Many people thought the era of net neutrality was over following a recent FCC ruling, but it now appears the fight is far from finished.
Quick refresh: following the ruling that Internet service providers – or ISPs – could play favorites for a price, Netflix and other big users of bandwidth were quick to strike deals with ISPs like Comcast and other net providers to make sure their data got preferential treatment – and squeezed out smaller players.
But now, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi has written the FCC and is pushing chairman Wheeler to reclassify ISPs under Title II of the Communications Act – which would essentially make them public utilities and erase those paid-for “fast lanes.” It hasn’t happened yet but the Title II move is what net neutrality supporters have wanted all along.
ISPs don’t want it – for obvious financial reasons – and they are lobbying against it, of course. Stay tuned, the fight is still on.
Shopping has finally come to Twitter! The company has been testing a “buy” button that users can embed in their tweets, and it could mean big bucks for the popular service.
Twitter makes pretty much all of its money from advertising, so if it could get a cut of every transaction that takes place using the buy button, it could give them another revenue stream. It’s a limited rollout for now, with only a small number of U.S. users getting the ability to add the buy button and about 20 vendors able to sell products. But if it’s successful, that will likely change in a hurry.
And finally, it was make or break for Apple yesterday. As expected, the Cupertino company rolled out the new and improved iPhone 6 – in two different sizes – and the iWatch – er, the Apple Watch, has arrived at long last. The Apple Watch will be available in two different sizes and has numerous style options, including a sports line, a basic stylish setup and gold, of course. Apple says it will available early next year, starting at $350.
Apple also rolled out ApplePay, a one-touch digital wallet that lets you pay by just tapping a receiver with an iPhone 6 or Apple Watch. We’ve got a full rundown of the Apple Watch, the new iPhone 6 and a closer look at ApplePay.
Your host today is Holly Resnick.
