Michael's Insight

IEEE set to approve 802.11N standard

802.11N Becomes Official In September [Broadband Reports]

Consumers have had the ability to purchase hardware based on the draft 802.11N standard for around two years now, allowing them to take advantage of super-fast wi-fi, even before the IEEE had formally approved the standard for use. Now, it appears that given IEEE Standards Review Committee approval, the N standard will, at long last, be approved in September.

The N standard allows broadband users to project their broadband connection at speeds up to 300 Mbps in theory. Practically speaking, the speeds of a wireless N router are around the 100 Mbps mark -- plenty fast for today's cable broadband speeds. While a draft N standard was approved in January 2006, the standard failed to pass for final approval by IEEE in 2007. Wireless makers were able to convince the Wi-Fi Alliance to certify their draft N standard products for release, allowing consumers to begin taking advantage of super fast wireless Internet, even though the standard had not been formally approved.

If IEEE approves the N standard, I'd expect that all router manufacturers will move from the G standard up to N. I've been using my draft N standard Apple AirPort for well over a year now, and I'm glad to see that the standard should be approved in the next few weeks.

Microsoft may continue offering Windows XP

XP Reprieve, Downgrade May Continue After Win7 [Slashdot]

Windows XP has been around for years, and despite Microsoft's efforts to phase it out during the age of Windows Vista and the coming age of Windows 7, it appears that XP may continue to be offered as a "downgrade" option for PC users. Even though it's been about a year since Microsoft withdrew XP from retail stores, and only sold copies to large computer manufacturers for installation on new PCs, a report from Computerworld indicates that HP has been granted permission by Microsoft to offer XP as a downgrade option until April 30, 2010. The current published deadline for computer makers to cease installing XP is July 31st of this year for large manufacturers and May 30, 2009 for smaller manufacturers.

For it's part, Microsoft is denying the report, which would indicate that Microsoft would allow users to opt not to install their newest Windows 7 OS on their new computers. Windows 7 is due out later this year, and it's doubtful that Microsoft would inspire confidence among users of Windows 7 if it continues to offer XP as an option in the same way it did for frustrated Vista users, given the rocky launch of Vista.  Regardless of whether it continues to sell copies to PC makers, Microsoft has indicated that XP will no longer be supported by the company as of the 14th of this month.

The Cable Show 2009

I'm up bright and early today as the 2009 Cable Show is getting ready to open today in Washington, DC.  I arrived yesterday to start my duties as this year's Convention Co-Chair, along with Johnathan Rodgers, the CEO of TV One.  We participated in a very successful "Cable Cares" event at the Hart Middle School where a truckload of food was donated for DC families in need.   The highlight for the kids was a fabulous concert starring Robert Randolph and the Family Band, sponsored by The Gospel Music Channel.

Jonathan and I got some Segway experience as we prepared for our welcoming introduction at the opening session today at 1:45 pm and we'll cut the ribbon to this year's terrific exhibition hall at 3.  The buzz about the displays is all about Broadband Nation, a presentation of the many advanced services that today's cable industry provides to communities large and small.  I hear there's a high def 3-D demo of the band U-2 that dazzles the senses.  I definitely intend to sneak a peak.

Last night, Senator John Kerry (D-MA) delivered a candid assessment of his agenda as the incoming Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet to cable's Key Contacts members, our grassroots lobbying organization. 

Today, before the official opening, Comcast's David Cohen, Johnathan and I will cut the ribbon opening a brand new media center that is being provided by Cable Cares and Comcast to the Truesdell Educational Campus.  Then some meetings, a public policy luncheon, followed by the opening general session and the exhibit hall ribbon cutting.  Finally, a long day will end at the Cable Pioneers dinner tonight where I will introduce the new chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Representative Henry Waxman (D-CA).

I'll be up early tomorrow morning to report on some of the events of today and to tell you about some of the neat things on display and being discussed.

Interactive Advertising Advances in New York

Cablevision Jumps In Front on Interactive, Targeted Spots [Multichannel News]

Challenged by technology, such as DVR's that threaten the viability of television advertising, ad-based networks are fighting high-tech with high-tech.  Cablevision Systems, metropolitan New York's largest cable operator, announced that they are moving ahead with their own development of interactive and telescopic advertising this year.  They will blaze a trail to allow advertisers to reach the specific demographic they seek and to allow the viewer to "telescope" in on ads of interest by activating VOD long-form commercials at the touch of a button. 

The innovative cable operator will jump start the industry-wide effort to develop interactive advertising that is underway by Project Canoe.  Likening it to the Lewis and Clark expedition which preceded the American settlement of the West, Tracey Scheppach, senior vice president and video innovation director at ad agency Starcom USA stated,

Cablevision’s efforts should drive Canoe forward by helping to settle the new frontier.  They’re like the Lewis and Clark for Canoe,” she said. “Canoe wants to get to the same place, and they will get there with a different approach. But Cablevision isn’t sitting around waiting.”

When deployed, Cablevision (and later, Canoe) will target specific demographic populations for the purpose of allowing advertisers to zero in on their desired audience.  In doing so, one neighborhood might see an ad for a General Motors luxury sedan while another sees one for the company's latest SUV -- both at the same time.  Advertisers also will be able to place an icon in the ad, giving viewers the opportunity to click to a long form video of the product and a call to action for additional information to be sent, via email, snail mail or right to the TV.

Project Canoe is being developed by the six largest cable companies, including Cablevision.  We, at Insight are aware of their plans and expect to participate in the commerical rollout of the service over the next couple of years.

CableTechTalk rebuts Verizon DOCSIS 3.0 argument

Verizon Challenges DOCSIS 3.0 – They’re Wrong, So Wrong [CableTechTalk]

Telephone company Verizon posted a criticism of the DOCSIS 3.0 high speed broadband cable modem protocol on their public policy blog over the weekend. But Verizon's post missed several key facts about the architecture of DOCSIS 3.0. Verizon's post is part of their aggressive marketing campaign for their FiOS, fiber-to-the-home product, which competes with cable broadband in some markets.

CableTechTalk effectively rebuts Verizon's arguements about DOCSIS 3.0. No, cable customers won't experience a degraded experience with DOCSIS 3.0 - quite the contrary, with DOCSIS 3.0 speeds debuting at 50 Mbps and 60 Mbps, depending on the cable operator. And yes, Verizon's FiOS product combines customer connections at a single point, just like cable nodes combine groups of cable broadband users. There's not a difference in architecture that gives FiOS a leg up on DOCSIS 3.0.

While DOCSIS 3.0 speeds are just beginning to roll out among a few cable companies, the availability of DOCSIS 3.0 broadband to consumers will evenutally far surpass Verizon's plans to offer FiOS to a measly 13 percent of the U.S. population. Cable operators currently offer broadband that is available to over 90 percent of U.S. households.

Most online video viewed during work hours; No more Joost application; Twitter searches for a revenue stream

Don't tell the boss: most 'Net video viewing happens at work [ArsTechnica] 

Uh oh. It appears that Nielsen Online has discovered the dirty little secret of online video viewers - most web video viewing occurs at work. The market research firm's October 2008 VideoCensus has revealed that 65 percent of online video fans watch during the 9 AM to 5 PM time period. That compares to the 49 percent who watch online video between 5 PM and 8 PM.

YouTube is far and away the most popular online video portal, hosting 5 billion video streams during October. That compares with Hulu's 250 million streams during the same time period. 

As this article says, a little YouTube break after lunch may be okay, but it sounds like there's quite a bit more video watching going on.

Time to get back to work.

Google's compromise on net neutrality; IE users exposed to malicious code; BitTorrent venture funding drying up

Has Google Flipped on 'Network Neutrality'? [Multichannel News - Bit Rate]

The blogosphere has been buzzing for the past day about an article in yesterday's Wall Street Journal  that reveals that Google may not be willing to compromise their purest net neutrality position that the company adheres to. In a nutshell, the WSJ article revealed that Google is attempting to broker agreements with ISPs to place its OpenEdge caching servers within ISP networks, allowing for the fastest delivery of Google content, like high definition YouTube videos.

Despite the fact that the idea sounds like it's good for Google, good for ISP's and good for consumers, does it mean that Google is not practicing what it preaches when it comes to net neutrality?  Google's net neutrality platform would create regulations that would limit the flexibility of network owners to create high speed lanes for certain Internet content. But, Google wants the freedom to negotiate deals that would create high speed lanes for their content, provided they can get network owners to agree to the deal.

For their part, Google is vociferously objecting to the WSJ article's characterization of the OpenEdge technology as violating net neutrality principles. While OpenEdge doesn't give Google content priority over other network traffic, it delivers the content more quickly to users because it's already on their home network. 

A thin distinction, at best.

One principle I have tried to adhere to religiously when I go to Washington is to be intellectually pure in my positions.  I refuse to ask Congress and regulators to deregulate for cable while I ask them to regulate other industries. 

Google should think about doing the same.

Analog television extension approved by House; P2P boxes as vaporware; Chrome out of beta

House bill allows some analog messages after DTV switch [CNET News] 

A bill extending the date that television broadcasters can transmit analog signals for 30 days after next February's digital television transition has now been passed by the U.S. House of Representatives. The same piece of legislation had already been passed by the Senate, and it now heads to the President for his signature. Now, to be clear, the digital transition will still occur on February 17, 2009. If you watch television on an over-the-air signal via an antenna, it's important that you continue to make preparations to switch to digital television. The analog signals that broadcasters will transmit after February 17th will contain messages for those who didn't make the proper preparations that will advise them on the steps they need to take to receive the new digital television signals.

The early digital transition in Wilmington, NC proved that this extension is a critical ingredient in a successful national transition.  If the Wilmington experience is typical, millions of consumers will be unprepared for the transition on February 17 and will be looking for a speedy solution when they look for their favorite morning news show on February 18.

I'm starting to sound like a old record, but I want to remind Insight customers that all televisions connected to cable will work just fine after the transition. If your televisions are connected to Insight, relax. You're already prepared for next year's digital transition.

Top Facebook apps; YouTube as a profession; and some cable operators go wireless

Facebook crowns top apps. Rafe does, too [CNET News] 

How do you choose the applications you activate on your Facebook profile? Are they applications recommended by friends, or have you searched them out from among the thousands available to Facebook users. If you're looking for the best of the bunch, you'll be glad to hear that Facebook has named five applications as the best on the social networking service. The apps range from a greeting card maker that sends cards from a group of friends to a game that involves trapping virtual mice. The CNET writer profiling the Facebook apps also rates his personal top five, including a neat application that allows users to rate wines and share your rankings with friends.

Time to upgrade your wi-fi security; why movies disappear from iTunes; P2P to become network friendly?

WPA Wi-Fi encryption is cracked [Sherman's Security Blog] 

It might be time to upgrade your wi-fi security if you're using the WPA (Wi-fi Protected Access) encryption scheme to secure your wireless router. According to Sherman, researchers have partially cracked the WPA scheme, allowing them to monitor the traffic going from a router to computers connected to it. While the researchers did not fully compromise WPA protected routers, the crack was accomplished relatively quickly - in 12 to 15 minutes. The researchers' data will be presented at an upcoming security conference.

While the researchers' techniques demonstrate a hypothetical attack against WPA protection, it's important to consider that hackers will likely attempt their own attacks based on the research. Most wf-fi routers on the market today support the enhanced WPA2 scheme, which has yet to be compromised. As Sherman points out, an attack against the T.J. Maxx store chain's outdated WEP-protected wireless routers netted hackers millions of credit card numbers. It appears that WPA is going the way of WEP, and it's a good time to upgrade to a more secure encryption standard.

Faster wi-fi for cell phones; spam botnet comes back to life; Web publications now eligible for the Pulitzer

Broadcom squeezes 11n, Bluetooth, FM into new, cheap chip [ArsTechnica] 

Fast wi-fi is on its way for mobile phones, with Broadcom releasing a chipset that promises 802.11n connectivity. With more and more smartphones coming equipped with web browsers that look and function just like desktop web browsers, fast wi-fi connections are moving from a novel feature to a requirement for mobile phone handsets. Broadcom's wi-fi chipset includes Bluetooth and FM radio reception capabilities without any additional drain on the battery than wi-fi chipsets that are currently on the market.

If your broadband connection is fast enough, Broadcom expects that its wi-fi chipset can achieve 50 Mbps download speeds.  When you're home, your DOCSIS 3.0 connection will be even more valuable.

A new cybersecurity office proposal; Fox going all HD; A new Politics VOD channel

Tech commission suggests new cybersecurity post [CNET News] 

The Commission on Cyber Security for the 44th Presidency is recommending that President-elect Obama establish a permanent office within the White House to address Internet security issues. The commission and its recommendation is part of the Center for Strategic and International Studies. The recommendation involves consolidating cyber security personnel at the Department of Homeland Security with the new White House office to combat the growing threat of cyber criminals and foreign powers attacking U.S. interests on the Internet. The commission's report also recommends that the U.S. develop active partnerships with other nations to combat cyber threats. 

An article in last week's New York Times suggests that cyber criminals are winning in a war that pits them against users and security experts, as the amout and sophistication of malware programs grow at an exponential pace. As the Internet has become integral to this nation's economic fabric, it is absolutely critical that recommendations that are focused on improving cyber security are taken seriously by our nation's political leaders and regulators.

This may become one of the most important telecommunications issues, which clearly can affect the overall economy, during the next administration.

Flash to use P2P to deliver video; malware threatens Facebook users; NFL in 3D

Adobe Makes P2P Flash Video Available to Developers [NewTeeVee]

Adobe has released to developers a version of their Flash 10 product that uses an implementation of peer-to-peer to stream video. Is P2P the future of video sharing sites like YouTube, which uses Flash to embed videos in its site? No, Flash 10's P2P is designed for video streaming applications in which a P2P connection is more efficient than a server connection. Think videoconferencing or multi-player online gaming.

While the technology is P2P, Adobe's announcement tries to steer clear of some of P2P's negative connotations due to P2P's widespread use for illegal file sharing. Adobe calls the new technology "client-to-client streaming," and says "Flash player 10 will not enable swarming, multi-cast or broadcast quality live video." Regardless of what it's called, the new technology enables the possibility of web embedded videoconferencing applications that run faster with better quality video.

A new challenge in P2P management; Streaming college football; Discovery and History top cable favorite list; Wi-fi and cell phones

Alarming Title: BitTorrent declares war on the Internet [Broadband Politics]

Earlier this week, Richard Bennett covered the newest development in peer-to-peer software development that involves the makers of a popular P2P application changing protocols in an obvious attempt to evade ISPs' network management practices. The makers of the uTorrent application - a BitTorrent P2P application, have changed from the TCP protocol to the UDP protocol for file transfers. Basically TCP is a protocol designed for bulk data transfers that aren't time sensitive. UDP is a time-sensitive protocol used for VoIP, video streaming and gaming. By switching to UDP, uTorrent essentially is turning the unwritten rules of the road for the Internet on their head.

Network operators have been largely successful in managing P2P traffic - which accounts for more than half of all Internet traffic even though only a small percentage of Internet users use P2P applications. Responsible network management keeps the broadband experience enjoyable for everyone - even P2P users. Due to the way P2P applications currently work, without responsible management practices, P2P transfers would quickly overwhelm network resources, degrading the broadband experience for everyone, including P2Pers.

But this new twist threatens to throw a wrench in responsible network management. According to Bennett, attempting to manage uTorrent P2P streams using the UDP implementation would threaten to disrupt other UDP application users - like VoIP users. Thus, it's not possible for ISPs to simply target P2P without disrupting other users. Here's Bennett's take on the Pandora's box that uTorrent has opened:

The internet evolved as a gentleman’s system in the comfortable confines of the ivory towers of academe, but now that it’s an essential part of daily life for more than a billion people, the time has come to get realistic about its management. Some of the people who use this system are spoiled children with no more concern for the greater good than junkies looking for their next fix. They can’t be allowed to spoil it for the rest of us, and the only practical means to prevent their doing so is to unleash effective management upon them.

While we've yet to see how uTorrent's use of the UDP protocol affects network traffic patterns, this development should be concerning to all broadband users.

I checked in with our network management experts and they are indeed concerned about this development. Using UDP for P2P forces ISP's to consider how to manage a whole new type of bandwidth-consuming P2P activities. The problem is that UDP was designed to transport time-sensitive packets like VoIP, streaming and online gaming.

But the real issue is, how much longer must we play this cat and mouse game? We will continue to manage our networks in order to deliver excellent service to all of our customers. If we must, we'll find a solution to this challenge. However, it also forces ISP operators again to ask the fundamental question about metering and charging for consumption. I know it's not a popular idea but I am becoming more convinced that the only fair way to manage heavy usage is to charge those who consume heavily. That's fair for us and it's fair to consumers by distributing the cost of providing service to users based on their consumption.

While we still have no plans on the drawing board to implement monthly limits and heavy-usage billing, we continue to watch the market tests being conducted by other ISP's. I will keep you informed of our thinking, but no changes are planned for the foreseeable future.

Wireless HD on the horizon; YouTube to make money?; Usage meters and caps

Cutting the HDTV Cable [NYT Gadgetwise Blog]  

Several years ago, the introduction of wi-fi routers allowed broadband users to cut the cord to their portable computers so that users could access broadband anywhere in their home. Now, we may be on the verge for a similar cutting of the cord for HD video signals. Several companies are developing technology that will allow wireless transmission of HD - eliminating the need for a cable running from your set-top box or DVD player to your HDTV. This article profiles one company, SiBeam, which is partnering with HDTV manufacturers Panasonic and Samsung to market a device called HD wireless that promises to beam an HD signal up to 30 feet. The technology promises to be autosensing - meaning you just plug in your devices and the technology makes the connection automatically. 

Wi-fi has given broadband users a lot of additional freedom in the way they use the Internet. This technology promises to create these kinds of freedoms for HD video.

Another video portal opens to web viewers

Sling.com Internet TV portal opens to the public [EngadgetHD] 

From the makers of the popular Slingbox, the television location-shifting appliance, comes the launch of Sling.com, a portal for online video. Sling Media has opened the site to the public, and claims over 90 different programming providers. Those include some you've heard of that do programming for cable television, like Discovery Networks and Versus. The site also offers a few feature length movie titles. Unlike some of the other video portals out there, Sling.com offers some social networking features, so you can let your friends know what you're watching and recommend shows. The site is still officially in beta, but there's already quite a bit of content available for viewing.

Digital transition update for Monday

What you need to know about the digital TV switch [CNET News]

Are you still waiting to get prepared for next year's switch to digital television? CNET has published an article this morning that effectively summarizes where we are 77 days out from February 17th. The article includes several good links for over-the-air television viewers to get up to speed on what is needed to continue receiving a television signal after the transition. If all the televisions in your household are connected to cable, then you're already ready for the transition - televisions connected to cable will continue to receive programming after the transition.

Television viewing is up while online video viewing increasing

We Are Watching More TV — Both Old and New [GigaOm] 

The Nielsen Company has released data that indicates that Americans are watching more television than ever before - an average of 142 hours per month. That's an average of 5 more hours of television viewing than  last year. At the same time, Americans are also watching more online video - an average of two and a half hours monthly.

On top of these numbers, as the number of households that own DVRs has grown to 27%, Americans are now watching an average of six and a half hours of time-shifted video each month. 

GigaOm's article contains some more statistics about the growth of online video, which is undeniable. But while those numbers are increasing, it's not coming at the expense of traditional television viewing.

More channels, more HD, more time-shifting options.  Makes sense.

A visit to the online doctor

The Doctor Will See You Now — Online [NYT Bits Blog] 

The information revolution that broadband Internet has created continues to change paradigms. Today's change is the visit to the doctor, which a company named American Well aims to transform into a video conference that can be conducted from a computer. If your health insurance opts to participate in American Well (and at least one will by January), you simply log on to American Well and you're directed to your virtual exam room for a ten minute consultation with a doctor. Doctors in the American Well system have access to your electronic medical records and can even prescribe medication through the system.

While it sure sounds like a big change from making an appointment and traveling to a doctor's office, a system like this is perfect for people on the go who need to consult with a doctor about a non-emergency issue. Plus, this article indicates that the system will have doctors available after regular office hours and on weekends.

Is Internet video taking the place of television?

Is Internet TV Eating Into Traditional Viewing? [Multichannel News]  

Multichannel News covers a panel discussion at the Future of Television conference about whether Internet video is poised to surpass traditional television viewing. And, of course, there's a disagreement between the Internet panelists and the programming panelists. One panelist from Accenture says that their studies show that people 18-35 years of age are 60% more likely to watch video on a mobile device or the Internet rather than television. IBM's panelist contended that their online survey showed that 76% of Internet users watch online video and half of those say they watch less television as a result.

But television programmers on the panel contended that the rise of online video is complimentary to traditional television viewing. CBS's panelist said that while three quarters of Internet users view online video, television viewing is up 8% since 2000. 

I'm not so sure this is totally generational either.  Perhaps I'm not your typical 50-something TV viewer but I watch plenty of video on my Internet connection.  But given the choice, I'll always watch television on my TV.

So what do you think? Do you spend more time watching video on sites like YouTube and Hulu than you did a year ago? Do you watch less television as a result? If you had to choose between Internet video and cable television, which would you choose?

A new era for peer-to-peer applications?

ISPs To Speed Up P2P Transfers [Silicon Alley Insider]   

Peer-to-peer transfers might be getting much faster and more efficient. According to Silicon Alley Insider, some of the country's largest ISPs are set to release the first version of P4P software. P4P is the product of a coalition of ISPs, content producers, and P2P software developers. It's designed to speed up P2P file transfers without consuming more than a user's fair share of bandwidth. It also promises to bring content producers to the table, bringing P2P out of the dark alleys of the Internet and into the mainstream.

Here's how P4P promises to make P2P better: 

It makes peer-to-peer transfers -- a huge chunk of all the bandwidth used on the Internet -- more efficient by sending more traffic, when possible, across the ISP's internal network -- as opposed to across the broader Internet. It can also prioritize P2P traffic from networks with which ISPs have so-called symbiotic "peering" relationships, which could save them money.

.....

Hey Mr. Newspaperman! You Think A-La-Carte Makes Sense?

More Misunderstanding About A-La-Carte [Los Angeles Times]

Here we go again.  Now LA Times columnist and newspaperman David Lazarus thinks consumers would be better off if the Federal government required cable operators to offer all of their channels on an a-la-carte basis. You can read my previous posts and my guest blogger, Gerry Laybourne's, that argue that the cost of television would rise dramatically under government-imposed a-la-carte and the diversity of choices would all but evaporate when scores of niche networks simply cease to exist.

Let's use Mr. Lazarus' example to understand the economics.

The average U.S. home now receives a record 118.6 TV channels, according to a recent report from Nielsen Co. But the dirty little secret of the cable industry is that the average subscriber watches only about 17 channels regularly...

...When I watch TV, it's usually CNN, CNBC or a movie channel. On an a la carte basis, I could probably get the handful of channels I like for pocket change.

Ok.  We believe the studies that suggest that, on average, fewer than 25% of the population would subscribe to any particular channel, like CNN or CNBC.  Let's just say that news and movie channels that are on basic cable, on average, cost cable operators about 50 cents per month, each.  Today, those channels receive that 50 cents per month from all expanded basic customers.  If only 25% of the customers actually were willing to pay for the channel, they would each have to charge about $2.00 per month, just to stay revenue neutral.

But that's only half the story. 

We also know that most networks rely on both subscriber revenue and advertising revenue and about half of their revenue comes from advertising.  We also know that a great deal of a network's viewing comes from channel surfing, so their ratings for advertisers are enhanced by that viewership.  Many people estimate that each channel would lose about 40% of its viewers in an a-la-carte world.  A proportional reduction in advertising revenue, reflective of that lost viewership, would require the network to charge customers another $.80 per customer just to stay revenue neutral.  ...

New customers choose cable two-to-one over DSL

Cable Beating Back DSL [Broadband Reports]

Third-quarter results are showing that new broadband subscribers are choosing cable broadband at a 2-1 rate over DSL. The gap between cable broadband and DSL continues to grow because of the significant speed differences between the two. Cable broadband is faster than DSL, and promises even faster speeds as cable operators begin to roll out DOCSIS 3.0 technology.  Another BBR report declares that DSL has cemented its title as the next dial-up.

Unlike phone companies, cable companies do not view technology as the end-game of their services.  Instead, it's a means to an end.  Do customers really care if they receive their blazing Internet speeds via a network that delivers their service via fiber to the curb or fiber to the node?  No.  Unless there is a difference in the quality of service.  With DOCSIS 3.0, cable has put to rest the belief that a complete fiber optic rebuild is needed to compete effectively with Verizon's FIOS technology.  Instead, both Verizon and AT&T remain burdened with huge capital investment requirements in order to compete with cable's already-installed platform that easily adds DOCSIS 3.0 to it.

The remaining question is when does Wall Street figure it out and start reflecting these economic differences in the values of wireline phone and cable companies.

Facebook to take their election tools overseas

Facebook's political squad looks overseas [CNET News]

Having had a major influence in the presidential election this week, Facebook is looking abroad to provide the social networking tools that allowed campaigns to organize their supporters and to recruit additional supporters. 

"This week is definitely all the post-election aftermath, but I'm definitely looking forward to jumping right into some of the international politics (and) international elections," said Zuckerberg (who is, in case you were wondering, CEO Mark Zuckerberg's sister). "It's a little more fun to work on some of those because they don't draw out their elections for a year and a half."

According to Facebook, more than 5.4 million users clicked on the "I Voted" button on their Facebook account on Election Day. Over three-quarters of Facebook users live outside the U.S., so there are plenty of users that can take advantage of Facebook in their home country's elections. 

 

Hollywood movies you can watch on YouTube?

Feature films coming to YouTube [CNET News]

After Google acquired YouTube, they began looking for ways to create a revenue model for the ultra-popular video sharing site. Now, news is leaking out that YouTube may be bringing advertising supported feature films to the site. According to an anonymous Hollywood executive quoted in this article, Google's negotiations with Hollywood studios are paying off, and we can expect to see movies on YouTube within the next three months.

This move will position YouTube to move into the space occupied by Hulu, a joint venture between NBC Universal and News Corp. Hulu offers users a variety of TV shows from NBC Universal and Fox, along with a few feature-length films. 

The fact that there's a lengthy discussion in this article about whether Hulu's superior video quality gives it a competitive advantage over YouTube tells me that we've crossed a threshold with web video. This format's popularity is already expanding exponentially, and there's every sign that popularity will only increase over the coming months.