According to the experts, lawmakers are desperately trying to find ways to stop file sharing and with the help of organizations that can't stand the thought of songs or movies being downloaded "illegally", they're doing everything they can to go after the wrong people. Simply put, the "Three strikes and you're out" policy stipulates that if an Internet user is caught file sharing three times, ISPs will be forced to terminate that subscriber.

"The policy - occasionally referred to as "graduated response" - received support last fall from French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who pressured the private sector to negotiate an agreement to implement the three strikes system," Michael Geist wrote in an article describing the rule. "The policy soon attracted global attention as the United Kingdom, Japan, and Australia all announced that they were contemplating a similar approach."

As this policy spreads across the world, what can we expect from it? My guess: nothing.

iPhone should be set free!

(Credit: Apple)

Although I believe it will happen this year, there's no doubt that there are a number of hurdles in Apple's path if it truly wants to open the iPhone up to different carriers. First off, the company will lose its revenue sharing deal with AT&T and ostensibly back out of a five-year exclusivity agreement with the carrier. And while these two issues are important to consider, I have no reason to believe Apple can't come out on top by backing out of both agreements.

When the deal was signed with AT&T, one important element that's missing now was true back then -- Apple was an unproven entrant into the cell phone market and the company was trying to establish a foothold. Because of that, it entered into an exclusive agreement with AT&T and used that deal to build up considerable demand. But now, the iPhone is a known quantity and Apple carries all the leverage. Beyond that, it's being faced with a major contender in Google Android-based phones that will be available on almost every carrier, and thus, must act before it's too late.

Suffice it to say that Apple will back out of this deal and make the iPhone available on all carriers. Here's why:

Will Apple's console be this ugly? Nah.

(Credit: Wikipedia)

I'm sure some are wondering what my justification for such a move would be considering Apple failed miserably in the console market back in the mid-1990s with the Pippin, but let's not forget that it wasn't really an Apple product. Apple's Pippin was licensed to Bandai, a company that was trying desperately to get into the gaming industry. In essence, Apple envisioned Pippin to be a product that it could market and go above and beyond just gaming. In essence, it wasn't really an Apple console.

Regardless, it failed. Miserably.

Fast-forward to today and the gaming landscape has changed. Today, the industry is booming like never before and it's rife with opportunity for any company that's willing to provide an experience that can eclipse that which we're enjoying right now. And as long as Apple plays by the rules it has played by for the past 10 years, there's no reason to suggest it can't be a success.

Lately, there has been a considerable amount of discussion on which console will win this generation's war. Will it be the Wii with its established base and strong sales? Will it be the Xbox 360 with its steady growth? Or will it be the Playstation 3 with its strong sales over the past few months?

The Xbox 360 will take the day

(Credit: CNET News.com)

If you ask me, it'll be the Xbox 360.

Now I know what you're thinking -- "how?" The answer is actually quite simple: the Wii is not nearly as strong as some want to believe and Sony's strong growth is the result of a lower hardware price, which is allowing it to catch up to the pack.

Of course, Sony's Kaz Hirai doesn't agree with that sentiment. According to the company's gaming chief, Sony will follow a "ten-year cycle" with the PS3 that should propel it to the top spot in the industry once it's all said and done.

And while his desire to do that isn't quite rooted in reality, I guess you can't blame a guy for trying.

GTA IV is that good

(Credit: Rockstar Games)

But before it was met with such success, GTA IV garnered some of the biggest hype we have ever seen in gaming. Unlike any other title released in recent memory, the story of Niko Bellic and his rise in the criminal underworld achieved blockbuster status and quickly realized the full potential of a title that can totally change the way we're expected to think of gaming in general.

With that in mind, I entered the world of GTA IV wondering what would confront me. Would it be just another example of debauchery and disregard for humanity like some critics believe or a title that would change the way I think about gaming?

And although I'm not the most keen on social networks and think it's a very fickle business to be in, Yahoo can significantly change everything by leveraging its users and creating a social networking element that will dwarf MySpace and Facebook.

A few weeks ago, Yahoo fired its opening salvo in its desire for social networking. According to the company, it plans on streamlining its social networking element and creating an environment where users can interact with each other and its services across its entire set of offerings.

"We are going to rewire the entire experience at Yahoo to make it social in every dimension," Ari Balogh, Yahoo's chief technology officer said.

And if you ask me, Yahoo couldn't have made a better decision.

So much for success

(Credit: Iron Man)

Now I know what you're thinking -- "the movie industry is as mainstream as you can get and the video game business is still a niche." Sure, some may espouse those beliefs, but this past week has shown that games like GTA IV are capable of competing at the same level with major movies and become a mainstream focus in this industry.

In other words, the outdated notion that the video game industry is for the geeks and the film industry is for everyone else, simply doesn't hold water anymore. Instead, we're currently knee-deep in an environment that's not only welcoming to the video game industry, but has proven to be damning to the film business.

And I, for one, couldn't be more ecstatic about it.

Whether it's Twitter, FriendFeed or even Flickr, I'm extremely surprised by how much value each provides. And although I can't speak for everyone who uses these services, I honestly believe that each is unique and useful enough to justify your time.

Here's why:

Regardless, the very fact that Microsoft is even entertaining the thought of increasing its bid is both foolhardy and extremely flawed. Why would it want to pay more for a company that's actually worth less?

According to the letter it originally sent to Yahoo when it first made its bid for the company, Microsoft claimed that it was offering Yahoo a 62 percent premium and as a sign of goodwill, would make the offer with both cash and the company's stock.

A 62 percent premium? Are you kidding me? At the time, Yahoo's stock price was barely breathing and floundering at about $19 per share. Since then, the price has gone artificially high and now Microsoft feels like it should pay more to entice shareholders to its side.

I have some news for Microsoft -- Yahoo is worth no more than $25 per share.