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RIAA to feds: Make XM-Sirius pay more, restrict listeners' recording

The Recording Industry Association of America has already mounted a court challenge against XM Satellite Radio over gadgets like the Pioneer Inno that allow consumers to trap individual songs originally played on air in alleged violation of copyright.

Now the industry group is urging that issue to be one of the deciding factors for federal regulators weighing the proposed multibillion-dollar union of XM and its sole competitor, Sirius Satellite radio.

In comments filed with the Federal Communications Commission on Monday, the RIAA urged the agency to "make clear that its approval of a merger is conditioned upon the continued … Read more

Google Earth shows Chinese nuclear sub

A researcher for the Federation of American Scientists on Tuesday said he's spotted what appears to be China's new nuclear submarine using Google Earth's publicly available satellite imagery.

The Quickbird satellite photographed the docked submarine at the Xiaopingdao Submarine Base in late 2006, said FAS's Hans Kristensen.

The new Jin-class or Type 094 submarines are expected to replace the Xia-class, Type 092 submarines built in the 1980s, Kristensen said. The new model appears to be 35 feet longer because of a longer missile compartment and possibly a larger nuclear reactor compartment, he said.

The image doesn'… Read more

An XM-Sirius union: Yea or nay?

Whether you long to listen to Oprah Winfrey, Major League Baseball and Howard Stern all on the same satellite radio network or couldn't care less, federal regulators want to hear your thoughts on the proposed merger of XM and Sirius Satellite Radio.

In a document released Wednesday (PDF), the Federal Communications Commission acknowledged again that there are some persistent regulatory hurdles the operators must jump if they hope to get their union approved. Namely, a 1997 order adopted by the FCC prohibits such a combination when it would result in only one operator controlling all of the satellite radio … Read more

Politicos propose 'family-friendly' cable mandate

Just last week, a federal appeals court called into question an earlier finding that pop icons Cher and Nicole Ritchie broke indecency rules by uttering the "F-Word" and "S-Word" on broadcast TV awards shows a few years ago. On Thursday, politicians on Capitol Hill responded: with a proposal for new regulations aimed at promoting a more "family-friendly" selection of cable and satellite TV content.

With enthusiastic endorsements from Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin and parent advocacy groups, Reps. Dan Lipinski (D-Ill.) and Jeff Fortenberry (R-Neb.) on Thursday staged a press conference to unveil … Read more

Report: JFK terror plotters used Google Earth

One of the four terror suspects in an alleged plot to blow up fuel tanks and a gas pipeline at New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport recommended Google Earth as a way to obtain detailed aerial photographs, according to a court complaint obtained by The Smoking Gun.

The "JFK plot" made headlines on Saturday when U.S. officials announced that they had charged four men, one of whom remains at large, in a nascent plot to target fuel tanks and a gas pipeline at the high-traffic airport. The court document in question describes a May … Read more

Google map view could help drivers avoid parking tickets

Google's new street-level map view will be very helpful for car owners in densely populated San Francisco, where parking spots are few and far between. The feature allows users to zoom in close enough to read street signs. Residents who don't have the luxury of an off-street parking spot will be able to check the signs on the street where they last parked to see what the street cleaning and other parking restrictions are. Otherwise, they have to remember what the rules are for the different streets or take the time to check the signs before leaving the … Read more