- Prepare to wave goodbye to age of unlimited Web use, everyone. The potential institution of net neutrality policies that prevent Internet service providers from managing network traffic based on content may end unlimited usage, leaving ISPs without the ability to intelligently manage their networks. With that ability stripped from them, ISPs are increasingly using data caps, often as low as 5 GB per month, to preserve bandwidth. This became a major issue last year when Comcast restricted Internet traffic related to BitTorrent, the file-sharing protocol, and the FCC was none to pleased about it. Facing the implementation of net neutrality regulations, Comcast and other ISPs agreed to drop BitTorrent traffic-management programs and generally treat all Web traffic as equal. That may have seemed like a nice resolution, but in the aftermath of the showdown, AT&T, Comcast and Time Warner all rolled out monthly data caps. Basically, without neutrality, ISPs are allowed to manage network traffic by restricting content. There are several ways to accomplish this: intelligently and fairly, slowing streaming video, disrupting P2P services and even blocking rival Web sites. While these practices would obviously frustrate users, you can bet that the ISPs don’t give a rat’s ass because data caps allow them to conserve their limited bandwidth without relying on network-management techniques that violate net neutrality. The fight has now been extended to mobile broadband providers, with the FCC looking to apply the net neutrality policies to them. FCC Chairman Julian Genachowski is a strong supporter of net neutrality and believes it should also apply to mobile providers, but the issue is even more dicey when it comes to the world of wireless. Wireless providers have significantly less bandwith to offer and net neutrality could mean sluggish speeds and far more restrictive data caps. Whereas broadband providers could at least put up with he net neutrality restrictions, many wireless providers could have major issue complying with the rules. With many smartphone customers having unlimited data plans, providers basically have to hope that a large number of customers don’t all decide to make use of their data plan at the same time. The new rules could prevent them from managing the sudden demand for content and as a result, the network would suffer. In the end, unlimited data plans for wireless users could be headed the way of the eight-track player and Lindsay Lohan’s acting career…..dead and gone…….
- A weekday morning putt-putt golf mixer isn't a good way to start your day, but that was how the ladies of Zeta Beta Zeta kicked off this week’s episode of Greek. Now that they have slipped to fourth in the campus sorority rankings, the golf mixer with the Lambda Sigs was the best they could do. Many of the pledges and sisters threaten to deactivate or depledge unless ZBZ president Ashleigh turns the sorority around soon. She elects to go with a lie, saying that there is a planned mixer with Omega Chi Saturday night. Now she and BFF Casey have to find a way to make the mixer happen to back up their lie. A hat-in-hand visit to Omega Chi president Evan Chambers follows and Evan actually agrees to the mixer. The happy ZBZs are expecting the official, in-person invite later that night, but the plan veers off course when Evan presents the idea to his Omega Chi brothers. They aren’t down with the idea, especially not when it comes after Evan’s confession that he has given up his trust fund and is now broke. Evan and Calvin have been discussing coming clean with their brothers about their respective secrets (Calvin about he and Omega Chi’s brother Grant being gay and a couple) and when Evan’s Audi sports car is repossessed right in front of the house, Evan’s hand is forced. At the meeting, he is ridiculed by his brothers for his newfound poverty and challenged about why the OC’s are mixing with the fourth-best sorority on campus, ZBZ. A vote is held and the mixer is rejected. Evan makes the walk of shame to the ZBZ house and is forced to spill the truth to Ashleigh and Casey. This is also when Casey learsn about Evan giving up his trust fund and she clearly respects him for it. Still, there’s the issue of the mixer. Evan mentions that his brothers voted it down because ZBZ is no Gamma Psi, the new top sorority on campus. Ashleigh is inspired to invite the Gamma Psi’s, OC’s and another fraternity for a “four-pack” mixer. The offer is shot down by the Gamma Psi’s, who deliver their message with a note left on the doorstep, attached to a box of frown-faced cupcakes. Undeterred, Ashleigh and Casey go to the Gamma Psi house to plead their case in person. A meeting with the Gamma Psi president Megan doesn’t go well and she makes it clear that her sisters won’t go to a mixer unless there is something in it for them. Desperate and backed into a corner, Ashleigh offers to pay the Gamma Psi’s electric bill for the rest of the year if they come to the mixer. That seals the deal and come Saturday night, the four-pack is up and running as a first-class affair, with live music, a photographer, a caricature artist and an open bar. The harmony lasts until 10:30, when the Gamma Psi’s declare that they have made good on their promise to attend and that they didn’t promise how long they would stay. On her way out, Megan purposely blurts out the deal Ashleigh made with her so that everyone can hear and the ZBZ’s will be completely embarrassed. After the party comes to a crashing halt, Ashleigh and Casey are forced to come clean with their sisters. Seeing her friend’s presidency on the ropes, Casey falls on the sword and takes total blame for the deal with Gamma Psi. Ashleigh escapes blame, but the debate on the future of the sorority goes on until 4 a.m. The next morning, Ashleigh asks Casey for advice on what to do next and Casey theorizes that the only reason Gamma Psi would go out of the way to embarrass ZBZ is if they still view them as a threat. Casey suggests they “play the game,” which Ashleigh agrees to and off they go to plan their next move. Planning moves is not what Cappie has in mind as he continues his no-strings-attached relationship with new lady friend Lana. He is content to just hang out and sleep with her and wants nothing more. That plan takes a wrong turn when Rusty, having bounced back from the definitive demise of his relationship with now-in-New-York ex-girlfriend Jordan, pops in at the Kappa Tau house looking to hang out with his big bro and cut loose. Lana has other ideas, having shed her clothes and found a spot waiting for Cappie in his room. The embarrassing encounter happens when Rusty opens Cappie’s door unaware, but everyone gets past their embarrassment when Cappie gets back to the house. He and Lana decide to go grab lunch and Lana decides to invite Rusty along. Off to Dobler’s they go with Lana vowing to “enjoy corrupting” sweet, innocent Rusty. A round of Irish car bombs expedite the process and although Rusty manages to chug only a few ounces of his, that’s enough to earn him a new nickname from Lana in place of his previous one, Spitter: Rowdy Rusty. Lana suggests a dine-and-dash to Rowdy Rusty and before Cappie can object, they are out the door without paying. He runs back inside and leaves money on the table without telling Lana and Rusty. The next day, Cappie, Lana and Rusty are watching Animal Planet, hanging out at the KT house and blowing off their respective responsibilities when Rusty inadvertently suggests that Lana is perfect for Cappie because she’s the female version of him and wont hassle him for being who he is. That seems to rattle Cappie, who later realizes he doesn’t want to date someone just like him. He breaks his next date with Lana to hang out and attend his mini-book club with Rusty’s roommate Dale and continues to blow her off to the point that she decides she’s done with him, which is just what Cappie wants. Rusty refuses to accept this and goes to see Lana, talking her into giving Cappie another shot. They find him at the Gentleman’s Choice strip club where Cappie and Dale are watching the strippers (well, Dale is trying to tell them about religion). When it becomes clear to Lana that Cappie doesn’t actually want a second chance, she’s pissed. Rusty tries to stop her from walking out and one of the club’s bouncers, Viper, sees the scene and thinks Rusty is hassling one of the strippers. Rusty make an ill-advised decision to muscle up and confront Viper, which goes well until he slips on a wet spot on the floor and falls down. Back at the KT house, Rusty assures Cappie that if he can stand up to a bouncer, then Cappie can be up front with Lana and tell her that he doesn’t want to see her anymore. Lana isn't surprised, saying Cappie is just like every other guy his age. Later that day, Cappie is hanging with Rusty and Dale, pounding shots of fizzy apple cider, when he admits to being at the strip club because he has a girl on his mind. But if it’s not Lana…..Rusty realizes it has to be Casey. Cappie ducks the subject for now, but next week that story will be at the heart of the episode, as will Evan’s rediscovered friendship/bond with Casey, which also took a step forward this episode. Who will Casey want to be with? You’ll have to tune in next week to find out…………
- Public places and Pittsburgh Steelers kicker Jeff Reed do not seem to be a good match of late. That’s a decidedly big problem for a public figure and professional athlete, so there might be reason for the Steelers to be concerned. For the second time in less than a year, Reed found himself clad in the silver bracelets after the cops had to be called in to calm down his unruly ass. He was arrested and cited by city police for public intoxication and disorderly conduct outside a bar a couple of blocks from where his team beat the Cleveland Browns a few hours earlier on Sunday. Defeating the inept Browns must be a lot bigger deal for Reed than it is for every other NFL player, because he was clearly partying hard at McFadden's Bar about 9 p.m. Sunday and was involved in some sort of incident outside the bar shortly thereafter. Maybe a Browns fan or two was still hanging around, saw Reed and things went sideways, I don’t know. What I do know is that less than six hours after kicking two field goals and three extra points in a 27-14 victory, Reed was getting a ride downtown in the back of a squad car when he should have been enjoying the evening with teammates and friend. Based on the time frame here, including how long it takes players to shower, clean up and leave the stadium after a game, it would seem that Reed was either drunk during the game (unlikely) or he went from zero to hammered in the space of about four hours, because he couldn’t have left the stadium before 5 p.m. and shortly after 9 p.m., he was in custody. You may also recall that back in February, he had a contentious encounter with a paper towel dispenser in a convenience store bathroom in New Alexandria, Pa. In that incident, the paper towel dispenser had the audacity to be empty when Reed went to use it and he took his frustrations out on the inanimate object. That earned him a conviction on charges of disorderly conduct and criminal mischief for damaging, which Reed settled by paying $543 in fines and restitution. No word on whether a disagreeable paper towel dispenser was involved in Sunday’s incident, but either way I would advise Reed to deal with his anger issues and steer clear of crowded public places and public restrooms for a while……….
- I have good news and bad news for fans of the NBC cop drama Southland. The bad news is that the Peacock has canceled your favorite show after just one season. NBC is not doing well in the ratings right now and the network canceled the show even before its second season premiere, saying its content was too dark and gritty for broadcast television. That’s the bad news, but the good news could make up for all of that. The show's executive producer, John Wells, called Southland's actors last week to tell them he's in talks to find the show a new home and that two networks are interested in picking up the show. Wells hasn’t elaborated on which two networks he’s been in touch with, but those in the know say that TNT has been interested in acquiring the series and is the most likely contender. However, I will temper this burst of good news with a bit of a downer. Even if Wells is able to find a new home for his show, filming is unlikely to resume any time soon. Southland’s new network would most likely run the first season's seven episodes and six produced for Season 2 to create a 13-episode freshman season. Still, as a fan of far too many good shows that have been prematurely canceled by networks, the possibility of Southland being kept alive for the time being is a decidedly better option than the alternative and the show’s fans didn’t even have to wage an all-out guerrilla campaign of support to keep it alive……….
- Recession or no recession, Steve Jobs and Apple are on the rise. The company’s profits jumped 47 percent on thanks to increased iPhone and Mac computer sales in the latest quarter, capping an incredibly profitable year for a company whose rivals are struggling mightily. Unit sales of iPhones rose 7 percent Mac computer shipments rose 17 percent in the quarter ending in late September. Overall profit increased to a record $1.67 billion, or $1.82 a share, from $1.14B or $1.26 a share. Combined with a solid first two financial quarters of 2009 boosted Apple’s annual profit up 18 percent to $5.7B. Analysts see no reason for the momentum to slow, as Apple will soon launch the iPhone in China and bringing additional wireless carriers into the fold for its smartphone in countries around the world. Additionally, the tech giant plans to announce new versions of its desktop and laptop computers in the next few weeks to seize more market share as consumers remain uncertain about upgrading to Microsoft's new Windows 7 operating system. "We've got a very strong line-up for the holiday season and some really great new products in the pipeline for 2010," said Jobs, Apple’s chief executive. No details were given on what changes would be made, but for both the all-in-one desktop iMacs that combine displays and drives and the MacBook notebooks, it would be the first significant makeover in more than two years. Expect changes to the casing for laptops and desktops that are both thinner and faster. To clear the way for the new models, Apple is beginning to offer discounts to cut the number of existing models in the sales channel. As always, the chief selling point is the fact that Mac’s are simpler and more reliable than PC’s, which require reinstallation of all programs for anyone wishing to upgrade from Windows XP to Windows 7, which will inevitably crash, have a ton of bugs and be difficult to use. Advertising for Windows 7 is set to coincide with the operating system’s launch on Thursday. It is funny to think of all the time, effort and money Microsoft is pouring into this launch while all the while, we know what a disaster it’s likely to be. Good times…………
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