One of the constant complaints we hear from wireless and even some wireline ISPs is that the surge in online video demand has put a strain on their networks that leaves them with no choice but to implement unpopular policies such as bandwidth caps. But CNET reports that Google is hoping to make help ISPs significantly ease the strain of video on their networks by pushing its new V9 video technology standard that the company says can help content providers “save about 50% of bandwidth by encoding your video with VP9.” Of course, the VP9 standard hasn’t even been finalized yet and won’t be available for general use until mid-June at the earliest. All the same, Google is promising developers
Google pushes new video standard that could cut bandwidth use in half
Google pushes new video standard that could cut bandwidth use in half
One of the constant complaints we hear from wireless and even some wireline ISPs is that the surge in online video demand has put a strain on their networks that leaves them with no choice but to implement unpopular policies such as bandwidth caps. But CNET reports that Google is hoping to make help ISPs significantly ease the strain of video on their networks by pushing its new V9 video technology standard that the company says can help content providers “save about 50% of bandwidth by encoding your video with VP9.” Of course, the VP9 standard hasn’t even been finalized yet and won’t be available for general use until mid-June at the earliest. All the same, Google is promising developers
Time Warner Cable considers buying a stake in Hulu
We may now have a clue about how Time Warner Cable plans to implement its own Aereo-like service. Unnamed sources have told Bloomberg that Time Warner Cable is considering buying an equity stake in Hulu and “could offer Hulu to its customers as a bundled service inside and outside of the home with its current products,” meaning customers could access their favorite shows on Hulu without paying a monthly subscription fee for Hulu Plus. Under the plan being discussed, Time Warner Cable would take a 33% stake in Hulu with the rest held by co-owners Disney, Comcast and News Corp. Time Warner Cable CEO Glenn Britt recently said that the cable industry’s “structure needs more flexibility” and that he wants to offer customers
World’s largest Bitcoin exchange accused of violating U.S. financial law
Things have been very up-and-down for Bitcoin lately and the virtual currency’s road coud be getting even rockier now that the United States federal government is getting involved. IDG News reports that the U.S. District Court in Maryland this week order the seizure of Bitcoin exchange Mt. Gox’s funds because it allegedly “failed to register as a ‘money transmitting business’ in accordance with 18 U.S. Code 1960.” The court-issued warrant alleges that Mt. Gox owner Mark Karpeles denied that his firm exchanged currency or “transmitted funds based on instructions to customers” in a questionnaire supplied by Wells Fargo back in 2011. Wells Fargo issues such questionnaires to determine whether clients it works with need to register as currency traders with the U.S. Treasury Department.
Samsung advertising barrage said to ‘mentally enslave’ Indian consumers
Samsung’s marketing Death Star isn’t just hovering over the United States — it has designs on conquering the entire world. Per Barron’s, Global Equities Research analyst Trip Chowdhry thinks that Apple may have a tougher time in India than other markets because BlackBerry and especially Samsung have already blanketed the country with ads touting their smartphones as elite products that consumers simply see as less expensive versions of the iPhone. Because of this, he says that the companies have created ”an environment where they tend to mentally enslave the consumer to buy their products.” Chowdhry says this is particularly true of Samsung, which he says airs TV ads once every 15 minutes in India.
Windows Phone’s big problem: Most OEMs see it as an afterthought
The latest numbers from IDC show that Windows Phone is still having a tough time gaining traction, as the operating system was found on just 3.2% of all smartphones shipped in the first quarter of 2013. And things could look even worse for Microsoft in the second quarter since Windows Phone devices will have to go toe-to-toe with heavyweight flagships being rolled out by both Samsung and HTC, as well as the low-cost BlackBerry Q5 that BlackBerry is aggressively pushing into emerging markets. In fact, the only company that’s really devoting a lot of resources toward manufacturing and publicizing Windows Phone devices is Nokia, which really has no choice since it has chosen Windows Phone as its exclusive operating system. Let’s
Samsung looks to cut the bloat, free up more Galaxy S4 storage
One of the more prominent criticisms of Samsung’s Galaxy S4 is that its preloaded apps clog up a lot of the device’s internal storage, to the point where only about half of the 16GB model’s storage space is actually available for use. A Samsung spokesperson now tells The Inquirer that the company is “reviewing the possibility to secure more memory space through further software optimisation” and “is committed to listening to our customers and responding to their needs as part of our innovation process.” All the same, it’s hard to imagine Samsung freeing up significant amounts of space on the Galaxy S4 since the company sees its own unique apps and services as a key part of differentiating the device
Microsoft uses Google CEO’s own words against him in YouTube app battle
Microsoft doesn’t want to hear Google CEO Larry Page get on his high horse about the need for less negativity and more cooperation in the tech world, especially since his company just sent a cease and desist letter telling Microsoft to pull its YouTube app from the Windows Phone store after Microsoft violated Google’s terms of service by removing ads from videos. Per The Verge, a Microsoft spokesperson has now thrown Page’s words back in his face by saying that it would be happy to bring ads back to the Windows Phone YouTube app if only Google would be more open and cooperative. In particular, the spokesperson said “we’d be more than happy to include advertising but need Google to provide
Smartphone survey shows the ‘Apple/Samsung duopoly has strengthened’
Is the mobile industry headed for a duopoly where Apple and Samsung are the only two companies that matter? Breakdowns of smartphone industry profits sure make it look that way and now Barron’s points us to a new survey conducted by MKM Partners showing that the two companies’ grip on the smartphone market has only strengthened over the past several months. The survey, which measures smartphone buying intentions for just over 1,000 American consumers, found that 30% of likely smartphone buyers planned to buy an iPhone while 28% said they planned to buy a Samsung device for their next smartphone. For comparison, just 6% of likely smartphone buyers said they would go with a BlackBerry device and just 2% said they
Smartphone survey shows the ‘Apple/Samsung duopoly has strengthened’
Is the mobile industry headed for a duopoly where Apple and Samsung are the only two companies that matter? Breakdowns of smartphone industry profits sure make it look that way and now Barron’s points us to a new survey conducted by MKM Partners showing that the two companies’ grip on the smartphone market has only strengthened over the past several months. The survey, which measures smartphone buying intentions for just over 1,000 American consumers, found that 30% of likely smartphone buyers planned to buy an iPhone while 28% said they planned to buy a Samsung device for their next smartphone. For comparison, just 6% of likely smartphone buyers said they would go with a BlackBerry device and just 2% said they
