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Netflix Streaming Speeds Getting Worse For Comcast and Verizon FiOS Customers

Do you have broadband internet? Do you like to watch streaming movies and TV on Netflix? If so, great news: your connection to Netflix is getting faster! Unless, of course, you happen to be one of the tens of millions of Americans who use Comcast or Verizon FiOS for internet access at home, in which case it’s completely the opposite.

Netflix has updated their monthly internet service provider speed rankings with the first data from 2014. The overall look at 17 major ISPs doesn’t seem too bad. There’s an general upward trend among them all, and while Google Fiber is in a high-speed class by itself, the general pack of other providers looks to be both competitive and improving.

US ISP speed data from Netflix, February, 2013 to February, 2014.

There are some major exceptions, though, and they happen to include two of the largest internet service providers.

In the graph below, the blue (top) line is Verizon FiOS; the green (bottom) line is Comcast. Though both saw improving or stable speeds for most of 2013, the difference after October is stark.

Comparison of Comcast and Verizon FiOS connection speeds via Netflix, January, 2013 to February, 2014.

Comcast’s average speeds for Netflix users have dropped dramatically in just a handful of months. From January through September of 2013, Comcast bounced around between 2 Mbps and about 2.13 Mbps. But starting in October, their performance fell and by January of this year, their average was closer to 1.5 Mbps. FiOS saw a similar, though not quite as precipitous, drop, from a high around 2.2 Mbps to their current low of about 1.8.

Back when Netflix first started publishing their ISP speed rankings in 2012, FiOS and Comcast were in positions #2 and #3, right behind Google Fiber. They currently rank #7 and #14, respectively.

So why did the numbers start plummeting in October? Part of it has to do with a change in Netflix’s measurements. As the text accompanying the chart tool explains, “These ratings reflect the average performance of all Netflix streams on each ISPs network from Nov. 2012 through Sept. 2013 and average performance during prime time starting in Oct. 2013. The average is well below the peak performance due to many factors including the variety of encodes we use to deliver the TV shows and movies we carry as well as home Wi-Fi and the variety of devices our members use.”

The change in measurement, though, doesn’t seem to have caused a dramatic a shift for most of the other ISPs. (Medialink and AT&T UVerse also saw big drops.) Several–Google Fiber, Cablevision Optimum, Cox, and Suddenlink–have maintained a decidedly upward trajectory, and many other providers have remained stable or seen a mix of peaks and valleys.

So if it’s not just differences in measurement, what’s going on?

This data, of course, comes from Netflix and specifically measures Netflix’s connections with broadband providers. There is now no active rule requiring ISPs to treat different internet traffic the same way. So major networks might actually be getting slower… or they might be throttling some of the traffic moving through them.

Verizon was accused of causing deliberate bottlenecks in Netflix traffic in 2013, months before net neutrality was overturned. Comcast has been accused of doing the same in years past. And Netflix has been of particular concern in the wake of the December ruling.

Ars Technica investigated the issue specifically with Verizon last week and didn’t find proof that Verizon was selectively throttling traffic. Nor did they find proof that Verizon isn’t; it’s simply not possible to tell from the outside one way or the other right now. Perhaps the FCC, with its interim case-by-case stance on net neutrality, will eventually take a look.

In the menatime, want to check out how your own connection compares nationally or internationally? Hit up the Netflix ISP Speed Index and have fun with all the graphs and tables they provide.

by Kate Cox via Consumerist

Magic Olympic Fridge Provides Free Beer For Canadians Only

(Molson Canadian)

The nation of Canada doesn’t want its people to have to suffer without beer. While we hear alcohol isn’t in short supply in Russia in general, conditions within the Olympic Village for athletes and coaches might be different. MolsonCoors came to the rescue of Canadians far from home with a refrigerator filled with beer that opens when the user holds up a Canadian passport. Only a Canadian passport.

Molson made a version of this machine for an ad, taking it on a tour of Europe last year as a form of outreach to Canadian travelers.

This is all great publicity and very fun, but what other countries could apply the same concept? We humbly suggest a dispenser full of cheese in New York City that only people from Wisconsin can open. Or maybe a machine that dispenses Dunkin’ Donuts coffee in under-served areas.

This Canadian beer machine is the most amazing technology at the Olympics [USA Today]

by Laura Northrup via Consumerist

How To Not Suck… At Valentine’s Day Gifts

(Erin M)

Heads-up to everyone in a couple: Valentine’s Day is Friday and some of you will be expected to give some sort of gift to your loved ones. Sure, there’s nothing wrong with chocolates, jewelry, or flowers, but that special someone in your life is probably worth a little creativity and planning… right?

(Plus, if there is anything we’ve learned about floral delivery services is that you don’t always get what you pay for.)

Sure, you can always plan a last-minute romantic dinner under the Golden Arches, but your partner may not be all that impressed.

Yes, you’re running out of time. But fear not, Consumerist readers.

Here are some creative and inexpensive ways to not suck at Valentine’s Day giving.

1. Profess Your Love: Scream to the world how special your partner is with a personalized web site. For as little as $10, you can buy and register a domain name. Stick a dot-com or dot-net on the end of your two names together, or try ilovehernamehere.com. Upload some photos and a romantic Valentine’s Day message, then post the link on Facebook to show your partner’s friends how creative you are. You can even add a private password-protected page on the site for your partner’s eyes only. (We’ll leave content ideas for that page up to you.)

2. Not Kid Stuff: Think of those coupon books kids make as gifts for their parents. You know, the ones where each coupon promises to help with a different chore? Your “coupons” don’t have to promise you’ll do the laundry or clean the bathroom (well, they can — you know what pleases your partner), but instead, get a little more up close and personal. Promise a massage, a home-cooked meal or something a little more, um, personal, and your recipient can redeem the coupons at any time. We recommend you try not to hide too many conditions in the fine print.

3. An experience: Is there something your partner has been wanting to do but you’ve resisted? Now’s your time to show him or her that you’re putting their needs first. Buy tickets for that sporting event, opera, ballet, or concert that you’ve been avoiding. Or try something out-of-the-box: dinner at the local haunted restaurant, the circus, or a local walking tour.

4. A Picnic: Take a picnic blanket — or a sheet will do — and set up a romantic picnic in your living room. Add finger food that you can serve to your loved one, and maybe a few adult beverages.

5. A treasure hunt: Create clues and hide them around the house — or in public places — directing your loved one to a special treasure. Exactly what they find at the end of the hunt, of course, is up to you. It could be as simple as finding a love note or a bottle of wine and two glasses.

6. Pamper Him/Her: Go crazy with a DIY spa day. Start with a homemade skin treatment or exfoliating mask. You only need some veggies and other ingredients that are probably already in your kitchen. Next, give a home manicure and pedicure — yes, for the guys too — and no, boys, it doesn’t matter if you suck at painting nails. Then comes the bubble bath and a nice long massage.

7. A song: Most couples have a special song or two, so why not give your loved one a live performance? If you have a friend with a guitar, even better, but this works perfectly well a cappella. If you’re not shy — or maybe, especially if you’re shy — do it in public. If you’re feeling poetic, why not write an original song? Okay, fine. You can always just pull a Lloyd Dobler, which also gets you out of having to actually sing.

8. Photo Gifts: If you’ve been with your partner a while, you probably have a bunch of great photos, but they’re all sitting on your hard drive. Make some prints of special moments of the two of you together and buy a few frames. Gift complete. Or, take it a step further and create a calendar — you can find lots of web sites that will do this, or stop by your local do-everything pharmacy or office supply store to place your order. The same retailers will also craft a collage of photos on canvas. Just like pricey artwork, but you choose your moments from your photo library, and they come ready-to-hang. Add in some picture hooks and you’re ready to go.

9. Basket of Joy: Hit the dollar store and grab one of those baskets made famous by our holiday shopping post and fill it with goodies — even add some of the ideas from this column — a special framed photo, some massage oil… use your imagination.

Come on, readers, help out your fellow last-minute gift planners, and share your gift ideas in our comments section.

Have a topic you’d like to see covered in How To Not Suck? Or maybe you’re an expert who would like to share your insight with Consumerist readers? Send us a note at notsuck@consumerist.com.

You can read Karin Price Mueller’s stories for The Star-Ledger at NJ.com, follow her on Facebook, and on Twitter @kpmueller.

DISCLAIMER: Any websites, services, retailers, or brands mentioned in the story above are only intended as some of many options available to consumers, and do not constitute an endorsement by Consumerist, Consumerist Media LLC (CML) or its staff. Per Consumerist’s No Commercial Use Policy, such information may not be used by others in advertising or to promote a company’s product or service. In addition, this policy precludes any commercial use of any of CML’s published information in any form, or of the names of Consumers Union®, Consumer Media, Consumer Reports®, The Consumerist, consumerist.com or any other of CU or CML’s publications or services without CU or CML’s express written permission.

by Karin Price Mueller via Consumerist

You Know It’s Serious When An Expert Is Called In To Disarm A 25-Year-Old Can Of Fermented Fish

No herring here, but look, a fish! (TheGiantVermin)

Add this to the list of things you’ll probably never have happen to you: A Swedish fermented herring expert is taking his special set of skills all the way to a cabin in northern Norway to help “disarm” a 25-year-old can of fermented herring. The thing has been stuck up in the eaves so long, the pressure inside the can has expanded it, literally raising the roof of the cabin.

Although The Local uses the word “disarm,” it’s unlikely that there’s any kind of danger from an explosion, the expert from Sweden’s Surströmming Academy explained. Fermented herring — or Surströmming — is a delicacy in Sweden.

“There really isn’t any risk for an explosion. Of course, some fermented herring might come spurting out when we open it. And yes, it will smell,” he said.

“If there’s any fish left in the can, I’m going to eat it,” he added.

The cabin’s owner found the swollen can recently, and his wife says it was leftover from a party the couple hosted back in 1990. The man says the can has bulged so much it probably raised the roof by around two centimeters.

“We had three cans. We ate two and my husband took the third and put it up under the roof, because we had eaten enough. Then he forgot about it,” she said. “There’s going to be a gruesome smell.”

He was also kinda worried it would go ka-boom after all that time, so he warned his neighbors and Norway’s Armed Forces about the potential stink bomb.

The disarmament of the can has turned into a media event, with hundreds of people expected to attend on the big day, Feb. 18.

“There are going to be more people there than there were at Barack Obama’s inauguration,” the expert joked.

“After we open the can it’s going to party, party,” he said.

Swede set to ‘disarm’ 25-year-old herring tin [The Local]

by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist

Man Sues Wells Fargo Over Robocalls Intended For Other Person

(Bikeoid)

It’s bad enough to get endless collections call from your mortgage servicer over missed loan payments, but it’s next-level annoying when you’re not even a customer of the bank that won’t stop calling your phone day and night.

A man in North Carolina has sued mortgage giant Wells Fargo, alleging that the bank has violated federal law by repeatedly making automated calls to his cellphone even though he was not the person Wells was trying to reach and is not a customer with the bank.

FCC regulations allow for businesses to make automated calls to consumers who they have a business relationship with but specifically forbid the use of robocalls to consumers with whom that relationship does not exist.

The Charlotte Observer reports that the plaintiff in this lawsuit began receiving automated calls from Wells back in Nov. 2013. He says he does not have any connection to Wells and no idea how the bank got his number.

He claims that he explained to Wells that they had the wrong number and person, but that the calls continued at a “harassing rate,” lighting up his phone several times a day.

by Chris Morran via Consumerist

Starbucks Employees: Don’t Say “You’re Not Blind!” To A Disabled Veteran With A Service Dog

service_dawg People and dogs have been cooperating for thousands of years now. It’s our thing. In the modern world, it’s generally not okay to take your dog shopping, on a plane, or to Starbucks unless it’s a service dog trained to perform some kind of function other than being a fun pet. Not everyone knows this, which leads to some unfortunate situations…like the experience that a man had at a Houston Starbucks when he and his service dog were questioned at the door.

The man, an Iraq War veteran, had a leg amputated below the knee due to bone cancer. He has a service dog that helps him perform everyday tasks and physically supports him. The pair had been together for three and a half months, and were in town to speak about the awesomeness of the service dog training program.

A Starbucks employee tried to stop them at the door, though, insisting that dogs aren’t allowed inside. There’s one thing that businesses specifically aren’t allowed to do when someone with a service dog wants to enter their establishment, and that’s quiz the person about their disability and what the dog does.

Employees of a business can ask whether the dog is a service animal, and ask what tasks the dog performs. Updated guidelines for service animals under the Americans with Disabilities Act spell this out very specifically.

When it is not obvious what service an animal provides, only limited inquiries are allowed. Staff may ask two questions: (1) is the dog a service animal required because of a disability, and (2) what work or task has the dog been trained to perform. Staff cannot ask about the person’s disability, require medical documentation, require a special identification card or training documentation for the dog, or ask that the dog demonstrate its ability to perform the work or task.

Saying “You’re not blind” and “Why can’t you [pick things up from the ground] yourself?” as the employee of this Houston Starbucks allegedly did? Not allowed.

In a statement to TV station KHOU, Starbucks assured the world that service dogs are welcome in its stores, and are not subject to interrogation.

Starbucks always welcomes service animals to our stores, and this customer’s experience is not consistent with the welcoming and friendly environment we strive to create for everyone. We have spoken with this customer to apologize for his experience, and we hope to have the opportunity to serve him again. We have also spoken with our store partner about this situation and used this as a coaching opportunity for the future.

Disabled veteran confronted by Starbucks employee about service dog [KHOU]

by Laura Northrup via Consumerist

Twinkies, Ding Dongs, And Other Sweet Hostess Treats On The Cheap At Big Lots

Everyone knows that when the Zombie apocalypse hits we will all be spending our days and nights searching for our one true love – Twinkies. Rest easy friends, because we now have one more place to find the ooey-gooey treats when the undead start roaming the streets. Big Lots announced Tuesday it will begin selling the sweet treats at a discount.

The Columbus, Ohio-based discount retailer will now be home to discount Twinkies, Ding Dongs, HoHos and other beloved Hostess treats, the Columbus Dispatch reports.

Hostess rose from the ashes of bankruptcy to once again produce the snack cakes in July, but the company’s 600 outlet stores did not reopen. That’s where Big Lots saves the day for consumers who like a tasty treat and a good deal.

Officials with Big Lots say a varied assortment of Hostess products will be stocked weekly at stores across the country. The products will have a two-week shelf life and sell for as much as 40% off the suggested retail price.

Big Lots becomes thrift store for Hostess [Columbus Dispatch]

by Ashlee Kieler via Consumerist

‘Dumb Starbucks’ Shut Down, But Not Because Of Its Name

The saga of the “Dumb Starbucks” coffee shop in L.A. continued last night, first with the not-at-all-shocking revelation that the creator is a publicity-hungry comedian and writer and then with the news that the store/parody/stunt/art installation had been shut down by the county for reasons that have nothing directly to do with its use of the Starbucks name.

No, the reason for the shut-down was that Dumb Starbucks — which claimed to be a piece of parodic art and had initially been giving away coffee to customers — was operating without a valid public health permit. Even a parody needs a permit if it wants to give away or sell food to the public.

A closed-door meeting is scheduled to be heard on the matter between the L.A. County Health Dept. and the Dumb Starbucks owner, who outed himself to the public last night as Canadian comedian and writer Nathan Fielder, who has written for shows like Jon Benjamin Has a Van and Important Things With Demetri Martin, along with his own Comedy Central series.

When asked if the network knows about his Dumb Starbucks stunt, Fielder told the L.A. Times, “Oh, they do now.”

Once again, here is Fielder attempting to use the parody defense to explain why he believes calling his store “Dumb Starbucks” is legal:

by Chris Morran via Consumerist

Cops Have To Shut Down Pump After $.011/Gallon Gas Glitch

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