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Editor's note: A reminder that Technology Daily publishes its final editions today. See below for further information.
Spectrum
FCC Has Just One Bid For Public-Safety Airwaves
The FCC has received only one bid for the public-safety portion of its current spectrum auction. The Washington Post reports that the sole bid for safety airwaves came on the first day of the auction for $472 million. The only bid falls considerably short of the FCC's reserve price of $1.33 billion. "If the block doesn't hit the reserve, then the commission is left with a bunch of tough choices," said Rebecca Arbogast, a research analyst at Stifel Nicolaus. She suggested that one option would be setting a new auction for that block. The New York Times, meanwhile, reports on early bids for the airwaves. In other news, AP reports that a new survey indicates that much of what consumers are learning about the shift to digital television is wrong and could cost them money.
Broadband
Agriculture Chief Makes Rural Broadband A Priority
Agriculture Secretary Edward Schafer, who has headed a small telecommunications company, said Wednesday he will take a personal interest in making his department's grant and loan programs for rural, high-speed Internet service more effective. CongressDaily reports that in his first meeting with reporters since being sworn in Monday, Schafer included telecommunications in his short list of priorities. AP, meanwhile, reports that a study to be released Thursday by the administration says that President Bush has mostly succeeded in meeting his goal to ensure that all Americans had affordable broadband access by 2007. "Networked Nation: Broadband in America" is an upbeat assessment of the administration's efforts to spur growth and competition in the high-speed Internet market. Critics said the report's conclusion is too rosy. In other news, AP reports that Sprint Nextel on Wednesday said it would continue to support its Nextel-branded walkie-talkie network.
Taxes
Senate Panel Moves Bill To Give The Economy A Jolt
The Senate Finance Committee voted 14-7 Wednesday to send a roughly $157 billion economic stimulus package to the floor, adding tax breaks for alternative energies and homebuilders and disqualifying upper-income taxpayers -- including members of Congress -- from getting rebate checks. CongressDaily, AP, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and The Wall Street Journal report that initially the proposal had no upper-income caps at the behest of Finance ranking Republian Charles Grassley of Iowa and other Republicans who considered such limits an unfair redistribution of wealth. Under pressure from Democrats, Finance Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., agreed to phase out eligibility for rebates beginning at $150,000 of adjusted gross income per single filer and $300,000 for couples filing jointly. The Post, meanwhile, reports that President Bush on Wednesday called on Congress to pass the stimulus measure quickly. And CongressDaily reports on immigration issues that have been injected into the stimulus debate.
Crime
IRS Warns Of Data Theft Through Rebate Schemes
Even before Congress passes an economic stimulus package, identity thieves are using promises of tax rebates to trick people into revealing financial and personal data, the Internal Revenue Service warned Wednesday. AP and The Washington Post report that under one scheme, the IRS said, people are receiving phone calls telling them they can only receive a rebate if they provide bank account information for a direct deposit. The tax agency stressed that it does not collect information by telephone and that no legislation has been enacted that would allow it to provide advance payments to taxpayers or that specifies the details of those payments. The House this week, as part of an economic stimulus package, passed tax rebates of $600 and $1,200 respectively for most individuals and couples, with another $300 per child. The Senate is now considering a different version.
Security
U.S. Officials Eye China's Surveillance Market
China is extensively using street surveillance technology as it becomes wealthier and its citizens become more mobile. The New York Times reports that the U.S. Commerce Department is drafting new rules on what security equipment American companies can sell to China amid rapid advances in surveillance technology and the increasing involvement of American firms in that market as the Olympics approach. In other international news, AP reports that the European Union could take a dispute with Taiwan over the manufacture of recordable compact discs to the World Trade Organization. The European Union said Taiwan illegally issued licenses allowing local producers to make the discs, for which the patent is owned by the Dutch company Philips Electronics. And Australian IT reports that AOL will return to Australia next week when it launches a free Internet portal there.
Trade
White House Is Still Focused On Colombian Deal
A Bush administration official Wednesday rejected the contention of Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus that Congress must address the Trade Adjustment Assistance program before considering a free-trade agreement with Colombia, arguing that the issues should be dealt with simultaneously. CongressDaily, The Wall Street Journal and the Los Angeles Times report that the approach by Baucus, D-Mont., might jeopardize the president's desire for fast approval of the trade agreement with Colombia. President Bush views the deal as a vital boost for a struggling democracy that might serve as a bulwark against a surge in populist authoritarianism led by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. The TAA program offers job-training benefits to people who lose jobs as the result of trade deals. "I think we can walk and chew gum at the same time," International Trade Administration Chief Christopher Padilla said.
Security
Details Of 2006 Mock-Disaster Drill Are Revealed
Washington's Metro trains shut down. Seaport computers in New York go dark. Bloggers reveal locations of railcars with hazardous materials. Those are some of the incidents among dozens of mock disasters confronting officials in the U.S. government's biggest-ever "Cyber Storm" war game, according to censored files obtained by AP. The Homeland Security Department tested the nation's hacker defenses, with help from other agencies like the CIA. The $3 million, invitation-only war game simulated plausible attacks over five days in February 2006 against the technology industry, transportation lines and energy utilities by anti-globalization hackers. Cyber Storm 2 will be in early March. In other news, AP also reports that a senior border official said new rules taking effect Thursday for the types of identification U.S. or Canadian citizens must present to enter the United States shouldn't cause big delays and won't be strictly enforced at first.
Privacy
Laptops With Health Data Stolen In Two States
Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey has notified its members that an employee laptop containing personal information for about 300,000 people was stolen in Newark, N.J., on Jan. 5. InformationWeek reports that on its Web site, the health insurer said a "security feature was initiated" Jan. 28 that "destroys all the data on the stolen computer." The company said the computer contained names, addresses and Social Security numbers of members but no medical data. Although the insurer doesn't think any data was stolen, it is offering affected members free credit-monitoring for one year. AP, meanwhile, reports that California officials warned 441 applicants for peace-officer jobs that a laptop containing their psychological evaluations was stolen in Mexico this month. The laptop contained names but not other identifying information and was protected by a password.
E-Government
Technology Could Reduce Backlog Of VA Claims
Advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence could help the Veterans Affairs Department reduce a backlog of disability claims that has spiked past 1 million, according to computer experts and veterans' advocates. GovExec.com reports that the Veterans Benefits Administration, which processes the claims, has a backlog of 650,000 claims and another 147,000 that are under appeal. The process "is paper intensive, complex to understand, difficult to manage and takes years to learn," New York Democrat John Hall, chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Disability and Memorial Affairs, said at a Jan. 29 hearing of the full Committee. In other news, GovExec.com reports that several senators sharply criticized the Small Business Administration on Wednesday for a proposed rule for the women's procurement program, saying it is excessively narrow and would make thousands of firms ineligible for set-aside contracts.
Taxes
Maryland GOP Lawmakers Move To Repeal Computer Tax
Republican lawmakers in Maryland have outlined a plan to repeal a new state sales tax on computer services. The Washington Post reports that GOP members of the state House have proposed spending cuts to replace the tax, which lawmakers have estimated will raise roughly $200 million a year. The tax was authorized during a special legislative session on budget issues last fall. Democrats in both chambers of the Legislature have said they are committing to keeping the tax in place. In other news, the Post reports that the global technology firm Computer Sciences has announced plans to relocate its headquarters from California to Falls Church, Va. The move is expected to make the company one of the largest in the capital area. "The education system is absolutely outstanding, and the proximity to travel is outstanding," company President David Booth said of the region.
E-Government
Md. Cameras Force Drivers To Slow Down, Study Says
Speed cameras in Maryland are forcing drivers to slow down on the roads where they have been deployed, according to a new study. The Washington Post reports that a study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Saftey found that the average speeds clocked for the drivers passing the cameras dropped considerably. Gov. Martin O'Malley recently introduced the idea of placing similar cameras throughout the state. "They are very strong findings," said Anne McCartt, one of the researches behind the study. "We hope that other jurisdictions will read our study and consider using this technology." But some lawmakers already have pledged to fight the installment of extra devices. State Sen. Alex Mooney, a Republican, called the cameras a "backdoor tax" on the state and blasted their effect on privacy. "Why not just attach a camera to your person?" he said. "Is that ultimately where the nanny state wants to go?"
Domains
Internet Body Weighs Fee For 'Domain Tasters'
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers has drafted a proposal aimed at cutting back the practice of "domain tasting" in which an entity registers several Web addresses and exploits a five-day grace period. IDG News Service reports that ICANN, the overseer of the Internet-addressing system, is considering charging a 20-cent annual fee for registering a domain name even if the domain is relinquished within the grace period. Jason Keenan, a media adviser at ICANN, said individuals buy thousands of domain names at a time and monitor them to see which get the most traffic. Some registrars will register and re-register for the same name without ever paying for the domain. "Right now, you can go and register a million different names for five days, and the cost is zero," Keenan said. "If this [plan] comes through, the cost is $1 for five [domains]. It really changes the fiscal model of tasting."
Defense
General Urges Soldiers To Blog, Post War Videos
To compete in the global information war online, soldiers in Iraq should upload videos of their experiences in the combat zone to YouTube and post their personal stories online, a top Army general said recently -- a recommendation that appears to run counter to Pentagon policy. GovExec.com reports that digital-age warfare requires that the Army change its "attitudes and the organizational culture," which has discouraged soldiers from posting to YouTube or blogging, Army Lt. Gen. William Caldwell said in a recent post on the Small Wars Journal Web site. Insurgents in Iraq frequently post videos of roadside bomb and sniper attacks on Web sites for propaganda purposes. He suggested that unit leaders be given camcorders to document combat operations and daily life. An August 2006 Pentagon memorandum forbade personnel from placing any information on public Web sites unless it was reviewed and approved by commanders.
Intellectual Property
Verizon, Music Industry Discuss Piracy Filters
A Verizon Communications executive said on Wednesday that the company will not follow AT&T's lead in looking at filtering tools to monitor its network for pirated material. News.com reports that Verizon Executive Vice President Tom Tauke said that the firm is concerned that such filtering could threaten consumer privacy and would open the door to other potential watchdog duties that Verizon doesn't care to undertake. "From a business perspective, we really don't want to assume the role of being police on the Internet," said Tauke, a former Iowa Republican congressman. News.com also reports that Recording Industry Association of America President Cary Sherman said the government should not force Internet service providers to curb piracy on their networks. And Multichannel News reports on a discussion about online video at the National Association of Television Program Executives.
Civil Liberties
Russian Site's Founder Suspects Official Hacking
An opposition Web site in Russia accused local authorities on Thursday of trying to shut it down after it promoted protests and published details of kidnaps and murders, Reuters reports. Ingushetiya.ru had criticized authorities from the mainly Muslim region of Ingushetia in southern Russia, bordering Chechnya. After it promoted and organized a protest Saturday, the Web site was closed Thursday. Site founder Magomed Evloev accused authorities of hacking into the site to silence opposition. Civil unrest has been growing in Ingushetia and Dagestan, where most of the population is jobless and where kidnaps, murders and shootouts between police and rebels occur almost daily. In other Russian news, Reuters reports that favored presidential successor Dmitry Medvedev launched his personal Internet site, where the current first deputy prime minister lists his major speeches, campaign team, news and campaign trail photographs.
Antitrust
Analysts: Microsoft Ruling Won't Matter Much
Some analysts are seeing little reason for concern over a federal judge's decision to keep Microsoft's competitive business practices under court scrutiny longer. AP reports that Charles DiBona, an analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein & Company, said neither Microsoft's behavior nor its balance sheet is likely to be affected. "They still compete, they still like to win, but I think they realize the tone of that competition, for business reasons as much as legal reasons, was well-served by being modified," DiBona said Wednesday in an interview. The analyst added, "Remember that this isn't the only watchdog on the street any more," referring to ongoing scrutiny in Europe. A U.S. judge ruled late Tuesday that the consent decree enforcing a landmark antitrust settlement reached among Microsoft, the federal government and 17 states would remain in effect until November 2009.
Campaigns
Wireless Company's Profits Go To Liberal Group
Cellular telephone users can now choose a company that will donate some profits to liberal causes and refuse to cooperate with the Bush administration's program of anti-terrorism surveillance without warrants, The Politico reports. Credo Mobile, a division of the liberal firm Working Assets, and Democracy for America have created DFA Wireless. Ten percent of DFA subscribers' monthly charges will go to Democracy for America. In other news, The New York Times and Agence France-Presse report on the boost for Sen. John McCain after Rudy Giuliani dropped out of the GOP presidential race and endorsed McCain. California. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is poised to follow suit. John Edwards dropped out of the Democratic field but has not endorsed a candidate yet. CongressDaily, meanwhile, reports that the announcement by Rep. Tom Davis, R-Va., that he will not seek re-election will have multiple political repercussions. And Federal Computer Week offers a career retrospective on Davis.
Business
Google Chiefs Pledged To Stay At Least 20 Years
Google's top three executives agreed in 2004 to work together at the Internet search and advertising giant for at least 20 years, The Wall Street Journal and Reuters report. Founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, and CEO Eric Schmidt made their informal pact one month before the company's August 2004 initial public offering of stock, a company spokesman confirmed. Word of the group's commitment, first revealed in Fortune magazine, comes amid growing concern that Google may bid to win wireless spectrum. A win would help the firm increase advertising revenue, but investors have recently feared the company could be forced to bid to win in order to open up the market -- a move that could cost at least $4.6 billion. With a market capitalization now around $170 billion, the company is scheduled to report results for the final quarter of 2007 on Thursday.
Check Out Technology Daily's Features
Every day, the staff of National Journal's Technology Daily provides readers with a special feature of timely interest. In today's State Roundup, Staff Writer Michael Martinez looks at the most important tech policy news from state legislatures and governors' mansions across America.
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