September 2011

When Video Calling Met Long-Distance Lessons

Teaching companies and other educators are finding Skype useful for maintaining clients who relocate or even for drumming up new business. Skype frowns on commercial use of Skype in the Classroom and has monitors on the platform helping to prevent it. Most of the more than 16,000 users are educators from the nonprofit realm, who post profiles and make connections for long-distance collaboration.

Employers are liking — and hiring — social media workers

Corporate America is on a hiring binge for people to manage a company's presence on Facebook, Twitter and similar sites. Once given such titles as social media wizards, ninjas and divas, they take their jobs seriously and are gaining more respect.

Samsung to pay Microsoft to use Android: Extortion or partnership?

Microsoft announced a cross-licensing of its patent portfolio with Samsung that will leave Samsung paying a royalty to Microsoft for each smartphone and tablet it sells running Google's Android operating system.

Samsung will also "agreed to cooperate in the development and marketing of Windows Phone." Google, obviously unhappy that the largest seller of Android phones will pay Microsoft to use an operating system Google doesn't charge anyone to use, described the agreements with a patently different word -- extortion. "This is the same tactic we've seen time and again from Microsoft," Google said. "Failing to succeed in the smartphone market, they are resorting to legal measures to extort profit from others' achievements and hinder the pace of innovation. We remain focused on building new technology and supporting Android partners."

CTIA's Largent: Government May Need to Hold Two or Three Auctions

CTIA's President and CEO Steve Largent says that he is not sure one incentive spectrum auction will be enough.

While Largent and other CTIA executives say their core goal is to get more spectrum through incentive auction legislation -- suggesting a bill with only one auction, or allocating rather than auctioning the D-block, would not be a deal-breaker -- Largent said there might need to be two or three spectrum auctions spread over a decade. Broadcasters have argued there should only be one auction, pointing out they have already gone through one DTV transition, and even one auction will be tantamount to a second one. "At this point, the one, two and three highest priorities for CTIA are getting more spectrum," said Largent, who added CTIA was focused "like a laser" on the issue. He pointed out that his industry is prepared to spend billions to buy broadcaster, and other, spectrum at auction, create jobs by building out that spectrum, and generate billions for the economy at a time when it could use the help.

Congress uses Twitter more than millennials

The adoption of social media in Congress is higher even than that of even American 18- to 29-year-olds, a new report says, a development that could have tangible results in coming elections.

Around 80 percent of House and Senate members have social media accounts -- more than that of 18-29-year-olds, the age cohort with the highest usage of social media. Only 75 percent of so-called millennials have social media accounts. Slightly more, 441 members of Congress or 83 percent, use Facebook — a social media site that far more young voters use. Seventy-five percent of young voters have a Facebook, MySpace or LinkedIn account. Republicans lead Democrats in terms of Twitter use among members. Eighty-six percent of Republican members of Congress tweet, compared with only 75 percent of Democrats.

Google's Update on Motorola Acquisition

Google has received a "second request" from the Department of Justice asking for more information about Google's proposed acquisition of Motorola Mobility.

"While this means we won't be closing right away, we're confident that the DOJ will conclude that the rapidly growing mobile ecosystem will remain highly competitive after this deal closes. We'll be working closely and cooperatively with them as they continue their review."

ISPs face crackdown on broadband adverts

UK telecoms companies will face tighter rules on how they advertise broadband services, ensuring they do not inflate claims of the top speeds that consumers will receive.

The guidance from the Committee on Advertising Practice, the advertising industry’s self-regulating body, comes after several years of often acrimonious debate between Internet companies over how they can market the speed of their service.

Access Humboldt Challenges FCC's Open Internet Rules

Access Humboldt petitioned the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals for review of a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Preserving the Open Internet order.

Access Humboldt says that the recently published decision wrongly discriminates between Internet access via mobile devices like smart phones and Internet access via fixed platforms like cable and telephone, and that the rules are legally unsound. In filing their petition, Access Humboldt is represented by public interest law firm Media Access Project and joins a national effort to protect nondiscriminatory, “network neutral” consumer access to all of the Internet’s legal content.

“The FCC’s decision is just too weak,” said Sean McLaughlin, executive director of Access Humboldt. “The rules do not provide the strong foundation needed for truly open, innovative networks. So we have a duty to challenge them in Federal Court.”

Free Press Files Suit to Challenge FCC's Open Internet Rules

In the First Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston, Free Press filed a petition for review of the Federal Communications Commission's December 2010 Open Internet order.

Free Press, headquartered in Western Massachusetts, will challenge the arbitrary nature of rule provisions that provide less protection for mobile wireless Internet access than they do for wired connections.

Free Press Policy Director Matt Wood said, "When the FCC first proposed the Open Internet rules, they came with the understanding that there is only one Internet, no matter how people choose to reach it. The final rules provide some basic protections for consumers, but do not deliver on the promise to preserve openness for mobile Internet access. They fail to protect wireless users from discrimination, and they let mobile providers block innovative applications with impunity. Our challenge will show that there is no evidence in the record to justify this arbitrary distinction between wired and wireless Internet access. The disparity that the FCC's rules create is unjust and unjustified. And it's especially problematic because of the increasing popularity of wireless, along with its increasing importance for younger demographics and diverse populations who rely on mobile devices as their primary means for getting online. Free Press will fight in court to make these rules stronger, even as we work elsewhere to uphold the FCC's crucial role in promoting openness and equality on the Internet."

FCC's Copps Receives Newton Minow Award

At the 29th annual Everett C. Parker Awards, Federal Communications Commission member Michael Copps received the Newton Minow award.

As he accepted the award he said, "When I became a Commissioner more than a decade ago, these were the visions and dreams I wanted to help realize. There were -- there are -- those who have disagreed with me, sometimes more than occasionally, but I hope no one ever doubted my desire to make our media as transformative as Everett Parker and Newt Minow knew it could be. So much of their challenge remains. But these are battles not only worth fighting—they are battles essential to fight if we are going to redeem the promise of America. We have come a long way, and many of you in this room have made truly significant contributions to building a better society. But we still have so many miles to go to build the media that democracy requires. Right now, we have too little substance and too much fluff in our media. Democracy is not well-served by fluff. Therein is our challenge -- yours and mine. To take the visions shared with us by Newt Minow and Everett Parker, to build on the progress these giants made, and to work for -- and insist upon -- a media environment that informs us with real news and information, that reflects and encourages our wondrous diversity, and that reinforces our self-government."