iOS Download too Big? Use iTunes Instead

Buying a New iPhone? Backup Your Old One First!

The post Get Ready for iOS 9 and the iPhone 6S appeared first on Marcel Brown.

iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus

As expected, Apple introduced their latest iPhones approximately one year after their previous models. The iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus look virtually identical to their previous generation counterparts and reports indicate that most cases designed for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus will work with the newer generation iPhones. Besides a significantly more powerful processor and some other underlying technology upgrades, the main change to the 6S line of iPhones will be the addition of what Apple is calling “3D Touch,” which basically means the new iPhones will respond to how hard you press the iPhone’s screen, not just a simple tap. This should make the iPhone a lot more productive for users who are very familiar with their iPhones, while not making the overall usage more complicated for new users. The other notable features for the new iPhones will be a higher megapixel camera that will also take pictures that can be “brought to life”, as the camera will capture frames from just before and just after the picture is snapped, giving the illusion of movement to a picture. Apple is calling this “Live Photo” and because users will not need to do anything different besides just taking a picture, I think it will be a popular feature.

iPad Pro

Apple unveiled a new addition to their iPad lineup: the iPad Pro. Simply put the iPad Pro is a larger sized iPad as compared to the smallest iPad Mini and now mid-sized iPad Air. However, the iPad Pro will also work with a couple of new accessories, the Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard to give it the ability to be more of a tablet/laptop hybrid device. For those who wanted a larger screen iPad, the iPad Pro will fit the bill and it will also satisfy those who wanted an iPad that was more similar to a laptop for their work needs. Creative professionals will almost certainly be big fans of the Apple Pencil, as it is basically a very precise drawing stylus.

Apple TV

Apple also unveiled a long-awaited update to their Apple TV device. The new Apple TV can now be controlled through Siri-based voice commands and a new motion-sensitive remote control. The motion sensitive remote control is a key feature because it works very similar to a Nintendo Wii controller, which is perfect for playing games (or using Apps) that can be purchased through the new Apple TV App Store. It appears that many App developers will also allow you to download the Apple TV version of their Apps if you’ve already purchased them on the iPhone or iPad. Plus now that any developer can create Apps for the Apple TV, it is conceivable that more streaming services will become available for Apple TV (although most of the major ones already were). The more powerful the Apple TV can become as a platform for Apps, games, and streaming services the closer the market moves away from the established cable and satellite companies towards a la carte services.

Apple Watch

Apple really didn’t announce anything major for the Apple Watch, besides reminding us that the new Watch OS 2.0 will be released on September 16th (which is a big deal for those who already own the Apple Watch) and introducing some new color and watch band availability. However, I mention the Apple Watch here because it very well may be one of the hottest, if not THE hottest, technology gifts of the year. The bottom line for the Apple Watch is that there are so many choices in colors and watch bands that this is a much more complicated purchase as a gift than most technology devices. So start your planning now and if you have people who are interested in the Apple Watch as a gift, you may need to do creative questioning to find out exactly which model and color combination they want.

Questions?

If you a question about these new Apple devices or any other technology product, please feel free to post it to my new Question & Answer section of my web site. I’ll be happy to help answer your questions and every question posted may help someone else.

The post Apple Preps New Devices for Holiday Rush appeared first on Marcel Brown.

Curse you, scammers!

A previous article I had written a couple of years ago about an “FBI” phishing scam affecting Mac computers continues to receive a lot of attention. Additionally, I also get a lot of questions about getting rid of scam pages that can pop up on Macs from another article I wrote. Gradually, the questions being asked are more often about these types of scam pages showing up on iPhones or iPads. Some scam pages are easy to ignore and close out. However, increasingly scammers are creating fake warning messages that seem to continually return even if we tap the OK button many times. As long as that fake warning message is showing up on our screen, we can not use Safari and browse the web. A lot of people get freaked out that the fake warning messages might actually be real since they can not seem to get rid of them. Or they believe that their iPhone or iPad is infected with some sort of virus or malware and start to panic. While it can be a little tricky to close out these scam pages on an iPhone, I have come up with a solution that is fairly simple to perform.

1. First, keep in mind that whatever the dire warning says, it is a scam. Ignore the message and move on to getting rid of it. NEVER call any phone numbers displayed when you see a scam like this, even if they say they are from Apple, Microsoft, or any other well-known company.
2. Additionally, your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch is NOT infected with any sort of virus or malware. There are NO known viruses or malwares that can infect an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. So you DO NOT need to overreact and do things like wiping out your device or restoring from a backup.
3. When you are confronted with a scam warning that you can’t seem to get rid of, push the home button on your iPhone to go back to the home screen.
4. Open the Settings app and scroll down until you see Safari. Tap on Safari and then scroll down until you see Advanced.
5. Tap on Advanced and you should see an option called JavaScript.
6. Turn off JavaScript (make sure it is NOT green) and then double-click the home button to pull up your recently used apps.
7. Safari should be the first app listed. If not, scroll over until you see it. Tap on Safari to open it. You will need to click OK on the fake warning message once or twice more. The warning should now go away and you should be left with the underlying scam page.
8. Tap the “tabs” icon in the lower right corner of the Safari window (it looks like two squares, one on top of the other). If you don’t see the tabs icon, scroll up until you see it appear. Tapping the tabs icon will bring up a screen of all your open web pages and possibly a list of open web pages on your other devices.
9. The scam page should be at the bottom of all your open web pages. Tap the small “x” icon on the left side of the scam page and that should close it out. Now double-click the home button again. Look for the Settings app and tap it. Turn JavaScript back on (make it green). Now you can return to browsing with Safari again.

Once again, the key thing to keep in mind is that regardless of the nature of the scam (FBI warning, virus warning, etc.) they are in fact scams. The FBI (or other law enforcement agency) is not going to contact you through a web pop-up and there are no known malwares that have ever affected the iPhone or iPad. So calm down and continue on with your day!

If you have any questions about scam pages or any other technology-related topic, please post your question on my new Question & Answer forum on my web site! Your questions may help other people find answers to their technology problems as well.

Update: Even if a scam web page tells you where you are located or shows you an IP address, this doesn’t mean it is law enforcement. It is simple to code a web page that can query your IP address and there are public databases available that correlate IP addresses of Internet providers with physical location. This is simply a smoke-and-mirrors trick to scare you into thinking someone is tracking you. Do not play into their game by being afraid.

The post Scam Web Pages on iPhones: How to Get Rid of Them appeared first on Marcel Brown.

Step 1: Don’t Troubleshoot Yet

The first thing to do is verify that your router can handle the Internet speed that you are being offered. Read my previous article about high speed Internet and routers for more details. The bottom line is that if your router is not capable of handling the bandwidth of the newer high speed services being offered, then all the troubleshooting in the world isn’t going to help you. Likely if your router is more than a couple of years old, you should look into replacing it. But if you have a capable router, then you can proceed with troubleshooting.

Step 2: Understand What You’re Getting Yourself Into

The key to troubleshooting a complex system is isolating the cause or causes of the problem through a process of elimination. This is true of a network connected to the Internet, such as you have in your home or business. The problem could be with your ISP’s service, the ISP’s modem, your router, some sort of wireless interference, or a computer on your network may be eating up a large amount of bandwidth. The only way to figure out where the problem lies is by testing each point in the system as methodically as possible.

You will also need to know how to configure your router. This is usually done with a web-based administration interface or configuration software. The details will be different for every type of router and if you do not know how to configure your router, you will need to consult your manual or look it up online. The details of configuring a router are well beyond the scope of this article but they are very important so you will need to familiarize yourself with them or else call a professional to help you troubleshoot.

If after reading this article you feel overwhelmed, I don’t blame you! Don’t feel bad if you would rather have a qualified technology professional do this troubleshooting for you. It can be tricky and time consuming to isolate the problem with an Internet connection.

Step 3: Prepare Yourself

The first thing you will need is a tool to test the throughput of your Internet connection. It’s one thing to think your connection is slow, it’s another to prove it. For testing an Internet connection, it is best to use a traditional personal computer, such as a Windows PC or an Apple Macintosh. It is also best to use one that has an Ethernet port as well as wireless networking so that you can compare the results later on in the process. Ideally, you will test with more than one computer in order to isolate the computer itself as the source of a problem. If you are using a Windows PC, you must ensure that the computer is free of all malware because malware can often interfere with your computer’s operation and skew the results of bandwidth testing. Similarly, regardless of the type of computer you are using, make sure it is functioning properly across the board. If your Mac or PC has a lack of RAM, or if it is old and the hard drive is failing, or if it is suffering from any sort of problem, your testing results may not be accurate. If you are not sure your computer is malware free or otherwise operating correctly, consult with your trusted technology professional to have your computers worked on.

Once you have a suitable computer for testing, you will need a way to actually measure the throughput your can put across your network. There are many speed test web sites on the Internet that can do this for you. Since I personally have Charter Internet and many of my clients in the area do as well, I tend to use Charter’s Speed Test site. Even though it is run by an ISP, I have found that the results are accurate, even when running from other Internet Services. I like Charter’s Speed Test site because it is extremely simple and has no ads or other junk on the page. However, in the case that Charter’s Speed Test isn’t accurate where you live, I also use another site called Speakeasy Speed Test and on occasion to verify that I’m seeing consistent results, I also use Speedtest.net (although I don’t like the types of ads they run on that site, especially the ads for computer “cleaners” such as MacKeeper – stay away from that software).

Now that you have a computer with a wired Ethernet port ready and know which speed tests you are going to run we can begin with the actual troubleshooting process. Note that the process I’m going to detail is for Internet connections where you have a “modem” from the  ISP and your own separate router device (a very common scenario for cable Internet services). If you have a service where your Internet device is a combination modem and router, then you have fewer devices to isolate. Where my instructions specify a modem and router, just know that you have only one device and modify your procedure accordingly. That being said, the combination modem/routers that ISPs provide are often low-end devices and may not provide great performance. Consider replacing your ISP-provided combination modem/router with a separate router if feasible.

Step 4: Establish a Baseline

Begin by running a few speed tests and getting a baseline speed. It does no good to start troubleshooting if you don’t know what speeds you had initially. After running the speed tests (ideally from at least a couple of different computers), take a minute to review your results. It may be possible that you are not getting as slow of speeds as you thought you were or perhaps only one computer is showing slow results. Consider the results of your baseline testing before going on to the next steps as you may not need to proceed with more in-depth testing just yet.

Step 5: Power Cycle your Network Equipment

Once you’ve run the speed test and have reviewed your results, go ahead and unplug power from both your router and your modem. Wait about 10 seconds or so before powering up your modem first. Wait about a minute or two before powering back up your router. This sequence is a little nitpicky but in general is the best way to ensure that your Internet connection comes online properly. Wait another minute or two after powering up your router and then perform the speed tests again. What we are trying to find out is if restarting your devices helps your Internet speed. If your speed is much better after restarting your devices, then stop the troubleshooting process here for the time being. Run periodic speed tests to see when and if your Internet speed drops. If your speed does drop again in the near future, repeat the power cycling process once again. Basically, if restarting your devices helps your connection for a day or two (or longer), it may be indicative of issues with one or both of those devices. They may be malfunctioning and you can proceed with further troubleshooting. However, before moving on with troubleshooting, make sure you purchase an uninterruptible power supply (UPS for short), also known as a battery backup, to use with your Internet modem and router. Sometimes power issues are a direct cause of problems for Internet services and using a UPS will help ensure that your devices are receiving clean power all the time. I have seen the use of a UPS eliminate Internet problems, including slow connections for many of my clients.

Step 6: Isolate Your ISP Modem

First test the ISP connection by itself. In other words, you will need to connect a computer by wired Ethernet directly to the ISP’s modem. As I mentioned above, you will want to make sure you are connecting a computer that is reasonably well performing and not burdened by malware. If you get the speed your ISP is providing to you or really close to it, then the problem is probably not with the ISP service or their modem. Go on to Step 7. But if you are still getting slow connection speed, test with another computer to make sure that your first computer isn’t the problem. Then if you are still getting slow results, you should call your ISP and have them test the connection and/or replace your modem.

Step 7: Isolate your Router

If the speed coming directly from your ISP’s modem is where it should be, the next step is to do isolation testing on your router. I recommend turning off the wireless connection for this test, so that any wireless devices do not connect to your router while you are testing it. Alternately, you can change the name of the wireless network and/or password so that any devices that were connecting to it can no longer do so. Reconnect your router to the ISP modem (you may possibly need to restart your modem first). Connect the same computer that you used earlier using wired Ethernet so that you can compare the same computer’s results. If your router is working properly with wired networking, then you should see nearly the same speed you saw when directly connecting to the ISP modem. However, if you have been careful to make sure that no other devices are connected to the router (either wired or wireless) and you are not getting the same speed when testing through the router, then the culprit is likely your router. If this is the case, you may want to try factory reseting your router to eliminate the possibility of a corrupted configuration mucking things up. Additionally check to see if you can upgrade your router’s firmware, as often new firmwares offer performance fixes with certain scenarios and loading/reloading firmware can sometimes fix a glitchy router. These steps serve to eliminate “soft” problems and help confirm that your router has a hardware malfunction. If your router has a hardware malfunction, then go buy a new router. See my previous article for some advice on what kind of router to purchase.

Step 8: Test your Wireless Networking

If your router gets good speed while testing it with an isolated wired connection, then you will need to test the wireless function. You can try shutting down all wireless devices you have in the house (which sometimes is hard given how many smartphones and mobile devices we all have) or you can simply change the wireless network name/and or password so that all those devices can no longer connect. If you can use the same computer you used for the wired testing, that is good since you will be able to compare direct results. But if you can’t, then once again make sure your new wireless device is reasonably well performing and free of malware.

Start by testing in the same room as your wireless router. If your speed is immediately slower than it was with wired testing, then either the wireless part of the router is malfunctioning or you have a wireless interference issue. Again, you may want to factory reset and/or upgrade the firmware of the router to be sure. However, it is possible that the issue is with the device you are testing with. Try testing with another computer to be sure.

If you have a wireless interference issue, these can be very hard to resolve. The good news is that most interference issues are with the 2.4 Ghz frequency range and the newer 5.4 Ghz frequency range doesn’t seem to suffer from as much interference. So if you have an older wireless router that only supports 2.4 Ghz, upgrading to a newer router with 5.4 Ghz capability may help out. It may also be possible to turn off your 2.4 Ghz radios and only use 5.4 Ghz. Unfortunately, many older and less expensive computers may only support 2.4 Ghz. So all you can do is test various configurations and see if there is any improvement. In crowded areas such as apartment buildings, there may not be much you can do at all. You can Google “resolving wi-fi interference” to find more information.

If your speed tests well, then your wireless router probably isn’t malfunctioning. Move further away from the router and test again. This procedure begins to determine if the range of your wireless network is an issue. Perform subsequent tests from various areas of your house that you frequent. If you begin to see poor speed results the further you move away from your router, or if certain areas seem to be dead spots, then you may need to move your router to a different location in the house, or look into installing additional wireless access points or wireless repeaters.

Step 9: What Now?

If you’ve gotten this far and the connection tests well, then the problem may be with a computer on your network. It may be infected with malware or someone is running a file-sharing software on their computer that is using excessive bandwidth. Also, it may be that someone in the neighborhood has your wireless password and is using your service without your knowledge (you do have a password-protected wireless network, right?). All you can do is try reconnecting computers/devices one at a time, and then testing again (from the same computer as before, if possible). You may want to wait 5 or 10 minutes in between connecting devices before testing. This gives them enough time to boot up and start the process that will begin exhibiting the symptoms. Obviously if you have any wired devices, you simply need to plug them in. With wireless devices, since you have changed the wireless network name and/or password, you can simply enter the new information into each device as you go along. Obviously, at any point if you are doing a speed test and find that the speed has dropped, then the last device you connected is probably the culprit. Disconnect it and retest to be sure. If you end up reconnecting all your devices (don’t forget things like your smartTV or video game consoles) and your speed test is still good, then it is possible someone else was tapping into your network. Make sure you keep your wireless password secure.

This is WAY Too Much Work!

If you think troubleshooting a slow Internet connection is too much work, I completely understand! Sometimes even I have difficulty nailing down a difficult network issue. Wireless networking can be as much of an art as a science and most people simply don’t have the time to learn the intricacies of networking, radio waves, and computer troubleshooting just to make their Internet speed faster. So if taking all these steps is just too much for you, don’t feel bad about calling in for some professional help. Oftentimes, a professional like myself can recognize when to shortcut certain steps or simply have a hunch about what the core issue is so we can get to a resolution faster. Bottom line, it may be worth paying someone to get to a resolution than to spend hours or days trying to figure it out yourself.

If you have any questions about troubleshooting a slow Internet connection, or any questions about technology, please ask them on my new Q&A forum on my web site!

The post Is Your Internet Speed Not What it Should Be? How to Test and Isolate the Problem appeared first on Marcel Brown.

As part of Microsoft’s Windows Insider Program, I’ve been testing the pre-release versions of Windows 10 for the last couple of months. I must say that for a Windows operating system, Windows 10 is actually pretty good. It’s no Mac OS X, but Microsoft seems to have learned its lesson from the Windows 8 debacle and has returned to a more traditional “start menu” interface, all while delivering some under-the-hood changes that should please the most techie among us. However, for as decent of an operating system Windows 10 may turn out to be, the way that Microsoft is delivering the upgrade may end up being an unmitigated disaster.

There are two worlds when it comes to Microsoft products. The ideal world where every Microsoft product works exactly as it should in perfect harmony with the hardware it runs on and the users who use it. And then there is the real world. I live in the real world every day. The real world where a variety of factors cause technology products to not work exactly as expected. Microsoft software is especially susceptible to a variety of issues. The plethora of hardware platforms that Windows runs on combined with the sheer number of PCs that have Windows installed virtually guarantee that large swaths of computing scenarios can not be thoroughly tested. In addition, the rampant spread of malware on Windows causes many unexpected problems. So it is almost impossible that a major operating system upgrade like Windows 10 will be glitch-free when released. This is par for the course when referencing a Microsoft Windows upgrade and normally it isn’t a disaster for Microsoft (save, for Windows Vista). The reality is that very few people have historically upgraded their Windows operating systems so the potential for widespread problems has been contained. However, this time is very different. Microsoft is giving away free upgrades of Windows 10 to users of Windows 7 and Windows 8 and making it available as a download through the Windows Update system.

The potential disaster in-waiting for Microsoft begins when millions of possibly unsuspecting Windows users launch a Windows update and end up installing Windows 10 without knowing what they are getting themselves into. The worst-case scenario is that millions of Windows computers become inoperable because the upgrade failed. Any number of reasons may be to blame such as malware, aging hardware, disk corruption, outdated drivers, or just unexplainable Windows “glitches.” Imagine for a moment that starting on July 29th, millions of Windows users suddenly can not use their computers. The tidal wave of support calls and complaints would be enough to bring any company to its knees, but even worse, the ensuing PR nightmare would be a bloodbath for Microsoft. A bloodbath that would likely go on for months and the stigma associated would linger for years.

But shouldn’t the lengthy testing phase with the Windows Insider Program have rooted out these problems already? Even with all the testing taking place, it is highly unlikely that the number of people participating is a fraction of a percent of the installed base of Windows users. Beyond that, the possible fatal flaw is that for all the testing done, it is doubtful that the upgrade process was tested as thoroughly as truly necessary for a rollout of this magnitude. I can’t imagine that many of the Windows Insider participants spent a lot of time backing up their old operating systems, upgrading to Windows 10, wiping it out, restoring their old operating systems, and upgrading to Windows 10 again. That’s really boring and time consuming stuff. So Microsoft is about to unleash an unprecedented (for Microsoft) major operating system upgrade to millions of real-world systems with a relatively minimal amount of testing. I’m sure there are many people at Microsoft who will have their fingers crossed on July 29th.

Even if the worst-case scenario doesn’t materialize, there are still possible PR nightmare storylines for Microsoft waiting in the wings. First, if even a small percentage of people have problems it could be blown out of proportion. Haters gonna hate and just a few incidents of bricked PCs might be enough to cause a “-gate” named uproar. Second, even if by some miracle there are relatively few technical glitches with the millions of Windows 10 upgrades that will take place starting on July 29th, many users may still be bewildered by the sudden change in appearance of their operating system. I know as well as anyone just how fickle computer users can be by the slightest change in their daily computing routines. Windows 10 is a big enough change from either Windows 7 or Windows 8 to make many users flip their lids. While Microsoft may have learned that Windows 8 was too big of a shift for most Windows users, it doesn’t appear they have learned that most Windows users don’t like any change, especially when that change in completely unexpected. It won’t take too many public complaints for this to turn into a snowball of bad PR for Microsoft.

Again, the danger is in the way Microsoft is positioning the Windows 10 upgrade to Windows 7 and Windows 8 users. By putting it out in the user’s faces so prominently, I believe many users will inadvertently start the upgrade to Windows 10 without being fully cognizant of what they are doing. Microsoft makes it seem like upgrading to Windows 10 will simply be just another Windows update, and of course, we’ve all been repeatedly told that everyone should stay up to date! But the reality is that upgrading an operating system is not something you should go into with blinders on. Those who purposely upgrade to Windows 10 at least know the risks and possible consequences of a major operating system upgrade and are expecting the changes. But your mom probably doesn’t. And guess who she’s going to call when her icons don’t look the same as they did yesterday.

As a technology professional who will likely be inundated with calls if any of these nightmare scenarios takes place, I honestly hope this is not as big of a disaster as it possibly could be. I do not wish bad things to happen to anyone’s technology but as I’ve shown, the right circumstances are in place for an upcoming Win-pocalypse. It would be irresponsible for me not to share this information.

Did you ever have the feeling of impending doom? I sure do. Do you think July 29th will be a day that will live in infamy or am I over-thinking things?

The post Is Windows 10 an Impending Disaster for Microsoft? appeared first on Life, Liberty, and Technology.

You might have already heard of Windows 10 – if for no other reason than Microsoft skipped the number nine, oddly jumping right from Windows 8 to Windows 10. However, if you’re like most people who use Microsoft Windows, you probably have no intention or desire to install a Windows operating system upgrade. History shows that most people only upgrade Windows operating systems when they purchase a new computer. This is for two main reasons. First, Microsoft has always charged for Windows upgrades. Second, most people have a natural inclination to leave well enough alone. They simply have no motivation to go through the hassle of a major operating system upgrade.

Microsoft seems to caught on to the fact that most people do not undertake Windows operating system upgrades. With Microsoft steadily losing their relevance in a mobile device-dominated technology landscape, they seem very eager to get as many people on board with Windows 10 as possible. To start, Microsoft is giving away Windows 10 to all people who are running legally licensed copies of Windows 7 and Windows 8 (but only for the first year – more on that later). Additionally, Microsoft is making upgrading to Windows 10 a part of the Windows Automatic Update function that installs patches and bug fixes. So for many people, upgrading to Windows 10 will be free and they won’t need to do anything more than running an update they download. However, for as easy as Microsoft is making upgrading to Windows 10, the question is should you do it?

To Upgrade or Not To Upgrade, That is the Question

From a practical perspective, it is always a good idea to wait awhile before installing any major upgrade. Windows 10 should be no exception. Given Microsoft’s long track record, there are almost always numerous bugs and issues on day one of an operating system release (or as in the case of Windows Vista, excessively numerous bugs). The old adage, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” is worth heeding when considering Windows upgrades. However, given the universally negative opinion of Windows 8, there are a significant number of people who are chomping at the bit to get back to a more traditional Windows interface. With Windows 10, Microsoft is basically admitting that the experiment with the Windows 8 interface was a bust. So Windows 10 looks more like Windows 7 in its default startup mode. This should make a lot of people happy. However, even given that attraction, I still say wait on the Windows 10 upgrade until enough time has passed that most of the initial problems have been dealt with. How long is that? It depends. I would say at least 3 months, but maybe more. We’ll see starting on July 29th, when Windows 10 is officially released. Stay tuned to this blog and I’ll keep you informed.

At this point, you probably agree with me that you want to wait to upgrade to Windows 10, if you want to upgrade at all. So you think you’re probably safe. However, I want to make you aware that the way Microsoft is positioning Windows 10 in your Automatic Updates, it may be all too easy to inadvertently upgrade to Windows 10.

Lead Us Not Into Temptation

This is the Windows 10 Upgrade Notification icon

Microsoft is “advertising” the upgrade to Windows 10 by installing an icon to the task bar (in the lower right corner of the screen). Called “Get Windows 10” or “Windows 10 Upgrade Notification,” when clicked it will inform you how to get Windows 10 for free. This process is nothing much more than “reserving” your upgrade by entering your e-mail address. This icon is installed as part of a normal Windows automatic update cycle, assuming the computer is properly licensed and meets the system requirements. If you use Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, you likely will have this icon by now, assuming your computer runs updates automatically or you run them manually.

Microsoft has never promoted a new operating system upgrade like this before, has never offered an OS upgrade for free, and has never made a major OS upgrade part of the automatic update process. My fear is that many people will mistakenly run the Windows 10 upgrade without being certain what they are getting themselves into. Beyond the possible technical issues that may ensue, even if the upgrade is technically successful many computer users would be stymied by such a significant change to their user interface as Windows 10 will bring to Windows 7 or Windows 8 users.

If you see this in your Windows Update screen, what is your first inclination?

I’ve dealt with a similar situation before with users of Apple’s Macintosh operating system. Apple made it virtually too easy to upgrade to the next version of their operating system with their App Store update system a few years ago. I’ve had numerous clients inadvertently upgrade to a new Mac operating system since it appears to be part of an routine update cycle. Luckily most Mac OS upgrades are fairly painless, but the opportunity for issues still exists. I had a few clients get bit by compatibility problems with older software or had pre-existing issues that caused the upgrade to fail and their Macs to malfunction. With the larger number of Windows users, along with the significantly broader chance for compatibility or system issues on Windows systems, I’m very concerned that we are about to witness a tidal wave of frustrated computer users in the next few weeks. At this point we don’t know for certain that Microsoft will make it easy for users to inadvertently upgrade, but it’s better to warn Windows users now than wait as it may be too late by then.

Kids and Employees Might Be a Thorn in Your Side

Even if you are fairly certain that you will be careful and not upgrade to Windows 10 inadvertently, a lot of us have kids or other family members that might not be so careful (or think they are being helpful). Talk to them to let them know that it is best to wait to upgrade to Windows 10.

Business owners also have a lot to worry about. If you own a business and your Windows computers are not centrally managed (most small business computers are not), your employees will be getting the notifications to upgrade to Windows 10. If any do decide to upgrade, it could cause issues with your computers. Again, this simple upgrade scenario has never happened before with Microsoft Windows, so it is an entirely new situation we are dealing with. Time will tell if this will be a big problem for business owners.

Given all the potential problems, the good news is that there is a simple way to disable the possibility of an inadvertent Windows 10 upgrade. If you want to ensure that your computer won’t tempt users to upgrade to Windows 10, you can uninstall the Get Windows 10 app, as detailed by this article.

Free* (But Only for a Limited Time)

One of the unusual strings attached to Microsoft’s offer of a free upgrade to Windows 10 is that it must be done within one year of its release date. If a company is making an upgrade free, why put a time limit on that offer? The reason is likely very simple, as Microsoft wants a few things to happen with Windows 10. First, they want to get away from the publicity nightmare that was Windows 8. Microsoft desperately needs a success to get themselves back on track. If they can point to a large number of people upgrading to their latest operating system, this could be a great PR opportunity. Secondly, Microsoft is a distant third place in the mobile device market behind Apple and Google. One of their biggest problems is the lack of third-party apps for their mobile platform. Developers aren’t too interested in creating software for a platform without a sizable number of users. Windows 8 did not deliver the base of users Microsoft had hoped for and Windows 7 is not part of their mobile platform. Microsoft hopes to get a large and unified base of users on their mobile platform with Windows 10. Given the speed that the mobile device market is moving, the sooner the better for Microsoft. If they do not quickly get a large number of users on Windows 10, they may face permanent irrelevance among smartphone and tablet buyers. If “free” is the carrot, limiting the offer to one year is the stick. So we must ask, is the free Windows 10 upgrade really for the benefit of users, or for the benefit of Microsoft? Bottom line, if you really do not want to upgrade your version of Windows, don’t do it. *Free really isn’t free if you end up having problems. Lost productivity and paying someone to fix your computer aren’t worth it if you don’t see any real benefits from Windows 10. And I have a sneaking suspicion that Microsoft will lift the one-year limitation at some point.

Windows 10 is what Windows 8 Should Have Been

After everything you’ve just read, you probably think I have a negative impression of Windows 10. The reality is that I think Windows 10 is actually a pretty decent version of Windows. Microsoft has made an extensive testing program available to anyone who wants to evaluate Windows 10 prior to release. I’ve been using Windows 10 on a test computer for a couple of months now. While I definitely still prefer Apple’s Mac OS X, Windows 10 is overall a much easier system to work with than was Windows 8. It brings back a lot of the familiar user interface elements that Windows users liked from Windows XP and Windows 7, while retaining some of the nice touches of Windows 8. Under the hood there are claimed performance improvements (which won’t be complete until official release) and various new features that sound good (of course, we’ll see how well the final implementations actually work). So overall, assuming Windows 10 is reliable, I actually endorse the upgrade to those who want to take advantage of the new features and benefits (after my recommended waiting period, of course). Just to reiterate, my main concern is that due to Microsoft’s promptings, users will be upgrading to Windows 10 inadvertently, without full knowledge of what they are doing. If you are fully knowledgable about what a Windows 10 upgrade entails, then by all means proceed when you are ready.

If you have any questions about Windows 10 and what it could mean for your technology, please do not hesitate to contact me right away.

Prior to reading this article, had you heard of Windows 10? Have you received the “Windows 10 Upgrade Notification” icon and have you clicked on it?

The post Windows 10 is a Free Upgrade that Won’t Leave You Alone. How to Avoid the Pitfalls. appeared first on Marcel Brown.

The web is filled with instructions on how to activate your newly unlocked iPhone to verify its unlocked status. Unfortunately, most methods say that you must backup your iPhone using iTunes on a computer and then restore it to get the unlocking activated. That process, frankly, is a pain. As it turns out, most of the information on that process is mostly outdated anyway. Fortunately Apple states in a support article that all you need to do is insert the SIM card of another wireless carrier in your iPhone to activate the unlocked status. However, this method is not well-documented. Apple’s instructions only shows two steps! I found virtually no corroborating documentation elsewhere. So as I was doing my own testing, I took careful notes of the process so I could detail it here. I also created a video of the process, which you will find at the end of this article.

Activating Your Unlocked iPhone in More Than Two Simple Steps

As Apple’s article states, to activate an unlocked iPhone you simply need to swap out the SIM card in your iPhone with the SIM card of another wireless carrier and then complete the setup process. Sounds simple enough, but there are many details in that process that I think people should be aware of.

The different sizes of SIM cards. Make sure you know which size your iPhone uses.

The first thing to understand is there are different sizes of SIM cards. Most likely, if you have a recent iPhone (iPhone 5 and newer) you will need a “nano-SIM,” which is the smallest SIM currently available. If you have an iPhone 4 or iPhone 4S, then you will need a “micro-SIM,” which is slightly bigger than a nano-SIM. Older iPhones use the largest common size, simply called a SIM card. There are adapters that can make smaller SIM cards fit larger slots if needed. Be sure you know what kind of SIM you need so you can match it up correctly.

Beyond understanding what a SIM card is, the first question most people will have is how exactly do you get your hands on the SIM card of another wireless carrier? Your first option is borrowing the SIM card from someone who has a different wireless company. For the purposes of verifying or activating an unlocked iPhone, this should not affect the SIM card or your friend’s service. The process should only take a couple of minutes (per phone) so they should barely miss it. Offer your friend a Margarita or something for their trouble. Your friend does not need to have an iPhone, only a phone with the same size (or smaller if you have an adapter) SIM card.

This was the T-Mobile pre-paid SIM I purchased. Obviously the packaging may change in the future.

If borrowing the SIM card from a friend is not a simple option (or if you’re like me and you want to have a SIM card around for your own uses), you can purchase a SIM card. If you go to an electronics store like Best Buy, you will find a multitude of SIM cards from various companies offering pre-paid wireless service. You just need to make sure you are purchasing a SIM card from a carrier different than the one you currently use. Since my carrier is AT&T, I purchased a pre-paid SIM from T-Mobile, since I knew for certain that T-Mobile was a completely different carrier. Many of the pre-paid cellular companies actually use the network of one or more of the major carriers: AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, or T-Mobile. Companies that use the network of other carriers are known as Mobile Virtual Network Operators or MVNOs. In theory, even an MVNO SIM should work to activate an unlocked iPhone, since it is technically from a different service provider. However, I wanted to be 100% sure that my iPhones were unlocked and working on another carrier’s network, so I went ahead with the T-Mobile option.

When you purchase a pre-paid SIM, try to find the cheapest option available. You can buy pre-paid SIM cards with or without various service packages already included in the price. You do not need a service package to verify that your iPhone is unlocked, so don’t waste your money on the more expensive SIM cards. The T-Mobile pre-paid SIM I purchased had no service plan included and is normally priced at $15. That is a cheap enough price in itself, but the knowledgable person I was talking to at Best Buy took $5 off the price for me so I ended up paying only $10. Looking around later, the same SIM card went on sale for $5, so I would expect that you should be able to find a SIM card for around the same price if you shop around a little bit.

Again, make sure you are buying a SIM card that will fit your iPhone, which for most of us will likely be the smallest nano-SIM variety. With adapters, it is easy to upsize a SIM card to fit in a larger slot and many pre-paid SIMs come with adapters. It is also possible to cut down a larger SIM card to fit a smaller slot, but unless you have a special cutting tool, I don’t think it is worth the effort. Realistically, you should not have trouble finding the right size SIM for your iPhone. If you do, you probably are not shopping in the right place!

Be Prepared

Once you have a correctly-sized SIM card from another wireless carrier, you are almost ready to begin. There are a few things you will need to have prepared to complete the process. The first is to make sure your iPhone is connected to Wi-Fi, as the iPhone must communicate with Apple to complete the activation process. Once you pull out your current SIM card, your iPhone will not have Internet access over the cellular network, so it must have Wi-Fi access. Technically, you will get the option to connect to Wi-Fi during the activation process, but it is easier if it is already connected to a Wi-Fi network. This is one of the main reasons I recommend testing your unlocked status before you travel to a foreign country. You may or may not have Wi-Fi when you are purchasing a SIM card where you are traveling, so you might as well do it well ahead of time at home where you know you have Wi-Fi.

Second, make sure you know which Apple ID is linked to the iPhone and the password for that Apple ID. If you are not sure of the Apple ID, go into the Settings App in your iPhone then scroll down and tap on iCloud to verify the account information. If you are not sure of the password, tap on the account name and you will be asked to enter your password. Verify the password and if you can not remember the password, you will have the option to reset it. Make sure you know your Apple ID and password before moving forward.

Finally, you will also need a SIM extraction tool or a straightened out paper clip in order to eject the SIM card from your iPhone. SIM extraction tools used to come in the boxes of iPhones, so you may actually have one if you can find your old box. However, I believe they are no longer included with newer iPhones, so a straightened out paper clip works just as well. If you really want, you can also buy SIM extraction tools very inexpensively from places like Amazon. Either way, just have some way of ejecting your SIM card handy before beginning or you will not be able to proceed.

SIM Swapping 101

It is best to do this process over the middle of a clutter-free table. The SIM card and SIM card holder are tiny and it is easy to drop these things and lose them! If you do drop them, at least if you are over a table they won’t bounce around on the floor.

If you have a case on your iPhone you will need to remove it. Find the SIM slot on your iPhone and use the extraction tool or paper clip to eject the SIM card holder. The holder should only eject a little bit, just enough so that you can pull the holder out the rest of the way with your fingers. Your iPhone will state that there is “No SIM Card Installed.” Obviously, that should be expected and you can ignore that message for the time being.

Carefully remove the SIM card holder from the iPhone, noting the placement and orientation of the SIM card in the holder. Pop out your old SIM card from the holder and carefully put it aside. Insert the new SIM card into the holder correctly aligning it as the previous SIM card was (it should only fit one way, but again, these things are tiny and at first it can be a little confusing). Insert the SIM card holder back into your iPhone.

After a few seconds you may or may not notice that the iPhone does a soft reset indicated by the white Apple logo showing up on your screen. If you do not see anything on your screen after several seconds, you can try pushing the home or power button to wake up your iPhone. Whatever the process (and this may change slightly depending on iOS updates) you should eventually see “Activation Required”. Slide the message away to enter into your iPhone main interface and you may see (again depending on iOS version or particular process of your iPhone) either an “Update Completed” screen, a “Choose a Wi-Fi Network” screen (even if you are already connected to Wi-Fi), a screen that says “It may take a few minutes to activate your iPhone,” or an “Activate iPhone” screen. Below are some screenshots to help you along.

If you see any screen besides the “Activate iPhone” screen, follow whatever instructions are shown to proceed. If you see the “Choose a Wi-Fi Network” screen, make sure your current Wi-Fi network is selected and tap Next, or if for some reason you weren’t already connected to Wi-Fi, do so now and tap Next. If you have followed the process correctly, you should end up at the “Activate iPhone” screen. Note that if at any point you see a message that says “Could Not Activate iPhone,” do not panic. The message likely states that the activation server is temporarily unavailable. Just wait a few seconds and tap Try Again.

Once you are at the “Activate iPhone” screen, enter in your Apple ID and password (you did verify these already, right?) and tap Next. If you entered in the correct Apple ID and password, after a few seconds your iPhone should enter its normal home screen with all your App icons. The only difference you should notice is that instead of your normal wireless carrier showing in the upper left corner of your screen, you should see the name of the company of the SIM card you just inserted. If you don’t see it right away, just wait a few more seconds. Once you see the name of the other company, you are done. Your iPhone is unlocked and connected to another carrier’s network.

Note that you will not necessarily be able to make a phone call or get on the Internet through the carrier’s network at this time. That is fine because if you purchased a cheap pre-paid SIM card, you have not paid for a service plan. You do not need to make a phone call or get on the Internet to verify that your iPhone is unlocked. Just viewing the name of the other carrier in the upper left corner is enough for now.

At this point you can eject the new SIM card and put your original SIM card back in your iPhone. You will not need to go through any special process. Once your original SIM card is back in your iPhone, after several seconds you should notice that your original carrier shows up once again in the upper left corner of your iPhone screen. That’s it. You should be able to use your iPhone again normally. If you borrowed the SIM card of a friend, they should be able to put their SIM card back in their phone and return to normal as well.

A Movie is Worth a Million Words

All that being said, it is often easier to see this process in action than it is to read about it. So I created a video showing the steps of activating an unlocked iPhone. Enjoy!

My iPhone is Unlocked. Now What?

Now that you’ve activated your iPhone’s unlocked status, the next time you insert a SIM of another wireless carrier into your iPhone, you will not need to go through any special process. Usually you will simply wait several seconds for the name of the new wireless carrier to show up in the upper left corner of your iPhone screen. In some cases, if the “Searching …” indicator does not go away after a minute, you may need to power off your iPhone and turn it back on in order for it to recognize the new SIM card. Regardless, once your iPhone is unlocked and has gone through the activation process one time, it will stay unlocked forever and should never need to go through that process again. You will be free to use the SIM card of any company you please, which can be great when you are traveling in foreign countries.

Note that if you purchase a new iPhone, unless you are specifically purchasing an unlocked model, you will need to have that particular phone unlocked if you wish to use foreign SIM cards while traveling. Unlocking is specific to a particular phone, not to you or your account.

For more information on saving money while traveling with your iPhone, please check out my book, The Cheapskate’s Guide to Traveling With Your iPhone. Also, feel free to comment below with any questions you may have.

The post How to Verify That Your iPhone is SIM Unlocked appeared first on The Cheapskate's Guide to Traveling With Your iPhone.

In preparation for an recent week-long trip to Costa Rica, I decided that I needed to purchase pre-paid wireless service for my family’s iPhones while we were in that country. I was going to visit my mom rather than staying at a single resort and she was going to take us all around the country. I wanted to ensure that my family and I had Internet access while on the road in between destinations. Each road trip was going to be at least a couple of hours, with some approaching 4 hours. With my work as a technology consultant, my wife’s work managing social media for her clients, and my two daughters’ appetite for Internet content, this decision was not hard to make!

In order to use a pre-paid service in a foreign country, one must purchase a SIM card from that foreign carrier and swap it into their iPhone. However, in most cases, phones are “locked” to the carrier they were purchased from and will not work with SIMs from other companies. In order to use a SIM card of a carrier other than the original, one must have their phone “unlocked.” In the time since I published my book, the rules regarding SIM unlocking have generally changed for the better. A law passed in 2014 requires that carriers must unlock phones for owners who have honored their service contract or otherwise paid off the phone. Above and beyond the stipulations of the new law, most carriers informally allow SIM unlocking for subscribers who are traveling internationally.

Unfortunately, AT&T is one of the stingiest carriers when it comes to SIM unlocking phones that are still under contract. It was true when I wrote my book a couple of years ago. It was true last year when a popular article was published by a (now former) customer railing against AT&T because they wouldn’t unlock his phone for international travel. And as I found out, it was still true as I was getting ready to travel to Costa Rica.

The Adventure Begins

Of the four members of my family, my wife and I have iPhone 6’s and my two daughters have our old iPhone 5S’s. To their credit, AT&T has a simple-to-use web site where you can request to have your phone unlocked. It is very easy to fill out the form and while they say it could take up to two days to complete the request, I found the requests to be completed in minutes. Based on my research of AT&T’s policies, which state that in order for phones to be unlocked they must be out of contract or paid off completely, I did not think that any of my family’s iPhones would be unlocked with this automated system. Since none of my family’s phones were technically paid off or out of contract, I fully expected that I would need to call AT&T and ask for an exception to be given. However, I had read that AT&T would offer exceptions in special circumstances (such as writing a scathing article about AT&T’s stingy SIM unlock policies) so my plan was to give the automated system a try first, then follow up with a call to AT&T. I started with my two daughters’ iPhone 5S’s and to my pleasant surprise, AT&T’s automated system quickly granted the unlock requests. So far so good! I now had hope that maybe AT&T’s policies had relaxed since that article drummed up a lot of bad publicity last year and it would be simple to unlock my and my wife’s iPhone 6’s.

Unfortunately, the automated system did not unlock our iPhones giving the reason that “You have not completed all the payments for your device according to your AT&T Next service agreement.” Well, that was what I expected in the first place, but I was still disappointed since my daughters’ iPhone were unlocked so easily. Perhaps it was the fact that my daughters’ phones were nearly 20 months into their contract so AT&T rules are less stringent in those cases. Regardless, I decided to call AT&T but at the time it was too late in the evening to get a representative on the phone. So not having my curiosity satisfied, I did some more research to see what new information I could find out.

One promising lead I discovered was the fact that certain people were claiming that AT&T’s automated system could be “tricked” into giving out SIM unlocks for iPhones still under contract or under the Next agreement if multiple repeated requests were made. Some people said they were given unlocks the first time, while others said that they attempted three or four times before their request was granted. Given that I had nothing to lose by trying, I went ahead and made several more requests on AT&T’s automated systems. Once again to AT&T’s credit, their automated system was quick in completing the requests, but unfortunately they denied my requests three more times each for my and my wife’s iPhones. So I planned on trying the requests one more time the next morning before calling AT&T.

Time To Grovel

As I figured, the automated requests were denied again the next morning, so I called AT&T customer support. As luck would have it, I was connected to Mike Shields, the most knowledgeable AT&T representative I have ever talked to. Big kudos to him for being very friendly and understanding exactly what I was trying to do and why. Apparently, he had been working as a customer support rep for three years and had worked with SIM unlocking many times. Given my explanation, he said that he would put in a support request for SIM unlocking exemptions because he felt my case merited it. He felt confident that the requests would be granted given my circumstances and his credibility with AT&T’s higher level support. He informed me that the requests may take up to two days to be completed which I expected given the automated system said this as well. So it seemed that things would turn out well, since as a longtime AT&T customer, I simply wanted to use my iPhone overseas, not screw over the company. The good news was that the requests were completed later that day, which I certainly appreciate AT&T for completing the requests so quickly. The bad news was that for everything Mike Shields tried to do to take care of my request, my unlock exceptions were denied.

In the meantime, I had tweeted that Mike Shields was the best AT&T rep I had ever spoken to. AT&T’s Twitter account called @ATTCares responded to this tweet thanking me for the shout out. When my SIM unlock requests were denied, I responded to @ATTCares letting them know. They responded with the standard policy line that the phones must be out of contract or paid off and asked if had I looked into their international plans. I let them know that I understood the policy and asked if an exception could be made for international travel. I gave them time to respond, but by the next day they had not replied so I decided to move forward with alternate plans.

On a side note, AT&T’s international plans just plain suck. They start at $30 for only 120MB of data per phone! The pre-paid plan I was intending to buy in Costa Rica was less than $20 for 2 GB of data. I later found a plan that was less than $5 for 600 MB of data. I’m not sure how AT&T thinks their international plans save anybody money in this day and age, but I guess they’re banking on their customers not being able to figure out otherwise.

A Walk on the Wild Side

Rudimentary research on SIM unlocking brings up a wealth of web sites offering the service of unlocking your phone, even if it is still under contract. Certainly I was wary of the companies offering this service, because unlocking a phone outside of the carrier’s policy seems shady to say the least. But at this point I was starting to run out of time and I wasn’t willing to wait on AT&T any longer. Plus my wife would have been very unhappy if her iPhone didn’t have Internet access in Costa Rica and I make it a point to never make my wife unhappy! So I did a lot of research and settled on trying the services of a few different unlocking companies, which I will detail at the end of the article. As I found out, I was merely beginning my SIM unlocking adventure. To make a long story short, let me sum up what I discovered over the course of a few days.

The first thing to understand is there is only one true way to unlock an iPhone (the same is usually true with other phones as well). Some companies offer dubious software unlocks that require jailbreaking your iPhone or a hacked SIM card that promises it will work with locked phones. These unlocking methods are often fraught with peril and may not work permanently. I recommend you avoid these types of unlocking methods. The only way to ensure that your phone is truly and officially unlocked is through what is called an IMEI unlock. The IMEI is a code that is unique to every cell phone made in recent years, which ensures that carriers can identify a particular phone on their network. Most manufacturers keep a database of the IMEI numbers for the phones they build and which phones are locked to a particular wireless carrier or are unlocked for use with any compatible carrier.

There are a range of prices when it comes to SIM unlocking services, even from the same provider. Often providers will offer a higher priced “premium” service that usually has a 100% guarantee of your phone being SIM unlocked. Many offer varied “express” services that promise shorter completion times, along with even higher prices. Finally, lower cost services exist for “clean” IMEI numbers. Many of the premium services I found were around $40 or more in price so in order to try to save money, I opted for some of the lower-priced services at first. Not knowing for sure what a “clean” IMEI was, I thought at the time it meant that a clean phone was not blacklisted due to theft or non-payment. Since my account was in paid in full and otherwise was in good standing (I have been an AT&T customer since 2009 and never to my knowledge have missed or been late in payments) I figured I had a clean IMEI. However, after testing several services for clean IMEIs, none had worked for me. Doing further research I discovered that a “clean” IMEI means that the phone is not under contract or otherwise ineligible by the carrier for an unlock. Since AT&T considered my iPhone not eligible for unlocking because it was still under the Next agreement, then I realized unlocking my iPhone was not going to work with the cheaper services for clean IMEI. The good news was that all the providers I tried offered money-back guarantees if they could not unlock your phone and each had honored them. So I wasn’t out any money for each attempt I made, but I was getting closer to running out of time. So I finally decided to bite the bullet and try a “premium” unlocking service that offered a 100% guarantee of unlocking my iPhone. As I mentioned, most of the services I found were around $40 for this service (some a lot higher) but after much research, I found a seemingly reputable service that offered a premium service for $25 with a 1-2 day turnaround time.

After my previous several failed attempts with other providers, I was getting nervous that I would not be able to get my and my wife’s iPhones unlocked in time for our trip. But I had not yet tried a “premium” service with a 100% guarantee of unlocking so I was hopeful this attempt would do the trick. To my great relief, 27 hours after I purchased this particular service I received a message from the company stating that the unlock was successful. I was a little giddy at having worked around AT&T’s roadblocks. However, as with anything technology related, I wasn’t going to be certain that my iPhone was truly unlocked until I had a chance to test it. That being said, I went ahead and placed another order with the same company to unlock my wife’s iPhone as well. In this case, however, my request extended out over a weekend and the company said it would not process on weekends. So I expected that the unlock would not happen for a few days, which would only leave me a day or two to spare before my family left for our trip! I placed my order on a Friday, and by Saturday the unlock had not happened, so I resigned myself to waiting until Monday. I was hopeful that the unlock would be completed by Monday and not extend out until Tuesday. However, to my surprise, I received a message Sunday morning that the unlock was completed! I guess they do work weekends! All my iPhones were unlocked with 3 days to spare. Whew!

To wrap up my story, I am happy to report that all four of my family’s iPhones were in fact unlocked and worked well with foreign SIM cards while in Costa Rica. I will detail the process of testing our iPhones to verify they were unlocked in an upcoming article as well as a third article describing the process of purchasing and setting up a SIM card from the Kölbi pre-paid service in Costa Rica.

Putting it All Together

To sum up, if you are an AT&T subscriber and you want to unlock your iPhone for international travel, here are the steps you should take:

• First, give yourself ample time to get an unlock completed. I would suggest a minimum of two weeks. I only gave myself a week-and-a-half and just barely made it.
• Attempt to use AT&T’s automated unlocking system first. If your phone is out-of-contract AT&T’s policy says they will unlock it. I would not expect that you should have any trouble in that case. But even if your phone isn’t out of contract, based on my experience it seems that the closer you are to completing the phone’s contract the better your odds are for having it automatically unlocked. Based on others’ experience, it seems that you might even have a chance to get the automated system to get an unlock granted if you are persistent and make repeated attempts. It can’t hurt, so give it a go and let me know in the comments of this article if you are successful with AT&T’s automated system.
• If you can not get an automated unlock request granted, you should next give AT&T customer service a call to ask for an exception to be made to their SIM unlock policy. The longer you’ve been with AT&T, the better your odds are. Also, make sure you’ve been a good customer and paid all your bills on time. If you aren’t current on your bills and/or have a history of late payments, your chances of getting an exception made are significantly lower. Be pleasant and polite when talking to the AT&T customer service rep. If your phone isn’t eligible for unlocking under AT&T’s policy, understand that the rep you are talking to will almost certainly not be able to grant your unlock request. Your goal is to get the rep to submit a case for an exception to be made. Explain that you are planning to travel to a foreign country and want to buy a pre-paid SIM in that country. Be genuine because if the rep thinks you are trying to scam them, you will likely not get them to submit a case on your behalf. Based on my experience at the time of writing this article in May 2015, calling AT&T to request an exception didn’t work. However, I have a feeling their policies will begin to relax in the future so it is probably worth giving this option a try anyway. Again, let me know in the comments if you have success with this method.
• If AT&T will not unlock your phone, your last option is to seek out the services of a third-party SIM unlocking company. Do your homework and seek out a company that has a good reputation, reasonable prices, and a money-back guarantee. If you have been unsuccessful in getting AT&T to grant you an unlock, then don’t waste your time with the lower cost options you will find. Those services (for “clean” IMEI numbers) are only able to unlock phones that are already eligible for unlocking from the carrier. If that is the case then you would have already been able to get a free unlock directly from AT&T. Make sure you use a “premium” service or one that offers a 100% guarantee for getting your phone unlocked. At the time of this writing, premium services like these are usually in the $40 range, but I found prices as high as $70 or $80. I found and used a service for $25. Some claim to offer “express” turnaround times, but if you shop around, you should find reasonably priced premium options that can complete your unlock in just a few days. If you have given yourself plenty of time, then you should not need to pay extra for a quicker turnaround. If you end up using a third-party SIM unlocking service, please let me know which company you used, how much you paid, and if you had success or any problems.

My Experiences with SIM Unlock Companies

In my little adventure, here are the first three companies that I used.

• SamUnlocks.net
• FastGSM.com
• DoctorSIM.com

With the above companies, I attempted using their “clean” IMEI services with no success. But as I later found out, I didn’t technically have a clean IMEI so this was not the fault of these companies. They all honored their money-back guarantees, so that makes me feel these companies are reputable. However, caveat emptor.

• SwiftUnlocks.com

SwiftUnlocks was the company I used to successfully unlock my and my wife’s iPhone 6’s still under the Next agreement. The primary reason I chose this company was they offered a 100% guaranteed “premium” service with a 1-2 day turnaround for only $25. As I mentioned, the first unlock only took 27 hours, and the second unlock, even over a weekend, was completed in less than 48. To be sure, this was my own experience with this company and it does not necessarily mean I endorse them. All I can report is in this instance they took care of my unlocking needs quickly and inexpensively. Your milage may vary.

A Final Thought

Once you have received word that your iPhone has been unlocked, I strongly suggest testing it before you travel. Look for my next article, which explains how to test and verify that your iPhone is actually unlocked.

The post Adventures in SIM Unlocking an AT&T iPhone appeared first on The Cheapskate's Guide to Traveling With Your iPhone.

Dwolla is the name of a service that in operation is virtually identical to PayPal. Users sign up for a free account with Dwolla, associate a bank account with their Dwolla account, and then make payments online without sending bank account or credit card numbers over the Internet. The main difference between PayPal and Dwolla is that for those who receive payments, there are no fees with Dwolla. Just for historical reference, Dwolla used to charge 25 cents for any transaction over $10, which was incredibly cheap to begin with. But as I was writing this article, I discovered that they just eliminated this 25 cent fee as of June 4th, 2015. So yes, what I wrote is correct: Dwolla charges nothing for businesses to receive payments online. Dwolla does offer premium services for flat monthly fees, but for what most small businesses need, their free service is more than sufficient.

Currently, the only downside to Dwolla is that most people have never heard of it. So they tend to look at it suspiciously, since it does not have the name recognition of PayPal. This makes accepting Dwolla payments a little difficult for businesses since most people will simply opt for paying with a credit card or PayPal when presented with various options. That is the main reason I wrote this article. As a small business owner, I would love to receive payments online without taking a hit to my bottom line from transaction fees. If you are a small business owner you are probably thinking the exact same thing. While it is possible to request money from someone without a Dwolla account, the process of signing up for a Dwolla account to make a payment is an uncomfortable hurdle for most consumers since they are not familiar with the service. The only way we can effectively take Dwolla payments is if our customers have a Dwolla account ready to go at time of payment. So we must encourage our customers to sign up for Dwolla and explain that it helps keep costs down and saves everyone money. If we can help make Dwolla a household name, then it will eliminate that hurdle of obscurity that Dwolla currently faces.

Consumers: What’s it it for Me?

As a consumer, you must realize that you do end up paying for all the transaction fees businesses must incur to accept credit cards and online payments through services like PayPal. In effect, you are paying a 2-3% tax on every purchase you make to cover these transaction fees. Since businesses are generally not allowed to charge more for taking credit cards/PayPal vs cash payments, they must calculate that cost into the price of all their goods and services, even if you pay with cash or check. If more people would use Dwolla, it would save business these transaction fees and put competitive pressure on credit card companies and PayPal to lower or eliminate their fees as well. Eventually, this would help many small businesses be more profitable and help lower the cost that you pay for their goods or services. Dwolla is also perfect for non-profit organizations, since they get to keep more of their revenues to use toward their missions instead of sending it to payment transaction companies (or passing the charges along to you).

If you are nervous about signing up for Dwolla, you shouldn’t be. Dwolla launched in 2009 so they have almost 6 years of credibility established. In fact, the state government of Iowa accepts Dwolla payments for certain services. The US Department of Treasury now accepts Dwolla as a payment option at its Pay.gov web site. GoDaddy, the well-known Internet company offers their customers Dwolla as payment option for e-commerce sites. It should be obvious that Dwolla is a well-established and reputable company.

If you worry that signing up or using Dwolla will be complicated, don’t be. It is quick and easy to sign up and use Dwolla. All you need to sign up for Dwolla is your bank account and routing number. They may also ask to verify your Social Security number due to US law, but this is the same as PayPal or any other similar service. You probably have used this information to sign up for online bill pay services or PayPal already, so it’s not anything new or different. The bottom line is that if you are comfortable using PayPal, you should be comfortable using Dwolla. They work virtually identically. Plus you would be helping out the small businesses you patronize by eliminating transaction fees for your payments.

As a business or consumer, to sign up for Dwolla, simply go to their web site and click the sign-up button. As a business, you will want to start encouraging your customers and clients to sign up and use Dwolla when they pay you. Feel free to point them to this article for more information.

What Can You Do?

If you sign up for Dwolla because of this article, or if you are a business who takes Dwolla, please leave a comment below. Anything we can do to help spread the acceptance of Dwolla will help small businesses and consumers in this country, so please do comment and share this article on social media.

If you have questions about Dwolla or any other technology payment systems, please feel free to comment below or contact me.

The post Use Dwolla for Sending or Receiving Money Over the Internet for Free appeared first on Marcel Brown.

Some industry experts think this is a good idea. To some degree, it could make some sense. BlackBerry 10 already includes an Android compatibility layer so that some Android apps will run on BlackBerry phones. This enlarges the potential library of apps that BlackBerry phones can work with. Certainly apps are critically important to a smartphone platform’s acceptance in the marketplace. So if the BB10 platform is a non-starter, why not go with an Android-based smartphone and go full-bore into that ecosystem?

Perhaps this is BlackBerry’s only option at this point. While publicly, BlackBerry is sticking with their BB10 operating system (which makes sense as to not knife the baby at this point), if they know that BB10 is ultimately doomed, their only chance at smartphone relevance is the “if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em” strategy. Since they can’t make Apple iOS devices, then Android is their only choice.

While maybe this is their only option, it doesn’t mean this is actually a good strategy for profitability. Joining the ranks of the multitude of Android smartphone manufacturers will simply dilute any differentiation the Blackberry brand had. Perhaps 10 years ago the BlackBerry brand would have stood out to the marketplace. However, in 2015, Android is a quagmire of mediocrity and the Blackberry name has not proven itself strong enough to attract customers since Apple introduced the iPhone in 2007, ushering in the New World of Technology. By becoming yet another Android smartphone manufacturer, BlackBerry will simply become another face in the crowd.

BlackBerry’s only chance is to survive in the Android marketplace is to become the flagship Android brand. With Samsung’s sudden decline in the overall smartphone market since Apple introduced their iPhone 6, there is an opening available for someone to swoop in and create a name for themselves. However, the Android marketplace is not a one that values differentiation. Android owners are hardly loyal to their devices, as has been shown with the defection rate from Samsung now that Apple has large-screen devices. I can not see a reasonable scenario where BlackBerry enters the Android market and is able to successfully compete with the other Android handset makers, not to mention Apple’s iPhone. If anything, the BlackBerry name is a symbol of the Old World of Technology and most consumers aren’t all that hip to buying a brand name from the Jurassic period of smartphones. If anyplace, the BlackBerry name may have some panache in the corporate world, but the New World of Technology has taught us that the consumer market sets the trends now. Without the consumer market, a mobile device like a smartphone has little chance of succeeding.

The bottom line is that whatever chatter you may hear about BlackBerry in the near future, don’t put too much stock in any hopeful news you may hear. Unless and until BlackBerry shows itself a resurgent force in the smartphone market, you are simply setting yourself up for another Android flash in the pan, and will likely be stuck with a device that has a dubious future, including the possible lack of timely (if any) updates for security or feature improvements.

The post BlackBerry and Android: A Match Made in Mediocrity appeared first on State of the Tech.

Warnings like these are scams! Beware!

For whatever reason, I have seen a big increase in the number of my clients who are reporting various tech support scams online. I’ve even had a few who have been called on their home lines from scammers who claim to be from well-known technology companies such as Microsoft. Usually, the scam is the same no matter how it is carried out. You are notified that viruses or malware have been detected on your computer, or that your computer is “not protected”, or some other similar danger and you need to call to have your computer fixed. Usually there are dire warnings about bad things potentially happening to your computer or data and that you should call immediately to have the problem taken care of. Fortunately, most of my clients realized these warnings are scams, but I’ve had several fall for it, at least initially.

Please be aware that these scams exist and do not fall for them. If you see scary warnings of viruses or other problems and you are asked to call a phone number, ignore it. These scammers will usually try to get you to allow them to remote control your computer to “prove” to you that you have issues. Oftentimes, when they take control of your computer, they will create problems themselves so they can remove them later (after you’ve paid a hefty “service” fee, of course). I had one unfortunate client last year who allowed this to happen. When she began to realize she was being scammed, the scammers became belligerent and locked her out of her computer unless she paid a ransom. Luckily I was able to unlock her computer for her, but I almost ran out of options and would have had to completely reformat her computer and reinstall all her software if I had not been successful. These scammers are not interested in helping you, they only want to get your money and/or credit card info.

These scams are often web-based, which means that usually all you need to do to get rid of them is to close your web browser. But sometimes scammers take advantage of quirks in web browser software to make it very difficult to close your browser when their warnings are being displayed. If you run into this situation, call your trusted technology professional to help you out. It is possible that you do actually have some sort of adware that is causing additional pop-ups to display, which may include these scams.

Again, NEVER call a number you are told to call if you see this type of scam. If you receive a call from someone claiming to be a computer company, end the call. Tell them you will call your local computer expert and hang up. The bottom line is to only work with reputable tech support professionals whom you personally know. Do not be frightened by warnings of viruses detected on your computer (especially if you have a Mac, since viruses are so rare, or an iPhone or iPad as there have been no occurrence of malware for those devices) as calling a scammer and letting them take control of your computer would usually be worse than any type of malware. As long as you have a trusted technology professional taking care of your computers and network, they will be able to take care of any real problems you may have.

If you have any questions about these scams or any other technology issue, please feel free to contact me.

Have you personally seen these scams or know anyone who has fallen for one?

The post Computer Scams Are Everywhere! appeared first on Marcel Brown.

The main problem with this entire situation is that Google Chrome tends to automatically update itself, so many users suddenly found themselves in trouble without any warning. This situation will likely replay itself every time Chrome updates over the next few months until Google completely eliminates the interface later this year. The question at large is whether Oracle, who currently develops Java, will modify it to work with Chrome at some point soon or if Chrome users who need Java must move to another browser. For Windows users, Internet Explorer still works with Java, but for the long term, Mozilla Firefox may be the best bet since future versions of Internet Explorer (or whatever Microsoft ends up calling it) will also eliminate the software interface that Java currently uses. Chrome users on the Mac platform can also use Safari as well as Firefox.

If changing your browser is not convenient at this time and you want to re-enable the use of Java on your Chrome browser, at least temporarily, simply follow these steps:

• Type chrome://flags/#enable-npapi in the URL bar at the top of the browser window
• Click the Enable link where it says Enable NPAPI near the top of the browser window.
• Click the Relaunch button at the bottom of the browser window.

This procedure should work on either Mac or Windows. If your Java application still isn’t working, this site may be able to help.

If you have questions about the continued use of Java, please do not hesitate to contact me.

The post Java Trouble with Chrome Browser appeared first on Marcel Brown.

This was my phone in 2002

April 15th is normally known as tax day, but it is also the day I started MB Tech full time. A lot has changed in thirteen years, especially where technology is concerned. While it is fun to look back, it is also important to understand how the trends of the last thirteen years will continue to affect the technology industry and impact your technology needs and purchases going forward.

In April 2002, Windows XP had just been released the previous fall. Microsoft Windows in general was the dominant operating system and over the next few years Windows XP was about the become the most popular version of Windows ever. Windows had just suffered a few rocky years of fast-spreading virus epidemics but as Microsoft was working to harden their operating system from traditional viruses, the era of spyware and new types of malware was just getting started. This is the first trend to pay attention to. Windows users have continued to suffer from increasingly advanced and sophisticated malware attacks. High-profile malware attacks against companies like Target and Home Depot have caused hundred of millions in losses in credit card fraud. This is one of the reasons the Windows platform is in decline. People are sick and tired of malware and in this day and age there are viable options outside of Microsoft Windows.

Two days before the release of Windows XP, Apple released their first iPod. This device was about to revolutionize the music industry and change the fortunes of the computer industry in general and Apple in particular. The runaway popularity of the iPod and the companion iTunes Store made Apple a strong, profitable company once again and paved the way for the development and introduction of the iPhone, which ushered in the era of mobile devices. Later, the release of the iPad effectively signaled the end of the PC Era and the start of The New World of Technology. This trend is noteworthy for two reasons. First, the resurgence of Apple has provided a viable alternative to Microsoft Windows for those people who are looking to move away from Windows, as I mentioned above. Second, the mobile device revolution that Apple ignited is truly just getting started. As one example, Google just recently announced that mobile-friendly web sites will begin to rank higher in their search results. Whether you are marketing your business online or managing the technology infrastructure for your business, mobile devices have completely changed the game.

One of the biggest impacts of mobile devices has been the rise of cloud computing. As more and more people began using mobile devices, the demand for remote data access exploded. Existing cloud services, which had been languishing for years, began to take off. As well, a generation of new cloud services launched to meet the needs of The New World of Technology. Today, cloud computing has changed the game for small business technology. With the proper application of cloud computing resources, small businesses can take advantage of technology advancements that once were the sole domain of large businesses with large IT budgets and staff. This has sparked a proliferation of mobile workers who are better able to respond to customer needs and increase their productivity. As a small business owner, you must stay abreast of the rise of mobile devices and cloud computing and how it is impacting your industry.

If you have any questions on technology trends, please feel free to contact me any time. If you are interested in the history of technology, please visit my blog, This Day in Tech History, for a daily dose of technology history!

The post Thirteen Years of Technology appeared first on Marcel Brown.

In a move that took many Internet experts by surprise, the FCC has declared that free pornography on the Internet violates federal law prohibiting obscene programming. In a statement today from FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler, he states that once the FCC took regulatory authority over the Internet as a Title II public utility, it was incumbent on the agency to standardize how it applies existing laws over all forms of transmission in order to protect the children and to avoid potential conflicts of interest.

“Now that the Internet is classified as a public utility, the same as public airwaves, we knew that we had to move to ensure that the same standards of decency we apply to public radio and television were also applied to the public Internet. The Internet is so ubiquitous that with today’s technology, it is trivial for children to view free pornography on their computers or mobile devices. It is not a stretch to say that the Internet reaches more youth today than radio or television ever has. To not prevent our children from obscene content would simply be irresponsible on our part. Additionally it could open the door for relaxing standards on the public airwaves. If we do not apply the same rules to content on the Internet, it is entirely possible that we would be forced to change the way we regulate the public airwaves and that would be completely unacceptable.”

The FCC chairman went on to say that they are not violating free speech because obscene material is not protected by the First Amendment. In addition, because people can pay for pornography on the Internet in much the same way that they can pay for it via cable or satellite TV, they are not infringing on people’s rights to view such content. He explained that the “paywall” system that exists on cable TV ensures that minors can not legally view pornography since they would not have access to credit cards to pay for it. “What works well for cable companies can also work well for Internet companies. We aren’t done investigating ways to apply the various models that exist in the cable TV industry to the Internet. For example, we may soon require companies like Netflix to charge extra for unrated shows like ‘Orange is the New Black’. A ‘pay-per-view’ system would ensure that minors could not watch shows that may be potentially indecent, even if their parents have already paid for the content. We feel confident that adults will not mind paying to re-watch an episode knowing they are protecting the youth of the nation from potentially offensive content.”

Also surprising was the method the FCC took to declare free pornography illegal. “We did not need to take a vote for this procedural action. Having already declared the Internet a public utility equivalent to the public airwaves, we already posses the authority to apply existing standards. In fact, if we did not take this action, we could be viewed as shirking our responsibility to the public. I am simply protecting the trust the public has placed in our agency and the federal government at large.”

Additionally Mr. Wheeler foreshadowed a definition of the controversial “harmful devices” clause in the FCC ruling on Internet Title II authority. “Given that the Internet is basically an unlicensed broadcast platform, we are considering how to apply part 15 of the FCC rules that state devices may not cause harmful interference and must accept any interference received. We are working with our partners at the NSA to understand how devices that employ strong encryption could potentially subvert these rules. We are reviewing their suggestions to require technology companies to give government agencies a way to decrypt data as a means to ensure that devices can not be used in harmful ways.”

When asked if the FCC would take further action on regulating content on the Internet, Wheeler stated that nothing within their authority was off the table. “When we declared our intention to protect Net Neutrality for legal content, we meant it. But that means that we must act to make clear what content is legal or illegal. With the help from our partners at the RIAA and MPAA, pirated music and movies are on our shortlist. With the upcoming elections in 2016, we also need to make sure that content of a political nature is properly scrutinized for compliance.”

Also asked about how the FCC would enforce existing rules over the Internet, the FCC chairman stated that he has already reached out to many of the same people who worked on the Healthcare.gov health insurance marketplace web site. “They did an amazing job creating that site and we feel confident they can do similar work designing a way to seek out and report obscene content online. We will have massive data centers built to store and catalog all records of reported obscene material. I give you my word that I will personally review all said material to ensure the proper working order of such a system. And to answer your next questions, we can simply increase existing USF fees and expand their application to Internet service providers to fund this system. Technically it’s neither a penalty nor a tax so we’re sure Internet users won’t mind.”

The post FCC Declares Free Porn Illegal; Encryption as “Harmful” appeared first on Life, Liberty, and Technology.

On the left, Comcast CEO Brian Roberts golfing with President Obama

If you’ve been reading my articles on Net Neutrality, you know that I feel the FCC whipped up the public into a false hysteria over “Net Neutrality” so they could use this as an excuse to hijack control of the Internet. Yet I had a nagging feeling I wasn’t seeing the whole picture. Something was missing. Besides just the general desire for big governments to control the Free and Open Internet, was there another reason President Obama and the FCC suddenly became so interested in taking control of the Internet? Was there more behind the FCC orchestration of the Net Neutrality Hysteria of 2014? After much research on the topic, I think I may have figured it out. During my research, I stumbled upon the fact that the cable company Comcast is one of the largest lobbyists in Washington and a big contributor to President Obama. I also happened to read an article discussing the proposed merger between Comcast and Time-Warner Cable that is awaiting FCC approval and the controversy it is causing. Could the government’s actions have been not so much for protecting Net Neutrality, but rather to remove the hurdles to a Comcast-Time Warner Cable merger?

First, let’s review the timeline of events:

• May 1, 2013: Obama nominates Tom Wheeler to be chairmain of the FCC. Wheeler is a well-known telecom and cable industry lobbyist and a major Obama donor. Advocates of “Net Neutrality” are alarmed.
• August 14, 2013: Obama plays golf with the CEO of Comcast. Not that this is anything special. As I mentioned above, Comcast is no stranger to Washington. Besides the massive financial contributions, Comcast’s CEO also served on Obama’s Jobs Council and has appeared at various White House meetings on business and technology. But the timing of this golf game is interesting. As we all know, a lot of business gets done on a golf course. It is also a great way for politicians to have “unofficial” meetings since no agendas or topic of discussions are made public.
• October 29, 2013: Tom Wheeler is confirmed by the Senate. The fact that an industry insider instead of a “consumer advocate” now chairs the FCC concerns advocates of a Free and Open Internet.
• February 13, 2014: Comcast announces plans to acquire Time Warner Cable, setting off a firestorm of controversy, as the combined company would have a major share of the Internet service industry. This further unsettles advocates of a Free and Open Internet.
• February 19, 2014: Chairman Wheeler initiates the creation of new rules around an “Open Internet”.
• April 29, 2014: Chairman Wheeler circulates the new rules to the FCC. This proposal is what sets off the Net Neutrality Hysteria of 2014 as critics charge it will allow Internet service providers to create “slow lanes.” Wheeler also hints at Title II regulation as “a clear alternative.”
• May 15, 2014: In a party-line vote, the FCC votes 3-2 to accept Chairman Wheeler’s draft proposal. However, the FCC also opens up a 60-day public comment period to be followed by a 57-day second phase of public commenting.
• June 1, 2014: John Oliver’s infamous segment on Net Neutrality airs on HBO and goes viral. The mainstream public gets a taste of the Net Neutrality debate and given Oliver’s slant, floods the FCC with comments in support of “Net Neutrality”. It must be noted, however, that Oliver wasn’t calling for an FCC takeover of the Internet, but rather that Tom Wheeler simply “not eat the baby”. In other words, Oliver was firstly concerned with the FCC itself destroying Net Neutrality.
• September 15, 2014: The public commenting period ends with nearly 4 million comments filed. These are the most comments the FCC has ever received on any issue.
• November 10, 2014: Ostensibly with public support for “Net Neutrality,” President Obama calls for the FCC to classify Internet service under Title II of the 1934 Communications Act, essentially making Internet service fall under the same types of regulations as public utility companies. Yet it is not clear if the public actually wants the FCC to take Title II action or if the public simply didn’t want to the FCC to “eat the baby”.
• February 5, 2015: Tom Wheeler proposes a new set of FCC rules that classifies Internet service under Title II. This time, Wheeler does not allow for a period of public comment, saying we “can’t wait,” even though the new rules are significantly different than what was proposed in 2014. Additionally, the proposed rules are not made public, even at the insistence of congress and other FCC commissioners.
• February 26, 2015: The FCC votes to approve Wheeler’s proposal 3-2, again on a party-line vote. As of this writing, the new FCC rules are still not public.

So how are the new FCC rules relevant in regards to the Comcast-Time Warner merger? Technically, we don’t actually know because the new rules are still not available to the public! But that being said, we do know the merger must be approved by the FCC. Where previously there was a lot of pushback to the merger due to the size of a combined Comcast-Time Warner company, now it is easy for the FCC to say that with the new “Net Neutrality” rules in place, we have no need to fear such a merger. Doing further research, it looks like I’m not the only one who thinks this way. I guess we’ll need to see how the vote shakes out, but even with significant public opposition no one should be surprised if the merger now passes approval with the justification being that a stronger FCC can control the huge company.

Now certainly I have no inside knowledge that any of this is true. This series of events could be just one big coincidence. I could be 100% completely wrong about my conclusion. But when it comes to finding the truth, the old adage is “follow the money.” If this series of events has been an orchestrated plan all along, this will turn out to be one of the most egregious instances of crony capitalism ever foisted upon the American public. Not only does the federal government now have carte blanche to regulate the Internet in almost any way it sees fit, but it seems to be handing over the Internet to the largest communication companies. This is exactly what Net Neutrality supporters feared! Yet without full knowledge of the enormity of the FCC’s new rules, they are unwittingly cheering the FCC’s actions!

Instead of encouraging new competition, the FCC is working hand in hand with the two largest ISPs in the country to ensure consolidation in the industry. Perhaps now we see why chairman Wheeler was in such a hurry to pass the new rules. He needed them in place to provide cover for the Comcast-Time Warner merger!

The post “Net Neutrality” a Cover for Comcast-Time Warner Merger? appeared first on Life, Liberty, and Technology.

As a follow-up to my previous thoughts contemplating the FCC’s hijacking of the Free and Open Internet under the guise of “Net Neutrality,” here are some additional musings:

• Those who are so desperate for Net Neutrality to be protected by the FCC’s heavy hand need to realize that this is a cure worse than the disease. This is like undergoing chemotherapy for a minor cold. It is the wrong cure for the wrong disease and will likely end in disaster.
• Not that there really was a disease. According to what little we know about the proposal, which HAS STILL NOT BEEN MADE PUBLIC, there were 3 very weak examples of the ISP industry not acting in Net Neutral ways. Each time that happened, customers complained very loudly and the providers changed course. Sounds like Net Neutrality was just fine to me. We definitely didn’t need the FCC to classify Internet service as a public utility so it can take total control.
• In essence, what has happened is that instead of having a variety of gatekeepers who were being kept in check through a semblance of competition, now we have ONE gatekeeper who answers virtually to no one. If the FCC decides to go off the rails (and remember it only takes the votes of 3 people to do virtually anything they want) we can’t fire them. Is this REALLY what Net Neutrality proponents want? It seems that we’ve made the situation exponentially worse.
• How soon everyone seems to forget (or for most of the public who got caught up in the Net Neutrality hysteria, never knew) Tom Wheeler was a lobbyist for the cable industry. When he was appointed by Obama, it was feared that he would tilt the Net Neutrality debate towards the favor of the ISP industry. The flames of those fears were fanned when the rules he originally proposed seemed to do exactly that, which started the Net Neutrality Hysteria of 2014. Again, I reiterate, NOTHING happened last year to threaten Net Neutrality EXCEPT for the FCC’s OWN ACTIONS.
• We should probably pay more attention to our childhood fables at times like these. This is basically the story of Chicken Little, with a twist. Like Chicken Little, the FCC claimed the sky was falling. The public, like the Goosey Loosey and all the other animals, went right along with the hysteria. In the traditional fable, the animals end up getting eaten by a fox who claims he can lead them to the king. In this version, the fox is also the FCC. How convenient it would seem to cry the sky is falling so that you can eat all the animals.
• Looking back at the now infamous segment where John Oliver called for protecting “Net Neutrality,” he doesn’t so much rail against the cable companies as much as he does against the proposed FCC rules of 2014. He didn’t ask for the FCC to take over the Internet, he just wanted them to back off and not implement the new rules they were proposing. His main concern was the FCC screwing up Net Neutrality. He even likened Tom Wheeler to a ravenous dingo threatening to eat the Internet “baby”. Again, it wasn’t the cable companies doing anything to threaten Net Neutrality, it was Tom Wheeler.
• Given Tom Wheeler was a lobbyist for the cable companies, his actions call into question his loyalties. His first proposed rules seem to confirm fears that he was a shill for the big corporations and started the Net Neutrality Hysteria of 2014. But then he reversed course at the apparent bidding of President Obama. Let’s not forget that Obama plays golf with the CEO of Comcast, one of the largest lobbyists in Washington and huge donor to Obama’s campaigns. So is Mr. Wheeler still a wolf (or a dingo) in sheep’s clothing or is he merely a mercenary who will do the dirty work of whomever is paying him? Either way, he’s not to be trusted.
• Like the Godfather, the FCC just made us all “an offer we can’t refuse”. Literally we can’t because we can’t fire the FCC like we can an ISP. Besides, we all know that offers from the Godfather aren’t really in our best interest. Worse off, given the proposal is still not public, we don’t even know exactly what that offer is!

The post Title II – An FCC Offer You Can’t Refuse appeared first on Life, Liberty, and Technology.

Why the change in thinking now, Obama?

It’s hard to put into words my emotions right now. I feel like I’ve been punched in the gut (and having trained in martial arts, I know exactly how that feels). To me the Internet is the the greatest tool for freedom mankind has ever known and one of the greatest entrepreneurial engines in history. Now the censorship arm of the federal government, the FCC, has hijacked control of the Internet – ironically under the guise of “Net Neutrality.” I find it hard to fathom how giving control of the Internet to an agency tasked with restricting the free flow of information is a good idea. I doubt many others do either. However as I wrote before, I believe the FCC, seemingly at the behest of President Obama, has deftly pulled off a political maneuver to give themselves control of the Internet. It is not exaggeration to say that this may be the biggest government slight of hand in history. Make no mistake, government has pulled the rug out from underneath our freedom, and many who believe they are protecting the Internet are cheering this development.

I honestly have so many thoughts going through my head that I struggle to put them all down. So let me just write down some various observations and questions:

• When the FCC proposed different rules last year, they allowed an extended period of public comment. This year we did not get a chance to comment. In fact the new proposal was created and voted on in less than a month. Why the rush with this set of rules?
• FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler claims that the comments from last year are sufficient for this new set of rules. However, this set of rules is so different from last year’s proposal that it is hard to accept that argument.
• Not that the public really got a chance to understand this year’s proposal. The proposal was kept hidden from the public until after the vote was taken. Tom Wheeler steadfastly refused to reveal the proposal, even after congressional requests. Why the secrecy?
• This year’s “Net Neutrality” rules are almost a complete reversal from what the FCC proposed last year.
• The FCC’s actions are unprecedented in scope. For something so important, I would think that a poll consisting of only 3 yes votes is not sufficient.
• How is it that a commissioner appointed by Obama could originally suggest rules that were almost in complete opposition to what Obama later called for? Then so easily flip-flop?
• Just because one calls a set of rules “Net Neutrality” doesn’t make them so. Especially when the same label was given to a previous set of rules that is almost completely the opposite of what is being proposed now.
• There was no threat to Net Neutrality last year. The only threat was from the FCCs’ proposed rules.
• I doubt that most people who support Net Neutrality fully support an FCC takeover. Especially if they were given time to understand all the ramifications. Which I guess is why these new rules were rushed to vote.
• Nearly everything about this situation stinks. I mean really, really stinks.
• If the danger of a big government bureaucracy isn’t evident now, it should be. IT TOOK ONLY 3 PEOPLE VOTING YES TO USURP THE MOST IMPORTANT TECHNOLOGY ADVANCEMENT IN HISTORY!
• Ok, forget 3 people, this appears to be basically an executive order from Obama.
• Give the importance of the Internet to our future freedom, this feels like a Coup d’état.

How to get the public to accept government control of the Internet in three easy steps:

1. Use the FCC to propose a set of rules that puts the public into a hysteria about “Net Neutrality.”
2. Suggest that the only way to protect “Net Neutrality” is for the FCC to take full regulatory control of the Internet.
3. Have the FCC propose a new set of rules that ostensibly protects “Net Neutrality” while giving full regulatory control of the Internet and rush the rules to vote, not allowing the public to scrutinize the rules or comment on them.

At this point I am resolved to fight this tooth-and-nail. This was just the first battle. The war for control of the Internet and our freedom has just begun.

The post The FCC Hijacks the Free and Open Internet appeared first on Life, Liberty, and Technology.

I’m from the FCC and I’m here to censor … I mean “protect” your Internet.

Something about the sudden mainstreaming of the Net Neutrality issue last year struck me as odd. Where the topic had been around for many years, it was mostly an issue that was discussed in techie circles. Why did it suddenly become so hot last year? In observing the way the FCC is handling the situation now, I am starting to wonder if the way the debate evolved was no accident. I have suspicions we have all been set up by a well thought out political manipulation.

It is very important to keep in mind that unlike many other countries, in the United States our government can not currently censor the Internet. For all the teeth-gnashing done last year, the fact is we HAVE Net Neutrality right now. No Internet provider did anything last year to threaten this state of Net Neutrality. So why the sudden thrusting of the Net Neutrality debate into the mainstream? The event that triggered the groundswell of Net Neutrality hoopla were some proposed new rules by the FCC. Yes, it was the FCC themselves that initiated a firestorm of media coverage of the topic, highlighted by viral videos produced by popular pseudo-news programs such as The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. To reiterate, it was not the Internet provider industry that threatened Net Neutrality last year, it was people’s fears that the FCC was was to give away Net Neutrality that started us down this road last April. Keep that in mind as you keep reading this article.

In a seemingly sudden reversal, now the FCC is proposing different rules that will classify Internet services under Title II of the 1934 Communication Act, an unprecedented action and seismic shift in the free and open nature of the Internet. Make no mistake about it, the FCC is about to engage in a historical naked power grab, simply making up authority where none is given in law. It is ludicrous to believe that a law written in 1934 could possibly be applied to something that didn’t truly exist until over 60 years later. It is not a fanciful notion to think that had the FCC proposed such an action at this time last year or in years prior, it would have been met with incredible resistance from anyone who cares about the potential censorship of the Internet. But this year, after approximately nine months of nearly constant Net Neutrality fear-mongering and a public proclamation from President Obama that he wants this action, it would appear that Title II classification has public support. The questions we must start to ask ourselves are that without the rules proposed by the FCC last year, would we have proposed Title II action this year? If it seems reasonable to think that one action resulted in the next, were these actions simply happenstance? And does Title II classification truly have public support?

While I have no inside information and I have no way to know for sure, it certainly feels like last year’s Net Neutrality “movement” was contrived. Based on my knowledge and observation of politics along with my extensive experience inside Internet culture from the beginning of its mainstreaming, I would certainly not be surprised if this entire sequence of events was orchestrated. The supposed “grassroots” feel of the Net Neutrality movement could have been wholly “astroturfed”. It would certainly explain how such a geeky topic suddenly went viral. The politics of technology isn’t exactly mainstream watercolor talk.

The really insidious aspect to the current Net Neutrality debate is that the proponents have done an artful job conflating the issue. There is no doubt that people want a free and open Internet. We do not want our Internet access to be restricted by our Internet providers. All the discussion of Net Neutrality in the last year has brought that concept into the mainstream. What is not so clear is whether people want the FCC, the agency responsible for the censorship of radio and TV, in charge of the Internet. As I mentioned in a previous article, the current Net Neutrality debate is really about whether we want government intervention in the Internet market, or what I call Government Regulation of Internet Providers, i.e. GRIP. With the media presenting no other options besides GRIP, it is no surprise that many people think that the only way to ensure the continuance of Net Neutrality is by government action. However, I strongly believe that even people who claim they support GRIP don’t want the government to go as far as Title II classification. It is a clumsy, heavy-handed, throwing the baby out with the bathwater approach to Net Neutrality.

Most people who support GRIP simply want government regulation that will prevent “slow lanes” on the Internet. They don’t necessarily understand the wholesale ramifications that Title II classification of Internet service would bring. I truly believe that the people who created a culture of freedom and openness on the Internet have no desire for FCC control. But someone has done a masterful job of changing the discourse from simply “Net Neutrality” to complete FCC control of the Internet. I don’t think those who were vocal in support of Net Neutrality last year are necessarily excited about Title II. But it may be too late. The powers that be have used the quick popularity of the debate last year to create a proposal that encompasses much, much more than simply stopping the creation of “slow lanes”. However, this proposal isn’t being given time to be debated in the public space. It is being rushed to a vote. In fact, the public hasn’t seen the actual proposal the FCC will be voting on. So far we have only been given lip service about it. The public has no clue what is about to transpire, other than a supposed vote on “Net Neutrality”.

We must ask ourselves what is the rush to pass this latest FCC proposal? When the FCC proposed rules last year, they asked for public input, which was one of the reasons for the media circus around Net Neutrality. They are not asking for any such commentary on this proposal, which is way above and beyond the context of stopping slow lanes. I’m now seeing news reports that the Obama administration is directly involved in the latest FCC proposal, which is not surprising considering President Obama himself said he believes Internet service should be classified under Title II. At the same time, I’m also reading articles that the Federal Election Commission is considering ways to regulate bloggers and other political content on the Internet. This is not a new development, considering that many prominent elected officials have claimed that bloggers are not “real journalists,” and therefore are not protected under the 1st Amendment. Are you starting to see my overall concern?

The Internet has been a bastion of freedom and free press since it went mainstream in the mid 1990’s. It has resulted in a transformation of the media landscape unlike any other in history. Old World mainstream media is losing the control it had on the flow of information. Politicians do not like the fact they can not control the New World media like they could the old. Remember, it wasn’t mainstream media that broke the Monica Lewinsky story – it was the Drudge Report. In fact, the lead of the Drudge Report article was “Newsweek Kills Story on White House Intern”. Traditional media was happy to kill a story that has now become a significant episode in our history. We may never have known about the Monica Lewinsky affair if it were not for Internet media. Are we all that surprised that politicians want to control this source of information? Even if you are concerned that Net Neutrality is in danger, you can not believe the Internet would be safer under the control of the FCC.

The bottom line is it looks like we’ve all been snowed. The federal government has pulled off a shrewd sleight of hand, seemingly convincing us that in order to protect us from the big, bad, cable and telephone companies, they must take over control of the Internet. Remember, the FCC itself was the entity that scared the media into the Net Neutrality debate last year and now conveniently has had an about-face. However, if we truly care about the freedom of the Internet – if we truly care about our own freedom – we must recognize that this is the worst thing that could happen to the Internet. We must question if we have been pawns in a larger game over the future of the free and open Internet and not give in so easily to those who wish to control us.

The post Net Neutrality Astroturfed? Have We Been Snowed? appeared first on Life, Liberty, and Technology.

Make sure to read my previous article: Net Neutrality – The Untold Story

FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler’s recent proposal for reclassifying Internet service as a public utility includes some language I think most coverage is glossing over. According to CNET.com, the yet-to-be publicly disclosed proposal has the following phrase in reference to Internet Service Providers restricting access: “may not block access to legal content, applications, services, or nonharmful devices.”

At first glance, this seems reasonable. No one has a problem with legal content or nonharmful devices, right? But one must wonder why the words “legal” and “nonharmful” were included? Reread the phrase and leave out those words. Does it really change the meaning? Would Net Neutrality proponents care if those words were left out? Do Net Neutrality proponents actually prefer that those words were left out? Perhaps you are now starting to see my concern.

What about “illegal” content or “harmful” devices? At first you may think, “who cares”? If it is illegal or harmful then why does it matter? Well it might matter if your content is suddenly deemed “illegal” or your device is classified as “harmful”. Is it inconceivable to think that powerful lobbies could influence the government to deem content or devices they don’t like as “illegal” or “harmful”? (as an aside, what the heck is a “harmful” device?) They can’t do that now, because the federal government and FCC do not have the authority to regulate the Internet. But soon they might claim this authority. Then what?

Astute readers will probably point out that the FCC proposal doesn’t obligate Internet Service Providers to block illegal content or harmful devices. True enough. But if the FCC claims they have the power to control what Internet providers can do, how far of a stretch is it to surmise that the FCC will one day claim they have the power to censor the Internet? Of course, it will be ostensibly for “the public good”, as they claim their rules for Net Neutrality are as well. Understand that the FCC already censors radio and TV. The great thing about the Internet is that it IS free and open (well, at least until the FCC gets hold of it). The stark contrast between the uncensored Internet and FCC-censored radio and TV is one of the reasons the Internet has transformed society.

Keep this in mind: the freedom of the Internet – our freedom – is about to be decided by 5 unelected bureaucrats. People who have incentive to give themselves more control. Because control means power and what government entity doesn’t love power? Net Neutrality proponents fear being controlled yet they are about to hand over the Internet on a silver platter to the most powerful and controlling entity on Earth. Can someone explain to me how that makes any sense?

The post Net Neutrality – Only For “Legal” Content appeared first on Life, Liberty, and Technology.

While the topic of Net Neutrality has been one of the hottest debates of the last year, I have remained mostly silent. I had wanted to compile my thoughts as completely as possible before commenting since the issue is very complex. When it comes to the subject of Net Neutrality, I could write a book. In fact, I probably will one day soon. But for now, events unfolding have made expressing my thoughts on the topic much more urgent and I can not wait any longer. While I have tried to condense my thoughts, the following post is a little long. However, if you want a thorough understanding of the Net Neutrality debate, please read, share, and comment below.

My relationship with the Internet is a unique one. I lived the whole of my childhood never having heard of the Internet. Yet I’ve spent my entire adult life growing up along with it. I’m just old enough to know what it is like to have grown up without the Internet but just young enough (and techie enough) to have embraced it as an integral part of my life. I am an Internet “colonist” if you will. For me personally, the Internet has transformed me as much as it has transformed society. My adult life and my career have been inextricably entwined with the evolution of the Internet into mainstream society. As a student of technology, history, and liberty, I regard the Internet entering the mainstream as a watershed development in the history of mankind. This time in history will be regarded as a pivotal era in the evolution of human civilization. Sure, I enjoy cute kitten videos as much as the next guy, but to me the Internet is much more than entertainment. I see the Internet as the greatest tool for freedom mankind has ever known and one of the greatest entrepreneurial engines in history. If technology is one of the highest forms of human expression, then the Internet is the greatest medium for that expression ever created. So believe me when I say I value the openness and freedom of the Internet as much as anybody and will do everything I can to protect it.

What Exactly is “Net Neutrality”?

The term “Net Neutrality” was coined way back in 2003 by Columbia University media law professor Tim Wu, so it should be obvious that the issue is not new. I personally have been following the subject for many years and actually had experience with some of the precursor issues back in the late 1990’s. Net Neutrality has received a lot of mainstream attention in the last year so it suddenly has moved to the forefront of techno-political conversation. A big problem for those wishing to understand the discussion is that the concept of “Net Neutrality” is simultaneously both complicated and simple. The term can mean different things to different people and most people really don’t have any clue of the underlying technology or politics. Shallow soundbites and buzzwords tend to oversimplify the subject. So allow me to quickly break it down – and don’t skip ahead because understanding the underlying issues is critical in understanding the debate at large.

I think that for most people, Net Neutrality is the idea that Internet Service Providers stay “neutral” when it comes to delivering the content you are accessing. For example, an Internet provider should not be able to block or throttle data coming to you from a company like Netflix. But to many it also means that they should not be able to block data that is politically sensitive or information that may be controversial.

I can’t imagine anyone wanting their choices restricted. I would assume that if given a preference, most people would say they want the freedom to read or watch anything on the Internet and not have the quality of their service arbitrarily degraded. Incidentally, I think most people would also say the same thing about TV and radio service, if they had the choice.

So who could possibly be against Net Neutrality? Obviously the big communication companies that provide Internet service are always looking for ways to increase their revenues. One way that has seen some interest is the idea of “paid prioritization” where Internet providers can prioritize traffic coming from certain sites. For example, Netflix could pay various ISPs to ensure that their streaming video data had prioritization on the network so that users could have the best viewing experience possible. In a legally regulated Net Neutral scenario, ISPs couldn’t do this and therefore would lose out on potential revenue. It should be obvious that ISPs would rather not be restricted by rules that limit revenue.

Therein lies the debate as far as most people are concerned. They believe it is simply an issue of keeping the Internet free and open for everyone vs the profit of large communication companies. Now these people aren’t exactly wrong. But they are not getting the whole truth.

The Devil is in the Details

Most proponents of Net Neutrality want the government to be able to intervene and enforce rules that would prohibit ISPs from implementing paid prioritization. How exactly this should be done depends on who is proposing the rules, but regardless they all revolve around government controlling the ISPs.

Most opponents of Net Neutrality say they don’t want the government to get involved and that Internet service providers aren’t truly interested in creating Internet slow lanes to extract payments out of Internet content companies. They say the Internet is already neutral and government regulation will only stifle the openness of the Internet as well as investment and growth of Internet technologies.

As I’ve discovered in many things political, both sides actually want the same thing – in this case a free and open Internet. Of course, both sides differ in the way they want that achieved. And unfortunately when arguing the issue, each side paints the other with a broad brush.

Net Neutrality proponents claim that all Internet providers want to set up paid prioritization schemes so that they can control what you are able to access in a way similar to how cable TV subscription packages work today. Internet providers are only interested in profit and they could care less about Internet freedom.

Net Neutrality opponents claim that Internet providers have no interest in restricting access to particular content and would self-regulate so that they would never use their position as last-mile provider to extort money from businesses that provide content. Net Neutrality proponents are only interested in stifling profits as a way to punish rich companies.

Obviously, neither exaggeration is correct. But what both sides miss are some fundamental understanding of the way Internet service works and the politics around it.

What’s a Guy or Gal To Do?

Those who know me or read this blog would probably assume that I would fall on the side of less government involvement. However, it isn’t that simple.

Let me be clear on one thing: I do NOT want Internet service providers making decisions for me on what type of content I can view or restricting the free flow of any type of information that I want. This is something I would fight tooth-and-nail against. But I am also fearful of government doing the exact same thing! Does it really matter if it is a corporation or a government restricting my free and open Internet? Neither is something I want and I assume most people would agree with me. However, very few people are talking about the danger of giving the federal government control over Internet Service Providers which essentially gives them control over the Internet itself.

The Net Neutrality Conundrum

As someone who believes in the free market, Net Neutrality is a tricky subject. Instinctively I know that government regulation can’t truly help the situation. But in the same breath, I also don’t trust the big Internet service providers. I really have no doubt that big ISPs would follow the paid prioritization model if they felt it would be profitable. Would they use their position as the last-mile provider to exploit Internet content companies? That isn’t as clear, but for argument’s sake I can make the assumption. With this bleak scenario in my head, what besides government intervention can stop big ISPs from wrecking the free and open Internet? The answer is clear: competition. But when it comes to the current state of Internet providers, that isn’t the whole answer.

Competition is ultimately what gives consumers the power in any free market. A company that does unpopular things to consumers will lose business to other companies that don’t do unpopular things. The threat of collusion is greatly diminished the more competition there is. The profit motive tends to incentivize companies to outflank their competition rather than colluding to keep the status quo. But something is missing when it comes to competition in today’s Internet provider market. There seems to be a distinct lack of it.

And therein lies the rub. People complain about Internet service providers like they do about cable TV or phone companies. Which isn’t surprising because most ISPs are in fact cable or phone companies. For all the complaining done about these companies, the problem is that people feel trapped. Many people feel like they don’t have a choice. What is it about cable and phone companies that make people feel that these businesses have so much power over them?

That really is the question to ponder. Nobody likes to feel like they are being controlled. Regardless if it is big business or big government, people do not want outside entries dictating what they can or can’t do or what information they have access to. No one wants feel trapped because they can’t leave the influence of an entity that wants to control them. I’ve thought about this question for quite awhile. This is the key to the Net Neutrality debate and it seems like no one is discussing it.

The reason cable and telephone companies have such control over the people they serve is because their infrastructure is under the protection of a government-sanctioned monopoly. Cable and telephone companies do not need to worry about competition from other cable or telephone companies because local governments make it illegal for competitors to exist in their jurisdiction! Instead of adding more government regulation to fix problems created by government regulation in the first place, we should attempt to repeal that regulation which is causing the problem!

The Real Issue is GRIP

Since there is so little competition in the Internet provider market it is feasible that companies could leverage their power to increase revenue at the expense of a free and open Internet. Nobody seems to want that to happen but the problem exists because of past government action, not the lack of it. However, most Net Neutrality proponents are only calling for more government intervention so the idea of Net Neutrality seems married to increased regulation.

The arguments from Net Neutrality proponents are very emphatic that big Internet providers will eventually conspire to lock us into the type of subscription options that exist today for cable TV. Again, I actually somewhat agree with this assertion. I don’t trust the big Internet providers to always do the right thing. However, I definitely don’t trust big government to always act in the best interest of the people. Net Neutrality proponents rarely discuss the danger of big government to the very Internet they claim to hold dear.

The main thrust for most “Net Neutrality” proponents isn’t so much an actually neutral Internet, but rather that we entrust the Internet service provider market to government. And the main counterpoint by Net Neutrality opponents isn’t that a neutral Internet is a bad thing, but rather that government regulation is. Therefore it is this “Government Regulation of Internet Providers”, or as I now simply deem, GRIP, that is the actual sticking point. Everyone seems to want a free and open Internet, we all just disagree on how to best ensure that.

Tightening the GRIP

Proponents of GRIP use terms like “fast and slow lanes” to describe what they think Internet providers will eventually offer to subscribers. As I said before, in no way do I want this type of Internet service. I want exactly what I have now, which is a high-speed connection that is not traffic-shaped or prioritized to the detriment of any site or service I wish to access. I believe this is also what most people want as well, which is why any threat to free access of any site or service on the Internet is met with such resistance. People want freedom and the Internet is the greatest tool of freedom the world has ever seen. So it is not surprising that when people are told that large Internet providers have plans to restrict their freedom that they would look to government to stop this from happening.

The Internet service provider industry by-and-large reject the idea of GRIP because they claim that it will stifle investment and growth of the Internet. Honestly, I could care less about such arguments, except when it comes to continued improvement of bandwidth and access. I’m not sure why the ISP industry chooses to hang their hat on this argument because the optics play out like they are greedy bastards, more concerned with profit than anything else. Instead, they should be focusing on the real specter of GRIP: the fact that once the government can regulate the Internet service provider industry, they can regulate the Internet itself.

The very thing that people are up in arms about regarding “Net Neutrality” is exactly why they should fear GRIP. If they believe competing companies will collude to restrict the freedom of the Internet, I’m not sure why they think that a government with enormous power wouldn’t be corrupted to do the same thing. The only difference, and the key factor to understand, is that competing companies in a free market answer to their customers whereas a government bureaucracy effectively answers to no one. It is much easier to fire your ISP than it is to root out layer upon layer of bureaucracy – especially when most of those bureaucrats are unelected – we can’t simply vote them out!

A Solution Looking for a Problem

Another issue that proponents of GRIP rarely mention is that we actually currently enjoy Net Neutrality! Yes, without the FCC interfering, after about 20 years of mostly unregulated service, our Internet service is not throttled by any major Internet providers. Yes, there have been examples of companies attempting to mess around with the data transmitted over their infrastructure, but the customer backlash was quick and fierce and those companies promptly backed down. While proponents of GRIP try to use these incidents as proof of the big, bad wolf trying to blow down your free and open Internet, I look at these situations as examples of why we don’t need the government to get involved. We the people exert plenty of pressure on the ISPs to provide the type of service we want. We simply do not need a so-called government solution to a problem that does not exist! What we need is more competition and the solution is to remove the government-created barriers that restrict all existing and future communication companies from competing with each other in local markets.

We are actually very lucky that cable companies have their roots in TV and phone companies in telecommunications because governments allowed both entities to exist since they served different markets. The reality is that now cable and phone companies actually offer virtually identical services: Internet, TV, and phone. There is virtually no difference in the services they provide, other than the infrastructure in which they arrive at your house or business. This should make one thing very clear: there is truly no need for governments to sanction monopolies to communication companies anymore. If two providers can exist in an area, why not three or more? When it comes to Net Neutrality, competition is the prevention and cure to any company restricting the freedom of the Internet. It is time to create more competition, not continue to cripple it.

The Bleak Future of GRIP

At best GRIP is a solution looking for a problem. At worst, GRIP is a calculated attempt by big government proponents, including big business, to begin government regulation of the Internet so they can exploit it later. Be certain about this point – big business is a big fan of GRIP. Those who support GRIP under the guise of Net Neutrality are basically handing control of the Internet to the very interests they claim to fear. Just a quick study of the recent repeated attempts at Internet regulation (SOPA, PIPA, CISPA) should indicate that powerful entities abound that wish to regulate the Internet. Of course, they couch this regulation under the guise of protecting copyrights or national security, neglecting to acknowledge the privacy infringements these laws would cause. GRIP, under the guise of “Net Neutrality”, is potentially even more insidious. Once government has control of the Internet Service Provider market, it is not a stretch to believe their control will overflow. Today’s proposed rules are ostensibly for the protection of the consumer. Tomorrow’s regulations could be to “protect” copyright holders or to give the NSA access to your private data. Make no mistake about it, whatever bad things a corporation could do to your Internet pales in comparison to what big government can do. How sad would it be for proponents of Net Neutrality to wake up to a future where their worst nightmares have come true – but not because of greedy corporations – but because they turned over control of the Internet to the only entity actually capable of restricting it?

A Final Thought

Let me leave you with this final thought: the history and legacy of the FCC is control and censorship. If you believe the FCC will ultimately do anything different with the Internet, I know a Nigerian prince with millions of dollars ready to transfer to your bank account.

The post Net Neutrality – The Untold Story appeared first on Life, Liberty, and Technology.

Over the holidays I chuckled a little bit every time I saw a commercial for the Microsoft Surface. It wasn’t hard to see the desperation in those commercials that were trying so hard to convince people to replace their MacBook with a Surface. What is pathetic is that these commercials were using the same old tried-and-failed tactics that Old World Technology companies have been using for years with little success. Now they are using them seemingly louder and more often, which only makes them all the more sad.

First, the commercials focus almost exclusively on hardware features. From the particular processor they use, to the removable keyboard, to the use of a stylus, the marketing team behind these campaigns still believe that people buy technology devices based on nothing but hardware specifications. That ship sailed way back in 2007 with the introduction of the iPhone. However, it’s the only weapon that Old World Technology companies have in their holsters, so they’ll keep pulling the trigger even if it is out of bullets.

The reality is that the commercials don’t mention that these Windows-based devices run Windows 8 because you might as well say these tablets are infected with Ebola. The common perception of Windows 8 is not favorable (to put it mildly) and Microsoft is doing marketing gymnastics to avoid talking about Windows 8 while promoting Windows 8-based devices. No wonder Microsoft has now announced that Windows 10 will be free to Windows 7 and Windows 8 users.

It’s also interesting that Microsoft chooses to compare their devices to a MacBook laptop instead of an iPad tablet. The definition of a “laptop” is blurred, since for what a lot of people do, an iPad is more than enough. People can also buy keyboards for the iPad and make it much more like a traditional laptop. Styluses can also be added to an iPad. However, an iPad starts at $499 where a Microsoft Surface Pro 3 starts at $799. Then to get the keyboard that Microsoft raves so much about will set you back another $129. And don’t think that the keyboard is an “optional” accessory. Attempting to use the Surface Pro without a keyboard is like attempting to use, well, a laptop without a keyboard. So in reality the Surface Pro starts at just under $1000 So maybe now we see why Microsoft wants to position the Surface against the MacBook. The prices are comparable. It is a very tough sell to convince someone to buy $1000 Surface over a $499 iPad. The problem is that people don’t really want a tablet that can replace their laptop. They want a tablet. Just a tablet. A tablet that is simple to use, won’t break the bank, and that doesn’t require overly complex accessories.

Let’s talk a little more about the keyboard and stylus that Microsoft thinks are the best thing since sliced bread. As I mentioned above, for all the talk that the Surface is a tablet with an optional detachable keyboard, if you’ve ever used a Surface you know that the keyboard is virtually non-optional. The same thing goes for the stylus. The commercials say, “I can write with a pen.” The reality is, “I MUST use a pen.” Attempting to use the Surface without a stylus is an exercise in frustration. The reason is that for everything that Microsoft says about the Surface Pro being a modern tablet, its operating system is still rooted deeply in the traditional (i.e. Old World) Windows desktop model.

Does anyone remember the “Tablet PCs” that Bill Gates declared were “the future” back in the year 2000? Probably not, because if you were unfortunate enough to get suckered into purchasing one back then, you found out that the “Tablet PC” was really just an over-priced, overweight laptop that had a stylus. Sales of the so-called Tablet PCs were abysmal, eerily reminiscent of how the Microsoft Surface line has sold so far. The main problem then, as now, is that attempting to use an operating system designed for a keyboard and mouse with a touchscreen interface is unwieldy, cumbersome, and generally just plain awkward.

Of course today Microsoft has Windows 8, which is an operating system designed for tablets and mobile devices so things should be better now, right? Unfortunately, Windows 8 has only made things worse for Microsoft. Windows 8 is a Frankenstein of an operating system, attempting to combine the old desktop paradigm with a new touchscreen interface. The problem for Microsoft is that people nearly universally hate the new Windows 8 touchscreen interface. So they fall back to the familiar desktop Windows interface which is really hard to use with a touchscreen. All the controls are too small to effectively use with a fingertip, so a stylus is not optional but a practical necessity. But then this introduces a new problem: using a tablet with a stylus in one hand is doubly awkward. So that lauded kickstand suddenly becomes not just a nice feature, but something that is absolutely required because you need to put the device down on a table to actually use it with a pen. Suddenly that tablet isn’t much of a tablet. Oh, and hopefully you don’t lose that Stylus because it costs $45 to replace. It’s also easy to lose, by the way, because unlike previous Tablet PCs, there is no place to slide the stylus into when you’re not using it.

If you’ve ever attempted to use a Surface as a true tablet, you quickly realize that it is just not the right shape to use effectively. It is simply too tall to use handily in portrait mode (i.e. “vertically”) and too wide to use comfortably in landscape mode (i.e. “horizontally”). It is quite apparent that the Surface line was designed as a laptop with a detachable keyboard. For some reason Microsoft thinks that people really want their tablets to be laptops. But it doesn’t take a genius to see that this is not true. There is a reason the iPad sales took off like a rocket. It was the right combination of computing device with no baggage required. Most people didn’t miss the keyboard. Virtually no one complained that there wasn’t a stylus. For those who did want keyboards and styluses, a plethora of third-party options are available, but the important point is that none of these add-ons are necessary. The iPad works just fine with nothing more than your fingers.

Then there are some issues of fit and polish. The fact that the Surface Pro is really just a traditional Windows PC stuffed into a very thin form factor brings along the issues of heat that affect all PCs. One of the first things people will notice about the Surface Pro as compared to other true tablets is the sound. No, not the audio from YouTube videos but rather the sound of a fan. Yes, the Surface Pro requires a fan to keep it from overheating. People will also notice if they hold the Surface is that it gets fairly hot, even with the fan. Not that these issues are truly that big of a deal, but it again just goes to show that the Surface is not truly a tablet, but rather a laptop with a detachable keyboard. A lot of tech companies fail to appreciate the fine little details that can make or break the success of a device. The sum total of all the fine little touches (or lack thereof) in a technology device can be the difference whether people enjoy using a device or begrudgingly tolerate it.

Finally, if all that weren’t enough, Windows still brings along the baggage that is malware. Conveniently Microsoft doesn’t mention that the Surface is still as susceptible to malware as any other Windows-based computer. All the detachable keyboards in the world can’t stop a Surface from getting infected with a virus that brings it to its knees. Its stylus can’t remove malware either. In my experience, malware is one of the most frustrating experiences a computer user can have. It is also one of the main motivations for people leaving the Windows platform over the last several years. If we completely ignore every detail I wrote about in the rest of the article, I can’t imagine that people would happily leave the virtually malware-free comfort of an Apple MacBook or iPad to go back to dealing with malware. This issue alone should be a deal-breaker. Until Microsoft can adequately address the issue of Malware, those who use Windows-based devices are setting themselves up for a world of hurt.

In all honesty, I think the Surface Pro is actually a very good device for some very particular uses. I have in fact recommended the Surface Pro to a clients as a best-of-breed device when they required a Windows-based laptop/tablet hybrid with a stylus. The main use case are doctors who want to be able to use a stylus when working with Windows-only practice management software. It is a little ironic that the price caused a few of my clients to decline my recommendation, but I digress. I believe Microsoft should stop attempting to sell the Surface as a replacement to the MacBook or even iPad because it just makes them look desperate. Plus if any unfortunate consumers actually believe Microsoft’s commercials, customer dissatisfaction will probably do more to hurt Microsoft in the long wrong.

The post The Tablet that Desperately Wants You to Buy it appeared first on Life, Liberty, and Technology.

A friend on Facebook posted the following:

I’d like to share some thoughts on ideas from an article I read recently (and unfortunately can’t locate at the moment).

The gist of the article is the Technology (or Internet) Revolution of the last few decades has widened the gap between the rich and non-rich much as the Industrial Revolution of the 19th Century did. Not as the result of governmental policies due to fundamental changes in how our economic system functions. For example:

* Technology has resulted in the concentration of wealth, power and technology.

* Technology has eliminated many low-skill and/or repetitive jobs that traditionally served as a way out of poverty and into the middle class.

* Technology has opened up competition for many higher-skill jobs (design, coding, journalism, automation, etc., etc.) to the global market resulting in wage stagnation for middle-class workers.

What I took away from the article is that – just as the abuses of the Industrial Revolution lead to many labor, industrial and economic reforms – the current revolution will require systemic changes to our economic framework. And, more importantly, traditional Liberal and Conservative ideologies, which are based upon the experience of the 20th Century, really aren’t equipped to provide those solutions

Any thoughts?

Any thoughts? Of course I have thoughts on this topic! But a Facebook comment simply won’t do my thoughts justice, so I told him I’d write a blog post.

The points presented obviously slant towards technology being a negatively disrupting force in the economy. Then my friend’s takeaway was that because of these negative disruptions, systemic changes will be required to our economy. I must assume he meant governmental regulations, because he then talks about liberal and conservative ideologies.

I must say that when presented in this context, the technology and Internet revolution sure does sound like a scourge on humanity! Who wouldn’t be for controlling this abomination? But of course, this is only one side of the story. Before we can discuss this topic, we should take a more balanced look.

Has technology concentrated wealth and power? Undoubtedly people have become extraordinarily wealthy from their Internet businesses. But it has also created incredible opportunities for everyday entrepreneurism that could never have been imagined before. When companies that didn’t exist before 1995 like Amazon.com can become the world’s largest book seller and topple old giants like Borders, technology has also created a more even playing field. When the Internet has basically destroyed the stranglehold the recording industry had on music, it must be talked about in the same breath as any claims of power concentration. Certainly the Internet has caused a de-concentration of power as well as any perceived concentrations.

Besides these big examples, the Internet has created entirely new career categories such as web developers, social media marketers, mobile app developers, and YouTube celebrities. Which if it is true that the Internet has eliminated low-skill and/or repetitive jobs, then we must also acknowledge the creation of new jobs. We must also accept the fact that the Internet has made it easier for entrepreneurs to find customers and therefore made it easier for non-technical businesspeople – from housekeepers to accountants – to compete against big companies.

It’s no secret competition is good for consumers. When the Internet makes it easier for small business to compete, consumers win. Not only does competition help keep costs down, but it also increases innovation and gives consumers more choices. Potentially with competition keeping costs down, wages may be affected. But while some wages may stagnate, others may increase for those who take the bull by the horns and adapt to the changes the Internet was brought forth.

So with the perspective of a more balanced viewpoint, do we really need government to “reform” our economy? Technology has transformed not only the economy, but almost all aspects of our society. The fact that this conversation started on social media and that I can publish my response on a blog that anyone in the world can read are proof alone of that. What we must realize is that regulation has side-effects. If we want to stifle the supposed negative ramifications of technological change, we need to accept that we will also dampen the positive effects that technology can bring to the economy and society.

I do agree on one of my friend’s points: that traditional political ideologies aren’t suited to provide solutions to a rapidly changing economy, especially when most politicians don’t even understand that which they would attempt to regulate. I would go so far as to say that any political ideology that says they need to control the economy is not suited to The New World of Technology.

Instead of the violent, forceful change that government brings, I trust in the natural, holistic evolution that free people bring about on their own as they adapt to change. Systemic changes have already happened and will continue to happen as the market transforms. Not through any action of government, but rather through the behavior of free people in a market that has been relatively free of regulation. The technology industry is one of the closest examples of a functioning free market that we have seen in recent history. Luckily by its nature of rapid advance, there has been little opportunity for governments to suppress it, at least in this country. Which has been a good thing because it was the technology industry that burgeoned our economy in the 1990’s and has almost single-handedly kept it afloat through the rough times of the 2000’s. That and it fundamentally changed the way we live and communicate. Certainly we must be appreciative of the positive advances that this market free of government interference has brought forth.

We must understand that we are only at the beginning of the technological advances coming. If we attempt to apply control and regulations now, based on our rudimentary understanding of technology as it exists today, we potentially strangle the benefits of technology that hasn’t even been invented yet. We threaten to stifle the advancement of modern technology much in the same way that was done in the early part of the 20th century with the heavy-handed government regulation of radio and telephone communication. This resulted in the government-sanctioned monopoly of AT&T and the concentration of power in politically-favored media companies. Ironically, this concentration of power has only started to erode because of the Internet. What a shame it would be to strangle the freedom the Internet has brought us because we are frightened of change. What a shame it would be if our fear returned us to the pre-Internet world where our information was tightly controlled by a select few from government and big corporate interests.

Bottom line, free people adapt to change. The relatively free market that technology has developed in has brought us amazing advances in our society and economic growth. Why would we want to endanger it? Attempting to control the economy amounts to playing god and not doing a very good job of it. No politician is smarter than all of us. Offering them control of the new economy is a foolhardy endeavor, certainly destined to be a so-called “cure” worse than any perceived “disease”.

The post Technology and Economic Change appeared first on Life, Liberty, and Technology.

Truly it is a sign of the times. Fifteen years ago Apple was hardly a blip on the radar in the technology market. Now, Apple has so thoroughly dominated the consumer and small business markets that even IBM wants to partner with them in the enterprise space. For Apple to become an “accepted” vendor in the large corporate market only means that Apple’s position as a major player in the technology market will be entrenched for the long term. And it may finally push them into markets that have been historically very slow to adopt new technology such as financial and healthcare. But perhaps more importantly, this means that others in the technology market may be significantly impacted by this announcement.

For one, this may squash any of the tiny advancements that the Android platform was making into the corporate space. With the fragmentation of the Android platform, corporations were already squeamish about supporting Android. Samsung was the only company that truly has any unified marketshare and they are not a big name in corporate IT. Now IT departments can lean on the trust that executives have in the IBM name to support Apple iPhones and iPads.

The bigger impact, however, may be on Microsoft. Given that Microsoft’s mobile platform has virtually no presence in the consumer market and their small business influence is quickly fading each day, the large enterprise market is their stronghold. If IBM’s influence can push Apple into companies that would have otherwise looked at Microsoft, this could be a significant blow to Microsoft. Where Android isn’t really a significant money-maker for Google, any hit that Microsoft takes in the enterprise market could mean big drops in revenue.

The bottom line is that Apple is in an extremely strong position now. If anyone had any perceptions left over from the 1990’s of Apple being  a second-class citizen in the technology market, it is now time to wipe those thoughts clean. Similarly, perceptions of Microsoft being the dominant name in technology should be strongly reconsidered. While Microsoft is still making a lot of money today, the rapid pace of technology change has left them very vulnerable.

The post What the Apple-IBM Deal Means to The Rest of Us appeared first on State of the Tech.

The post Radio Interview on Femme Finance, The Cheapskate’s Guide to Traveling With Your iPhone appeared first on The Cheapskate's Guide to Traveling With Your iPhone.

But seriously, researching Wi-Fi is critical if you want to save a ton of money when you travel. So don’t listen to the naysayers – make sure to read Chapter 3 of my book and make Wi-Fi research an important factor in your travel plans.

The post Research Wi-Fi Before Traveling – It’s Not Just For Geeks Anymore appeared first on The Cheapskate's Guide to Traveling With Your iPhone.

Operating system giant Microsoft may have moved ahead of BlackBerry (BB) with their Windows Phone (WP) devices in terms of market share but we can’t set aside the reality that both platforms are struggling in third and fourth place. Android and Apple now command the Smartphone market once controlled by BlackBerry and Microsoft. Can these two once dominant players survive? What are the main reasons for their fall?

The Current Market Situation

According to International Data Corporation (IDC)’s latest statistics:

• Android has almost 73% global market share with 187 million handsets sold in Q2 2013;

• Apple’s iOS has 13.2% market share with 31.2 million handsets sold;

• Windows Phone has 3.7% share with 8.7 million units shipped

• and BlackBerry OS, in spite of releasing their new BB10 operating system earlier this year, dropped to fourth place with only 2.9% share or 6.8 million units sold last quarter.

However, the smartphone market is tricky to get a handle on due to several factors:

• Global marketshare is very different from United States marketshare. (Android 52%, iOS 40%, BlackBerry 3%, Windows 2%) The influence of the United States market on the rest of the world is significant and can not be excluded from global marketshare analysis.
• Market share can be calculated by operating system or manufacturer. Apple is the only manufacturer of the iPhone and therefore profits from all iPhones sold, whereas there are several manufacturers of Android, Windows, and BlackBerry phones. In the Android market, only Samsung can be considered successful by measure of profitability. Profitability is ultimately why companies manufacture products and unprofitable manufacturers will not likely have longevity in the market. This could skew market share numbers in the near future.
• Market share can be calculated by sales into the channel or sales to end-users. Not all manufacturers calculate sales in the same way.
• In regards to platform viability, he smartphone market is tied to the tablet market. Apple’s iPad holds a stronger position in the tablet market, and Windows and BlackBerry’s shares are minuscule.
• The smartphone market is still growing, with all major manufacturers showing growth, even as marketshare fluctuates.
• Market share statistics are generally quoted from the most recent quarter, ignoring the entire installed base of devices currently in use.
• Market share is only one measure of a platform’s viability. Other statistics show that iOS is actually used by more people and developers are making more money on the iOS platform. This final measurement is very important as will be shown later in this article.

Not Necessarily Inferior Hardware

If we observe the smartphones running the WP and BB platforms, we’ll notice that their specifications are at least on par with the latest innovations in mobile technology. For example the Nokia Lumia 1020 packs the most advanced camera for a mobile device so far. It boasts a 41-megapixel capacity which is far more megapixels than most other smartphones, such as the iPhone’s 8-megapixel camera.

A Lack of Applications

One major factor behind the fall of the the WP and BB platforms are their lack of applications. The WP marketplace only has 100,000 available apps according to Appcelerator’s 2013 Q2 developer survey. And many of which are mere copycats and third-grade clones of the other apps that are available in the leading platforms. For example, in lieu of the Instagram photo sharing app, they have Instacam, which offers a similar experience but with limited features and functions. Even the YouTube application is just a simple app linking the user to the web version through the device’s browser.

BlackBerry claims that their new BB 10 OS has 100,000 applications based on CRN’s latest report. But we have to take into account that 20% of that number are actually Android apps that were ported to the system with the use of an emulation engine. Moreover, these apps are actually optimized for older versions of Android, meaning, they are now outdated based on current standards and specifications.

Microsoft plus Nokia equals “Mokia”

Users need apps to maximize their smartphones’ capabilities and, so far, mobile manufacturers like Nokia are aware of this reality. Recently, the company’s VP for app development aired his disappointment towards Microsoft for the decline of Nokia sales. According to Bryan Biniak, “people rely on applications for their day-to-day life and if you don’t have something which I use in my day-to-day life I’m not going to switch [operating systems] because I don’t want to compromise the way I live my life just to switch to a phone.” Biniak also stressed that, “we are releasing new devices frequently and for every new device, if there is an app that somebody cares about that’s not there that’s a missed opportunity of a sale.”

His statements would prove prescient as exactly a week later, Nokia agreed to a $7.2B acquisition of its devices and services unit by Microsoft. Nokia is the largest manufacturer of Windows Phones through the Lumia series but sales were down 24% in spite of its record sales. Once the deal is finalized and the companies operations merged, all future smartphones will become Microsoft-branded. Building on their previous history, an acquisition like this could mean greater synergy between the two manufacturers and result in a more focused and competitive end product. But given Microsoft’s failure with their self-branded Surface tablets, Microsoft has yet to prove they can compete in the mobile device market.

Microsoft Isn’t After the Top Spot

With the emergence of Mokia, BB’s potential as a relevant competitor in smartphone market share becomes even bleaker. Peter Garnry, equity strategist at Saxo Bank, suggested that the company focus on its security and data network capabilities instead of trying to compete directly against Google, Apple, and Windows with a fourth operating system.

In an interview with Microsoft Business manager Larry Liebman, they consider their current position as a “victory.” Liebman added, “We think we’re solidly the third ecosystem right now.  That’s a huge announcement in some respects.  [WP] growing faster than anyone else right now.” While it seems a stretch to consider 3rd place a victory over the falling BlackBerry platform, Microsoft has the luxury of a significant cashflow from other markets. Windows on the PC and Microsoft Office keep Microsoft in a strong cash position for now, so they have time to develop their market share.

Creating a strong following of app developers for either Microsoft of BlackBerry is now a chicken-and-egg problem. Without a strong market share (or other platform viability measurements) developers have little incentive to create for those platforms. But without a strong app marketplace, those platforms are not likely to grow stronger. BlackBerry almost certainly does not have the cash reserves to reverse their fall. However, Microsoft with their recent purchase of Nokia and a strong cash position may just be able to weather the storm and become a strong third-place player.

About The Author

Lucy Price is a specialist in web design, branding, pop music and the latest gadgets. Her love of classical music takes up most of his spare time and she also maintains a passion for action movies. You can follow her on Twitter @lucyyyprice

The post The Decline of BlackBerry and Windows in the Smartphone Market appeared first on State of the Tech.

The Arch is in St. Louis is part of the United States too, even if you go to the very top!

I’ve been asked by many people if they should read The Cheapskate’s Guide to Traveling With Your iPhone if they are taking a trip within the United States. While I certainly encourage reading my book at any time, let me clarify a couple of related topics.

Hawaii is a part of the United States. So are Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.

Yes, they may seem like foreign destinations, but Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands are all considered domestic call areas for AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile. This is because these locations are part of the United States and our domestic wireless carriers operate there as well. Therefore there are no international roaming charges to worry about. So you don’t need to be concerned about getting socked with excessive charges and you can use your iPhone or other cellular phones normally. However, you should still try to make use of Wi-Fi whenever possible to keep your cellular data usage to a minimum, just in case you might go over on your data limits.

Cruise ships are NOT part of the United States, even if you are only a few miles offshore.

Maybe you’re taking a cruise around the Caribbean and it may seem like you aren’t that far away,  but cruise ships are considered international calls and will incur the corresponding huge roaming fees if you don’t follow the advice in my book. Unfortunately, I’ve heard that Wi-Fi on many ships is still pretty expensive, but likely will still be less than international roaming fees. Check with your cruise line before embarking, or better yet before you book that cruise.

Bottom line, if in doubt always verify any questions you may have with your wireless carrier and use Wi-Fi whenever possible.

The post Cheapskate Domestic Travel appeared first on The Cheapskate's Guide to Traveling With Your iPhone.

This was the invitation that Apple sent out today

In case you missed it, Apple sent out invites to selected people today announcing an event for Septmeber 10th. It is widely expected that Apple will introduce new iPhones along with iOS 7. Rumors strongly point to two iPhones being released: an expected upgrade to the iPhone 5 being called the “iPhone 5S” plus a lower cost “iPhone 5C.” The “C” may potentially stand for “color”, as in that iPhone may offer various color choices. The invitation sent out shows a variety of colors, which seems to support the idea of color choices, but to me also seems to hint at iOS 7’s new color scheme. I guess we’ll all see in one week.

The post Apple Event Scheduled for September 10th appeared first on State of the Tech.

What does this mean for the technology industry? Does it change Microsoft’s position in the market significantly? For the short-term the answer is definitely no. The deal isn’t expected to complete until the first quarter of 2014 and will be subject to approval by the shareholders of both companies. Likely too, US and EU regulators will want to investigate the merger and give it their approval. Assuming that the deal is completed by first quarter 2014, the actual work of merging both companies will take a significant amount of time. If any notable changes occur before the holiday shopping period of 2014, I’ll be very surprised. So if the holiday season of 2015 is the first opportunity Microsoft has to truly capitalize on a purchase of Nokia, we must wonder if Microsoft will have any chance of making waves in the smartphone market by that time.

Given the tight relationship between Microsoft and Nokia over the last couple of years – Nokia-brand smartphones account for 85% of Windows phones sold – this deal isn’t really surprising. Nor does it give much reason to believe that anything different will ensue now that Microsoft will officially absorb Nokia’s cellphone business operations. Windows phones did overtake BlackBerry as the #3 smartphone platform recently, but that isn’t saying much as BlackBerry is in a death spiral. Simply purchasing a cellphone manufacturing business doesn’t ensure Microsoft will do any better than they have so far.

What this deal does give Microsoft is complete control over their smartphone platform, which should give them the ability to quickly incorporate new features into Windows phone since they do no longer need to coordinate with their hardware partners. This sounds good, except the fact that Microsoft just wrote off nearly $1 billion of unsold Surface tablets. This debacle shows that Microsoft hasn’t executed well even when they did produce a product of their own hardware design. Do we expect they will do any better now that they will be able to manufacture their own smartphones as well? Or does this simply give Microsoft more rope to hang themselves with?

The only bright spot Microsoft has is their strong cashflow position. Microsoft has the money to throw at their problems and therefore has time to reinvent themselves, even if this takes several years. The only question is will the company that comes out of this be anything like the Microsoft of old? Also if Microsoft isn’t careful, they could blow their cash cows in the next couple of years if they risk everything on Windows, risking the entire company along the way.

So the bottom line is that while Microsoft seems to have figured out that in order to compete in the New World of Technology that Apple is dominating they must follow the rules that Apple has set, this is no guarantee of success. If Microsoft will have any success with their massive reorganization, it will take years to see it bear fruit. This is far too long for any business to wait for Microsoft to get their act together, so business should continue to migrate away from Old World Microsoft technologies without hesitation. If Microsoft ever does create compelling New World technologies in the next few years, business can evaluate those as they would any new technology from any other company.

The post Microsoft Buys Nokia’s Phone Business; Follows Apple’s Model appeared first on State of the Tech.

It should be obvious by now that virtually no one is interested in Microsoft’s Surface devices, even with Microsoft’s trumpeting that they are the only tablet devices that run Microsoft Office (only because Microsoft won’t release Office for any other tablet platform). Can we read into this that no one really cares about running Microsoft Office on a tablet? Going further can we read into this that no one really cares about Microsoft Office?

The take-away for small business and consumers here is to not tie your fortunes to Microsoft technology any longer. If you haven’t already begun mitigating your reliance on Microsoft technology, you must do so now – or risk emulating the company’s poor performance.

The post It Seems Everyone is Writing Off the Surface appeared first on State of the Tech.

My parents paid how much?!

I personally have heard many stories of people taking their iPhone, iPad, or other smartphone or tablet on trips abroad to come home to find huge wireless bills waiting for them. The latest story I heard was from a friend of my wife’s who spent over $500 on her wireless bill from her last trip to Jamaica! Yes, she is now a proud owner of The Cheapskate’s Guide to Traveling With Your iPhone and will be saving big money on her upcoming trip.

But I’d like to hear from all of you. Simply comment below to share your horror story of a trip where you took your mobile device and got nailed by international roaming charges. Let us know where you traveled, who your wireless carrier was, what type of device you took along, and what your total bill came to be.

The post Have You Been Gouged by Your Wireless Company? appeared first on The Cheapskate's Guide to Traveling With Your iPhone.

If you will be traveling soon and/or would be willing to review my book, please contact me and I can get you an advance copy. Thanks for your support!

The post Book Complete; Looking for Reviewers appeared first on The Cheapskate's Guide to Traveling With Your iPhone.

The post At Least They Text You Before They Gouge You appeared first on The Cheapskate's Guide to Traveling With Your iPhone.

Mimosas are good on vacations too!

Happy Mother’s Day to all the momma bears out there!

The post Happy Mother’s Day! appeared first on The Cheapskate's Guide to Traveling With Your iPhone.

Is Windows Officially Shattered?

According to various news stories published this week, Microsoft will reverse course on their Windows 8 strategy during the next major update to the operating system. User backlash has been so strong against the changes introduced in Windows 8 (as record-low sales figures seem to support) that analysts expect that the codename “Blue” update due by the end of the year may include a return of the “Start Menu” as well as a way for users to completely bypass the “tiled” interface that is the defining characteristic of the Windows 8 interface.

Many are calling this the biggest commercial failure since New Coke. As I have described in my previous articles about Windows 8, Microsoft needed to hit a home run with Windows 8. Unfortunately, it seems they have struck out and Windows 8 now has a nasty stigma associated with it, just like Windows Vista. The difference is that Microsoft had time to recover from their previous debacles. The mobile device market dominated by Apple and Google is moving much too fast for Microsoft. I don’t believe Windows 8 will be able to shake the “New Coke” label in time to seriously compete in The New World of Technology.

As before, this is simply another sign for small business owners, professionals, and technology-concerned individuals to plan their migration away from a Microsoft-dependent environment. The writing is all over the wall here. There’s no use in crying over the new “New Coke”.

The post Move Over New Coke and Make Some Room for Windows 8 appeared first on State of the Tech.

I do NOT recommend you do this!

Just as I’m putting the final touches on my book, The Cheapskate’s Guide to Traveling With Your iPhone, I find an article on Mashable titled Vacationing Americans Prefer Giving Up Booze Over Mobile Devices. As much as some people try to make fun of people taking their technology devices on vacation, including their iPhones, the reality is that we are a connected society. We are social creatures, and our mobile devices enable us to keep in touch with our extended social networks.

People love to share their vacation photos and stories when they get back. Doesn’t it make sense to share these things while on vacation instead of afterwards? It’s simply an evolution of communication in The New World of Technology. Hopefully my book will help people save a lot of money when they travel, because it should be obvious by now that they aren’t leaving their technology at home.

The post THIS is Why I Wrote My Book! appeared first on The Cheapskate's Guide to Traveling With Your iPhone.

The PC Market is Flatlining

This news was so big that it was even being covered by the mainstream media yesterday: for the first quarter of 2013, PC shipments fell by 13.9% according to research firm IDC. This is the largest drop in PC sales since 1994, which is when IDC began tracking this information. Competing company Gartner, which uses a different methodology to track shipments and sales, reported that PC shipments fell by 11.2%, also one of the biggest declines in history.

It’s no secret PC sales have been declining over the last several years. PC industry pundits have been contorting themselves in all sorts of different ways to try to explain why this is, but most are simply avoiding the stark reality: the PC era is over. It’s time to come to grips that we are in The New World of Technology.

The underlying theme to this story is the fact that Windows 8 has done nothing to help PC sales. The real question, given the lackluster response to the operating system, is Windows 8 actually hurting PC sales? As I’ve said before, unless Microsoft hits a home run with Windows 8, the future of the company is seriously in doubt. At this point, it not only seems they’ve struck out, but to continue the baseball analogy, it seems they’ve let the runner get doubled up as well.

What does this mean for you? If it hasn’t been clear to you before now, hopefully news like this makes it glaringly obvious that you must get on board with New World Technologies NOW. The time to wait has long passed. Those who have waited to this point are already at a big disadvantage to those that have already begun benefiting from all that new technology has to offer. Anyone who continues to wait, especially from a business perspective, does so at their own peril. Specifically, if you thought Windows 8 was going to be Microsoft’s resurgence, all evidence points otherwise.

Do not invest further into Microsoft-based technologies without consulting with experts who have experience with both Old World and New World technologies. All too often, those who were experts in Old World technologies have little to no experience with New World technologies in a real-world environment. They show a bias towards Old World implementations because that is all they know and are comfortable with. Make sure you are getting advice from those who have actual experience with both New and Old World technologies and can make unbiased recommendations based on your needs, not their own.

The post The Biggest Decline in PC Shipments in History appeared first on State of the Tech.

The 8 Biggest Trends at CES 2013 – Slideshow from PCMag.comPundits were decrying this year’s CES from the get-go, thanks to Microsoft pulling out of the show for the first time since the mid-1990s.

I wanted to respond to a couple of things the author said.

There’s also a general sense out there that devices really aren’t the story anymore. Hardware manufacturers don’t want to hear that, necessarily, but it’s true that it’s no longer about specs for the majority of consumers. It’s more about what apps you can run and what services you can use—especially now that, as a rule, hardware has become powerful enough to do what people want.

I couldn’t agree more! But I’m surprised it’s taken this long for others to realize.

Hardware design will always be important, and in fact, it’s more important than ever. But the days of shopping for a PC based on how much RAM it comes with or how fast the processor is are pretty much gone, and that’s beginning to hold true for phones and tablets too.

Beginning to hold true for phones and tablets? It’s been true since the first day the iPhone came out! Welcome to The New World of Technology, buddy! Better late by 5 years than never, I guess

The post New World Trends appeared first on State of the Tech.

The post Samsung Playing Wait-and-See with Windows RT appeared first on State of the Tech.