Really for real this time?

AT&T just sent me a text saying that my iPhone now has free WiFi access at Starbucks and a bunch of their other locations.

http://www.att.com/attwifi/

iPhone users, get started with Wi-Fi

• Activate Wi-Fi from the settings icon on your iPhone
• Select "attwifi" from the list of available networks
• Enter your 10-digit mobile number and check the box to agree to the Acceptable Use Policy. Tap 'continue'
• You will receive a text message from AT&T with a secure link to the AT&T Wi-Fi hotspot. You will not be charged for the text message.
• The SMS link will only be valid for 24 hours at the location it was requested. Another request must be submitted when using another hotspot location.
• Open the text message and tap on the link for 24-hour access to the AT&T Wi-Fi hotspot

Netflix Makes Its Move

It seems like something has prompted Netflix to start taking a few more risks. My guess, of course, is that they've been emboldened by the lack of an Apple iScreen. Take a look at what Netflix has done lately:

- Streaming to set top boxes (Roku, et cetera)
- Streaming to Xbox 360
- Streaming to Macs
- Streaming to TiVo

Being ubiquitous with your content is some kind of advantage - but Netflix will still lack a mobile platform. It's also hard though to see how Netflix can compete with Apple's locked in studio content deals, and Steve Jobs' ties to Disney. Disney is the nuclear bomb of content, Jobs can launch a vast army of children at just about anything by making iTunes the new Disney Vault.

(no subject)

U.S. economy shrinks, yet ExxonMobil breaks billion dollar profit records again.

What's wrong with this picture folks? Are there really still morons out there voting for Republicans? Do they really want to vote the economy right down the toilet, or are they just too stupid to realize that shoring up corporations and the wealthy is bad for rest of the country?