Roy Mark

WASHINGTON — Larry Page doesn’t get it and he admits it. Fresh off introducing the T-Mobile G1 smart phone in New York Sept. 23, the Google co-founder traveled to Capitol Hill Sept. 24 to lobby for tech’s use of white spaces, the empty spectrum slots between television stations. Google, Microsoft, Dell, Motorola and a host […]

After a summer of dismal reports about the United States’ ability to protect its networks and manage investments in its IT infrastructure, the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Sept. 23 approved legislation intended to improve both. The Federal Information Security Management Act of 2008 (S. 3474) targets the effectiveness of information security […]

The tech coalition pushing the use of empty spectrum (white spaces) between digital television channels to deliver unlicensed broadband is preparing its latest spin dose in the war of words with broadcasters, cable networks, telephone companies and professional sports leagues, which all oppose the use of white spaces. Google co-founder Larry Page will be in […]

WASHINGTON – America has become a nation of thieves hustling stolen goods off the back of a truck to sell on eBay. You name it, we steal it and we put it up for auction: infant formula, iPods, razor blades, DVDs, gift cards, laptops, Rogain, designer clothing and video games, just to name a few […]

Online marketplaces are crying foul and claiming big box retailers are attempting to cripple competition from the Internet through legislation aimed at curbing the sale of online fenced goods. Brick-and-mortar retailers counter they routinely find hot goods for sale on sites like eBay and Overstock.com. Increasingly, big box retailers claim, the goods showing up online […]

Ike Brannon, a senior policy adviser to the McCain presidential campaign, will hold a private audience Sept. 19 with AeA (the former American Electronics Association founded in 1948 and soon to be part of the ITAA’s orbit). His talk: John McCain’s positions on innovation and competitiveness issues. “NO MEDIA,” reads the e-mail. “As I’m sure […]

With Congress granting what amounts to retroactive immunity for telephone companies that participated in the White House’s warrantless domestic spying program, the Electronic Frontier Foundation turned to the courts Sept. 18 to stop the continuing surveillance of Americans’ e-mails and telephone calls. The EFF has already sued AT&T in a 2006 class action lawsuit to […]

A scathing federal report issued Sept. 17 slammed the Environmental Protection Agency for failing to enforce U.S. laws for exporting electronic waste. According to the Government Accountability Office, a “substantial quantity” of U.S. discarded electronics is shipped to developing countries where unsafe recycling practices can cause health and environmental problems. Although 170 countries have signed […]

Rep. Bob Goodlatte finally got his computer fraud bill out of Congress and headed to the White House for President Bush’s signature. Although the Virginia Republican has managed to win House approval for his bill three different times, the Senate has just as consistently failed top act on the legislation. But Sept. 16, the House […]

The Department of Homeland Security-the lead federal agency charged with protecting U.S. computer networks-has fundamentally failed in its mission and should be relieved of its cyber-security responsibilities, a blue ribbon panel told Congress Sept. 16. James A. Lewis of the Commission on Cyber Security for the 44th Presidency and director and senior fellow at CSIS […]

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation held a hearing here Sept. 16 on “Why Broadband Is Important.” Two senators — Chairman Daniel Inouye and ranking member Ted Stevens — showed up, although several more briefly drifted in and out. Unlike most Senate Commerce Committee hearings, empty seats dotted the audience […]

WASHINGTON-With time quickly waning for the 110th Congress, Sen. Daniel Inouye again called upon lawmakers Sept. 16 to approve legislation to improve the quality of federal broadband data collection. As Inouye put it, “I believe we cannot manage problems that we do not measure.” Inouye, the Hawaiian Democrat who serves as chairman of the U.S. […]