TV On The Internet . . . Which Internet???

Hello devoted Blogsters!

I hope you enjoyed last weeks Blog: Werewolf - Hairy Terror or Goldmine for Electrolocists???

Did you ever see that Simpson's episode where Homer is stuck in traffic wishing there was a quicker way to get home? He wishes he had his own private road where he could drive as fast as he wanted - but of course no one has their own private roads where they can zoom past other people as if they weren't even there - right?

Well It turns out . . . not exactly . . . in fact, we're not even close to the "real" road - or to be specific the "real" Internet. While we are plodding along on our "superfast" Internet connections - Scientists and government agencies throughout the world are using Internet 2. I'll bet you didn't even know there was an Internet 2?

The article I read can be found here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21226894/

Here's an excerpt:

NEW YORK -- The ultrahigh-speed Internet2 network just got 10 times faster, partly in anticipation of rising demand for capacity after the world's largest particle collider opens near Geneva next year.

Until recently, the Internet2 had a theoretical limit of 10 gigabits per second, which is thousands of times faster than standard home broadband connections. By sending data using 10 different colours, or wavelengths, of light over a single cable, operators are boosting the network's capacity to 100 Gbps.

That means a high-quality version of the movie "The Matrix'' could be sent in a few seconds rather than half a minute over the old Internet2 and several hours over a typical home broadband line.

Can you believe that? It's all about power, money, elitism, etc.

If we were allowed affordable (dare I say . . . free??) access to Internet 2 - we could bypass Government agencies such as the FCC in the USA or the CRTC that we have in Canada. We could subscribe to what we want. We would have the bandwith we would need. And, we would become a little bit more free as human beings. Have you ever thought about how much the government, your job, etc. controls your lives? I try not to think about it too much!

Anyway, I came accross a neat website: http://mashable.com/2007/06/18/33-ways-to-watch-free-tv-online/

One of the cool sites is Joost - which you have to apply to become a member. You send in your application and if you're lucky in about a month they'll send you the files you need to get on board. Right now it's mostly music videos - but other genres are starting to appear as well. This is TV from around the world. And, so far, it's free!

Stay tuned for next week's Blog: Yodelling . . . Or, How To Get Chicks Without Saying A Word . . .