Alec Saunders SquawkBox

I’ve been using the Zip.Ca service for the last week. For $25/month, you get unlimited DVD rentals, mailed to you.  Each DVD comes in a small tyvek envelope, with a stamped return envelope.  To choose the DVD’s you want, you go to their website, and pick from the (very) large selection they have.  When the movies are in, they send them to you. To ensure that you’ve always got a movie to watch, they recommend you have 20 on your ZIP list at all times. 

Turnaround time is very fast — it takes no more than 3 or 4 days to get a new movie when you send one back.  Since you can have up to 4 rented at any time, you’ve always got something to watch.

I’m pretty impressed!

Om Malik cross links VoIP Watch’s WiSIP piece with this quote: "The sound and form factor is cellular circa 1990."  Yeah, they’re clunky.  And how about the price!  The good news is that this is all going to change.  Several presenters at VON, representing chip companies, talked about this generation as being separate WiFi and VoIP chips, next gen as a combined chip, and by 2006 a "cellulan" chipset that would roam on VoIP / Wifi networks and cellular transparently.  By 2007 it would be reasonable to expect the mobile operators to be giving these away in exchane for 12 month contracts etc etc etc…