Ad: Manage updates with the Download App
ie8 fix

nab

Buzz Out Loud 1308: Maladjusted mustache guys sniffing your data (podcast)

On today's show, it turns out that people and not just computers are looking at some of the super-private data you give to Google. And some of those people are hipsters in ironic t-shirts. Yeah, scary. Also, the new Twitter debuts, and it's better than the iPad version. Plus, IE 9 and Nokia's new attitude (and personnel): too little too late?

Subscribe:  iTunes (MP3) |  iTunes (320x180) |  iTunes (640x360) |  RSS (MP3) |  RSS (320x180) |  RSS (640x360)… Read more

FCC chairman seeks broadcaster support

Federal Communications Chairman Julius Genachowski tried to convince broadcasters to support his plans to reauction TV wireless spectrum during a speech he gave Tuesday at the industry's annual trade show sponsored by the National Association of Broadcasters in Las Vegas.

Genachowski said the additional spectrum is needed to ensure that U.S. wireless operators can meet the growing demand for wireless broadband services. He said new smartphone devices, such as the Apple iPhone and the Motorola Droid, are causing a 40-fold increase in demand compared to a three-fold increase in spectrum for mobile broadband coming online. He said the … Read more

TV broadcasters prepare for spectrum battle

A fight is brewing in Washington, D.C., and this one's not the much-publicized battle over health care reform.

No, the brawl that is just getting started is much quieter and could drag on for years. In one corner of the ring is the Federal Communications Commission, which wants to reclaim wireless spectrum for new broadband services. In the other corner are TV broadcasters, which sit on the spectrum the FCC wants to take back.

The FCC's new National Broadband Plan, officially introduced this week, proposes that government shrink the overall spectrum that is allocated to TV broadcasters … Read more

Wireless and broadcast industries begin spectrum debate

WASHINGTON--The wireless and TV broadcasting industries faced off for the first time at a congressional subcommittee meeting on the Hill on Tuesday, setting in motion what could be a long drawn out battle over whether wireless spectrum should be reallocated and where the government will get this new spectrum.

Steve Largent, president and CEO of CTIA, the wireless industry group, and Gordon Smith of the National Association of Broadcasters, were among the witnesses gathered before the House Energy and Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet to discuss what the CTIA and the Federal Communications Commission have … Read more

FCC Election Day vote could revolutionize wireless

Most people on Tuesday will likely have their eyes glued to their favorite Internet site or TV station looking for information about the historic presidential race. But another very important vote will be taking place at the Federal Communications Commission--a vote that some say could set a course of massive innovation in wireless broadband services.

On Tuesday, the FCC is set to vote on a proposal that will open up between 300MHz and 400MHz of unused spectrum throughout the country for unlicensed use. This spectrum, known as "white spaces," sits between broadcast TV channels. Today, this spectrum, which … Read more

Debate to delay 'white space' vote heats up

Several lawmakers and professional sports organizations are urging the Federal Communications Commission to delay a vote on opening spectrum known as "white spaces" for unlicensed use.

On Friday, the Sports Technology Alliance, a trade group that represents eight major sports leagues, including the National Football League, Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, and NASCAR, filed a petition with the FCC asking the agency to open up a comment period on a proposal that would open white-space spectrum for unlicensed use.

Several members of Congress, including eight who signed a single letter as well as House Energy and … Read more

FCC reluctantly considers delaying white-spaces vote

The Federal Communications Commission is considering delaying its November 4 vote on using unlicensed white-space spectrum after broadcasters filed an emergency petition, according to Web site Ars Technica.

The article quotes FCC spokesman Rob Kenny as saying the agency is reviewing the broadcasters' request. But the article also made it sound like the FCC wasn't crazy about the idea of delaying the vote. Kenny notes in his comments that the white-space proceeding has been open for several years and there have already been several rounds of testing, which were open to the public for comment.

Big technology companies, such … Read more

Debate rages over free wireless spectrum

The debate over new unlicensed spectrum the Federal Communications Commission is considering opening up is heating up as Google ups the ante with a new lobbying Web site.

Google on Monday launched the new site called FreetheAirWaves.com to provide consumers with a voice, the company's policy guru said during a press conference call.

Google and other technology companies such as Intel, Microsoft and Motorola have been lobbying the FCC for months to open up what's known as "white space" spectrum for unlicensed use after the digital TV transition early next year. These slivers of spectrum … Read more

Who says Hulu is no YouTube competitor?

LAS VEGAS--Hulu CEO Jason Kilar was trying to make a point about why Hulu is Hollywood's best option against online piracy. But he needed something to illustrate copyright violations.

That was when YouTube appeared.

During a presentation Wednesday at the National Association of Broadcasters 2008 conference, Kilar stood in front of an image of a YouTube Web page that featured a clip from the TV show Felicity. Kilar told the audience, "the only way to get (Felicity) is from unauthorized sources."

He noted that at Hulu, TV and film companies could promote their content online using high-quality … Read more