Category Archives: Consumer Tech

Consumer Technology news

Internet, Internet Culture, Services, Tech Politics, Technology, Technology Policy, Televisions

FiOS customer shows Verizon does serious throttling shenanigans with Netflix

1 Comment

Screen Shot 2014-07-26 at 3.52.38 PM

FiOS subscriber Colin Nederkoorn, a startup CEO who resides in New York City, pays for FiOS Internet that promised service of 75 Mbps download and 35 Mbps upload. However, his Netflix video streams were limping along at just 375 kbps (0.375mbps). Which is about only 0.5 percent of the speed he’s paying for.  So on a lark he decided to connect to a Virtual Private Network service. What Nederkoorn found was that through this encrypted extra hop, which in all other cases would slow down network performance he saw nearly a 10x increase in Netflix performance.

So Verizon, you got a lot of explaining to do! Continue reading →

Cameras & Camcorders, Computers, Consumer Tech, Internet, Mobile Devices, Technology

You have just had your Gadget stolen! Here is how to get it back!

stolenphone1

We carry expensive gadgets on us all the time now. On a flight we listen to music on an iPhone or read on a Kindle ebook reader. We watch movies on an iPad or play Flappy bird on a phone. But what do you do if you misplace that device, or worse it is stolen? What recourse do you have to get it back, if any? What are the first steps and when and who do you call, or contact, for help, and what can you do to be prepared beforehand to help in getting it back yourself? Continue reading →

Android Mobile, Hobbyist Computers, Maker News, Mobile Devices, Raspberry Pi

Proof of Concept shows how to make your own GSM phone network using $35 Raspberry Pi

2012 12 23 - GSM Raspberry Pi Story

In a well made geek focused viral proof of concept video, United Kingdom based PA Consulting Group, showed the world that you can build a smaller than a book GSM radio tower for less than $800 dollars using a $35 Raspberry Pi hobbyist Linux computer to do it.

Continue reading →

Cameras & Camcorders

New Firmware update brings uncompressed HDMI output to Canon 5D Mark 3 DSLR

Canon EOS 5d Mark 3 will be getting a new firmware update. Soon the power of  uncompressed HDMI output support will be in the hands of Canon EOS 5d Mark III owners everywhere. Crap, now the DSLR nuttery begins anew. Well at least magic lantern firmware is in the works for it already too. This will be very good, but DSLR film nerds will have to wait till April 2013 for the firmware update.

Press release after the break.
Continue reading →