Verizon plans to experiment with peer-to-peer file sharing over its cellular networks.  Using new software that localizes peer networks, Verizon hopes to cut the cost of file distribution by 75 – 90% while increasing the overall speed of the download.  Nice!  I’m happy that Verizon has seen the light on this and it adopting the technology.  I also like how they plan not to take a policing stance on the potential file sharing traffic.  (Add to that the rumor that Verizon was the big winner of the recent bandwidth auction.  Hmm…)

Also within in the article, a little mention of how NBC will be using P2P file sharing software from Pando to distribute content for free.  Yay!

I get the the sense that the digitally generated free economy wave is coming faster than anyone could have imagined and without the legal wrangling anticipated.  The next few years promise to be quite exciting.

Verizon gets cozy with P2P file-sharers

Verizon Allies With Peer-To-Peer File-Sharers to Speed Downloads of Movies

PETER SVENSSON
AP News

Here is some info on the program from the Crave Blog.

Due to the economic slow down and credit crunch in the US, Japanese flat panel makers are de-emphasizing large TV’s in favor of smaller sets for the US market.  What’s more interesting to me is that they saw the coming slow down last July, while none of us in the US were even cognizant that problems were coming.  What extra information did they have? Or perhaps their advisors have an unbiased perspective on the US economy.

I myself have been looking for a 32 or 37-in flat panel TV for my bedroom.  We also have have a large flat panel and I don’t feel that we need as big of TV in our bedroom.  I wonder if other buyers are like me — the US market is saturated with large TVs and people are opting to buy smaller, less expensive TVs as secondaries.  Hmm …  Either way, it sounds like the Japanese companies know their customer well and are on top of the situation.