Roy Mark

Electronic voting machines were supposed to be the answer to the hanging chads and human error that threatened to undo the democratic process. But eight years and billions of dollars after the infamous Florida recount, electronic voting is proving to be just as unreliable. The 2008 primary elections offered five prime examples of electronic voting […]

In a ruling with huge implications for the technology sector, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit said Oct. 30 pure software or business method patents that are neither tied to a specific machine nor change something into a different state are not patentable. In a 9-3 decision, the court upheld a 1997 […]

The slumping U.S. economy is dramatically changing the game plan at Motorola’s cell phone division, which is already dangerously gushing red ink. Although Motorola’s home and network mobility division and its enterprise mobility unit pulled decent numbers in the third quarter, cell phone sales posted an operating loss of $840 million to drag Motorola into […]

With the aim of promoting technology’s role in energy efficiency, the Technology CEO Council launched a new blog Oct. 29 called Behind the Green. According to the blog, the project hopes to create a dialogue among policymakers, media, and organizations and companies engaged in green technology. Bruce Mehlman, executive director of the organization, said the […]

Claiming IBM is not delivering on an $863 million contract, Texas Gov. Rick Perry on Oct. 28 suspended state data transfers to IBM data management systems. IBM has already been fined $900,000 for failing to complete timely backups under the contract. Perry’s actions come after a Dallas Morning News story reported that a July server […]

Verizon Wireless plans to enter the femtocell market next year, joining Sprint Nextel and T-Mobile as U.S. carriers that hope to use the technology to boost cell phone coverage and capacity in homes and offices. A modem-size femtocell device is currently under review at the Federal Communications Commission. Femtocell devices are micro cell towers used […]

The United States should suspend an export program to China involving semiconductors and materials because the Department of Commerce is unable to ensure that the goods shipped are going to Validated End Users, according to a report by the Government Accountability Office. The report-roundly rejected by the Department of Commerce-found that the VEU program is […]

Researchers at the University of Washington and EMC’s RSA Laboratories claim new RFID-enabled border-crossing documents are easily cloned and are vulnerable to being disabled. The researchers also showed that the cards could be scanned from as far away as 150 feet. Produced jointly by the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of State, the […]

Rep. John Dingell, the powerful chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, is not sold on using unlicensed broadband devices in the interference buffer zones between digital television signals. Dingell, aka the Grand Inquisitor, wants some answers first. In August, Dingell said in a letter (PDF) to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin […]

WASHINGTON — Sprint CEO Dan Hesse told a National Press Club luncheon here Oct. 24 that a Barack Obama administration likely means network neutrality rules with “horrendous implications.” In 2007, Obama promised that if he were elected he would appoint only pro-network neutrality FCC (Federal Communications Commission) members. “I want to maintain that basic principle […]

You have to give the nation’s credit rating agencies high marks for at least one thing: archiving their wireless communications. While Moody’s Investors Service, Standard & Poor’s and Fitch Ratings otherwise showed scant regard for their own industry’s rules, regulations and ethics, they did remember to save all those pithy text messages and instant messages […]

The Federal Trade Commission Oct. 23 delayed enforcement of the Red Flag Rules that were set to go into effect Nov. 1. Also known as the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act, the rules require covered entities to re-examine their ID theft prevention policies and implement new procedures and business practices. The deadline for compliance […]