Verizon - Let the throttling begin!

The days of truly unlimited LTE data on Verizon Wireless are coming to a close. Today, the largest US carrier announced that it will begin applying its "network optimization" practices, which previously only affected the 3G network, to unlimited 4G LTE customers starting October 1st. Beginning on that date, the carrier will slow you down if you're "connected to cell sites experiencing heavy demand." But Verizon's policy is far from straightforward, and it's in no way universal. To risk slower speeds, you must also meet all of the following criteria:

• You're using a 4G LTE smartphone on an unlimited data plan.
• Your current data usage falls within the top 5 percent of all Verizon users. This ceiling will almost certainly fluctuate in the future. As of March, hitting 4.7GB in a single month was enough to put you over it.
• You're a month-to-month customer. Most people probably fall into this category, but if you've recently managed to renew your contract, you don't need to worry about throttling. This is one situation where being under contract is a good thing. Of course, extending an unlimited plan isn't supposed to be technically possible anymore. But where there's a will there's a way, and users have occasionally discovered loopholes that allow the plans to be renewed for another two years.

If you can check off all those boxes, you'll be subject to throttling and may experience video / music buffering, slower web browsing, and other interruptions that come along with reduced speeds. And it won't be for just one month: you'll potentially have to deal with throttling the following month, too. Again, this policy only applies in areas where the network is seeing heavy demand. You might be throttled in one town and experience regular, fast speeds in the next. See? We told you it wasn't straightforward.

And Verizon is pushing that point. Still, it's not like you have any control over what cell tower your phone is connecting to, so let's put it this way: if you're in midtown Manhattan or any other major city, expect throttling to be a very real possibility. Less so if you live out in the sticks somewhere. "The vast majority of data customers will not see any impact from Verizon Wireless’ Network Optimization policy, and will be able to browse the Internet, stream music and videos, upload pictures and send emails as they always have, " the carrier said today.

So Verizon seems confident that a majority of users won't notice problems. But if you're one of those crazy people using an unlimited Verizon data plan as a substitute for cable internet — yes those people exist, and Comcast loves them — it may be time to start researching alternatives. Anyone still holding onto unlimited data at this point is doing so for a reason. Starting in October, you'll need to again weigh whether it's worth the cost.

Quick Tip: If you are overheating, check your battery

Case of the week.  If you are experiencing overheating problems, check the battery.  A dying or dead battery can cause overheating.  If you cannot afford or have access to a new battery, take the current one out.  Yes, the laptop still works with no battery present.  Good luck!

My first compromised XP computer

Picked up an XP dinosaur tonight from a customer who currently does not want to upgrade and insists on using XP.  I am discovering why you really should ditch XP.  Currently not connecting to the internet.  Solved that, now doing my typical scan of the system and the amount of issues present is astonishing.  At this point, it is definitely a result of not upgrading.  I fixed this system 2 weeks ago and right now it is almost crippled with issues.   Tell your stubborn friends, please upgrade.  If not for yourself, for your local tech guy!

Somebody is actually trying to scam me...This is so cool

Years ago I taught a basic education class at the Salvation Army.  It consisted on educating seniors on how to use computers and how to stay safe from those who would like to separate you from your money.   Almost ten years later, my own advice is coming home.  It's a short story. 

Fraudster contacts me via email inquiring about using my services to service 6 laptops.

Fraudster requests a quote.  I send one back assuming the business proposal is legit (it is at this point).

Fraudster requests my address so that payment can be sent.

I get an email about a week later inquiring if I was still interested in doing the work (Not really, I'm really busy, but who can turn down legitimate work).  Fraudster requests that I confirm so that payment can be mailed to me. 

About a couple of hours later, I get a USPS registered letter with check for an amount grossly over the agreed upon price. (At this point, it is obvious to me what is going on, although suspicion was alerted days previous).

Email comes in with the scam.   Cash check, deduct my fee, send remaining funds via Western Union's Money in Minutes service.  Check is "Cashier's Check from a bank in Texas, Fraudster wants funds sent to a woman in New York.

This whole experience has been a hoot.  Still have the check, keeping it as a momento.  Stringing the fraudster along as long as I can.  I requested contact information in case something goes wrong.  Was told to just follow the instructions and everything will be fine.  Any ideas on how to string this along further.  I am fascinated by this, it's like my long time wish to see a ghost (hasnt happened yet) and finally seeing it.  I've never been "scammed", now I get to have fun with the attempt!  Oh, do not worry, at no point had I ever really considered this a real business deal, just want to play it out as long as I can.........Your move Jasmine Hines (the fraudsters name)

Seems like Windows 8 is slowly becoming Vista Part 2

As talk of the next Windows begins to build and some details of what most are calling for now either Windows 9 or Threshold come into focus, it's worthwhile to take a moment to remember Windows 8.

Because Microsoft will want everyone to forget it. And we will.

Unless the Redmond, Wash. technology company radically changes its habits, it will throw Windows 8 down a memory hole even before the successor ships. Just like it made Vista persona non grata in its official messaging in 2009, it will shove Windows 8 so far into the background that we'll need the Hubble telescope to find it.

Not that that's unusual. All companies fake amnesia to a stunning degree, even when what they want to forget -- more importantly, what they want customers to forget -- was once trumpeted with Joshua's band. Ford tossed the Edsel into the don't-mention file, Coca-Cola did the same with New Coke, Apple erased the Performa and Ping from its corporate memory, and IBM would be hard pressed to admit it ever knew the PCjr or OS/2.

It's always about next year's shiny object, not last year's.  For more, Click here for the Computerworld article

Seems like paying Verizon for faster speed isn't working out for Netflix

Netflix will stop sending messages to its subscribers blaming internet providers for poor streaming speeds — though it may start sending them again in the future. In a blog post accompanying its monthly speed reports, released today, Netflix says that it will be ending the "small-scale test" of these messages, one of which gained wide attention last week for claiming that Verizon's network was congested. Verizon issued a cease and desist against the messages on Thursday, claiming that Netflix could not prove that its network was at fault. While Netflix won't be ending them immediately, it says that the tests will stop on June 16th, at which point the company will consider whether or not it should roll them out on a wider scale later on.

"Netflix does not purposely select congested routes."But the monthly report also reveals one other point of interest: Netflix subscribers on Verizon haven't immediately seen the benefits of a controversial deal between the two companies that was meant to improve streaming speeds. That's in stark contrast to Comcast's customers, who saw big improvements just a month after it inked a similar deal in February, allowing Netflix to send traffic to it directly. In Netflix's monthly streaming-speed report, it says that both Verizon FiOS and DSL have dipped in its overall rankings, with FiOS' speed actually falling from an average of 1.99Mbps in April to 1.9Mbps in May. After its deal, Comcast's speeds rose sharply from 1.68Mbps to 2.5Mbps the following month.

Though the terms of Netflix' deal with Verizon are not public, it should ultimately give Netflix's traffic a direct connection to Verizon, theoretically improving streaming performance a good deal. It's likely then that those connections are yet to be fully established and that an improvement in speeds will still be seen in the near future. Comcast's customers also saw a slight dip in May, so it's possible that there are other factors at play for the decreased performance this month. Verizon declined to comment on Netflix's report, but previously told The Wall Street Journal that putting the new deal into place would take months.

Netflix is also using May's results as another opportunity to take a shot at Verizon, following its very public battle over the warning messages last week. "Some broadband providers argue that our actions, and not theirs, are causing a degraded Netflix experience," a spokesperson writes. "Netflix does not purposely select congested routes," its spokesperson writes. "We pay some of the world’s largest transit networks to deliver Netflix video right to the front door of an ISP. Where the problem occurs is at that door — the interconnection point — when the broadband provider hasn’t provided enough capacity to accommodate the traffic their customer requested."

That capacity issue is exactly what Netflix's deals with Verizon and Comcast are meant to remedy. Traditionally though, companies like Netflix haven't had to pay to make connections like this to internet providers. Netflix has been quite vocal about its opposition to making these payments, which it's effectively been forced to do in order to maintain good quality for its own subscribers.