The Federal Communications Commission has raised minimum download speeds to 10 Mbps for any broadband companies looking to get funds from the government’s 4-year-old Connect America program.
The FCC announced the new minimum speed provision on Dec. 11, replacing the previous minimum speed requirement of 4 Mbps. The move is part of the FCC’s efforts to encourage the installation of high-speed broadband capabilities in rural areas so that people in those communities can compete in today’s economy.
Starting in 2016, Ford will move its next-generation, upgraded Sync in-vehicle infotainment system—called Sync 3—away from a Microsoft platform to BlackBerry’s QNX in-vehicle operating system.
Sync 3 will replace Ford’s previous infotainment system upgrade, which was known as MyFord Touch and included a touch screen and myriad premium features compared with the basic Bluetooth-enabled Sync systems.
Just a day after Google announced its decision to pull the plug on Google News in Spain, the company has decided to shutter its engineering operations in Russia as well.
In a report Dec. 11, the U.K.’s Financial Times said Google has decided to pull its engineering staff in Russia ahead of a new law that will require Internet service providers to store all data on Russian citizens within Russia.
The 100 or so mainly Russian engineers that Google employs in the country will be offered an opportunity to work in Google facilities in other locations.
Microsoft announced that as of Dec. 11, users can utilize the payment processor BitPay to trade-in bitcoin at the current market value and add it to their Microsoft accounts.
These funds can then be used to purchase content from the Windows Store, or in stores that house Xbox Games, Xbox Music or Xbox Video.