February 2011

Web 3.0 Could Lead to E-Government That Anticipates Citizens’ Needs

In a growing number of instances, software applications — not the human end-users — will evaluate the usefulness of Web page content, online data and sensor information. Where Web 2.0 was about users contributing data manually and interacting with one another regarding that data, Web 3.0 is focused on applications that search on behalf of users for data that’s likely to be of interest. The next step, of course, is asking, what will these new machine-to-machine technologies mean for state and local governments?

Google Takes Street View Into Art Museums

Google is creating the Google Art Project, a virtual equivalent of 17 major art museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Tate Britain and the National Gallery in London, and the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, among many others.

Amit Sood, director of the project, said in a company blog post that the documentation of major museums began when a small group of Google employees with a passion for art started wondering how they could make major art museums, and the works they house, more accessible to people worldwide. The new art project is housed at an interactive Web site, Googleartproject.com. Once inside the site, viewers can travel through a museum’s interior through the same technology used to navigate city streets on Google Maps and Google Earth. People can move from room to room within the virtual space; over 1000 artworks painted by 400 artists can be seen.

NIST considers changes in federal role in standards development

The National Institute of Standards and Technology is considering changes in the role that government should play in driving and participating in standards development, including for health IT, cyber security and other technologies that are of national interest.

The U.S. has had a model of voluntary consensus standards activities driven by industry. The administration wants to determine whether government could play a role, such as in a public-private standards committee articulating thoughts and concerns, or, if government is involved, is there the risk that it would exert too strong a role, said Phil Weiser, senior advisor on technology and innovation for the White House National Economic Council. One example of the federal role in standards setting was the 90-day industry consensus process that last year created the standards to securely email electronic medical records from one physician to another after the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT requested the need for it, according to the administration official at a Jan. 25 panel sponsored by NIST.

AHIMA: Why HR 408 Matters

House Republicans' introduction of legislation (H.R. 408) outlining $2.5 trillion in federal spending cuts is important because the bill lays a line in the sand of what rank-and-file GOP members want to do with congressional funding, says Don Asmonga, director of government relations at the American Health Information Management Association. Targeted programs for elimination under the legislation include the electronic health records meaningful use incentive program and un-obligated funds authorized under the HITECH Act. The bill would not repeal HITECH's provisions, confirms the Republican Study Committee, which developed the legislation.

Devices allow mobility for deaf phone users

Two new products -- PC and ntouch Mobile -- will allow people who are hard of hearing or deaf to have the same mobile options as their hearing counterparts. They turn laptops and cellphones into videophones with the same Video Relay Service technology now used by deaf individuals to place calls. With ntouch PC, a computer or laptop can be turned into a videophone. The software is free and works with any Internet or wi-fi connection.

French Regulator Expands 3G in GSM Spectrum Use to Overseas Territories

French telecommunications regulator ARCEP has published preliminary plans to allow the French overseas departments and territories to reuse their GSM radio spectrum for 3G services.

The affected countries are Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana and Réunion. ARCEP received seven responses to a public consultation on the proposals which it held last year and have helped to confirm the soundness of the suggested scheme to govern reuse of the 900 MHz band for UMTS. The Authority has established guidelines that define the framework for processing requests for frequency licences, as well as requests for changes to existing licences coming from mobile operators in the overseas markets.

Al Sharpton amplifies calls for FCC to regulate racism in broadcasting

The Rev. Al Sharpton has amplified his calls for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to keep racist content off the airwaves in light of the Arizona shootings.

In a series of recent appearances on cable news, Sharpton has made the case for the FCC to step up its regulation of the airwaves, policing not just curse words and nudity, as it does today, but also rooting out comments that viewers might perceive as racist. Sharpton appears to be increasing his demands in light of the Arizona shootings that sparked a national dialogue about the public discourse. He appeared on MSNBC after the shootings to argue that the FCC should establish a review board and hold public hearings to decide what sort of content might not be suitable for the air.

Telecom doubleheader scheduled for Feb. 16

According to industry sources, House Republicans and Senate Democrats have scheduled the two biggest telecom hearings of the month on the same day. On Feb 16, the House Communications subcommittee and the Senate Commerce Committee will discuss network neutrality regulations and spectrum legislation, respectively. House Communications subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR) wants to abolish the network neutrality regulations imposed by the Federal Communications Commission in December.

Hopes High for Local TV Nonprofit Co-ops

Under the terms of the Federal Communications Commission order approving Comcast’s takeover of NBCU, at least half of NBC’s 10 own and operated TV stations have to find a nonprofit news center with which to work within the next year.

The order cites the KNSD-VoiceOfSanDiego.org alliance as the model for what it would like to see in other NBC markets. Proponents of the growing nonprofit news movement are hoping that NBC’s FCC-mandated efforts will bear fruit and encourage other commercial TV stations to seek out nonprofit partners. “What it seems to be is a nod toward the idea that there are ways to uniquely cover the community, and get a voice, and be present in the community beyond where [TV stations] have been in the past,” says Al Tompkins, the Poynter Institute’s group leader for broadcasting. Once TV stations realize the benefit -- robust, investigative content many stations no longer do themselves -- they will seize the opportunity, he says. “This isn't work that is being done by some watchdog group, or special interest. It’s real journalism, and it’s important journalism. It is my opinion that 2010 was the beginning of a new birth in investigative journalism.” However, Tompkins cautions, models for the financial and creative side of the arrangements need to be worked out if nonprofits are going to be sustainable and true to their mission of public service journalism.

Dish To Buy Bankrupt Satellite Firm DBSD For $1 Billion

Dish Network announced plans to acquire DBSD North America, a hybrid satellite and terrestrial communications company formerly known as ICO North America that filed for bankruptcy reorganization, for approximately $1 billion.

DBSD North America filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in May 2009. Dish is a creditor to DBSD and had voted against the reorganization plan. In December 2010, a federal appeals court ruled against Dish after determining Dish's interest in blocking the bankruptcy proposal wasn't to maximize recovery as a creditor but to further its own strategic interest in DBSD, which is a subsidiary of holding company ICO Global Communications. The deal is subject to certain adjustments, including interest accruing on DBSD North America's existing debt. In connection with the transaction, Dish is committing to provide a debtor-in-possession credit facility, which remains subject to approval by the bankruptcy court and will consist of a non-revolving, multiple draw term loan in the aggregate principal amount of $87.5 million.

Benton

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