#done with streaming consuming all my data

[uphill-battle-to-be-better]

And for some there's no other means to watch media.

Streaming is taxing on a lot of systems. Satellite and low speed internet, for instance. Another is how streaming instantly eats up data with abandon. Even at a low resolution, if you want to replay or watch something again you essentially have to download it again. How wasteful is that? Metered data makes streaming a nightmare at times, especially if it's for work or school. Having to explain that your connection is too throttled to get through the required media is humiliating, especially when so many don't even know what a throttled connection means or that there's a limit to 'unlimited data' plans.

Dvds, blu ray, cds, and other modes of media are free of that. When a box set comes out, an old movie or series get released in dvd or blu ray I celebrate. Tapes are great but age is showing and not everyone know how to keep media. So many things are being lost...

Tldr: this article, and so many like it, are focusing on the wrong aspect of ditching physical media. It's not just nostalgia, older people, and whatnot. It's cutting off a huge chunk of creative works to the rest of humanity, it's limiting access, it's more subscriptions and paywalls, and it's causing an unnecessary glut in a form of data transfer that has no reason to be metered in the first place. Streaming was another tool but go hard capitalizing and monetizing.

This reality is such a dumpster fire. Good thing I studied environmental sciences to deal with trash. Those physical forms of media are going to be more precious than any subscription.

[kiefbowl]

this is a random thought I had in the shower actually well over a month ago, but I've been gnawing at it in my brain...and perhaps this is going to sound pathetic and a bit esoteric.

So, it suddenly dawned on me very randomly while I was showering that I have been paying for netflix for my own account since I was a freshman in college. Back in the dvd days, I remember having Firefly sent to me disk by disk my fall semester. This is 2009. It was an important part of college because I let my friends use it on their console and we'd all go to their dorm and watch streaming, and I passed out my log in to a ton of friends. I basically provided free Netflix to more or less 10 or so people over the course of four years for not even $7 a month I think.

What hit me though was that means, this year - that will be 15 years. That's what stopped me in my shower to stare off in the abyss for like 10 minutes and what's been on my mind for the past several weeks. I've been paying netflix for 15 years, which is the longest I've ever done anything. There is no other company I've so consistently paid for like this either, not for that many of years not even close. Quite possibly my longest relationship outside of my family and 2-3 other people. Netflix, the ever constant, of all forsaken things.

And what really bothers me about it is that, uhm, not to be an American consumer but like...I don't feel appreciated by netflix. For the past few years, I've barely used it, except for a few titles I've wanted to watch. I haven't passed out my log in since I changed it not long after college to keep an ex using it for free. I've remained loyal, despite the fact that I don't feel like some sort of loyal consumerist. I don't give a fuck about brands, I try to shop as little as possible, thrift what I can. And yet, what can I say? I actually am a loyal consumerist, to netflix that is.

What a shock to realize this, and what a shock to realize netflix does not acknowledge this, no email saying thanks, no surveys, no swag, no pizza party, no invite no perk no discount no nothing. Instead they raise prices, cut services, lose licenses, and cancel barely finished products. I'm 15 years loyal to this company for this?

And I think about the days of yore, but really not long ago. The preferred shopper's catalogues of department stores, the longtime shopper promotions of industry giants, the award systems for the loyal consumerists of chains and malls. The specialty Christmas items that are today vintage and worth money for their rarity. The thank yous, the special events. The mailers that say "Come to our store loyal customer and receive a free $20 coupon for that day!" And I'm not saying this is good, and of course it's all just marketing and advertisement, and I'm not saying this is the life I want to live...

But I am saying this would be easy for netflix to do, for someone like me. Someone who went from $7 to stream and receive DVDs, who got customers onboard when the model was new and the company was pioneering, to $20 to sit unused but for a month or two out of the year. It would be easy to pull the data. It would be easy to say which accounts have been opened the longest, to actually verify who has given 180 months worth of payments to them. It would be easy to give me a year's discount to say thank you. It would be easy for them to send an email to verify my address to send me merch. Do I want the merch? No, not really. But have they tried?

Have they even sent me an email saying "We appreciate your 15 years of support! We value you!" with little confetti animation? They didn't do it at 10 years. They didn't do it at 5 years. I don't recall ever receiving emails from netflix besides "Unfortunately, our payment model is changing."

As of today, I haven't pulled my account yet. I want to finish Bridgerton, even if this season is a snoozefest. But I think I will. I feel had and used, as pathetic as that sounds. Has Hulu done anything different? I can't remember when I signed up for them but it's been many years. No, but I frankly use it more, so I'm less angry. And with netflix...it's been fifteen years. They have really banked on us being passive in our payments, and accustomed to the freedom of endless choice, and it just feels gleeful that they never even once acknowledged I've been here this whole time. Actually, act like Sears and Bloomingdales 60 years ago, or we quit I think we should say. Ask me my address to send me a glass netflix mug or I'll fuck off, because who do you think you are to think so little of me, the only reason you exist for?

[queen-breha-organa]

I wanted to briefly come back online and discuss the WGA and, in turn, the current writer's strike.

I know my opinion matters very little, and I don’t consider myself an expert or a valuable voice in this matter. However, since I talk about Star Wars a lot, I wanted to discuss the strike because these things go hand in hand. I think it’s unfair to ignore the real-world circumstances that shape the media you enjoy. Knowing the context of something is important. And beyond that, this situation has just been on my mind, and I wanted to express my thoughts somewhere. 

Firstly, all workers should be paid living wages. All workers deserve to be treated fairly and compensated fairly. All workers deserve safe, productive, and fair working environments—end of story.

I’ve been seeing a lot of jokes along the lines of “I didn’t even know media had writers these days,” and while I understand the joke and the potential humor in it, I feel like it’s important to realize that this is entirely why the WGA is striking in the first place.

The writer’s rooms are shrinking. Writers are being overworked. Writers are being underpaid. Writers are being dismissed and undercut. These factors lead to poorly written and poorly managed shows because the individuals who write the bones of the shows are exhausted and burdened by corporate interference, unreasonable deadlines (especially in animation), unfair wages, and stale corporate agendas.

Additionally, these writers often aren’t given the opportunity to oversee or manage their writing while it’s being filmed. Instead, companies are acting as if the writing process ends before the filming process so that they can shorten the writer's contracts and pay them less. However, in actuality, the writing process is often most valuable during the filming process. 

Some things work on paper but don’t work on the day. Maybe the joke doesn’t land, or an actor can’t deliver the line as intended. Writers are needed on set to rework and revise these lines, so the process can run smoother without sacrificing story and believability. Now some actors are incredible at improvising and can make these things work. However, overall, without writers on set, you usually end up with awkward/stiff dialogue or scenes that make no sense. Writing doesn’t stop in the writers' room.

Another massive force driving this strike is the evolution of streaming services. 

With “traditional” tv reruns, the network airing the media has to purchase the viewing rights of the episode or the show. This money is then extended to the people who worked on the show in the form of residuals. It makes sense. Something you worked on makes money, so in turn, you get money. 

However, streaming services have broken this mold by allowing consumers to watch whatever media whenever they want. Streaming services claim that it is no longer possible to pay residuals for these shows since they don’t know how often or when the shows are being watched. This is a lie.

Companies will brag privately in shareholder's meetings and publicly in articles about streaming shows that have done well. We’ll read headlines like “Stranger Things’ Was Most-Streamed TV Show in 2022” or “‘Star Wars’ vs. Marvel: Which Disney+ Shows Are Most-Viewed.” These articles and the data within them prove it is possible to know how frequently shows/movies are being watched on streaming services. Still, companies are only willing to shell out this information for bragging rights and not for fair payments.

In 2021, Disney CEO Bob Chapk earned $32 million. In contrast, the WGA website states, “Median weekly writer-producer pay has declined 4% over the last decade. Adjusting for inflation, the decline is 23%.” These writers are merely asking for 3%, while CEOs are given the moon.

This is unacceptable.

If you’re reading this post, if you’re on Tumblr and engaging with fandoms enough to have this post written by me, a Star Wars blog, circulate on your feed, media writing has affected your life. Writers have impacted you and your daily routine and hobbies. 

You should care about this strike. You should be supporting this strike. 

We all want our favorite shows to come back, we all want to reunite with our favorite characters, and we all want to see their stories, their triumphs, and their struggles. 

But the real people behind these stories and behind these characters are far more important than any fictional narrative. 

These writers have crafted the worlds and stories we love, and by supporting them, we can return the favor and craft a better world for them too.

[nickgerlich]

Finding Resolve

We’ve all done it. We are all part of this new phenomenon, something that barely existed before this century, and only truly gained momentum in the last decade. The worst part is, most of us have forgotten exactly how much we are involved with it, because it is hard to remember what and how much these phenomena cost.

I am talking about the subscription economy, that magical place where software and streaming services are the product, and our monthly bill is usually on autopay. It ranges from SOAS (Software As A Service) providers like Adobe and Microsoft, to all the music, movies, and more that we stream into our homes, cars, and mobile devices.

And it is eating us alive.How many subscriptions do you have? Let’s start with your vehicle. Do you have satellite radio? That’s one. Do you subscribe to cloud-based software? That can be one or more. What about streaming tunes like Spotify or Apple Music? There you guy. The list is getting longer.

And then there are all the streaming TV choices, which runs from services like YouTube TV to Netflix, Paramount+, Apple TV+, Peacock, Max, Hulu, Disney…I could go on. You may have cut the cable at home, but you tethered yourself in other ways to the extent that the net effect is little different.

Then there’s the gaming community, if that’s your thing. More dinero. Maybe you fell for the premium version of an app, like Accuweather. If you’re a regular Amazon shopper, you no doubt have Prime, which costs $139 a year, plus the vitamins and supplements I receive every month from them. Like listening to books? There’s Audible. Old newspapers? There’s Newspapers.com, one of my favorite sites to do research. Cloud storage? Good Lord, I have several, for my thousands of photos and documents.

So successful has the subscription model been that paywalls have appeared everywhere online, like the New York Times, Washington Post, and Atlantic Monthly, each of whom have amazing content, a feast for my eyes and brain. Alas, I have drawn the line, because I sense it has long spun out control. And if CNN goes ahead and paywalls its app and site, I guess I won’t be reading them anymore.

Because I, like many people, have subscription fatigue. I simply cannot begin to consume all of this media. Sadly, I cannot remember all of the services to which I subscribe, and if you aren’t there yet, I bet you will be soon enough. The only way to know for sure is to carefully track your credit card statements to look for monthly billing.

That, of course, is the problem, because we willingly provided our billing data so that we do not have to do this every month. As long as that credit card is valid, those providers will keep hitting your card every month. It is only when your card is about to expire that you get a notification. And if you were not careful and instead provided a bank routing and account number, they can keep sticking their hand into your pocket as long as you have that account.

Ironically, there are new subscription management software sites and apps that supposedly make it easy to track and opt-out of all the things, but they are subscription services themselves. That’s like replacing one drug with another. You’re still on the hook.

It all starts so easily, because many of the subscription services are technically just micro payments, only $5 or $10. We see that as pocket change. Other services offer annual payment options, which provide a slight discount for paying in full in advance. But many of the once-cheap micro payments have started to get expensive, like Netflix and Spotify (I am speaking from experience). They are no longer minor indulgences.

Were these tangible products we had to buy in a store, I bet we would all be a lot more careful. The friction of having to be somewhere to even just tap your credit card would probably be enough to cause us to think. But it is simply too easy in the digital world to keep subscribing, because once we get in that loop, there is never any friction.

We are all going to have to muster a lot more resolve to win this fight, as well as start keeping meticulous records. Otherwise, these things develop lives of their own, lives that will continue hitting credit cards even after our own lives are over. I’m pretty sure none of us will be consuming anything at that point, and there’s no use paying for it.

We don’t have to wait for New Years Day to make this resolution.

Dr “I Honestly Can’t Remember All Of Them” Gerlich

Audio Blog

[cpd5777]

Hi All! Sorry I have been absent lately. To be honest fandom things have not been the same with JLS leaving, and it’s been tough! But this post has been in my drafts for a while. I work in the industry and see a lot of posts and questions about ratings and what they mean so I thought I would post some info from my perspective. Some of this is oversimplified, and I’ll likely post in pieces. Feel free to ask any questions!

TV ratings, what they mean and what about Chicago PD? Part 1

Why are ratings important?

They provide info on viewership to networks, advertisers and the media and how people are consuming content put out by the networks.

How are ratings calculated?

Ratings are calculated via statistical sampling. There is a core group of people that form a sample audience, and their habits are tracked and then that data is extrapolated to draw conclusions over a larger audience (this is a gross oversimplification), but net net this is how it works. There are about 130MM homes with TVs in the US. The sample is about 20k. This is done by Nielsen. It’s an imperfect science, but it’s the science we’ve got.

What about streaming?

The bane of an advertisers existence is the lack of accurate cross platform measurement. Streaming provides more exact data, but there is still a lack of technology that provides accurate measurement of reach and frequency across platforms. There have been advancements. This is a post for another day.

Why does this even matter?

Advertisers pay to air commercials during shows. They select where to air based in part on ratings and the estimates of the number of households or people they can reach for a certain cost and how many times they can reach them. Advertisers need to figure out how much of their advertising and promotion money goes into linear TV advertising and connected TV advertising vs. other media like digital (social media advertising, online video and other digital advertising, search, PR, etc).

Networks also use ratings data to determine if a show should be kept or cancelled. The amount of advertising dollars that a network can make off of a show is a critical element in their profitability calculation. If a show has more viewers, it has more eyeballs and those eyeballs are worth money to advertisers and consequently, networks. Advertisers and media agencies calculate based on a combination of data sources the return on investment generated from these different media channels and that determines the amount of money they will invest.

When do they invest?

Linear and Connected TV can be purchased in the upfront season and on scatter-outside the upfront. The upfront is a period of time where advertisers sign year-long deals with networks (at a discount, theoretically) in exchange for a specified amount of ad inventory in the form of impressions. The upfront is also refers to the presentations that happen during this time by the networks to advertisers. This used to be a huge fancy boondoggle with presentations and star talent, but has changed since covid. Advertising is a supply demand marketplace and there is usually only 16 minutes of ads per one hour show. Ratings, quality of viewership, shifts to streaming and digital platforms all play a role in ad costs and inflation or deflation. Plus, ROIs vs other platforms.

Is traditional TV doomed because of streaming? Do the viewers who watch on peacock the next day count?

This is a great debate but for many household brands looking to get the word out, traditional TV still drives a ton of reach within valuable demos. Streaming can for sure augment this reach. The cost of advertising on streaming is greater on a per impression basis but it has proven to be profitable so that’s good for advertisers

Analytics have expanded to include more than immediate and fast national ratings (same day viewing), and include +3 and +7 day viewing which will take into account first time views on streaming devices. There is also data that will tell advertisers the percent of people actually watching commercials during this timeframe. For instance a lot of people subscribed to ad-free streaming during covid but that has come down a lot since the economy is in crisis and people’s dollars are not going as far.

What do all of the ratings points mean? What about number of viewers? What’s a rating point? A GRP? An impression? What is share? And have ratings really tanked since JLS left? Will the show be cancelled because of low ratings? Who decides this and how? How do individual actor contracts play into all of this (if at all)? How do networks really get ad money? And more… stay tuned for part 2 and 3!

[sargentgeorge]

Original Project

My aims for this project over the Christmas break is to familiarise myself with music distribution and promotion , I intend to release a song onto streaming platforms and promote a pre-existing song through advertising.

I wish to get more comfortable with advertising and distributing my music whilst attempting to accurately cast a net to people who might actually listen to the song, as well as understanding my audience analytics.

To do this me and a contemporary will be releasing an advert on Instagram for a song we released last year called ‘Drilly Xmas’.

We looked at the analytics of our demographics as Instagram asks you who to advertise to. This ensures your advertisement can be as successful as possible.

Spotify for artists is a very useful tool as it gives you this information freely and the predominant demographic was UK men between 18-27.

With this knowledge we made the ad which was a snippet of the pre-existing YouTube video and we both paid 15 pounds to promote it over the Christmas period. You can get very forensic with advertising by tailoring the ‘behaviours and habits’ of people who use the app. The same data Instagram uses in its algorithm to show users content they like to consume however we just set the age range and went to all audiences.

This is the ad !

The ad was also linked to the YouTube video and Spotify and was clearly quite successful, before the ad the YouTube video had less than 1k views and now is close to 4K.

The song also gained more then double it’s original streams so I believe this advert was very successful in drawing eyes to ‘Drilly xmas’ and I feel much more confident with future promotion of my music. In this part of the project I’ve gained a more solid understanding of accurately using advertising as a tool to draw attention to my music.

I also feel comfortable in saying this part of the project achieved what I wanted both in learning the skill set and the final outcome as it has gained more attention than anything I’ve done prior.

For the second half of my project I would also like to become much more confident in my understanding of distributing music onto Streaming services, as well as understanding which service is best when it comes to releases.  Before this I have never released a single only ever featuring my work on other artists music so I have never had to distribute anything myself. What I hope to achieve before the end of 2022, is to have a song out on streaming platforms.

I will be putting out a single called ‘The bower’ which has been completed during my time at uni. I have also researched third party distributors to get my song into the platforms and the two I am deciding between is. CD baby and Distrokid. Both offer unique advantages primarily in terms of cost.

CD baby offers a flat fee to release music and then it’s out permanently wheras Distrokid is an annual expense that you can use to release as much music as you would like but if ever you want to cancel you would have to pay extra to keep you music on streaming platforms.

After some deliberation I’ve decided to go with Distrokid as they allow you to upload music in 24bit depth as opposed to CD baby’s 16.

I released ‘The bower’ onto streaming platforms and have an account on Distrokid that I intend to use throughout the year.

As I was so focused on releasing the music I did not promote this release nearly as much as ‘Drilly xmas’ but I believe this has served as a benefit as it has also brought my attention to how important promotion is.

As of 16/1/2022 ‘The bower’ sits on 152 streams which is considerably less than the near 3,000 views the ‘Drilly xmas’ gained over the time period. So this project has also shown me that advertisement really works when it comes to releasing music. As the more people that get shown the music more people will interact with it.

So to summarise at the start of this project I wanted to release a song onto Spotify and to advertise a pre existing track for the holidays, in doing so it has given me the tools to continue doing so in future. It has also given me insight in how successful advertising can be if utilised correctly.

I feel much more prepared to advertise my music again and have lined up more songs to be released through Distrokid as the year goes on.

[kadermalek]

THE RED 200 GB PACKAGE?

 If Red by SFR veritably frequently renews its 200 GB 4G mobile offer at only€17.99 per month, it's because it's really successful. This mobile offer retailed without commitment remains at a veritably affordable price in relation to its volume of mobile data.

 This Red 200 GB mobile data plan is intended for heavy data consumers. It may be, for illustration, consumers who use social networks a lot, to watch vids or pictures in streaming. These operations are veritably energy ferocious in terms of data. videotape remains by far the bone

 That consumes the most mobile data on a plan.

 Still, Red SFR 200 GB subscription could veritably well satisfy you, If you're a diurnal consumer watching vids on YouTube or other platforms. With such a data envelope, you'll really have enough for yearly consumption.

 In addition, the price of this 200 GB mobile offer from Red by SFR costs a record price. At€17.99 per month without commitment and without duration conditions, we generally find a 100 Giga package without commitment. Then, Red offers a gigantic data envelope, i.e. 200 Gigas valid in metropolitan France.

 WHY SUBSCRIBE TO RED in SFR?

 Red by SFR has nothing further to prove. The low- cost driver is deposited as the leader in the price ofnon-binding mobile plans. He makes it a point of honor to offer fairly cheaper prices than the competition or nearly. For illustration, the B and You 200 GB package costs €14.99 per month without commitment. It's nearly the same price with the two contending drivers.

 Subscribing to a Red 200 GB package is done online only. This may feel like a handicap to some people, but you have a lot to gain from it. First thing, there are no opening and ending times. The online store remains open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This allows you to choose the time that suits you to place an order on the Red by SFR store. You can do this while sitting on your lounge watching your favorite series or a football match or indeed from your mobile when you're in a demesne or away.

 The operation of Red by SFR subscriptions is 100 digital. Everything is done online. You admit checks on your private space. You can also ask questions to counsels in case of problems.

 A DEDICATED APP

 A RED & MOI operation is available to you. Among other effects, it allows you to manage your Red 200 GB plan, for illustration. You can communicate the hundreds of counsels ready to help you. By asking them the question via converse, you get answers incontinently to break your problem. So consider downloading this RED & ME app for free from the web store or app store. It'll be veritably useful to you on a diurnal base.

 Red by SFR uses the SFR network. The ultimate has nothing further to prove concerning this service, the network content reaches 99 on French home.

 KEEP YOUR LINE NUMBER WITHOUT OBLIGATION

 Thenon-binding guarantee gives you further freedom. In case of dissatisfaction, for illustration, if the network isn't terrible, ask to terminate your line without giving any reason. In addition, you can request the termination of your Red by SFR line on your private space. All you have to do is click on “ I no longer need my line ” and that is it.

 Keep your phone number by joining Red by SFR. It's free and in addition, Red by SFR takes care of everything. For your part, you just have to telephone 31 79 from your current line to recoup your RIO number. You'll also have to telephone it in the applicable line when subscribing to a Red 200g package for illustration. This operation is generally done in a week to be suitable to harborage your telephone number to the driver.

[lilabalilila]

 THE RED 200 GB PACKAGE?

 If Red by SFR veritably frequently renews its 200 GB 4G mobile offer at only€17.99 per month, it's because it's really successful. This mobile offer retailed without commitment remains at a veritably affordable price in relation to its volume of mobile data.

 This Red 200 GB mobile data plan is intended for heavy data consumers. It may be, for illustration, consumers who use social networks a lot, to watch vids or pictures in streaming. These operations are veritably energy ferocious in terms of data. videotape remains by far the bone

 That consumes the most mobile data on a plan.

 Still, Red SFR 200g subscription could veritably well satisfy you, If you're a diurnal consumer watching vids on YouTube or other platforms. With such a data envelope, you'll really have enough for yearly consumption.

 In addition, the price of this 200 GB mobile offer from Red by SFR costs a record price. At€17.99 per month without commitment and without duration conditions, we generally find a 100 Giga package without commitment. Then, Red offers a gigantic data envelope, i.e. 200 Gigas valid in metropolitan France.

 WHY SUBSCRIBE TO RED in SFR?

 Red by SFR has nothing further to prove. The low- cost driver is deposited as the leader in the price ofnon-binding mobile plans. He makes it a point of honor to offer fairly cheaper prices than the competition or nearly. For illustration, the B and You 200 GB package costs €14.99 per month without commitment. It's nearly the same price with the two contending drivers.

 Subscribing to a Red 200 GB package is done online only. This may feel like a handicap to some people, but you have a lot to gain from it. First thing, there are no opening and ending times. The online store remains open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This allows you to choose the time that suits you to place an order on the Red by SFR store. You can do this while sitting on your lounge watching your favorite series or a football match or indeed from your mobile when you're in a demesne or away.

 The operation of Red by SFR subscriptions is 100 digital. Everything is done online. You admit checks on your private space. You can also ask questions to counsels in case of problems.

 A DEDICATED APP

 A RED & MOI operation is available to you. Among other effects, it allows you to manage your Red 200 GB plan, for illustration. You can communicate the hundreds of counsels ready to help you. By asking them the question via converse, you get answers incontinently to break your problem. So consider downloading this RED & ME app for free from the web store or app store. It'll be veritably useful to you on a diurnal base.

 Red by SFR uses the SFR network. The ultimate has nothing further to prove concerning this service, the network content reaches 99 on French home.

 KEEP YOUR LINE NUMBER WITHOUT OBLIGATION

 Thenon-binding guarantee gives you further freedom. In case of dissatisfaction, for illustration, if the network isn't terrible, ask to terminate your line without giving any reason. In addition, you can request the termination of your Red by SFR line on your private space. All you have to do is click on “ I no longer need my line ” and that is it.

 Keep your phone number by joining Red by SFR. It's free and in addition, Red by SFR takes care of everything. For your part, you just have to telephone 31 79 from your current line to recoup your RIO number. You'll also have to telephone it in the applicable line when subscribing to a Red 200 GB package for illustration. This operation is generally done in a week to be suitable to harborage your telephone number to the driver.

[heatedentomb]

 IS IT WORTH SUBSCRIBING TO THE RED 200 GB PACKAGE?

 If Red by SFR veritably frequently renews its 200 GB 4G mobile offer at only€17.99 per month, it's because it's really successful. This mobile offer retailed without commitment remains at a veritably affordable price in relation to its volume of mobile data.

 This Red 200 GB mobile data plan is intended for heavy data consumers. It may be, for illustration, consumers who use social networks a lot, to watch vids or pictures in streaming. These operations are veritably energy ferocious in terms of data. videotape remains by far the bone

 That consumes the most mobile data on a plan.

 Still, Red SFR 200g subscription could veritably well satisfy you, If you're a diurnal consumer watching vids on YouTube or other platforms. With such a data envelope, you'll really have enough for yearly consumption.

 In addition, the price of this 200 GB mobile offer from Red by SFR costs a record price. At€17.99 per month without commitment and without duration conditions, we generally find a 100 Giga package without commitment. Then, Red offers a gigantic data envelope, i.e. 200 Gigas valid in metropolitan France.

 WHY SUBSCRIBE TO RED in SFR?

 Red by SFR has nothing further to prove. The low- cost driver is deposited as the leader in the price ofnon-binding mobile plans. He makes it a point of honor to offer fairly cheaper prices than the competition or nearly. For illustration, the B and You 200 GB package costs €14.99 per month without commitment. It's nearly the same price with the two contending drivers.

 Subscribing to a Red 200 GB package is done online only. This may feel like a handicap to some people, but you have a lot to gain from it. First thing, there are no opening and ending times. The online store remains open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This allows you to choose the time that suits you to place an order on the Red by SFR store. You can do this while sitting on your lounge watching your favorite series or a football match or indeed from your mobile when you're in a demesne or away.

 The operation of Red by SFR subscriptions is 100 digital. Everything is done online. You admit checks on your private space. You can also ask questions to counsels in case of problems.

 A DEDICATED APP

 A RED & MOI operation is available to you. Among other effects, it allows you to manage your Red 200 GB plan, for illustration. You can communicate the hundreds of counsels ready to help you. By asking them the question via converse, you get answers incontinently to break your problem. So consider downloading this RED & ME app for free from the web store or app store. It'll be veritably useful to you on a diurnal base.

 Red by SFR uses the SFR network. The ultimate has nothing further to prove concerning this service, the network content reaches 99 on French home.

 KEEP YOUR LINE NUMBER WITHOUT OBLIGATION

 Thenon-binding guarantee gives you further freedom. In case of dissatisfaction, for illustration, if the network isn't terrible, ask to terminate your line without giving any reason. In addition, you can request the termination of your Red by SFR line on your private space. All you have to do is click on “ I no longer need my line ” and that is it.

 Keep your phone number by joining Red by SFR. It's free and in addition, Red by SFR takes care of everything. For your part, you just have to telephone 31 79 from your current line to recoup your RIO number. You'll also have to telephone it in the applicable line when subscribing to a Red 200 GB package for illustration. This operation is generally done in a week to be suitable to harborage your telephone number to the driver.

[artanyis]

Thought I'd jump in on this, as an engineer in the IT field.

There was a meme/thing going around a while ago, (like 15+ years ago) "The difference between an engineer and a tech enthusiast. The tech enthusiast has all of the newest home automation, everything connected to the Internet, control panels for his microwave and refrigerator.

"The engineer has a 15 year old printer and a shot gun next to it in case it acts up."

The point of that was twofold, one, engineers tend to know how things work and how to fix them and keeping them simple makes them more reliable and easier to fix, so we tend to not want all that extra stuff we don't need/use.

The second, is that because we know how they work we also tend to know what they're doing. Fifteen/Twenty years ago, the big data mining of personal information from every Internet connected device was mostly paranoia, there wasn't enough personalized computer tech for that to be a big thing, although corps were trying. (Look into Target's personalized database) And engineers have a tendancy to be doom sayers. (I try not to be, but it's hard, especially now that I'm in ITSec) so having a way to dispose of that connection in as efficient a way as possible is pretty normal. Though unplugging it is probably easier.

That said, yes, you can still get, "dumb," appliances, although you usually have to go out of your way a bit to find them, but they are usually cheaper when you do so. I have a plain TV, and my gaming PC hooked up to it so I can stream, watch downloaded movies, play games, or whatever on my TV, because it's like a giant monitor, but cheaper, and it's easier and works better than any of the smart TVs my friends have, and I didn't have to do anything special. And it has a keyboard.

Got a new fridge a couple years ago, found a dumb one that came as a bundle with a matching stove and dishwasher, all together they were still cheaper than the single smart fridge.

Yes, you can subnet your IoT devices on a separate network to track usage. I have no IoT in my house, because I don't need them. You can get a used sonicwall firewall on eBay/Amazon for a reasonable amount, which has a wizard built in to help you configure rules for this kind of thing. Highly recommend people stop using crappy consumer wireless, spend the money on a real wireless AP, get a couple ruckus unleashed APs, setup a hidden SSID for your Alexa and what not, vlan that too a restricted subnet, add some connection rules and you're basically done.

[hazinessforsa]

 IS IT WORTH SUBSCRIBING TO THE RED 200 GB PACKAGE?

 If Red by SFR veritably frequently renews its 200 GB 4G mobile offer at only€17.99 per month, it's because it's really successful. This mobile offer retailed without commitment remains at a veritably affordable price in relation to its volume of mobile data.

 This Red 200g mobile data plan is intended for heavy data consumers. It may be, for illustration, consumers who use social networks a lot, to watch vids or pictures in streaming. These operations are veritably energy ferocious in terms of data. videotape remains by far the bone

 That consumes the most mobile data on a plan.

 Still, Red SFR 200 GB subscription could veritably well satisfy you, If you're a diurnal consumer watching vids on YouTube or other platforms. With such a data envelope, you'll really have enough for yearly consumption.

 In addition, the price of this 200 GB mobile offer from Red by SFR costs a record price. At€17.99 per month without commitment and without duration conditions, we generally find a 100 Giga package without commitment. Then, Red offers a gigantic data envelope, i.e. 200 Gigas valid in metropolitan France.

 WHY SUBSCRIBE TO RED in SFR?

 Red by SFR has nothing further to prove. The low- cost driver is deposited as the leader in the price ofnon-binding mobile plans. He makes it a point of honor to offer fairly cheaper prices than the competition or nearly. For illustration, the B and You 200 GB package costs €14.99 per month without commitment. It's nearly the same price with the two contending drivers.

 Subscribing to a Red 200 GB package is done online only. This may feel like a handicap to some people, but you have a lot to gain from it. First thing, there are no opening and ending times. The online store remains open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This allows you to choose the time that suits you to place an order on the Red by SFR store. You can do this while sitting on your lounge watching your favorite series or a football match or indeed from your mobile when you're in a demesne or away.

 The operation of Red by SFR subscriptions is 100 digital. Everything is done online. You admit checks on your private space. You can also ask questions to counsels in case of problems.

 A DEDICATED APP

 A RED & MOI operation is available to you. Among other effects, it allows you to manage your Red 200 GB plan, for illustration. You can communicate the hundreds of counsels ready to help you. By asking them the question via converse, you get answers incontinently to break your problem. So consider downloading this RED & ME app for free from the web store or app store. It'll be veritably useful to you on a diurnal base.

 Red by SFR uses the SFR network. The ultimate has nothing further to prove concerning this service, the network content reaches 99 on French home.

 KEEP YOUR LINE NUMBER WITHOUT OBLIGATION

 Thenon-binding guarantee gives you further freedom. In case of dissatisfaction, for illustration, if the network isn't terrible, ask to terminate your line without giving any reason. In addition, you can request the termination of your Red by SFR line on your private space. All you have to do is click on “ I no longer need my line ” and that is it.

 Keep your phone number by joining Red by SFR. It's free and in addition, Red by SFR takes care of everything. For your part, you just have to telephone 31 79 from your current line to recoup your RIO number. You'll also have to telephone it in the applicable line when subscribing to a Red 200 GB package for illustration. This operation is generally done in a week to be suitable to harborage your telephone number to the driver.

[hasanuddinkhan]

 IS IT WORTH SUBSCRIBING TO THE RED 200 GB PACKAGE?

 If Red by SFR veritably frequently renews its 200 GB 4G mobile offer at only€17.99 per month, it's because it's really successful. This mobile offer retailed without commitment remains at a veritably affordable price in relation to its volume of mobile data.

 This Red 200g mobile data plan is intended for heavy data consumers. It may be, for illustration, consumers who use social networks a lot, to watch vids or pictures in streaming. These operations are veritably energy ferocious in terms of data. videotape remains by far the bone

 That consumes the most mobile data on a plan.

 Still, Red SFR 200 GB subscription could veritably well satisfy you, If you're a diurnal consumer watching vids on YouTube or other platforms. With such a data envelope, you'll really have enough for yearly consumption.

 In addition, the price of this 200 GB mobile offer from Red by SFR costs a record price. At€17.99 per month without commitment and without duration conditions, we generally find a 100 Giga package without commitment. Then, Red offers a gigantic data envelope, i.e. 200 Gigas valid in metropolitan France.

 WHY SUBSCRIBE TO RED in SFR?

 Red by SFR has nothing further to prove. The low- cost driver is deposited as the leader in the price ofnon-binding mobile plans. He makes it a point of honor to offer fairly cheaper prices than the competition or nearly. For illustration, the B and You 200 GB package costs €14.99 per month without commitment. It's nearly the same price with the two contending drivers.

 Subscribing to a Red 200 GB package is done online only. This may feel like a handicap to some people, but you have a lot to gain from it. First thing, there are no opening and ending times. The online store remains open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This allows you to choose the time that suits you to place an order on the Red by SFR store. You can do this while sitting on your lounge watching your favorite series or a football match or indeed from your mobile when you're in a demesne or away.

 The operation of Red by SFR subscriptions is 100 digital. Everything is done online. You admit checks on your private space. You can also ask questions to counsels in case of problems.

 A DEDICATED APP

 A RED & MOI operation is available to you. Among other effects, it allows you to manage your Red 200 GB plan, for illustration. You can communicate the hundreds of counsels ready to help you. By asking them the question via converse, you get answers incontinently to break your problem. So consider downloading this RED & ME app for free from the web store or app store. It'll be veritably useful to you on a diurnal base.

 Red by SFR uses the SFR network. The ultimate has nothing further to prove concerning this service, the network content reaches 99 on French home.

 KEEP YOUR LINE NUMBER WITHOUT OBLIGATION

 Thenon-binding guarantee gives you further freedom. In case of dissatisfaction, for illustration, if the network isn't terrible, ask to terminate your line without giving any reason. In addition, you can request the termination of your Red by SFR line on your private space. All you have to do is click on “ I no longer need my line ” and that is it.

[nickgerlich]

Charged Up

One of the most frustrating things that happens to consumers, especially when it comes to tech products, is to find out that something you own is now obsolete. It happens all the time, but one company—Apple—has been notorious for doing it. Worse yet, the obsolescence affects one of the most mundane aspects of the product, yet also one of the most critical: the charger cord.

It was eleven years ago that Apple introduced the Lightning connector for its iPhones, leaving the much clunkier 30-pin connector to fade away. While it was a net improvement, it meant that all of our household and car chargers were done. They also did a similar move with charger cords for their MacBook line of laptops. And don’t get me started about when they eliminated the headphone jack back on iPhone 7 in 2016. It was clearly a move to bolster sales of their wireless AirPods.

Now they have done it again. At their big media announcement earlier this week, Apple announced iPhone 15 among other products, but also had to tell us that—here we go again—the phone’s charger cord would now be USB-C. It’s just that this time, Apple is not trying to pull another fast one, because they have been forced to change.

While it is convenient to think that the US rules the world and we set the standards, we are quickly waking up to the fact that the EU—European Union—has significant clout. The General Data Protection Regulation that was passed in 2018 ensures that European users have much higher expectations of data privacy online, and while they can opt-in to cookies, they are not the de facto setting. We can thank the GDPR for all those annoying questions we face on many websites today asking us if we would like some cookies.

The EU is at it again, with charger cords the next item to come in their cross hairs. Starting next year, all devices sold in Europe must have a common connector. USB-C was chosen as the standard. In both cases—the GDPR and charger cord—American firms have decided to go with the flow, and not fight it. Rather than have two websites, one for the EU and the one for everywhere else, they opted for one. As for Apple, it had no choice but to yield, if it wants to sell phones there.

Of course, this once again puts consumers in a bad place, because we still have legacy products that require the Lightning cord. At my office, both my keyboard and mouse are charged by—you guessed it—the Lightning cord. And my two Apple MagSafe external batteries also require that connector. Even when I upgrade my phone from 12 to 15, I will still have to keep some of these old cords around, while also changing out my home and vehicle charger cords.

Lovely. I will be using two systems at the same time. I see a tangled mess of cables in my future.

It can be argued that Apple should never have stuck with proprietary connectors in the first place, that it wasn’t being a good corporate citizen. But there is a monetary explanation. On Wednesday’s Morning Brew Daily podcast, they reported that Apple makes $5 billion a year either selling its own cords, or licensing their manufacture to third-party companies. That is a significant revenue stream that is now gone.

I am also perplexed that Apple had already adopted the USB-C standard on its own for MacBooks and iPads. It’s enough to make me pull out my hair. Well, if I had enough to pull.

Yes, I am an Apple fan boy. I made the switch in 2005, and have not looked back. While I do not own an Apple Watch or AirPods, I have phone, laptop, office iMac, and tablet, and I love the eco-system. Everything plays well together, which makes it a powerful bundle not replicated elsewhere. I’m good with paying the so-called “Apple tax” to own these products.

Sometimes, though, I admit to the frustration you get when you feel like someone is just yanking you around. This time Apple is getting yanked around. It lost the battle in Europe, and had to concede the world. I’m happy, because there really never was a good reason to have unique connectors other than extra revenue. In fact, this is something that has been going on for years in tech products, from cords to batteries. I can show you a bunch of incompatible camera batteries within both the Sony and Canon lines.

It’s just that Apple is the one getting the black eye for it now. It’s going to be a wobbly transition period for a while until we wear out all of our older products that still use Lightning, but we’ll get there one day.

And we can then add those old charger cords to that box everyone has in their home. Heck, mine still has Cat-4, RS-232, RCA, and land-line phone cables in it. Just in case, you know.

Dr “Of One A Cord” Gerlich

Audio Blog

[krispykroissant]

DrPGame Time!

"What is your 'go-to' video content?? For me, I love watching makeup and skin care videos. I find them soothing and relaxing. If I have free time and need a break, I watch a skincare video. What is your 'go-to' video content?"

For me, I have a wide range/variety of different videos and other content that I consider my "go-to" content. Usually, a situation where I would need "go-to" content is when I'm eating a meal, taking a break from work, waiting for a game update, etc. In any circumstance, there are several different types of videos or other content that I like to consume. Some of these include:

Zach Choi (Shorts) - He makes monstrous, outrageous, heart-clogging food, usually deep-fried and consisting mostly of meats and cheese. However, the way he styles his videos is very captivating because of the rhythm, sounds, and consistency of each video. The foods he makes are often (but not always) terrible, yet you can't seem to look away...

Not just Zach Choi, but also any other instant gratification short-form content that shows up on my YouTube, usually also involving food, or things like current events in the tech or gaming world.

Adam Neely (Long-Form) - He makes plenty of videos that are interesting to me because he is a bassist/musician (as am I), and in fact, his content is likely something similar to what I will be analyzing for this upcoming data analysis project. A lot of his videos cover contemporary content regarding music theory, current events, and just generally intriguing topics (intriguing to musicians, mainly).

Adam Neely is not the only YouTube musician I enjoy. There are plenty of other musicians on YouTube that I like to watch, who play piano, drums, saxophone, use Digital Audio Workstations, etc.

Markiplier (Long-Form) - Markiplier is easily one of my top favorite gaming YouTubers of all time. My go-to content of his usually consists of his horror gameplays, especially his series of "3 Scary Games", which is a series that he's been doing for almost 6 years now, having posted most recently as of two days ago (February 23rd, 2024).

Any gaming YouTuber has a spot on my list of go-to content, but Markiplier is up there in probably my top 5 favorite YouTubers of all time, let alone just in the gaming category. Another playlist of his that I've been getting back into recently is his massive playlist of every FNAF gameplay he's done. It's been fun to rewatch some of his older FNAF content and see how much he's progressed, and how much the games have changed and grown over the years into such a beautiful culture.

If it's not YouTube, it may be a show on Prime Video or MAX that I put on to decompress. Some examples of shows I watch on streaming platforms include:

The Looney Tunes Show - I recently finished rewatching The Looney Tunes Show (2011-14), which was a blast from the past for sure. I would mostly throw this on while eating dinner or after work on the weekends.

Basically, I would look just like Daffy Duck here while watching The Looney Tunes Show.

Another show that I like to stream is The Twilight Zone. I am currently rewatching it, and I'm loving every minute of it. The last time I watched it all the way through was back in my freshman year of high school. I definitely consider myself to be an "old soul" in that I may be Gen Z, but my heart lies with older content, whether that be films, shows, art, music, etc.

This, along with "Classic Who" (Doctor Who from 1963-89) is some of the most groundbreaking work of its time.

YouTube Watch Later - If ever I run out of content to watch, I have a massive backlog of videos in my Watch Later playlist on YouTube, which I have recently been tapping into as part of my go-to content from day to day.

If you'll notice, that's 1,452 videos. The videos on this playlist range from as little as ten seconds to as long as eight hours or more, so it's hard to even estimate how long it would take to go through all of these. I'm definitely not concerned about finishing this playlist. On top of that, I remove every video that I watch after I watch it, and have been doing that for quite some time, but then I add more every now and then. Sometimes the trade-off is equal, sometimes it's two steps forward and one step back, and other times it's one step forward and two steps back. But I don't really care.

[lunarmochi]

thinking abt how proud i am of myself for this

a few months ago, i made the brave decision to organize a birthday fan-project!! and am currently in the process of starting up one of those cool accounts that posts fun facts about blorbo and will hopefully organize more projects in the future!

like... me. i'm doing that. people are helping me, obviously, but i made the active decision to do this on my own

this is the same girl that used to be too terrified to even join discord servers and dm people! now i'm learning how to reach out to multiple people, lead over 15 people and designate roles, and more stuff that is cool but sometimes stressful. i certainly am not perfect, not by a long shot. but this is also my first time doing something to this scale. not to mention, the fan-project itself is on a pretty big scale itself. going through 300+ streams that are each 3-4 hours long (sometimes up to 7) and counting so many different things? i couldn't have done this by myself even if i wanted to. sure, i like organizing and data entry, but i don't have millions of hours of time.

this is all being done in the span of like 4 months btw. not to mention all the work that's also going into analyzing the data, getting all the artwork and graphics done for the zine, typing up all the word docs needed for the zine, etc etc.

i sometimes put myself down for not keeping people accountable better and being behind on project work, but also.. i forget how big of a project this really is?? i'm not used to working with amazing artists, and handling the knowledge that all eyes are on me, and that possibly hundreds (thousands if i'm stretching) of people will see this.

like wtf?? go me. stop putting yourself down for not being good enough, you're literally doing so well for it being your first real leadership position

but anyway, that's what's been consuming a lot of my time lately the past few months. along with college and worrying abt transfer applications, ofc...

[govindhtech]

How GraphQL Trends Shape Industry Changes

Seven crucial observations about GraphQL trends

A rising number of businesses are incorporating the new API structure known as GraphQL into their ecosystems, making it an important technology in the API field. REST APIs, which have been around for a while, are frequently viewed as a replacement for GraphQL. GraphQL offers more freedom to API consumers (such app developers) compared to REST APIs (or other conventional API specifications), and it offers several advantages as well as some brand-new difficulties for API creation and delivery.

He just went to the GraphQLConf 2023 conference in San Francisco, where GraphQL users and professionals from all over the world gathered to talk about the technology’s future. The GraphQL Foundation, which IBM is happy to sponsor, put together this inaugural GraphQLConf. Based on lessons learned at the event, he will highlight seven significant insights about GraphQL trends for the upcoming years.

1. Scalable GraphQL

Enterprise usage of GraphQL has been accelerating recently. GraphQL will be used in production by more than 50% of businesses by 2025, up from less than 10% in 2021, according to a Gartner analysis. It was evident at the GraphQLConf that the technology is on track to live up to this prediction. Speakers and participants from organisations like Pinterest, AWS, Meta, Salesforce, Netflix, Coinbase, and Atlassian were present at the conference.

2. GraphQL API management

Like other API specifications, GraphQL should be used in conjunction with API management software to maximise its advantages. Since GraphQL is frequently used as a gateway or middleware for several data sources, the security and performance of the API are dependent on these downstream sources. Utilising a query cost analysis to build rate limitation based on the connected data sources will help you improve the performance of the GraphQL API. At GraphQLConf, presentations covered how observability and rate restriction are crucial to GraphQL API management.

3.GraphQL security, third

Since businesses have begun using GraphQL at scale, security for GraphQL APIs is becoming even more important. GraphQL has different security requirements than other API specifications because of the way it is structured. Complexity problems and schema leaks, two GraphQL-specific vulnerabilities, were discussed at the conference. Of course, security risks like server faults and injections that affect normal API requirements also apply to GraphQL APIs and are frequently reduced by API management solutions.

4. Development of a declarative, SDL-first GraphQL API

Building GraphQL APIs can be done in one of two ways: “code-first” or “schema-first.” Every GraphQL API is built on a schema that acts as the type-system.

If the GraphQL API were built using a “code-first” methodology, the business logic would be utilised to produce the schema.

According to the “schema-first” methodology, you would define the schema first and then map it to your business logic separately.

A novel strategy that is now in use is known as “SDL-first” (Schema Definition Language), in which the business logic and the schema are jointly defined inside the GraphQL schema rather than being kept separate. In my session at GraphQLConf, I covered this declarative, SDL-first approach.

5. Incremental streaming data delivery

Although streaming data in GraphQL has long been disregarded, its importance is growing as GraphQL becomes more widely used. GraphQL’s “Subscription” operation type is used to implement real-time data, however streaming data has various requirements. Two additional built-in directives called “stream” and “defer” will be added to the GraphQL specification to accommodate streaming data. These additional directives will allow GraphQL to manage more intricate circumstances when incremental data delivery is required. This change is anticipated to increase GraphQL’s compatibility with asynchronous or event-driven data sources.

6. Open federation standard for GraphQL

Multiple GraphQL APIs are combined using GraphQL federation so that users can access all of their data through a single API. The usability and discoverability of all services offered by the organisation will increase as a result. Some GraphQL solutions, however, allow any data source to be federated into a single GraphQL API, even though federation frequently necessitates that every downstream service be a GraphQL API. GraphQL federation has thus far been dependent on vendor-specific specifications, which has resulted in a wide variety of implementations.

It was revealed at GraphQLConf that IBM has teamed up with other top API providers to create an open protocol for GraphQL federation that will be managed by the GraphQL Foundation.

7. AI and GraphQL

GraphQL has both potential and challenges as artificial intelligence (AI) changes how programmers create and use code. How, for instance, can programmers create GraphQL APIs in an AI-dominated world? How might AI assist in identifying and preventing security flaws in GraphQL?

Anant Jhingran, IBM Fellow and CTO, gave presentations on the use of GraphQL for AI and API integration at both GraphQLConf and IBM TechXchange. This IBM TechXchange keynote illustrates how GraphQL and AI work together.