Technology Viewer

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Cable Companies to Offer $9.95 a Month Broadband to Fight Digital Divide

Microsoft and Cable companies are teaming up to get computers and broadband access to those on the other side of the “Digital Divide.”  

I am all for this, but I am sure this isn’t just out of the goodness of the Cable Co’s heart.   Which begs the question….   Why can’t the rest of us have $9.95 a month broad band access?   That would be nearly $500 in personal economic value a year, for those of us paying $49.99 or more for broadband.  

Just saying…  

Man Has Smartphone Dock Installed In His Prosthetic Arm

Some friday fun.  A British man born with only one arm was having issues using his smart phone with just one hand.   So he had a prosthetics company build a dock for his smart phone into his prosthetic arm for his phone.   

Personally I think he ought to be able to control his arm/hand in some way with the phone.   But, it’s a start.  :)

Via: laughingsquid

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Sprint cuts third quarter losses; iPhone 4s launch best in its history | ZDNet

If anything can save Sprint, our favorite plucky third place wireless carrier, it’s the iPhone.  

Oh and that’s not sarcasm, I really want Sprint to succeed. 

Verizon and AT&T have proven that they will just match each other’s declining service contracts, caps, termination fees, and so on.   We need Sprint to hold the line on things like affordable unlimited plans, and customer service, especially if T-Mobile in america is going to be swallowed whole by the AT&T Death Star.  

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Apple iPhone 4 32GB Quad-band World GSM Phone (Factory Unlocked)- WHITE

You have probably heard tales of woe from naive shop owners who have nearly lost their business due to a Groupon deal or coupon from a similar product.  But now it’s getting worse.   It seems the some shops and less than dilligent sales people are in fact raising prices on the so called “deals” so that the 50% off bargain will look that much more attractive.   

Business Insider has a report from a former Sales Rep in that industry who claims the practice is common place, and going to get worse.   

It just goes to show you, before you click on that impulse buy  on your smart phone, do your own due diligence.   If it looks too good to be true, it probably is.  

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Man, Sprint is just firing on all cylinders lately.   They have the unlimited data plan thing down, they have picked up the iPhone 4s, and now they are saying they are not going to charge you a ton of money for international roaming.  In fact you can just grab a local, cheap micro sim card int he airport you touch down in, slide it in and away you go.   

It makes me wish Sprint had good coverage somewhere besides Texas…  

UPDATE:  Ars Technica has talked with Sprint and they are denying the claim that you will be able to just pop a foreign micro sim in the “unlocked” slot for cheap service in other countries.   Sprint claims that they will allow GSM roaming in other countries but you need to sign up for their international plan.   Booooo.  

Too bad too, it seemed like another really smart consumer friendly play that could have drawn international travelers away from AT&T and VZW.  

I officially encourage everyone who is in a position to change carriers to go to Sprint, if only to make AT&T and Verizon sit up and take notice.   

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HTC EVO 4G Android Phone (Sprint)

(via iPhone 4S Geekbench Benchmarks ~68% Faster than iPhone 4 )

Itnteresting that the iPad 2 is just crushing everything out there, including the iPhone 4S.  But the iPad 2 isn’t getting The iOS 5 Siri support.  

Also fun to see all the high end Android phones getting slaughtered as well.

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Apple iPad 2 MC769LL/A Tablet (16GB, WiFi, Black)

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Netflix Abandons Plan to Rent DVDs on Qwikster

Oh for goodness sake…   Seriously, netflix?  You are really starting to look like a company that has no idea what it’s doing.   I mean it was clear that you had no idea what your customers wanted, but at least you took a direction and went with it.  

Now you are waffling, worse than a bunch of waffling wafflers.  (Hey it’s monday morning give me a break)

If I wanted this much indecision I’d go into local politics.  

How am I to believe the next email sent to me personally by Reed Hastings?  I’ll have to make a gmail label just for you called, “Yeah right Reed, sure you are…”

Sheeze.

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Roku 2 XD Streaming Player 1080p