diary of a cable TV cord cutter

I noticed a PlayOn ad (which mentioned a cnet review) on facebook and googled cord cutting PlayOn cnet.

And came across these series of articles.  Though the articles are nearly three years old, they still seem mostly relevent (and kind of fun to read).

Day 1 - OTA (over the air)
Week 1
Week 2
Final Entry
Recap

Netflix comings and goings

[10/12/13] Ah hah.  Monk is now on Hulu Plus.

[9/24/13] Hmm.  Monk leaving on 10/1/13.  Maybe I'll have to get the DVDs after all.

[8/27/13] James Bond movies leaving Netflix on September 2, 2013.

And here it seems I just added those movies a couple of weeks ago (apparently 26 days ago).  So I guess this was a one month deal.

Apparently this has happened before.  So maybe they'll come back one of these months.

I wonder if they'll head to Hulu?

Google could kill cable TV

If you haven't heard, Google (GOOG +0.50%) and the National Football League are in some form of communication regarding the NFL Sunday Ticket rights that will be up for grabs beginning with the 2015 NFL season.

At this point, the story isn't so much about Google or the NFL. It's about something much bigger that has to have cable companies very nervous.

The media has made a big deal of a story that isn't much of one -- at least right now.

According to AllThingsD, the NFL and Google are engaging in "informal talks" that could potentially bring the NFL's Sunday Ticket package to YouTube. If you're not a hard-core football fan, the Sunday Ticket, in its current form, allows fans to view out-of-market games produced by Fox (FOXA +2.00%) and CBS (CBS +3.72%).

Currently, DirecTV (DTV +1.08%) owns the rights and offers it over the internet, on some tablets and smartphones, as well as on Sony's (SNE +0.25%) PlayStation and JetBlue (JBLU +1.28%) flights.

According to the story, the NFL is meeting with multiple Silicon Valley companies on a range of topics -- the Sunday Ticket being only one. Contrary to the attention its receiving from the media, it's not much of a story, especially given the fact that DirecTV is reported to be ready to fight to keep the rights.

The real story in this is bigger than the NFL or Google. First, we're seeing evidence that the sports world, which hasn't been quick to adopt new media strategies, is ready for change and appears to see the need to adopt new formats to attract the next generation of viewers.

During the PGA Championship, we reported that Fox Sports would broadcast the U.S. Open, U.S. Women's Open and the U.S. Senior Open from 2015 to 2026. Fox has never televised a golf event but what seemed to sway the United States Golf Association was the idea that Fox would bring a fresh perspective to the events.

But this deal would be even more disruptive and cable companies would hate it. With the Time Warner Cable (TWC +0.75%) versus CBS war still showing no signs of a resolution, there's concern that the deadlock could continue into the NFL season.

This would be disastrous for CBS and the NFL. Even now, watching the events unfold (or not unfold), the NFL has to be thinking that it's time to consider new ideas. Google has more than enough cash on hand to not only buy the rights but also build out a robust infrastructure. The Chromecast could put the NFL on the TV sets of every broadband customer furthering the "cord-cutting" push that cable companies fear.

Netflix (NFLX -0.23%) is producing award-winning content, Google wants a piece of the NFL, and don't be surprised if Apple (AAPL +0.12%) doesn't get it on a deal like this.

Bottom line -- there's more than enough cash in the bank accounts of these companies to make cord cutting a reality and the more deals like these happen, the less we'll all need traditional cable.

DIY recycling bins

Well, it's about time.

The city and county of Honolulu's Department of Environmental Services has not only embraced the concept of DIY (do-it-yourself) recycling bins, but is inviting schools, community groups and volunteers to help make and install them at district parks, beaches and bus stops.

The city's goal is to install 1,000 of the HI-5 recycling bins around the island this year.

This month, Beach Environmental Awareness Campaign Hawai‘i was one of the first groups to step up to the plate and partner with the city for the project. B.E.A.C.H. brought together volunteers to learn how to make the wire recycling bins that they will install around Oahu while educating the public about the city's new no-smoking rules.

The wire recycling HI-5 bins were actually the original idea of University of Hawaii professors Gaye Chan and Nandita Sharma as part of their non-profit Eating In Public project.

Read their blog at www.eating-in-public.blogspot.com.

They first made the bins in 2006, installing the first one in front of their home. The simple wire mesh bins come with a sign that says "HI-5/ Take, Leave, Whatevas..." The idea caught on and they were invited to give workshops.

The self-serve bins attach to existing trash containers to help keep recyclables separate. The city will not be picking up the recyclables.

the death of cable?

Will the cable set-top box go the way of the horse and buggy? Perhaps one day.

The alliance between Sony (SNE +0.60%) and Viacom (VIA +0.24%) that has been reported by The New York Times and others shows that day may be coming sooner than many expect. Viacom has "tentatively agreed" to allow its cable channels such as Nickelodeon and Comedy Central to be part of an Internet-based TV service that Sony is developing. This is big news for several reasons.

First, any deal between Sony and Viacom could lay the groundwork for similar pacts with other content creators such as Time Warner (TWX -0.57%) and 21st Century Fox (FOXA +0.41%). Moreover, it may lead producers to sign deals with Google (GOOG -0.32%) and Intel (INTC -0.52%), which are developing offerings similar to Sony's.

"Analysts say cable delivered through the Internet could give households many more choices -- if the new services give customers more for their money and if cable incumbents don't smother the services," according to The Times.

The bad side to these types of arrangements is that they'll make it harder for consumers to avoid "the bundle." If these nascent services want access to popular channels, they're going to have to take less popular ones as well. Cable and satellite providers have done this for years, which forces consumers to shell out big bucks for shows they never watch.

Cablevision (CVC -1.07%) filed suit against Viacom over its channel-bundling practices earlier this year calling them "anti-consumer and wrong." New York-based Viacom, not surprisingly, rejects those arguments.

Here's one of the few issues where content creators and the pay-TV industry agree: If consumers are allowed to buy only the channels they actually watch, it would create a fiscal Armageddon for both of their industries. But as the number of cord-cutters rise, they may be forced to change their tune regarding what's known as a-la-carte pricing.

Consumers have to wonder how much choice they will have from services such as Sony's, which will be similar to the cable and satellite services they already use. And for people who think that quitting cable TV will deal a mortal blow to companies such as Comcast (CMCSA -1.08%),  remember: You'll have to stream your videos over something. More likely than not, it will be an Internet connection from Comcast or one of its rivals.

***

So this is another small step forward, "live" TV over the internet.  Though Viacom's programs aren't likely live. And there's already a lot of a la carte TV via Hulu, Netflix, and the various websites.

The big step will come when they have anti-bundled channels.  If they ever unbundle ESPN, it's over.  (or not?)

just plain pasting

When you copy text from any source, programs will usually copy any formatting that comes with it. To paste this as plain text, press CTRL + Shift + V instead of the standard CTRL + V, and the system will paste unformatted text. Note that many programs follow this rule (Chrome, Firefox, etc.) but not all, particularly Microsoft programs like Word or Outlook. For those there's a couple alternatives: A) CTRL + ALT + V will show a 'paste special' dialog box. B) CTRL + Spacebar will remove formatting in already pasted text.

-- via Retrevo

[I wonder if this will work when copying and pasting from Google Drive to Yahoo Groups?  I'll try it next time.  Right now, I'm copying and pasting from Google Drive to EditPad, then from EditPad to Yahoo Groups, since Yahoo Groups doesn't translate the Google Drive formatting well.]

watching hulu on TV

I've been using Freemake to download hulu videos (so I can download Good Dog! and play it on plex over my roku).  It's the first software I've seen that can do this.  (I forget where I first saw it.)

I've also noticed that hulu videos are also uploaded to dailymotion.  But they don't appear on the dailymotion app on the roku.  Must be filtered out.

Now I wonder if I can download the dailymotion videos without using software.  Noticed this tip of the week from Retrevo about deturl.com which is supposed to be able download youtube videos easily and also supports dailymotion and vimeo.  Let's see.

Look up a Good Dog! video.  Say this one (which is episode one).

Copy and paste url into deturl.com.

It takes me to this link.

Putting in the video there gets a message No Preset.  This video is not available because.  OK I guess it's blocked.

I wonder there are other sites to download dailymotion videos?

Keepvid.com is the first google link to come up.

Doesn't seem to be working in firefox.  Let's switch to IE.

Hmm.  Doesn't seem to be working.

Try a youtube video.  OK that works (the download links came up).  I guess dailymotion is doing a good job blocking it.  How about a non-hulu dailymotion video.  Nope.

OK, it ain't that easy.  I wonder if freemake will do it?

Nope, says "failed to obtain video info".

Another one is catchvideo.net.

Dailymotion ain't working.  Youtube ain't working either.

Next.  How about this free dailymoton downloader from apowersoft?

seemed to hang up in firefox.  switch to I.E.

sorry, currently we could not find any download link.

OK, I guess dailymotion ain't that easy.

*** 3/19/14

darn.  Freemake not working on hulu now.  I guess hulu must have changed their format.

Chromecast

Google is taking another swing at commanding the television with its new Chromecast, a low-cost accessory that plugs into a TV and allows users to stream video, share tabs from the Google Chrome browser, or play music from their smartphones, tablet or computer on the big screen.

The big selling point? The Chromecast lets users can do that streaming or sharing while also allowing the devices to do other tasks.

With the Chromecast, analysts said, Google appears to have learned a lesson from some of its own missteps and those of its competitors. The small device, which fits into a TV’s HDMI port, eliminates some of the usual frustrations with TV streaming.

For example, while Apple TV and, to a lesser extent, the Xbox allow users to beam some content from their mobile devices to the television, the mobile devices then can’t be used for anything else at the same time. Google says that the Chromecast will enable multitasking on the laptop, tablet or other device without interrupting what’s streaming on the TV.

Chromecast also comes with built-in support not only for Google devices but also for Apple’s iPhone and Google’s Chrome browser on Macs and PCs. That means that nearly every television can now get a Google upgrade — a major shift for the competitive landscape, analysts said.

Now, said James McQuivey, a principal analyst at Forrester, “it’s not a war of smart versus dumb TVs — it’s a war of which smart TV.”

And, finally, there’s the price. Apple TV and Roku are both priced to move with their newest models starting at $99. Chromecast costs $35.

That lower price, McQuivey said, draws a sharp line between Google and competitors such as Apple and Microsoft and shows that the company has a different vision for how to make money off the television. Apple, he explained, aims for profit from the sale of its popular devices and won’t take a run at a new product unless it believes it can make money off the sales of that hardware. Microsoft is splitting the difference by packaging multimedia entertainment in a dedicated device of its own, the Xbox One.
But for Google — which hasn’t made much inroad with its own TV devices — the motivations are now completely different.

“Google doesn’t care about making any money on the device,” McQuivey said. “The future is about software.”

This new strategy doesn’t even focus so much on selling the content, he noted. It’s aimed more at gathering information on consumer habits — data that Google could combine with search and other data from its services to expand its user profiles.

“This is a deep, deep relationship built with you,” he said. “It opens potential for them to do much more for you than they could before.”

Netflix

Well finally decided to pay up the $8 a month and get Netflix.  Well, actually I haven't paid anything yet as you get a free 30 day trial.  My impetus was selling a portion of my NFLX stock which has increased 5-fold from the low, though still not quite back to the $300 high where it was.  So that's in effect paying for the subscription.

So how is it?

First of all, lots (and lots) of content.  No more searching through Crackle or Popcorn Flix to find a movie that I might want to watch.  And not only movies, lots of TV shows too.

In fact, that's probably what I'm going to use it most for, TV shows.

Right off the bat, there's Everybody Loves Raymond which is not on hulu.  I was afraid of whether I would be able to see subtitles, but there's an option where you can turn it on and off and I can't imagine why older models of Roku wouldn't be able to support this.

There's also the Dick Van Dyke Show, Family Ties, Cheers, the Andy Griffith Show, Leave It To Beaver.

But they don't have everything though.  No Three Stooges, I Love Lucy, Beverly Hillbillies, Gilligan's Island, Get Smart, Green Acres, Mary Tyler Moore Show, All In The Family, Sanford and Son, Bob Newhart Show, Welcome Back Kotter, Taxi, Seinfeld, King of Queens.

Some of these are on hulu though: I Love Lucy, Green Acres, Mary Tyler Moore Show, Bob Newhart Show.  And Three Stooges is on youtube (illegally) with some on crackle.

What else is on?  Hercules, Xena, Charmed, Monk, Columbo.  So no real need to keep the DVDs I have (well maybe Columbo since Netflix doesn't have all the episodes).  One nice thing is that the Hercules and Xena shows have subtitles, which the original Anchor Bay DVD sets didn't have.

Netflix has 13 episodes of Dog Whisperer.  There are much more (currently 109) on hulu (but not hulu+).  Oddly the subtitles didn't work on the Roku, but did work on my iPad and computer.  Maybe that's what they meant by subtitles not working on older version on the roku.  And not all the shows have subtitles, though most of them do.  Coach was one show that didn't, though the website says it does.

Another one was Ken Burns' Baseball series (which I was suprised to see on there).  The old DVD set (which I have) has closed caption for TV, but no DVD subtitles.  However I think the newer remastered series does have subtitles.  [12/9/13 - Netflix has updated the series with subtitles and the 10th Inning episodes.]

And lots of movies.  I was surprised to see The Avengers on there.  Also Captain America and Thor.  But no Iron Man or Hulk or X-Men.

Using the universal Roku search (for actor names for axample), there's actually a lot more movies not on, then on.  But what do you expect for $8?

They do have all the Star Trek TV series (also on hulu+ except for the animated series).  But not all of the movies (just Wrath of Khan, Search for Spock, Insurrection, Nemesis).

*** [8/30/13]

Here's one minor gripe about Netflix.  Yes, they have subtitles for the majority of the shows, but they don't look very good on my Roku, mainly because they are sometimes hard to read overlaid over the picture.  On the other hard, they look fine to me on my iPad, partly because the iPad has a 4:3 screen, so the subtitles are partly display below the picture.  And they also look OK on my computer on the 16:9 LCD screen.  I wonder if it's because I have a Roku HD instead of a Roku 2 or Roku 3.  [I would think unlikely.]

[12/9/13 - The subtitles look different depending on the player.  For example, the subtitles are yellow on the Windows 8 app, but white while playing on a browser.  They also look bigger on the Roku.]

[1/14/14 - yep Netflix subtitles on Roku appear as pale yellow even on the Roku 3.  Evidently the subtitles look better on Apple TV.  Reading further, evidently the new Netflix app on the Roku 3 has more readable subtitles.  So maybe I should get a Roku 3.  Or an Apple TV.  Or just wait to see if the new Netflix app will eventually come to my Roku HD.  Or just hook up my laptop to the PC.]

*** [4/15/14]

Cool.  Netflix is now showing the Roku captions instead of their own on my Roku HD.  Don't see that the Roku app was updated, so I'd have to deduce that the Roku firmware was updated.  And somehow it connected to the Netflix app.  Another clue is that there is an option to set opacity to 50% whereas before it wasn't there (they just went from 25% to 75%).  So one less reason to upgrade to a Roku 3.   However Hulu Plus still is locking up and using their own caption style.  And still no YouTube.  VideoBuzz works, but doesn't support captions.  I have my doubts that captions would work on Roku YouTube anyway, as it doesn't work on the Apple TV.

Apparently captions have to be in SMPTE Timed Text format and was added in software build 4.9 in December 2012.  Looking now, I my Roku is on software version 5.4.

video game consoles: the eighth generation

Did you know that we are already in the eighth generation of video game consoles?  The eighth generation started with the Wii U and will include the PlayStation 4 and XBox One.

Here are some highlights of each generation.

Generation One: Pong

Generation Two: Atari 2600, Intellivision, Atari 5200, Colecovision

Generation Three: Atari 7800, Sega Master System, Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)

Generation Four: Genesis, TurboGrafx-16, Neo-Geo, Super Nintendo (SNES)

Generation Five: Atari Jaguar, Sony Playstation, Sega Saturn, 3DO, Nintendo 64

Generation Six: Sega Dreamcast, Nintendo Gamecube, Playstation 2, Microsoft XBox

Generation Seven: Playstation 3, Nintendo Wii, XBox 360

Generaton Eight: Wii U, Ouya, Playstation 4, Xbox One

The full list is at wikipedia.

are electric cars a failure?

Last month, the electric-car industry passed a small but important milestone. There are now more than 100,000 electric cars on America's roads, including those that operate as plug-in hybrids. That's happened in just two and a half years, as electric-vehicle sales have only been tallied independently since the last month of 2010, when a mere 345 were first parked in customer garages.

Despite this milestone, there's plenty of pessimism to go around regarding the adoption rate of the plug-in EV, which have thus far made up only half of 1% of all cars sold in the U.S. this year. My fellow Fool -- and resident Foolish auto expert -- John Rosevear offered a succinct overview of that pessimism a couple of months ago, which I'll sum up as this: There's no charging infrastructure, and the batteries make EVs cost more than is justifiable.

Does that mean EVs are a failure?

The American auto industry effectively began in 1896 with a 13-vehicle production run at the Duryea Motor Wagon plant (or garage, as the case might well be). Three years later, just before the start of the 20th century, there were roughly 8,000 cars on what passed for American roads -- virtually nothing was paved for vehicle travel. There were 8,000 EVs on the road after eight months of tracking. That's not really fair, though, because there are more than three times as many people in the U.S. as there were at the turn of the 20th century. Adjusted for population growth, there should have been 33,000 EVs on the roads after three years. That happened after 19 months, and we're now approaching three times that number midway through the third year of tracking.

Why compare EVs with the earliest cars? The "motor wagons" of the late 1800s faced similar challenges to those often attributed to EVs: minimal supporting infrastructure and a high price tag relative to the dominant (horse-drawn) transportation of the day.

The first gas stations wouldn't even be built until almost a decade after the Duryeas built the first 13 cars in America, and they had no drive-up pumps -- that innovation didn't arrive until 1913. There are already more than 6,000 publicly accessible EV charging stations in the country. This doesn't count interesting infrastructure developments such as Tesla's (NASDAQ: TSLA) battery-swap stations or its growing network of "superchargers" scattered across the United States. It's also worth noting that EVs, unlike early internal-combustion vehicles, can get recharged in most owners' garages.

EVs have to overcome an entrenched culture, just as early motor wagons did -- but today's car culture is far more deeply embedded in the national psyche than horses ever were. There's one automobile on American roads for every 2.3 Americans today, compared with one horse for every 3.5 Americans in 1900. The average person traveled about 340 miles per year in 1900, compared with 16,000 miles per year in cars and airplanes today. Despite facing one of the most entrenched opponents in the history of capitalism, EVs are already outperforming the puttering internal-combustion pioneers in terms of market penetration, price, and infrastructure deployment at a similar point after introduction.

Will EVs continue to outperform the original auto pioneers in the face of stiffer competition? I can't say. However, early results are indeed more promising than many pessimistic commentators would you like to believe. Just as autos replaced horses en masse once their technological superiority was undeniable, EVs will have to be objectively better than internal-combustion vehicles to justify widespread adoption. There are bound to be some bumps and bankruptcies along the way. After all, more than 1,000 automakers of all sizes were founded between 1896 and the mid-1920s. How many of them are still around?

*** [8/28/13]

Why aren't there more electric cars? (the conspiracy)

Google game console?

Google Inc. is developing a videogame console and wristwatch powered by its Android operating system, according to people familiar with the matter, as the Internet company seeks to spread the software beyond smartphones and tablets.

With the game machine and digital watch, Google is hoping to combat similar devices that Apple Inc. may release in the future, according to the people.

Google is also preparing to release a second version of an Android-powered media-streaming device, called Nexus Q, that was unveiled last year but not sold to the public, these people said.

The Internet giant hopes to design and market the devices itself and release at least one of them this fall, they added.

A Google spokeswoman declined to comment.

The hardware plans are the latest sign of Google's determination to build on the success of Android, the software it launched in 2008 that powered 75% of all smartphones and 57% of tablets shipped globally in the first quarter, according to the research firm IDC.

Games that run on Android software have proved particularly popular, and they are growing more quickly than games made for the big-name consoles supplied by Microsoft Corp., Sony Corp. and Nintendo Co. The appeal of such games has prompted the development of new devices aimed specifically for Android by other hardware companies.

Sony and Microsoft have recently unveiled new versions of their PlayStation and Xbox game consoles, which are expected to go on sale later this year. Together with Nintendo, sales of the games for these devices accounted for most of the $24.9 billion spent world-wide last year on console games, according to market researcher PwC.

The people briefed on the matter said Google is reacting in part to expectations that rival Apple will launch a videogame console as part of its next Apple TV product release.

An Apple spokeswoman declined to comment.

Google has also been watching the efforts of Ouya Inc., a startup that this week began selling a $99 Android-based console and game controller, one of these people said.

Ouya

Last year, Ouya raised almost $8.6 million on Kickstarter to develop a gaming console powered by Google's (GOOG +0.86%) open-source Android operating system. Now the product is flying off retailers' shelves.

According to Mashable, Ouya was sold out Tuesday on Amazon.com (AMZN) just hours after it went on sale in the U.S., Canada and U.K. The consoles were temporarily unavailable Wednesday, too. Consumers were also out of luck if they tried Best Buy (BBY +2.02%) or Target (TGT -0.01%), according to their respective websites.

What's the fuss about? 

First is the price. The Ouya console sells for a rock-bottom $99. In contrast, Best Buy is taking preorders for Sony's (SNE +2.16%) PlayStation 4, which isn't going to be released officially until November, for $399.99. Microsoft (MSFT) is taking preorders for the Xbox One Day One Edition for $499.99 ahead of its planned on-sale date later this year. (Microsoft owns and publishes moneyNOW, an MSN Money site.)

Although Ouya games aren't as complex as those offered for the PlayStation and Xbox, they may be good enough for many gamers, particularly casual ones, according to some reviews. Games, which can cost as much as $70 on other systems, are all free to try. Thousands of people who donated to the company's Kickstarter campaign got a free console as well.

Early reviews have been mixed, though a few have been scathing. Tech Radar's Alex Roth said Ouya won't become the "third superpower" alongside PlayStation and XBox, but it "has a good shot at carving out its own niche market amongst atypical systems like the Wii U and Nvidia's (NVDA) Project Shield."

The CBC's Peter Nowak complained about the system's poor responsiveness. "In just about every game I tried, there was a noticeable lag between pressing the button and seeing the corresponding action on screen," he wrote. At PC Magazine, Will Greenwald wrote "unless you're dedicated and technically savvy, it's just not worth it."

Of course, Ouya is still in its infancy and may get better over time. Then again, its rivals probably will as well.

Dumb Ways to Die

Saw this was the app of the week on Apple Byte on CNET.

It's kind of fun even though I'm not very good at it and haven't even figured out how to tie the string to the balloon.

The youtube video has had over 50 million views.  So I suppose it's popular.

Oh, that's how you do it!

dwarf planets

In 2006 the organization responsible for classifying celestial bodies, the International Astronomical Union, decided that a new class of objects was needed. The solar system's erratic ninth planet, Pluto, was assigned to the new “dwarf planet” category along with four other bodies, all tinier than Earth’s moon. Some astronomers expect there may be as many as 50 dwarf planets in the solar system.

-- via BrianK

The Five Most Important Tech Breakthroughs of the last five years

The following list will take you through five of the top new technological breakthroughs that have become the biggest hits with consumers. You'll probably be familiar with them all, but the sheer speed at which they've captured the public's imagination (and its spending money) might surprise you.

5.  Electric cars
4.  Motion sensing
3.  Tablets
2.  Android
1.  Apps

antennas for free TV

In my quest to simplify, one day I want to get rid of cable TV and put up an antenna to catch free TV over the air.

[If it's supposed to free, why don't they just broadcast it over the internet?  Free TV was supported by advertising, so I would think you would want to widen your exposure to attract advertisers.  That's why I don't understand why they cut out the commercials on the few live signals you can see over the internet.  Like Bloomberg TV or Hawaii News Now for example.  Must be some legal thing.  I would think the advertisers wouldn't complain.  So who's doing the complaining?]

Anyway I remember seeing a full page advertisement in the staradvertiser last week (I think) for a Clear Channel antenna.  Googling, I see the ClearStream2 Antenna gets good ratings from lifehacker and amazon.com.  Don't think this was the same antenna that was advertisers.

There's also this pieplate antenna I saw on youtube.

Not sure if I can get a signal in my location, because I remember I tried to help Mr. Fong across the street with his antenna from Radio Shack (or was it Best Buy?) and it didn't get very good results.

The FCC has a pretty neat site and the TV stations in your area.  Other sites are TV Fool and AntennaWeb.

Maybe I should just downgrade to the basic cable which is pretty cheap and I'll get the over the air channels plus a bunch of others in standard def.  The major drawback of cutting the cable is no ESPN and in my case no OCSports (for UH Sports).  Or TNT or NBA-TV (for NBA in HD).  Or NatGeoWild.  Now if KFVE or somebody gets back the rights for UH Sports, then I might start thinking twice.

Then again, it's not like I can't afford the $3 or so per day for cable TV (for now anyway).

TWIT

stands for This Week in Tech and is a cool tech talk/news show on the internet.  It was started by Leo LaPorte (who started with the Atari 400).

The site also has a bunch of other interesting shows too.  It's also available on the Roku with its own channel as well as on Nowhere TV.  There's a few differences between the Roku channels with Nowhere TV still carrying some of the older shows but not some of the newer ones.  The Roku channels only carry about 10 of the most recent episodes of each show.  The web site has them all.

The (vast majority of the) shows are also available on youtube.  The shows used to all be on the twit channel, but now they all have their own youtube channel.

Here's a list of the shows (and whether they're on NowhereTV and/or the dedicated Roku channel)

Active Shows
All About Android                N  R
Before You Buy                   N  R
Floss Weekly                     N  R
Frame Rate                       N  R
Ham Nation                       N  R
Home Theater Geeks               N  R
iFive for iPhone                    R
iPad Today                       N  R
Know How                            R
MacBreak Weekly                  N  R
NSFW                             N  R
OMGCraft                            R
Radio Leo
Security Now                     N  R
Tech News Today                  N  R
The Giz Wiz                      N  R
The Social Hour                  N  R
The Tech Guy                     N  R
This Week in Computer Hardware   N  R
This Week in Enterprise Tech        R
This Week in Google              N  R
This Week in Law                 N  R
This Week In Tech                N  R
This Week in Youtube                R
Triangulation                    N  R
Twit Live Specials               N  R
Windows Weekly                   N  R

Retired Shows
Abby's Road
Current Geek Weekly
Dr. Kiki's Science Hour          N
FourCast                         N
Futures in Biotech               N
Game On!                         N
Green Tech Today
Jumping Monkeys
MacBreak
MaxWell's House
Munchcast
net@night
Roz Rows the Pacific
Science News Weekly              N
Tech History Today
The Laporte Report
this WEEK in FUN
This Week in Radio Tech          N
Trey's Variety Hour              N
TWIT Photo                       N

So as you can see, the standalone channel has all of the active shows (except for Radio Leo which sort of shouldn't count since it's just the audio portion of his video shows).  In comparison, the Nowhere channel is missing of few of the recent shows while retaining a number of the retired shows.

transferring photos from RZR to computer

I still use a Motorola RZR V3 phone.  Works fine for me.

But now t-mobile is shutting down their album service at the end of this month.  So I figured I better transfer my photos from my phone to the album and then download them to my computer before the time was up.

However, when I go to the album, I get a blank screen.

I figured maybe it's blank because they removed my photos from there and if I send the photos again from my phone it would appear.

But when I tried to send the photos, I got a failure message.

So how to get the photos off the phone?

Well, this site says I could use a usb cable or bluetooth.

Well, I don't have any usb cable that fits my phone.  The one for my camera doesn't fit.  And neither does the one for my printer.

Then I tried using bluetooth, which I have never tried before.  Turned on bluetooth on my ipad mini and then fiddled around and turned on bluetooth for the phone.  The iPad actually saw the phone for a little while but then said the connection was not compatible or something.

So I was about to give up.

But then while looking at the photos, I noticed a send option.  This is normally to send to another phone.  There's was an option to create new email address.  So evidently you could send it to an email address.  Well selecting new email address did nothing.  So what I did was create a phone entry for me with just my email address.  And then I sent the picture to that entry.  And it worked!

I could even get the picture on my ipad that way.  Sending it to the camera roll actually send five images which are headings and junk, so you need to delete the extraneous images.  But it works!

Well, one picture worked.  I'll do the rest later as my battery was low and I had to recharge it.

blogger errors

For a while, I kept getting error messages when accessing or creating posts on blogger.  But the error codes kept changing.

After a while, I noticed that it happened on only some of my blogs.

It appears that the problem occurred with the blogs that used the old template.  So what I've done is update to a new design (which loses the hand-coded customizations) then revert to the old template (which restores the customizations).

So it still looks the same (as far as I can tell), but without the error messages.

Stanley and Harriet's HDMI

They keep getting problems with their HDMI hookup.  It works for a while, then they have trouble.  And wind up swapping their cable box.  They have a Oceanic HD DVR hooked up to a big screen Sony LCD TV.

This time, it was working until a few days ago.  The HDMI wouldn't work though it would work via the coax out going to channel 3.

I confirmed that it wasn't working.  Even after resetting the box, switching HDMI ports, switching the HDMI cable.

However in the process, I did get an HDCP not-compliant message.  Not sure if that's coming from the TV or the cable box.

Called Oceanic.  Told me to turn off the cable box and turn off the TV.

But I pulled out the power to the cable box instead.

Took a while to boot up and get the time back.

Still didn't work and noticed the response was rather slow.

The tech guy asked why I had both the coax and the HDMI plugged in.  Told him in case one don't work.  But I pulled out the coax anyway.  Nope, still don't work.

Then he asked if I had another HDMI cable.  So I swapped it.  Nope, still don't work.

So he said it's probably the cable box and to swap it.

But then suddenly it started working.  The configuration was the original (not the Oceanic) HDMI cable plugged into the HDMI4 input.  And the cable box was more responsive.

Don't know what happened, but I'm not going to touch it if it's working.

We'll see how long it lasts this time.

I got a feeling that their Sony TV is marginal with HDCP outputs (despite this statement).

[9/7/15 update] after having sporadic problems with their cable box hooked up to their Sony TV over the last couple of years, the Oceanic tech hooked them up via component some months ago.  Problem solved.  The picture might not be quite as good as HDMI in theory, but it's hard to tell the difference.

Windows 8.1

Microsoft  (NASDAQ: MSFT) launched Windows 8 last October with radical ambitions in mind. The Start menu was gone, and in its place was a tile-based interface that was a dramatic departure from what Windows users had grown accustomed to over the past 17 years, dating to the introduction of Windows 95.

Anytime you overhaul the user interface of something as long-lived and pervasive as Windows, there will be loud user complaints. Some level of users will always be resistant to change.

However, the steep learning curve on Windows 8 has made it a difficult transition, especially for larger companies whose users are accustomed to older versions of Windows. With the company looking to release a major update named Windows 8.1 that should be released later this year, let's take a look back at Windows 8 to date and what should be expected from Microsoft's major overhaul of the operating system.

Microsoft's reasoning for the dramatic changes to Windows was simple: Past versions of Windows didn't translate well to the touch-based devices such as tablets that are exploding in popularity. By creating a tile-based interface, the company could make Windows relevant for both PCs and tablets, rather than create a separate version for tablets.

To date, results have been middling. At the start of May, Microsoft announced that it had sold more than 100 million Windows 8 licenses, but little traction has been gained in tablets. More painfully, the slide in consumer interest around PCs continues. In the first quarter, PC shipments declined more than 11% according to industry tracker Gartner.

As CNET notes, Microsoft's Windows 8.1 update will come with a "Start Tip," which sits in the lower left corner and allows users to return to a Start screen. This won't return you to the Start menu you're familiar with, but the Start screen will be customizable in a way that allows users to create a listing of applications that's similar to the Start menus of past Windows versions. 

For the most ardent critics of change in Windows 8, the 8.1 update is delivering something long-clamored for: an option to boot directly to the desktop. The fact that current versions of Windows 8 forced users to boot up in the tile-based interface has been the subject of much of the Windows 8 controversy.

Will Windows 8.1's changes be enough to satisfy most dissatisfied users? Probably not. The tile user interface remains at the center of the experience, even if booting to the desktop is now an option. Moreover, many of the changes to make Windows 8.1 feel more similar to Windows versions rely on customization. With many users complaining about a "steep learning curve," making users customize the experience doesn't exactly scream of simplification.

However, the changes could go a way in getting more adoption of Windows 8 in a key market: corporate users. While consumer interest in PCs has been cratering, corporate PC buying has been a far more steady force. Enabling options like booting to the desktop could lessen headaches for IT departments and persuade them to begin using Windows 8.

*** [9/7/13]

Windows 8 was released just more than a year ago, evoking a collective groan from IT professionals and users alike. While much of the rumbling was due to the restyling of the interface, there were several outright bugs.

Microsoft has announced a new version of Windows 8, cleverly dubbed Windows 8.1, due next month. While many organizations have resisted taking the leap to Windows 8, it is apparent that Windows 8.1 will be a viable platform, ready for adoption by all.

The biggest complaint about Windows 8 was that the most basic components of the interface changed. In fact, most complaints were about old features that were eliminated (or masked) as opposed to the new features that were added.

Of course, we are talking about the elimination of the "start menu" and replacement of it with the "start screen." This is somewhat humorous, given the old joke that "only Microsoft would have you go the ‘start' menu to shut down your computer."

This probably would have been a reasonable change if Microsoft had provided a way to still use the old start menu. After all, many of the functions of the old start menu are still accessible by using the "windows-X" or "windows-W" key combinations. Bowing to pressure, Microsoft has announced that the start menu will reappear in Windows 8.1, dashing the get-rich-quick hopes of many software developers who came up with alternatives.

In fact, whether in classic Windows 8 or Windows 8.1, there are many ways to customize the interface to look similar to Windows 7 or even Windows XP. While this is fine for the individual user, it can be a pain in the okole for larger organizations to propagate these changes to hundreds or even thousands of computers. As such, many businesses and government agencies have stayed away from Windows 8.

Regardless, Microsoft and its hardware partners have been force-feeding us Windows 8, making it difficult to buy the latest hardware with Windows 7 loaded. Windows 8.1, however, is a free upgrade, akin to a major service pack. If history repeats itself, it should be a relatively simple upgrade. If, however, you are doing more than a handful of upgrades, you might want to hold off any purchases until 8.1 is actually shipping, pre-loaded.

With all the hubbub regarding Windows 8, one thing has been overlooked. Most software applications developed for Windows 7 run on Windows 8 with no issues! Coupled with "compatibility mode," a feature that allows applications specifically designed for older versions of Windows to run under Windows 8, this eliminates one of the major concerns when upgrading operating systems.

———

John Agsalud is an IT expert with more than 20 years of information technology experience. Reach him at john­agsalud@yahoo.com.

1 TB on flickr

In a bid to revive interest in Flickr, Yahoo has redesigned its photo community website and increased the amount of free storage available to Flickr users to 1 terabyte.

That amounts to more than 500,000 photos taken at 6.5 megapixels, which is about the size generated by current smartphone cameras.

It's enough space to attract the interest of developers who see Flickr as a resource for storing any file, not just image files. The reason is simple: A free terabyte of storage is a pretty good deal, particularly when you consider that Flickr is charging $499 a year for 2 terabytes.


The problem with using Flickr for general storage is that it's only designed for images. To get around that, developer Ryan LeFevre has posted Ruby code to Github called flickr-store that lets users encode data as a .PNG image file, so it can be stored using Flickr.

LeFevre, in an email, said that another developer, Ricardo Tomasi, implemented a similar project at about the same time he published flickr-store.

LeFevre said he would not advise anyone to use his code to store critical files. "The ability to store files on Flickr by encoding them as PNGs was more of an academic exercise than anything," he said. "That said, there have been some similar successful projects in the past, such as GmailFS, so it's possible that the project could mature into a somewhat useful tool. Encoding/decoding data from PNG files is also, unfortunately, a bit slow. There is a lot of room for improvement."

XBox One

Eight years after releasing the Xbox 360, Microsoft has unveiled the next generation of its gaming console, and the company seems to be making up for lost time.

The new gaming system, which it plans to release before the end of the year, is chock full of new features that go way beyond new hardware, including Skype connectivity, television integration and new ways of controlling the system with your voice and body.

"We have an ambitious vision to become the all-in-one system for every living room," Microsoft president of Interactive Entertainment Business Don Mattrick said at the Xbox event in Redmond, Wash., this afternoon. Highlighting that the Xbox is not just a gaming system anymore, Mattrick added: "We're thrilled to unveil the ultimate all-in-one entertainment system: the Xbox One."

One of the standout hardware features might be the microphone on the box. Yes, a microphone. Microsoft has included new advanced voice control and commands. Say "Xbox, Go Home" aloud and it will return to the homescreen of the system. You can also say "Snap Internet Explorer" and you can bring up the browser and place it next to a game, similar to how you can snap windows next to each other in Windows 8.

Beyond using a tablet to navigate, the Xbox One is an extension of the tablet. In addition to bringing over some Windows 8-like functionality, it has integrated Skype right into Xbox, complete with video calling. There is also new app functionality. For instance, an ESPN app will alert you to your fantasy player stats while playing a game.

 But beyond all that, the Xbox is very much trying to be the new TV platform.

"Until now, the TV viewing experience has been a one-way viewing experience for the viewer," Nancy Tellem, Microsoft's president of Entertainment & Digital Media, said on stage. "Now that is about to change."

The One will connect to your cable box, bring in your TV listings, and provide personalized suggestions. Microsoft says it will also overlay a social experience with that TV content as well, allowing the Xbox to become the "next watercooler."

*** [6/19/13]

Microsoft has sensationally abandoned its controversial plans to restrict the sharing of Xbox One games, and has also removed daily online authentication requirements for its forthcoming console.

In a statement released on the Xbox website on Wednesday, Don Mattrick, the president of Microsoft's interactive entertainment business, wrote that the company had listened to "candid feedback" from gamers. Before listing the changes, his explanation reads, "You told us how much you loved the flexibility you have today with games delivered on disc. The ability to lend, share, and resell these games at your discretion is of incredible importance to you. Also important to you is the freedom to play offline, for any length of time, anywhere in the world."

When the new console is released this November, there will be no need to authenticate the system online every 24 hours – a requirement thought to have been introduced as a digital rights management measure. According to the statement, "After a one-time system set-up with a new Xbox One, you can play any disc based game without ever connecting online again."

Furthermore, plans to restrict the sales of pre-owned titles, as well as the sharing of games among friends, have also been cancelled. There will now be no limits on gifting, re-selling, sharing or renting Xbox One game titles. In addition to these reversals, Microsoft is also removing regional locks on Xbox One games, which means titles bought in one global territory will work in all others.

The announcement follows a huge backlash against Microsoft which began when the company first revealed the Xbox One console at a press conference in May. Company representatives explained to journalists that all Xbox One games would need to be fully installed onto systems before play and that each copy would then be watermarked to its owner. Attempts to then sell on or give away the boxed copy of the game would be controlled by Microsoft; although the details have always been ambiguous,

black screen on freecell, etc.

I started up Spider Solitaire and got a black screen.  The sound was still working.  The menu was still working.  But the main game display was black.

No big deal, I can live without playing Spider Solitaire.

But then I tried FreeCell.  Same thing.

The problems seems to be limited to the native Vista games.  I played the freecell that I had imported from Windows XP and that worked.  Yep, Hearts don't work either.  Chess Titans.  Mahjong Titans.  Minesweeper.  Regular Solitaire.  Purble Place (whatever that is).

Inkball is the only one that works.

Hadn't played the XP version for a while.  I notice the difference that in the Vista version you can drag the cards.  While in the XP version, you click them.  The other difference is that the Vista version you have unlimited undo.  And if you restart again and lose, it counts as another loss (whereas the XP version just counts one loss no matter how many times you restart the game).

I think I had this problem before, but I don't remember what I did to fix it.  I'm thinking now that I just rebooted and the problem cleared up.

reboot.

yay, it worked.  I changed the background of freecell, so now I have to change it back.

[I was going to write this reply on my ipad mini, but got a blank screen when I tried.  Another ipad incompatiblity.]

playing with the iPad mini

Well finally got the iPad Mini at WalMart on Saturday and opened it up last night.

[First I watched some iPad Mini videos on youtube.]

Went through some of the built-in apps.  Like Safari, mail, photos.  Figured out how to get some pictures into the photos camera roll (simply save the photo from email).

Looked through

Still want to try messaging and Facetime.  Just to see if it works.  And take some photos.

Next step is to install some apps.  But first I have to sign up for iTunes (and I suppose install iTunes on my computer so I can transfer files/photos).

Some of the apps I'm eyeing off the top of my head.

A browser so I can view hulu.  Maybe Puffin.

ESPN3

CNBC

StarAdvertiser, MidWeek, KHON, etc.

And of course games (Paper Toss looks interesting).  And I guess Angry Birds.

***

[later that night] OK, got iTunes installed and installed a few apps.  Like CNBC, WatchESPN, Angry Birds.  It took a little while to figure out, but finally was able to xfer some photos from my computer to the iPad. A bit unintuitive though.

One thing odd though, before I installed iTunes I plugged the iPad into the computer as the battery hit 5%.  It said it was charging.  But then after I installed iTunes, I noticed the iPad said "not charging".  Don't know if it was coincidence or what happened.

who's piggybacking you?

I got the idea for today’s tip while troubleshooting my parent’s slow internet connection this weekend (they hadn’t given their Wi-Fi a password, and the neighbors were using it). The first thing you need to do is login to your router's administrative console by typing its IP address directly into the browser address bar -- typically 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1 depending on which router you have. If you don't know your router's default address go to the command prompt (Start > Run/Search for cmd) and enter ipconfig. The address you need should be next to Default Gateway under your Local Area Connection.


Once inside your router's administrative console look for a section related to connected devices or wireless status. It will be different for everyone, sometimes it’s available under Status > Wireless but can also find it as "Attached Devices", under or "Device List".

This should provide a table with the IP, MAC address and other details of every device currently connected to the router. Check that list against your gear to find any intruders. You can find out the MAC/IP address of your computers by going to the Command Prompt again and entering 'ipconfig /all'. The MAC address will be shown as the physical address.

***

Too bad. I don't know the router password to my hawaiiantel.net modem/router combo.  On the other hand, since it has a password, I doubt anybody is piggybacking it.

Right now, only my Roku is connected to my wireless.  But soon to be added is my new iPad mini.  Other than that, i'll just be my relative's iPad or iPhone.  Plus any laptops I'm troubleshooting.

iWatch

[4/30/13] The latest rumor of an iWatch claims Intel and Apple are collaborating on a smartwatch that could materialize this year. We believe a smartwatch could make a lot of sense not only for Apple but for Google and the Android camp.

Eight Reasons Why the Time is Right for an Apple iWatch

*** 9/5/13

BERLIN –  Nearly 70 years after Dick Tracy began wearing a two-way wrist radio in the funny pages, the technology that once seemed impossibly futuristic will be widely available by Christmas.

Samsung on Wednesday introduced a digital watch for the holiday season that will let users check messages with a glance at their wrists and have conversations secret agent-style.

So-called smartwatches have been around for several years. But so far, they have failed to attract much consumer interest. That may change with the Samsung Galaxy Gear, which offers the company a chance to pull off the same as feat Apple did with the iPad — popularize a type of device that has lingered mostly unnoticed on store shelves.

The Gear must be linked wirelessly with a smartphone to perform its full range of functions. It acts as an extension to the phone by discreetly alerting users to incoming messages and calls on its screen, which measures 1.63 inches diagonally.

"With Gear, you're able to make calls and receive calls without ever taking your phone out of your pocket," Pranav Mistry, a member of Samsung's design team, told reporters at the launch in Berlin ahead of the annual IFA consumer electronics show here.


Sony and Qualcomm also introduced smartwatches Wednesday. Apple Inc. is expected to release its own smartwatch, though it's not clear yet when. The release of separate products from so many manufacturers could stir interest in smartwatches in general.

operating room of the future

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=IfJemqkby_0

InSightec - Dr. Kobi Vortman, Technion Alumnus

turn Windows 8 into Windows 7 (and Twit.TV) (and 8ctave)

hey a cool new channel for my Roku, called 8ctave.  It's a channel pulling a bunch of content made public by the various vendors.

The meat (as far as I've explored) is in the On Demand section which is further divided into sections: TV, News, Sports, Education, Food, Spirituality, Technology, Life & Style, Music, Kids & Animation, Weather, Audio.

In the technology section is a show called Know How (made public by twitps) starrring liaz akhtar and leo leporte.  And the show (they have 10 of them) Know How 32 is Make Windows 8 act like Windows 7 where they feature some applications which make Windows 8 act like Windows 7.

Since the channel only has the latest 10 shows, hopefully I can find this show on the internet.  And here it is!

Wow, there's a lot of shows on Twit.TV.  Cool.  Don't see see this on cable!

[5/28/13] Twit also has their own Roku Channel.  But the best way to watch it on Roku might be via youtube (via VideoBuzz or Plex) which has the majority of the episodes archived.  There's a few that I don't see.  Recently youtube has been banning the This Week in Youtube episodes.

[5/28/13] A couple more channels from this youtube video on using PlayOn.  FirstRow Sports and SuperusvoxTV.  They get a lot of popups first though that you have to close.  I'm currently looking at a pretty high quality ESPN stream on SuperusvoxTV, apparently via something called iLive.

***

Now looking more at 8ctave.  They also have the top 50 Channels which are (pseudo)live.  Mostly local news stations it appears, but also (4) reuters news network (6) los angeles times (7) natgeo (14) comedy shaq network (18) NBA D-League (22) All Pro Wrestling (24) Professional Bowlers Association (33) USC TV (35) Legends Football League (37) Smithsonian Channel (40) Vatican City (43) Ultimate Rap League (47) UC TV (University of California I assume) (50) Ski Channel

And it don't stop at 50.  There's more categorized as National US Channels, US East, US Central, US Mountain, US Pacific.  Don't see any Hawaii channels though.

Amazon TV

Amazon (AMZN) is making e-readers and tablets and will likely soon introduce a smartphone. As it works to build all types of connected devices, that leaves a natural next step: a television set-top box. The e-commerce giant is planning to introduce a device this fall dedicated to streaming video over the Internet and into its customers’ living rooms, according to three people familiar with the project who aren’t authorized to discuss it.

They say the box will plug into TVs and give users access to Amazon’s expanding video offerings. Those include its à la carte Video on Demand store, which features newer films and TV shows, and its Instant Video service, which is free for subscribers to the Amazon Prime two-day shipping package. The Amazon set-top box will compete with similar products, such as the Roku, Apple TV, and the Boxee Cloud DVR, along with more versatile devices such as the Playstation 3 and the Xbox. An Amazon spokesperson declined to comment.

***

OK, so Apple has Apple TV for iTunes.  Netflix has Roku.  Amazon will have Amazon TV (or whatever it'll be called).  How about a Google TV box for youtube?  Well there's already Google TV (like the Netgear NeoTV) which hasn't really taken off yet (as far as I can tell).

BlueStacks

I thought this sounded kind of neat (but I hope it won't mess up your computer).

BlueStacks App Player is an Android emulation tool which can let you run your favourite Android applications on your Windows desktop, laptop or tablet .

You can run BlueStacks on your desktop as a small gadget. With this free download you can install, run and test Android applications before you install them on your smartphone.

This Android application player brings Android to your PC.

the end of free TV?

With all this talk about the cord-cutting masses no longer wanting to subsidize TV channels they don't watch, it's a little surprising that one of the oldest, most widely available forms of TV is waning: over-the-air broadcast TV. Despite its attractive price of $0 per month and billions of advertising revenue, nobody — including the broadcast networks, the tech companies that are out to disrupt them, and the cord-cutters and cord-nevers who hate cable — is very enthusiastic about antennas. Rather, this is the "zero tv" generation, according to a recent Nielsen study, which found that 5 million households have no television at all and would rather pay for Internet distribution than put a set of bunny ears on a TV set.

Aereo, the Barry Diller-backed tech startup, is betting people would rather pay $80 per year (i.e. about what it costs to get a HD tuner for your PC) to deliver this gratis content over the Internet rather than over the air. So enraged at Aereo's elaborate plans of thousands of tiny antennas sucking their signals onto web servers,  Reuters reported on Sunday that the Big Four broadcast networks are considering ending over-the-air transmission to foil the service. On Monday, News Corp. chief operating office Chase Carey said the company would turn Fox into a cable channel if the courts allow Aereo to sell their service: “This is not an ideal path we look to pursue, but we can’t sit idly by and let an entity steal our signal. We will move to a subscription model if that’s our only recourse.”

RELATED: HBO Is Finally OK with Cord Cutting (In Scandinavia)

The networks haven't really been excited about free television anymore for a while and for obvious reasons: they don't want to give their product away for free. (Duh.) The big broadcasters engaged in regular wars with cable companies to get them to pay transmission fees just like they do for their cable-only channels like ESPN and Comedy Central. And really, over-the-air TV is a sliver of the market. Though there have been nervousness about the future of TV, pay TV penetration is still around 90 percent.

RELATED: Cable Companies Rejoice: Longtime Cord Cutter Gets Cable

That's the reason that all the big networks got together to sue Aereo in the first place: They don't want to lose the fees they've come accustomed to being paid. While News Corp.'s threat to stop broadcasting is more likely big talk than an actual game plan, Wall Street likes that idea. News Corp.'s announcement sent its stock soaring, even though it would have to wait until after its current NFL deals, which run for another seven years, expire. 

RELATED: Barry Diller-Backed Aereo Just Got Sued By Fox, PBS, and Others

But look around and content owners have already started pulling their best, most valuable stuff from the public waves. Sports, for example, have started moving to pay TV. Most regular season baseball, basketball, and hockey games now run on regional sports cable stations. While the really big sport events are still broadcast, that's showing signs of slipping, too. Starting in 2014 h the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament will be on TBS. That would follow Monday Night Football, the staple of ABC for decades, that moved moved to ESPN, and even the Olympics, which, aside from the primetime packages, was shown live (whether on cable stations or streamed online) only to people who pay for their TV. Again, these are all things we used to be able to get for free through other means. As sports rights come up for bid, more and more it's flush cable companies who can  outbid the broadcasters. After all, live sports is one of the main reasons people cite for not cutting the cord. Of course, the hefty bill for sports, as I have calculated before, is one of the main reasons non-sports fans most want to buy a la carte.

RELATED: How Many Cord Nevers Are There? An Office Survey

This movement of must-see programming from broadcast to cable might help explain why the people haven't flocked to free television: The best stuff isn't really on there anymore. Either by design, as explained above, or because of our expensive cable packages—The Atlantic's Derek Thomspon theorizes that high cable prices have resulted in better shows—cable and premium channels offer better stuff. NBC, once an incubator of  Must See TV is going through an existential crisis, as The Atlantic Wire's Richard Lawson has explained. "The glory days are past," he definitively wrote. This is partly because broadcast networks are in the business of quantity versus quality. Besides for transmission fees, they make money off of advertising. Much like the Internet business, its a dollars for eyeballs proposition, which has led to an overall decline in quality. Plus, cable companies (because of our exorbitant cable packages!) have a lot of money to pay channels to make great stuff. 

RELATED: Why the Television Will Be Not Revolutionized

All of this is alarming. People should be alarmed. A public good is slowly eroding right before our eyes. And yet, consumers don't seem to care. Maybe it's because there is not much to be done? Cable companies have created such a stranglehold over the market, if we want certain shows, we have to pay for a lot of nothing in our cable bills. If not, we can pay for content through Netflix or Hulu. This is the beginning of the end of free TV.

Zero TV

There are 5 million "zero-TV" households in the U.S., more than double from 2 million in 2007. It's a small but growing trend that has the media establishment plenty worried.

These people, who make up fewer than 5% of U.S. households, haven't stopped watching television shows. They just do it on their own terms over laptops, tablets and cellphones.

As Nielsen notes, about 75% of these homes still have TVs, but people use them mostly to play video games and watch DVDs.

This creates a huge problem for the industry, one that will likely be a key topic at this week's National Association of Broadcasters' annual trade show. Content creators and broadcast networks make money from these viewers through arrangements with streaming sites such as Netflix (NFLX) and Hulu and through advertising on their websites and apps, according to The Associated Press. Television stations, however, get shut out.

"Unless broadcasters can adapt to modern platforms, their revenue from zero-TV viewers will be zero," the AP says.

A handful of video-streaming sites have become hot properties. Hulu, for example, has reportedly received a $500 million bid from former News Corp. (NWS +2.27%) president Peter Chernin. The site is jointly controlled by News Corp. and Walt Disney (DIS +1.94%).

Luckily for broadcasters, most people are still transfixed by the boob tube. According to Nielsen, Americans spend an average of nearly 41 hours a week, or about 5.5 hours a day, watching content across all screens. People spend more than 34 of those hours in front of a TV.

Even so, given the technological changes in the works, the television industry 10 years from now may not look much like it does today.

tablets catching up to PCs

Worldwide shipments of PCs, tablets, and mobile phones are expected to total 2.4 billion units in 2013, a 9 percent increase from last year, according to new data from Gartner.

Shipments of these devices are forecast to grow even further by 2017 to reach more than 2.9 billion units. But over the next few years, the mix of these devices will "significantly change," as consumers increasingly choose tablets over PCs, the research firm said.

The traditional PC market of desktops and laptops is expected to decline 7.6 percent to 315 million units in 2013, and continue dropping over the next four years as the tablet market grows. Worldwide tablet shipments are predicted to total 197 million units this year, a 69.8 percent increase from 2012 shipments of 116 million units.

"While there will be some individuals who retain both a personal PC and a tablet, especially those who use either or both for work and play, most will be satisfied with the experience they get from a tablet as their main computing device," Carolina Milanesi, research vice president at Gartner, said in a statement. "As consumers shift their time away from their PC to tablets and smartphones, they will no longer see their PC as a device that they need to replace on a regular basis."

By 2017, tablet shipments are expected to reach 468 million units, outpacing PC sales of 272 million, Gartner said. This transition from PCs to tablets is being driven by a recent explosion of low-cost tablets with impressive capabilities, according to Gartner.

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Microsoft faces a slide into irrelevance in the next four years unless it can make progress in the smartphone and tablet markets, because the PC market will continue shrinking, warns the research group Gartner.

It says a huge and disruptive shift is underway, in which more and more people will use a tablet as their main computing device, researchers say.

That will also see shipments of Android devices dwarf those of Windows PCs and phones by 2017. Microsoft-powered device shipments will almost be at parity with those of Apple iPhones and iPads - the latter a situation not seen since the 1980s.

In a new forecast published on Thursday morning, Gartner says that by 2015 shipments of tablets will outstrip those of conventional PCs such as desktops and notebooks, as Android and Apple's iOS become increasingly dominant in the overall operating system picture. Android in particular will be installed on more than a billion devices shipped in 2014, says Carolina Milanesi, the analyst who led the research.