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Government Gives the OK To Jailbreak Mobile Phones, More Fair Use Rights

Joshua — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 20:52:36 +0000

The government has ruled in favor of consumers and educators in a series of rulings. Among the rulings, users who jailbreak mobile phones are not committing a crime. Consumers may also now break copyright protection on DVD’s for non-commercial and educational purposes.

This is a surprising ruling to say the least. On the jailbreaking issue, the government had this to say:

When one jailbreaks a smartphone in order to make the operating system on that phone interoperable with an independently created application that has not been approved by the maker of the smartphone or the maker of its operating system, the modifications that are made purely for the purpose of such interoperability are fair uses.

On the DVD front, consumers may now make non-commercial and educational copies of copyrighted works. These exceptions are very limited, and it would be wise to read up on them. This has to be considered a win for the average consumer. Big business has long tried to limit how you can use your own devices. Let’s hope there’s no backtracking on the part of the government.

Hulu Plus Joins Netflix As Internet Based Alternatives To Broadcast TV

Joshua — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 13:09:36 +0000

I have been taking advantage of Netflix’s streaming content through my Xbox 360 for some time. I love being able to catch up on past seasons of various shows that have been released on DVD. That’s how I got hooked on The Office and 30 Rock. One downside to Netflix is the inability to keep up with current season episodes for most programs. Hulu is now aiming to fill that gap by introducing their Hulu Plus service.

The major networks, including Fox, NBC and ABC (not CBS), have put their current program lineups online for you to view on demand via Hulu.com. For $10 per month, the new Hulu Plus service will give you even more access the shows that you love. Besides current in-season episodes, you’ll get past episodes of the shows you love.

Netflix will appeal more to movie buffs, while Hulu Plus will have more for tv fans. For those looking to wean themselves off high priced cable and satellite prices, you could save quite a bit of money by subscribing to both services. It may not be for everyone, but there will be quite a few people who find this to be a great alternative to broadcast television.