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Monday, April 21, 2008
Network Solutions having issues….
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Friday, April 11, 2008
700 MHz - the gold mine of the FCC - and Google doesn’t get any.
Google has a nice blog article ( http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2008/04/cone-of-silence-finally-lifts-on.html is the URL ) on the spectrum auction that went on in jan/feb of this year. This was for the 700MHz auction that Google promised to bid at least $4.6 billion for if the FCC would put 4 “open platforms” as part of the auction. The FCC agreed to 2 of them. (That information can be found here: http://googlepublicpolicy.blogspot.com/2007/07/our-commitment-to-open-broadband.html ) Even though FCC only agreed to 2, Google still bid more than the $4.6 billion minimum they said they would.
Here are a few highlights that I think are interesting…
“Google’s top priority heading into the auction was to make sure that bidding on the so-called “C Block” reached the $4.6 billion reserve price that would trigger the important “open applications” and “open handsets” license conditions. “
“But it was clear, then and now, that Verizon Wireless ultimately was motivated to bid higher (and had far more financial incentive ( http://googlepublicpolicy.blogspot.com/2007/07/restoring-competitive-balance-to.html ) to gain the licenses).”
I believe that Verizon and others ended up paying $19,120,378,000 for 1090 licenses. They were the ones back in July/Aug/Sept appealed the FCC’s open device and open platform order that the FCC agreed to with Google for the minimum bid.
For those of you that are not aware, the 700 MHz spectrum is the one that U.S. television stations are required to abandon by February 2009. The 700 MHz spectrum is (according to this washington post article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/20/AR2008032000048.html) is ideal for wireless broadband services. “They travel 3-4 times further and penetrate obstacles such as buildings more easily than wireless signals in higher spectrum bands.”
FCC information on the auction can be found at their web site (Auction 73) at this location: http://wireless.fcc.gov/auctions/default.htm?job=auction_summary&id=73. It covers TV channels 52-69 (see http://wireless.fcc.gov/auctions/data/bandplans/700MHzBandPlan.pdf ) for the Band plan.
https://auctionbidding.fcc.gov/auction/index.htm?CFID=3628486&CFTOKEN=99789402&jsessionid=wTGjH1jc9NTpGJ5HLyMv0MZWn3m90l15hjtDLJVT9TJbNNrk286L!-1946843305!-1095684957!1207935996278 <-- go here for the full results.
Oh, and FYI, Lexington went to Cavalier Wireless and Frontier Wireless. And, if you sort by amounts, Lexington went for a higher amount than Louisville did.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Many years to Arthur C. Clarke
May his Memory be eternal…
Perhaps his remains can be placed in Clarke Orbit (His greatest contribution to technology is creating the conceptual framework for geostationary satellites—machines that would remain in the same spot above the earth and act as relay stations for signals from the ground, covering a wide area. He published a paper about the concept in 1945, which was ultimately realized two decades later. The orbit into which geostationary satellites are placed is now known as the Clarke Orbit.)
Also known for his books - see list here: http://www.clarkefoundation.org/acc/bibliography.php
Clarke was an inspiration to me as a writer. He blended scientific expertise and imagination together seamlessly. Monday night on “The Big Bang Theory” they had a segment at the beginning where they were hooking up X10 to various items. They then, by touching a button on the laptop sent a signal around the world and to the stereo. When it came on, what was playing was the opening music from 2001: A Space Odessy (1968) and the four geeks jumped around mimicing the scene… it was very funny and reminded me of the thorough and complete genius of the movie and of Sir Clarke (and Kubrick).
One of Clarke’s desires was for man to “discover” extraterrestrial beings… too bad he did not get his wish.
Posted by Moose on
03/19 at 11:26 AM
Personal • Art and Entertainment • Community • News • Permalink
Personal • Art and Entertainment • Community • News • Permalink
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Do not allow free speech to be hurt in Kentucky
Email Rep. Tim Couch and Jimmy Gigdon and tell them what putzes they really are - oh, and while you are at it, tell them that House Bill 775 is really really stupid and that they are idiots for even considering it and should burn in hell for proposing it. Or, if you think that is too strong, tell them something similar.
jimmy higdon can be e-mailed directly:
tim couch has a feedback form here: http://www.lrc.ky.gov/Mailform/H090.htm
You can see HB 775 here: http://www.lrc.ky.gov/RECORD/08RS/HB775.htm
Here is a short description:
AN ACT relating to information technology.
Create new sections of KRS Chapter 369 to establish definitions relating to Internet Web sites, blogs, or message boards; require registration prior to posting information to these interactive services; identify persons, businesses, or entities that post information to these interactive services; establish penalty provisions.
November 29, 2000 New Jersey Court protects anonymous internet critics of New Jersey company - upholding 1st amendment - see http://www.citizen.org/pressroom/release.cfm?ID=551
On appeal, it was again protected…
http://www.aclu-nj.org/news/appealscourtprotectsanonym.htm
See others here: http://epic.org/free_speech/
Since it has gone to Labor and Industry - e-mail those people too (see http://www.lrc.state.ky.us/org_adm/committe/standcom.htm for current list)
Labor and Industry (H)
Rep. J. R. Gray (D), Chair - form at http://www.lrc.ky.gov/Mailform/H006.htm
Rep. Charlie Hoffman (D), Vice Chair - mailto:charlie.hoffman@lrc.ky.gov
Rep. Joni Jenkins (D), Vice Chair - mailto:jonijenkins@aol.com
Rep. Rick Nelson (D), Vice Chair - form at http://www.lrc.ky.gov/Mailform/H087.htm
Rep. Jim Stewart (R), Vice Chair - mailto:jim.stewart@lrc.ky.gov
Rep. John Arnold Jr. (D) - mailto:john.arnold@lrc.ky.gov
Rep. Denver Butler (D) - mailto:RepButler@aol.com
Rep. Dennis Horlander (D) - mailto:dennis.horlander@lrc.ky.gov
Rep. Brent Yonts (D) - mailto:brent.yonts@lrc.ky.gov
Rep. C.B. Embry (R) - form at http://www.lrc.ky.gov/Mailform/H017.htm
Rep. Thomas Kerr (R) - mailto:thomas.kerr@lrc.ky.gov
Rep. Russ Mobley (R) - form at http://www.lrc.ky.gov/Mailform/H051.htm
Here is what I am telling them:
============== concerning ========================
HB 775 (BR 1943) - T. Couch, J. Higdon
AN ACT relating to information technology.
Create new sections of KRS Chapter 369 to establish definitions
relating to Internet Web sites, blogs, or message boards; require
registration prior to posting information to these interactive
services; identify persons, businesses, or entities that post
information to these interactive services; establish penalty
provisions.
Mar 4-introduced in House
Mar 6-to Labor & Industry (H)
==============================================================
Please send T Couch and J Higdon home without even considering such nonsense. Protect our first amendment. We have the right to free speach. We have the right to do so anonymously.
New Jersey upheld this in 2000, it went to appeals, and was again upheld. Do not go down this road.
Friday, March 14, 2008
cuchunk cuchunk cuchunk
"Dude, what’s the deal with your server?”
That was the question I was asked today.
My response… “I don’t know… I’ll check it at lunch.”
When I got home, that the noise that I heard was “cuchunk cuchunk cuchunk”.
I *think* I have everything backed up as of 12/12/07… three months ago…
sigh..
So, we are back to just before Christmas....
If you find something missing that you think was there before this date… let me know as I probably have it, but haven’t restored it yet.
There were a number of databases that I didn’t restore. I got the ones that I thought were active.
I restored homes and /etc/passwd type files…
my apologies....
David
