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December 2009

Does Your Smartphone Need a Split Personality?

As smartphones proliferate and people attempt to use the same device for work and play, virtualizing the smartphone will become a necessity, according to Srinivas Krishnamurti, VMware's head of mobile phone virtualization. Of particular focus, Krishnamurti told Computerworld, will be the ability to run multiple operating systems on a handset and to toggle between the two for work and personal use.

Data Gaps Could Hinder a Nationwide Traffic Information System, GAO Study Finds

Although federal, state and local agencies in the public and private sectors are operating smart traffic systems to help travelers combat traffic congestion, but there are still gaps in coverage and quality of data collection that could hinder the creation of a connected nationwide system, according to a recently released federal report. In a Nov. 30 report titled Efforts to Address Highway Congestion through Real-Time Traffic Information Systems Are Expanding but Face Implementation Challenges from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), most transportation experts who were interviewed by the GAO agreed that a nationwide real-time traffic information system is needed to help address gaps in information coverage and inconsistences in data quality. State and local transportation departments also are facing limitations in data collection.

File-Sharing Judge: Copyright Act Creates 'Deep Potential for Injustice'

U.S. District Court Judge Nancy Gertner, who presided over the recent file-sharing lawsuit brought against graduate student Joel Tenenbaum, has joined the roster of critics who are asking Congress to reform copyright law. "As this court has previously noted, it is very, very concerned that there is a deep potential for injustice in the Copyright Act as it is currently written. It urges -- no implores -- Congress to amend the statute to reflect the realities of file sharing," Judge Gertner wrote in a decision issued Monday. "There is something wrong with a law that routinely threatens teenagers and students with astronomical penalties for an activity whose implications they may not have fully understood."

Powell, Ford named co-chairs of broadband coalition

Former Federal Communications Commission Chairman Michael Powell and former Congressman Harold E. Ford Jr. were named honorary co-chairs of Broadband For America, a coalition of Internet service providers, content creators and commercial groups that are pushing for universal broadband access. Powell and Ford appear in paid ads for the group that began airing during yesterday's morning talk shows. They'll also appear in ad spots on cable channels inside the Beltway.

Better data could mean better care

Electronic health records could become a component of health care quality improvement, but the idea raises fears that too much quality information could lead to declines in care as doctors try to improve their performance by avoiding the sickest patients. Medical organizations could collect, analyze and transmit data to providers and patients to help them make care decisions in a feedback loop called a "learning health care infrastructure," said Dr. David Blumenthal, national coordinator for health IT at the Health and Human Services Department. Speaking at a Brookings Institution forum on health quality Dec. 2, Blumenthal said the adoption of electronic health record systems is a steppingstone toward that goal.

Blumenthal: Marking the Road Ahead

At the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), we're on the way to getting the Regional Extension Centers and the State Health Information Exchange program established early in 2010. In fact, on a technical assistance call on Friday about the extension center program, we announced that, due to a strong response for applications, there will be approximately 30 extension center awards made in January and the remainder in March. This should assure support is in place for providers looking to become meaningful users of EHR systems leading up to 2011. Of course, this isn't all we're doing. You will see meaningful use criteria (from CMS) in a matter of weeks. We also anticipate publishing in early 2010 our proposed plans for establishing a new certification program, which we believe will enable most vendors to have their products certified by 2011. And there will be a number of other awards and programs rolling out between now and the end of the first quarter. This past week's announcements of the Beacon Community Program and additional workforce training grants continue to build the needed foundation for electronic health records throughout the nation. We're working hard and we're working fast, but we're also working smart and ensuring that the necessary programs and standards serve as a sound foundation.

Blumenthal: Industry Eventually Could Steer Health IT Initiatives

At a recent National Committee for Quality Assurance policy conference, National Coordinator for Health IT David Blumenthal said he anticipates that the private sector eventually will steer health IT innovation. Dr Blumenthal acknowledged that the federal government is investing significant effort and resources into stimulating health IT adoption among health care providers nationwide. However, Dr Blumenthal said he believes the federal government eventually will stop driving health IT initiatives and instead will begin following advancements from the private industry.

Study Reveals Remote Workforce Challenges

Telework ExchangeSM, a public-private partnership focused on expanding telework adoption, announced the results of the "Mobilizing Against Pandemic" study, evaluating public- and private-sector's business continuity and mobile IT infrastructure standings. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, up to 40 percent of the workforce will not come to work this flu season. The "Mobilizing Against Pandemic" study, underwritten by Intel, reveals that 81 percent of government and business IT decision makers have written business continuity plans. However, the study finds an inflated IT confidence - both sectors report implementation challenges and lack assurance that employees could work remotely during an emergency.
Mobilizing Against Pandemic (read the report)
www.teleworkexchange.com/mobilizingagainstpandemic

Sesame Street, Hasbro Announce 10-Year Alliance

Sesame Workshop will end its long-standing toy marketing relationship with Mattel (Fisher Price) in January 2010, saying it is looking for a more year-round strategy to marketing its iconic brand. The producer and distributor of PBS' iconic Sesame Street has struck a new, 10-year deal with Hasbro that will allow the toy manufacturer to start marketing toys and branded games based on that shows characters starting on that date. Hasbro's imprints include Playskool, Milton Bradley, Tonka and Parker Bros. The deal is billed by the two as a 10-year global strategic alliance for a wide range of educational products based on characters from the PBS kids series including Elmo, Big Bird and Cookie Monster.

Dec 7, 2009 (Concerns About Comcast-NBC)

BENTON'S COMMUNICATIONS-RELATED HEADLINES for MONDAY DECEMBER 7, 2009

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OWNERSHIP
   Concerns About Comcast-NBC
   NBC-Comcast Deal Puts Broadcast TV in Doubt
   Ad World Looks for Progress From NBCU-Comcast
   You've Got Freedom: AOL ends ties with Time Warner

NETWORK NEUTRALITY
   Why Net Neutrality Is Important for Startups, Innovation

INTERNET/BROADBAND
   Lack of computer access hampers some students
   Sesame Workshop Plans Children's E-Books
   FCC pushes for Internet access on your TV

GOVERNMENT & COMMUNICATIONS
   Iran blocks Internet, warns foreign media
   Reality TV's Glare Hits High Office
   The dawn of the 2.0 presidency
   Local Governments Offer Data to Miners
   CIOs Weigh Security Opinions with Federal Counterparts in CDW-G Report

WIRELESS
   Promoting the Car Phone, Despite Risks
   All Hail the iPod Touch

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OWNERSHIP

CONCERNS ABOUT COMCAST-NBC
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Editorial staff]
[Commentary] With technology changing Americans' media experience at breakneck speed, it might seem quaint to worry about the merger of an old-style cable company with a beleaguered broadcast TV company. But there is much to be concerned about in Comcast's proposed takeover of NBC and its sister company Universal Studios. The pairing of the nation's largest cable company with one of the leading television broadcasters, which also owns several popular cable networks, could limit choices and raise prices for viewers and advertisers. As they evaluate the proposed merger, antitrust and communications watchdog agencies should also consider the risks to the emerging business of delivering video entertainment over the Internet — the main competitive threat to cable TV. Regulators might demand that the merged companies divest stations. They could also require that Comcast's network carry content from independent cable channels. Online, regulators could demand that the company offer unbundled Internet content, and ensure that it is made available to consumers regardless of whether they buy cable or broadband services from Comcast. What regulators must not do is let this deal pass unchallenged. The risks to the development of the new media industry are too significant to simply ignore.
benton.org/node/30327 | New York Times
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NBC-COMCAST DEAL PUTS BROADCAST TV IN DOUBT
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Brian Stelter]
"Everyone's now talking about NBC as a cable company, and Comcast is a cable company," a longtime NBC News staff member said. "I guess we're wondering, do they like broadcast?" At every turn, Comcast has emphasized to its own shareholders that the deal's purpose is to gain control over NBC Universal's fast-growing cable channels. The writer and humorist John Dillon observed Thursday that in the 2,742-word news release about the deal, the broadcast network was not mentioned until word 2,170. There is even talk of changing NBC Universal's name to play down the broadcast association. On the record, they do. Comcast says NBC and its affiliate structure will remain intact for the time being.
benton.org/node/30326 | New York Times
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AD WORLD LOOKS FOR PROGRESS FROM NBCU-COMCAST
[SOURCE: AdAge, AUTHOR: Andrew Hampp]
Now that the merger of Comcast and NBC Universal is official, the ad community is clamoring for the world's largest TV content company to change the way $60.5 billion in TV ads have been bought and sold for decades. Media-buying executives are hoping Comcast-NBCU can finally make some progress on addressable and interactive advertising, technologies that have been tested for years but have yet to scale beyond a small household footprint. "The issue is where is media going, and it's clearly going to an on-demand platform," said Steve Farella, CEO of TargetCast, an independent media agency that buys ads for clients like Expedia.com, Hotels.com and 1-800-Flowers.com. "What I'm dying to be able to do and do it in a short period of time is advertise my clients' products, build that brand and at the same time tell that consumer where to get it. ... We need to quickly move out of the test phase. Comcast, with the largest MSO platform, cannot keep testing these things."
benton.org/node/30325 | AdAge
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AOL ENDS TIES WITH TIME WARNER
[SOURCE: Associated Press, AUTHOR: Rachel Metz]
AOL is shaking loose from Time Warner Inc. and heading into the next decade the way it began this one, as an independent company. Unlike in the 1990s, though, when AOL got rich selling dial-up Internet access, it starts the 2010s as an underdog, trying to beef up its Web sites and grab more advertising revenue. Despite a few bright spots in its portfolio of sites, such as tech blog Engadget, AOL has a long way to go until Web advertising can replace the revenue it still gets from selling dial-up Internet access. One especially popular property, entertainment site TMZ, is a joint venture with a Time Warner unit that will keep TMZ and its revenue after AOL splits off. Now investors are getting a chance to place bets on AOL.
benton.org/node/30324 | Associated Press
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NETWORK NEUTRALITY

WHY NET NEUTRALITY IS IMPORTANT FOR STARTUPS, INNOVATION
[SOURCE: GigaOm, AUTHOR: Allan Leinwand]
[Commentary] How does Network Neutrality impact venture capital? The capitalistic system on and off the Internet encourages economic growth by the use of free and open markets to distribute goods. While some could argue that a free and open Internet means less regulation and oversight, experience leads Leinwand to believe that an Internet that encourages innovation and startups is one that supports net neutrality — and unless such neutrality is enforced, capitalism on the Internet is in serious jeopardy. Service providers need to accept the fact that net neutrality is the only way that capitalism on the Internet will survive. Without it, venture capital would no longer be able to fund innovative technology startups — the very same startups that will inevitably make service providers' offering attractive to consumers, as Google, Facebook, Twitter and countless others have done.
benton.org/node/30328 | GigaOm
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INTERNET/BROADBAND

KIDS AND THE DIGITAL DIVIDE
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Annie Gowen]
The digital divide has narrowed dramatically in the past decade. About two-thirds of American households report using the Internet at home, according to the U.S. Census. In affluent Washington suburbs, the numbers are higher; more than 90 percent of Fairfax households with children have home computers, according to a recent survey by the school system. But even in Fairfax, the digital divide lives on in the study carrels of the Woodrow Wilson public library in the Falls Church area. Most afternoons, it is crowded with students from low-income or immigrant families using the computers. Although they live in one of the richest counties in the United States, these students recount skipping lunch to work at school labs or making long journeys to the public library after school. Such effort is necessary because students are doing much of their work online: reading textbooks, watching podcasts, using discussion boards and creating PowerPoint presentations. The most frequently searched-for Internet term in the Washington area this year is "fcps blackboard," according to Google. That's the Fairfax County system on which teachers post homework assignments and study guides, children ask questions or participate in discussion groups, and parents monitor class work.
benton.org/node/30323 | Washington Post
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SESAME WORKSHOP PLANS CHILDREN'S E-BOOKS
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Jeffrey Trachtenberg]
Sesame Workshop on Tuesday is to launch a line of digital books for children 2 to 6 years old, in a bid to attract young readers and boost revenue. The move gives Sesame Workshop an opportunity to tap its library of nearly 5,000 titles as electronic books prove to be one of publishing's fastest-growing segments. The nonprofit organization, best known for its flagship preschool television series "Sesame Street," is expected to initially post five free e-books at sesamestreet.org/ebooks, where the works can be read digitally but not downloaded. The titles include Jon Stone's "The Monster at the End of This Book," first published in 1971 and the best-selling Sesame Street title to date. It will be offered in a digital edition along with optional audio-narration and word-highlighting features. The four others, including "Elmo's ABC Book," are available only in the standard e-book format. Each week a new free e-book will be featured as a replacement for one of the five existing titles.
benton.org/node/30314 | Wall Street Journal
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FCC PUSHES FOR INTERNET ACCESS ON YOUR TV
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR: David Lazarus]
If federal regulators have their way, the next big thing on the tech horizon will be a brave new world of Internet-ready, work-with-any-network set-top boxes, offering consumers unprecedented multimedia options through their TVs, not just their computers. And if this plays out as the Federal Communications Commission envisions, the world as cable companies know it will radically change, making the potential synergies of the Comcast-NBC deal all but obsolete. "The consumer will be king," said Colin Crowell, senior counselor to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski. "You'll be able to get your own set-top box that does all the whiz-bang things you want it to do, and you'll be in control." "Computers may be in 74% of American homes," Crowell said, "but televisions are in 99% of homes. Clearly, if your television offered a way to easily switch over to the Internet, we would be providing a way for all Americans to get online." The upshot, as the FCC sees it, is that consumers should be able to buy multi-system, Net-friendly set-top boxes in a newly energized marketplace where electronics companies vie for your business with innovative features and competitive prices. And your TV will at last live up to its long-ballyhooed potential as a multimedia device, allowing you to effortlessly access video programming, Internet content or entertainment services.
benton.org/node/30322 | Los Angeles Times
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GOVERNMENT & COMMUNICATIONS

IRAN BLOCKS INTERNET
[SOURCE: USAToday, AUTHOR:]
On the eve of student demonstrations, Iran choked off Internet access and warned journalists working for foreign news media to stick to their offices for the next three days. Opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi threw his support behind the student demonstrations and declared on his website that his movement is alive. "A great nation would not stay silent when some confiscate its vote," said Mousavi, who claims President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad stole victory from him by fraud in the presidential election June 12.
benton.org/node/30321 | USAToday
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OBAMA AND THE NEW ERA OF OPENNESS
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: David Carr]
[Commentary] When Barack Obama became president, he promised a "new era of openness." After almost a year of a media diet that seemed to be all-Obama, all-the-time that concluded in a reality-program couple crashing a state dinner at the White House, I'd be O.K. with the kimono closing a bit. Considering the White House's hulking, media-rich Web site, its Facebook page, photo galleries and podcasts on iTunes, the presidency seems less threatened by the incursion of a reality show than running an administration that is in danger of becoming one. One of the downsides of having a president who is also Celebrity in Chief is that it creates the impression that the leader of the free world is part of a milieu that is more TMZ than C-SPAN. In an effort to remain connected to the social media world that was so much a part of his electoral victory, the Obama administration may be guilty of a very contemporary common offense: Oversharing.
benton.org/node/30320 | New York Times
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THE DAWN OF THE 2.0 PRESIDENCY
[SOURCE: FederalComputerWeek, AUTHOR: John Monroe]
No one should be surprised that President Barack Obama has had such a dramatic impact on the federal information technology community. Even before he was elected, he set up an online forum to seek public input on how to improve government operations. And whereas his predecessor took a dim view of e-mail, Obama was a self-professed BlackBerry addict and even enlisted the National Security Agency in bulletproofing his device against evildoers looking for the hack of a lifetime. President Obama also brought WhiteHouse.gov into the Web 2.0 era by introducing a blog, promising the public an opportunity to participate in online discussions, and posting executive orders and other documents. And that was just the first few weeks of his presidency. Of course, not all the news in 2009 was of Obama's making — or choosing. The passage of the massive stimulus bill came with a whole new set of challenges, especially for an administration pledged to transparency. Here is a review of the year's news — the good, the bad and the ugly.
benton.org/node/30318 | FederalComputerWeek
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LOCAL GOVERNMENTS OFFER DATA TO MINERS
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Claire Cain Miller]
Many local governments are figuring out how to use the Internet to make government data more accessible. The goal is to spawn useful Web sites and mobile applications — and perhaps even have people think differently about their city and its government. Advocates of these open-data efforts say they can help citizens figure out what is going on in their backyards and judge how their government is performing. But programmers have had trouble getting their hands on some data. And some activists and software developers wonder whether historically reticent governments will release data that exposes problems or only information that makes them look good. It is too early to say whether releasing city data will actually make civil servants more accountable, but it can clearly be useful. Even data about mundane things like public transit and traffic can improve people's lives when it is packaged and customized in an accessible way — a situation that governments themselves may not be equipped to realize.
benton.org/node/30319 | New York Times
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NEW CYBERSECURITY REPORT
[SOURCE: Government Technology, AUTHOR: Hilton Collins]
Recent survey results reveal that federal IT professionals grappled with more cyber-attacks in 2009 than they did in 2008, and that more than half of their agencies experienced a cyber-security incident at least weekly, but when one city chief information security officer (CISO) read that, he wasn't sure if the respondents were in agreement over what an "incident" actually is. CDW-G surveyed 150 federal civilian and 150 federal defense IT respondents to gauge their experiences in the ever-changing cyber-security landscape and published the results on Nov. 10, 2009, in the 2009 CDW-G Federal Cybersecurity Report: Danger on the Front Lines. Twenty-three percent said their network faced cyber-security incidents at least weekly, and 31 percent said daily.
benton.org/node/30317 | Government Technology | CDW Government
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WIRELESS

PROMOTING THE CAR PHONE
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Matt Richtel]
Long before cellphones became common, industry pioneers were aware of the risks of multitasking behind the wheel. Their hunches have been validated by many scientific studies showing the dangers of talking while driving and, more recently, of texting. Despite the mounting evidence, the industry built itself into a $150 billion business in the United States largely by winning over a crucial customer: the driver. For years, it has marketed the virtues of cellphones to drivers. Indeed, the industry originally called them car phones and extolled them as useful status symbols in ads, like one from 1984 showing an executive behind the wheel that asked: "Can your secretary take dictation at 55 MPH?"
benton.org/node/30316 | New York Times
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ALL HAIL THE IPOD TOUCH
[SOURCE: GigaOm, AUTHOR: Om Malik]
As the competition for smartphone domination starts to heat up, it is becoming increasingly clear that the iPod touch is Apple's ace up its sleeve, and according to a report by Flurry, a San Francisco-based mobile analytics company, 24 million iPod touches represent about 40 percent of the total 58 million iPhone OS devices.
benton.org/node/30315 | GigaOm
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