General Gaming Article

General Gaming Article

Nearly One in Five U.S. Internet Users Can’t Watch a 2 Mbps HD Video Stream

Posted: 09 Sep 2012 03:01 PM PDT

SlowVerizon FiOS customers don't have much to complain about in the speed department, unfortunately however, not everyone is so fortunate. According to a recent study conducted by video hosting company Wistia, almost one in five US Internet users are unable to reliably stream HD video over their connections. Even more depressing is the bar Wistia used to make the HD capable determination. Compression technologies allow for a 720p signal to squeeze down a 2 Mbps connection, and that's something 18% of U.S. Internet users simply can't do. 

As one of the largest video hosting companies around, Wistia is in a unique position to collect and analyze the viewing habits of millions of U.S. customers, and their conclusions are based on several weeks of data. 18% of users being unable to maintain 2 Mbps stream is disheartening, but worse still is that almost 10% are hovering in the sub 1 Mbps range. 

Broken down by geography, Illinos, Mississippi, New Mexico and Montana make up the worst offenders, but they certainly aren't the only ones on the edge. Broadband speed issues are typically either a problem with density, or the lack thereof, and won't be an easy or inexpensive problem to solve. It does however, need to be solved.

Distribution of Speed

Distribution by State

(Image Credit = Wista.com & DigitalTrends.com)

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Kindle Fire “Special Offer” Home Screen Ads Can Now Be Opted Out of for a $15 Fee

Posted: 09 Sep 2012 12:01 PM PDT

Kindle FireAmazon found itself in a bit of hot water with potential customers last week when it was revealed that new Kindle Fire tablets would ship with home screen ads on by default. The decision to not allow people to purchase a slightly more expensive model without "special offers" flew in the face of the companies pre-existing policies, and represented yet another shift in the company's ongoing razor and razor blade business model for digital media. In response to all the controversy, Amazon has quickly changed direction, and has agreed to scrap ads for a modest $15 fee.

"I wanted to let you know that with Kindle Fire HD there will be a special offers opt-out option for $15," the company said in a statement.

"We know from our Kindle reader line that customers love our special offers and very few people choose to opt out. We're happy to offer customers the choice."

Users won't be able to order an ad free version in advance, rather they will be presented with the option to disable special offers after they setup the device. Were you among the angry masses bent out of shape over this?

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Americans Are Stressed Out By Their Computers

Posted: 09 Sep 2012 09:39 AM PDT

stressA new research study commissioned by Crucial has proven what us tech support geeks have known for years, people get stressed out by the very same technology that is supposed to make our lives easier. The study conducted by online marketing firm Harris Interactive claims nearly half of the survey respondents polled suffered some form of unhappiness related to computer performance, and the overwhelming majority of these frustrated users felt stressed out as a result.

When asked to compare the stress experienced with of forms of common anxiety, the results were pretty surprising. 

According to the respondents, poor PC performance compares to (in this order):

1:) Traffic Jams

2:) Going Through Airport Security

3:) Dealing With Finances

4:) Filing Taxes

5:) Managing Health

6:) Arguing With Spouse

Maximum PC Users probably experience less computer related stress than the general population, but the results still carry a bit of truth. How many times have you stopped to wonder if you are pursuing a technology related problem, or a problem related to technology? 

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Posted by Shri Krishna

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