Why Did Amp'D Mobile File For Bankruptcy?

Amp'D Mobile filed for Chapter 11. I read it on Gizmodo. I'm a little shocked.

They owed a lot (around a hundred million dollars) to several large companies. I've seen large corporations spend millions of dollars on nothing before, but never on such a scale.

Were Bestbuy and Verizon simply thinking that Amp'D was a fun diversion, or an experimental market?

I'm guessing that Verizon will simply purchase out the assets for Amp'D and use their subscribers in their new Verizon network. Yucky, but that would be a good triage.

I feel as if I just saw an Amp'D Mobile commercial on TV yesterday.

myLot User Profile

BEST PLACES TO HIDE MONEY AT HOME

(From the article: http://www.helium.com/tm/202270/places-hiding-money-please)

Best places for hiding money at home (Please don't come to my house and steal my stash.):

1. Underneath a safe.

A safe is an obvious place to hide money, so place something of lesser value in the safe so that a robber steals that and leaves the safe intact. Make a secret compartment underneath the safe in the floorboards, just in case. What robber will move a safe?

2. In the Refrigerator

There are a few companies that sell food items (containers and jars) with secret compartments. Just hope your robber isn't hungry.

3. Under the Refrigerator

Make a false bottom for the refrigerator by cutting out a thin sheet of opaque plastic and taping it (or magnetizing it) to the bottom of the fridge. You can line up the cash on the plastic and then place it under the fridge. (Be careful with this you don't want to hurt your back.)

4. Pens

A simple ball-point pen can be modified to fit one or two rolled-up bills. Also, place the pen in an area where people are not likely to utilize it, for instance, at the bottom of a drawer.

For added realism, CHEW ON THE PEN. Who wants to touch your nasty chew-toy?

How To Become A Millionaire

(From the article: http://www.helium.com/tm/207130/millionaires-their-money-extremely)

How do millionaires make their money? They work EXTREMELY HARD.

Living in Chicago, and playing assistant to several lawyers, I've known a few millionaires in my life. I know what they're like because I have to play custodian to their paperwork.

Here is what millionaires are like:

Millionaires WORK AT LEAST 70 HOURS A WEEK.

This is a big one. The attitude is that time spent NOT MAKING MONEY, is time wasted. So, every free moment they had was USED to make more money. Even during leisure time, business calls were taken, notes were written, memos were handed out.

Millionaires LOOK AT THE BIG PICTURE.

One of my bosses would consistently float hundreds of thousands of dollars in loans. Every day was a new piece of real estate, or development. Funny thing, the guy didn't know the price of a gallon of milk! He was focused on big things. He moved mountains, not molehills.

Millionaires DO NOT LOSE MONEY.

It's a one-way street. Money goes in, not out. Millionaires are CHEAP. Contrary to the public image of people like Sean Combs, (who uses parties as publicity), millionaires do not spend money. They rake it in.

Millionaires FIND NEW WAYS TO MAKE MONEY.

Millionaires are incredibly resourceful. They find ways to exploit simple things for profit. You could drop a millionaire in the middle of sub-saharan Africa, in a few weeks they would be making thousands of dollars! Millionaires see opportunity IN EVERYTHING, not LACK OF OPPORTUNITY. Don't forget, Post-it notes are a million-dollar industry, and that is the simplest idea.

iriver clix2

If you haven't seen it yet, the iriver clix2 is the new uber-style item. It's a 4 Gig media player, priced around $200.

It plays media files, can record sound, and is a heck of a lot cooler than the ipod. Plus, it's brand new.

I haven't posted a blog in forever!

Well, I'm back here again.

One of my favorite things these days is going on Perezhilton.com and seeing the little cartoon drawings he does with celebrities.

And he refers to Sanjaya as "Sangina!"

I decided to ditch the Adsense ads and instead focus on Oxado advertisements. You're allowed to put up more Oxado ads.

Oxado is a great alternative to Adsense, and so far it's earned my respect. Despite the fact that it pays Euros.

Sometimes, I wonder i Perez Hilton is too cruel. Seeing stars in compromising situations is like watching a car accident.

I'm tired, so tired of bloggin'

Here are a few links to my helium articles:

Best Cities In The World To Visit: Prague, Austin, Beirut, and Seoul

Google Adsense Success Stories

Why Do Onions Make You Cry?

Always Broke? Steps to better money management

Ugh...adsense words.

The top earners are usually dui, structured settlements, and loan consolidation. I simultaneously hate and love adsense. I have no idea if it really works, however.

(What the heck is a bextra lawsuit? Or for that matter, how many attorneys are gearing up for a vioxx class-action? Maybe I should steer the topic of this blog to technology.)

What will the outcome be? Viacom sues Youtube.

Last week, Viacom announced that it would file suit against Youtube, seeking damages of $1 billion dollars.

I do not believe that the core issue of the suit is whether or not Youtube was following the rules of the 1998 DMCA - Digital Millennium Copyright Act - wherein content uploaders are blamed for piracy, not providers. Lawsuits only happen when there's something to gain from the conflict - legal fees are exorbitant.

The issue is:

How much of a cut of the advertising revenue should be paid to Viacom?

According to the two correspondences to Youtube issued by Viacom, there were a total of 160,000 videos that could be claimed as copyright infringement, displayed on Youtube.

In terms of a dollar value of revenue lost by the distribution of those videos on Youtube, for free, Viacom is demanding $1 Billion dollars, on average, $6,700 per video.

Youtube's response is:

It's not OUR fault, it's the individual uploaders! How can you blame us for something that we didn't do! (Paraphrased from the DMCA.)

Does Google's Youtube have a chance with this argument? That depends on a few issues:

1. It's obvious that Viacom has previously issued complaints to Youtube. The suit has only come after more than one request.

2. Under the DMCA, Youtube's response would be to destroy the uploaded content that infringed upon copyright, upon notice.

Therefore, Viacom is issuing that suit because Youtube is not complying fast enough - or, perhaps because the value of the videos has not been translated to revenue for Viacom.

What I predict might happen:

OUTCOME 1

Youtube settles with Viacom for an undisclosed amount. That amount would be less than $1 Billion. Youtube removes all copyrighted material, sets up a better way to find copyrighted material. Viacom provides more content with a better fee from advertising revenue.

OUTCOME 2

Youtube does not settle with Viacom. Youtube wins the lawsuit, successfully defending with the 1998 DMCA. Viacom has no other recourse than to go after individual copyright impingers. Individuals who have shared videos will be sued for the content that they have uploaded to Youtube. Viacom becomes a sort of RIAA bill-collector, allowing people to pay off their judgements online, via credit card.

OUTCOME 3

Youtube does not settle with Viacom. Youtube loses the lawsuit, Viacom proves that Youtube has infringed on copyrights, or negligently colluded to allow copyright infringement. Youtube ordered to pay Viacom $1 Billion dollars. Youtube removes all copyrighted material. Youtube implements stricter standards.

With these three outcomes, pirates STILL move to different flash-video providers, regardless of what happens. Youtube becomes a haven for individuals, with less content from providers...apparently.

The question that Viacom has to answer is: How can we make money in these three outcomes?

The resolution that makes sense, besides becoming like a giant RIAA copyright infringement collector, or grabbing some of Youtube's riches, is to rig up a better revenue system for Viacom, and allow a similar level of anarchy on Youtube. (Pennies per click, with advertisers competing for positions on

After all, Viacom does not want to lose an audience.

Youtube does not want to lose an audience, either. They have to compete with paid services, and the upcoming video service from News Corp and NBC. Youtube is owned by Google, and Google has some smart business planners, they probably know that some of the videos on the site are copyrighted.

Google would much rather make a cut of the advertising revenue and allow the freedom of Youtube to continue. Google's motto is:'Don't be Evil', right?

What does this mean to you?

There are plenty of alternatives to Youtube to watch uploaded copyright material; just Google them.

A Few Links

Here are a few links to some articles that I found amusing:

The Top Careers of the 21st Century:
Steps to better money management
Why Do Onions make you cry?

How To Tell If a Girl Likes You Without Talking To Her

How do you tell if a girl likes you without talking to her? Here are a few signs.

1. She looks you in the eyes a few times.

If she likes you, she will look you in the eyes a few times. This is a signal of interest.

2. She will touch her hair, or shirt.

This is a grooming behavior. She's telling you that she's a neat and clean person, so go ahead and talk to her.

3. She looks away and then looks at you.

She may be a bit intimidated. Usually, girls do this behavior because they don't know if they want to get to know you.

Keep in mind that girls are difficult creatures; it's difficult to interpret their signals with one-hundred percent accuracy.

One last important thing:

You must talk to the girl IMMEDIATELY if she performs these behaviors. She will lose interest if you do not.

Why is the iphone on a GSM network?

Although I have heard the story of Verizon not taking the Apple contract, I still don't know why the iphone is on a GSM network.

The technology seems like it would be better suited to a CDMA network, especially when using the phone for websurfing or PDA-type actions.

And yes, come June, I WILL PURCHASE AN iPHONE. Precious......

QR Code Hack?

What the heck is a QR code?

QR codes, now popular in Japan (as of 2006), were invented by a company called Denso-Wave. These 2-d images contain a small amount of information, roughly 2,900 bytes of 8-bit binary.

What do you do with them?
In Japan, many cellphones have a special QR reader on the camera. You simply take a picture of the QR code, and your phone receives a small message, usually advertisements or coupons.

You can also make your own QR codes!

Using the site kaywa.com, I generated this image. If you had a reader and took a picture of this image, it would produce the URL for this blog.


I'm no security expert, but I am a creative person. So, I pose the question: is it possible to engineer a QR code trojan horse?

To put this in perspective, the smallest virus I could find was the AT virus, weighing in at a mere 144 bytes. (http://www.f-secure.com/v-descs/at.shtml)

Even if it is not possible to have an executable file recorded in QR coding, maybe soon there will be a rash of QR grafiti, if there isn't one already.

Cellphone Standards

GSM vs. CDMA

What is GSM exactly? GSM stands for Global Systems for Mobile Communications. It's a cellphone technology.

What's CDMA? CDMA stands for Code Division Multiple Access. It's the other cellphone technology.

What does this have to do with me?
Most likely, your cellphone falls into one of the two categories.

What?
Your cellphone is either CDMA or GSM.

How can I tell?
Open up the back of your cellphone. If you see a smartcard, you have a GSM phone. If there's no smartcard, you have a CDMA phone.

Which one is better?
That's a tricky question. If you've had both types of service, you may find one more preferable to your liking. Of course, that's not to say that your carrier choice may have had something to do with it.

What do I prefer?
Undoubtedly, GSM. The smartcard is a huge benefit.

1. Use the smartcard in unlocked phones.
2. Carry your phone numbers in the smartcard.
3. Re-issued smartcards are typically cheap. **

(** You'll have to cite your individual area for pricing; fees vary depending on state.)

I am very clumsy; I have broken two phones in the last two years. However, each time I've had a broken phone, I've removed the smartcard and placed it into a cheap back-up phone and continued to have cellphone service.

Try the same thing with a CDMA phone. A broken CDMA phone has to be brought to the retailer and re-issued. If you have insurance, it's possibly covered. Otherwise, you still have to take the time to visit the retailer in person and get a new phone.

Secondly, if you take a GSM phone overseas, it is possible to put a foreign smartcard in your phone and receive service from that provider.

Given a choice, I will probably still chose based on price and quality of service.

A Funny about Net Neutrality

(JIM, a simple guy with dark hair, sits alone at home,
talking on his cellphone to LUKE.

LUKE is dressed like a member of Fleetwood Mac;
has on an 80's hair wig, aviator glasses, and
is wandering around a public park weirdly stroking
his chest hair.)

JIM:
So.

LUKE:
Complex issue here.

JIM:
Yes.

LUKE:
Black and white or gray and grayyyy?

JIM:
Both.

LUKE:
Ok.

JIM:
Regulation good or regulation bad?

LUKE:
Depends.

JIM:
Why don't they open up a new internet and just charge extra for that if they want to make cash for premium service?

LUKE:
Dunno, dude.

JIM:
This is going to drive me crazy thinking about it.

LUKE:
What about municipal wifi?

JIM:
Do you want to pay for it?

LUKE:
I'd pay 1 cent on every dollar for muni wifi.

JIM:
Yeah?

LUKE:
Sure would. Shitfire! Free internet for e'rybody!

JIM:
You'd still have to send some packets to a server at one of the telcoms eventually.

LUKE:
Oh...true.

(LUKE produces a ripe plum from his pocket and eats it.)

JIM
Well then. I guess we're powerless.

LUKE:
No way, man. I'm not powerless. Look at these guns!

JIM:
Nice.

LUKE:
Do you wanna call your congressman or something?

JIM
Ok. (Calls Congressman Bob.) Hello?

(CONGRESSMAN BOB in his office, spinning around in his chair
smoking cigars, putting into a mug. Documents and pictures
of himself with famous politicians line his tiny office.
He also has an odd stain on his shirt.)

BOB:
Congressman Bob here, what do you want?

JIM:
Please vote for net neutrality!

BOB:
Net Boobality! I'll vote it down just for you!

JIM:
No, no. Net Neutrality. About regulating telcoms.

BOB:
I have a telephone. Yes. Are you the telephone repairman?

JIM:
Um...yes.

BOB:
About time you called! I was just about to have my morning game of Pinocle. Do you like Pinocle, son?

JIM:
Vote for Net Neutrality, ok bye!

BOB:
I love you!

JIM:
I love you, too!

BOB:
I love you too. What a nice young man.

(CONGRESSMAN BOB twirls a drumstick.
(not a drumming drumstick, rather, a chickenwing.))

LUKE:
Feel good?

JIM:
Yeah. I guess. I just...

LUKE:
What?

JIM:
I don't know what to think about Net Neutrality. I am absolutely blank.

LUKE:
Ever wonder...what is the internet like in Japan?

JIM:
I bet they're way ahead of us.

FIN

Delete Myspace

Today, I contemplated deleting my myspace account.

Don't misinterpret what I'm writing here. I think that myspace is a great site! I encourage you to make your own profile. It's a radical privilege to have myspace available and basically free. Myspace is worldwide, open regardless of race, ethnicity, preference, or creed. Myspace represents the freedom of the Internet. Publish, post; create your own identity. Be more than are at the moment.

What's that you say? Pish-posh! You'd never delete your myspace account? Not in a million years? Well, here's a list of reasons why it might be a good idea.


-Freer Time-

Can't think of something good to do with your free time? Please, go back to myspace.


-No more unwanted adds from crappy bands-

Ok, Johnny Local Rockstar, thanks for the add! I really appreciate how hard you rock. And by how hard you rock, I mean that was an AWESOME cover of a Ryan Adams song!

Strangely enough, a lot of musicians that I would have loved to add to my profile. These include Belle & Sebastian, MF Doom, El-P, Pavement, Sleater-Kinney, and a host of others.

Why is it that if I wanted to find these bands, it takes twenty minutes of searching through everyone who has the band listed as their favorite?

I would have loved to have Belle & Sebastian send me a notice saying "COME TO OUR SHOW!" Sadly, I went to see Johnny Local Rockstar. It was still ok.


-No more unwanted advertisement (from fine products)-

Think about this for a moment. Honesty, why are you on myspace in the first place? You're trying to look hot for random strangers and friends.

Why is it that the advertisements that appear on myspace are for dating websites? Not to imply that these sites don't do the trick, it's just that myspace is free!

This is like selling a can of pork and beans at the local charity food-bank.


-No more unwanted friends (excluding Tom)-

Ladies probably have this problem more than men, but, if someone finds you attractive, they might send you a note.

I wonder how many women feel like men are too aggressive on myspace. Does the veil of the Internet allow us to make choices that we otherwise would never make?


IN CONCLUSION

In conclusion, it's very easy to delete your myspace account. Simply follow the easy directions listed on the Account Settings page. Make a choice and live with the consequences. It's not like can't make a new page tomorrow, anyway.

However, we'll see how happy I am without myspace. The next entry on this blog will be "MYSPACE WITHDRAWAL: DAY 10"