Comcast Tests Combo Set top Box For Cable TV and Internet.

#Comcast wants #GoogleTVs and #AppleTVs and #Roku Off The Living Room http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
Comcast is testing a set top box, that does a smattering of Internet Videos in addition to traditional streams of cable TV. It does offer Internet videos and some social networks but not web browsing.
Comcast customers in Augusta, Georgia are searching though both the mediums and watching TV using the new experimental set-top box and service codenamed "Spectrum" and "Xcalibur,".

"We are testing many technological approaches to understand how best to meet consumer interests, and this small trial is one of those experiments," a Comcast spokeswoman told WSJ in an emailed statement.

As a customer planing to use Comcast Triple Play, I am happy to have the capability to watch internet content (am I?) while on the couch or bedroom, I doubt, Comcast to give me all the internet Videos to me on a platter. It is not in their best interest.
Other traditional TV service providers like DirecTV and new Digital TV services like. Verizon Communications are on the go as well to provide Internet to the TV. Verizon's Fios TV service offers apps for YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. AT&T Inc.'s U-verse has TV apps for sports, yellow-pages and other functions, and is testing some for social media. DirecTV is offering Internet-connected digital-video recorders that can record television shows and provide other services such as accessing Flickr and more.
I hope they will have Google Fiber in Berkeley soon, like they are doing in Stanford University right now. I will be able to get all my TV, News and everything else from that pipe, hopefully without much choke.
WSJ via Gizmodo

Google Selects Sonic.net To Run Stanford Fiber To Home Project.

#Sonic.net will run #Stanford #Fiber project for Google http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
For a few year, from 2004 to 2007, I had the pleasure of using Sonic.net DSL services in San Francisco. We ran most of our basic services like DNS, VoIP Routing and simple web sites on that network. For all the years, we had the service, perhaps twice the service went down and on of them due to AT&T.
So I was glad to see that they will be running the Google's Stanford fiber project (Providing fiber to home for all the Stanford faculty and staff living in homes on the campus.) Stanford is the Alma Mater of Google founders and the initial Google actually ran on the Stanford network
This is different from the Google fiber to home project that Google will run for different communities it selects based on various criteria. Still this will be a trial project to learn about fiber construction and operation methods.

“Sonic.net is an innovative ISP that brings top notch experience to the Google Fiber for Communities project,” said James Kelly, Google Fiber for Communities product manager. “Their open access experience and well regarded customer service team will play a key role as we kick off our beta network at Stanford.”

“We are very excited to have the opportunity to work with Google on this project,” said Dane Jasper, CEO & Co-Founder of Sonic.net. “It’s a great fit for our existing capabilities, and will help us develop new skills as we move our own network toward fiber.“

The project will start in early 2011.
Sonic.net via @googlers

iPad And The New Content Delivery Model!

http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
Andy Abramson over at VoIP Watch has again hit a nail in the spot with his post "iPad Will Bring Sending Party Pays Model To Content Providers"
Even though I, like you pay over our noses for services provided by carriers, they keep on degrading in my view. 1 million iPads in WiFi zone might not affect the 3G performance, but what if Apple manages to sell one or two million of the 3G enabled iPads soon? Add the iPhone HD to that mix!
Google paying AT&T for me to watch YouTube? well we got to see this. Someone need to build the infrastructure.
What I like to see is PG&E delivering Google fiber to home, like those electricity companies in Japan do!

Google Fiber to Home, 1100 Communities Wants It

Google Fiber to Home snapvoip.blogspot.com
Google received more than 1,100 community requests and more than 194,000 individuals requests for the experimental fiber network to be deployed in their respective neighborhoods. Of course I want it in Berkeley, California. Google released the above map which displays where the responses were concentrated as of 1:30pm PT. Each small dot represents a government response, and each large dot represents locations where more than 1,000 residents submitted a nomination.
Google will update the map and information to show complete responses of government responses soon.

Even though Google mentioned that you do not have to jump in to frozen lakes to get included in the experimental fiber to home project, some people did. Hopefully you don't have to do the same, once FCCs National Broadband Plan come to place.


Official Google Blog: Next steps for our experimental fiber network