August 14-Sept 2: Instead of Slow, August was Just Hot

August 14-Sept 2: Instead of Slow, August was Just Hot

August, in DC, usually means a slow down. It's too hot, so Congress goes home, staffers escape to the beach, and tourists, ironically, move in. What a perfect time for your daily policy summary newsletter to take a break, too. But what your Headlines editor least wants to see upon his return, however, is an article that screams The Month That Changed Tech Forever!

Instead of slow, August was just hot. We've written up a long (unsent) version of Headlines that tries to capture the biggest news from when we were away. Here's some highlights:

Google is reinventing itself as a hardware company with the purchase of Motorola. We're tracking all the news on this acquisition including the why the reaction (and more) and an early effort to contest the sale.

Hewlett-Packard announced a major change in strategy The company will:

• stop making tablet computers and smartphones by October.
• try to spin off or sell its PC business, the world’s largest. By the end of next year, HP computers could be sold under another company’s name.
• buy business software maker Autonomy Corp. for about $10 billion in one of the biggest takeovers in HP’s 72-year history. That would expand HP’s software and services offerings, where IBM is strong.

And, at 56, Steve Jobs announced he would step down as CEO of Apple. Apple named Tim Cook, its chief operating officer, to succeed Jobs as chief executive. Jobs will become chairman of Apple's board. Jobs has received great praise since as a visionary and game changer while the move has also raised concerns about Apple's future.

But wait! All the news did not come from the Left Coast. In the East there was an earthquake (also see) which, obviously was an opportunity to lobby (more here). And that was followed by a hurricane (more on this here and here and here).

If all this weren't enough, the Department of Justice (DoJ) , on September 1, delivered a body blow when it filed a suit to block AT&T's acquisition of T-Mobile. For some -- including AT&T and T-Mobile -- the announcement came as a surprise. The DoJ said that the proposed $39 billion transaction would substantially lessen competition for mobile wireless telecommunications services across the United States, resulting in higher prices, poorer quality services, fewer choices and fewer innovative products for the millions of American consumers who rely on mobile wireless services in their everyday lives.

DoJ found that AT&T and T-Mobile compete head to head nationwide, including in 97 of the nation’s largest 100 cellular marketing areas. They also compete nationwide to attract business and government customers. AT&T’s acquisition of T-Mobile would eliminate a company that has been a disruptive force through low pricing and innovation by competing aggressively in the mobile wireless telecommunications services marketplace. DoJ also found that regional providers face significant competitive limitations, largely stemming from their lack of national networks, and are therefore limited in their ability to compete with the four national carriers.

We continue to track all developments in this case, the reaction, analysis and opinion at http://benton.org/headlines/at-t-t-mobile

So, sure, take off for the last holiday weekend of the summer and relax -- what else could possibly happen before it is time to get "back to work?" See ya in the Headlines.