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Posts with tag time warner

Filed under: Internet, Social Software

Time Warner's use-based pricing model to fuel the net neutrality issue

The TubesNet Neutrality is a subject that has impassioned internet enthusiasts and techies alike. However trying to get the broader public to take notice of the issue has been challenging. A few net neutrality bills have been brought up, but quickly fizzled out in Congress. Perhaps the fine Senators don't really understand the "Tubes". Or is it they and the public have had no real reason to care so far?

This week, Time Warner gave us a reason to care. It has come to light that Time Warner will start billing internet customers based on usage, rather than a flat-fee as they've been doing for years. That is, rather than expanding the network to accommodate and enhance customer experience, Time Warner will start charging new customers more.

To take this line of thinking further, how about this scenario: if your parents or grandparents only use the Internet a couple of times a week to check photos of their little grandchildren and to check their email - will they be able to pay less? We highly doubt it. The monopolistic ISP's have have only one intent in mind - bilking us for all the cash they possibly can.

We hope the net neutrality flames is fanned by this move before it's too late. It's time to start talking, blogging, and contacting your legistlator to tell him or her your viewpoint on this issue.

[via Freedom to Tinker]

Filed under: Business, Internet, Text

CNN says bye bye to Reuters news

CNN says bye bye to Reuters newsLots of news on the CNN corporate front this week. First the media giant announced that they were dumping Yahoo in favor of Google ads, now they are saying no more Reuters.

CNN said on Thursday that they would be terminating their 27 year relationship in order to cut costs. The Time Warner owned company said that they had not wanted to rely on outside sources as much as they currently do, and would be focusing their efforts and money saved on investing in their own news gathering staff.

CNN reiterated the fact that there was absolutely nothing wrong with Reuters, the way they operate or their content. CNN just wishes to own the content they serve, and they believe that content ownership is king. Reuters text, photography, and television materials will stop being used as of Friday, today, on CNN.

However, the big question is why will CNN still be using Reuters competition, the Associated Press?

[via Reuters]

Filed under: Internet, Video, Web services, Google

Google is negotiating to stop legal actions against YouTube

youtube legal actionsThe Google team is out and knocking at the doors of traditional media outlets trying to get them to supply their content to YouTube in an effort to knock off lawsuits that could begin to sprout up surrounding copyright issues. Google CEO Eric Schmidt and other executives have met with CBS, Viacom, Time Warner, NBC Universal, and News Corp. amongst others talking about offering payments upwards of tens of millions for broadcasting rights for YouTube. With YouTube dishing out over 100 millions video clips per day, it is the main destination for video online. Only drawback? The many copyrighted materials that are getting uploaded and viewed daily. So what works best now for YouTube and the involved media companies? Take the copyrighted materials off and not only YouTube misses out on potentials visitors, but media outlets like Viacom and CBS miss out on advertising their content, and getting their messages out. YouTube allows for mass promotion and advertising. Becoming partners with Google and YouTube will be more beneficial to traditional medias bottom line, with the added bonus of reaching a vaster audience. Weighing things out, it only makes sense that partnering will make all parties, and their boards of directors involved extremely happy.

Filed under: Video, Web services, Google

Google faces copyright threat over YouTube

Google + YouTubeBefore Google acquired YouTube a lot of people said that any company that bought YouTube would be "buying a lawsuit." Or a lot of them. And to nobody's surprise, that seems to be the case for Google. According to the Guardian, Time Warner (whose Warner Music arm struck deals with both YouTube and Google in previous weeks) has "fired a shot across the bows of Google," saying that it would pursue its compyright complaints against YouTube, and that now that YouTube is a Google property that pursuit will be "kicked up to the Google level." Though Google, whose market cap is higher than Time Warner's, stands a better chance against Time Warner's lawyers than most companies, Time Warner chief Dick Parsons says, "If you let one thing ignore your rights as an owner it makes it much more difficult to defend those rights when the next guy comes along," even if that "one thing" is now under Google's ample wing. Other media companies will surely be keeping a close eye on Time Warner and Google's moves in the coming months to see how this all shapes up.

Featured Time Waster

Forumwarz - a potentially offensive time waster

I pwn UAfter spending the better part of an hour on Forumwarz I still can't decide if it's just sick or if it's kind of fun. It's a bit like a car wreck on the highway. I know I shouldn't be looking but I can't quite turn away.

It's sick, it's twisted, it's the internet on it's worst level and darn it, it's kind of fun. At least for a little while.

Forumwarz is a parody role-playing game that takes place on the internet - or at least the Forumwarz version of it. Your goal is to complete missions that are given to you through a mock up of GoogleTalk called Sentrillion.

Your first "friend" is ShallowEsophagus who begins giving you missions to pwn various forums by being a troll. Depending on the character type you are assigned at start up, you have tools like drooling on the keyboard or bashing your head on the keyboard that you can use to destroy forum threads and eventually, pwn a forum.

Future missions involve buying illegal software from the Russians, pwning more difficult forums and other internet oddness.

Completing missions gives you cash, called Flezz in game, and items that you can pawn or use in other missions. The game is NOT for those easily offended. It's crass, coarse and there are frequent f-bombs in the fake chat sessions.

This is also a game for a more mature audience as it requires you to shop at the Drugs R Fun store to get various concoctions to improve your playing, engage in certain cyber activities to get more Flezz and just generally use a more adult perspective.

If you can get past that, here are the more enjoyable and time-wasting aspects.

View more Time Wasters

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