Topic: Time Warner Cable

The hosts suggest that the FCC's Net Neutrality ruling was actually designed to facilitate the merger between Comcast and Time Warner Cable. They argue that reclassifying the internet under Title II provides the regulatory framework needed to approve such a massive anti-competitive deal. A new presidential memorandum on expanding broadband deployment is also discussed as a dovetailing policy.

Adam Curry critiques the "Fight for the Future" (FFTF) organization and its campaign against the Comcast-Time Warner Cable merger. He argues that net neutrality regulations will actually lead to increased censorship of "unlawful content," including hate speech and peer-to-peer traffic. Curry warns that the FFTF is "duping" the public into supporting government regulation of the internet.

Tech reporter Ryan Block released a viral recording of a Comcast representative refusing to cancel his service. The hosts speculate that the timing of the release is intended to influence the pending Comcast-Time Warner Cable merger by highlighting poor customer service.

Adam Curry details his experience negotiating with Time Warner Cable in Austin, where his monthly bill for a "triple play" package reached $333. He discusses the lack of true competition in the ISP market and the necessity of high-cost plans for professional broadcasting.

The hosts theorize that the net neutrality fervor was manufactured following Comcast's bid to acquire Time Warner Cable. They argue that being designated a "common carrier" utility actually benefits monopolies like Comcast by discouraging new competitors. The segment suggests that Netflix and Comcast may have collaborated to stir up public outrage over "slowdowns" to force regulatory changes that favor established players.

Comcast announced plans to acquire Time Warner Cable, a move that would create a massive gatekeeper for American internet and television services. The merger was triggered after Charter Communications made a competing bid for Time Warner. Concerns are raised regarding the lack of competition in major markets like Austin, where residents are left with few choices beyond AT&T, Google Fiber, and the newly merged cable giant.

The hosts discuss ongoing technical issues with their connection, blaming the "ditch digger" mentality of major cable companies like Time Warner and Comcast. Adam Curry recalls similar infrastructure struggles during the early days of MTV. They explore the possibility of using private BGP routing or sysadmin assistance to stabilize the show's broadcast.

The show recognizes various donors and "knights" for their financial contributions to the program. Birthday wishes are extended to several listeners, including Katherine Anderson and Brian Vaughn. The hosts also encourage listeners to "cut the cable" to save money, citing the high costs of providers like Time Warner and Comcast compared to the value of independent media.

Adam Curry describes a cable cut at his house that required Time Warner trucks to visit at 1 a.m. This leads to an anecdote about squirrels chewing through telephone lines and a failed experiment using capsicum-infused plastic to deter them. Curry also recounts taking his wife to her first crawfish boil in Austin.

A frustrating experience with Time Warner Cable's billing system prevented the rental of the film "The Rum Diary," leading to a recommendation to cancel traditional cable services. Alternatives like Roku, Netflix, and independent internet-based media are presented as more efficient and cost-effective entertainment options.

Adam Curry discusses a potential appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience following listener requests and Rogan's on-air mention of Curry. An anecdote about a landlord named Trey introduces the term "bogative" into the show's lexicon during a repair of an electric stove. The hosts also complain about Time Warner Cable selling unlisted phone numbers to telemarketers like ADT Home Security.

A new technical configuration allows for real-time monitoring and recording of C-SPAN directly into the studio mixing board. The hosts compare the advanced DVR features of Time Warner Cable in Austin to those in Los Angeles, specifically the ability to replay recordings across different rooms. This setup facilitates more efficient clipping of news segments for the program.

The hosts analyze the first national test of the upgraded Emergency Alert System (EAS), which they characterize as a complete failure. Reports from Los Angeles and other regions indicated that the test lasted significantly longer than the planned 30 seconds, with some viewers seeing Lady Gaga or hearing music instead of the alert. They suggest the failure was a calculated move by FEMA to secure more government funding.

Adam Curry recounts his recent struggles with internet connectivity and his interactions with Time Warner Cable technicians. After several days of outages, a technician who was a fan of the show provided a free modem upgrade and personal contact information to ensure service stability.

Technical failures plague the start of the broadcast as Time Warner Cable connectivity issues force a reliance on an AT&T iPhone tethering setup. The connection in the Hollywood Hills remains unstable despite troubleshooting efforts, leading to a reduced stream bitrate of 24 kilobits. Frustration is expressed regarding the lack of infrastructure improvements by telecommunications companies despite receiving billions in tax dollars.

The broadcast is interrupted by a phone call from Time Warner Cable technical support, which temporarily kills the iPhone tethering connection. The hosts praise the iPhone Dev Team for creating the jailbreak software that allows the show to continue via tethering. The incident is kept in the recording to demonstrate the unreliability of major telecommunications providers.

Domain Name System (DNS) serves as the fundamental directory of the internet, predating the web and allowing users to navigate via names rather than IP addresses. Major internet service providers, including Verizon Wireless and Time Warner Cable, have begun blocking or redirecting OpenDNS traffic to proprietary marketing pages. This practice is criticized as a tool for monetization that undermines the original intent of open internet protocols, especially as the transition to complex IPv6 addresses makes DNS more essential.

A discussion regarding recurring internet connection drops focuses on Time Warner Cable and a Netgear DOCSIS 3.0 gateway. The hardware is suspected of being too new or having firmware issues that cause the router to disconnect from the network during live broadcasts.

Adam Curry reports from a 17th-century canal house in Amsterdam while John C. Dvorak joins from Northern Silicon Valley. They discuss persistent audio delays and technical streaming issues despite high bandwidth availability. Speculation regarding the cause includes packet shaping by providers like Time Warner Cable.

The Pentagon Channel's availability on commercial satellite and cable providers like Dish Network is discussed as a tool for military propaganda. The hosts critique the channel's content as boring and suggest it lacks the engagement of modern reality television. Curry also mentions his recent upgrade to a Time Warner Cable "Triple Play" bundle.