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CarrierIQ execs meet with FTC and FCC officials to address privacy concerns (update)
CarrierIQ is having a difficult time making friends. Nearly two weeks after Massachusetts congressman Edward Markey asked the FTC to open an investigation on the data collection company, it appears his wish may be granted. According to anonymous government officials close to the Washington Post -- and confirmed by CarrierIQ itself -- senior officials from the company visited the nation's capital yesterday to discuss the matter with representatives from the FTC and the FCC, as well as a few congressional staffers. The Federal Trade Commission itself hasn't confirmed that it's opening a probe into the situation; regardless, it's certainly evident that the government's beginning to look very close at the company's practices. It's great news for privacy advocates, but whether it amounts to any changes remains to be seen. Update: We just received a report from the New York Times that Carrier IQ claims it was misquoted in the Washington Post. In a statement released later, the company said: This week CarrierIQ sought meetings with the FTC and FCC to educate the two agencies about the functionality of its software and answer any and all questions. Although Congressman Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), co-Chairman of the Bi-Partisan Congressional Privacy Caucus, has asked the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate the practices of Carrier IQ, we are not aware of an official investigation into Carrier IQ at this time.
Federal domain seizure raises new concerns over online censorship
It's been a little more than a year since the US government began seizing domains of music blogs, torrent meta-trackers and sports streaming sites. The copyright infringement investigation, led by US Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) authorities, quickly raised eyebrows among many free speech and civil rights advocates, fueling a handful of legal challenges. Few are more compelling, or frightening than a case involving Dajaz1.com. As TechDirt reports, the popular hip-hop blog has been at the epicenter of a sinuous and seemingly dystopian dispute with the feds -- one that underscores the heightening controversy surrounding federal web regulation, and blurs the constitutional divide between free speech and intellectual property protection. Dajaz1 was initially seized under the 2008 Pro IP Act, on the strength of an affidavit that cited several published songs as evidence of copyright infringement. As it turns out, ,any of these songs were actually provided by their copyright holders themselves, but that didn't stop the government from seizing the URL anyway, and plastering a warning all over its homepage. Typically, this kind of action would be the first phase of a two-step process. Once a property is seized, US law dictates that the government has 60 days to notify its owner, who can then choose to file a request for its return. If the suspect chooses to file this request within a 35-day window, the feds must then undertake a so-called forfeiture process within 90 days. Failure to do so would require the government to return the property to its rightful owner. But that's not exactly how things played out in the case of Dajaz1. For more details on the saga, head past the break.
DARPA to develop biometric sensor capable of seeing through walls, pulling your heartstrings
The feds may soon know the way to your heart. Literally. Earlier this month, the forward-thinkers over at DARPA announced plans to develop new technologies capable of identifying human life through walls. The program, known as "Biometrics-at-a-distance," would essentially combine two pre-existing Pentagon projects: the Radar Scope, a device that can see through walls, and 2009's LifeReader, a system that uses Doppler radar to detect heartbeats. Though the military already employs a handful of devices to help soldiers see humans from behind walls, DARPA apparently thinks there's room for improvement. Most contemporary technologies, for example, only work from a maximum distance of eight meters, and aren't as accurate within more densely populated areas. DARPA wants its next project to extend this range beyond ten meters, while sharpening its ability to penetrate thicker obstructions. The agency also wants its sensor to identify individual humans using electrocardiography, which traces the heart's electrical activity. According to DARPA, this could allow users to pinpoint up to ten people at the same time, which could pay dividends during disaster rescue efforts, military operations, or your next Eyes Wide Shut party.
DoJ: Stingray cellphone tracking device falls under Fourth Amendment, but don't ask about it
In 2008, federal authorities arrested David Daniel Rigmaiden on charges of spearheading a massive identity theft ring in Arizona. Rigmaiden allegedly led this operation from January 2005 to April 2008, harvesting some $4 million off of more than 1,900 fraudulent tax returns. He was ultimately nabbed, however, thanks in part to controversial, and somewhat mysterious tool known as a "stingray" -- a device that effectively acts as a fake cell tower, allowing authorities to locate and track a cellphone even when it's not being used to place a call. Since his arrest, the 30-year-old Rigmaiden has been battling the feds in the U.S. District Court of Arizona, on allegations that their tracking tactics constituted an unlawful search and seizure, thereby violating his Fourth Amendment rights. For more than a year, the Department of Justice has maintained that the use of stingrays does not violate the Fourth Amendment. When it comes to sending data from a mobile device, the DoJ has argued, users should not have a "reasonable expectation" of privacy. Recently, though, the judge overseeing the case has indicated that he will press the feds for more information on how stingrays actually work -- something the government clearly has no desire to disclose. Prosecutors are so reluctant, in fact, that they may be willing to sacrifice their case against Rigmaiden in order to safeguard the stingray's secrecy. Read more about the latest developments, after the break.
Google drops cloud computing lawsuit against US Department of the Interior
Last year, Google filed a lawsuit against the US Department of the Interior, on allegations that the government unfairly awarded a $59 million cloud computing contract to Microsoft without conducting a sufficiently competitive auction. Big G won an injunction against the department in January, effectively putting the contract on hold, and it looked as if the company would prevail, with Judge Susan Braden recently declaring that there was a "justifiable basis" for dispute. Last week, however, Google decided to drop the suit altogether, after filing a motion in the US Court of Federal Claims. "Based on the defendant's agreement to update its market research and then conduct a procurement in a manner that will not preclude plaintiffs from fairly competing, plaintiffs respectfully move for dismissal of this action without prejudice," the company's attorney wrote in the motion, filed on Thursday. Federal lawyers, however, responded by claiming that the two sides have not reached an agreement, while confirming that it had no problem with Google's decision to cease litigation. It remains to be seen whether the two sides have truly reached an agreement, or whether the litigation may wear on, but we'll keep you abreast of any future developments.
Samsung Stratosphere makes its obligatory FCC visit, confirms membership in Verizon's LTE club
We know, the image above is hardly as detailed as the ones we glanced at this morning, but it has its measure of significance nonetheless. It's a rough diagram of the Samsung SCH-i405 -- a phone known to us as the Stratosphere -- as it appears in FCC filings approved today. The documents' mention of LTE band 13 (as well as CDMA / EVDO) seems to confirm rumors that suggest the aforementioned device will be coming to Verizon's 4G network, likely sooner rather than later. If you've been eager to see an Epic 4G-esque QWERTY slider on the largest carrier in the US, this will be your golden opportunity. Of course, this may prove to be a drop in the bucket when compared to an impending flood of even more tempting handsets.
New York judge denies government warrant for Verizon location data
Beating the man at his own game on Monday, a federal judge from the Eastern District of New York denied the US government's application asking Verizon Wireless to hand over 113 days of customer location data. Washington has long debated whether or not the Constitution protects modern day communications that include a third party (like cell phone conversations supported by a carrier company), and non-conversational meta data (like cellular GPS location data). Some say that buying a cell phone and using a carrier's services waives one's privacy rights in that data, while others claim we have a reasonable expectation of privacy in such info under the Fourth Amendment. In making his decision, Judge Nicholas Garaufis held that "the fiction that the vast majority of the American population consents to warrantless government access to the records of a significant share of their movements by 'choosing' to carry a cell phone must be rejected." As communications tech continues to change, these questions will likely be revisited. That's why Judge Garaufis went on to say that "in light of drastic developments in technology, the Fourth Amendment doctrine must evolve to preserve cell-phone user's reasonable expectation of privacy in cumulative cell-site-location records." Get the full opinion by clicking the source below.
Samsung i927 clears the FCC hurdle, AT&T-bound at last?
Yeah, the Samsung i927 definitely exists -- and the FCC's flaunting the docs to prove it. That doesn't mean we're allowed to know all its deep, dark secrets yet; sadly, the Galaxy S II-esque device doesn't bare it all for us to see. Granted, we've already seen pics of the QWERTY landscape slider, and it seems like that it'll make its way onto AT&T's smartphone lineup, so we already know more about the device than most FCC filings could ever reveal. But is it the mystical Samsung Attain we've postulated about for months? It utilizes the usual 850 / 1900 bands for WCDMA and HSPA (though it leaves no mention of any global frequencies that may lie in the phone), and the dimensions show a striking resemblance to those on the unlocked GSII -- it's roughly one mm off in both directions -- so we can't let go of the possibility yet. Whatever it is, this thing can't come soon enough.
FCC frees up to 650MHz of backhaul spectrum to accelerate rural 4G deployment
Busting down a critical obstacle in the deployment of mobile broadband in rural areas, the FCC announced plans to make up to 650MHz of spectrum available for microwave wireless backhaul. This particular block, which will be shared with cable TV relay (CARS) and broadcast auxiliary services (BAS), spans across half of the land mass of the US and blankets roughly 10 percent of the total population. The large expense of laying fiber optics at rural cell sites has been a barrier most companies haven't been able to break through; by implementing the use of microwave wireless backhaul, however, the government is hopeful this will drive the cost of deployment down, create new jobs and accelerate the rollout of 4G networks in remote areas. The FCC also allowed for the use of wider channels and smaller antennas, and lifted several federal restrictions in an attempt to make the process of securing spectrum easier. The department's clearly putting more focus on wireless broadband deployment in remote regions, and is currently asking for more comments on ways to ease the burden. Hit up the source link for more details on the plan.
Motorola XT316 passes second round at FCC, this time endowed with AT&T 3G
It feels like we've been down this road before, but this time we may be lead to a different destination. Motorola's XT316 went through its paces at the FCC a couple months ago with Chinese 3G bands, which indicated there was seemingly no hope of the Android device seeing the light of day in the US of A. This time around, the smaller version of the Droid Pro's been given the federal go-ahead with AT&T-compatible 3G bands. Everything else appears to be the same, right down to the identical drawing of the handset's dimensions. Does this mean the XT316 will be in stock at your local store anytime soon? We can't say with certainty, but at least the government won't be standing in your way.
Motorola XT316 introduced to FCC, won't be staying in America
The FCC spends a good chunk of private time with countless handsets, a majority of them never even making it onto American shelves. The Motorola XT316 took its turn at a meet-and-greet with the Commission, and has the paperwork to prove it. If you're shooting off blank stares in our direction right now, an explanation is in order: the XT316 is an even smaller version of the Droid Pro with a passport specifically stamped for China. Details are scant at the moment, but we do know it will be a 2.8-inch Froyo candybar with a portrait QWERTY keyboard and WCDMA 850 / 2100 bands. If you are at all intrigued by such a device, we're going to break your fragile hearts; the XT316 won't have complete 3G connectivity in the US, so it almost certainly will not be picked up by any of the major carriers.
Federal Wi-Net bill proposes a femtocell and WiFi hotspot in every federal building
Here's one way to fix the spectrum crunch: set up wireless base stations and WiFi hotspots in every single one of the 9,000 buildings currently owned and operated by the US General Services Administration. That idea, along with the proposal that such installations be made mandatory in all future federal structures, was put before the US Senate this Friday. It's argued that installing femtocells at those locations would improve reception indoors, lighten network loads in busy areas, and expand accessibility for more rural locales. Ubiquitous WiFi routers, on the other hand, hardly require any justification beyond "common sense," but you should be aware that the Federal Wi-Net bill also asks for a $15 million budget for the performance of retrofitting and future installs. Full PR after the break.
HP agrees to pay $55 million to settle investigation into illegal kickbacks
The company that kicked Mark Hurd to the curb for financial impropriety has today reported it'll pay $55 million in a settlement with the US Department of Justice relating to some fiscal delinquency of its own. HP was accused of greasing up the wheels of business, as it were, by throwing cash around to companies who would recommend its services to state procurement agencies. This particular set of allegations related to a federal contract obtained by HP in 2002, and the settlement also extinguishes investigation into whether or not the computer vendor had provided incomplete information to the US government. That's all well and good, but we have to question the size of these levies. Today's also the day that HP's announced a new $800 million supply contract with the US Air Force -- would a fine that's less than a tenth of the contract's value really deter HP's entrepreneurial spirit?
EnergyStar program certifies 'gasoline-powered alarm,' other imaginary abominations
It'd be pretty difficult for you to reach Engadget without having seen the EnergyStar logo on something along your way here. Whether it was as part of your motherboard's bootup sequence or on the box of your new TFT monitor, EnergyStar certification has become a de facto standard for most electronics being manufactured nowadays. What you might not have known -- but probably could have guessed -- is that the process for obtaining that sticker is far from bulletproof. The American Government Accountability Office has recently done a bit of spy work by putting forward imaginary products and false claims to the validating authority, and regrettably found its bogus items "mostly approved without a challenge." The auditors' conclusion was that the program is "highly vulnerable to fraud," and the stuff they've had certified would seem to corroborate that verdict. Hit up the Times article for the full story of governmental incompetence while the Department of Energy -- the body responsible for running the program -- tries to get its act straightened out. [Thanks, Adam]
GamePolitics speaks with federal game bill sponsor, ESA deems bill unconstitutional
GamePolitics has an interview with Rep. Lee Terry (R-Neb), one of the congressmen, along with Rep. Jim Matheson (D-Utah), attempting to pass a federal law forcing retailers to check IDs before selling M- and AO-rated games. One of the better moments in the interview is when GP asks Rep. Terry what game he was talking about when he stated there are titles players could score point for virtual rape. Terry responded, "That's a good question. I don't know of any [specific games] offhand... I just used the rape, pillage and plunder line..."The ESA has publicly come out against the bill, with CEO Mike Gallagher saying that the bill is unconstitutional. He states the ESA shares the representatives' goals of "ensuring children are playing parent-approved computer and video games," but points out that all consoles now have parental settings which can be used to make sure kids play only the games their parents allow.
New federal employee IDs coming this fall, biometric firms giddy
As The Washington Post reports, a slew of fresh government initiatives are set to begin to take effect this fall, starting with new biometric-loaded ID cards for federal employees. In addition to requiring all employees to undergo background checks (don't they do that already?), the new standards developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology will require the cards to include fingerprints at a minimum, and likely also include magnetic strips, personal identification numbers, digital photos, holograms, and watermarks. That should cover some 10 million employees, but that's a drop in the bucket compared to what's really getting the biometric companies excited: the prospect of tricking out every driver's license in the country with biometric goodness (or badness, depending on your perspective). While standards for that have yet to been set, the Real ID Act has set mid-2008 as the cut-off date to settle on the format of next-gen licenses once and for all.
Sprint to give Boost less boost
Where we come from, common sense dictates that you push the products that are doing well for you and dial back the ones that aren't. Perhaps that's what separates us from the fancy-pants businessfolk within Sprint's corporate offices who've decided to "slow Boost down quite a bit." Boost's been doing extraordinarily well for Sprint, accounting now for some 8% of Sprint Nextel's customer base -- largely because it's an inexpensive way to get in on Nextel's iDEN PTT goodness -- and therein lies the problem, it seems. With the radio interference iDEN's had with public safety frequencies, Sprint's been forced to dial back its total iDEN capacity in some markets, and at the end of the day they'd rather give that limited capacity to their more lucrative Nextel customers than the prepaid Boost crowd. How Sprint ultimately intends to "slow Boost down" remains to be seen, but if you've been jonesin' for an i885, we might suggest you keep your eyes peeled and get it while the gettin's good.[Via Phone Scoop]Update: Never mind giving Boost less boost; Sprint's giving execs the boot. COO Len Lauer, to be specific -- the very man responsible for the comments suggesting Sprint was ready to kick dust in Boost's eye. Whether those comments had anything to do with Lauer's departure is unclear, as is the current status of said plans, but we'll obviously have our ear to the ground on this story as it develops.
Shocking DualShock case still not going Sony's way
Sony's attempt to overturn the 2004 ruling on Immersion's haptic technology patents and receive a new trial was denied in court recently.The Wall Street Journal tells quite a tale concerning another force-feedback inventor, originally a paid consultant of Immersion, who allegedly received advance royalties from Sony in exchange for testimony against his former client. There's enough drama in this case to fill a television soap opera--or, better yet, a police or crime-scene procedural.For the full contents of the article, you'll need to log in as a subscriber to the Journal through the picture above or the Read link below. We don't know to what extent this courtroom drama will affect the "boomerang" PS3 prototype controller design, future DualShock 2 availability and compatibility, or any possible delays to the new system itself, but Sony's separate appeal in federal court has yet to be ruled on, leaving the company one more crucial legal avenue to pursue in this matter.[Via Joystiq]
