Roj’s Tech Corner

David Pogue’s humorous look at the features of the new iPhone,

The Boston Globe is running an article on the termination fee users will be hit with if they try to opt out of the required 2 year contract for their iPhone.

Even though AT&T isn’t subsidizing the iPhone’s hefty price — $499 to $599, depending on the storage capacity a customer chooses — the company will charge a $175 termination fee for iPhone users who want to break their two-year contracts.

Nice. Standard gouging by a big telecomm company.

“There are certain fixed costs we incur in serving every customer who establishes service with us,” Siegel said. He refused to specify those costs.

Right!

Great parody video of the recently announced Microsoft Surface Computer.

“Take that Apple!”

MacRumors.com has gotten their hands on the training manual being used by AT&T employees for the upcoming iPhone. Like every other geek out there, I’m anxiously awaiting the new toy.

Some features that look promising:

• If you choose to answer the call, the video will pause and resume once the call ends
• iPhone lets you carry on a phone conversation while you simultaneously browse the Internet or send an email.
• Sync photos from Mac or PC (not holding my breath for Linux support )
• Websites you have bookmarked on your computer will be transfered to your iPhone from your Mac or PC

Bummer item: GPS is not part of the iPhone feature set.

Finally there’s some resistance to the “your-too-stupid-to-know-how-to-handle-your-money-so-we-will-protect-you” idiots in Washington. Barney Frank of Massachusetts (of all places), the Democratic chairman of the House Financial Services committee, has backed legislation to legalize and regulate online gambling.

Said Rep. Barney Frank,

In the end, adults ought to be able to decide for themselves how they spend the money they earn themselves.

Amen! Lesson learned from alcohol prohibition and forgotten by Washington several times over: Don’t make criminals of a significant portion of Americans who are not hurting anyone doing what they want to do. If there are inherent dangers, regulate them out. As Jon Prideaux, a consultant who until last year was the head of Visa Europe’s Internet arm testified:

On the basis of my experience I can unequivocally state that Internet gambling can be regulated, and that abuses can be effectively regulated and controlled.

But then you have the Bible-thumping holier-than-thou idiot ranking Rebublican committee member from Alabama Rep. Spencer Bachus:

Some claim that illegal Internet gambling is a victimless crime. In fact, the very real victims of illegal Internet gambling are the underage gamblers who by the tens of thousands are becoming compulsive and addicted gamblers. They can’t go in a casino and bet legally so they do it on the Internet. It’s prohibited and illegal, but they do it in their bedrooms and dorm rooms. It is a mushrooming epidemic leaving in its wake suicide, crimes, and financial and family tragedy. There are several instances of college students who committed suicide as a result of illegal Internet gambling and the debts they drove up. This is not a debate on whether it’s illegal or not. Every state in the union has a prohibition against it.

Oh really? Care to back up your statements with facts? A couple college kids kill themselves and they happen to be gambling online thus gambling online is has to be outlawed? Underage gambling is irrelevant to the issue since it is already proven by European countries that regulations can ensure kids do not have access. And if gambling is so bad, why is every state in the country running their own lotteries?

Other than religious moral grounds, which the government has no business being in, why is gambling online wrong? Who is paying you to be the moral judge? The race tracks and Vegas companies who are the only legal online gambling companies, who don’t want more competition?