Government posts

Music Pirates Spend More on Tunes Than Non-Pirates, Finds Poll

by Caleb Johnson (RSS feed) — Nov 3rd 2009 at 7:28AM

In their never-ending game of finger pointing, music executives have blamed everyone and everything under the sun for the industry's woes. But after learning about a new study from the U.K., the suits might have one less scapegoat, and a little more cause for concern.

According to the Independent, a new poll commissioned by Demos, a U.K. think tank, found that people who admit to illegally downloading music on the Internet (10-percent of respondents) actually spend more money on music than their non-pirating counterparts. On average, one of these pirates spends about $126 a year on music, while the average respondent who said they don't pirate only spends around $54.

Tags: business, download, filesharing, government, illegal, internet, music, piracy, riaa, top, web

Web

Could Swine Flu Overwhelm the Internet?

by Amar Toor (RSS feed) — Oct 28th 2009 at 12:43PM

As we turn the corner on 2009 and head down the home stretch, we're also running right into the wall of flu season, which means more (legit) sick days. Instead of just moaning in bed, though, many workers are now spending their sick days telecommuting from home, going online to touch base and keep up with the office. In the face of the recent H1N1 [Ed., Thanks, CAE.] pandemic, the number of telecommuters is, of course, expected to skyrocket. So many, in fact, may be connecting at home, that the Internet might just, um, break.

At least that's what a federal government report warned earlier this month. The Department of Homeland Security is responsible for making sure that national and international communication systems (including the Internet) are protected from terrorist attacks or similar widespread calamity. Though Homeland Security has taken steps to protect the Internet from getting overwhelmed, critical and necessary actions remain to be taken, according to the Congressional Government Accountability Office (GAO).

Tags: government, health, internet, pandemic, swine flu, SwineFlu, telecommuting, top

Web

Many Americans Refusing High-Speed Internet, Study Shows

by Amar Toor (RSS feed) — Oct 19th 2009 at 4:34PM

There are few things in life you just don't turn down; a second chance at redemption, a Nobel Peace Prize, and, of course, an available high-speed Internet connection. A shocking number of Americans, though, are in fact turning their backs on the Internet, and Congress, rest assured, is concerned.

Following last week's news that Finland had guaranteed universal broadband access to all of its citizens by 2010, the befuddled U.S. Congress ordered the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to get to the bottom of the matter and draft a plan for wider broadband diffusion by February. Although statistics are, on the surface, reassuring (A full 96-percent of American households either subscribe to broadband or have the capability to access it.), one sphinx of a stat lurks in the reeds.

Tags: broadband, broadband access, BroadbandAccess, fcc, government, internet, top

Audio/Video, TV, Green Tech

California Lawmakers Seeking Ban on Wasteful HDTVs

by Warren Riddle (RSS feed) — Oct 16th 2009 at 5:10PM

Many home appliances, like refrigerators and air conditioners, have to meet predetermined energy standards, but man's best inanimate friend, the television, has managed to evade such government restrictions, so far. According to the Los Angeles Times, TV's free pass may soon get revoked in California, where state regulators are currently attempting to implement energy efficiency standards for televisions.

The California Energy Commission hopes to begin unplugging substandard sets in 2011, with a vote on the proposal possibly coming as soon as November 4th. The proposed restrictions have been met with opposition from electronics advocacy groups, like the Consumers Electronics Association, who claim the new rules will hamper technological advancements and raise manufacturing prices. But at least one manufacturer believes otherwise. Vizio vice president Kenneth R. Lowe said that his company would have no problem meeting the efficiency standards within the proposed time frame.

Tags: big screen, BigScreen, california, energy, energy consumption, EnergyConsumption, government, green, top, tv

Web

Finland Moves to Guarantee Universal Internet Access

by Amar Toor (RSS feed) — Oct 15th 2009 at 12:35PM

Just about every modern democratic state has certain pillars of individual rights upon which its social and political philosophy is founded: the right of free speech; the right to a fair trial; the right to... broadband access? In one Nordic country, that may soon be the case.

In another searing reminder that Finland is, in fact, cooler than the rest of us, the Finnish government has passed a law making broadband access an inalienable right for every citizen. The Huffington Post reported Wednesday that by July 2010, when the law is slated to take effect, all of Finland's 5.3 million inhabitants will be guaranteed the right to a 1 Mbps broadband connection, reportedly making it the first country to implement a law of this kind. The government had previously passed a law aiming to provide nationwide access to a 100 Mbps connection by 2015, so the latest legislation could be viewed as an intermediary step towards the long-term goal of faster, more efficient universal connectivity.

There is still some work to be done, though, if these lofty goals are to be met. According to the Finnish Communications Regulatory Authority, roughly 287 out of every 1,000 citizens have broadband access, and, as of yet, there has been no indication as to how exactly the government plans to cover the remaining 70-percent or so. If universal coverage is achieved, it would represent not only a huge technological and political milestone, but a gold standard to which the rest of the world should aspire. Even if it falls a little short, though, the mere fact that the Finnish government is debating such policies, while our own Congress still hasn't been able to figure out how to guarantee more basic human rights, is, in a word, humbling. [From: Huffington Post]

Tags: broadband, finland, government, law, rights, top

Cell Phones, Celebrities

The Governator's Wife Caught Driving With Phone

by Warren Riddle (RSS feed) — Oct 14th 2009 at 3:01PM

The State of California enacted a cell-phone ban for teenage drivers in 2007, and a hands-free-only policy for everybody else in 2008. Since the latter date, the Highway Patrol has cited over 150,000 drivers for talking on their cells. The TMZ celebrity stalkers, ensuring that famous people be held to the same standards as the plebeians, have repeatedly caught one member of the California ruling class red-handed, and on film, no less.

In response to that citizen's blatant, and highly publicized, disregard for state laws, Governor Arnie has promised "swift action," which will be fun to watch since the mobile blabber happens to be his wife Maria Shriver. Hopefully, Arnold will remember the comments he made about what would happen if his daughter were to break the law. ("She'll be taking the bus.") So, come on Governor. Deal out some retribution and do it with extreme prejudice. Take Maria's license and make her the Running (and Bussing) Woman. [From: TMZ via The Huffington Post]

Tags: arnold schwarzenegger, ArnoldSchwarzenegger, california, cell phone, cell phone ban, CellPhone, CellPhoneBan, dwt, expire-images:2010-10-13, funny, government, law, maria shriver, MariaShriver

Web

How the French Language Struggles in the Technology Age

by Leila Brillson (RSS feed) — Oct 14th 2009 at 10:31AM

Take this from someone who went to college in a French-speaking country: no one takes la langue more seriously than the francophone. Heritage, cultural pride, and a sense of protection keep the government involved in the purity of francais, so much so that other languages have suffered in many francophone countries, most particularly France, itself. (Just ask the English-speaking Montrealers who were around in the 70's). In fact, linguistic delegation started in 1593, and 'La délégation générale à la langue française et aux langues de France,' or the committee that delegates the languages of France, ensures that signs, contracts, and advertisements all feature French prominently.

Yet, with the rise of the Internet and rapidly developing buzzwords, the French are getting un petit perdu. The Wall Street Journal chronicles the long 18 months it took for a 17-member French assembly to suggest an adequate signifier for "cloud computing." Their nominee (informatique en nuage) apparently feels too confusing in French, and has been sent back for a review. Other terms that have been attacked by the specially designed Commission of Terminology and Neology are "emoticon" (frimousse, or literally 'show off), "Trojan horse" (cheval de Troie, or 'horse of Troy') and "World Wide Web" (toile d'araignée mondiale, or 'global spider web'), all terms that Louis VIII certainly never had to tackle.

Tags: cloud computing, CloudComputing, france, french, government, language, linguistics, top

Audio/Video, Celebrities

French President Sarkozy Accused of DVD Piracy

by Caleb Johnson (RSS feed) — Oct 8th 2009 at 5:54PM

Known for his anti-piracy views, French President Nicolas Sarkozy has once again been accused of being the pot that called the kettle black. According to Huffington Post, a French newspaper is reporting that Sarkozy illegally made 400 copies of a DVD and gave them to diplomats at a conference. The film in question is a 52-minute documentary on Sarkozy, himself, called 'A visage decouvert: Nicolas Sarkozy.' The distributor only gave the president 50 copies, which, apparently, just wasn't enough. Sarkozy burned a few hundred more, but didn't stop there, either. The President, or whoever actually made the copies, worked up a new DVD jacket and replaced manufacturer Galaxie Presse's logo with that of Sarkozy's own presidential 'AV Service.'

If you're keeping count at home, this is Sarkozy's second brush with copyright infringement. This means, according to his own policy, Sarkozy is just "one strike" away from being out. What, we wonder, does Sarkozy's musician wife think about his lack of respect for copyright law? We'd imagine somebody's going to be in, how do you say? Le doghouse. [From: Huffington Post]

Tags: copyright, dvd, expire-images:2010-10-9, france, government, illegal, nicolas sarkozy, NicolasSarkozy, piracy, top

Celebrities, eBay, Web

Sarah Palin-Signed Xbox 360 Hits eBay for $1.1M

by Amar Toor (RSS feed) — Oct 7th 2009 at 12:15PM

You love Xbox. You adore Sarah Palin. You've always wondered how to bring them into euphoric harmony. And now, for a little more than $1 million, your life can finally be complete.

According to the Huffington Post, an Xbox 360 purportedly autographed by the former Republican Vice Presidential candidate and ex-governor of Alaska was recently re-posted for auction on eBay, at a starting price of $1.1 million. As of Wednesday morning, there were no bids on the item, but fear not, gaming millionaires, you still have about eight days before bidding closes. The proud owner of the system reportedly, and understandably, had difficulty parting with it, and faced several problems listing it, as well. There are also some questions about the legitimacy of the signature itself. The description, as posted by the lister, is as follows:

Tags: ebay, ebay auctions, ebay wtf, EbayAuctions, EbayWtf, government, politics, sarah palin, SarahPalin, top, xbox360

Web

Ohio Mayor Cusses Out 'Broke-Down, Lizard-Looking' Blogger

by Amar Toor (RSS feed) — Oct 5th 2009 at 10:08AM

When blogger Robert Forrey e-mailed Portsmouth, Ohio mayor Jim Kalb with an innocent-enough public records request, he probably wasn't expecting to have his likeness compared to a lizard. That's exactly what he got, though, along with a profanity-laced torrent of Haterade.

The Huffington Post reports that Forrey, a retired English teacher and author of the blog River Vices, had contacted Kalb with a public records request concerning a controversial park project. The mayor responded on September 27th with a lengthy e-mail, the entirety of which can be found here.

Kalb starts off cordially enough, agreeing to provide the records, though wondering why Forrey would really need tangible evidence of their existence when such existence had already confirmed verbally. (Weird reasoning, but okay, moving on...) Then, the mayor goes absolutely Bill O'Reilly on Forrey, unleashing the following tirade:

Tags: blogs, government, politics, top

Computers, Web

National Science Foundation Hit by Internet Porn Scandal

by Amar Toor (RSS feed) — Sep 30th 2009 at 12:30PM

At the taxpayer-funded National Science Foundation (NSF), investigations of employees' inappropriate use of Internet pornography have skyrocketed over the past year, The Washington Times reports. According to foundation records obtained by the Times, out of 10 closed misconduct investigations last year, seven involved online pornography. The NSF, with over 1,200 employees and an endowment listed last year around $6 billion, is a public institution designed to dole out grants to universities and research institutions for an array of scientific endeavors. Unfortunately, this spike in employee misbehavior diverted the NSF from its primary duties of grant fraud investigation, and has cost taxpayers, as well.

One official, for example, spent 331 days on porn sites, chatting with nude or scantily clad women, sparking an investigation that cost taxpayers anywhere between $13,800 and $58,000, alone. Before resigning after being exposed, the official attempted to explain away his frisky forays by claiming he was only chatting with these poor, disadvantaged (and, by total coincidence, naked) girls because he wanted to help them make a little money, so they could "help their parents," the investigation report explains.

Tags: government, nsf, porn, science, top, work, workplace

Computers, Web

Techies Taking Political Power From Hollywood Heroes

by Warren Riddle (RSS feed) — Sep 28th 2009 at 2:17PM

The realm of politics has long been a haven for aging California celebrities, including Ronald Reagan, Clint Eastwood, Sonny Bono, and, of course, the "Governator" Arnold Schwarzenegger. Since the beginning of the new millennium, though, another faction of well-known California personalities has been encroaching on that political domain.

Instead of celluloid celebrities, the new group consists of cyber-celebs, as more and more Silicon Valley tech superstars upload their names into the political database. According to CNN, perhaps the most well known of the burgeoning geek brigade is Meg Whitman, former eBay CEO. Whitman plans to run for Governor in 2010, and, further demonstrating the political shift, will run against a fellow techie, start-up entrepreneur Steve Poizner, in the Republican primary.

Tags: business, california, ceo, corporate, ebay, facebook, government, hewlett-packard, politics, top

Cell Phones, Web

FCC Chairman Proposes Net Neutrality Rules

by Terrence O'Brien (RSS feed) — Sep 22nd 2009 at 6:31AM

The war over Net neutrality may finally be coming to an end. After years of back and forth between ISPs, consumer advocacy groups, Web-based companies like Google, and government officials, formal rules concerning broadband data pipelines are finally being proposed by Federal Communication Commission (FCC) chairman Julius Genachowski.

The proposed policy would prevent service providers of any kind -- including wireless providers like AT&T and Verizon -- from discriminating against particular types of data traffic. The rules still need to be approved by the FCC panel, but three of the five sitting members are Democrats who have already voiced support for Net neutrality. The changes will likely hit cellular providers harder than most, since the new rules would prevent the banning of VoIP calls and streaming video. AT&T, in particular, has proven reluctant to allow such services on its network.

Tags: broadband, expire-images:2010-9-22, fcc, government, net neutrality, NetNeutrality, top

Web, Social Networking

Government Reportedly Storing Comments on Social Networking Pages

by Warren Riddle (RSS feed) — Sep 16th 2009 at 11:27PM

The Presidential Records Act of 1978 ensures public access to government documents so that United States citizens can be aware of the actions of the nation's highest office. According to the Washington Times, the government is asserting that the same act enables the White House to have access to statements made by the public. More specifically, the Act apparently allows the government to monitor and store comments, notes, photos, and videos posted to sites that host a White House page (i.e., Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Flickr, Vimeo, YouTube, and Slideshare).

Because the Act applies specifically to public comments "received by the President or the immediate staff," it's still not clear as to exactly what information, posted by whom, would be susceptible to monitoring. All of the aforementioned are third-party sites, after all. Although some folks, possibly in hopes of inspiring vitriol and paranoia, may suggest that a nefarious Obama is hiding in a dark room crawling through everyone's profiles, the monitoring of the sites is being carried out by a private contractor. Hopefully, some form of congressional oversight committee will be created and more details will emerge soon. Until then, stay tuned, and watch what you say on that White House page. [From: The Washington Times]

Tags: barack obama, BarackObama, government, presidential records act, PresidentialRecordsAct, privacy, social networking, SocialNetworking

Web

City Web Site Lists Services: Sewer, Police, Schools, Porn...

by Terrence O'Brien (RSS feed) — Sep 16th 2009 at 12:41PM

Governments and the Internet go together like water and vinegar. When world leaders aren't accidentally posting sensitive information about their country's nuclear sites, or "losing" hundreds of e-mails connected to an ongoing legal investigation, they're often breaking video-sharing sites, or blocking services like RSS altogether. One branch of the U.S. government was even without Internet access until 2008. (Although, judging from the aforementioned instances of complete buffoonery, it might be better that way.)

Now, Germans have their own tale of an embarrassing government mishap publicly posted on the Internet. According to Reuters, the official site for the city of Gelsenkirchen temporarily listed pornography as one of the services provided by the local administration. Of course, the whole thing started as a simple mistake when an employee, compiling a list of services, thought there was a chance that brothel owners -- when looking up information about the city's sex tax -- might search for 'pornography.'

Tags: government, porn, pornography, top

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'Black Friday' Deals to Watch For

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Black Friday' Deals to Watch For

Traditionalists might balk, but the holiday shopping season is already underway. Skeptical? Head to your local department store and you'll be inundated by Christmas trees and ornaments. Bargain hunters, though, know that the real deals are more than a month away.

Black Friday, traditionally, is when retailers truly slash prices. Early birds can save hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars off of their holiday bills. Switched.com checked with a few elves, who gave a sneak peek at what you can expect deal-wise this year.

Blu-ray Players and Movies: Blu-ray is shaping up to be the biggest door buster of this year's Black Friday. de Grandpre expects at least one retailer will offer a Blu-ray player for just $49. Look for bargains on Blu-ray films as well, with last year's hit titles (such as "Iron Man") to fall as low as $5.

Laptops: With the proliferation of Netbooks this year, it's never been easier to find affordable portable computing, but Dan de Grandpre, CEO of DealNews.com says it will get even cheaper on Black Friday. Look for well-equipped Netbooks to sell for $199 – and basic 15" laptops to go for as little as $249.

HDTVs (Pretty big): The holidays are typically the best time to buy a new TV – and Black Friday is the time to do it. If you're looking for a normal sized set, you're in luck. Piper Jaffrey analyst Mitch Kaiser says he expects to see 32-inch LCD sets for as low as $299. GottaDeal.com is estimating 37-inch plasma and LCD sets will fall to $399 or less.

HDTVs (Really big): Need something bigger? How about a 46-47 inch LCD set for $599 – a 25 percent savings? Or a 52-inch LCD for $999? Dealnews says you can expect both. Plasma deals will be a little harder to come by, but a 50-inch set should run roughly $899.

HD Camcorders: You've wanted to shoot your child's school play in HD for a while, but haven't been able to spring for the pricey camcorder. This might be the year. Low-end, flash-based 720p models could drop as low as $60 (though you won't be able to zoom with those). Expect a high quality 1080p HD camcorder for $349.

GPS: While navigation systems have dramatically expanded their reach this year – even making it onto the iPhone – there's still a market for car-based systems. Dealnews predicts you'll be able to find a no-name entry-level system for $49, while a Garmin or Tom-Tom brand will be as low as $69.

Digital Picture Frames: Showcasing your digital pictures consistently gets cheaper. This year, skip the 7-inch screens and focus on the 8- or 9-inch ones, which should be available on Black Friday for as little as $30.

Monitors: Computer monitors might not be the sexiest of gifts, but they're usually welcomed with open arms – and they'll be cheap this year. Name brand 22-inch LCD models may go for as low as $99, while 24-inch models will drop below $150.

Memory: Don't know anyone who needs a monitor? External hard drives are always popular, since they're an easy way to back-up data. Dealnews expects a 1TB drive to fall as low as $49 this year. Gottadeal is looking for 8GB flash drives to hit $15.

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