Michael's Insight

CALM Act passed by the Senate

Super-loud TV commercials one step closer to extinction [ArsTechnica]

The Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation (CALM) Act has nearly progressed to the point of becoming law. The legislation, sponsored by California Representative Anna Eshoo, is set to make important changes that will help resolve differences in volume levels between TV programming and commercials. If you've watched cable programming then saw commercials with much louder audio, you likely have a keen understanding why Congress is grappling with this issue.

This is a far more complicated issue than it seems, especially in a digital world with hundreds of different channels.  A lack of strict standards makes it very hard for companies who insert commercials, such as local broadcasters and cable operators, to match the audio levels of the network program.  For instance, remember how Jack Bower always talked in a whisper on Fox's hit series "24"?  Well, most of us turned up the volume to be able to hear him.  Then, a commercial was inserted and -- BOOM! -- it knocked you out of your seat. 

The CALM Act has now passed the U.S. Senate, having advanced from the House of Representatives. While there are differences between the versions passed by each chamber, they are expected to be resolved. Once the House and Senate have agreed on those changes, the CALM Act will be sent to the president for his signature.

The bill includes the Advanced Television Systems Committee's (ASTC) recommended practices for handling variances in programming and advertisement volume, and once passed cable and satellite operators and broadcasters would be required to implement the CALM requirements to normalize volume levels within a year.

Even though I know we, at Insight (like everyone else in the industry), have had our difficulties regulating the audio levels of commercials, I have long supported this bill.  Why?  Because setting mandatory standards is the only way I can think of to resolve this very annoying problem.  Let's hope it works.

Broadband stimulus lacking oversight funds

No cash for broadband oversight [Politico]

Over the past 18 months two federal agencies, the Rural Utilities Service and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, have awarded around $7 billion in broadband stimulus awards. The funds for broadband were included in the president's economic stimulus bill that was passed in 2009 and were intended to build out broadband infrastructure to unserved Americans. But, now it appears there may not be any funds available for the government to provide oversight to make sure that $7 billion is actually being used for its intended purpose.

Both agencies have until the end of September to make final awards from the stimulus allotment. After that, the agencies had plans to monitor the award monies to make sure they were paying for improved broadband and adoption programs. $24 million was included in the president's budget proposal for broadband stimulus oversight, however with mid-term elections a month away, Congress is working to pass a limited budget extension that omits monies for broadband stimulus oversight. 

On top of that, a report from the Government Accounting Office last month said that the $24 million requested by the president's budget wasn't going to enough to adequately monitor the hundreds of awards and billions of dollars involved.

Facebook to integrate Skype

Exclusive: Facebook and Skype Readying Deep Integration Partnership [All Things D] 

Facebook appears to be taking a step toward improving its ability for users to communicate with each other by partnering with Skype. The two companies are reportedly teaming up to develop full integration of SMS text, voice chatting, and social networking. 

Facebook is taking a different route from other sites by not creating its own telephony service, instead enlisting Skype's service. The partnership between Facebook and Skype will likely include Facebook Connect integration into Skype, allowing users to access their Facebook friends through Skype.

This move also has international benefits for Facebook, as Skype is very popular outside of the U.S.  The partnership could help Facebook expand its global brand. The first fruits of this partnership will likely be seen in the beta version of Skype’s upcoming upgrade, 5.0, which is expected out in a few weeks.

 

DVR viewing cuts broadcast ratings by 15-20 percent

DVR Cuts Into Broadcast Ratings By 15-20% [NewTeeVee]

No wonder the advertising-dependent broadcasting industry is so challenged these days.  With the fall television season kicking off this month, ratings are the focus of network programming. The Associated Press reports that viewership of the four largest networks' programming over the first week of the fall season is down by 1 million viewers over the same period last year - a three percent drop. What is accounting for the decrease?

It's not that less Americans are watching television. Most of the decrease can be accounted for in the number of viewers that are time-shifting their primetime viewing with DVRs. According to the Leichtman Research Group, 40 percent of U.S. households have a DVR and the New York Times reports that somewhere between 15 and 20 percent of a show's viewership is composed of timeshifted viewing. Due to the large number of viewers that are watching via a DVR, NBC has taken the step of ordering data from Nielsen that reports their shows' traditional rating in addition to ratings information that includes DVR viewing within three days of a show's air date. 

But obtaining the delayed viewership data has some significant challenges for networks.  First, it's not easy to gather it from all the different sources. DVR's are the most established time shifing devices in use today but there's also web based portals like Hulu and cable operators' pay-per-view service where many prime time shows appear the very next day.

 

Hulu coming to Roku box

Confirmed: Hulu Coming To Roku Streaming Boxes [Silicon Alley Insider]

Right now, the popular long-form streaming site Hulu only offers content on a limited number of devices other than computers. Those include Apple iOS devices, Microsoft's Xbox 360 game console, Sony's Playstation 3 and a limited number of HDTVs. According to Silicon Alley Insider, Hulu video content will be coming to the Roku box likely through the site's Hulu Plus paid subscription service.

With a number of devices hitting the market this fall to connect HDTVs to stream online video content over a broadband connection - Apple TV, Google TV and the Boxee Box - Roku is poised to be the first with Hulu included as a content source. At this point it's unclear whether Roku's deal with Hulu is exclusive or whether other set-tops will be getting support for Hulu content.

Gizmodo reviews the specs of four leading tablet devices

Ultimate Tablet Showdown: iPad vs. PlayBook vs. Galaxy Tab vs. Slate [Gizmodo]

Now that RIM has entered the tablet market with the "PlayBook" device that was announced yesterday, Gizmodo has decided to size up the specs of four tablets currently available or soon to be released that run on four separate operating systems. Comparing Apple's iPad, Samsung's Galaxy Tab, HP's Slate and the BlackBerry PlayBook, Gizmodo outlines the relative strength of each device's screen, processor, memory, battery life and other features.

Though the iPad has several advantages that include Apple's App Store, a large developer base and a user base of millions, the other devices boast unique features like front and rear facing cameras and support for Adobe Flash content.

It's clear that Apple, HP, RIM and Samsung believe that the market for tablet devices will grow significantly in the coming months. And I agree.

French ISPs tasked with enforcing copyrights under new law

France Begins Tracking, Booting Millions Of P2P Users [Broadband Reports]

New copyright laws in France are giving content owners the ability to track and report illegally downloaded content to service providers. The new laws require ISPs to trace the offenders' individual IP addresses and send warning letters to the customer account connected to that IP address. After repeat offenses, French ISPs are required to disconnect a customer's broadband account. ISP failure to enforce the new copyright law runs the risk of a 1,500 Euro fine each day for each reported IP address.

Based on the anti-piracy company Trident Media Guard's calculations, they plan to begin their tracking of P2P pirates located in France by reporting around 10,000 individual offenders' addresses each day. Trident Media Guard estimates that number could increase to 150,000 IP addresses each day within weeks of full enforcement as content owners wield this new weapon against illegal copying of their work.

T-Mobile looking to add wi-fi calling to handsets

Why T-Mobile May Add UMA Calling to Android After All [GigaOM]

Some mobile phone users may soon be able to use their home network's wi-fi to make calls that don't count against their mobile plan minutes, based on reports about one provider's plans. GigaOM reports on images of a future wi-fi calling application for T-Mobile phones running on Google's Android operating system. While other carriers have offered specialized hardware that would allow different versions of wi-fi calling or Skype access, this looks to be the first time wi-fi calling has been baked into mobile handsets at the OS level.

What's unclear at this point is whether T-Mobile's wi-fi calls will seamlessly transfer to the cellular network when a user leaves a wi-fi hot spot. These handoffs could occur under a standard called Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA), which has been developed to facilitate wi-fi to cellular call transitions. According to GigaOM, phones with wi-fi hardware can be UMA-enabled via software and do not require specialized UMA hardware. 

FCC issues white space broadband rules

FCC Approves White Space Device Rules [DSLReports]

It's been several years in the making, a subject of significant debate and testing and on Thursday the FCC voted to issue rules for white space broadband devices. White space promises to utilize spectrum that was formerly used by broadcast television and to make it available for new services such as high-speed, wireless broadband.

It has been a controversial topic with technology companies like Google and Microsoft on one side and broadcasters on the other. Now, the FCC has decided to open up a portion of spectrum for innovators to provide broadband, similar to the 2.4 GHz spectrum that the FCC opened up that later paved the way for wi-fi.

Because broadcasters are still using portions of the new white space spectrum, the FCC issued the rules to ensure that broadcast television stations do not suffer interference by usage of the white space. The rules require frequent upkeep of a database that will tell white space devices where they can operate on specific frequencies within the spectrum.

White space proponents have promised that opening the spectrum will lead to revolutionary new broadband services that can reach over long distances to areas that are currently unserved. However it's likely to be several more years before white space applications will begin to take shape, as the FCC still has to approve a entity to maintain the database.  Meanwhile, consumer electronics manufacturers will need time to create white space devices while communications providers build the infrastructure needed to deploy white space broadband.

Restaurants using iPads to present wine lists to diners

Choosing Wines at the Touch of a Screen [NYTimes]

This is really cool. 

Broadband access on tablet computers may be revolutionizing how some restaurants present their wine lists to diners. The New York Times reports that several fine dining establishments have opted to hand patrons an iPad when they request a wine list.

Since adopting the iPad wine lists, Bone’s, an Atlanta steakhouse, wine sales jumped roughly 11 percent over two weeks. It appears that patrons are selecting more adventurous vintages, perhaps because they are not as intimidated by the large, leather-bound books that previously sat at the table and because the iPad offers reviews and other information lacking from a standard wine list, making the process of selecting a wine less daunting.

Restaurants like the ability to present patrons the additional information and can keep track of their wine inventory from the connected devices.

iPad-based wine lists have started popping up in various restaurants across the globe, and a few, including Bone’s and Naples Tomato in Naples, FL, have developed their own software for the lists.  What's next?  Why not the entire menu updated daily with the day's specials, including a high def picture of all choices. 

And how about a touch to order box, sending the party's choices directly into the kitchen?  That may be a little too impersonal for me but this is just the tip of the iceberg of how much tablet devices will change our daily lives.

Company sues broadcast networks to keep streaming their content

Company Claims Legal Right To Stream Broadcast TV Online; Broadcasters Disagree [Techdirt]

A Seattle company named ivi has decided to take on broadcasters in a court action that could have ramifications for online distribution of TV programming. The company currently sells subscriptions to viewers wishing to watch television online, offering a lineup of broadcast stations from the Seattle and New York markets. As one might expect, broadcast networks have sent ivi cease and desist letters demanding that their content not be streamed online.

In response, ivi has filed a lawsuit seeking a declaratory judgment in federal court that would allow it to continue streaming broadcast networks under section 111 of the Copyright Act. ivi argues that it should be able to retransmit the broadcast stations' signals by paying a fee to the U.S. Copyright Office, while Techdirt points out that the law ivi points to was intended to allow cable companies to carry broadcast signals, not to authorize online streaming of content.

The suit is now in front of a federal judge, and observers will have an opportunity to see whether ivi's novel legal strategy will succeed.  I doubt it.

RIM planning a new OS for its tablet device

RIM Is Finally Ditching The BlackBerry OS, But Not For Android [Silicon Alley Insider]

Research In Motion (RIM), the software developer for BlackBerry, is making changes to its operating system.  RIM’s BlackBerry OS had been falling far behind Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android with some important features such as web browsing.  Instead of opting for Android, RIM has decided to create a brand new OS developed by QNX.

The QNX OS is fairly well reviewed and could help RIM make up some of the ground it has lost to Apple and Google over the years.  It’s expected that the new operating system will help with the main complaints BlackBerry OS has received, mainly that the system is cripplingly slow and difficult to develop for. It’s less clear whether the new OS will be as sleek and functional as iOS or Android.

In other RIM news, their version of an iPad competitor, the "BlackPad" tablet could be unveiled as early as next week. The tablet is expected to be the first RIM device to run this new operating system, with smartphones getting the new OS shortly thereafter.

 

Hunters shooting, destroying Google's fiber connection for Oregon datacenter

Bored Hunters in Oregon Are Regularly Shooting Down Google's Fibers [Gizmodo]

Most cable operators, phone companies and ISP's have seen this before -- hunters taking potshots at the bundle of fiber optic cables hanging on utility poles.  Unfortunately network operators' customers wind up suffering outages until the severed cables are repaired. 

Seems the fiber linking one of Google's largest data centers to the Internet is no less vulnerable. According to an article in IT News, the fiber connection to Google's data center in The Dales, Oregon regularly comes under attack during hunting season from local hunters who seem to be inspired to use insulators on electrical poles for target practice. Since Google's fiber runs on the same poles, when the hunters miss the insulators they frequently shoot the fiber connection in two, cutting a $600 million facility off from the Internet.

The company sends splicing teams out to fix the shot fiber -- recently one cut required a team to ski three days into the backcountry of Oregon to find and repair the fiber.

Due to the continued problems with shot up fiber and the resulting downtime, Google has decided to bury the fiber running through deer country in Oregon.  These hunters should realize they are acting completely irresponsibly, compromising the connectivity of millions of customers to specific sites like Google or even from the entire Internet itself when they shoot cables on the ISP side.

Twitter hack uses JavaScript mouseover to activate code

Twitter patches flaw that ran rampant [CNET News]

Twitter was subjected to a hack early on Tuesday morning that started spreading like wildfire until engineers diagnosed and fixed the exploit. The fairly simple hack used the JavaScript “onmouseover” command to create messages that pop up when a user hovers over a URL in a tweet that utilizes the command. Unlike current Twitter spam that require users to click on a URL to execute malicious code, simply moving the mouse cursor over the URL in an infected tweet would direct the user to a malicious site.

Fortunately the initial culprits of the hack did not insert code that permanently infected end users' systems. The problem is that this flaw could easily be taken advantage of by spammers and could even feature malicious code.

In fact, as the flaw spread across the site, the command was used to send Twitter users to pornography sites and even began implementing an auto-tweet when users would “mouseover” the flawed links.

Within a few hours of the beginning of the infection, Twitter acknowledged the flaw, developed a patch and began identifying culprits and suspending their accounts. It appears Twitter is safe to use at this point.

Internet Explorer exploit allows cookies even when privacy settings engaged

A Loophole Big Enough for a Cookie to Fit Through [NYTimes]

Microsoft’s Internet Explorer uses a unique privacy standard to manage the cookies stored on the user’s browser. Platform for Privacy Preferences (P3P) examines a site’s compact policies to determine whether cookies should be allowed to be installed.  However, a recently released report by a group of computer researchers has revealed that P3P is being exploited by many sites, through either error or intention, having compact policies that cannot be properly read by IE, and are allowing third-party cookies to be installed on a user's computer.

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon's CyLab have announced that roughly one-third of the 33,000 sites included in their study fall into this loophole and install cookies regardless of whether they are supposed to be blocked. The roughly 11,000 sites was not simply a gathering of small, unpopular sites either. Twenty-one of the 100 most popular web sites apparently have the errors that allow their sites to fit into the IE loophole, including Hulu, Facebook, Amazon, AOL, IMDB, and Mapquest. Even several of Microsoft’s own sites fit the category.

It’s unclear how many of the sites are able to access this loophole through an error in the site’s code, and how many are deliberate attempts by the site to circumvent the cookie blocking. Facebook, for example used to have a compact policy that included the problematic term “HONK.” They later had a policy with only two correct codes, when five are needed for P3P purposes. 

Most other browsers, including Chrome, Firefox, and Safari, simply offer settings for either blocking all cookies or allowing all. 

Facebook reportedly working on a mobile phone

Facebook Is Secretly Building a Phone [TechCrunch]

Over the weekend, TechCrunch reported that Facebook is building a mobile phone. The reports say Facebook is taking the same route as Apple and Google by developing mobile phone software integrated with the social network and working with third parties to develop the phone hardware.

Very little is known about the actual phone, but it does appear that Facebook is looking to develop the contact lists and other core mobile phone functions to be deeply integrated with Facebook.  The company is also apparently putting emphasis on mobile support for popular Facebook application.

The two Facebook employees who have been associated with this endeavor are Joe Hewitt and Matthew Papakipos.  Hewitt helped create Mozilla’s Firefox browser before joining Facebook and eventually becoming the brains behind Facebook’s iPhone apps.  Papakipos is a world-renowned developer who had been working on Google Chrome until he quit in June to join Facebook.

 

Intel rolling out WiDi video streaming technology to laptops

Intel Touts ‘WiDi’ for Connecting PCs, TVs [Wired - Gadget Lab]

Intel's WiDi technology for streaming video from PCs to televisions is starting to appear in laptops. WiDi - short for wireless display - is the chip maker's answer to moving video from computer to TV without cables, eliminating the need to connect HDMI from one to the other. Intel demonstrated the technology at the company's developer conference last week in San Francisco.

WiDi already appears in 44 separate laptop models, and is based upon the 802.11 WiFi standard. Laptops with Intel processors and wireless-N chips will support WiDi. Because the technology is based on WiFi, rather than a proprietary standard, WiDi transmits over longer distances and doesn't require line-of-site between devices. But, the transmission speed is slower, limiting the HD resolution to 720p. Additionally, Blu-ray content is currently unsupported by WiDi.

Several programmers avoiding Apple TV rentals

Are Apple TV Rentals Too Cheap? [NewTeeVee]

At least one studio and two networks aren't planning to join Apple's iTunes universe of television show rentals for the Apple TV set-top anytime soon. Warner Brothers Entertainment chairman Barry Meyers told a conference last week that Apple's 99 cent television didn't offer a good "value proposition" for the studio, according to the Los Angeles Times. Meyers indicated that he would rather license entire seasons of television shows (reruns) rather than become involved in renting individual episodes.

Both CBS and NBC have taken a look at Apple TV - which is due to debut next month - and have given Apple a "no thanks" for now. Apple TV's success is heavily predicated on the option to rent TV shows for less than a buck, so it's not that promising two of the four largest networks and Warner Brothers are taking a pass on the opportunity. 

Meyers' concerns appear to be based on iTunes rentals undermining the value of licensing reruns of Warner Brothers' show. If other programmers that have decided to participate in Apple TV are able to create a new revenue stream that doesn't come at the expense of licensing deals, Apple may be able to convince holdouts to come on board.

FCC begins rolling out broadband testing equipment

FCC and SamKnows To Begin Broadband Tests [DSLReports]

Earlier this year, the FCC announced that they will change how they measure broadband speeds. In April the FCC announced that it was teaming with SamKnows, a British company that had previously helped regulators across the pond track the the speeds received by end users. The partnership was formed to enable the FCC to properly test broadband speeds without questions being raised about multiple network devices on a single broadband connection affecting speed numbers.

The FCC and SamKnows opened up the process to volunteers by allowing them to sign up through the website www.testmyisp.com. Apparently, volunteers are beginning to receive emails about the tests, which will include delivering a new SamKnows-enabled, NETGEAR router to each of the 20,000 or so volunteers who signed up. Volunteers will also receive access to the reporting system so that they too can see just how well their ISP is performing.

This process is being implemented so that the FCC can properly assess broadband speeds across the nation, using a process that eliminates the potential for erroneous tests that had been previously employed.

Google market share up in mobile, down in search

August ComScore Search Data: Google Share Drops Again, Yahoo Gains Again [Silicon Alley Insider]

Research company, comScore, has released a quarterly report on the mobile operating system market and an August update on search data.  The studies each shed light on Google, but the news is not all positive.

First, the good: Google’s mobile subscriber market share is growing and they are quickly catching up with Apple. Research in Motion still occupies the biggest percentage, but their share has dropped two percentage points since April.  In fact, RIM, Apple (currently 2^nd place) and Microsoft (4^th) all have seen their market share drop, while Google remains the sole provider who is seeing a growing share (Palm is staying flat at a distant 5^th place).  Google is up an impressive five percentage points from April, and now accounts for 17% of the total market.

Other interesting notes from this comScore release include findings that 2 out of every 3 subscribers send text messages and 1 of 3 search the web from their mobile devices.  Over 21% of users access social networks from their mobile phones and more than 31% admit to downloading apps.

The not-so-good news for Google comes from comScore’s August release on search data. That report found that Google, while still maintaining the lion's share of the search market, has dropped roughly one percentage point from its June report (65.4%, down from 66.2%).  Yahoo is seeing slight increases over the past two months, while Bing is pretty much staying flat in third place.  This is not terrible news for Google, but it doesn't look like it is going to reach its goal of 80% of the search market any time soon.  It will be interesting to see if the recent release of Google Instant can help return Google to market growth.

 

Apple working with newspapers on subscription plan for the iPad

Apple to announce subscription plan for newspapers [San Jose Mercury News]

Newspapers are struggling to figure out how they can survive in a digital world.  Finding a new way to distribute their content has been elusive to publishers for years, but the iPad may have become the answer. I regularly read the Wall Street Journal on my iPad and can't imagine going back to paper.  The user interface developed by the Journal nailed it.

In an apparant attempt to become much more a part of newspaper distribution systems, Apple appears to be poised to become a significant intermediary between newspapers and their subscribers under a plan reported by the San Jose Mercury News. According to the report, Apple plans to provide a new subscription plan for newspapers with iPad apps that will provide the publishers with subscriber data - which is useful in attracting advertisers - in exchange for a cut of the subscription and advertising revenue.

Because newspapers are looking for new sources of revenue to stem declining circulation and ad dollars, the iPad offers an attractive platform. The Mercury News report indicates that publishers wanted to offer iPad subscriptions as part of their traditional subscription price and process, but Apple insisted on being part of the subscription transaction. Apple stands to realize 30 percent of the subscription price and 40 percent of in-app ad sales. 

If newspaper publishers agree to Apple's terms, they may have to share a significant portion of their revenue with Apple in return for iPad becoming an important source of reigniting growth in newspapers' future revenue.

Pirates remain out of luck with HDCP encryption key

Alleged HDCP Encryption Crack Is No Pirate Bonanza [Wired - Threat Level]

On Monday hackers dropped the purported master key to the High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) standard on a web site that has since been mirrored to several other sites. The HDCP is a copy protection scheme developed by Intel for high definition content traveling between set-tops or Blu-ray players and televisions. HDCP ensures that publishers' work can't be illegally copied and distributed via peer-to-peer networks.

Even though Intel is still investigating the information leaked by hackers to determine whether the key is real, it may not be of much use for ripping off HD video. Unlike the copy protection for DVDs that was compromised in the late '90s, HDCP requires a hardware rather than software implementation. Hackers would need a specialty device that impersonated a television with the HDCP key. Such a device does not currently exist, so its unlikely pirates will profit from this revelation.

YouTube testing live streaming video

YouTube Tests Live Streaming Channel [Multichannel News]

Testing.. Testing.. 1..2..3.. YouTube, the Internet's most popular video streaming site has spent the past two days testing live streaming content from four separate content partners. On Monday and Tuesday YouTube streamed 12 separate programs live to the web from partners Howcast, Next New Networks, Rocketboom and Young Hollywood. 

While there are a plethora of other live streaming service on the web - USTREAM and Justin.tv among them - YouTube is just beginning its venture into live video. According to a post on the YouTube blog, provided the tests work as expected, the site expects to roll out live services to additional content partners.

Twitter announces major site redesign

Twitter unveils 'faster, richer' Twitter.com [CNET News]

Yesterday, Twitter unveiled its most significant site makeover to date, rolling out a number of new features for the popular social networking service. Because Twitter offered developers and users an extensive API, many users opted to use third-party apps and services to use Twitter because they incorporated interface improvements and increased the ease of use of Twitter. Twitter's redesign appears to have brought many of these features home to the Twitter web site.

The most significant change appears to be integration with many popular photo and video sharing web sites, allowing tweets to share content without forcing users to leave Twitter to view the content. Twitter also announced improvements to the site's architecture that are aimed at improving site uptime and speed. Users will also be able to scroll endlessly through previous tweets, without having to click to additional pages to reveal older tweets.

The site redesign went active for many users yesterday, but most Twitter users will see the change in a two-week rollout. Users will have the option to switch between the old and new interface for a period of time to develop a comfort level with the new look and features.

Cablevision joins Time Warner Cable and Comcast with mobile apps

Cablevision Apps Tap Android, Apple Devices [Multichannel News]

Add Cablevision to the list of cable providers integrating mobile iOS and Android devices with their traditional video product. The nation's fifth largest cable provider, Cablevision has released apps for the iPhone, iPad and Android that allow customers to remotely search television listings and schedule DVR recordings. Last year the company launched web-based DVR controls.

While the apps don't yet provide streaming video content to customers, Cablevision has discussed plans to launch streaming content to authenticated users within the home.

Time Warner Cable has previewed an iPad app that allows customers to control a cable set-top and has discussed plans to provide shows on the iPad. Comcast has released an iPad app that provides similar functionality to Cablevision's app, but Cablevision is the first provider to offer apps on both the Apple iOS and Google Android mobile operating systems.

Meanwhile, CableLabs, a technical clearing house for the cable industry is looking into standards for such applications so they can be deployed by all cable operators.  We're keeping a close eye on those developments.