May 13, 2009 (Saving the News)
BENTON'S COMMUNICATIONS-RELATED HEADLINES for WEDNESDAY MAY 13, 2009
Weather permitting (http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/weather/) we'll see you at the Free press Summit tomorrow. Headlines will return Monday May 18, 2009. For upcoming events see http://benton.org/calendar
JOURNALISM
Free Press calls for national strategy to contend with the crisis in journalism
Newspaper Publishers Should Listen to Nancy Reagan
What readers want vs. what they need
Kindle Can't Save Newspapers
GOVERNMENT & COMMUNICATIONS
DOD Rescinds Report That Found No Evidence Of Pundit Propaganda
Information war key to US Pakistan strategy
Venezuela's Chávez threatens to shut down TV station
CDT Recommends Standards for Use of Analytics Tools on Federal Web Sites
THE STIMULUS
Stimulus Aid Trickles Out, but States Seek Quicker Relief
Boucher: Private Companies Should Embrace Broadband Stimulus Funds
INTERNET/BROADBAND
Reports from 2009 Tech Policy Summit
A push to legalize Internet gambling
French lawmakers adopt bill to punish Internet piracy
How the next Internet revolution will save your favorite TV shows, newspapers and magazines
Stephen Wolfram Reveals Radical New Formula for Web Search
Time Warner has a plan to save cable television -- half of it, anyway
Original Web Video Still A Bust
Ralph Nader: Internet not so hot at "motivating action"
AGENDA/POLICYMAKERS
FCC Will Outline Plans For Final Month Before DTV Transition
Strickling Nomination Hearing Set
President Obama taps Verveer for State Dept Telecom Policy Post
Producer Is Chosen to Lead Arts Endowment
Obama Aides Debate Role Of Proposed Cyber Czar
WIRELESS
Unofficial Software Incurs Apple's Wrath
Could Android explode?
The Failure Of 3G Hurts Apple And Its Competition
Why your Wi-Fi is Way-Slow
OWNERSHIP
Brussels fines Intel record €1bn
IRS audits Tribune Co.'s ESOP
Bankruptcy Court OKs Tribune Bonus Payout
TELEVISION
Funds for LPTV Upgrades Available
Infomercials on the rise in a weak economy
JOURNALISM
FREE PRESS CALLS FOR NATIONAL STRATEGY TO CONTEND WITH CRISIS IN JOURNALISM
[SOURCE: Free Press, AUTHOR: Press release]
Free press has released an in-depth analysis of ideas and proposals being debated around the future of the news business and advocates for a range of short- and long-term strategies. The report analyzes the collapse of the traditional business model for news and describes the alternatives emerging in its place. The report argues that new policies are needed to sustain vital professional journalism while embracing digital technology and the power of the Internet. 1) New Ownership Structures. Encouraging the establishment of nonprofit and low-profit news organizations through tax-exempt and low-profit limited liability company (L3C) models. 2) New Incentives. Creating tax incentives and revising bankruptcy laws to encourage local, diverse, nonprofit, low-profit and employee ownership. 3) Journalism Jobs Program. Funding training and retraining for novice and veteran journalists in multimedia and investigative reporting. 4) R&D Fund for Journalism Innovation. Investing in innovative projects and experimenting to identify and nurture new models. 5) New Public Media. Transforming public media into a world-class noncommercial news operation utilizing new technology and focused on community service.
http://benton.org/node/25273
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NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS SHOULD LISTEN TO NANCY REAGAN
[SOURCE: Public Knowledge, AUTHOR: Art Brodsky]
If the news industry was as adept with its technology and finance as it is with its corporate whingeing and pleading, we would all be a lot better off. Not content with the Associated Press (AP) and Rupert Murdoch picking fights with Google over links to stories, the Newspaper Association of America trotted up to Capitol Hill to claim ownership of facts and to demand payment for them. In an NNA-imagined world, Web sites would have to pay newspapers much like cable and satellite networks pay broadcasters now. If the news executives think the Web has really caused their problem, then there are a couple of quick fixes. One is to block search engines from their sites. The second is to try charging for more material and see if people pay it. The third is to use the Nancy Reagan admonition and Just Say No. That's right. Take down your Web sites, publishers.
http://benton.org/node/25261
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WHAT READERS WANT VS WHAT THEY NEED
[SOURCE: Miami Herald, AUTHOR: Edward Wasserman]
[Commentary] Shouldn't journalists just find out what people want and give it to them? That seems to be what Eric Schmidt, the CEO of Google, advises. Mind you, his company has grown fat from hundreds of millions of dollars in advertising sold against content it doesn't pay for and does nothing to create. Well, fine. But for journalists the hitch has always been that news, if done honestly, is routinely unwelcome and, more to the point, that it isn't just another consumer product. It's a kind of civic good. Sure, it must be bought, but if success were measured solely by marketability journalists could safely ignore vast areas of coverage that help keep leaders honest and the public conscious of significant realities. Hence, the paradox: If all you do is give the public what it thinks it wants, you aren't doing your job. But if you ignore those wishes, you won't have a job. Prof Wasserman has long argued that news is best understood not as a consumer product, but as a professional service. People buy a paper or go to website not to consume a good, but to renew a relationship with an informant they trust. That's not to say readers don't want to be amused or don't like reading the comics and hearing about celebrity bust-ups or money-saving recipes. And they aren't passive receptacles: They'll make vigorous use of new media feedback channels to dispute, correct, redirect and enrich the news they get. But what this suggests is that ultimately, people look to journalists for a special service -- keeping them on top of what they need to know. They can't say exactly what that is, any more than journalists know in the morning what they'll report that day. But they trust the news source to tell them.
http://benton.org/node/25272
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KINDLE CAN'T SAVE NEWSPAPERS
[SOURCE: MediaPost, AUTHOR: Erik Sass]
Newspapers have traditionally drawn on two main sources of revenue: advertising, which accounted for about 80% of total revenues, and circulation -- including newsstand sales and subscriptions -- which made up the remaining 20%. So far, most of the proposals have focused on generating revenue from electronic newspaper subscriptions delivered via Kindle or other mobile devices. However, leaving aside the issue of revenue-sharing with Amazon or mobile service providers, electronic subscriptions cannot produce anywhere near the amount of revenue being lost on traditional subscriptions.
http://benton.org/node/25271
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GOVERNMENT & COMMUNICATIONS
DOD RESCINDS REPORT THAT FOUND NO EVIDENCE OF PUNDIT PROPAGANDA
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
The Defense Department's Inspector General's (IG) Office last week rescinded a report that had concluded there was insufficient evidence that the Pentagon's imbedded pundit program violated the prohibition on using appropriations for publicity or propaganda. But DOD also said it would not issue a new report. The January IG report had been demanded by 45 congressmen unhappy with the program, which had been uncovered in an April 2008 New York Times story -- which recently won a Pulitzer -- about a DOD program to "imbed" military analysts, so-called "force multiplyers," in news programs to talk up administration policy. In the pundit program, retired military officials were armed with administration talking points about the war in Iraq and other Bush administration policies and were sent to the media front lines--mostly cable and broadcast news channels and programs. Some of the pundits also had ties to military contractors -- ties not disclosed to viewers.
http://benton.org/node/25270
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INFORMATION WAR KEY TO US PAKISTAN STRATEGY
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Paul Eckert]
Policies to counter Taliban broadcasting will be a key part of Obama administration aid efforts for beleaguered ally Pakistan. Richard Holbrooke told a Senate hearing on US aid plans for Pakistan. A new key thrust of US aid, endorsed by President Barack Obama, would be efforts to counter and jam Taliban broadcasts that were helping the militants win the "information war," he told the hearing. "The Taliban have unrestricted, unchallenged access to the radio which is the main means of communication in an area where literacy is around 10 percent for men and less than five percent for women," he said. "We can't succeed, however you define success, if we cede the airways to people who present themselves as false messengers of a prophet," said Holbrooke. "We need to combat it." Holbrooke's remarks followed complaints by Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Monday that Taliban in Afghanistan spread rumors faster than the U.S. military could investigate incidents involving civilian casualties.
http://benton.org/node/25279
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VENEZUELA'S CHÁVEZ THREATENS TO SHUT DOWN TV STATION
[SOURCE: The Christian Science Monitor, AUTHOR: Tyler Bridges]
President Hugo Chávez is threatening again to shut down Globovision, the sole television channel in Venezuela that regularly criticizes him — saying it had stirred panic for reporting an earthquake before the government announced it. The Globovision all-news station on May 4 scooped the government on the mild pre-dawn earthquake, registering 5.5 on the Richter scale, citing the United States Geological Survey Web page as its source. Chávez and other government officials also seem upset that Alberto Ravell, the Globovision general manager, chided the government for not providing any news.
http://benton.org/node/25280
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CDT RECOMMENDS STANDARDS FOR USE OF ANALYTICS ON FEDERAL WEB SITES
[SOURCE: Center for Democracy & Technology, AUTHOR: Press release]
CDT and EFF today released a joint report examining the use of analytics tools on federal agency Web sites. Analytics typically track user behavior on a site; the data is used create a better user experience. The report analyzes existing policy and makes recommendations for how federal agency Web sites can use analytics tools while protecting citizen privacy. Agency Web sites will play a key role in the Administration's plan to create an environment that fosters a more participatory government, but new uses of technology must be approached with special attention given to privacy.
http://benton.org/node/25277
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THE STIMULUS
STIMULUS AID TRICKLES OUT, BUT STATES SEEK QUICKER RELIEF
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Michael Cooper]
Nearly three months after President Obama approved a $787 billion economic stimulus package, intended to create or save jobs, the federal government has paid out less than 6 percent of the money, largely in the form of social service payments to states. The stimulus bill has directly injected around $45.6 billion into the economy, mostly to help states cover the costs of Medicaid and unemployment benefits, one-time $250 checks that were mailed to Social Security recipients last week, and income tax cuts that began to take effect this spring. Although states around the country are beginning roadwork projects, the Department of Transportation had spent only about $11 million on highway projects through the first week of May. The intent of the stimulus program was to pump money into the economy quickly, and many members of Congress said at the time of its passage that speed was of the essence. But the huge program has been a challenge to administer for both a new administration and for states and local governments grappling with their own fiscal problems. The Transportation Department has committed to pay for more than $10.5 billion worth of projects across the country, which an official there likened to signing the paperwork for a new car before the check has cleared. Those commitments have spurred at least 20 states to award contracts and begin paying road crews; some contractors are staffing up, or postponing layoffs, in the hopes of winning some of that work. And the federal I.O.U.'s — the government has made $88 billion worth of commitments so far — have saved jobs in many areas.
http://benton.org/node/25294
See also:
Activists Ask White House for Role in Recovery
Tribes lay claim to stimulus
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BOUCHER: PRIVATE COMPANIES SHOULD EMBRACE BROADBAND STIMULUS FUNDS
[SOURCE: BroadbandCensus.com, AUTHOR: Ira Teinowitz]
Rep Rick Boucher (D-VA), Chairman of a House Communications Subcommittee, on Tuesday warned against too narrowly defining eligibility limits for grants in dispensing $7.2 billion in broadband stimulus money authorized by Congress. He said the need to quickly stimulate the economy and have the greatest effect should trump longer-term goals like Network Neutrality - at least for the broadband stimulus. Chairman Boucher said he believed that the "openness and unfettered" access of the Internet had spurred its growth. But trying to use stimulus grants to impose limits on what private industry could do might have the unfortunate result of making some private companies not seek grants. "It's critically important that the private sector apply" for stimulus program grants, he said. "The private sector has the expertise to do this quickly."
http://benton.org/node/25291
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INTERNET/BROADBAND
REPORTS FROM 2009 TECH POLICY SUMMIT
[SOURCE: BroadbandCensus.com, AUTHOR: ]
At the 2009 Tech Policy Summit, attendees heard that increased demand for wireless bandwidth will require a wholesale reassessment of how the US allocates wireless spectrum. As the Obama administration's Federal Communications Commission and technology policy agenda begins to take shape, internet policy experts expressed relief at what they perceived as a more friendly White House for technology, but clashed on America's success in broadband deployment and the role of wireless in expanding internet access. Two members of California's House delegation and a founding father of the PC age sounded off with different views on the best implementation and potential efficacy of the Obama administration's $7.25 broadband stimulus program. While implementing a smart electrical grid could save consumers money and allow utilities to better serve their customers, interoperability among utilities and between states requires a careful approach, industry representatives said.
http://benton.org/node/25290
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A PUSH TO LEGALIZE INTERNET GAMBLING
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR: Ben Meyerson]
The online gambling industry is waging a campaign in Congress to legalize Internet betting, arguing that it is here to stay and can be regulated and taxed. But opponents are raising moral objections. Rep Barney Frank (D-MA), Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, is leading the fight for gamblers. A previous effort by Chairman Frank failed to get out of committee, but the combination of grass-roots and corporate support -- as well as the weakening of the Republican Party -- might improve the odds, advocates said. The legislation's prospects in the Senate, where Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has opposed it in the past, are not clear. Many Las Vegas casinos object to Internet gambling. Reid spokesman Jim Manley said that although gambling was "a very important industry to the state," the senator had concerns about whether online gaming could be regulated. The Poker Players Alliance, which claims more than 1 million members, has enlisted former Sen. Alfonse M. D'Amato (R-NY) in its campaign.
http://benton.org/node/25283
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FRENCH LAWMAKERS ADOPT BILL TO PUNISH INTERNET PIRACY
[SOURCE: Associated Press, AUTHOR: Emmanuel Georges-picot]
French lawmakers in the lower house today passed a bill that would cut the Internet connections of those who repeatedly download music and films illegally, creating what may be the first government agency to track and punish online pirates. The bill passed 296 to 233 in a show of force by President Nicolas Sarkozy's governing conservatives after an initial failure last month. The Senate was likely to definitively pass the measure Wednesday. But even then, the battle will be far from over. The bill defies a European Parliament measure passed last week prohibiting EU governments from cutting off a user's Internet connection without first passing through a court of law. That still needs a final stamp after negotiations with the European Council. The legislation by Sarkozy's government is hotly opposed by the rival Socialists as well as militants who claim that it kills freedoms by denying accused Internet pirates the right to challenge the charges against them. Others fear it will pave the way for Big Brother-style intrusions by the government into citizens' private lives. But international music labels, film distributors and artists have hailed the bill as a decisive step in combatting online piracy in France, where CD and DVD sales have plummeted 60 percent in the past six years.
http://benton.org/node/25281
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INTERNET TO SAVE "OLD MEDIA"
[SOURCE: Times Online, AUTHOR: Stephen Armstrong]
There are huge problems in Silicon Valley. The sheer cost of running the huge servers required to store tons of information has started to worry the sort of free media and social networking sites that came of age during what is known as the "Web 2.0" era defined as 2004 to the beginning of the economic crisis at the end of 2007. All of them subscribed to a widely accepted business blueprint: build huge global audiences with a free service and let advertising pay the bills. The problem is: the model doesn't seem to be working. There are signs, however, that the method of delivery of media does not change basic human desires, which in many cases old media companies have served for decades, even centuries. It had, for example, become axiomatic that the multi-channel and Internet era led to a loss of that shared sense of a national television culture that existed when there were four wonky channels with only one decent programme between them. Unless, surprisingly, you are a youngster and thus the future of media. "For younger viewers, watching TV is a social experience," explained Tess Alps, chief executive of the marketing body Think Box. "One of the trends that's growing is teens and twentysomethings watching TV and using social networking sites like Twitter to conduct online conversations about what they are watching."
http://benton.org/node/25265
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NEW WOLFRAM|ALPHA SEARCH
[SOURCE: Wired, AUTHOR: Steven Levy]
Wolfram|Alpha is an engine for answers. Its ambition is to delve into "all the knowledge in the world," to find and calculate information. Though Alpha's interface evokes Google it's more like the anti-Google. Type in a query for a statistic, a profile of a country or company, the average airspeed of a sparrow -- and instead of a series of results that may or may not provide the answer you're looking for, you get a mini dossier on the subject compiled in real time that, ideally, nails the exact thing you want to know. It's like having a squad of Cambridge mathematicians and CIA analysts inside your browser.
http://benton.org/node/25264
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TIME WARNER PLAN TO SAVE CABLE
[SOURCE: The Economist, AUTHOR: ]
It is an attempt to preserve what is now plainly the core business of the slimmed-down Time Warner—and which also happens to be one of the most dependable rackets in media. Subscribers to multichannel television, who may get it from a cable, satellite or telecoms firm, pay for "bundles" of channels, whether they watch them all or not. They are also shown advertisements. Content providers like Time Warner receive carriage fees from the cable and satellite companies, which account for about half of their revenues (and the great majority for a premium channel like HBO). These fees are a handy bulwark against shocks to the advertising market, and they tend to go up faster than inflation. At present the Internet poses a puny threat to this commercial redoubt. But the audience for online video is young and growing, the barriers that prevent people from piping it into their televisions are likely to fall and the broadcast networks are quickly moving online. Time Warner does not want to row against this current. But neither does it want to be swept away.
http://benton.org/node/25263
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ORIGINAL WEB VIDEO STILL A BUST
[SOURCE: Silicon Alley Insider, AUTHOR: Dan Frommer]
The Web has proven itself a capable place to distribute video -- Americans watched 14.5 billion videos online in March, according to comScore. But efforts to create original video for the Web are still mostly flat; in a hit-based business, there just aren't many Web-original hits. Instead, the most popular Web videos -- and the streams most likely to generate revenue for their producers -- are still offline-first productions like TV shows and music videos. That explains why media companies are most interested in deals like Vevo, the music video site YouTube is building with Universal Music Group; and Hulu, which Disney just joined.
http://benton.org/node/25262
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AGENDA/POLICYMAKERS
FCC WILL OUTLINE PLANS FOR FINAL MONTH BEFORE DTV TRANSITION
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
Today, after the Federal Communications Commission's monthly open meeting, the Commission will outline plans for the final 30 days before the June 12 DTV transition date. Staffers from the FCC and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration will talk about outreach in the run-up to date, when more than a thousand stations will pull the plug on analog. Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) Tuesday marked a month until the June 12 DTV transition date with a plug for DTV-to-analog converter boxes.
http://benton.org/node/25289
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STRICKLING NOMINATION HEARING SET
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
The Senate Commerce Committee has scheduled the nomination hearing for Larry Strickling for May 19. That means the proposed new head of the National Telecommunications & Information Administration could be installed before the June 12 DTV transition deadline. Strickling was a telecom and technology advisor to the Obama campaign--as was FCC Chairman nominee Julius Genachowski--and is former chief of the FCC's Common Carrier Bureau and held other posts there. Strickling was one of the top candidates for the FCC post as well. Strickling's resume includes Ameritech, Allegiance Telecom, CoreExpress, Network Plus, and he was a partner in the firm of Kirkland and Ellis.
http://benton.org/node/25288
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PRESIDENT OBAMA TAPS VERVEER FOR STATE DEPT TELECOM POLICY POST
[SOURCE: The White House]
President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate Philip L. Verveer, for the rank of Ambassador during his tenure of service as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for International Communications and Information Policy in the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs and U.S. Coordinator for International Communications and Information Policy, Department of State. Verveer is Of Counsel to the law firm of Jenner & Block LLP. He has practiced communications and antitrust law in the government and in private law practice for more than thirty-five years. [more at the URL below]
http://benton.org/node/25287
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PRODUCER IS CHOSEN TO LEAD ARTS ENDOWMENT
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Robin Pogrebin]
Rocco Landesman, the colorful theatrical producer and race-track aficionado who brought hits like "Big River," "Angels in America" and "The Producers" to Broadway, has been nominated as the next chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, the White House said on Tuesday. The appointment, which is expected to be announced on Wednesday, surprised many in the arts world. It ends months of speculation about who would be selected to lead the nation's largest and most important arts organization. "It's potentially the best news the arts community in the United States has had since the birth of Walt Whitman," said the playwright Tony Kushner. "He's an absolutely brilliant and brave and perfect choice for the job." Choosing Landesman, 61, signals that President Obama plans to shake things up at the endowment. While a major source of money for arts groups around the country, it has historically been something of a sleepy bureaucracy, still best known to some for the culture wars of the 1990s.
http://benton.org/node/25286
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OBAMA AIDES DEBATE ROLE OF PROPOSED CYBER CZAR
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Ellen Nakashima, Spencer Hsu]
The nation's top military, intelligence and homeland security officials are recommending that President Obama establish a new White House cyber czar under the National Security Council with broad policy-setting authority for protecting both public- and private-sector computer networks. But some other top administration officials argue that the new official -- a deputy assistant to the president -- should also report to the National Economic Council. In recent weeks, White House economic adviser Lawrence H. Summers and others have expressed concern that security measures not unduly threaten economic growth and other national interests. Obama aides concluded that the new official's role would be limited to security and not broader cyber policy issues, such as tax or antitrust matters.
http://benton.org/node/25285
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WIRELESS
UNOFFICIAL SOFTWARE INCURS APPLE'S WRATH
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Jenna Wortham]
Through the efforts of developers and hobbyists, the Web is teeming with unauthorized applications for the iPhone and the iPod Touch (which does everything that the iPhone does except make phone calls and incur a monthly bill from AT&T), and there are even some independent online application stores. However, in order to use these programs, iPhone owners have to "jailbreak" their device — downloading a bit of software that bypasses Apple's restrictions and allows the installation of unsanctioned third-party programs. The growing popularity of jailbreaking has set up a legal battle between Apple, which says it has the right to regulate what can go on an iPhone, and the users and developers who want to customize their phones as they see fit.
http://benton.org/node/25284
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COULD ANDROID EXPLODE?
[SOURCE: TheBigMoney, AUTHOR: Chris Thompson]
The telecommunications research company Strategy Analytics has released a new report on the 2009 smartphone market, and the news ain't great for Apple. That might sound odd, considering the report predicts that iPhone shipments will grow by a healthy 79 percent. Here's the problem: Shipments of phones using Google's rival Android operating system, the report concludes, will grow by a whopping 900 percent. "A relatively low-cost licensing model, its semi-open-source structure and Google's support for cloud services have encouraged companies such as HTC, Motorola, Samsung, T Mobile, Vodafone and others to support the Android operating system," says Strategy Analytics director Neil Mawston. "Android is now in a good position to become a top-tier player in smartphones over the next two to three years." Which begs the question: As Android and the iPhone compete more and more directly, how long can Eric Schmidt stay on both the Apple and Google boards of directors?
http://benton.org/node/25268
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THE FAILURE OF 3G HURTS APPLE AND ITS COMPETITORS
[SOURCE: 24/7 Wall Street, AUTHOR: Douglas McIntyre]
The inadequacy of 3G networks to carry data and video for large numbers of handsets simultaneously is hurting the performance of the Apple iPhone. The problem only starts there. The weakness of 3G networks has also likely undermined the consumer's opinion of new products from RIM, the Samsung Instinct, and a host of new products from market leader Nokia. None of the consumer electronics companies banking on 3G to drive handset sales to pre-recession levels are going to be able to count on their carrier partners for services that will show off the best features of phones that can download and manipulate files, access the Internet, and play video. The promise of 4G wireless networks, which should operate at speeds five to ten times faster than 3G, may be years away. The handset and cell industries face a particularly vexing problem. The current 3G networks are not powerful enough to allow consumers with advanced handsets to take advantage of all of their features, especially networks strained by huge transfers of data to and from handsets. It is a problem that cannot be solved soon enough to keep customers from being disappointed because the phones they have purchased will not work well on the services they have subscribed to.
http://benton.org/node/25267
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WHY YOUR WI-FI IS SLOW
[SOURCE: Public Knowledge, AUTHOR: Robb Topolski]
Ofcom research concludes that poor Wi-Fi speeds in the 2.4 GHz band is due to interference from non-Wi-Fi devices, not overcrowding. The 2.4 GHz band is lightly regulated in Britain (nearly identically in the U.S.) and is a popular band for unlicensed devices such as telephones, baby monitors, alarm systems, audio/video systems, security cameras, and -- of course -- Wi-Fi networks. This regulation by lack of regulation has, very predictably, made a mess out of 2.4 GHz systems that are incompatible with one another. Our wireless networking devices both send and receive as part of their normal operation. The Wi-Fi standards all have some provision for sharing the spectrum. This means that a Wi-Fi device will delay transmitting if it detects a nearby device broadcasting. This works wonderfully, and we often see marketing from Wi-Fi device makers extolling the fact that their device can hit speeds of 300+ Mbps (about three times faster than common Ethernet networks). So why, then, when we take these devices home, we can't get more than 1-2 Mbps out of them? Interference between these two types of devices is the cause.
http://benton.org/node/25266
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OWNERSHIP
BRUSSELS FINES INTEL RECORD AMOUNT
[SOURCE: Financial Times, AUTHOR: Nikki Tait, Maija Palmer]
Intel, the world's largest chipmaker, was on Wednesday handed a record fine of €1.06bn ($1.45bn) by the European Union for abusing its dominant market position and using illegal sales practices to encourage manufacturers to use its microprocessor chips. It is one of the biggest fines to be levied by Brussels, and tops the penalties given to Microsoft. Intel said it would appeal against the ruling. The Intel case goes back to 2000, when rival Advanced Micro Devices filed a complaint that it was being driven out of the market by unfair marketing practices by Intel. Intel was accused of offering illegal rebates to computer manufacturers if they shut AMD out of the market. Intel was formally charged after a series of raids in 2007. Last year, the case was broadened, with the European Commission accusing Intel of using rebates to persuade a leading European retailer to sell only Intel-based personal computers.
http://benton.org/node/25282
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IRS AUDITS TRIBUNE
[SOURCE: Crain's Chicago Business, AUTHOR: Ann Saphir]
Tribune Co. is facing an Internal Revenue Service audit of a transaction key to the $8 billion deal, led by real estate mogul Sam Zell, that took the company private in 2007. The IRS audit could create a hefty bill for the media company. As much as $1.8 billion could be at stake, the amount that Tribune wrote off in net deferred income tax liabilities after Mr. Zell's takeover was completed in December 2007. Under scrutiny is a $250-million purchase of Tribune shares in April 2007 by the company's newly minted employee stock ownership plan. The ESOP was the first step in Mr. Zell's privatization of the company. The IRS disclosed the audit in a motion filed Friday in Tribune's Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. IRS investigators are "attempting to determine if the transaction was for the benefit of employees," according to a declaration filed by a Waukesha, Wis.-based agent in charge of the probe. If the IRS determines that the transaction wasn't prudent, Tribune could be subject to an excise tax and corporate income tax for 2008, the declaration said. The IRS asked the Bankruptcy Court judge to grant a six-month extension to a June 12 deadline for filing claims because its investigation "has been hampered by debtor's delays in providing accurate information to the auditors."
http://benton.org/node/25278
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BANKRUPTCY COURT OKs TRIBUNE BONUS PAYOUT
[SOURCE: Editor&Publisher, AUTHOR: ]
The judge overseeing Tribune Co.'s bankruptcy restructuring Tuesday approved the payout of more than $13 million in incentive bonuses to 700 managers and other employees. None of the bonus money will go to the 10 top executives at the Chicago media company, Tribune said in April when it asked court permission to make the payments. Tribune also said the bonuses, which recognize job performance in 2008, were also considerably smaller than in past year. Some bonus payouts have been cut by 70%.
http://benton.org/node/25260
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TELEVISION
FUNDS FOR LPTV UPGRADES AVAILABLE
[SOURCE: National Telecommunications and Information Administration]
$44 million in awards are available through the Low-Power Television and Translator Upgrade Program used by eligible lowpower television and translator stations to upgrade from analog broadcasting to digital broadcasting. Completed applications for the Priority Round must be received at NTIA no later than 5 p.m., Eastern Daylight Time on July 13, 2009. After August 10, 2009, applications must be received at NTIA by the first business day of each subsequent month as long as funds are available. NTIA will provide updated information on a periodic basis at its website http://www.ntia.doc.gov/lptv regarding program awards and funds remaining for grants.
http://benton.org/node/25269
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AS SEEN (OFTEN) ON TV!
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Shelly Banjo]
Over the years, they've been comfort to insomniacs, the punch line of many jokes, and the butt of "Saturday Night Live" skits. But here's something you may not know about infomercials: They work, and a growing number of small businesses are using them. In fact, amid widespread weakness in the retail sector, companies behind the Shamwow, PedEgg and other products are thriving, thanks to infomercials, also known as direct-response television, or DRTV. Indeed, some of the companies using direct-response television ads say they're reaching consumers at a time when many people are jobless or spending more time at home, watching more television. Many of these consumers are often looking for a quick fix -- or simple luxury -- for the right price.
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