Freelance writer Nate Thayer touched off a debate this week about media outlets wanting to publish content for free — but the reality is that the economics of content have changed forever, and the supply of free content is almost infinite. Read more at paidContent »
How does the tension between free and paid manifest itself in the technology world? Panelists at MIT’s Sloan School of Management conference on the Digital Economy explored the idea Friday in San Francisco. Read more »
The French ISP has been told by French digital economy minister Fleur Pellerin to stop blocking online ads, because she is ‘very attached’ to the open internet. However, she also hinted that she may not be entirely in favor of net neutrality. Read more »
The latest firmware update for Free’s set-top box adds a beta ad-blocking feature, which turns on by default when the user resets the device. If this was deliberate, it’s an interesting development for an ISP already embroiled in a net neutrality investigation. Read more »
After users complained about bad online video experiences, France’s telecom regulator launched an investigation trying to figure out if a local ISP was blocking YouTube or if it was just underinvesting in its network. A decision is expected soon, and could have worldwide repercussions. Read more »
Twitter, Google, Apple, Facebook, iPhone, Android — what’s new — dominated my writing during 2012. But there were others such as Famo.us, Kickstarter and France’s Free. Here are some of my stories from this year that I believe will have an impact technology ecosystem in 2013. Read more »
Apple stole the spotlight in the third quarter with the release of its iPhone 5, Amazon pursued the tablet market aggressively with a new line of tablets, and Microsoft prepped to launch Windows 8 and the highly anticipated Surface tablet. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
The debate continues over which model is better for social networks: free and ad-supported or paid for by users? Dalton Caldwell says the latter and is building a paid alternative to Twitter, but VC Fred Wilson argues that free is the only model that works. Read more »
France’s Bouygues Telecom is working with virtual hotspot network Devicescape to give its smartphone customers seamless access to 8 million open Wi-Fi access points globally, replicating – at least fractionally – one of the key differentiators Iliad’s Free Mobile has on the competition: a 4 million-node offload network. Read more »
The havoc that OpenFlow is wreaking in the data center may also change the way we think of ISPs, and solve the spectrum crisis. OpenRadio is a project that hopes to use OpenFlow to create pools of broadband from Wi-Fi, cellular and other networks. Read more »
Google is wants to bring more small websites to the mobile phone, and to help nudge those sites along it’s willing to foot the bill for a year. Google and Duda Mobile are offering free hosting and customization of Web sites for mobile browsers. Read more »
Last month we reported on the wireless revolution Iliad’s Free Mobile was leading in France. Now the first casualty reports are in. France Telecom’s Orange reported on Wednesday it lost 201,000 net subscribers in a little more than a month, fleeing to Free’s ultra-cheap plans. Read more »
Xavier Niel, the maverick founder of Free.fr broadband service, will redefine the mobile landscape with Free Mobile, a new approach thanks to a cutting-edge network that blends Wi-Fi, HSPA+ 3G, femtocells and its all-fiber backbone, offering unlimited voice, texting and data for cheap. Read more »
Apple has not only notified resellers that the company is discontinuing sales of the MobileMe retail box, but it has also stopped selling it through the company’s online store. Current users can still renew their services, but indications are that MobileMe will soon be free. Read more »
Curious about Office for Mac but unwilling to drop at least $150 to find out if it’s any good? Microsoft seems to have finally realized that might be a common sentiment, and is now offering Office for Mac 2011 on a 30-day free trial download basis. Read more »
Starbucks wants to give customers more than just free internet access. Through a new partnership with Apple and Yahoo, the Seattle-based coffee chain will provide customers with free content to enjoy via their Wi-Fi connection. Music, books, newspapers and more are on the menu. Read more »
SaaS startup New Relic has received an additional $10 million in funding for its application performance management offering that targets both data centers and the cloud. That brings its total to $20 million, which the company says is far more than it needs to be profitable. Read more »
Free social networks, blog publishing tools and microblogging sites. Free trials lasting weeks and weeks where we can kick the virtual tires of everything from Basecamp to Typepad. But what do we do when what we were getting for free is no longer free? Read more »
While those who recently graduated may be missing their Apple discount, those who are going to be heading back to school this fall can take advantage of Apple’s standard college student discount with the added bonus of a free iPod touch. Read more »
If you were concerned that you’d only be able to read things on your iPad if you ponied up some cash for the privilege, even if that amount turns out to be less than expected, worry no more. The iPad will launch with 30,000 free e-books. Read more »
