The Morning After: Friday, February 10 2017
Counting the pennies.
Welcome to the end of the week. Read how the new FCC chairman is already making moves when it comes to net neutrality and cable TV reform, Samsung's new (expensive) 4K TVs and how hundreds of thousands of artworks are free online, courtesy of the Met. Oh and the secret to dancing is that it's all in the hips. Science says so.
A summary of Ajit Pai's first two weeks as head of the FCC
The new FCC chairman has been quite busy. He's allocated $170 million in federal funding to cable companies to build out broadband infrastructure in New York State, suppressed a project to reform the cable box market and decided to let mobile carriers keep "zero-rating" certain content.
The future of STEM education is cloudy under Betsy DeVos
Senator Al Franken says that our newly-confirmed secretary of education "has a long history of dangerously anti-science views and has deep connections with anti-science organizations." That background, plus a lack of experience, has many people concerned about the future of science education in the US.
LG wins $168 million lawsuit against knockoff headphone makers
Last year LG filed a $200 million lawsuit against companies producing counterfeit versions of its wraparound Tone headsets. Now, the presiding judge has spoken. While the amount the company was awarded wasn't as high as it asked for, $168 million for damages plus court costs and interest isn't anything to sneeze at. LG says it will continue to pursue "those who choose to make and peddle counterfeits, knockoffs and look-alikes."
Samsung's QLED 4K TVs will start at $2,500
Samsung is now taking pre-orders for its Q7 and Q8 sets, starting at $2,500 for thee 55-inch, non-curved model. In case that's not big enough, you could shell out $6,000 for a 75-inch Q7 or $4,500 for the curved Q8. What's missing from this list is the flagship Q9 panels, which Samsung still hasn't revealed pricing for. Expect it to be more expensive.
Use 375,000 images from the Met however you want, for free
The Met has put up 375,000 public-domain artwork images online for free, unrestricted use. The new "Open Access" policy, based on Creative Commons Zero (CC0), means bloggers, schools and businesses alike can use them without even the need for attribution. "Increasing access to the Museum's collection and scholarship serves the interests and needs of our 21st-century audiences," said Met CEO Thomas P. Campbell
Volvo melds technology and luxury in its XC90 T8 hybrid
You might buy a Volvo because you were practical and possibly a bit paranoid about other drivers slamming into you. But the Swedish automaker has been working hard to make its cars not only safe but also stylish and high-tech. That work has culminated in its hybrid XC90 T8 luxury SUV. Roberto Baldwin says it combines style, technology and safety into a package that you would have never expected from the Swedish automaker a few decades ago.
