1. Monthly archive
  2. April 2014

April 2014

With Purchase of Drone Maker, Google Sees a Fleet of Satellites

Google purchased Titan Aerospace, a maker of high-altitude drone satellites, which Google says will be used to take photos of the earth and to connect people to the Internet.

“Titan Aerospace and Google share a profound optimism about the potential for technology to improve the world,” a Google spokesman said. Atmospheric satellites “could help bring Internet access to millions of people, and help solve other problems, including disaster relief and environmental damage like deforestation.”

Is Film the End of the Road for Small Cinemas?

Hollywood's major studios are in the final days of distributing movies on film reels and moving to digital distribution sent via hard drives or satellite, a method that is cheaper for studios but requires significant investment by theaters in new equipment. The conversion means small theaters could fade out for good.

Major US cinema chains have converted essentially all of their screens to digital distribution over the past several years, many using Wall Street-financed programs that allowed studios to shoulder some of the expense in anticipation of the switch. But those programs favored theaters with reliable credit and required upfront expenses for theater owners like projection-booth renovations costs that many small theaters, however important to their communities, couldn't afford. About 87% of the 5,762 theaters in the U.S. are now digital, according to the National Association of Theatre Owners. The remaining 13% is mostly made up of one-screen independents, in rural communities with no multiplexes for miles. More than half of the approximately 600 drive-in theater screens in the country have converted so far, according to the United Drive-In Theatre Owners Association.

Sky and TalkTalk’s Fiber Plans for UK Challenge BT’s Dominance

British Sky Broadcasting Group and TalkTalk Telecom Group formed a joint venture to create a high-speed broadband network in York, England, as the companies look for alternatives to BT Group Plc.

The two companies have partnered with CityFibre Infrastructure Holdings Plc, which already has fiber in the city, and will work with Fujitsu Ltd. to offer speeds of 1 gigabit per second starting next year, BSkyB and TalkTalk said in a statement today. That’s more than three times faster than the speeds offered by BT’s Openreach network. The venture said it may add another two cities “in due course.” The partnership may take market share from BT or force the U.K.’s biggest fixed-line company to cut wholesale pricing if it’s extended to other parts of Britain, Espirito Santo analyst Robert Grindle said

Possible Banksy Mural About Surveillance Pops Up in Britain

A mural depicting secret agents eavesdropping on a telephone booth, thought to be the work of the elusive graffiti artist Banksy, has appeared in the city of Cheltenham, where one of Britain’s intelligence agencies has its headquarters. The mural, which was discovered over the weekend, features three men with sunglasses and tan trench coats around a telephone booth, each holding a listening device. The mural has not been claimed by Banksy, who is known for works that carry political messages, but the artistic style is similar to his.

Napster co-founder Sean Parker to lead civic startup

Big tech-industry players want to help get out the vote and are pouring millions into a new startup to boost American civic engagement. The company, called Brigade, is designed to combat a lack of political engagement and interest in all levels of government across America -- although the firm’s road map is unclear at this time.

Silicon Valley magnates Sean Parker, Ron Conway and Marc Benioff are among the big-name investors in the company, according to two sources familiar with the effort. The venture brings industry veterans to the forefront of disrupting what many see as a broken political system. Parker has been involved with high-profile firms like Facebook and Napster; Benioff is the CEO of SalesForce.com; and Conway is an angel investor who has backed Google, FourSquare and PayPal. Parker’s investment will total more than $9 million, according to Jano Cabrera, worldwide executive vice president at Burson-Marsteller, which is working with Brigade.

SHLB Coalition’s Fourth Annual Conference

The Annual Conference of the Schools Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition will be held on May 7-9 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in downtown Washington, DC. The program includes updates on E-rate reform, ConnectED, the Healthcare Connect Fund, Connect America Fund, and several panels around digital inclusion, white spaces, and municipal broadband. Several Federal Communications Commission staffers (Jon Wilkins, Jon Chambers, Matt Quinn) and National Telecommunications and Information Administration officials (Tony Wilhelm, Laura Breeden) and Obama Administration officials (Tom Power, Richard Culatta) are scheduled to present.

Fourth Annual Conference

Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition
May 7-9, 2014
http://www.shlb.org/events

See agenda http://shlb.pbworks.com/w/page/75678215/Conference%20Agenda


E-rate Modernization Workshop

Federal Communications Commission
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
9:30am - 3:00pm
http://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2014/db0414/DA-1...
More info: http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-14-563A1.pdf

The E-rate Modernization Workshop will provide an opportunity for the FCC and E-rate stakeholders to discuss the challenge of delivering high-speed connectivity to and within schools and libraries and highlight successful strategies.

9:30 am – 9:45 am Welcome and Opening Remarks

  • Chairman Tom Wheeler
  • Commissioner Ajit Pai

9:45 am – 10:45 am Broadband-Enabled Opportunities for Schools and Libraries
A panel discussion with education and library leaders focused on the benefits of connecting schools and libraries to high-capacity broadband, with real-world examples of how broadband access is changing the nature of services being provided within schools and libraries.

Introductory Remarks:

  • Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel
  • Richard Culatta, Director, Office of Educational Technology, U.S. Department of Education

Panelists:

  • Dr. Dallas Dance, Superintendent, Baltimore County, MD Public Schools
  • Corinne Hill, Executive Director, Chattanooga, TN Public Library
  • Ahniwake Rose, Executive Director, National Indian Education Association
  • Dr. Eric Williams, Superintendent, York County, VA Public Schools;
  • Superintendent, Loudoun County, VA Public Schools, effective July 1, 2014

Education and Library Technology Experts Roundtable
The remainder of the workshop will be a moderated roundtable discussion that covers several topics related to ensuring that schools and libraries have affordable access to 21st Century broadband.

Confirmed Roundtable Participants (subject to change)

  • Stacey Aldrich, Deputy Secretary for the Office of Commonwealth Libraries, Pennsylvania Department of Education
  • Emily Almond, Director, IT, Georgia Public Library Service
  • Keith Bockwoldt, Director of Technology Services, Township High School District 214, Arlington Heights, IL
  • Phil Emer, Director of Technology Planning and Policy, Friday Institute for Educational Innovation
  • Rick Everitt, Program Coordinator for Technology Enhancement, Panhandle Area Educational Consortium (FL)
  • Joe Freddoso, President & CEO, MCNC
  • Jennifer Gardner, Director, IT Finance & Subsidies, School District of Philadelphia, PA
  • Will Goodman, Director of Technology, Mountain Home School District, ID
  • David Leonard, Director of Administration and Chief Technology Officer, Boston Public Library
  • Jeff Letourneau, Executive Director, NetworkMaine
  • Evan Marwell, CEO, Education SuperHighway
  • Ed McKaveney, Technology Director, Hampton Township School District, PA
  • Robert Swiggum, Chief Information Officer, Georgia Department of Education

10:45 am – 12:00 pm Expanding Access to Wi-Fi for Schools and Libraries
Participants will discuss upgrading local area networks to provide Wi-Fi capable of handling 1:1 initiatives, increases in Wi-Fi demand, strategies for ensuring cost-effective purchasing, and planning for the wireless schools and libraries of the future.

12:00 pm – 1:00 pm Lunch Break (lunch not provided)

1:00 pm – 1:05 pm Remarks from Commissioner Michael O’Rielly

1:05 pm – 2:45 pm Enabling the Lowest “E-rate” for Schools and Libraries
Participants will discuss different approaches to providing affordable access to 21st Century broadband, including improving Internet access and wide area network connectivity for school districts and library systems, state research and education networks, regional and state
consortium purchasing, and state master contracts.

2:45 pm – 3:00 pm Concluding Remarks

  • Commissioner Mignon Clyburn
  • Julie Veach, Chief, Wireline Competition Bureau, FCC
  • Jon Wilkins, Managing Director, FCC

Broadcast Spectrum Committee and Board of Directors

Corporation for Public Broadcasting
Thursday, April 24, 2014
1:30 – 2:30 pm ET
http://www.cpb.org/pressroom/release.php?prn=1097


Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau
Federal Communications Communications
Thursday, May 22, 2014
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
http://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2014/db0411/DOC-...

The workshop will provide information on online safety, communicating during emergencies, and how broadband and other technologies can be used to facilitate aging in place and telehealth. The event will include technology demonstrations.

An agenda, with a list of presenters, will be released at a later date. Details will be posted on our web site at:
http://www.fcc.gov/events/workshop-older-americans-stay-safe-healthy-and...


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