There are times when the real world — i.e. the physical world outside my computer and phone — is a real drag and today I’m particularly irked about having to shut down my laptop and turn off my cell phone. I’m headed to VON (which is in full swing already) this morning, facing a three hour sojourn just to get on the airplane — mind you, the airport is only 45 minutes from our house. It’s the last-mile, known as airport security, that’s the killer.
From there it’s an hour and a half to Boston in the air, and another hour, at least, to get to the hotel. That’s six wasted hours on a day when the Internet, entertainment and communications worlds are booming with big things.
First off the bat, AT&T announced it will offer 20 channels of live video…on the PC. It’s the telecom giant’s answer, of sorts, to Slingbox and presumably is a perk to lure more customers to its DSL service. The option, called (I think inelegantly) AT&T Broadband TV, costs $19.99/month, an expensive add-on for some but chump change, really, for folks who really want to watch TV on the road, in spare bedrooms where no TV exists, etc.
This is a huge deal — no wonder AT&T is fighting so hard against net neutrality. And the cable guys, who are all congregated in New York City for cable’s annual “Hell Week” (so-named because there are lots and lots of events and meetings) have got to be freaking out. Cable has its own plans, gestated through CableLabs, to do the same thing.
Meanwhile, Merrill Lynch is hosting its annual Media and Entertainment Conference in Pasadena, starting today.
Of course, the biggest thing on the radar screen is Apple’s big announcement, however multifacted that may be.
So, on a day when a lot is happening, I’ll be out of touch for a good chunk of time. Yup, the real world beckons.
Cynthia Brumfield at 7:25 AM|Comments(0)
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