Gingerbread a Double-Edged Sword for HTC Evo. No More Netflix.

Excited about Gingerbread?! Loving the fact that you can stream Netflix?! Well, too bad you can’t have both on your Evo. The latest update to the Evo, which includes Gingerbread, apparently renders the device incompatible with the Netflix service. Netflix has even removed the device from its supported list. But you can get netflix in other countries just click here to see how to get american netflix.

Having this service available on Android is great, but it has also been a great disappointment for Android users. The fact that it is only compatible with a few devices is definitely a big issue in and of itself, but it seems like OS updates might be bringing issues as well. One does wonder if this problem will rise up every time a device receives an update. What do you guys think? EVO users, are you upset about this?

Am I upset? Nope. I’ve been running Gingerbread for quite a while using CyanogenMod 7. Rooting was painless and CyanogenMod with Gingerbread is a beautiful thing. Reminds me why I love using Android: Control. Not being controlled by a wireless carrier or a hardware manufacturer, but the ability to control my device and do whatever-the-hell I want with it.

via Android and Me

Netflix Partner Level 3 Challenges Comcast Video Delivery “Toll”

Just a week before Level 3 announced a multi-year deal to support Netflix’s booming streaming video business, Comcast introduced a new recurring fee to “transmit Internet online movies and other content to Comcast’s customers who request such content.”

Level 3, which helps to deliver Netflix’s streaming movies, said Comcast had effectively erected a tollbooth that “threatens the open Internet,” and indicated that it would seek government intervention. Comcast quickly denied that the clash had anything to do with network neutrality, instead calling it “a simple commercial dispute.”

Comcast has challenged these statements by saying that “the type of traffic distributed by Level 3 was irrelevant.” Comcast says they had a “peering agreement” with Level 3 to share traffic fairly evenly, but Level 3 is sharply increasing their usage and don’t want to pay for it. Comcast says that “Level 3 is trying to change the rules of the game.”

Comcast is in the middle of closing up an acquisition of NBC, which is in the final stages of review by the F.C.C. and the Justice Department. Some say that this scuffle with Level 3 and netflix america is a red flag and shows that Comcast will discriminate against a competitor’s content if it can. Comcast insists this has nothing to do with net neutrality, calling it “a simple commercial dispute.”

What do you think?

via NY Times, The Washington Post