Disruptors

2013 is already almost half over. That thought is depressing in a way, because as I get older and stay busy, days seem to pass faster and faster. Its a fact that old people warned me about since I was little, so I guess I saw it coming. Its still overwhelming though.

Nonetheless its never too late to make a list. In the last couple of weeks I have been keeping my eye on some companies that are really rocking the boat of convention. In a way, they're actually going back to old principles. Lets get to it.

Company #1: Freedompop

Freedompop is an upstart that took their sweet time getting started. I don't know the whole story, but reports of them getting their service out seem to go back over a year, and they only just recently got their service rolled out. Nonetheless, its a huge deal. This is an internet company that is using a similar strategy to Clear, who provides hotspots at home and on the go for a flat rate every month. Freedompop one-ups that strategy by offering mobile hot-spots for sale (not lease) and just for owning that hotspot you get 500mb of data every month. JUST for owning the thing, which costs you NOTHING. If you get a hotspot meant for home use, you get 1gb of data per month.

It gets interesting from there because afterwards they charge (although very affordably) by the megabyte. I can't blame them because they're a business, and I can't argue with them because the rate they charge is still cheaper than Verizon or AT&T. But this solution is PERFECT for the grandparents that only use the internet for email. Its PERFECT for the student thats broke every month just paying for food and rent. Its PERFECT for the family that wants to take a vacation once a year but doesn't want to fork out a couple hundred bucks for some "convenient" internet solution.

I love it most of all because its one step closer to a more afforable internet. Not that its horribly expensive now but...I'm a cheapskate.

Company #2: T-Mobile

Not all that different from Freedompop, but this is still a big deal. In an effort to be fiercely competitive, T-Mobile is targeting the "affordable" smartphone market. I pay over $150 a month to AT&T for the cell phones my wife and I use. Of course we are in a two year contract as well, so if we are displeased with the service, we can basically just shut up and deal with it.

T-Mobile is offering unlimited data with no contract. Want the latest phone? Pay for it in monthly, no interest payments. WHAT!? That strategy is basically what I'm doing with AT&T. But if I do the same thing I'm doing at AT&T and take it over to T-Mobile, I will suddenly be paying $50 less per month AND have unlimited data.

How could I NOT be in love with that? People need to jump on this bandwagon (and I will too as soon as my stupid contract is up).

Oh and by the way, they also have the latest and greatest phones from Samsung, Apple and Windows. Yeah, thats a win.

Company #3: Raspberry Pi

Though technically not a company, it is a movement. Produced by Cambridge University and manufactured by Sony (if my research is to be believed) the Raspberry Pi is a little computer that costs $25. $35 if you want the internet capability (and who doesn't?)

This is huge for a couple of reasons. The guys making this thing only had education on their minds when they made it. I think that is noble and wonderful; but this is also a world where people do things with things that weren't intended to be done. Which is awesome.

The Raspberry Pi is intended for education, but it can just as easily be a computer for poor, a productivity suite for a small business owner, a spare computer for the kids to use. It is also a hobbyists' dream. Its a cute little device with a cute name that can be used for a million different things.

Personally, I want to use it to learn how to program and as a no-distractions computer for writing. Even buying all the stuff needed for the computer brand new, I can spend $150 getting this little guy up and running. Since I have a Best Buy discount, I'll spend $80. Imagine if I already owned a mouse and keyboard, with a monitor? Its a $50 computer, people!

Mark my words: We are going to hear a lot about this little computer in the coming years. This is the beginning of a movement.

There are other disruptors in the world. Aereo, Roku, Amazon with their Kindle. I might get to all of these companies and products in a later post, but I just had to get these three off my chest. I'm too excited.