Google’s tools for tracking the upcoming U.S. election later this year mostly focus on the presidential election. It’s no secret, though, that Google – thanks to its various advertising services – also makes a good amount of money from political campaigns that compete in smaller contests, including the 435 races for seats in the House of Representatives this year. This year, thanks to the recent … → Read More
The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) is delayed in Congress, but it is definitely not dead. The media company lobbyists and their Congressmen (hello, Lamar Smith!) are simply regrouping. Some of the more controversial aspects of the bill include transferring liability for copyright infringement to sites that host user-generated content and blocking that content via DNS servers.
To highlight the… → Read More
The complete internet shutdown this week in Libya involved a new way to turn off web access for an entire country. Earlier this year, the total internet blockade in Egypt backfired and emboldened the protesters. China is well known for blocking internet services, but it’s not just China. Of course, having the government turn off the internet could never happen in the United States. We couldn’t… → Read More
Your do-nothing Congress is doing nothing—shock! Lawmakers have adjourned their latest session in order to return to their home districts in order to campaign for the upcoming election. Boring, I know. One of the things they left on the table? Net Neutrality legislation. Thanks, Congress! → Read More
The iPad is a huge hit in the United States Congress. I mean, passing any sort of meaningful banking reform is apparently out of the question with these guys , but there’s always time for the iPad. Just amazing, really. → Read More
Time Warner Cable’s plan to charge based on the amount of bandwidth that their customers use has not gone unnoticed. In fact, a congressional representative from New York (one of the of the first areas scheduled for the new fee structure) has started fighting it. → Read More
The FCC may not have done enough to promote next month’s transition to digital TV, but that doesn’t mean Your Government has given up on you! Congress has just asked for an additional $650 million to pay for more digital converter box vouchers. → Read More
The cable companies were able to squeeze out from under the FCC’s efforts to regulate them more, including such niceties as a la carte programing, de-monopolizing areas, and creating increased competition. But they’re not done: their trade group, the National Cable & Telecommunications Association has lobbied Representative Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) to introduce legislation that… → Read More
Sometimes it takes bold moves for real action to happen. Lucky for us, Representatives Richard Boucher from Virginia and John Dolittle from California have the guts to stand up to the RIAA and say “We don’t need no stinkin’ DRM!” The digital fair use bill was introduced to Congress today, which is supposed to give customers more rights when buying digital content. → Read More
Those of you who use a GSM-based provider in the best goddamned country in the world (hint: U.S.A.) should rejoice, as Congress has ruled that it’s OK to get your cellphone unlocked so you can use it with a competing provider. Those of you with T-Mobile are probably yawning and going “Yeah yeah…T-Mobile has been letting us unlock our phones once every 90 days dude.” That’s fine and… → Read More
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Disrupt Europe: Berlin Hackathon
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