Give me Net Neutrality, Or Give Me Death - January 12, 2010

Interesting article this past week published in the National Journal describing how the debate around Net Neutrality has escalated into a "free speech" debate with each side citing 1st Amendment grounds as to why Net Neutrality (NetNet) rules should or should not be enacted. In particular, while one side is citing NetNet as required to *protect* 1st Amendment speech of individual users...the other side is saying that implementing this rule could in fact, infringe upon the free speech of content providers, ISPs, and portals. As summed up by National Cable & Telecommunications Association President Kyle McSlarrow:

Strict new FCC regulations might infringe on the ability of content providers to speak "how" they wish by preventing them from paying for better service; might prevent innovations by ISPs that would better facilitate free speech; could amount to "forced" speech; and might impact the delivery of high-bandwidth services such as video programming by laying a path toward government regulation of bandwidth use.
For the uninitiated, NetNet is a proposal by the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that seeks to add certain principles to the regulation of US Internet Service Providers (ISPs) ensuring that all traffic sent over an ISPs "pipes" be treated equally. In effect, it would stop an ISP from stopping or preferring one type of traffic (e.g. Voice over IP) except in very specific circumstances.

On one side of the debate, proponents of the FCC's proposed NetNet rules believe they are necessary in order to preserve the free speech of individuals and keep ISPs from regulating, controlling, or preferring certain content over other content. In effect, this side believes that institutionalizing the open Internet is a cornerstone for the future success of the global network. It should be noted that the biggest proponents of NetNet are the large application and portal providers (e.g. Google, Yahoo, etc.) who say they are acting on behalf of the consumer. That is probably true, however, these are also multi-billion dollar companies with significant revenue and profit at stake.

On the other side of the debate, opponents of NetNet believe that the current Internet model works fine, and that the imposition of these proposed new rules is not only unnecessary, but also will restrict the future growth and development of the Internet. On the first point...they are probably right (the Internet works pretty well), though on the second, that is debatable. It should also be noted that the opponents of NetNet are the large Internet Carriers (who provide the backbone for the Internet), Cable Companies, and the large phone companies (e.g. Verizon, AT&T). Again, all companies with multi-billions of dollars at stake.

As for whether or not NetNet is a 1st Amendment argument, no one really knows. Critical to this question is whether or not a company even has 1st Amendment rights (or if these are only vested in individuals). Also, there are a lot of old court cases that seem to argue both sides of this question. None the less, it is clear that NetNet issues are going to be a source of major debate in 2010 and a topic of significant interest and debate.

LINK: National Journal: Net Neutrality Fight Turns To First Amendment

LINK: Wikipedia: Net Neutrality

Google Plays the Ad Game: The Most Remarkable Thing About the Launch of the Nexus One is not the Phone

An earth-shattering thing occurred this week with Google...and it wasn't just the launch of their mobile phone the Nexus One. Yes, that was interesting (more about that HERE), but it was the *way* in which Google brought this phone to market. While a lot of folks focused on the device's characteristics, or that it is unlocked, that is not what surprised me.

So...what did I think was remarkable? Well...

1) Google advertised the Nexus One on www.Google.com: While it sounds obvious to do this (after all, most companies do), this is a big change for Google. To-date, they have avoided selling any of their own products directly off of Google.com (e.g. Android, Adsense, Aps, etc.). Suddenly, the Nexus One appears on their home page directly promoting and enabling the sale of the device (And that doesn't even count what Google is doing as part of their own ad distribution network). That is not a minor change for the Googleplex.

2) Google is fulfilling the Nexus One directly: When was the last time you ever bought anything directly from Google and had it delivered to your home? Sure, you may have used Google to find something...and then bought from another vendor's site, but Google directly? And on those occasions where you paid Google (e.g. Google Aps), it isn't like something arrived in your mailbox. It is pretty remarkable that Google has built an infrastructure to deliver products. It will be interesting to see how good they are at this (and in fact, there are already complaints. See HERE).

3) Google is now competing against some of its best partners: For better or worse, Google has been very careful to avoid competing against its biggest mobile partners. To-date, they have stuck to selling Android as an operating system and striking search deals on mobile phones and websites. Sprint, Verizon and others sell a huge amount of Android-based cell phones which Google gets a share of. Now, they are basically introducing an entire line of products (e.g. it won't stop with the Nexus One) that could take share from their best friends.

So what is the impact of this change for the future? Well, time will tell. But among the questions I want to see answered are:

1) What is the future of Android? It used to be just about software on a mobile phone. Is that still the case? Or will Google build a whole line of its own devices that compete against the Android operating system.

2) What is the future of partnerships with mobile carriers like Verizon and Sprint? These two carriers represent fully 50% of the mobile phone business in the US. For the short term, I am sure nothing will change, but neither will look kindly on Google if they start to lose share to a directly sold Google phone.

3) Is Google about to "Yahoo" their website? One of the keys to Google's success has been their carefully constructed persona and strategy. Among that has been the simplicity of their website and the perception that they are not playing favorites (perception...because, of course they do play favorites). Will that still be the case?

4) Will they still be proponents of Net Neutrality? Google has been one of the biggest proponents of the FCC's proposed Net Neutrality legislation. Publicly, this is because they profess support for an "open" Internet...but like any large, for-profit company, also because the proposed legislation benefits them. It will be interesting to see if this proposal still holds. After all, now that they are in the hardware business, things are different. For instance, can someone use the Nexus One and make Bing (from Microsoft) the default search tool? What about other applications? Time will tell.

This Weeks' Links: January 7, 2010

This is a series consisting of articles and postings that I found interesting and worth checking out. I have written a blog or two on some of them, but for the most part, I am just providing the category, headline and link itself. Hopefully, you will find them interesting too.

Week's Links: January 7, 2010

Things you may have missed:

1) Joel Achenbach on the 2000s: The decade we didn't see coming:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/26/AR2009122601822.html?hpid=topnews

2) Google Rests Its Defense of Executives in Italian Privacy Case: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/24/technology/internet/24google.html?hpw

3) Avatar's 'ugly' message: The $500 million epic is setting the box office alight — but does it traffic in racist stereotypes?
http://www.theweek.com/article/index/104466/Avatars_ugly_message

4) The Battle for Tora Bora: How Osama bin Laden slipped from our grasp: The definitive account. http://www.tnr.com/article/the-battle-tora-bora

5) Never a Year Like '09: Jib Jab sums up 2009:
http://sendables.jibjab.com/originals/never_a_year_like_09

6) "Someday, they'll simply be called phones...".Smartphones were the tech story of 2009: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/24/AR2009122403323.html

Things you should know:

1) A Terrible Decade for Stocks -- and Reason for Optimism: http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2009/12/24/a-terrible-decade-for-stocks-and-reason-for-optimi.aspx

2) Apple iSlate and What is a "Magic Slate?
http://www.macrumors.com/

3) The Shady Mainstream Media Payday of Flight 253 Hero Jasper Schuringa: http://gawker.com/5434950/the-shady-mainstream-media-payday-of-flight-253-hero-jasper-schuringa

4) The Exhaustive Guide to Apple Tablet Rumors:
http://gizmodo.com/5434566/the-exhaustive-guide-to-apple-tablet-rumors

Things you wonder about:

1) Why Handwriting Is History:
http://miller-mccune.com/culture_society/handwriting-is-history-1647

2) College Class of 2009 Doomed? Actually, the Recession Liberates Us http://mobile.chicagotribune.com/inf/infomo?view=opinion+article&feed:a=chi_trib_10min&feed:c=opinion&feed:i=51037113&nopaging=1

3) Change of mind: Meyer won't quit, will take indefinite leave instead: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/football/ncaa/12/27/meyer.indefinite.leave/index.html?eref=BrkNews#ixzz0azm0O0eO

4) 370 Passwords You Shouldn’t (And Can’t) Use On Twitter: http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/12/27/twitter-banned-passwords/

5) "Quality content is not free (R.Murdoch)" and how @NYTimes sees the future of newspapers and the web developing.:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/28/business/media/28paywall.html

Google...I am Officially Underwhelmed. Why the Nexus One is Not Iconic

So it was with much fan fair that Google announced the Nexus One today. After years and years of speculation, Google ended its position as a "simple software" company (or more accurately, an advertising company that uses software) to become a hardware company producing (along with HTC) its own wireless device.  Needless to say, there was much rejoicing in the blogosphere with rumors, write ups from Endgaget Endgaget and Wired (and even my own HERE), and postulations everywhere. 

So...what do we think of their first foray? Well...before we discuss that, lets focus on what we learned today.

What we now know and like:

1) It's Pretty: The Nexus One looks a whole lot like what every "iconic" device since the iPhone was launched. It is small, sleek, curvy and black. 

2) It's Android: This one was obvious. Google has apparently built its own version of its Android software to power this phone, but it is still Android. While Android isn't as popular as many other mobile OSs, it is still damn good and worthy of being the OS for this device.

3) It's got an awesome camera: Honestly, I still think that except for voice (and triaging email), the camera is the next most useful capability for a smartphone. At 5 megapixels and a flash, this camera really a legitimate replacement for anything but an SLR.

4) It's unlocked: More on the negatives of this later...but there is something to say about being able to buy this device contract and commitment free. This is the model for most of the rest of the world and I see no issues with this being an option in the US too. Of course, I am not sure how practical the benefits are.

5) You can buy it off the web: Getting one is as simple as going to www.google.com/phone and buy the Nexus One yourself. Admittedly, ecommerce is not magic...but given that I have never bought anything from Google you can touch, I have to give them props for trying this approach. Needless to say though, it will be a little interesting to watch what happens when there is problem with the mail.

What we now know and DONT Like:

1) The tag "Superphone:" First...just because you say something is "super" doesn't mean it is. Second...I am not sure the Nexus One is that much better than other Android-based devices already in the market from Sprint, Verizon or T-Mobile.

2) It's on T-Mobile: Umm...seriously? I mean, yes, they had the first Android phone...but if you want to launch an iconic device with incredible data / Internet capabilities, T-Mobile is not that carrier.

3) It's expensive: In Europe and Asia, buying a phone at full cost is considered normal. Unfortunately, that is not the case in the US. Here, even the smartest of smart phones are expected to cost no more than $250. It is great that Google has made the phone unlocked, but at $530 ($179 on a T-Mob plan) that benefit comes with a steep cost. Honestly, it strikes me as hubris (or naivety) that Google went down this path.

4) It doesn't allow tethering: WTF?!? If only to upstage the iPhone, this functionality should be in day one. Tethering is a key feature that many folks expect (especially the "prosumer" types who buy smartphones). To not have it speaks to unnecessary restrictions. And then no multi-touch either?!? Oh man...

5) It doesn't sync with exchange: Seriously? We all know Microsoft is the root-of-all evil, but Microsoft is still a necessary evil. Please tell me I am wrong on this one.

6) It is not iconic: Given the wait, hype, and emotion surrounding this launch I frankly, expected more. Not that the Nexus One doesn't seem to be a good device (maybe even great)...but it is not that different than Android phones that were available yesterday (pre-Nexus One). 

What we have concluded:

The one thing that I see the Nexus One as being a game changer is the fact that Google is now in the mobile hardware business. After all, even Microsoft, with its Windows Mobile / Phone and eponymous software never strayed into this line of business (maybe that now changes?). The fact that Google has decided to do so is a big deal...and one that will have long term implications to its other channels and partners...and potentially the very future of Android. I am sure that the folks at the Googleplex thought long and hard over this issue, but this change is momentous. 

As I noted in this title however, I am still underwhelmed with the Nexus One. Yes, it seems to be a cool new device, but that is about it. The hubbub around its launch was misplaced, as were the expectations. Whether this was because Google was so hands on in its design, or the US wireless market so restrictive, or HTC was holding back, I don't know, but in the end, what we got today was probably not well-aligned with the pre-launch expectations. 

The Battle for Tora Bora

Remarkable article last week in The New Republic detailing the battle at Tora Bora (Afghanistan) and how the US failed to capture Osama bin Laden. It is great read and has makes some interesting observations. Among these are:

1) At one point, US Special Operations personnel were believed to be within 2000 meters of bin Laden. If only we could have...

2) Also,at one point during the battle, there were more Western journalists on site than US soldiers / CIA operatives. I am not a soldier, and our guys are good, but that does seem to be a bit strange.

3) In the midst of the battle US General Tommy Frank was asked by Donald Rumsfeld to brief him on plans to invade Iraq. Any way you look at it, developing those plans took resources and ideas away from the Battle at Tora Bora.

Be warned though...like with any publication, you need to look through this with the right lens. Keep in mind, this article is:

1) Published in the New Republic. A publication with a particular bent.

2) Bills itself as the "definitive account" of the battle. Caveat emptor.

3) Relies on observations from some of the world's thugs and terrorists. Not exactly the bring-home-to-Mom type.

None-the-less, it is a worthwhile read. Enjoy.

LINK: The New Republic: The Battle for Tora Bora

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A jazz lodges a transcript below a defensive hello.

Florida Gator Buzzerbeater Stuns NC State

If you didn't catch this from the weekend, check-out this amazing shot by Florida's Chandler Parsons to win the game over NC State. While we often see these kinds of shots at halftime or at the end of the game, they almost never go in...much less be the difference between winning and losing.

Needless to say, this is the best thing that ole Chandler has done for the Gators in his career...and it will probably immortalize him on YouTube for years to come. Given the way the Gators are playing this year, this shot and win could also be the difference for Florida in getting into the NCAA Tournament this year.

This Weeks' Links: January 1, 2010

This is a series consisting of articles and postings that I found interesting and worth checking out. I have written a blog or two on some of them, but for the most part, I am just providing the category, headline and link itself.

Unfortunately, you will have to copy and past the URLs (Blogger rules), but hopefully, you will find them interesting too.

Week's Links: December 25th, 2009

Things you may have missed:
1) Content-Search Deals Make Twitter Profitable: http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/dec2009/tc20091220_549879.htm
2) Investors Push Yelp To IPO: http://www.businessinsider.com/yelp-flirts-with-microsoft-ipo-2009-12

3) The U.S. Can Look To Europe To See What The iPhone’s Future Will Be Here: http://moconews.net/article/419-the-u.s.-can-look-to-europe-to-see-what-the-iphones-future-is-like-here/

4) The Top 10 tech trends of 2009: http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/12/22/top.tech.trends.2009/index.html

Things you should know:

1) Why, exactly, do our siblings drive us so crazy?: http://www.slate.com/id/2239216/

2) Paying With Plastic to Please the Accountants: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/22/business/22road.html?_r=1

3) Social Media Experts Make Their Predictions for Trends in 2010: http://mashable.com/2009/12/22/social-media-experts-make-their-predictions-for-trends-in-2010/

Things you wonder about:

1) Holy Baboon! A 'Mystical' Moment In Africa: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=121713610

2) The Science Behind Jabulani, Adidas's 2010 World Cup Soccer Ball: http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2009-12/science-behind-jubulani-adidass-2010-world-cup-soccer-ball?page=