Netflix rising cost
This week we learned that Netflix will change its pricing structure. The DVD service is increasing its pricing by about $3 and then you will have to add in the streaming option. If you have the base DVD/Streaming option the price will go from $10 to $16 a month. While this is not a large jump in price it will make people who don’t use the DVD portion of the service to think about if the increase is enough to keep the dvd by mail service.
The price increase email
Many people who comment on this are threatening to cancel their Netflix subscription. To me this is a rash decision. I don’t mind paying for quality service and I find Netflix to be a quality service. My current plan with Netflix is the DVD/Streaming for $10 a month. I haven’t used the DVD portion in a while and mostly get DVDs from a local Redbox. I am probably going to drop to streaming only when I am forced to choose in september. I have a Netflix DVD sitting at home just collecting dust since sometime last year. In the end Netflix will still be receiving my money and I will be very happy with their service, plus they will save on the shipping costs. I do expect that the streaming cost for the consumer to increase in the next several years and I hope that Netflix will increase their streaming catalog aswell.
One Final Step: The End of an Era
Today we are witnessing the final mission of the Space Shuttle program. The Shuttles have served with dedication for the past 30 years. After today we will be without a manned space program. In the past we had about a 9 year wait from the end of Apollo to the beginning of the Space Shuttle. We are facing a similar wait between the end of the Shuttle and the beginning of the Shuttle replacement. The difference this time there is no replacement rocket developed. The one that was going to replace the Shuttle was canceled last year.
This is very much a piece of history we are witnessing. Over the next several years NASA will be facing the difficult nature of our financial issues and it will be interesting to see how they get ready for the next part of space exploration. We as a race have done amazing things with our space program and it is sad to see the shuttle go, but that is the future we look at now. after this lauch we need to look to our next biggest goal and get working on that ASAP. The science and technology that we learn from space exploration is something that will help everyone.
Imagine a modern rocket built using cutting edge technology will allow the next generation of astronauts to journey farther into space and allow a new generation to be influenced by our Apollo moment. The future of our species is out there in space. We can not stop going out into space.
In the next several years private companies are working to take over the shuttling of men and materials to the ISS. SpaceX is the most far one and hopefully they can pull it off. I await the day that private companies land a man on the moon to prove they can do it. The future of space travel does look bright but right now we have a small dark ages to go through and when get out the other side we have some large goals to accomplish.
Verizon’s DataGate
In less than two weeks Verizon will be implementing tiered data for new smartphone activations. The policy is very draconian in nature and unfair to users. It represents a major step backward in the way companies are trying to handle new technology. While yes current users are grandfathered into the plan it will be a matter of time before that will be taken away. The problem with tiered data is not that they are charging you for X GB for $N. It is a unfar pricing structure.
The structure is currently looks like this:
Image from Android Central
The unlimited plan will turn into a 2GB cap for $30. If you go over you will have to pay $10 per GB after that. Your first two GB’s are charged at an upfront cost of $15 per GB and you have to pay for both of them even if you only use half of the alloted price per month. If Verizon wants to charged on a tiered model going toward a pay what you use model is a good idea. If you only use 1 GB you can pay for that, if you use more than that you pay for that total use.
This is a good scare tactic to get people out there to sign up for Verizon or upgrade their phones now. The problem is this doesn’t fix the “problem” of data hogs. If you already are on Verizon’s network and being a data hog you are not punished If you are or were data hog on another network you will run to Verizon to get grandfathered in on the unlimited data.
If you are in contract with another cell provider I don’t know why you would buy out you contract for the prospect of “unlimited” mobile data. I use about 1GB of data a month. I don’t know how I would even cross 2 or 3 GB in a month. Tiered data packages will start to kill the streaming media that is making its way to the cell phones. How much Hulu, Netflix, or streaming music can you use on a two GB plan with out going over?
Green Lantern – Movie Review
Typically I usually don’t end up at movie preview events, but I managed to check out the Green Lantern at one such event. I saw the movie on Wednesday night (6/15/2011) with a few other people I know who managed to get passes also. I have never had any interest in the Green Lantern at all, so the source material is not something I am very familiar with or know about. Before I begin to get into the review I want to warn you there will be spoilers in the review and if you don’t want to read them you should click back now.
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Basic Customization of Windows
Windows 7 has become a bit more customization friendly for users when it was introduced. During the XP lifespan MS offered a few different themes for the OS, now they have well over 100 themes and over 100 wallpapers to choose from for Windows 7. Themes are a nice way to customize the OS with some personal flavor or just to stand out. I didn’t really explore this option until a few weeks ago. For me usually just changing my wallpaper to something from either the Astronomy Picture of the Day website, something off of flicker, or a nice image off of NASA.
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Spring Fresh, Spring Clean
New Design
I decide a couple of weeks to make one final design change. I never really found a design I absolutely loved until now. The layout is exactly what I was looking for. It stands out from the “crowd” a bit and offers a nice layout that works for me. Every time I look at the design it shouts “me.” Read more
