I’m not sure how typical they are of their generation, but my 26-year-old daughter and her husband recently canceled their cable TV service because they found themselves watching most of their TV programs over the Internet, typically via Hulu.com.

For the past three years, Hulu has been streaming thousands of free programs to PCs and Macs. Like broadcast TV, Hulu has commercials, but they are shorter than their TV counterparts. The company, owned in part by NBC Universal, News Corp., and the Walt Disney Co., is now launching a new paid subscription service.

Hulu Plus, which will cost $9.99 a month and be gradually rolled out, will feature all episodes from the current season of a show as well as full archives of entire back seasons. You can request a “preview invite” at Hulu.com.

Not all shows will be available, but the library will include “The Office,” “Family Guy,” “30 Rock,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Desperate Housewives” and “Saturday Night Live.”

The new service will not replace the current free offering. The free Hulu will still offer selected current and some previous seasons.

In addition, Hulu is going beyond computer access by allowing paid subscribers to view programs on an iPad, iPhone, some Internet-enabled Samsung video players and the Sony PlayStation 3. A live Internet connection will be needed to view them.

One thing that is sure to frustrate some potential subscribers is that paying customers will have to watch commercials. The company plans to have the same number of commercials for both paid and free offerings.

This “hybrid model” of paid plus advertising is a big gamble for Hulu. It’s not clear to me whether people are going to deal with advertising with paid content.

To be fair, the publishing industry has long used that model; readers have long accepted advertising in magazines and newspapers even if they paid for subscription or newsstand copies.

Of course, there are other ways to watch TV shows and movies online. Apple’s iTunes, for example, allows you to purchase individual episodes or full seasons without commercials, and iTunes allows you to download the programs.

Also, some of the TV networks stream their own programs. ABC.com, for example, lets you watch recent episodes of many of their popular shows. CBS.com has full episodes of “Big Brother,” “Late Show with David Letterman” and other programs.

While I don’t mind using my laptop to watch TV shows in hotels or on airplanes, I prefer sitting on my home sofa in front of the big-screen TV.

One of the things I like about Google’s Android operating system is that it’s an open platform. Anyone can write an application and, unlike Apple’s tight hold on iPhone and iPod apps, you don’t need Google’s permission to distribute an app in the Android marketplace.

Yet there is a potential downside to such openness. Without a “big brother” to vet applications, there is a greater possibility of improperly written and ill-behaving programs, programs that compromise user privacy and just plain malicious software designed to corrupt your device or steal your information.

A recent report from SMobile Systems suggests that these concerns are not without merit. The security company performed a “threat analysis” that “indicates that there are thousands of applications that exist in the market that grant access to personal information, location data or access to services that could be used for nefarious purposes.”

While the report concludes that “a majority of these applications were written with the best of intentions” and are unlikely to compromise user data, it nevertheless paints a relatively scary picture of the potential threat of errant mobile phone apps.

The report said about 20 percent of the 48,000 apps “request permission to access private or sensitive information that an attacker could for malicious purposes.”

SMobile produces security software for mobile devices and has a vested interest in raising concerns, but that doesn’t mean we should ignore the warnings.

SMobile points out that the Android Marketplace relies on users to report applications that malfunction or are malicious, and it’s certainly true that a community policing model can be effective in helping to identify dangerous apps.
But because it’s an after-the-fact methodology, the company argues that there will always be a window between when an app is released and when its dangers have been identified and the app removed from the market. During that window, unsuspecting users could wind up being harmed.

The report cites the example of “Droid 09,” a phishing application that said it would allow Android users to conduct banking activities from their phone. It’s not clear what if anything the app did with banking credentials but it certainly raised concern among online banking professionals.

Via e-mail, a Google representative said the “report falsely suggests that Android users don’t have control over which apps access their data. Not only must each Android app gets users’ permission to access sensitive information, but developers must also go through billing background checks to confirm their real identities, and we will disable any apps that are found to be malicious.”

And in a telephone interview, Google spokesman Jay Nancarrow said “the Android team was aware of what it would mean to not have a formal vetting process” and that the company relies on user feedback and a rating system. He said Google wanted to make sure it was “keeping innovation flowing” by not putting up too many barriers for developers.

In addition to knowing your location, the SMobile report said that applications can also get permission to initiate a phone call, get a list of the accounts associated with your phone, access the Internet, monitor, modify or abort outgoing calls, read the user’s calendar data, read contact lists, read data about the phone’s owner, read text messages, send or receive text messages.

The main issue is that many Android applications ask permission for certain privileges such as access to the user’s GPS location data, the ability to access the Internet or, in some cases, access to the user’s contact list. And while users have the ability to deny access, SMobile Chief Technology Officer Dan Hoffman said in an interview that users often grant those permissions without fully understanding what they are permitting the application to do.

“The majority of users don’t look at it. They say, ‘I don’t know what it means and maybe I care, maybe I don’t, but it’s not going to stop me from installing the application.’ ”

He also said the issue applies to other smartphones but worries that the problem could be worse with Android. “When it comes from a developer who developed it in their basement and there’s no vetting process, then that should be concerning to users.”

When I download apps on Android or on the Apple App store, I do look at the permissions they request and think about whether they make sense in terms of what the app does. For example, if you were to download an app like Glympse or Foursquare — which are designed to enable you to share your location — it would make perfect sense to permit those apps to know your location, but if it were an app that had no obvious reason to know your location, you might want to think twice before enabling it.

There is always going to be a battle between security and freedom. Apple’s tight control over iPhone apps probably does help protect customers by assuring that apps are working properly and behaving ethically, but there is a cost associated with that as well. Some perfectly safe apps have been rejected and some developers have accused Apple of rejecting apps for business reasons.

Google’s more open process feels a lot more democratic but, like democracy itself, requires a bit more vigilance on the part of its “citizens.”

I’ve had a GPS device in my car for years and wouldn’t think of driving into unfamiliar territory without one.

In addition to finding addresses, most GPS systems can also find “points of interest” such as gas stations, restaurants, hotels and other establishments. I once relied on a GPS to find the nearest hospital after a family member became ill on a vacation.

But I’m writing today’s column from Washington D.C., where I’m getting around by foot, cab and Metro. Still, I’ve found GPS enormously handy, though instead of using the portable device that I have in the car, I’m using my smartphone and Google Maps to find my way around the nation’s capital.

Now, I’m no stranger to D.C — I come here on business every couple of months — but this week I’m mixing pleasure with business, taking a few extra days with my wife Patti to enjoy some museums and restaurants.

Despite the humidity and 100 degree heat, we’re doing a lot of walking and — as it turns out — the Google Maps application that I’m using on a Sprint EVO 4G that runs the Android operating system is doing an excellent job helping us find the places that we’re visiting. There is a similar version of Google maps for the Apple iPhone, though I find the Android application to do a better job fixing on a GPS location whether in a car or by foot.

For example, for lunch Tuesday I wanted to visit Cosi, a chain of restaurants on the East Coast that has great sandwiches. I know there are plenty in D.C., but I had no idea how to find the nearest one.

As I walked out the door of my Capitol Hill hotel, I clicked on the Maps icon, then clicked on Directions and typed Cosi as my “end point.” By default the starting point is your present location as determined by GPS. Turns out there’s a Cosi 0.7 miles from the hotel, which Google estimates to be a 14-minute walk. I could have also gotten driving or public transportation directions or even the recommended bicycle route which is estimated to be a 4-minute ride from here.

Of course sometimes you don’t know the name of the place you want to go.

Washington has a lot of great museums including many free ones operated by the government. Not knowing which were nearby I searched maps for “museums” and clicked on the list option, which brought up a list of museums with the distance from my location and easy access to details including hours and reviews. The same process brings up restaurants (sorted by type) and other establishments.

While I’m on the subject of smartphones and GPS, there are also technologies available that you can use to share your location. Lately, I’ve been playing with Glympse, which lets you send out your location in real time to a family member, a friend or group of friends.

For safety, you have to specify how long the person can track your location. The maximum allowed is four hours, so there is no way to empower a potential stalker to always know where you are.
The service, which currently works with iPhone, Android and Windows Mobile, allows you to send an e-mail to a friend with a URL that they can go to locate you on a map that’s displayed on a web page either on a PC or a phone. If you’re moving, they can see your motion on the map, including your speed.

A few weeks ago I took the Bolt Bus from Washington to New York, sent myself “a Glympse,” and posted that URL on Twitter so that all my Twitter “followers” could follow my bus journey.

Several people commented that the bus was exceeding the speed limit as they tracked my progress. Good thing that the New Jersey State Police didn’t follow me on Twitter or the bus driver on I-95.

Watch out Google. Because of its user interface, you just lost a Gmail user to, of all things, Microsoft Hotmail.

Well, I’m not completely quitting Gmail – I’m keeping my account open, but I just started using the newly revamped Hotmail to read and respond to email.

The reason is simple. Unlike Gmail, Microsoft gives users a choice whether to view mail in reverse chronological order (the most recent message always on top) or in what Google calls “conversation” mode.

The way Gmail works is that replies to messages follow the original message in a single group or thread. That can be a great way to keep all related messages together but it can also make it harder to find the most recent message.

I have nothing against this format; I just think it should be an option and if Henry Blodget’s sources are correct, Google may soon be offering this option. So, if you’re listening Google, please count me among the people who want a choice. Conversations are good, but being able to quickly find your most recent messages is also very good.

I understand why some people like the Google method. On his blog, my friend Dave Taylor defends the conversation mode, calling it “one of the more desirable features of Google’s Gmail service. I disagree.

I find it confusing and because new messages can be buried under old ones, I sometimes miss important messages. When I check email, I almost always want to see the latest message. I’m rarely interested in the history and, when I am, there are other ways to find that out.

Using Hotmail to access Gmail

There are some workarounds, but not within Gmail. For example, you can access your Gmail in reverse chronological order using Outlook, Thunderbird or any other traditional email program. Or you can forward your Gmail to another webmail service like Yahoo, AOL or Hotmail. Hotmail also allows you to add Gmail as an extra email address allowing you not only to read your Gmail from your Hotmail account but to respond from within Hotmail and display your Gmail return address.

The new Hotmail has some other nice features including the ability to view messages from social networking sites, your contacts, groups you belong to and even delivery notification in separate folders. The service also makes it easy to locate attached photos and attachments from Microsoft Office and open them online using Microsoft’s new free web-based Office applications.

Happy to switch back

Of course, I’m always happy to switch back to Gmail as soon as they fix this problem. And, for me, switching email services isn’t a big deal since, for only $10 a year, I have my own domain which allows me to have a unique address that is automatically forwarded to Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo or any other email service. To their credit, both Hotmail and Gmail display that unique email address as the “reply to” when I send out mail.

With all the excitement about iPhones, iPads, Android smartphones and other new devices, it’s easy to forget about the old standby personal computer. But despite the explosive growth of choices, PCs continue to do well in the marketplace.

Market research firm iSupply reported last week that the PC market hit “record growth” during the first quarter of 2010, with global sales up nearly 23 percent over the same quarter last year. Of course, one reason for the growth was weak sales in 2009 because of the economic downturn. Still, the good news is worth noting.

The strongest growth came in notebook PCs (26.5 percent), but even desktop sales reversed their previous decline and grew by 1 percent. As I was reading about the rise in PC sales, my doorbell rang with the delivery of a new Gateway One ZX Series all-in-one desktop PC that Gateway is lending me to evaluate.

I don’t particularly like struggling over setting up new PCs, but I was able to unbox and set up this one on my kitchen table in less than 10 minutes.

The first thing I noticed is that the power cord was the only wire in the box. The keyboard and mouse were wireless and there was no need for an Ethernet cord because it comes with 802.11n Wi-Fi. The hardest part of installing the machine was putting the batteries in the keyboard and mouse and connecting the small wireless adapter in one of the USB ports.

With that accomplished, I turned on the machine, logged

onto my Wi-Fi network and started streaming a Netflix movie that looked great on the 1080p HD display and sounded amazingly good on the built-in speakers. I then grabbed a Blue-ray disc and started watching Tom Hanks’ “Big,” which really did look big on the device’s 23-inch screen.

After watching part of the movie, I started experimenting with the software, including games, painting and writing applications that take advantage of the touch screen. While I think touch screens are great on tablets and smartphones, I’m still not sold on having one on a desktop PC. But I liked having access to both the touch screen and a mouse. One of my frustrations with Apple’s optional Bluetooth keyboard on the iPad is that I kept reaching for the nonexistent mouse to select menu items but was forced to use the touch screen. I like that Gateway gives you a choice.

When I was done experimenting, I launched the 60-day trial copy of Microsoft Office and started writing this review. My only complaint about using this Gateway as a word processor is that the screen is actually too big — a bit overwhelming at close range.

The 23-inch model I’m testing costs $1,120 and comes with a 2.93 GHz Intel processor, 4 gigabytes of memory, a 640 GB hard drive and a Blu-ray player/burner. Models with a 20-inch screen start at $720. All models support an optional TV tuner.

A few years ago I reviewed an early Hewlett-Packard all-in-one computer and remember liking the hardware but hating the way Windows XP performed. But those days are over. While it’s not perfect, Microsoft’s Windows 7 (which comes on this and virtually all new PCs), is far better, making it possible to work, play and be entertained via a PC with relatively few crashes or problems. Like all Windows machines, you need to run security software to protect against malware (the Gateway comes with a trial copy of Norton Internet Security).

Another change from a few years ago is that the processing power of modern mid- to-high-end computers more than compensates for any sluggishness in the software. In the past, I was reluctant to run Windows Media Center or other media players such as the CyberLink PowerCinema that come with this machine. But the Gateway’s 2.93 GHz Intel processor and standard 4 gigabytes of memory is more than adequate for the task.

With the exception of the relatively few people in the world who need the expandability of a traditional desktop PC, all-in-ones like this Gateway, Apple’s iMacs and Hewlett-Packard’s Presario, Pavillion and Touch Smart PCs make a lot of sense.

Their biggest competition isn’t other desktop PCs but notebooks, which are becoming the machine of choice now that they’re no longer priced at a premium. Notebook PCs have their place — especially for people who are always on the go — but for enjoying multimedia or the ability to spread out your work over a lot of screen real estate, desktops and all-in-ones can be a good choice.

Mozilla’s Aza Raskin is warning about a new type of phishing attack called tabnabbing.

Unlike traditional phishing attacks which trick people into clicking on links that take them to bogus sites that look legitimate, tabnabbing doesn’t require a user to click on a link. But it too can trick people into disclosing their usernames and passwords.

While you’re visiting a Web page infected with malicious tabnabbing code, a tab in the background morphs into what appears to be a legitimate site like Gmail or a banking site. To the user it looks quite familiar and since it’s not uncommon for people to have multiple tabs open at the same time, it’s easy to assume that it really is the site you want to visit. When you click on it, you’re not logged in, but that too can seem quite normal since many sites log you out automatically after a period of time. However, if you’re a tabnabbing victim and try to log in to the site, you wind up giving your log-in credentials to the tabnabber.

Aza Raskin

(Credit: Aza Raskin)

Ironically, the very security techniques that some sites use to protect users can increase the chances of falling for this scam. “For example,” said Raskin, “it can detect that you’re logged into CitiBank right now and CitiBank has been training you to log into your account every 15 minutes because it logs you out for better security. It’s like being hit by the wrong end of the sword.”

Raskin said that unlike many types of malicious software, PC security programs won’t protect users because the malicious code is running on the Web site, not on the PC. “None of those will help in this case.” He said that Firefox helps because it will “look at every page you visit and determine whether it thinks it’s a phishing scam.” Raskin said that Mozilla is looking at putting an account manager similar to LastPass into future versions of Firefox which automatically logs users in to accounts.

If you go to Raskin’ s blog post about tabnabbing, you’ll see an actual demonstration. After you’ve been on the page for a few seconds, click away to another tab and then come back to the tab with his blog post. If it works as planned you will be looking at what appears to be a Gmail log-in page. Fortunately, this is only a test–it won’t actually let you type anything.

Click below to listen to the 9 1/2-minute podcast interview with Aza Raskin

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by Larry Magid

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I wouldn’t call it an out-of-the-park home run but the iPhone 4 is a very nice enhancement to Apple’s line.

Based on watching Steve Jobs demo at Moscone Center in San Francisco and a few minutes of hands-on time with the phone, it’s clear to me that Apple has once again raised the bar.

Of course we knew that the phone would have front and rear facing cameras but what I didn’t expect was a slick iPhone version of iMovie that lets you shoot, edit and post video from the phone. This is no bare bones editor — it includes the “Ken Burns effect,” transitions, titles and other editing features people are accustomed to when using Mac or PC-based editors. This one feature could help sell the phone for anyone who wants to be able to create video from the field. Ironically, I shot iMovie at work using my flip camera (will post video later) which could be out of a job if I wind up getting the new iPhone.

Apple also showed off its video conferencing with a heart warming video of parents talking to their kids and soldiers fighting abroad talking with loved ones back home. Only trouble is — both people would need an iPhone 4 to make this happen. You can’t communicate with other devices — not even via the web. Jobs said that Apple is making the protocols available via standards bodies so it will soon be an open standard.

And it’s important to remember that Apple isn’t the first to offer two cameras and video conferencing. It’s also a feature on the Sprint / HTC Evo that went on sale on Friday.

Great looking screen

The new Retina display is indeed impressive. Jobs said that it displays 326 dots per inch which, he says, is higher than the 300 dpi which is the densist people can perceive at smart phone distances. Indeed the display on the big monitors in the hall looked great as did the phone when I held it in my hand. But my question is whether that will really matter. I rarely sit around complaining about the resolution on my smart phone. I’m happy enough with the older iPhone’s screen and very happy with the screen on the new Evo.

Anyone whose battery has died before sunset will appreciate the new phone’s battery which is slightly bigger. The battery, plus Apple’s use of its own more power friendly A4 processor, should yield 40% more talk time according to Jobs.

After spending a couple of hours listening to Jobs and playing with the phone, I’m impressed but I’m not overwhelmed, but in a way, that’s the way it should be. Technology evolves and the iPhone 4 is clearly a good move forward.

Facetime Video

Noah Kraviz from PhoneDog takes a first look at the iPhone 4

I don’t always agree with Steve Jobs, especially with the level of control Apple exerts over iPhone and iPad developers. But that doesn’t change the fact that the man is a national treasure. When the history of the 20th and 21st centuries is written in stone, I have no doubt that Jobs will take his place along with Albert Einstein and Henry Ford.

I was reminded of that last week as I sat in the audience at the D: All Things Digital conference in Rancho Palos Verdes while co-hosts Walter Mossberg and Kara Swisher interviewed him for about an hour and a half.

In the course of his career, Jobs has revolutionized several industries. Along with Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, he was a pioneer in the personal computer industry with the first highly customizable PC. Through Pixar and now Disney, he’s been a major force in the motion picture industry. And, through iTunes, Jobs has had an enormous impact on the music industry. The iPhone changed the cell phone industry and it looks like the iPad will have an enormous impact on the PC business and the business of delivering content.

During his interview at D, Jobs said that he hopes the iPad will empower newspaper publishers to generate revenue from online sales of their publications, arguing that “democracy depends on a free press” and that he doesn’t “want to see us descend into a nation of bloggers.” If he succeeds here, we can add one more industry to the list.

Jobs said that he

thinks he has “the best job in the world” because he works with creative people, and that Apple operates like a startup. “One of the keys to Apple is that Apple is an incredibly collaborative company,” he said. “We have zero committees at Apple.”

One of the most interesting aspects of his talk was his prediction that the PC, as we know it, is in its waning years. He said tablet devices like the iPad are likely to take over as consumer devices. “When we were an agrarian nation, all cars were trucks because that’s what you needed on the farm,” he said by analogy. He sees PCs as the “trucks” that will be replaced with the more consumer-friendly tablets, which he likens to cars.

The analogy makes some sense. But before you sell PC companies short, consider that trucks are still a very viable business. Sure, not everyone needs one, but even in Silicon Valley I see quite a few of them on the road. When you go to the Midwest, the South and even nonurban parts of California, you see lots of trucks. That’s because millions of people make their living doing things that require a truck, just as millions of people make their living doing things that require a PC. And just as people buy trucks for recreational or personal use, plenty of creative people will want to continue to use PCs for personal use as well.

I’m writing this column from the D press room using my laptop, even though I have an iPad with me. I use the iPad to take notes, read e-mail, read books and watch video, but I don’t use it to write articles, edit video or record my radio segments for CBS News. For those activities, I need a “truck.” Sure, it’s possible that the iPad can evolve as a tool for productive work, but — for now at least — it’s mostly a consumption device.

DreamWorks CEO Jeffery Katzenberg, during his presentation at D, practically swooned over the iPad. Steve Jobs’ “greatest accomplishment will be this tablet,” he said. Katzenberg called the laptop “yesterday’s news” and said he no longer uses one.

I can see how Katzenberg, as a studio head, could replace his PC, assuming he’s mostly using it to watch video, read scripts and type relatively short responses to e-mail messages he reads on the screen. But for those who write the scripts and edit the movies he produces, PCs and graphic workstations will continue to be the tools of choice for the foreseeable future.

So, Mr. Jobs, thanks for the iPad and keep up the good work. But no matter how successful tablet devices like the iPad become, I have three words for the rest of the industry: “Keep on truckin’.”

New Commodore Amigo (Credit: Commodore USA)

The Commodore 64 (Wikipedia article) was a major hit when it was first introduced in 1982.   In an interview with CBS News, Barry Altman, CEO of the new Commodore USA “the Commodore computer was the first of the type called all in one. The entire computer was based inside the chassis of the keyboard and that computer turns out to be the most popular, most sold units of any kind of computer of all time.” Altman said that “30 million units of that Commodore C64 were sold representing over $18 billion in sales.”

The company went out of business in the ninetines.  The new company is coming out with a line of 3 computers all with that all-in-one confirguration.  Users provide their own monitor.

Altman said that he is bringing back the name because “the  name Commodore and the Commodore Computer was the most popular computer of all times “even though a product has not been introduced in the last almost 20 years the name itself has brand recognition that parallels and rivals the greatest in the industry.” He said that Commodore has an 87% ranking.

Models of the new Commodore 64-bit include the Phoenix and the Amigo. Prices start at $495 for the “bare bones” model version that comes with Ubunto Linux. Windows 7 models start at $695.

Journalists have been invited to an event at Facebook headquarters on Wednesday where, according to the press invite, “Mark Zuckerberg and other senior executives from Facebook will discuss details regarding enhanced, simpler privacy controls.”

This comes on the heels of an op-ed piece that Zuckerberg wrote for Monday’s Washington Post where he acknowledged that “There needs to be a simpler way to control your information.”

In an e-mail to blogger Robert Scoble, Zuckerberg further admitted, “I know we’ve made a bunch of mistakes, but my hope at the end of this is that the service ends up in a better place and that people understand that our intentions are in the right place and we respond to the feedback from the people we serve.”

Zuckerberg has been responding to criticisms about changes in the company’s privacy policies that many people have labeled as not only sharing too much information but being too complicated. Facebook will reportedly offer a more simplified set of privacy controls which, unlike the status quo, doesn’t require a user manual or a video (like the one I did last week which you can view below) for average people to figure out.