Comcast Makes Internet Cap Use Official

Comcast, the world's second largest internet service provider has announced that beginning Oct. 1, it will update its user agreement to say that users will be allowed 250 gigabytes of traffic per month. Until now, Comcast has reserved the right to cut off subscribers who use too much bandwidth each month without specifying exactly what constitutes excessive use. Customers who exceed the limit will be contacted by the company and asked to reduce their usage. Comcast had floated the idea of charging customers an additional fee for excessive use, but the mention of an overage fee is not mentioned in the official statement. According to Comcast, the average customer uses approximately 2 to 3 gigabytes monthly. With the 250 gigabyte limit, a user could theoretically download 125 standard-definition movies, about four per day, before hitting the limit. The company states this curb is needed to keep the network fast and responsive for other users.

Forget Your Mouse with Launchy

Launchy is a nice little freeware program that allows you to open applications, directories, and files with just a few keystrokes on Windows. No more searching through the Start Menu or file manager to get your programs and files up and running. Of course you could use the Start > Run option, but Launchy is much slicker and you don't need to remember the arcane names of all your programs and utilities. Simply download and install. Launchy quickly catalogs your system based on its default settings. However, to get the most from Launchy you should customize the directories and file types you want it to catalog. When you need to launch an app, directory, or file just hit ALT + Spacebar and type in the name of what you want to open.  Hit ALT + Spacebar again and Launchy disappears. Also be sure to check out the Tips & Tricks section on Launchy's website to learn how to maximize all of its capabilities. There are nice nuggets there for using Launchy to search sites, get weather info, and create indexes of photos and music on your system. No muss, no fuss, quick and lightweight. Give it a try!

Technology Expectations Too High and So Goes the Rhetoric

Reporting mediums are still feeding on the carcass of the NetFlix outage which occurred earlier this month. NetFlix has reported that it has traced the cause of the outage to a hardware glitch which prevented it from shipping movies to its customers. Most people report not even noticing a delay and received their movies as scheduled. I received my new red envelopes about a day longer than the usual turn around time. To be honest, I wouldn't have even noticed the delay if it weren't for all the media reports analogous to the sky falling.

Today I read an article written by CNET's Greg Sandoval raising the question "Is it time for NetFlix to invest in a system upgrade?". My response to that article is "Upgrade what?". Since NetFlix has released no details about the hardware failure, I find it ridiculous that this question is even being asked. Sandoval's article is just one more example of how gas is poured on the flames in the tech world.

We all depend on things that from time to time suffer from a part failure or an interruption in service. Cars, phones, cable, and electric service are but a few. The response to these breakdowns and outages seem to be very miniscule in comparison to what a technology based, or so called Web 2.0 company, suffers. Think about it... What was your response the last time you lost electricity to your home. Was there a huge out cry for system upgrades and portents of disaster for the industry? Chances are you just waited for the lights to pop back on, and then went back to business as usual. Why aren't technology and web based companies afforded this same behavior?

Sensational reports and rhetorical questions have been posed about Amazon, Twitter, and Google just to name a few. Rafe Needleman, also at CNET, even posted an article citing the 10 Worst Web Glitches of 2008 (so far). It's interesting to see these things noted, but the level to which the attention rises is way out of proportion. After all, there is a great chance of disaster when electricity ceases to flow. The same cannot be said if someone receives their DVDs a bit late in the mail.

Gmail Tools & Plugins - The Ultimate List

Gmail has quickly become the de facto mail client for most of us. To that end, web developers have created many tools for extending the functionality of the venerable mail application. I ran across the Ultimate List of Gmail Tools & Tips on TechoCrunch. It's very comprehensive. If you are looking for a way to tweak Gmail to your liking then check it out.

Which is Best 720p or 1080i?

When purchasing that new LCD or Plasma television are you armed with the correct knowledge regarding screen resolution? Figuring out the difference can be quite confusing. As it turns out, the key is in the letter and not the number. Benjamin Higginbotham from TechnologyEvangelist.com sheds some interesting light on the difference in flat panel resolutions and the technology behind them.