Leslie Ellis is an independent technology columnist, analyst, author, and owner of Ellis Edits, Inc., based in Denver, CO. Since September of 2000, she has written and continues to write a bi-weekly column for Multichannel News called "Translation Please," aimed at demystifying commonly-used cable and broadband technology terms
Ms. Ellis is Senior Technology Advisor to the Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing. She received the National Cable Television Association's Vanguard Award for Associates & Affiliates in 2005.
| Tablets and iPads and Bears, Oh My!
It’s now seven months since this year’s Consumer Electronics Show, where e-readers and netbooks were the sparkliest of the “connected devices.”
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| Lean & Green: Cover Story on Cable's March Toward Sustainability
As TV viewers watch efforts to go green on the screen, cable operators are starting to make strides to cut their own use of energy. Delivering TV signals is enormously energy-intensive. Electricity is one of the largest operating costs for cable-system operators across the U.S. As a whole, the cable industry can recover an estimated $100 million to $200 million per year in electricity costs just by consuming energy more efficiently. And that’s before pursuing sustainable energy options. |
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| The Channel Change is Changing Again
Once upon a time, changing channels on the TV meant standing up, walking to the television, and turning the dial. Another channel appeared, usually the second of three available channels, maybe four. Then came the wired remote. From the Barcalounger, you pushed a button on a brick-sized object hardwired to the television, and another channel appeared – the second of maybe 12 channels. Next: The cordless remote. Whether it came with the set-top box, the TV or both (which spawned the age of “remote clutter”), you pointed the thing at the TV, pushed a button, and something else appeared on the screen. Maybe it was another channel, or a grid guide, or an on-demand menu. |
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