Roy Mark

Microsoft lost its appeal Dec. 22 of a $290 million judgment that found the world’s software maker infringed an XML-related patent held by i4i Ltd of Canada. As a part of the ruling, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit issued an injunction barring Microsoft from selling from versions of its popular Word […]

Three new astronauts are expected to arrive at the International Space Station Dec. 22 after launching from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan Dec. 20. Docking is scheduled for 5:54 p.m. EST.NASA astronaut T.J. Creamer, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kotov and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Soichi Noguchi, all flight engineers, will complete the Expedition 22 crew, […]

Verizon continued its strenuous defense of its ETFs (early termination fees) for smartphones in a Dec. 18 response letter to the FCC (Federal Communications Commission). Verizon’s Nov. 5 decision to double the penalty fees to $350 for smartphone subscribers who leave their contracts early has prompted calls for federal legislation limiting ETFs. According to Verizon’s […]

From Hubble to Moon Water: NASAs Stellar Headlines in 2009 by Roy Mark February: Orbiting Carbon Observatory Goes Up in Smoke NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory satellite to study atmospheric carbon dioxide launched aboard a Taurus XL rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California fails to separate upon command and is lost. March: Discovery Crew […]

Reality trumped regulations Dec. 18 as the Department of Homeland Security extended a deadline that would have required all travelers boarding airplanes to have driver’s licenses that comply with the federal anti-fraud standards of the REAL ID law. “In order to ensure that the millions of Americans traveling this holiday season are not disrupted, DHS […]

Since the Russians successfully launched Sputnik 1 in 1957, more than 4,600 space missions have been conducted worldwide, leaving behind not only a legacy of space exploration but also a swirling mass of flotsam: defunct spacecraft, derelict launch vehicle orbital stages, intentional refuse, and the debris of more than 200 satellite explosions and collisions.The orbital […]

President Obama has made his decision on the future direction of NASA, including scrapping the Ares I rocket in favor of a new heavy-lift launcher to carry astronauts beyond the moon. According to Science Insider, Obama made his decision after a Dec. 16 meeting with NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. Obama will also ask Congress to […]

Vice President Joe Biden announced Dec. 17 an initial $183 million investment in 18 broadband projects benefiting 17 states to lay a new foundation for high-speed Internet economic growth. Over the next 75 days, another $2 billion will be made available on a rolling basis to communities that currently have little or no access to […]

Using ground-based telescopes, the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics announced Dec. 16 that it has “discovered a ‘super-Earth’ orbiting a red dwarf star 40 light-years from Earth. … Although the super-Earth is too hot to sustain life,” the CfA said, it proves that “current, ground-based technologies are capable of finding almost-Earth-sized planets in warm, life-friendly orbits. […]

Iraqi militants have used inexpensive, off-the-rack software “to intercept live video feeds from U.S. Predator drones,” the Wall Street Journal reported Dec. 17. While the Pentagon confirms the hacking of the drone feeds–which are unencrypted–military officials claim there is no proof the militant hackers have been able to alter the flights of the drones or […]

The FCC (Federal Communications Commission) released Dec. 16 an outline of its preliminary National Broadband Plan to be delivered to Congress in 63 days. The initial plan calls for opening up the marketplace for cable set-top boxes and expansion of the Universal Service Fund.The outline also states a “large, new spectrum allocation is essential to […]

Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez (D-IL) announced legislation Dec. 15 that would raise the annual cap on H1-B visas and allow U.S. companies to recapture 309,500 unused H-1B visas from previous years. The legislation is part of a larger, more comprehensive immigration bill sponsored by Gutierrez and nearly 90 members of the U.S. House. While Gutierrez […]