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US Attorney Carmen Ortiz, under fire for the prosecution of Internet entrepreneur and activist Aaron Swartz, issued her first statement responding to the controversy that has followed Swartz's suicide. Ortiz offered "heartfelt sympathy," but said her office's "conduct was appropriate in bringing and handling this case." She noted that prosecutors had not sought the maximum penalty for the computer-hacking crimes Swartz stood accused of. Instead, they offered a plea bargain of "six months in a low security setting," Ortiz wrote.
US Attorney breaks silence, defends prosecution of Aaron Swartz
Mobile DTV is a technology that lets viewers receive over-the-air television broadcasts on their mobile devices. Instead of wasting your cellular data plan on Netflix movies, get free video from the airwaves, like Grandpa used to do.
Mobile DTV works pretty well, too, but for now it is much too limited to catch on with consumers. In August, Samsung quietly rolled out the Galaxy S Lightray 4G, the first phone with built-in Mobile DTV capability. But you’ve probably never heard of it. Only no-contract carrier MetroPCS Communications carries the Lightray, at an unappealing $459. But at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, two companies were pushing gadgets that will convert an Apple iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch into a TV. Escort Inc., best known for automotive radar detectors, offers Escort Mobile TV, while Elgato Systems sells the EyeTV Mobile. Each delivers pretty much identical performance, so it is unclear why the Escort sells for $119.99 and the Elgato for $89.99. Using these Mobile DTV tuners is almost as painless as pecking at your living room remote.
Mobile TV — not a lot to see here
AT&T said that it would allow more of its iPhone customers to use Apple’s videoconferencing app, FaceTime, over its cellular network. But customers with unlimited data plans are still left out.
AT&T published a blog post that said it was letting customers with its tiered, limited data plans use FaceTime over the network. Previously, it had reserved this privilege for customers who subscribed to its newer shared data plans. What about people who have unlimited data plans that they signed up for while they were still being offered? A few months ago, AT&T said it anticipated opening the service to those on “other billing plans in the near future,” which would imply unlimited data customers. But on Jan 16, the company wasn’t firm about that prospect, saying it was still assessing the impact that FaceTime has on its network. Nonprofit groups have threatened to file a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission against AT&T for limiting how FaceTime can be used over its network. They claim that it is a violation of the FCC’s network neutrality rules, which say that mobile providers may not block applications that compete with the provider’s voice or video telephony services.
AT&T Allows FaceTime for Limited Data Users. What About Unlimited?
Time Warner Cable upped the ante in the dicey relationship between Netflix and some of the country’s largest Internet service providers, alleging that the video subscription service discriminates against Time Warner Cable customers.
“Netflix is… closing off access to some of its content while seeking unprecedented preferential treatment from ISPs.” The point of contention is Netflix’s recent launch of 3D and Super HD video formats. Netflix launched a limited number of 3D titles during CES last week, and also added the ability to stream many of its titles in Super HD — a better-looking 1080p HD format that features less compression, and thus higher bandwidth requirements, that Netflix’s regular 1080p streams. Both 3D and Super HD are exclusively available to subscribers whose ISPs take part in Neftlix’s Open Connect CDN network, and the company is actively encouraging its subscribers to contact their ISPs and get them to adopt Open Connect. This kind of customer-driven campaign apparently didn’t go over so well with Time Warner Cable.
It’s on: Time Warner Cable alleges that Netflix discriminates against its customers TWC: Netflix Is Withholding Content to Gain 'Unprecedented' Access to ISPs (Multichannel News)
As part of a broader gun control plan, President Barack Obama is pushing Congress to fund research into the impact of violent video games.
The plan features 23 executive orders focused on gun violence, including "universal background checks" and limits on ammunition magazines. President Obama also calls for the Centers for Disease Control to "research the causes and prevention of gun violence." "I will direct the Centers for Disease Control to go ahead and study the best ways to reduce it -- and Congress should fund research into the effects that violent video games have on young minds," said President Obama during a speech detailing the plan. "We don't benefit from ignorance. We don't benefit from not knowing the science of this epidemic of violence."
In a statement released after Obama's speech, industry trade group The Entertainment Software Association welcomed the discussion. "We will embrace a constructive role in the important national dialogue around gun violence in the United States, and continue to collaborate with the Administration and Congress as they examine the facts that inform meaningful solutions," reads a portion of the ESA's statement.
Chris Ferguson, associate professor of psychology and communication at Texas A&M University, says research into video games have found little to no effect on violence or aggression. "During the past 20 years as video games became more popular, youth violence plummeted to 40-year lows, the lowest since the 1960s," he says. However, Douglas Gentile, a media violence commission member and associate professor at Iowa State University, says there are signs games can influence aggression. "We do really need to have a serious conversation about what all the serious risk factors are," he says.
President Obama seeks research into violent video games Obama Calls for Research Into Impact of Violent Videogames - But Not Movies or TV (The Wrap) Obama unveils gun-control proposals (Washington Post) President Calls for Study of Effects of Violent Entertainment (B&C) Obama's Gun Agenda Includes Media Violence Study (AdWeek) Obama: Study Media’s Impact on Gun Crimes (AP)
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) provides this Quarterly Report on the status of the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP). This Report focuses on BTOP’s activities from July 1 to September 30, 2012.
From July to September 2012, NTIA’s broadband grant recipients continued to demonstrate strong performance and helped to achieve the Program’s FY12 goals. A few projects also completed their activities during this quarter on budget and on schedule, delivering the promised benefits to communities. These positive results have helped the Program deliver significant progress in areas such as new fiber-optic infrastructure construction, the opening of new Public Computer Centers, training to drive broadband adoption, and thousands of new broadband subscribers now experiencing the benefits of high-speed Internet service.
Recipients deployed more than 6,500 network miles during the past quarter, bringing the total number of miles in FY12 to more than 78,000. This performance substantially exceeded NTIA’s FY12 goal to deploy 50,000 new or upgraded network miles across the country.
Last quarter, BTOP recipients connected and/or improved service to more than 1,200 community anchor institutions, which is an increase of 12 percent from last quarter and brings the total number of institutions connected to more than 11,200 across 45 states and territories.
Public Computer Centers recipients continued to make considerable progress last quarter, exceeding the FY12 goal to install 35,000 new or upgraded public workstations. Recipients installing workstations also continue to develop and implement training programs and educational courses, including workforce development training. During the quarter, public computer centers provided 1.3 million hours of training to 371,000 users. Through September 2012, 37 BTOP recipients reported that more than 510,000 households and 12,000 businesses subscribed to broadband services after receiving digital literacy classes or job training. New subscribers for the past quarter totaled more than 134,000.
During the fourth quarter of FY12, BTOP recipients spent more than $365 million in Federal grant funds. These funds were matched by recipient contributions of nearly $115 million. Cumulatively, Federal outlays for the Program totaled $2.3 billion, while total recipient matching contributions exceeded $900 million.
Fifteenth Quarterly Status Report to Congress Regarding BTOP
Governance Studies at Brookings provided an update on the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) three years after Vice President Joe Biden announced the first round of BTOP awards at a factory in Dawsonville (GA). The event featured keynote remarks by NTIA Administrator Lawrence E. Strickling.
He highlighted the program’s key achievements over the past three years, including having: deployed or upgraded 78,000 miles of broadband infrastructure; connected 11,200 community anchor institutions—such as schools, libraries and hospitals—to broadband networks; installed more than 38,600 computer workstations in 2,600 public computer centers in 1,500 communities; and generated more than 510,000 new broadband subscribers. “Our promise to communities across the country that would benefit from BTOP funding – was this: The Obama Administration’s investment in broadband would create jobs, stimulate economic development, spur private-sector investment, and open up new opportunities in employment, entrepreneurship, education and healthcare. Most important, it would improve lives. Three years later, I can confidently say we are delivering on those pledges,” said Administrator Strickling.
NTIA Administrator Strickling Delivers Remarks at the Brookings Institution on Broadband Technology Opportunities Program
Congress, in passing the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 in early 2012, authorized the FCC to conduct incentive auctions, with the first auction to be of broadcast television spectrum. Congress further directed that certain net proceeds from the broadcast incentive auction are to be deposited in the Public Safety Trust Fund to fund a national first responder network, state and local public safety grants, and public safety research, and the balance is to be used for deficit reduction. The incentive auction will present a significant financial opportunity for broadcasters who wish to relinquish spectrum rights, while also allowing other broadcasters to remain on the air and continue providing the public with local, free over-the-air television service. At the same time, the spectrum reclaimed through the auction will promote economic growth; enhance America’s global competitiveness; increase the speed, capacity and ubiquity of mobile broadband service; and accelerate the smartphone and tablet-led mobile revolution, benefitting consumers and businesses throughout the country. The incentive auction proceeding is an important component of the Commission’s unprecedented efforts to make additional licensed and unlicensed spectrum available for broadband. The FCC intends to conduct the broadcast incentive auction in 2014.
The Broadcast Television Spectrum Incentive Auction: A Staff Summary
In the era of social search, how luxurious it is to squirrel away in a library and browse the poetry aisles. How thrilling to walk through a city, unknown and undisturbed, and venture into a restaurant to taste something new and odd. Webster’s says the word “search” came from the Latin word, “circare,” to go about. It is defined principally as “to look into or over carefully or thoroughly in an effort to find out or discover something.”
Social Search and the Difficulties of Discovery
Because it’s barely launched yet and not fully fleshed out, financial analysts are saying today that they don’t see Facebook’s new search product as a big competitor to Google, for now. But the fact that Facebook has finally made its search intentions known could actually be really good for Google. That’s because regulators — especially those in Europe, who are in the thick of deciding whether to settle with Google over antitrust — now have the prospect of additional search competition to consider. Facebook’s notion of search — which ends in people and pictures and recommendations — lends credence to Google’s defense that modern search is about answers to questions, not simple links to Web pages.
Facebook Search Could Actually Be Great for Google (Why? Antitrust.) Facebook’s an immediate search threat, but not to Google (Washington Post)