Sure enough, Netflix just announced it is going to raise rates for new customers, and while existing customers won’t see their rates change for now, as Netflix strikes the same bargains with other service providers it’s bound to happen that all our rates will go up.
FCC: Throwing in the Towel
And guess what, now that the Appeals Court ruled the FCC doesn’t have the authority to enforce Network Neutrality, the FCC has simply decided aw what the heck. Let’s just say we can have multi-tiered service after all.
I think the writing is on the wall. Cable providers are going to continue lose subscribers because of their high cost and bundled packages. People are going to use Netflix, Amazon Prime (which just signed a deal with HBO to stream older content), and Hulu through a Roku or Apple TV device, paying small fees to multiple services in lieu of high fees to a single source.
At least that’s where I’m headed. But then I fear the cable companies will start jacking up Internet service rates. So, we people at the bottom of the food chain will get bit in the ass one way or another.
Last week I took a class in mushroom identification. We hiked the Skunk Cabbage Trail in Redwood National Park. I shot a little bit of video with my new Canon HF 100. After I finally figured out how to import clips in to IMovie ’08, I put together this little video. My wife is the videographer. But since she’s pretty much dropped that profession, I’m trying to learn a few things. So, this is my first video all on my own.
In this market of dropping property values and a slow market for sellers it’s difficult to find your way in the real estate market. It seems realtors should be reaching out to people in innovative way and not with just reassuring words of what a good time it is to buy. Is it really such a good time if values will continue to drop?
John Ford is realtor who seems to be everywhere these days. I see him leading things at the Eureka Chamber mixers. He’s got a show on the new classic rock radio station at 95.5 FM. And he also runs a video program every Wednesday at 2 PM where he discusses local real estate issues and interviews other people involved in the market. He produces the show with Joe Filgas of Fidelity.
This is a nice thing to see. But it’s a crude production. Not just the show itself, which is OK, but the web site is terrible. There is no archive, although you can watch the most recent show by following several steps described on the site. If you sit through that most recent show, the next most recent show begins to play. But there’s no way to see a list of past shows with subjects, guests, etc. And there really should be an RSS feed. These things are not difficult to set up and would make the effort much more valuable. How many of us can actually tune in at Wednesday, 2 PM? One of the main advantages of IPTV is the ability to watch programming on your own schedule, not the programmer’s.
I’d like to see more efforts like this by other local experts in specific fields. A financial planner would be great…
