Recently in Technology Category

...but it's a start.

Newt Gingrich's American Solutions blog has an article on the Employee Free Choice Act which would overhaul the current process that workers use to choose whether or not to unionize.

Right now, the National Labor Relations Board handles unionization elections, which take place under a secret ballot. The Employee Free Choice Act, a political hot button this Congress, would change to a "card signing" system where instead of a formal vote, if enough workers simply sign cards saying "I want a union," than *poof* there is a Union.

This reminds me of the complaints about the Caucus system, where supporters of one candidate complain of intimidation and some outright believe that it is against the principle of a secret ballot.

First I'll give my opinion, then offer a suggestion to both that could even help make General Elections more open and transparent, while keeping the secret ballot.

Time just picked up on the laser graffiti movement.  The guys at Graffiti Research Lab (GRL) have devised a totally awesome system by which they use a laser to tag, well, just about anything they want.  The graffiti is non-permanent and doesn't damage the surface being tagged.

 

Back in early January Bre Pettis (still making Weekend Project videos for Make Magazine at the time) talked to and got a demo from GRL Vienna crew.

Very cool, guys.

 

Link to the article at Time.

Link to Bre Pettis' blog post about GRL Vienna.

Grant Gross at InfoWorld has said what I've been telling people for months: Google gamed the 700mhz auction system and won.

San Francisco - Three lawmakers complained Tuesday that Google "maneuvered" its way into an open wireless network without having to come up with a winning bid in the U.S. Federal Communications Commission's (FCC's) recently completed 700MHz spectrum auction.

Some lawmakers aren't too happy about that. In particular, Reps. Cliff Stearns (R-FL) and John Shimkus (R-IL) "suggested Google out-maneuvered the FCC when the agency required the winner of about a third of the spectrum that was auctioned to operate under open-access rules."

Um, guys? Let me tell you a secret.

Remember the last round of auctions after the 1996 Telecommunications Act? They were a disaster. Ensuing litigation from licensees who couldn't afford to both build out their networks and pay the FCC held up the deployment of PCS services for years. Does anyone remember NextWave? I suggest all of you, yes, every single one of you, go to Amazon and buy "A Tough Act to Follow?" by former FCC Commissioner Harold Furchtgott-Roth.

Furchtgott-Roth, who incidentally, is an economist who used current FCC Chairman Kevin Martin (aka K-Mart) as a legal adviser during his tenure on the Commission, tells the NextWave story in great detail.

Now, let me tell you about Europe. Over there, GSM is the standard, because governments subsidized the built-out of wireless networks. So, instead of a patchwork of country-to-country incompatibility, they agreed on GSM and use it, with great success. Unfortunately, if someone tried that here, they'd be shouted down as communists before the idea got off the ground.

Enter Google. Their proposal for a reserve price and open access was supported by Chairman "K-Mart," who probably has nightmares about NextWave when he thinks of auctions. Why?

Easy. "K-Mart" can't order or ask for a subsidized network, but the FCC can order a reserve price, open access, and a build-out requirement.

What's the result? The 700mhz auction suddenly becomes a de facto low bid contract. Google hit the reserve, and the rest of the players simply bid enough to win, hoping the other would lose, because either way, the network would be open to everyone. The FCC won because they got their open network, allowing for more competition ("K-Mart" likes competition) and Google won because they can develop their Android phones and be assured that they will have a network to operate on.

This wasn't an auction. It might have started as one, but it finished as a low-bid RFP...and that's a good thing for all of us.

So I was looking at the Reuters this morning and saw an article that kind of annoyed me.  Not because of the reporting (top-notch) but because the article highlighted a lack of personal responsibility and a certain sense of entitlement that really bugs me.

Many people are uncomfortable with Web sites customizing content to people's personal profiles, according to a new survey.

"There's a creepy factor and a fear of the unknown that people don't want to deal with," said Michelle Warren, senior research analyst at Info-Tech Research Group in London, Ontario.

"The notion that there's a privacy issue in someone's email account hits a little too close to home for some," she added.

Nearly 60 percent of 2,513 people in the United States questioned in a Harris Interactive poll said they were uneasy when Web sites use information about personal online activity to tailor advertisements or content.

 

In a nutshell, the story related how a lot of people are uncomfortable with websites tracking their activity for the purposes of targeted advertising.  I understand that some people find it creepy, but it's nothing new. 

Microsoft announced its new Clearflow technology.  Clearflow will allow for web-based driving directions that can create a route designed to avoid traffic.  That's great.  That's fantastic.

 

Here's my problem - It's accessed through their live.com website.  If you select Maps and then Traffic, a map of the U.S. will pop up with icons over the 72 cities currently supported.  Very cool.  But where's the mobile support?

 

On my BlackBerry, which handles the web pretty darned well, I couldn't pull up the traffic options.  I tried it with my browser emulation set to BlackBerry, Pocket IE and even regular Microsoft IE and none of them would display the traffic options.  The first 2 displayed the incredibly neutered mobile version of the live.com site and the last one displayed a fuller, albeit format-challenged, site that still didn't have the traffic option.

 

I think that being able to see traffic on a map or have it factored in when you get a set of directions is great.  Needing to access it from a computer as opposed to a mobile device neuters it.  Sure, I can pull up my directions and print them out before I go, but that isn't the same.  Traffic changes far too quickly for that to be effective.

 

Here's your route, determined to be the fastest based on traffic...from 20 minutes ago when you were getting ready to leave the house.

 

See the problem?  I'm not out to bash MS or anything, but at the same time, I'm not going to get excited about Clearflow until there's mobile compatibility.  And I won't be really excited if the only compatibility is for Pocket IE and no other browsers. 

 

Unless MS wants to send me a free HTC Touch.  Then I'll get over it.  Totally.

 

Details at Reuters.

Just over a month ago, we put up a post wondering aloud if text messages could be used to help keep us safe.  To summarize, we all know that you can receive a text message from Twitter when your buddies post something and get notified if your favorite got booted from American Idol, but I wanted to know about the feasibility of being warned about natural disasters or other emergency situations.

 

We found that some carriers (most notably and for the longest time Sprint/Nextel) can send you a text message if there's an AMBER Alert in your area and we even found that some NBC affiliates (like mine here in the Bay Area and Andrew's in DC) can alert you to things like severe weather.

 

So, despite having to hunt for someone to provide the alerts, the answer to the question - Can text messages help keep us safe? - seemed to be "Yes."  According to CNN.com, the FCC agrees.

 

An FCC representative let them know that either today or tomorrow the FCC will announce plans for a nationwide SMS (fancy-pants industry term for Text message) system to relay information about natural disasters, AMBER Alerts, and even warning about possible terrorist attacks and other national security issues.  The last set of messages coming directly from Barack Obama.  Why Barack?  Because I'm personally willing him into the Oval Office.  But getting back to the story, the alerts regarding terrorism would come directly from the President.

 

AT&T pretty much said that they'd offer the alerts to their customers, but left themselves an out by saying that they'd need to review the details.  Sprint/Nextel offered a pretty resounding yes - remember that they're the guys (well, on the pre-merger Nextel side) who have had AMBER Alerts available for longer than any other carrier.

 

I said it before, but I think that this application of text messages is amazing.  A technology that started as a very niche, very "fun" service is now evolving into something that can enhance public safety to the point now that the Federal Government has taken notice. 

 

Is there anyone reading who would be interested in receiving messages like that?  Is there something else that you'd like to be notified of?  Don't be afraid to comment or email.

 

Full source article at CNN.com

Our Original post here

Yesterday, I had the honor of speaking with Ambassador Richard Russell, who headed the U.S. delegation to Geneve in October and November of 2007 for the World Radio Telecommuncations Conference. Every four years, the U.N. mandates that the members get together and decide where they're going to put "new stuff" and how handle other issues, such as talking to satellites (and robots, although in the interests of security we didn't talk about that. because remember, persons denying the existence of robots may be robots themselves.) and standardizing usage to minimize international interference and maximize compatibility. This results in a binding treaty that, surprisingly, we really do care about honoring.

Ambassador Russell gave me a look inside what went on, and while I don't have any sound bytes or podcasts for you, I hope this will shed some light on why things are the way they are, and what we have in store for the future.

Two major issues came up at the outset, which were

1) where to put the next generation "Wireless Broadband" and what specific technologies would be used.

2) How to protect the new Wi-Max standard from Satellite interference.

First off, I did ask about White Spaces and unlicensed spectrum. He pointed out that at the last WRC in 2003, the U.S. successfully pushed for the 802.11 standard to be adopted for Wi-Fi internationally in an unlicensed band, and that internationally, there is an understanding that unlicensed is an important category.

Next, I asked about FCC Chairman Martin's CTIA remarks (re Skype) and how Ambassador Russell felt in his role as deputy director of OSTP how he felt we as a nation could continue to innovate and create an environment with a diverse marketplace.

He responded that we want to make sure that new technologies "get a shot," and steered us back to the WRC proceedings, where the U.S. took a position in defining what the "IMT" (International Mobile Telecommunications) standard would be in governing what would be considered acceptable for using that term.

With regard to Wi-Max, Germany and China wanted to specifically exclude it, but we were able to roll Wi-Max into the standard, which pushed the WRC to expand the spectrum reserved for IMT to include the 700Mhz band.

This is a big deal. While we're going to have that 700Mhz area available at this time next year, many countries aren't transitioning to DTV so early (Mexico is waiting until 2020). On the other hand, many developing countries are going straight to DTV. This means that 700Mhz won't be encumbered already and it'll be internationally sanctioned (including across the Americas, China, Japan, Singapore and India) for mobile broadband. Europe, on the other hand, is going to reevaluate this in 2015. Big picture? 700Mhz (and Wi-Max) is here to stay for  information services.

What did I take away? America is still the leader on many technlogical issues, and if we're on the right track, the world will follow our lead.

In Japan, the average birthrate is 1.3 children per woman.  This is not enough to maintain their population.  Why is this important?  With fewer children to become workers in the future, Japan is looking at having a huge number of retirees and a huge void in their workforce.  So how, in a country that sees 40 percent of its population being over 65 in 2055, do you replenish the workforce without increasing baby output or brining in literally millions of immigrant workers?

 

Oh yeah, you know where we're going - Robots!

 

Takao Kobayashi, one of the researchers working on the "what do we do about our shrinking workforce" problem, talks about other, non-robotic means of combatting the problem, such as building more daycare centers so that more women can work as opposed to being stay-at-home moms and that some seniors are pushing retirement back until they're 65 (Pushing back to 65?  I totally live in the wrong country), but he doesn't see that as being enough to solve the problem.

 

So yes, they're looking to robots to fill the void, doing everything from bathing the elderly to monitoring their health.  From vaccuuming the carpet to watching their kids.  As cool as robots are, I don't know how I'd feel about having one watch my kid.  Maybe I'm just a dumb American, but I find something more than a little creepy about leaving my child with C-3PO.

 

And while it would be easy for me to say "Keep the robots out of here!" and throw to an Old Glory commercial, there's a legitimate reason for the U.S. not to embrace robotic workers - unemployment is up and the concensus is that America is in the middle of a recession.  Do we really need to be replacing human employees?

 

And when the metal ones come for you (and they will come for you), make sure your loved ones will be taken care of.

 

 

Details at Reuters.

Verizon Wireless announced that it plans to use it's block of the 700 Megahertz spectrum to build out its LTE (Long Term Evolution) network.  This is their next-generation wireless broadband answer as opposed to their CDMA competition (Sprint's) banking on WiMax.  AT&T said that they will use their 700MHz spectrum for LTE as well.  VZW's spectrum block is nation-wide as opposed to AT&T who won several regional licenses.

 

While I'm excited to see what VZW and AT&T can do with LTE there is something that is a little troubling to me - LTE is a GSM technology.  Verizon (and Sprint) use CDMA for their current networks.  It makes me wonder what VZW's move is going to be.  Will they have LTE data-only devices, like aircards, and still use CDMA/EVDO for phones?  Will it be like when AT&T/Cingular transitioned?  Are they going to maintain CDMA, but just until they can transition their customers to newer devices that will use the LTE network?

 

Verizon has marketed itself as being of the highest quality.  Although they're the number 2 carrier in the country, they're generally the highest-rated when it comes to quality and reliability.  I'm pretty confident that they'll figure out a way handle a transition (if it is a true transition as opposed to a dual-network scenario) with a minimal impact on service or call quality.

 

AT&T upset a lot of TDMA customers who they forced into GSM after their switch and Sprint still doesn't seem like they know what the heck they're doing as far as phasing out Nextel's iDEN network in favor of CDMA.  I guess now it's Verizon's turn.

 

Details at Verizon.

Details from AT&T.

I'm trying out coveritnow's liveblog service, and my latest Flickr photo will appear below also.

www.flickr.com

Tech Liberation Front sent a link to a must-read blog, Spectrum Talk. It's written by Michael Marcus, who was an engineer at the FCC for quite a while. This guy made your toys possible. He was a veteran of the FCC's Office of Engineering and Technology, aka the guys who approve that nifty device giving off radiation in your pocket after they make sure it won't make other stuff go haywire. Here's his "official" bio:

 

Michael Marcus is a native of Boston and received S.B. and Sc.D. degrees in electrical engineering from MIT. Working at FCC from 1979-2004, he focused on developing policies for cutting edge radio technologies such as spread spectrum/CDMA and millimeterwaves. The rules for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and most of the cordless phones sold in the US are one outcome of his early leadership. He had several key roles in the FCC's Spectrum Policy Task Force. Upon retiring from FCC in 2004, he became an independent consultant in radio technology and spectrum policy. Initially based in Paris, France, he is now based in the Washington, DC area and is serving clients throughout the world. He is a Fellow of the IEEE and has been active in the Federal Communications Bar Association

 

So, yeah. He's the man. A quick look at his blog yields a total gold mine of informed opinion on pretty much any FCC topic we've covered here. So, yeah. One more source to check against, but a good one.

Michael, you rule..

Nokia showed off its N810 WiMax Edition, a mobile computing device with slide-out keyboard and 4.13" screen.  The new WiMax Edition will come equipped with web browsing, powered by Mozilla, and will even support a number of VoIP services, such as Skype.

 

I don't quite know how to react.  Sure, the N810 WiMax Edition can make calls using a VoIP (Voice over Internet Provider) client, but it doesn't seem to have a dedicated phone function in the same way that a BlackBerry or an iPhone does.  Also, if the screen is 4.13" that seems like it would make the N810 a little, well, large to be comfortably used as a phone on a day-to-day basis.  As we, and the washington Post, have commented before, does anyone really have room for another device to carry around with them?

 

Personally, I see WiMax like any other type of wireless data.  I think that the implementation would make a lot more sense if it was treated like EVDO or EDGE - just a faster connection to embed in high-end phones (and eventually not-so-high-end ones) and aircards.  I'm sort of thinking that anyone who would really be enticed by the N810 is probably taking their laptop with them everywhere, and the N810 can't compete with that kind of power.  A WiMax aircard, however, would let the user take their laptop online on the go, without the need for a stand-alone unit fo rmobile browsing.

WiMax has a huge potential to revolutionize the way we look at a wireless internet connection and has the power to allow people to replace their wired internet with it.  I feel like having a device whose comrades have floundered in the States (yes, i'm bringing up the Mylo again) as the flagship ambassador of WiMax is a bad idea.  Why not talk to RIM about bowing a WiMax BB8800 series?  Or preview a BB9000 with WiMax?

 

Currently, Sprint has a soft-launch WiMax network running in Chicago, DC and Baltimore.  They'r eexpecting nationwide rollout this year and are, in cooperation with Clearwire, looking for outside funds from Comcast, Time Warner and Google, to name a few.

 

Full press release at Nokia.

Here's the scoop from the Reuters

 

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O: Quote, Profile, Research) has won enough support to have its OOXML text and spreadsheet format certified as a global industry standard, Microsoft and the OpenDoc Society, which had opposed approval, said on Tuesday.

 

The ISO approved XML as an international standard after originally denying that status back in September of 2007.  A lot of Open Standards-ers are railing against the ISO (International Organization for Standardization) saying that having multiple international standards defeats the purpose of having standards in the first place.  Some people (myself included) don't really see a problem.  If anything, MS' format should probably be "the" standard just by virtue of the fact that so many people use it vs any one other format.  They even make MS Office for Macs and Open Office makes a point on its website of mentioning that it can read and save in MS formats.

 

Is there anyone out there who has a major problem with an already widely-used format being approved as an international standard?

 

Also, I wonder what Microsoft did to change the ISO's mind.

Maybe an energetic presentation from Ballmer.

I saw over at the Reuters that Sony Pictures is going to have its own channel (called PIX) on AT&T's MediaFLO when it launches in May.  According to Sony, it will feature a number of films at launch, including Ghostbusters.

 

While I admit that MediFLO is cool (it allows you to watch TV on your mobile phone) I've never thought about using it for an extended period of time.  I had MobiTV on my Treo 650 back "in the day" but don't think that I was ever in front of it for more than 20 minutes.  Total.  Between the small screen size and lack of opportunity to watch, I never really saw it as a must-have feature.  Ok, so I can watch a little TV if I have some down time or if I'm riding a bus.  Awesome, but I don't have the kind of time throughout my day to watch an entire episode of Friends, much less a whole movie.  Most people do their TV watching at home, and I'd be hard-pressed to find someone who would use their phone as opposed to their TV.  I mean, maybe if you don't want to miss your favorite contestant on "Idol" when nature calls...

 

Eric Berger, the VP of Mobile Entertainment at Sony Pictures Television had this to say

 

"We recognize that people are on the go with their mobile phone and coming and going," he said. "This isn't for people looking to view a movie for the first time. It's OK to miss the beginning."

 

Miss the beginning, the end and probably most of the middle too?  PIX seems really cool on paper but it feels more like AT&T is just looking for something to differentiate its MediFLO from VZW's, which has been around for over a year as opposed to looking for a really innovative new feature.  I just don't see a lot of people being too thrilled about being able to watch 3 minutes of a movie on their mobile when they have some downtime.  Not even if it's Ghostbusters.

 

 

Full article at Reuters.

It was brought up on the podcast last night, so I thought I'd mention it.  There are a lot of rumors floating around about the BlackBerry 9000 series coming out later this year.  A lot of people seem to think that it'll be a touch-screen iPhone killer, but if RIM wanted a touch-screen device they'd probably have one by now.

 

I'm not much for speculation on the subject, but here's my wish list for the 9000 series -

 

• Bigger Keys, Please -  Some of the rumors (the ones that still include a keyboard) do show us a BlackBerry with larger keys than the current 8000 series.
• More Resistance from the Pearl - I'd like it if the pearl (the little scroll-ball that was introduced on the 8100) weren't quite so easy to roll.  Too often when I'm trying to click on something with it I end up clicking on something next to it, below it, above it...
• Streaming Video - Whether it's YouTube or Hulu, I'd love to be able to pull it up on my BB when I'm not in front of the computer.
• Easier Memory Card Access - The Curve and Pearl series have the memory card slot externally for easy access and hot swapping (sounds dirty).  The 8800 series (I have an 8830 and Andrew has an 8800) have it under the battery cover.  On the 8830 you can access it with the battery intact, so it's just annoying that I have to semi-dismantle the phone to change memory cards.  If Andrew wants to?  That battery's coming out.
• Camera - Aside from being fun, cameras can be used for business applications.  For instance, some Samsung phones have a business card scanner.  The camera will actually pick out the contact info and add it to your addressbook.  That'd be super cool on a BlackBerry. 
• More Screen - I'd like a little more size to the screen even at the expense of a larger overall size for the unit.  If the new BB were thinner it would be very easy to deal with a little extra height and/or width.

 

I think those could all very possibly be features of the next series of BlackBerry.

 

Now, who has an extra $600 that's weighing them down?

Paul Jacobs is talking, I'm a bit late, but I've stumbled into a discussion on patent reform.

Here's the scoop from Reuters

...

Verizon said consumers should be able to switch from cable as easily as they can change phone companies. Phone companies accept cancellations from rival providers, but many cable companies require consumers to submit disconnection orders themselves.

"The process to switch video providers is more cumbersome for consumers," Verizon said in a petition to the FCC.

...

 

Is it really that big a deal that a customer would need to call their cable provider to cancel their service as opposed to the cancellation being processed by Verizon?  I understand that it would eliminate a step for the customer, and that's great, but I just don't see it as that big a deal.

...not really, but the headline pulled you in, didn't it?

 

The House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet (Rep. Edward Markey (D-MA), Chairman) does however, have a hearing scheduled for next Tuesday, April 1 (I am not making this up) entitled "Online Virtual Worlds:  Applications and Avatars in a User-Generated Medium".

We're still waiting on that report from Dan Miller, Senior Economist for the Joint Economic Committee's Republican Staff (and avid gamer) on taxation of virtual worlds. Miller has previously said that existing tax code could in theory enable the IRS to levy taxes on virtual earnings, although an October 2006 press release from the JEC says that this is extremely unlikely.

The hearing is scheduled to be in 2123 Rayburn HOB, which means it will be webcast (and possibly live-blogged). No word yet on whether or not simultaneous hearings will take place in other realms, or if the witness list includes avatars, bots, or unicorns.

 

Google, along with several other technology companies (including Microsoft, HP, Dell and Intel) want to have access to the "White Space" between channels on the soon-to-be-vacated 700MHz spectrum.  If the access is granted it could allow for a slough of wireless broadband devices that could access the Web at speeds never-before-seen on a mobile device.

 

Opening up access to this swath of spectrum is mainly opposed by users of the non-white space (or the actual channels) who are afraid that White Space devices would interfere with their devices.  The FCC is currently testing devices to see if they can operate safely.

 

The opening up of White Spaces doesn't really excite me as far as its use for handheld devices.  I mean, do you really want to carry your mobile phone and a separate device for on-the-go internet access?  Sure, some people do, but they're the minority.  How many people do you know who ran out to by a Sony mylo?  I'm more excited to see White Spaces used for other purposes.  For instance, a new breed of laptop aircards.  Heck, even a new breed of laptops that would replace their Wi-Fi technology with White Space.  Another possible application would be to use White Spaces for home alarm systems, many of which were rendered useless when analog cell networks were shut down.

 

So am I looking forward to buying a White Space PDA to surf the web with?  Not at all.  Am I looking forward to seeing White Spaces used for other consumer purposes?  You bet.

 

Details at Reuters.

At a robotics conference in Amsterdam technical universities from around the world unveiled, wait for it, wait for it, robots that reach new levels of human/robot interaction.  The robots were built using Lego robotics parts and run software from National Instruments.  The first place winner was the Phobot, built by students at the University of Amsterdam.

Here's a little more about the little Phobot from the Washington Post

When first exposed to a fear-inspiring object - in this case, a menacing larger robot - the Phobot retreats and then spins in circles. It overcomes its "fear" by getting comfortable with small robots and working its way up to large ones - mimicking the psychological principle of "graded exposure."

The idea is that the robot could help people, probably children, to overcome their fears by having a robo-buddy going through it with them.  Personally, I like the idea of seeing a robot run away in fear of something seemingly inane.  Like pickles.

The second place robot was the Korean Pot Bot, a little robot who lets you know when your potted plants need water and where you can find the best light for them.  I know what you were thinking - Amsterdam, Pot Bot...sorry to let you down.

While cowardly robots are all well and good, I'm still waiting for my R2-D2.  I mean, who wouldn't want a sassy little robot who can fly a spaceship, do repairs, unlock doors and serve drinks?

...if your job title is something like:

1. Social Media Consultant
2. Social Media Manager
3. Online Talent Manager

Rubel makes the point that alot of these jobs are simply extensions of existing professions in advertising and public relations. I tend to agree. In fact, I see these "online niche" positions migrating to a bigger role in the public space. 

I saw an article at CNN.com/technology that got me a little...well, a little annoyed.  One of the "tips," the first one, worried me a little.

Here's the tip:

Boost your browsing

If your mobile Web browsing experience leaves something to be desired, you're not alone. Unless you own an Apple iPhone, which many experts say offers more user-friendly Internet capability, small screens coupled with tiny keyboards can make Web surfing frustrating.

But if you have a laptop and a phone, you may be able to use them together to the best advantage, says Chris Silva, analyst for Forrester Research, a technology and market research firm.

Tethering -- or plugging in -- your laptop to your mobile device will allow your computer to use the phone's connection for the Internet.

It's a tool that often gets overlooked, Silva says, but it can connect you at speeds comparable to a DSL or cable modem line.

First off, they didn't mention that if you connect to the EDGE network (most GSM phones) or the 1xRTT network (some CDMA phones) that the speed won't really be anywhere near DSL or cable.

The other thing that they didn't mention is that with exception of a Blackberry data plan (which includes tethering at no extra charge) you usually need a phone-as-modem plan for your device to use it in the manner described in the tip.  Sometimes the carrier will suspend your internet access if they see a spike in usage indicative of modem usage.  If you have pay-as-you go data access using your phone as a modem would be a spectacular way to find an amazingly high bill in your mailbox at the end of the month.

Now I'm all about tips for better use of your mobile phone, but for those of you giving the tips, please don't leave out the details.  Or at least mention that the user should probably contact their carrier before trying certain things.  Especially things that could cost someone a bunch of money.

Ok, by this point we all know that Verizon and AT&T wont the lions's share of the 700 megahertz auction.  AT&T actually dominated regional and local licenses while VZW scored the big fat national license.

 

What I think it funny is the number of people who say that Google lost the auction.  Did it not occur to these people that Google never wanted to win?  Well, at least not in the traditional sense.

 

Eric Auchard, from Reuters, seems to agree with what we (especially Andrew)  have been saying for quite some time, which is that Google didn't want the license for themselves.  There was all sorts of talk and rumors about Google rolling out its own wireless network but it doesn't make sense.  Auchard points out that Google's current profit margins blow wireless carriers out of the water.  Aside from jumping into that arena there's the fact that they would have to spend billions upon billion upon billions of dollars to not just build the network, which Verizon will now need to, but to basically start a new wireless carrier.  Who in their right mind would really want to do that?

 

Google did exactly what they set out to do:  they ensured that the C Block of the spectrum (the block won by VZW) would be an open access network.  Google will now have much more capability to get its content, products and advertising to mobile customers.

 

Now, because Verizon is going to be tasked with building and maintaining the network and hardware manufacturers will build and sell the actual handsets...Google is going to gain an incredible foothold in the mobile browsing marketplace with an absolutely minimum investment.

 

Love Google or hate 'em, it was a brilliant (and ballsy) move.

 

Also, as we posted yesterday, Verizon Wireless' current Open Network initiative seems to almost be an open access test run on its current network.  It gives them a great way to work out the kinks of how to handle open access on their own terms before the C Block network launches.

Here is the breakdown of what's going on at the Google DC event that we just posted on.

A detailed summary/wrap up will be posted later on this evening.

For now...enjoy.

 

5:24pm 

Lessig:

There is a plan for an iPatriot act:

Give gov't authority to examine all data at all times. Privacy is a zero sum game.

What will the future look like:

A) protect privacy and security
B) let the government do it.

Answer? Prepare.

If privacy is like copyright, recognize that both are out of control.

No. You can protect copyright (and privacy) in other ways without destroying the internet.

Privacy fighters need to find the same thing: alternative theory of privacy.

Can privacy nuts live without the blocking gathering of data?

"Tracable anonynymity"

System is insufficienty secure...need to make it it more trustworthy...

Government must be accountable if we give up some "rights."

 

5:17pm

Lessig talks about Zittrain saying the piracy and copyright have the same problem: data out of control.

Tech used to help control privacy and copyright because breaking both used to be expensive. Responses are public and private:

Privacy) for privacy self protection for copyright DRM.

Public) copyright - massive legislation, privacy not so much...

 

5:05pm

More good people can beat a few bad people...still Zittrain.

 

5:00pm

Closed platform era: iPhone and Facebook platform...

 

4:55pm

Tech makers can change stuff you own:

Example - TiVo v EchoStar, echostar had to disable their DVR...why can manufacturers have a window after sale?

Example - OnStar sued against making their in-car mics spy on people. Also, normal mobile phones...available without warrants.

California wanted remote control thermostats for climate control by government..

 

4:51pm

Zittrain sees the end of the "generative" technologies...

Instead, "information appliances" like mobile phones, no third party code...

IPod, iPhone, Kindle, etc. Steve Jobs says consumers want lockdown.

 

4:44pm

Zittrain talks about botnets and trust..."Made for TV after school special"

 

4:40pm

1) From generative back to sterile: blogs

Starts as silly - cats that look like hitler...

Gets serious - josh marshall at talking points memo, people in myanmar and kenya etc

 

4:37pm

"Hourglass Architecture" for both the Internet and the PC

 

4:33pm

Still Zittrain: talking about CompuServe - network AND content provider.

That changed when the internet became commercial...

 

4:29pm

Apple II killer app: visicalc.

 

4:26pm

Zittrain:

In north korea, radios can only be tuned to 3 stations. South Koreans want to send them solar powered radios.

Part 0: in 1880, Herman Hollereth invented punch cards for the census bureau. Cut the time for Census to 2.5 years. Rented them to the US Government. Became IBM.

IBM machine could do anything, but you needed to go to IBM to get it programmed. "Sterile technology"

 

4:20pm

Vint Cerf: intended to be an open system, allowing anyone who wanted acceess to get to it. It is important that it stay that wat because the economic success has allowed new experiments "without permission."

That openness has made it an interesting environment, despite potential for abuse.

Internet does not see international boundaries.

Cerf sees 3 ways to prevent abuse;

A) technical, doesn't aleways work.
B) detect and respond, difficult to trace source, but next natural step.
C) education - like gravity...en mass very powerful.

Because the 'net is global in scope, means of mitigation requirew common agreements of values despite cultural norms and business practice. Need to go after abusers on an international scale (treaties, etc).

Compares to the "law of the sea" in the long run...