May 2010

America's Amazing Rise to 3G Dominance

Nearly 70 percent of U.S. cell phone subscribers are on a 3G network, according to data released today (and based on info gathered at the end of the first quarter) by Wireless Intelligence. In comparison, at the end of last year only 20 percent of the world's mobile phones were on a 3G connection.

India is in the process of auctioning off its 3G spectrum and China plans to boost its 3G coverage over the next few years, which will boost worldwide 3G. Meanwhile, the U.S. has a lead when it comes to innovation on the wireless front that is driven in no small part by its widespread access to 3G speeds, and its citizens' willingness and ability to consume them.

Bringing Congress to Every Home in America: The New Media Working Group

[Commentary] Democrats have been at the forefront of using new media in politics for more than a decade and we intend to stay on the cutting edge. That's why we've created the Democratic Caucus New Media Working Group to give all of our colleagues the tools they need to reach out to their constituents through the many avenues that new media offers. President Obama has set a great example for how useful the Internet can be in energizing supporters, informing the public and creating an open dialogue with the American people. Now, the American public expects (and deserves!) a government that uses these tools to give them opportunities to participate in all levels of the political process.

Social Media Ranks Second Only To TV For Entertainment

Social media may or may not be advertising, according to some people on Madison Avenue, but according to the average consumer, it has emerged as a top form of media entertainment.

That's the conclusion of new research being released today by PR industry giant Edelman, which surveyed 1,000 adults in the U.S. and the U.K., an found that social media now is deemed a "higher value experience compared with other forms of entertainment." "In the U.S., the rise of the Internet as a frequent source of entertainment is most dramatic in the 18-34 group, rising from 27% in 2009 to 42% in 2010," the firm disclosed. "In the U.S., 32% of 18-54 year olds look most frequently to the Web for entertainment (compared with 58% watching TV). The Internet also ranked second in the U.K., with 30% turning to the Web most frequently, compared with 57% watching TV." In fact, Edelman suggests that social media has spawned a new category dubbed "social entertainment," blurring the definition of social media even further from its roots as so-called "word-of-mouth," communications, and community. Another interesting, and potentially controversial, finding is that the vast majority of respondents said they would not be willing to give up personal information in exchange for access to free entertainment content.

Microsoft to give governments heads up on security vulnerabilities

Microsoft will share technical information on security vulnerabilities with some government organizations before it publicly releases security patches to help governments protect critical infrastructure.

Government organizations that participate in both of two existing Microsoft programs designed to share security information with governments can get advance access to the vulnerability data through a new pilot program named the Defensive Information Sharing Program (DISP). Microsoft will start the pilot program this summer and begin the full program later this year.

Venture capital flooding into telecom again

Q&A with Salvatore Tirabassi, a partner with M/C Venture Partners, a venture capital firm with a $550 million fund, about that firm's telecom-related investments.

Delays in telecom switch costing government millions

Delays in the federal government's switch to a new telecommunications contract are costing taxpayers more than $20 million each month in missed savings, according to testimony.

At a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing to discuss the government's delayed transition to the Networx telecommunications program, chairman Edolphus Towns (D-NY) chided the General Services Administration for not meeting their original summer 2010 deadline. "This is not a small matter. GSA reports that for every month the transition is delayed, the Government is losing approximately $22.4 million in unrealized savings," said Towns in his opening statement, adding that the unrealized savings could total between $300 and $500 million by next year. Networx is the government's largest telecommunications contract to date, a 10-year pact worth up to $68 billion. It offers more advanced telecom technologies and services than its predecessor, the expiring FTS 2001 contract. GSA reported that only 50 percent of services on FTS 2001 have been cut off, making it highly unlikely that all services will be transitioned before the contract expires in June 2011.

ACLU backs Amazon in North Carolina privacy dispute

The state of North Carolina's attempts to secure the private records of Amazon customers are unconstitutional, according to the American Civil Liberties Union.

The ACLU sent a letter Thursday to North Carolina Secretary of Revenue Kenneth Lay threatening legal action if North Carolina persists in demanding more information on Amazon.com purchases made by state residents. "The Constitution guarantees Americans the right to read and buy the lawful materials of their choice without the government keeping tabs on the details of their purchases," said Aden Fine, staff attorney with ACLU's Speech, Privacy and Technology project. "Amazon was right to stand up for the rights of its customers and refuse to turn over their personal information to the North Carolina Department of Revenue."

Google Unveils Web Software for TV With Intel, Sony

Google introduced software that puts Web content on television to persuade more consumers to use the Internet in their living rooms and view advertisements that generate revenue.

The new tool, Google TV, will work with Intel Corp. chips in products by Sony Corp. and Logitech International SA, Google said today at a conference in San Francisco. The companies are trying to benefit from growing demand for Web-based programming and information on large screens, in more rooms of the house. Google, with the largest share of online advertising, wants a slice of the $175 billion TV-ad market. Intel aims to land its chips, already in about 80 percent of the world's personal computers, into a wider range of electronics. "Television is becoming the true third window, with the computer and the phone, allowing you to access what you want when you want it," Eric Kim, who heads Intel's digital home division, said in an interview. "The dumb tube is turning into an intelligent device, a smart TV." Google TV serves as an "entertainment hub" that lets viewers search channels, recorded shows and websites.

Annoyed by cellphones? Scientists explain why

Ever wonder why overhearing a cellphone conversation is so annoying? American researchers think they have found the answer. Whether it is the office, on a train or in a car, only half of the conversation is overheard which drains more attention and concentration than when overhearing two people talking, according to scientists at Cornell University.

House Committee Adds Waivers For TV, Radio Ads to DISCLOSE Act

The House Administration Committee marked-up the DISCLOSE Act (HR 5175) and amended the bill to allow for hardship waivers of disclosure requirements for political ads on radio and TV.

The Democracy is Strengthened by casting Light On Spending In Elections would tighten disclosures of the corporations and unions backing those ads and require more explicit, and potentially longer and more extensive, disclaimers on all TV ads funded by special interests.

After the committee approved the bill, President Barack Obama said the bill would "establish the toughest-ever disclosure requirements for election-related spending by big oil corporations, Wall Street and other special interests. It would prohibit foreign entities from manipulating the outcome of U.S. elections, and it would shine an unprecedented light on corporate spending in political campaigns so that the American people can clearly see who is trying to influence campaigns for public office. These changes are particularly urgent in the aftermath of the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision, and I encourage the full Congress to give this strong, bipartisan legislation the swift consideration it deserves."

Benton

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