TPMTech

Georgia State Sen. Suggests iPads Could Replace Textbooks In Schools

Eric Lach | February 4, 2011, 1:32PM

Senate President pro tem of the Georgia State Senate Tommie Williams (R) told reporters this week that he and other state officials were considering a deal with Apple to swap textbook for iPads in George classrooms.

Read more »

iPad

Apple Locks Down iPad App Market, Opens Up Legal Woes

Nicole Martinelli | February 4, 2011, 10:25AM

Apple is exerting more control over content purchased for and available on its popular iPad by enforcing rules that require magazine, newspaper and e-reader publishers to sell all content through iTunes.

As of March 31, apps that do not take payments through its iTunes store will be rejected. Although Apple has long required app publishers to sell subscriptions via Apple's "In App Purchase API," some publishers -- notably, The Wall Street Journal andThe Financial Times -- sold them outside Apple's digital store.

Read more »

iPad

Interior Department Agencies Test iPads Despite Security Concerns

Ruth Schneider | February 4, 2011, 9:11AM

At least two Interior Department offices are testing out iPads in an effort to increase productivity, and a third office is looking to acquire the coveted tablets. But iPads have proven vulnerabilities -- only two weeks ago, a duo was arrested for hacking into AT&T records and exposing 120,000 iPad accounts, including top government officials.

The department is still interested. "They're being used as replacements for laptops and blackberries," said Drew Malcomb, the Interior Department's chief of public affairs. "We see them as filling that need. They have a larger screen, the attachments are onboard and they have most of the capabilities of a laptop."

Read more »

Net Neutrality

Court Rejects Verizon's Net Neutrality Judge Shopping, But Lawsuit Continues

Stephanie Marcus | February 3, 2011, 4:52PM

Verizon's alleged "legal games" are pretty transparent -- and the D.C. Court of Appeals doesn't seem to be too amused. On Wednesday, the court rejected Verizon's request for the same panel of judges that ruled against the FCC in favor of Comcast to hear their own appeal against the Commission's new net neutrality rules. With Verizon's attempt to hand-pick its judges foiled, lawyers agree that their base strategy of ensuring their case will be heard by the D.C. Court of Appeals is still their best bet.

Read more »

iPhone

IRS Launches iPhone App That Does Almost Nothing

Neal Ungerleider | February 3, 2011, 2:42PM

The Internal Revenue Service took a bold step for a government agency and released a smartphone application. Titled IRS2Go, the app lets users check their tax return status. But IRS2Go's relatively limited functionality signals a future challenge for federal agencies releasing iPhone/Android applications: how do you give people the functionality they want while still complying with a variety of outdated rules that govern agencies' interactions with the public.

Read more »

Net Neutrality

AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile Unlikely To Challenge Net Neutrality

Stephanie Marcus | January 31, 2011, 4:42PM

While none of the telecom giants appeared to be thrilled with the net neutrality regulations passed last month, only Verizon and Metro PCS have taken a swing, challenging the FCC. But are the other cellular giants -- AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile -- just letting Verizon take the lead, or are the backing net neutrality?

Both, and neither, according to various sources: they would apparently rather spend their money fighting issues they see as more key to their success, and may see their acceptance of the popular initiative as a competitive advantage.

Read more »

Ron Wyden

Wyden Eyes Legislation To Limit Warrantless Cell Phone Tracking

Ruth Schneider | January 28, 2011, 4:19PM

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR)

Anyone who carries a cell phone can easily be tracked by law enforcement -- and the courts don't require them to get a warrant to do it. Cell phones ping cell towers creating a way of triangulating location -- information mobile providers like AT&T and Verizon collect and distribute to law enforcement upon request.

Sen. Ron. Wyden, D-Ore., said Friday that it's time to rethink the laws that allow law enforcement easy access to that data.

Read more »

Barack Obama

Obama Promised Broadband Expansion, But What's The Plan?

Kase Wickman | January 28, 2011, 3:35PM

Barack Obama

In his State of the Union address earlier this week, President Obama promised a new age of internet access for Americans. He said "Within the next five years, we'll make it possible for businesses to deploy the next generation of high-speed wireless coverage to 98 percent of all Americans."

But it's unclear how Obama plans to make good on that promise.

Read more »

Joe Lieberman

Senate Dems Reignite Debate Over Cybersecurity With New Legislation

Greg Wasserstrom | January 27, 2011, 4:54PM

Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-CT)

Senate Democrats this week unveiled their latest attempt to clarify and modernize the security of the country's critical information technology infrastructure. An attempt to pass cybersecurity legislation introduced by Sens. Joseph Lieberman (I-CT) and Susan Collins (R-ME) stalled on December 15 when the full Senate failed to act on the measure after it was voted unanimously out of committee.

The currently skeletal legislation, S.21, sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and seven committee chairs, is anticipated to include most of the Lieberman-Collins measure. But given its yet-to-be-determined final form, debate about its effects on privacy and executive power have reemerged.

Read more »

Lockheed Martin

Lockheed Starts Using Virtual Reality To Test New Products

Ruth Schneider | January 26, 2011, 4:20PM

Lockheed Martin opened a virtual reality and simulation laboratory in Littleton, Colo, where they can use virtual reality technology to simulate tests of new products and processes before bringing them into the real world.

Some say that the Collaborative Human Immersive Laboratory (CHIL) facility sounds a whole lot like the holodecks on Star Trek. Lockheed Martin spokespeople won't go that far, but the similarities are unmistakable. It's a do-it-all kind of facility.

Read more »

Online privacy

Republicans Push Internet Service Providers To Retain Data For Child Porn Prosecutions

Kase Wickman | January 25, 2011, 4:11PM

It's a question privacy advocates and law enforcement have been grappling with for years: Does the protection of Little Sister justify Big Brother's prying eyes?

House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security met Tuesday morning to try to answer that question, with help from the Department of Justice, the United States Internet Service Provider Association and others. At issue is how long internet service providers should be required to keep massive amounts of user data for law enforcement to potentially sort through later.

Read more »

Military

Lockheed Wins $218 Million Contracts For New Anti-Ship Missiles

Ruth Schneider | January 25, 2011, 8:46AM

Lockheed Martin announced Friday that it won two contracts worth $218 million to continue work on long-range anti-ship missiles for the Navy. The missiles could boost the Navy's range and deadliness in combat.

Read more »

iPad

Anti-Trust Battle Brewing Over iPad Magazine Subscriptions

Nicole Martinelli | January 24, 2011, 5:26PM

Apple's iPad tablet computer may be the perfect vehicle to view glossy magazines, but the iTunes subscription model has some publishers ready to turn the page.

On both sides of the Atlantic, publishers are grumbling about Apple's iTunes store. Some popular US publications, including the New York Times and Playboy, recently announced web-based subscriptions that will offer more flexible options and control over content than iTunes. But in Europe, Apple faces a probe by Belgian antitrust authorities over whether it is abusing its market position by requiring that publishers only sell subscriptions through iTunes.

Read more »

Google

Google's Stance On Net Neutrality Unlikely To Change With New CEO

Stephanie Marcus | January 24, 2011, 12:15PM

Larry Page

With news of Google co-founder Larry Page set to become the company's new CEO this April, should Americans be bracing themselves for an abrupt about-face on net neutrality at Google as the more ideological and product-focused Page takes the reins?

Don't hold your breath, according to industry experts. It's unlikely that Page will make any huge policy changes.

Read more »

Net Neutrality

Verizon's Net Neutrality Challenge Claims It Violates Their Licenses

Stephanie Marcus | January 21, 2011, 11:35AM

Not happy with the FCC's new net neutrality regulations passed last month, Verizon Communications filed an appeal against them in the United States Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit on Thursday. The FCC's rules aim to prevent Internet service providers from blocking certain websites or applications.

Read more »

Nuclear Energy

New Treaty Opens Russia to American Nuclear Industry

Neal Ungerleider | January 20, 2011, 10:34AM

Tennessee Valley Authority nuclear plant

A recently implemented American-Russian nuclear agreement will pave the way for joint energy projects around the world -- including the transport of nuclear waste to cash-hungry Russia.

Read more »

Mobile Apps

Mobile Apps Come With Huge Privacy Loopholes, Little Transparency

Neal Ungerleider | January 17, 2011, 8:53AM

Any time Angry Birds or Yelp is opened on a smartphone, information is being sent to marketers -- and app developers aren't required to reveal it. Apps running on the iPhone, Android and BlackBerry platforms often collect personal information to be resold to marketing companies and initiatives such as Google's AdMob. These apps and others work in conjunction with in-phone GPS chips to give marketers detailed information on smartphone users' locations, gender, ages and, in some cases, personal contacts and use of other apps.

Read more »

National Internet ID

Is The Government Really Developing A National Internet ID?

Chadwick Matlin | January 14, 2011, 1:10PM

Last week, CNET's Declan McCullagh reported that the government was trying to create an "Internet ID for Americans," and that the Department of Commerce was orchestrating the plan. The article quickly spread around the Internet, leading to a common understanding that Obama was trying to replace systems like Facebook Connect or OpenID with a top-down, government-controlled competitor.

But if the Department of Commerce was supposed to create from whole cloth a national Internet ID for all Americans, somebody forgot to tell the Department of Commerce.

Read more »

2010 elections

OMG: One-Fourth Of Americans Used Cell Phones To Connect To 2010 Elections

Jon Terbush | December 23, 2010, 8:50AM

Americans can't seem go anywhere without talking about politics these days. Whether they were texting or tweeting, talking or typing, one in four Americans used a cell phone for some purpose related to the elections this year, according to a Pew Internet poll released today.

According to the survey, 26% of all Americans used a mobile phone to learn or communicate about the midterm elections. Of the entire U.S. population, 82% own a cell phone, according to the poll.

In general, the results reinforce what was already widely known -- that cell phones have become extremely versatile devices that are permeating more and more facets of daily life. But on a deeper level, the results show that mobile phones are emerging as a new frontier in politics, whether for reading the news, tracking campaigns or even donating to candidates.

Read more »

iPhone App

Must-See Kabul: There's (Almost) An App For That

December 10, 2010, 1:53PM

Kabul, July 2009

by Adrianne Jeffries

When entrepreneur Eamonn Carey started talking about building a Kabul travel guide iPhone application, everyone - friends, family, potential sponsors, the Afghanistan Tourist Office - thought he was joking. "The initial reaction was one of total surprise in almost every instance," he said.

But Carey and his business partner Conor Purcell were completely serious. Kabul has robust 3G coverag, because of the reconstruction money from the military, NGOs, and the return of wealthy expatriated Afghanis. BlackBerrys, Nokias, iPhones and Android phones are abundant, and download speeds are fast, Carey said.

A Kabul app wouldn't -- and clearly couldn't -- just be for tourists, according to Carey, so it will feature maps, news, security tips, updates on roadblocks and checkpoints -- as well as the usual suggestions for hotels and things to do. They expect that troops, aid workers, diplomats and contractors stationed in Kabul could use the app -- and their families and friends at home could download it to get a glimpse of daily Kabul life. People in the U.S. and other countries -- where Kabul has been in the news since the Afghanistan war began a decade ago -- might download the app out of curiosity.

Read more »

Fundraising

Square's New App Could Prove A Boon To Campaigns, Non-Profits

December 9, 2010, 2:44PM

Square's application and device works on iPads, iPhones and iTouches.

by Adrianne Jeffries

Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey is making the unusual leap from software to hardware with his new startup Square -- a device that enables anyone to accept credit and debit card payments with a smartphone. His company has been touting its value to small businesses since February, but the device also has the potential to revolutionize fundraising for non-profits, advocacy groups and political campaigns.

Square replaces the credit card processing systems used by most organizations that process credit-card transactions: often-expensive card readers, complicated transaction fees and onerous contracts from banks and processing companies. Instead, Square offers a free device that plugs into the headphone jack on an iPhone or Android phone and a straightforward fee system: $.15 plus a 2.75% to 3.5% transaction fee. That's often ends up being cheaper than the bundle of verification fees, transaction fees, statement fees, set-up cost and monthly minimums that come with the traditional swipers.

Read more »

Bobby Rush

African American Advocacy Group Attacks Dem Over Net Neutrality

Jillian Rayfield | November 24, 2010, 8:41AM

Bobby Rush (D- IL)

Democratic Congressman Bobby Rush (IL) is looking to land the top Dem spot on the House Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet. But he is facing opposition from an unexpected source on the left.

James Rucker is the executive director of Color of Change, a left-leaning group dedicated to "strengthening Black America's political voice," and told TPM yesterday that Congressman Rush is the "leading black voice that has argued against Net Neutrality provisions." If Rush were to become ranking member of the committee, Rucker said, he'd be "in a position where he could to do big harm" as someone who's "consistently been on the side of industry and not protecting the public interest."

Rush's biggest funders are from the telecommunications sector -- an interest group firmly opposed to Net Neutrality. As Wired.com reports:

During his congressional career, Rush has received $78,964 from AT&T -- his second largest career contributor. He's also gotten $43,499 from the National Cable and Telecommunications Association and $42,000 from Verizon, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

Read more »

Net Neutrality

95 Candidates Who Pledged Support For Net Neutrality Lost On Tuesday

Jillian Rayfield | November 4, 2010, 1:27PM

Rep. Joe Sestak (D-PA)

The FCC's push for Net Neutrality legislation suffered another setback on Tuesday, after 95 of the candidates who pledged their support for it lost their elections.

Read more »

FL-22

GOPer West Blasts 'Gestapo-Type' Tracker (Whose Grandparents Survived Holocaust)

Eric Kleefeld | August 20, 2010, 6:15PM

FL-22 candidate Allen West (R)

Allen West, the Republican candidate for a swing House seat in Florida held by Democrat Ron Klein, is now under fire for saying that a Democratic tracker sent to tape him was guilty of "Gestapo-type intimidation tactics." And as it turned out, the tracker is the grandson of Holocaust survivors.

Speaking at an event Thursday, the Miami Herald reports, West said: "I know here today we have a representative from the Florida Democratic party and he is here to film me and his whole purpose of filming me is to take what I say and allow other people to distort it so they can misrepresent me. You know if we allow those Gestapo-type intimidation tactics to prevail in the United States of America what happens to our liberties, what happens to our freedoms?"

Klein campaign spokeswoman Sarah Rothschild confirmed that the tracker does indeed work for the Florida Dems -- and that he is the grandson of Holocaust survivors.

Read more »

Net Neutrality

Tea Partiers Say Net Neutrality Hurts Freedom

Evan McMorris-Santoro | August 16, 2010, 8:42AM

The tea party, a movement whose success on the grassroots level is in many ways attributable to the power of free and open Internet communications, is joining the growing conservative crusade against the FCC's plan to enforce net neutrality on internet service providers. According to one tea partier involved in the effort, the movement is opposing net neutrality because "it's an affront to free speech and free markets."

The push toward an Internet regulated by corporations rather than government seems to be a new part of the tea party agenda, with fears mounting that the Obama administration's push for net neutrality is, essentially, the next cap-and-trade, government health care takeover or any of the myriad other socialist plots of the past year and a half.

As The Hill's Sara Jerome reports, "35 Tea Party groups" across the country have joined a coalition of conservative groups calling on the FCC "not to boost its authority over broadband providers through a controversial process known as reclassification." The coalition recently sent a letter to the FCC calling on the government agency to keep its hand off the Internet.

Read more »