should get increased storage capacity, which should help ease some of the suffering you might feel as the iPod classic slips away into the great beyond. (Sniff, sniff…)iTunes 10 is another safe bet, mostly because almost every major revision to the software has corresponded with new iPod hardware. With the help of the magic eight-ball, we’ve already cooked up a little list of 10 things we might see as iTunes crosses the double-digit threshold, so we won’t go into all of that again here. But yeah, iTunes 10… count on it.Right on the cusp of “maybe not happening,” the magic eight-ball is going out on a limb to also offer up iLife ’11 as a contender for next week, likely with some amazing new music creation features added to GarageBand (assuming that Apple’s guitar-themed invitation provides a not-so-subtle clue). Will iDVD finally be put out to pasture as rumored earlier this year? Has iPhoto finally been souped up to work better with multiple libraries and thousands of images? Could iWeb finally become a truly useful tool for WYSIWYG web designers? Tune in next week to find out for sure.“Reply Hazy, Try Again”: iPod touch FaceTime, 99-Cent TV ShowsAlthough the magic eight-ball was certain that a new iPod touch model is on the way, it was less sure about the recent rumors that the device would gain a front-facing camera, enabling iPhone 4-style FaceTime superpowers.Despite the fact that none other than Apple CEO Steve Jobs himself claimed that there would be “millions” of FaceTime-enabled devices by year’s end during the iPhone 4 announcement, we think Apple still has to perfect any kind of camera at all on the iPod touch, which has clearly been a stumbling block for the company. Images of a rear camera-enabled iPod touch appeared prior to last year’s September music event (and some of those have even popped up on eBay throughout the year), so it’s clear that Cupertino is working hard to make it happen. We’d put the safer money on a rear camera capable of both pictures and SD video, comparable to what the iPhone 3GS already has, and maybe FaceTime and 720p HD video recording for next year.The magic eight-ball has also had a hard time churning its purple water on the subject of recent rumors claiming that 99-cent TV show rentals are on the way to iTunes. This one has a long history of being all talk, mostly because the networks are loathe to irritate their main bread and butter -- namely the cable and satellite providers. However, the days of Apple and the networks collecting upwards of $2.99 for an HD episode of a TV show are clearly numbered, given the rising popularity of streaming services from Netflix and Hulu Plus -- we’re just not so sure if the tide will turn this year or next.Since the magic eight-ball feels that iLife ’11 is potentially imminent, what about iWork ’11? Although the software suites are often released in tandem, we’d say that business-oriented software like Pages, Numbers and Keynote are an odd fit for a traditional media-focused event -- but, you never know with these things sometimes. If iWork ’11 is indeed announced, we’d say there’s also a good chance for iPhone versions of the three productivity apps to be released at the same time as well.While we’re at it, we’ll throw a wildcard into the mix for those of you still waiting (im)patiently for a white iPhone 4. After a couple of delays already, we figure Apple might cap off the event next week by announcing that you can finally preorder your white iPhone 4, much to the glee of fans of that color which is not technically a color everywhere. And hey, maybe there will even be some modification to the external antenna… we can dream, can’t we?�“Outlook Not So Good”: Cloud-Based iTunes, iTV, iPad 2, The BeatlesAs much as we want to see certain things from Apple, sometimes no amount of shaking the magic eight-ball seems to make our dreams come true. After hearing the recent comments from Yoko Ono, we can probably forget about The Beatles coming to iTunes at long last, ‘cause it ain’t likely to be happening. Is this some kind of evil conspiracy or do they just want to be the last band on Earth to enter the iTunes catalog?Sadly, we’d have to put a cloud-based iTunes in the same category as world peace or The Beatles on iTunes, at least for now. Apple executives have recently murmured to record labels that the company’s Lala.com acquisition may take longer than expected to bear fruit (pun intended), and we have no reason to believe otherwise. That huge server farm down in North Carolina hasn’t even fired up yet, but it’s planned for year’s end, so next year would likely be a good time to start placing those bets.The outlook is also not so good for those “free MobileMe” rumors -- that service will likely play into the same server farm that Apple is building, and the company probably figures that if people are willing to pay $99 a year for the service as is, why fix it if it ain’t broke? The least they could do is up the storage and give us some easier sharing features to rival Google’s YouTube.We also wouldn’t put any good money on an iPad refresh just yet -- after all, the tablet device hasn’t even gotten an update to iOS 4 yet, and isn’t expected to get one for another couple of months, if recent communication between Apple and iAd clients is to be believed. It’s a safe bet that the iPad will pick up a front-facing, FaceTime-equipped camera and probably some form of Retina Display for its sequel, but Apple is still having too much fun (and profit) selling the first one right now.There’s no doubt that the living room will be the next battleground for Apple and its competitors as desktop computers and even laptops succumb to mobile phones and tablet devices. Some folks feel that Apple may take the larger step toward an all-in-one HDTV set with built-in Internet connectivity and likely driven by iOS, but we wouldn’t be placing any bets on that coming down the pike anytime soon.The most recent speculation about an Apple product seems to be swirling around what is being dubbed “iTV” -- the company’s supposed replacement for the aging Apple TV box, which is aimed at taking over the living room and making everyone forget that Google is about to release a competing product. We definitely feel like it’s time to put a Sopranos-style bullet in the head of the existing Apple TV, but it’s a safer bet to come after Google TV and the Boxee Box hit the market, when Apple can better analyze the strengths and weaknesses of those devices and better fine-tune their own box to meet loft expectations.*****We realize that your magic eight-ball might show different results than ours, so why not shake it up and share with your fellow MacLife.com readers in the comments? T-minus one week and counting, so get your speculation on!Follow this article’s author, J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter�

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