Self Driving Cars To Combat Texting While Driving

With my son learning how to drive, I tend to say ad nauseum to watch out for the other drivers.  And it amazes me to watch how horribly others drive.  Sure, know one wants to start an accident, but I see daily drivers holding their cell phone by their wheel, looking down as they drive.  It makes their driving erratic and as my neighbor learned the hard way, caused an oncoming car to swerve into her lane and hit her.

The law may tell us to not text and drive and to keep our cell phone in our pocket, but the buzz and ring are Pavlovian, resulting in a desire to take them out and look at them.  We are all guilty.  It seems the current law may not be working no matter how many tickets the police may give or how many accidents are the result.

It may just be time to quickly embrace self driving cars.  If we can't control our impulses to text and drive, then we need our cars to be our friend and drive for us.  Uber without a driver.  For every life we save or accident we prevent, the better our self driving car experience will be.  For us and for others on the road.  But until all cars are self driving, put the cellphone away while driving and for your sake if not others, stop texting and driving. 

TiVo Keeps Adding Subscribers

TiVo seems to be doing what other cable boxes cannot.  With a single box to manage all cable and OTT content to the television screen and mobile devices, customers seem to like their approach.  Their latest third quarter results have them gaining over 400,000 customers in the quarter through their cable partnerships and now have almost 6.5 million total customers.  According to Multichannel, its one of their strongest quarters to date.  With the release of their latest set top box Bolt and the start of the holiday season, the fourth quarter could continue to be strong for them.

Of course this is all happening as cord cutters continue to strike at the cable operator.  It seems that offering TiVo to their customers might be a good defensive strategy to keep customers from dropping cable.  Internal pressures might also worry TiVo with current CEO Tom Rogers leaving his post in February 2016.  How that might affect the future strategy of TiVo remains to be seen.  For now, TiVo is on track to exceed 7 million homes by early next year.

Mobile Winning Over Settop Devices

Multichannel just shared a telling study by Arris on consumer video viewing patterns.  Their research "found that 59% of consumers now watch mobile TV, a figure that jumps to 72% of 16-24 year-olds."  And older consumers 65+ are also embracing mobile to watch video.  And while this study sampled 19,000 consumers in 19 countries, it certainly supports the value that mobile viewing is playing in our lives.

Of course it would be helpful to know more about this study including which devices are being used, percentage of mobile verse wired viewing, which video platforms are gaining usage, and more.  And a better definition of mobile which I believe is meant to include WIFI and cellular platforms.  The rise of short form video on Facebook, long form content on Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon, and viewership platforms like Apple TV, Roku, Chromecast, Sling TV, tablets, and smartphones are all an integral part of the trend in viewing away from the settop box.  

It seems clear that with a younger demo embracing mobile over other platforms, consumers will continue to re-evaluate the value of their cable subscription, their investment in more data packages on cellular, the speed of their broadband and WIFI connection, and content aggregators to drive further adoption.  And the trends described at the end of the article strengthens the argument that more devices are being connected for WIFI viewing and more usage is being diverted to streaming media.  The TV Everywhere mentality is arriving. 

Mobility And Personalized Second Screen Favored By Young

A study discussed in today's Multichannel News confirms what my family already knows, that the second screen is preferred over the big TV screen.  And while the study focuses on children ages 2-12, my slightly older children also prefer their handheld devices over the big screen TV set.  Their study finds that 57% of parents find that their children would choose their mobile device over a TV screen.

I can also share that in my household my children seem to choose their iPhone over their iPad to view certain content.  It may be because of convenience, they always carry their smartphone, or perhaps simply laziness.  I'm not quite sure.  But what I do see is that they prefer these devices because of content that appeals to them from sites ranging from Netflix to You Tube.  That they can binge view and watch commercial-free.  That they can watch the same video multiple times and they can watch where ever they decide to sit, from the stairs to the bed to the desk.  It is the ultimate what you want, when you want, where you want, how you want to watch. 

And while I don't personally approve, I see these parents of younger children hand off their smartphone in restaurants, supermarkets, and other establishments as entertainment distractions from other activities.  It becomes the ultimate babysitter.  I am not a fan, especially in a restaurant where I restrict use of these devices.  The dining table is for conversation and social interaction, not for independence and anti-social behavior.  It may distract the 4 year old, but it is not a good habit. 

This preference for the mobile screen over the TV set is what scares cable distributors the most.  If enough desired content can be found away from the cable box, consumers may no longer see the price - value of being a cable subscriber.  Until cable can gain more content exclusivity, more cord cutting is destined to occur as these next generations of consumers no long value the cable box in their home. 

Digital Is About Knowing You Better Than You Know Yourself

For as irrational as a human being can be, the things we buy, the choices we make, the directions we take, are all being gathered in this brave new world through digital technology.  From credit card purchases to web searches, from GPS on our devices to video streaming, our movement, purchases, and other actions are being captured digitally and analyzed.  And with that abundance of information combined with our demographic data, we are being presented with marketing messages and images that may more likely appeal to our interests to watch, engage, consider, and perhaps even purchase.  The aggregate of all this data collected about us may ultimately know more about us than we know ourselves.  Scary, huh!

On the positive note, it means that ads are being customized to more specifically address our needs or appeal to our interests.  Te result, more effective and efficient advertising.  The downside is that we may no longer be anonymous.  We may consciously encourage to be found.  We announce our events, vacations, and other information on Facebook, we share our driving patterns and traffic info with Waze, we use mobile coupons and courtesy cards to get discounts and other savings when we shop.  The rewards are aplenty, but underneath all the positives is that we are trackable, pursued, and analyzed.  Under nefarious circumstances, could we be letting others more easily hack into our lives, steal our financial information, or worse, make it easier to steal our identity. 

Security is never spoken about until after the fact.  A breach of online data at a department store, lost disk drives with credit card information, or worse the theft of social security numbers.  And no matter how much is being done to protect our data, there will always be those seeking to hack into it.  It is the new mobile, digital world that we have entered.  And it will only get more complex. 

Future Of Advertising - Mobile And Social

As we engage more and more with our mobile devices, our smartphones and tablets, they become a much larger focal point for reach and frequency. More Facebook users access their accounts via through mobile rather than a computer. In fact, in Q1 of this year, Facebook's "mobile advertising revenue represented roughly 73% of advertising revenue", as mentioned in Business Insider. And given Facebook innovations, videos now automatically run as you begin to scroll down the timeline, hoping to snare you to watch and turn up the volume.  I know that I am like the majority, accessing these and other social media sites like Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and others on my iPad or iPhone.  And whether it is a display ad, or sponsored content, or other banner or video, this is where the future lies.  We are easily reached, personalized, and presented with relevant and hopefully engaging messages.  

And so other ad platforms may need to worry as usage patterns shift and so to the flow of ad dollars from one bucket to another.  Cord cutting on cable TV is not just an issue for subscription dollars but advertising dollars as well.  As higher percentages of our time are spent on our mobile devices and interacting with others via social platforms, so to will ad spend. 

It is why TV Everywhere is so important  for content providers.  And why many today have apps for authenticated viewing on mobile devices.  It is why the DOJ and the FCC are looking so hard at the Comcast - Time Warner Cable merger and that together they would control a majority of the broadband pipeline in the US.  Monopolistic pricing, controlled or limited access to content, and lack of a competitive threat are key concerns.  

And as I look at the growth of mobile, I am struck with an interesting idea.  For companies like Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, and others delivering content to mobile devices, the thought of complementing these services with social networks for its members to discuss content that they have consumed on their respective apps. Consider a Netflix social app that is easily accessed and used to reach other "fans" of House Of Cards, Orange Is The New Black, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt or other series and where they can discuss in detail.  Such a companion site would also enable these content providers to add an advertising revenue stream into their mix.  It may be a niche social platform at first but may just drive future growth.

For it is the increasing usage of mobile platforms in our daily lives and our desire to interact with others online that is driving new opportunities for advertising.  At the same time, traditional ad platforms, threatened by this new growth, must continue to play in the new space and become ubiquitous across all platforms, print, TV, radio, digital. By being accessible via the mobile platform, advertisers too will gain with better data based on individual preferences, not household ones.  And it is that one-on-one relationship that we have on our mobile devices that is the future of advertising. 

Can Yahoo Beat Google At Search?

There are a few truths, death and taxes are the big two, but another is that no one ever stays at the top of the mountain for ever.  In business, companies that are market leaders only need to make one wrong turn and their dominance is lost.  And those shifts can be self made or caused by external forces like environment, technology, or even societal changes.  So to say that Google, the leader in search can never be beaten, is simply not true.  The question to ask is Yahoo the company that can knock them off the top of the "search" mountain.

Today's Business Insider reports that Yahoo is working on a secret new product, code named Index, that will be used as a smartphone app and deliver a better mobile search experience.    Whether it will work or not remains to be seen.  At the same time, Google continues to dominate in the search world although mobile has opened up other search competitors.  Just recently, I did searches using Yelp to search for nearby businesses as well as restaurants.  It provided me both with choices based on my zip code or area on the map that I chose and it ranked them based on recommendations.  I found this search a more preferred experience than Google to help narrow down my choices and ultimately decide where to purchase and where to eat.  To me, companies like Yelp are already threatening Google's search dominance.

Whether Marissa Meyer, CEO of Yahoo, has the right idea and can translate it into an app that makes a better search experience remains to be seen.  I applaud the fact that Yahoo is trying to build a better mousetrap to overtake Google in the search game.  Given the rate of change in the mobile space, I am sure that there is an opportunity to succeed. 

ESPN Reminds Planners That Cross-Media Advertising Matters

Hopefully most media planners know that the best way to reach a broader audience is to advertise across media platforms.  It also raises awareness, interest, engagement, and hopefully intent to purchase.  Advertising on one platform, especially when consumers interact with so many different types, from print to TV, pc and mobile, billboard to coupons, limits the reach and frequency one hopes to achieve. 

But I guess ESPN wants to remind us of that.  In the Wall Street Journal article in the CMO Today Advertising section, the headline screams, ESPN Urges Advertisers to Hit All Devices.  In it, their research reaffirms "that the key to effective ads is getting in front of viewers across all their devices."  Did this group finally realize that?  That new research was needed to quantify what has been known for years seems silly.  If we get to the gist of what I can only consider as pure PR, ESPN wants its advertisers to spend advertising dollars across all its platforms to assure that it best reaches a male skewed demo.  Yes, integrated marketing clearly works to reinforce brand messaging and well known for decades. That given the rise in new media platforms, like mobile, hasn't seemed to change this fact.  Still, given the start of upfronts, something ESPN found important to reaffirm. 

HBO Not Worrying About Cannibalization

Yesterday, Apple formally announced an exclusive partnership (albeit only 3 months) when HBO Now will be offered strictly on Apple devices.  HBO's new streaming service will be offered to all consumers regardless of whether they are authenticated cable customers or not.  And like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu Plus, HBO Now hopes to capture the consumer desiring content on their digital devices.  But unlike these other streaming services, HBO is risking their current subscriber revenue stream.  Or are they?

The threat of cord cutting, the rise of the millennial audience, and perhaps a lucrative revenue model might just make this new approach by HBO a win-win scenario.  Its corporate owner, Time Warner, no longer owns a cable operator so there is no loss of synergy.  Cable operators are unlikely to drop HBO on their own cable platform as it is the most popular, highest purchased of the premium tier networks.  And the pricing model may just protect HBO regardless whether a customer purchases through a cable operator or through iTunes.  At $14.95 a month for HBO Now, and only a 30% share with Apple (per reports), HBO Now's net could potentially be higher than the net revenue per cable sub per month.  If that is true, cable customers that cut the cord but buy HBO No could give them a net revenue gain.

I don't expect cable customers with HBO to be motivated to cut the cord because of this new streaming service.  They already enjoy HBO on their mobile devices because of HBO GO, its authenticated streaming service.  This added value product has been accessible to cable customers for some time.  Rather, HBO Now is more focused on the 10 million or so non cable, internet customers seeking more online content, specifically exclusive content that HBO offers.  The new season of Game of Thrones is one such example.

How will HBO Now do?  Millennials, whose parents have cable with HBO, are likely using mom and dad's access to get HBO remotely.  But for those that aren't and see incremental value with HBO content may be eager to purchase.  For HBO, the launch of HBO Now seems to be all positive with limited downside risk.  

FIOS Not Seeing Cord Cutting

Verizon released its fourth quarter earnings, and unlike some cable operators, FIOS grew basic subscribers, an increase in additions over the same period last year.  They also cited an increase in internet subscribers, also larger an increase than a year ago.  On the wireless side of the business, the subscriber base grew as well with an increasing number of customers accessing smartphone capabilities for their cell phones.  

According to Multichannel, "Verizon said it added 116,000 FiOS video customers in the fourth quarter, up from 92,000 in the year-ago period, and tacked on 145,000 FiOS Internet subs, up from 126,000.  Verizon ended 2014 with 5.64 million FiOS video subs, good for a penetration rate of 35.8%, and 6.61 million FiOS Internet subs, for penetration of 41%."

Verizon said it added 116,000 FiOS video customers in the fourth quarter, up from 92,000 in the year-ago period, and tacked on 145,000 FiOS Internet subs, up from 126,000.

 

Verizon ended 2014 with 5.64 million FiOS video subs, good for a penetration rate of 35.8%, and 6.61 million FiOS Internet subs, for penetration of 41%.

- See more at: http://www.multichannel.com/news/technology/verizon-fios-drives-sub-growth-q4/387132#sthash.3SUAx27g.dpuf

Of course the demand on both wired and wireless is for faster speeds and more connectivity across devices.  Verizon clearly needs to invest in additional bandwidth as rivals try to undercut them on pricing.  As to the question of cord cutting, Verizon continues to defy the odds, taking new customers as opposed to seeing overall declines in their yearly base.  Pricing and margins may have to decline in order to maintain that subscriber growth.  Still, given how connectivity has become almost a utilitarian demand by households and individuals, Verizon seems poised to remain the leader in the marketplace. 

Apple's Next Big Product?

With all the focus on the release of the Apple Watch, it is clear that Apple wants to continue to innovate and attract consumers.  And while they are not always first in a field, they always seem to put their spin on a product category and build a sizable market base.  The iPod is a great example of a product released after other electronic companies came out with their own mp3 players.  The iPod took market share and eventually the lead because of a design that intuitively worked easier than anything else on the market. 

And so with all the focus on the Apple Watch release, Apple received a patent on a Go Pro-like, "remote digital camera system that can be controlled from a smartwatch", according to Techcrunch.  How soon this product is released remains to be seen.  Still it shows that Apple continues to look forward to new opportunities and in the case of the Apple Watch, seeks to make that product as unique as possible. 

What could Apple name this new wireless remote camera?  While Apple never put the i officially into its Apple Watch, it could make a comeback with the iCam.  Or they will simply call it the Apple Camera.  Suggestions are welcome.  How about iShutter, ActionCam, AppCam, or MovieCam.  And as for GoPro, it seems more competition may be coming. 

How High Def Should A Television Be

When Hi Definition TV screens came on the market, it was a quantum leap in television viewing for consumer.  No longer were we confined by a 4:3 panel, now with a wider screen and more pixels, pictures were sharper then ever.  We faced a choice between a plasma screen and LCD and as competition increased, prices dropped.  HD TV was a revolution in the TV experience.

But since then, improvements in the TV screen have been less than enchanting.  With the push toward 3D, we pushed back, not willing to invest in 3D goggles to put over our faces.  And at this year's CES, the push is on for the next evolution of high def, ultra hi def or 4K.  But can a picture get any sharper? 

It took a number of years for content creators to upgrade their programs to HD and most decided to not even bother with 3D.  So will content companies invest again to upgrade to an ultra HD output in order for these new TV sets to be worth their price?  Certainly the early adopters will pay more for a big screen ultra HD TV set, but the average consumer will not.  Even as Ultra HD prices drop, current HD sets will likely drop even more.  And today's millennials are consuming more content through smaller mobile tablets and smartphones anyway.  For me, I don't have the same desire to own an Ultra HD or 4K set like I did when HD TV were first introduced.  Eventually content will be created for 4K, but I suspect that adoption and sales of 4K sets will take a much longer time to occur. 

Avoiding TV Ad Interruptions

As the holidays approach, gifts may include new Apple TV, TiVo, or Roku boxes, a Slingbox or Hopper or two, a subscription to Netflix or other services designed to help us avoid ad interruptions.  These products are popular, not just because they let us watch TV shows and movies, but because they let us skip through or avoid television ad messages.  And the more comfortable we get using these outlets, the more we seek them for our viewing pleasure. 

For content obtained off our TV, it is just as easy to record first and watch later with our finger pressed on the fast forward button every time an ad appears.  For cord cutters and those watching through OTT platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime, shows can be viewed without ever an ad in sight.  We pause when we want to and not because an ad is present.  And so as TV ratings decline and we watch our shows on our DVR or mobile device, we can enjoy all our shows without those dreaded commercial break.

For advertisers, the challenge becomes watching ad rates go up for spots on linear TV viewing while viewership declines.  The economics seem off.  Consumers have grown tired of these ad interruptions with the only exception being big event programming like the Super Bowl where the ads become more interesting and note worthy.  For almost all other times, they are an intrusion. 

This trend toward ad skipping and ad avoidance with subscription programming will only continue to grow.  The current model seems broken and it may now be time to revisit the TV ad model.  Branded entertainment, product placement, show sponsorship may now become the ideal means to assure that advertised brands get noticed regardless of where or how the content is being consumed.  You can't avoid ads baked into the content of the show.  Till then, ad avoidance seems like to continue to grow.

NBC Playing Nice With Corporate Parent

While CBS seeks to drive additional revenue through a subscription digital network service, NBC Broadcasting has chosen a different route.  Perhaps it is due to NBC being owned by a cable operator, but it also aligns both the programmer and distributor to the same synergistic goals, driving total revenue by backing an authenticated TV Everywhere platform. 

According to today's Wall Street Journal, "NBC is launching a live stream of its broadcast network, part of a broader effort at parent NBCUniversal to make more of its content available online via computers and mobile devices."  Not too many details in the article, notably if the signal will correlate to the subscribers home geography and its affiliates signal, or simply a national feed of the network.  And likely, there will be shows blacked out, including Sunday Night Football and other possible exclusions.  Other questions are whether it is just a live linear feed or if there will also be an on demand component.

Still, despite limited details, the approach by NBC clearly takes into account its parent company, Comcast Cable.  Requiring access to authenticated cable subscribers means added value to cable and an attempt to stop or slow down the rate of cord cutting.  Rather than be a revenue creator like the CBS or even HBO GO models, NBC is supporting the broader cable revenue model with hopefully greater total returns.

As to the marketing of the new authenticated service, NBC doesn't seem to like the TV Everywhere tag.  I agree.  It is reminiscent of the challenges that have plagued cable with the on demand tag being used in so many places it lost any traction with the cable brand.  But I'm not sold on “Watch TV Without the TV" either.  In a world of initials, perhaps branding it as "TVE" might be an interesting way to brand the digital feed of all its networks.  Brainstorming other phrases like Digital Broadcast (Cable) Everywhere.  Still, slowly but surely, TV Everywhere will one day become commonplace. 

Apps Changing Internet Usage

Today's Wall Street Journal reminds us that when we enter a particular app on our mobile device, we are essentially entering into a walled garden of specific information, disconnected from the open world wide web.  According to the article, we have changed how we surf, spending more time with apps than with an internet browser.  "On phones, 86% of our time is spent in apps, and just 14% is spent on the Web, according to mobile-analytics company Flurry." 

And we have seemed to fall in love with our apps to find and share information fast.  The article worries that once we are inside a particular app or walled garden, we are then subject to its rules and whims, limited by what the particular app wants to allow us to see or do.  Most interesting to note, "The Web is built of links, but apps don’t have a functional equivalent."  We stay inside the garden unless we choose to venture again outside to seek additional information.  And unless we look outside the gates, we may not be exposed to new information. 

The article certainly doesn't see apps as bad, but as perhaps the next development of a changing platform.  The challenge is to find a way for openness to emerge.  The author's conclusion seems a sound one.  "It is that in the transition to a world in which services are delivered through apps, rather than the Web, we are graduating to a system that makes innovation, serendipity and experimentation that much harder for those who build things that rely on the Internet. And today, that is pretty much everyone."  If that is the case, I'm sure brighter minds are working on new types of app search. 

Could Cellphone Beacons Ruin Our Lives

As humans, we follow Pavlovian tendencies.  And with our mobile phones, it seems that every buzz or ring causes us to quickly stop what we do to look at our phones.  In some cases we even look at our phones when it is someone else's phone that is ringing.  But the worse problem is when we look down at our phone and end up tripping or running into something.  Embarrassing when we are walking, deadly when we are driving.

So the NY Times article on beacons may at first seem promising, it poses problems too.  "Beacons, tiny low-powered radio transmitters that send signals to phones just feet away, have quickly become a new front in the advertising industry’s chase to find you whenever, and exactly wherever, you are."  In a store, they can alert you to coupons and specials, notify you to new information, offer rewards, and other one-on-one engagements.  But they also cause us to look down at our phones and not around us in the space we are occupying.  We may think we can be good multi-taskers, but we end up not seeing what may be right in front of us. 

In some cases, beacons can create some unique opportunities; but, overused can become a big problem.  Used properly, "They could enrich museum experiences, deliver the right recipe in the grocery store aisle, take us on interactive tours of cities and towns, let us quickly and easily check in to hotels or even pay at the gas pump."  Misused and we will walk into other people, crash into a  cart, trip and fall, or simply be so busy looking down that we fail to see the world we are living in.  Unfortunately, I doubt that restraint will be used and we will need to become even more careful as we navigate around so many people looking down at their cell phones.

Does Wireless Need Net Neutrality?

Net neutrality has been a hot topic.  While the FCC attempts to revise its rules, many are still unclear what it all means.  In essence, net neutrality for the internet means that all web sites would have equal access to consumers accessing them, whether the data is light use email or heavy use video streaming.  Netflix, leading the way with heavy usage, has made deals with cable companies to assure that it gets premiere broadband access.  And while they can afford it, many argue that lack of net neutrality favors big business at the expense of start up web companies.

But as net neutrality rules are being reworked, you would be surprise to hear that these rules have been strictly toward wired broadband connections.  The mobile space has been mainly unregulated in the broadband space.  According to the NY Times, that exemption is being reviewed.  "On Tuesday, the Federal Communications Commission will hold a round-table discussion to examine whether proposed net neutrality rules should cover mobile broadband."  With so many consumers accessing the web through their cellular connections verse a WIFI one, it is hard to believe that the two platforms were being treated differently. 

Technological change as wireless carriers have upgraded their systems has led to such a move. And again, according to the NY Times, "Now, with advanced LTE networks complete, a growing portion of consumers use mobile as their primary method of connecting to the Internet, meaning a wireless exemption would leave those consumers without net neutrality protection."  And as younger consumers cut the cord on cable connections, their cellular subscription becomes their primary communication, information, and entertainment portal."  If my children didn't have access to WIFI inside the house, they would definitely be using their cellular connection.  In fact, I sometimes check that their smartphones are still connected to the WIFI so that our cell bill doesn't get impacted.

Does wireless need net neutrality?  All broadband, whether wireless or wired, should be treated similarly.  While I oppose to much government regulation and prefer an open economy to manage supply and demand, broadband has become as essential a basic right as shelter, food, and the right to education.  I would prefer that the FCC spend more time lowering the barrier to entry to enable more companies to compete in the broadband space.  The rise of competition is the best means to assure consumers right to choose a source for their broadband connection. 

We Still Need Better Broadband

FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler agrees that we need better broadband capacity and competition in the US.  And while he was speaking about better wired broadband, the same announcement should apply to wire and wireless.  The c/net article cited thinks such remarks hurt the proposed merger of Comcast and Time Warner Cable, but the truth is that no such competition currently exists between these two media giants.  They each deliver broadband to different community franchises.  So it is a mute point.

But the bottom line is that broadband speed is lacking in this country, especially as more devices are enabled on the platform.  Coaxial wired broadband is limited both in capacity and in usage.  The more users on a ring, the slower the performance.  Heck the more users of broadband devices in a house, the slower the speed.  My own house is a perfect example.  A tablet running a video will slow down internet access on the pc. 

But we have known that our broadband speeds are lacking for quite a while.  In March, the website ThisWeek shared that "According to a recent study by Ookla Speedtest, the U.S. ranks a shocking 31st in the world in terms of average download speeds. The leaders in the world are Hong Kong at 72.49 Mbps and Singapore on 58.84 Mbps. And America? Averaging speeds of 20.77 Mbps, it falls behind countries like Estonia, Hungary, Slovakia, and Uruguay."  Yes, America's download speeds are worse than many Eastern European countries.  What took Tom Wheeler so long to address it and what is he doing about it?

Preventing a Time Warner Cable - Comcast merger is not the solution to the problem.  In fact, consolidation creates some economies of scale that could perhaps improve broadband speed to some communities.  Our reliance on broadband is bigger than that.  To many, broadband access and speed is more important than bread and gasoline.  We could be standing in line waiting for our access and share of broadband.  Even days for broadband, odd days for gas.  

More needs to be done to improve broadband speed and performance in the US.  The infrastructure is collapsing under its own weight as more and more people stream content across their many devices.  The demand is certainly there, its time for the supply to catch up. 

A New Revenue Idea For The NFL

As an out of market fan, I am not always so fortunate to get to see my team on television.  Yes DirecTv has all the games, but I am a cable customer who still gets triple play service from my provider.  I live in the NY metro area so I certainly get all the NY Giants and NY Jets games, but I am a Philadelphia Eagles fan who, if lucky, might get four or five games aired locally.  Unfortunately, this Sunday's game against Jacksonville is not one of them.

Yes, I could go to my local bar and shell out some bucks for a few beers and wings although my waistline might not approve.  But I would also be willing to buy the game from my local cable provider on a PPV basis.  And I wonder, how many other NFL fans might also be willing to pay, say 10 or 15 dollars to get their game as well.  Given the mobility of this country, I would not be surprised to know that there are quite a few out-of-market fans who would pay for the same content. 

As for this weekend, I might just have to suck it in and head out for a few hours to the local pub to enjoy the season opener.  Heck, there are worse things to worry about.  But maybe next season, things will be different. 

Is Our Cloud Information Ever Truly Secure?

If there was one thing our parents always told us, it was that what you tell someone is no longer a secret the moment you share it.  Another truth seems to be that no matter how secure you try to make something, whether it is your nude photos all the way up to your home security, there are people trying to break in and steal it.  Locks thwart some who look for open doors while more sophisticated security systems try to stop those more daring in their attempt to smash and grab.  And despite all that has happened in domestic terrorism, we still have people circumventing security to jump off One World Trade Center or replace flags with white surrender flags on the Brooklyn Bridge.  We are never completely safe from those that want to break in.

And just as celebrities are upset that their nude photos were stolen and shared, The Home Depot became the latest business to have its credit card information hacked.  And as surely as I write this, another security breach will occur.  So who is at fault?  Apple's iCloud platform, Target and The Home Depot's credit card data breach are also victims.  If there is a will, there is a way, and in the digital world, stealing can happen without even leaving the comfort of your chair.  As long as someone wants to hack, they will; it is not a question of if, only when. Who are at fault; those that want to steal what is not theirs are the ones we should blame

Is there a solution? As security systems get more sophisticated, so do those trying to hack them.  It is a game, a puzzle, where the prize is to solve them.  But the repercussions are untenable.  Security fraud, identity theft, information and financial loss seem more at risk the more our information is shared on cloud based platforms.  And we must balance that risk with the value the cloud also offers in accessibility, transaction ease, social networking, and more. It is a tightrope of security breach and mobility that we continue to face in our society.