How Fast is Your High Speed Internet?

If there's one thing that can be confusing when it comes to shopping for home services, it's high speed Internet. With the increasing packages that providers are offering via fiber optic, cable and DSL connections, it's getting harder and harder to figure out which speed is the right one for you. On top of that, there's no real standard across the industry for broadband speeds, so there are lots of options out there that can be difficult to sift through.

It really all boils down to what your needs are. If you are simply a fan of browsing the Web casually and checking e-mail, then you don't need anything more than the basic 768 kbps (kilobytes per second) package that most providers offer. However, if you are into downloading music and watching the occasional YouTube or other small streaming video, you might need to kick it up another notch.

For the more serious Web fiends, the options continue. If you are into higher quality video streaming, like the services found on Netflix, 6 Mbps (Megabits per second) is probably necessary to yield better results. In addition, online gamers will need a faster connection, but download speed isn't quite as important as upload speed there. Online gaming relies on how fast your connection is uploading your information back to the server you're playing on.  Many providers try to sell higher download speeds (like 12 Mbit/s) as the "gaming" package, but if it doesn't have a higher upload speed, you might not be getting what you need. 

Right now, I'm sporting a 6 Mbps connection at home, and so far it's proven great for video streaming and even online gaming. What about you guys? What do you have at home? Vote and tell us in the comments!

Happy Birthday to the Internet

The Internet turns 40 years old today. It's all grown up. Who knew?

On October 29th, 1969, "the first two nodes of ARPANET were interconnected between UCLA’s School of Engineering and Applied Science and SRI International (SRI) in Menlo Park, California". I suppose the rest is history. Eventually came the now-dead Geocities, broadband, file sharing, social media, pictures of cats and Kanye West memes.

It really is hard to imagine life without the crazy World Wide Web these days. It's just as ordinary as turning the lights on or cranking the heat during the winter. We use the Internet on our phones, personal computers and our video game consoles and expect to be able to do so without a wait or a series of crazy dial-up noises.

I think my first encounter with the Internet was around 1993 or so. My friend was on AOL I believe, and we would log into chat rooms after school and make fun of people. Looking around at message boards these days, I suppose that really not that much has changed. So what about you guys? What was your first encounter with the Internet?

Source- Mashable

Feds Offer Cyber Security Tips for National Cybersecurity Awareness Month

October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month!

As part of this initiative, the Federal Trade Commission has launched a new site focused on the cybersecurity. OnGuardOnline.gov provides practical tips from the federal government and technology industry to help consumers be on guard against Internet fraud, secure their computers, and protect their personal information.

Topics include computer security, broadband Internet, identity theft, Internet auctions, email scams, and social networking sites. The site also offers a variety of practical tips and tools consumers can use to be safe online, including a glossary of Internet terms, and tutorial videos on topics like spam filtering and wireless security. There is even a game, The Case of the Cyber Criminal, that teaches tips on how to protect privacy online.

For more tips on cybersecurity, also check out StaySafeOnline.org.

Online Shopping Safety Tips

Shopping online is the most convenient thing since sliced bread! There's no need to hassle with mall parking or crowds. Just simply click on what you want, enter in your credit card information and in a few days you'll get your items in the mail — so simple! Or is it?

Of course there are those who shy away from online shopping because of identity theft. Sure it's a problem but if you arm yourself with knowledge then you can avoid becoming a target.

Below are some safety tips to keep you safe while you're shopping online.

• Read reviews from other shoppers
• Look for the Better Business Bureau logo or call them to verify the company is legitimate
• Shop with reputable leading companies
• Look for the lock icon that lets you know the Web site is secure
• Update your browser often as it comes with security features
• Stay away from sites that ask you to enter in your social security number to make a purchase

Global Broadband Keeps Gaining Momentum

While we know that broadband use continues to spread in the United States, it is also increasing dramatically around the planet. In 2008, it was estimated that somewhere around 382 million people around the world were connected to the Internet via fixed broadband connections. The number has grown 10.5 percent in 2009 to bring the total to 422 million. That is about 1 in 5 households. Interestingly enough, the projected growth for next year is even more than this past year's, putting the total to 580 million strong.

According to a report at CNET, there are many countries that have broadband connections in 50 percent of households, while in some Asian countries the number might be as high as 93 percent. When looking at the projected forecast for the immediate future, "Brazil, Russia, India, and China will account for nearly half, or 47 percent, of the increase in consumer broadband connections over the next several years."

To read more about the continued spread of broadband worldwide, visit CNET.

AT&T Launches New Entertainment Site

Last week, AT&T announced the launch of AT&T Entertainment, a new site that offers streaming TV shows and movies to watch on your PC. The online content is provided by numerous providers including ABC and NBC Universal (via an agreement with Hulu), CBS Interactive and others. The site is open to any user, not just AT&T high speed Internet customers.

Content will include movies and TV shows (available after their initial network airing) from a variety of networks and studios, including ABC, Bravo, CBS Entertainment, CBS News, CNBC, NBC, Oxygen, Syfy, The CW, and USA Network. The site allows users to brows TV shows and movies alphabetically, by genre, or by network or studio.

AT&T U-verse TV and Internet customers who visit AT&T Entertainment can sign in to access U-verse Web Remote Access, a popular application that allows customers to schedule and manage DVR recordings directly from their PC.

To start watching, visit www.entertainment.att.net.

Hughes Honored for Satellite Internet Industry Leadership

Hughes, providers of the popular HughesNet high-speed satellite Internet service, received a 2009 North American Frost & Sullivan Award for Market Leadership this week for their efforts in the consumer satellite broadband industry. The award is given to companies that demonstrate superior innovation, customer service and leadership and winners are chosen by a panel of industry analysts.

Speaking about the award, Hughes senior vice president Mike Cook said that the company is “proud to receive the 2009 North American Frost & Sullivan Award for Market Leadership for our HughesNet high-speed Internet access service.” He went on to say that “from online banking and shopping to social media applications, the demand for broadband is growing unabated and we look forward to continuing to lead the way in meeting the needs of our subscribers.”

It’s been a very positive summer for Hughes, as last month they were able to report a massive gain of 18,000 HughesNet subscribers during the second quarter. The total number of HughesNet subscribers now tops 470,000. HughesNet is an always-on, satellite Internet service that allows those not served by cable or DSL providers to enjoy the full experience of a high-speed Internet connection.

Coffee Shops Getting Tired of Wi-Fi Squatters

Uh oh. This is troubling news for anyone out there that is used to finding the nearest Starbucks and sitting down to browse the Web on a laptop. While free public Wi-Fi is fun to use and often shopped as a selling point among many businesses, it seems that coffee shops in particular are getting a little bothered by the growing number of Wi-Fi squatters out there.

The Wall Street Journal has posted an interesting read about this trend. Over the last several years, the amount of people with Wi-Fi enabled devices has been steadily on the rise, as well as the number of businesses that offer wireless access points to its customers. However, this has also attributed to non-paying customers simply loitering and crashing the property of many local owners, without even buying anything.

Even though I for one love to partake in some free Wi-Fi whenever I can get my virtual hands on it, I do have to say that I understand why a shop owner would be upset about non-paying customers just hanging around all day. What are your thoughts about coffee shops clamping down on Wi-Fi squatters? To read more, visit the Wall Street Journal.

Cable Industry: Triple Play Good for Consumers!

According to a recent study commissioned by the National Cable & Television Association, cable’s decade-plus investments in modern digital networks, which they say allows consumers to choose among a wide variety of products and bundled services – including digital high-definition video, high-speed data, and digital voice – provides about $35 billion in annual consumer benefits.

"Consumers as a whole have unequivocally benefited from the transformation of the cable industry over the past ten years and its investment and entry into voice and high-speed data markets,” the report states. “The benefits can be attributed to the cable industry’s massive investments in deployment of advanced communications infrastructure, which enables provision of new digital video, data, and voice services.  Consumers have voted with their feet by subscribing to these new services in ever-increasing numbers.” 

The study, prepared by Microeconomic Consulting & Research Associates, Inc. (MiCRA), found that about 60 percent of cable customers subscribe to broadband Internet service, 26 percent subscribe to digital voice service, and the penetration of each service continues to grow steadily.  The triple-play bundle of digital video, broadband, and digital voice service continues to attract a larger share of cable customers, which provides the greatest opportunity for consumer savings. 

The researches used bundled service figures from the top three cable operators, Comcast, Time Warner and Cox. According to those three, 23% chose a triple play of cable, Internet and phone, in 2008, up from around 10% in 2007.

For more information, download the incredibly detailed PDF of the whole survey. Or just find a triple play bundle available in your area. 

Mobile Internet Use Increases Sharply in 2009

A recent survey by the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project found that 56% of adult Americans have accessed the Internet by wireless means (laptop, mobile device, game console, MP3 player, etc). The most prevalent way people get online using a wireless network is with a laptop computer, with 39% of adults having done so.

The report also found rising levels of Americans using the Internet on a mobile handset. One-third of Americans (32%) have used a cell phone or Smartphone to access the Internet for e-mailing, instant-messaging, or information-seeking. This level of mobile Internet is up by one-third since December 2007, when 24% of Americans had ever used the Internet on a mobile device. On the typical day, nearly one-fifth (19%) of Americans use the Internet on a mobile device, up substantially from the 11% level recorded in December 2007. That’s a growth of 73% in the 16 months between surveys!

The report also found a growth in a broader measure of mobile engagement, as more Americans in 2009 were turning to their handheld for non-voice data activities. The activities probed were: sending or receiving text messages, taking a picture, playing a game, checking e-mail, accessing the Internet, recording video, instant messaging, playing music, getting maps or directions, or watching video.

For more on the findings, check out Mobile Internet use increases sharply in 2009 as more than half of all Americans have gotten online by some wireless means.