April 2010

Authorities raid office of blogger who posted info on iPhone prototype

Authorities seized computers, digital cameras, a cellphone and other items from a technology blog editor who posted pictures and details of a lost iPhone prototype.

A computer-crime task force made up of multiple law enforcement agencies searched Gizmodo editor and blogger Jason Chen's house and car in Fremont (CA) on Friday. The warrant, issued by a Superior Court judge in San Mateo County, said the computers and other devices may have been used to commit a felony. Steve Wagstaffe, spokesman for the San Mateo County District Attorney's Office, confirmed the warrant's authenticity. Members of California's Rapid Enforcement Allied Computer Team took several computers, hard drives, digital cameras, cellphones and other gadgets, plus Chen's American Express bill and copies of his checks. Last week Gizmodo had one of the Web's hottest scoops when it posted photos of an Apple device that appeared to be a next-generation iPhone. It had been found in a bar in Redwood City, which is in San Mateo County, and sold for $5,000 by an unknown person to Gizmodo, a gadget blog owned by Gawker Media.

PG&E details technical problems with SmartMeters

After months of denying any technical problems with its SmartMeter program, PG&E publicly detailed a range of glitches Monday affecting tens of thousands of the digital meters. But the San Francisco-based utility said it had found just eight meters that inaccurately reported a customer's energy use, despite thousands of complaints from customers who say the new meters have overcharged them. The utility would not say how many of the 5.5 million meters installed so far have been tested for accuracy after installation. PG&E detailed 43,376 cases in which the meters were involved in other kinds of problems. It said 23,000 meters were installed improperly, 11,376 failed to retain consumer usage information and 9,000 had trouble connecting with the wireless network.

Independent tests of SmartMeters needed

[Commentary] Pacific Gas and Electric Co. announced last week that it would test its new SmartMeters side by side with the old-style meters to allay customers' fears that the new meters overstate electricity use. Right idea, wrong tester. The idea of a field test is a standard engineering practice. But at this point in the controversy, only an independent test conducted by a third party would restore consumer confidence. State energy regulators have hired an independent firm to audit the SmartMeter rollout but it is unknown if that will include side-by-side tests.

Government Online

Government agencies have begun to open up their data to the public, and a surprisingly large number of citizens are showing interest.

Some 40% of adult Internet users have gone online for raw data about government spending and activities. This includes anyone who has done at least one of the following: look online to see how federal stimulus money is being spent (23% of Internet users have done this); read or download the text of legislation (22%); visit a site such as data.gov that provides access to government data (16%); or look online to see who is contributing to the campaigns of their elected officials (14%). 31% of online adults have used social tools such as blogs, social networking sites, and online video as well as email and text alerts to keep informed about government activities. Moreover, these new tools show particular appeal to groups that have historically lagged in their use of other online government offerings—in particular, minority Americans. Latinos and African Americans are just as likely as whites to use these tools to keep up with government, and are much more likely to agree that government outreach using these channels makes government more accessible and helps people be more informed about what government agencies are doing.

Facebook's new features raise privacy concerns

Facebook is moving quickly to make the Internet one big personalized social network, setting up the Palo Alto firm as the default communications platform for what some observers are already calling Web 3.0.

The possibilities are exciting to marketers and Web site operators - and alarming to digital privacy advocates. "Facebook wants to be the center of the social Web," said Debra Aho Williamson, senior analyst for the research firm eMarketer Inc. Whether the company succeeds, "we're going to have to wait and see," she said. "The biggest question to me is whether consumers and companies are going to want to cede the social Web to Facebook. And maybe some privacy concerns will come out that we haven't even thought about yet."

Economic News Hits a 13-Month High

The state of the U.S. economy, driven by the political battle over how to regulate Wall Street, dominated the news last week to an extent not seen in more than a year.

The media devoted 27% of the newshole to the economy during the week of April 19-25, according to the Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism, up from 16% the previous week. That represents the most coverage of that subject since the week of March 23-29, 2009, when Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner unveiled a plan to clean up "toxic assets" in banks and economic news represented 43% of the newshole. More than three-quarters of last week's economic coverage focused on the financial sector, including the legislative reform efforts as well as allegations of fraud and profiteering involving blue-chip investment banker Goldman Sachs.

Public Knowledge Warns FCC About Constant Challenges To Broadband Authority and An Open Internet

It would be "at best challenging and at worst reckless" for the Federal Communications Commission to make broadband policy based on the legal framework that was largely struck down earlier this month by the U.S. Appeals Court, Public Knowledge told the FCC. In reply comments in the Commission's proceeding to establish rules for an open Internet, Public Knowledge said that unless the FCC reverses past decisions that took Internet access out from under the traditional regulatory structure, the Commission "can expect to be challenged at every turn," telling the FCC that, "if the FCC fails to ground its legal authority more firmly going forward, it can expect challenges to its authority each time it tries to update its regulations to reflect the new broadband-centric reality. The public deserves better than this legal brinksmanship."

No Houdinis Needed: FCC Should Take Direct Way to Broadband Authority

[Commentary] There is no lacking for clever minds at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). They have all sorts of bright lawyers and economists and the like working on trying to make some sense of the world of telecommunications in all its glory. Last time we checked, however, they didn't have any escape artists on staff. Unfortunately, that's what they will need to try to get away from the restraints put on the Commission by the U.S. Appeals Court, D.C. Circuit in the now famous case involving Comcast's throttling of BitTorrent. The Court found unanimously that the way the FCC enforced its policy statements for an Open Internet under a general part of the Communications Act (Title I) wasn't legal, and that some of the other sections of the law didn't pass muster, either. It was a pretty strong opinion as these things go. It was crucial because everything that the FCC wants to do to proceed with its broadband strategy is dependent now on questionable legal authority as a result of that court ruling. Let's not get cute here. FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski and the FCC should take on the fight, meet the issue head on and decide America's broadband future without the need for Houdini-like skills. They should do it because it's the right thing to do.

Protect consumers by ensuring Internet freedom

[Commentary] The Internet, arguably the fastest world-changing invention since the Gutenberg printing press, has become the core of our social and business lives. However, the openness and freedom that lie at the heart of the Internet's success is under threat. Without addressing the open Internet rules, Internet service providers will become the arbitrators of the Internet. They will decide what you can and cannot access. This is not a new fight for me. From my first years in Congress I have fought the scourge of media consolidation and was one of the first sponsors of Network Neutrality legislation. Now as then, and as a co-sponsor of HR 3459, the Internet Freedom Preservation Act, I am committed to working with the FCC and my colleagues in Congress to pass legislation that would give the power of choice to consumers by enabling the FCC to regulate broadband providers to keep the pipes of information flowing freely. Like any good marketplace, rules must be in place to allow fair play and we can't let the refs be pulled from the field.

Business groups issue warning to FCC on moving forward with network neutrality

Major business trade groups urged the Federal Communications Commission to think twice before continuing its pursuit of network neutrality.

In filings with the FCC on the open Internet proceeding, which are due Monday, the National Association of Manufacturers and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce said the FCC should resist the urge to interfere with broadband until they have thoroughly examined all of the ramifications. TechAmerica cautioned the FCC against reacting too hastily to the recent Comcast court decision that threw the FCC's net neutrality agenda into question.

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