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Obama talked R&D with tech industry CEOs, appoints Intel's Paul Otellini to advisory council
Sure, there may have been some toasts and likely a bit of joking, but it looks like President Obama also got down to a bit of business during his meeting with some of the tech industry's top CEOs yesterday. While complete details are obviously light, White House press secretary Jay Carney has revealed that the president raised the issue of his recent proposals to invest in research and development with the group, and he's said to have also discussed ways to encourage kids to study math, science and engineering. What's more, as the Wall Street Journal points out, President Obama isn't done with the tech industry just yet -- he's moved on to Oregon today to tour one of Intel's semiconductor plants, where's expected to announce that Intel CEO Paul Otellini will be joining his Council on Jobs and Competitiveness.
Steve Jobs to meet with President Obama today
According to ABC News, President Obama's West Coast field trip is going to kick off in San Francisco with dinner. Not just any dinner, mind you. This happens to be dinner with the outgoing CEO of Google, Eric Schmidt, Mark Zuckerberg (who built some sort of newfangled website) and our own Uncle Steve. According to the White House, they are meeting as part of an "ongoing dialogue with the business community on how we can work together to win the future, strengthen our economy, support entrepreneurship, and get the American people back to work." After dinner, there is no further published information on the official White House schedule, so I don't know who will get to put up their "The President Slept Here" sign. However, once he's wrapped things up in the Bay Area, it's been announced that Obama is spending Friday in my neck of the woods, visiting one of Intel's plants in Hillsboro, Oregon. He'll be there with Intel CEO Paul Otellini talking about Intel's investments in educational programs and manufacturing upgrades at their plants in Oregon and in Arizona. This is the second time the President has formally met with Jobs. Their first publicized get-together took place in October of 2010. [via AppleInsider]
Obama announces plan to free up 500MHz of spectrum, invest in 4G for rural areas, and build out nationwide public safety network
We knew the White House was on board with the FCC's desire to free up an additional 500MHz worth of spectrum over the next decade from private and federal holders, as announced last year, and now Obama has announced the plan to do it. The plan is to incentivize the current spectrum squatters with a share of the revenue gained from auctioning off the spectrum -- mostly for mobile broadband use -- which only seems fair, and for now it seems those auctions will be voluntary. But that's just the tip of the iceberg: the plan also includes a $5 billion investment in constructing 4G networks in rural areas (with a goal to reach at least 98 percent of Americans with the service), a $3 billion fund for 4G R&D to help the rollout, and $10.7 billion for a wireless public safety network. The beauty of this plan is that all these proposed costs are offset by the spectrum auction, which is estimated to raise $27.8 billion, of which $9.6 billion will be dedicated to deficit reduction. Oh, and the best news? The government has already found 115MHz worth of Federal spectrum that it can free up by using its other spectrum more efficiently, and has another 95MHz worth in its sights. Hit up the source link to see President Obama's speech on the subject, which has just begun, or check it out embedded after the break.
President Obama signs an iPad at Seattle rally, seems pretty down with 'autograph change'
The first presidential iPad signing? Probably. One Sylvester Cann attended a recent rally in Seattle at the University of Washington, and was somehow fortunate enough to get within eyeshot of Barack Obama. According to Cann, the secret service wasn't exactly sure about the Prez handing over his John Hancock on a tablet, but eventually they cut loose and let him autograph the tablet with his finger using the Adobe Ideas app. There's a video just below for those who are still in disbelief, and we have to say -- that autograph ain't half bad for using one's digit to create it. [Thanks, Sylvester]
Steve Jobs chilling with President Obama today
According to Business Insider, President Obama is scheduled to be flying into the San Francisco area this afternoon to attend an event for District Attorney Kamala Harris and to deliver remarks at a later dinner. What isn't on the President's public agenda, according to an anonymous source familiar with the matter, is a one-on-one meeting with the turtlenecked crusader himself, Steve Jobs. You may think that they'll be talking about several important issues regarding Apple's lead in the technological frontier, but we all know that the President probably just wants to have a little chat about iWeb not being updated. Somebody's in trouble...
President Obama signs $19 billion NASA funding bill into law
The basic details of the bill have been known for some time now, but President Obama has only just today signed the NASA Authorization Act of 2010 into law, which allocates $19 billion in funding for the space agency and signals a shift to commercial spacecraft for transporting astronauts to the International Space Station. NASA will hardly be relying on private spacecraft altogether, however, as the bill also gives NASA the go-ahead to develop a heavy lift rocket for deep space exploration (possibly to launch by the end of 2016), and it gives NASA a mandate to continue operating the International Space Station itself until 2020 -- not to mention fly one additional shuttle mission to it next year. Curious to know every last detail? You can find the complete 42-page bill at the source link below.
President Obama signs bill to give disabled better access to technology
Now this is something we can all get behind. Today, President Obama signed a bill pledging to see that the blind and deaf get better access to cellphones, the internet, and other technologies which are a necessity of life in the modern era. Joined by a group of lawmakers and Stevie Wonder, the president signed into law the bill which promises guaranteed access for 25 million blind or visually impaired and 38 million deaf or hearing impaired people living in the United States. New federal guidelines resulting from the bill include requiring improved user interfaces on smartphones, providing audible descriptions of television programming, captioning online programming, making telephone equipment compatible with hearing aids, and adding buttons to remote controls to provide quick access to closed captioning. The bill, S. 3304, should bring down the cost of these technologies for people who need them significantly.
White House getting solar upgrade, Obama bath water to be heated by the sun, baby
Long, hot showers after a long day of solving the world's problems are about to get a little more guilt-free for a certain Commander in Chief. White House Council on Environmental Quality Chairwoman Nancy Sutley and Energy Secretary Steven Chu have announced plans to bring new solar panels to the White House, something president Jimmy Carter first did in the '70s to heat the West Wing offices and, believe it or not, George W. Bush did as well during his presidency -- though W's panels were primarily to heat the swimming pool. This latest round of panels are set to be installed in the spring and will provide hot water for the First Family, while PV cells will also "supply some electricity." We're going to guess "some" equates to "not very much," but maybe it'll at least be enough to keep the First BlackBerry topped up.
Obama says presidential BlackBerry ownership is 'no fun,' should've gone with the Sectera Edge
It's hard out there for a prez, you know? Hardly anyone knows better than one Barack Obama, who sat down this morning on ABC's The View in order to talk smack with a few ladies who undoubtedly helped put him in office. If you'll recall, Obama fought hard early on for the privilege of maintaining his prized BlackBerry, and while he eventually won out, we learned today that a grand total of ten individuals are authorized to ping it. Yeah, ten. Needless to say, he described that depressing fact as "no fun," and even the folks that are cleared to make contact with it won't send over anything juicy. Why? They know that messages sent to it "will probably be subject to the presidential records act," so those lucky enough to have the digits are also smart enough to divert their ramblings to Texts From Last Night. But hey, at least hanging in there despite the limitations grants you early access to BlackBerry OS 6, right? Right?
US government lays out cash for wall-based, in-home 'smart meters'
Google has its PowerMeter, Microsoft has its Hohm and Obama has his "smart meters." Got it? Good. Around two years after UK taxpayers began footing the bill for in-home energy monitors, it seems as if America's current administration is looking to follow suit. While visiting the now-open solar facility in Arcadia, Florida today, the Pres announced that $3.4 billion in cash that the US doesn't actually have has just been set aside for a number of things, namely an intelligent power grid and a whole bundle of smart power meters. Aside from boring apparatuses like new digital transformers and grid sensors (both of which are designed to modernize the nation's "dilapidated" electric network), 18 million smart meters and 1 million "other in-home devices" will be installed in select abodes. The idea here is to give individuals a better way to monitor their electricity usage, with the eventual goal set at 40 million installed meters over the next few years. Great idea, guys -- or you know, you could just advise people to turn stuff off when they aren't using it, or not use energy they can't afford. Just sayin'.
White House, Pentagon announce plans for new cybersecurity positions
It's just been a few short months since a proposed bill called for the creation of a National Cybersecurity Advisor, but it looks like there's now not one but two new positions in the offing, with both the Pentagon and President Obama himself announcing plans for some newly elevated offices charged with keeping the nation's networks secure. While a specific "Cybersecurity Czar" hasn't yet been named, the White House position will apparently be a member of both the National Security Council and National Economic Council and, in addition to coordinating U.S. response in the event of a major attack, the office will also be tasked with protecting privacy and civil liberties. Details on the new Pentagon office, on the other hand, are expectedly even less specific although, according to The New York Times, it'll be a military command that will work to coordinate efforts now scattered across the four armed services, and will apparently serve as complement to the civilian office in the White House.Read - Reuters, "Obama to name White House cybersecurity czar"Read - The New York Times, "Pentagon Plans New Arm to Wage Cyberspace Wars"[Thanks, Ryan]
President Obama offers iPod to the Queen of England
No, this isn't an April Fool's joke. President Obama met today at Buckingham Palace with the Queen, and our forward thinking commander-in-chief brought along a little tech for gifting purposes. Obama presented Elizabeth II with an iPod containing video from her 2007 visit to the States. In return, the first family received what is apparently a standard present for visiting dignitaries to the Palace -- a silver-framed photo of the Queen and her husband. At a glance, it seems like Obama has a thing for gadgets (and related media); he recently handed off a set of DVDs featuring classic American films to Prime Minister Gordon Brown... who was unable to play them due to incorrect region encoding. Regardless, the Queen appears pleased with the music player, telling the President during their 25 minute tea that she "Finally has something to listen to [her] Pantera records on."
Obama plays BrickBreaker ... on a military-grade smartphone
Bastion of hard news, Star Magazine, reports that President Obama may have an ulterior motive for wanting his (very fancy) smartphone: gaming. The article quotes a "confidante" who reveals Obama plays BrickBreaker on the device "to unwind," and that the freshly inaugurated leader does so "every night before bed." The President made news on the gaming front by bringing a Wii into the White House. Obama's high score in BrickBreaker is "around 15,000," according to Star Magazine's source. We hail to the chief, but he's got nothing on this guy.[Via GameCulture]
Engadget Podcast 131 - 01.30.2009
That's right folks, the Engadget Podcast is back for more. Once again, you're treated to the smooth tones of pure gadget goodness, though this week, our compatriot Paul Miller has been felled with a totally minor illness. Taking the controls in Paul's battle pod this round is Engadget Mobile editor Chris Ziegler. Hear Josh, Nilay, and Chris pontificate on the finer points of the week's big stories, including (but not limited to): RIM's new BlackBerry Curve 8900, Obama's old BlackBerry, Windows Mobile 6.5, a possible new Kindle, and Josh's inner-most feelings about childcare. Enjoy! Hosts: Joshua Topolsky, Nilay Patel Special guest host: Chris Ziegler Producer: Trent Wolbe Song: Blitzkrieg Bop 00:02:22 - Apple vs. Palm: the in-depth analysis 00:10:23 - Obama BlackBerry alert: it's a BlackBerry 00:16:00 - T-Mobile BlackBerry Curve 8900 review 00:38:10 - Seemingly real Windows Mobile 6.5 screenshots trickle out of leaky internet faucet 00:54:24 - Amazon to host press event at library, innocently whistling when asked about the Kindle 2 01:02:48 - Verizon Hub hands-on and impressions Subscribe to the podcast [iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (enhanced AAC). [RSS MP3] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically. [RSS AAC] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in enhanced AAC) to your RSS aggregator. [Zune] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune Marketplace Download the podcast LISTEN (MP3) LISTEN (AAC) LISTEN (OGG) Contact the podcast 1-888-ENGADGET or podcast (at) engadget (dot) com.
Obama BlackBerry alert: it's a BlackBerry
Guess what? Obama isn't using the Super Phone 6000. He's using the BlackBerry 8830, by Research In Motion (the photo above was taken today). So much for your shot at the big leagues, Sectera Edge. Maybe next time.
Engadget Podcast 130 - 01.23.2009: Angry rant edition
It is happening again. Once more, the smooth, sultry sounds of Josh, Paul, and Nilay have come to whisk you away to that magical super-land known as the Engadget Podcast. This week, you can hear the editors sound off on a variety of scintillating subjects, including President Obama's BlackBerry, Apple's legal threats, Kodak's new home entertainment ventures, and the (presumed) new HTC G2. So crank up the iTunes visualizer and prepare to be freaked out. Hosts: Joshua Topolsky, Paul Miller, Nilay Patel Producer: Trent Wolbe Song: Never Gonna Give You Up 00:01:10 - Engadget's Netflix HD streaming shootout 00:18:18 - Kodak's Theatre HD Player with gyro-based Pointer Remote unboxed and reviewed 00:29:25 - HTC's G2 "Sapphire 2.0" caught slumming in the wilds 00:40:03 - Apple on smartphone competition: "if others rip off our intellectual property, we will go after them." 00:54:19 - Confirmed: Obama gets his BlackBerry, no Sectera Edge in sight 01:01:43 - Best Buy Advice Subscribe to the podcast [iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (enhanced AAC). [RSS MP3] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically. [RSS AAC] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in enhanced AAC) to your RSS aggregator. [Zune] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune Marketplace Download the podcast LISTEN (MP3) LISTEN (AAC) LISTEN (OGG) Contact the podcast 1-888-ENGADGET or podcast (at) engadget (dot) com.
NASA electric lunar rover struts its stuff for the President
For the Inaugural Parade, NASA astronauts greeted our new President in the style befitting such an august organization (and one that'll take all the funding they can get) by trotting out their Small Pressurized Rover. Hopefully by 2012 this thing will be spending less time cruising around Washington DC and more time on the lunar surface, where it can support two intrepid explorers for up to two weeks at a time. It sure looks cramped, but man, what a view! Check out some video of the thing in action -- in the nation's capital and in the wild -- after the break.[Via Billionaire Boys Club]
Confirmed: Obama gets his BlackBerry, no Sectera Edge in sight
At Robert Gibbs' first press conference as President Obama's Press Secretary, the most important and heated debate of our time has been put to rest. According to Gibbs, Obama will be able to keep his BlackBerry, though only a limited number of senior staff and personal contacts will have access to his email address, and the data on the handheld will be subject to the Presidential Records Act. There was no mention of the NSA or the Sectera Edge, though he does mention some enhanced security. In Gibbs' words:"The President has a BlackBerry through a compromise that allows him to stay in touch with senior staff and a small group of personal friends in a way that use will be limited and the security is enhanced to ensure his ability to communicate, but to do so effectively and to do so in a way that's protected."Finally, a clear indication that for the first time in the 21st century, the President of the United States will act like it's the 21st century. You can watch it all go down in the video after the break -- just crank it to about 45:30. Now, on to this economic stuff we keep hearing about...[Thanks, Vipul]
Dear Mainstream Media: Obama's new phone might not be a BlackBerry, might not be a phone, and he might not be getting it
digg_url = 'http://digg.com/2008_us_elections/Obama_s_new_phone_isn_t_a_BlackBerry_might_not_be_a_phone'; This morning we've been barraged with tips alerting us to the news that President Obama has won his struggle to keep his (apparently deeply loved) BlackBerry -- a device which has historically been verboten in the White House due to security concerns. Unfortunately for the mainstream media outlets, a little conflation here and a little lack of fact-checking there does not a BlackBerry make. Just about everyone -- straight up to CNN and the AP -- are sourcing a post by Marc Ambinder in the Atlantic stating that Obama is "going to get his blackberry [sic]," though the actual news may be far different. Ambinder seems to be conflating two stories which he doesn't source at all, one saying that the NSA will jack-up Obama's BlackBerry with some kind of "super-encryption package," and the other stating that the President will get a Sectera Edge -- an NSA approved (but not issued) device we reported he might be getting last week. Here's the news in the exact (confusing) wording Ambinder uses:On Monday, a government agency that the Obama administration -- but that is probably the National Security Agency -- added to a standard blackberry a super-encryption package.... and Obama WILL be able to use it ... still for routine and personal messages.With few exceptions, government Blackberries aren't designed for encryption that protects messages above the "SECRET" status, so it's not clear whether Obama is getting something new and special. The exception: the Sectera Edge from General Dynamics, which allows for TOP SECRET voice conversations.The problem is that Ambinder (and the mainstream media) doesn't seem to know the difference between some NSA smartphone and an actual RIM BlackBerry... and there's a big difference. Of course, we won't tell MSM (or even solo bloggers) how to do their job, but we think there's some serious air-clearing called for here. We have yet to hear official word on what, if any, device Obama will be using in the White House, and recombining two separate pieces of information that may not be related (or fully understood) seems lazy at best, and dangerous at worst.Read - Obama Will Get His BlackberryRead - Obama 'to get spy-proof smartphone'Read - No decision on whether Obama will keep BlackBerryRead - Obama thinks he can keep his BlackBerry
Obama sported bulletproof suit for inaugural proceedings?
Apparently, the Photosynth glitching and iPhone-like GPS blip on CNN weren't the only high tech actions in play at President Obama's inauguration yesterday. According to one of our favorite daily reads, Officer.com, the Prez was wearing "bullet-resistant clothing," which experts (and sci-fi fanatics) are taking to mean a bullet-proof suit. The folks over at Slate speculate that he might have been adorned in an outfit manufactured by MIguel Caballero, a Colombian company that specializes in bullet-resistant gear like leather jackets, windbreakers, and yes... ruffled tuxedo shirts. We'd like to imagine that stuffed into the pocket of that handsome outfit he was sporting was a Kevlar handkerchief -- but listen up Obama: Sasha and Malia are not going to be down with that bulletproof backpack.Update: VBS.tv went down to Colombia and actually tested out Caballero's wares -- check out a video after the break.[Via Wired]
