barackobama
Latest
Senate to vote on net neutrality repeal today, Obama counters with a veto threat (update: 52-46 vote in favor of net neutrality)
The US Senate is slated to vote on a repeal of the FCC's controversial net neutrality regulations today, just a few days before they're scheduled to go into effect. Today's vote, like most these days, is expected to be divided along party lines, with most Democrats standing in favor of the rules, and Republicans calling for them to be overturned. Texas Republican Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson, who sponsored the resolution, claims that the FCC's regulations would obstruct innovation and investment by jeopardizing the openness upon which the web has thrived, thus far. "The internet and technology have produced more jobs in this country than just about any other sector," Hutchinson argued. "It has been the cradle of innovation, it does not have a problem, and it does not need fixing." Senate Republicans aren't the only ones taking issue with the rules, either. Both Verizon and MetroPCS have already publicly aired their grievances, with the former filing a formal appeal in late September. But Senate Commerce Chairman Jay Rockefeller believes the GOP-led opposition won't be strong enough to overcome his Democratic majority. "There's still 53 of us, and if we stay together we'll win," Rockefeller said. "I think we're going to prevail." Even if they don't, they'll still have the backing of the White House, which has already threatened to veto the resolution, should it survive past the Senate floor. "It would be ill-advised to threaten the very foundations of innovation in the Internet economy and the democratic spirit that has made the Internet a force for social progress around the world," the White House said in a statement, adding that the FCC's rules provide an "effective but flexible" means of preserving the web's intrinsically wild, wild west nature. Rockefeller, however, certainly isn't banking on a presidential veto to bail his party out. "You can take the cheap way out and just say, 'What if we fail, then Obama will veto it,'" he explained. "But that speaks so badly of us." All told, it's shaping up to be another net neutrality showdown on the Hill, but we'll keep you updated on the latest developments. Update: It wasn't an overwhelming victory, but the Senate today rejected the attempt to repeal the FCC's net neutrality rules in a 52 to 46 vote that fell largely along party lines.
US Senate passes patent system reform bill, Obama expected to sign into law
Think it's time to change our patent system? So does Congress. Yesterday, the Senate approved the America Invents Act by an 89-8 vote that could bring about the most drastic changes to the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in five decades. Under the bill, which the House approved back in June, patents would be awarded not to the first person to invent a technology, but to the first one to actually file with the USPTO, bringing US policy in line with protocol adopted in most other countries. It also calls for a streamlined application process and would allow the USPTO to charge set fees for all apps. The revenue generated from these fees would go directly to a capped reserve fund, allowing the office to retain the lion's share of the money, rather than funneling much of it to Congress, as had become the norm. Supporters say this extra revenue will give the USPTO more power to chip away at its backlog of some 700,000 patent applications, while a new third-party challenge system will help eliminate patents that should've never received approval in the first place. Opponents, meanwhile, criticized the bill for not eliminating fee diversion altogether (an amendment that would've placed more severe restrictions was ultimately killed, for fear that it would jeopardize the bill's passage), with Washington Democratic Senator Maria Cantwell questioning the legislation's impact on small businesses, calling it "a big corporation patent giveaway that tramples on the rights of small inventors." But Senator Patrick Leahy, a Vermont Democrat who sponsored the bill, argued that yesterday's approval marks a major and historic inflection point in US patent policy: The creativity that drives our economic engine has made America the global leader in invention and innovation. The America Invents Act will ensure that inventors large and small maintain the competitive edge that has put America at the pinnacle of global innovation. This is historic legislation. It is good policy. The America Invents Act will now make its way to President Obama's desk, where it's expected to receive his signature. For more background on the legislation, check out the links below.
Barack Obama and the iPad-in-Chief
US President Barack Obama has been well-known for his love of RIM's BlackBerry, at least until last year when he admitted that the device is now "no fun" because of the security strictures he faces as Commander-in-Chief. The President has also said that technology in the White House is "30 years behind," with a lack of "really cool phones and stuff." The President recently admitted he got an iPad, but until a recent photo, it wasn't clear whether he got the old model or the new iPad 2. Consider this mystery solved, because based on this photo of him boarding Marine One it's clear the President is toting around a brand-new iPad 2, complete with a Smart Cover. The iPad-in-Chief We're still not sure what the President uses his iPad for, though it's funny to picture the world's most powerful politician playing Angry Birds on Air Force One while the "football" sits nearby. It seems Apple's device has been cleared by White House security, which typically is not an easy feat -- the President reportedly had trouble getting clearance for his BlackBerry. If you work for a company whose IT department has been reticent about letting the iPad in, you've now got some potent ammunition for your counterargument. Thanks for the tip, Alex!
President Obama complains White House technology is '30 years behind'
President Obama may be content using a slightly outdated (though admittedly secure) BlackBerry while on the go, but it seems that he's far more disappointed in the technology at the White House itself. Speaking at a fundraiser in Chicago this week, Obama said that "when it comes to technology, we are like 30 years behind," and he's not just talking about some ancient Windows desktops left over from the previous administration in the West Wing. He went on to complain about the lack of "really cool phones and stuff," saying, "I'm the president of the United States. Where's the fancy buttons and stuff and the big screen comes up? It doesn't happen." Maybe he can get some of his new tech industry friends to help him out with that if he manages to settle in for a second term. Update: Microsoft thinks it has a fix, offering our BlackBerry-in-chief his choice of WP7 handsets. Might we suggest the Arrive?
Shocker! President Obama owns an iPad and computer, won't have to borrow yours (video)
Barack Obama is quite likely the most computer literate president (which isn't saying much) these united states have ever had. So it's really no surprise to hear that the BlackBerry wielding prez also owns an iPad and, gasp, his own computer -- except, perhaps, to Univision's Jorge Ramos. Obama's incredulous stare and jocular response to the questions are as hilarious as they are candid in their casual delivery. See for yourselves in the video after the break.
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.
Caption Contest: Obama has dinner with tech industry CEOs
Barack Obama is a president well known for being in touch with technology, so it's no surprise to see him wining and dining the industry's biggest decision makers. Larry Ellison, Eric Schmidt, Carol Bartz, Mark Zuckerberg, and yes, even Steve Jobs joined el presidente for an informal dinner on Thursday to discuss important things like jobs, education, and research spending. We're not here for that, though, we're here to drop zingers about one all-powerful dude and his big-time CEO buddies. Thomas: "Here's to project Soylent Green." Joe: "This sure beats the Four Loko Summit we held last summer on the White House lawn." Chris: "So let's just jam through this dinner real quick." Josh T: "I hope no one authorizes a 'kill switch' on this party." Paul: "At this very moment we're millions of miles from a doomed planet Earth!" Nilay: "Gentlemen, Ballmer has neutralized the Finnish threat." Richard Lai: "Drink up, kids -- it's Dance Central time!" Tim: "Zuck, it's like Final Club, except with the President."
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.
Obama's State of the Union address goes Web 2.0
Tonight, President Obama will deliver the annual State of the Union address, and while partisan politics (and some great shots of various people nodding off) will rule the night, the US government is getting into the Web 2.0 game in a big way tonight. The speech -- scheduled for 9:00 pm ET -- will be streamed live on the web, and immediately following said speech, the White House will host an 'Open for Questions' event on Twitter making use of the hashtag #sotu, while other government officials will answer questions submitted on Facebook, as well as the White House website's webform. On Thursday night, the President will also answer questions on YouTube. We'll let you know if and when the government hatches a plan to answer questions on Yahoo! Answers. [Image Credit: Pete Souza for the White House]
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]
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 pledges another $800 million for broadband stimulus
Usually, when we see "stimulus" and "broadband" in the same sentence it's because someone turned off our Google SafeSearch filter, but today we have one such item that is totally safe for work. According to Information Week, the $7.2 billion in broadband grants and loans that we've already seen will be buttressed by an additional $800 million. A total of sixty-six new infrastructure projects (with up to 5,000 new jobs created in the process) are planned to launch in every state of the union (and Washington DC to boot). That is, of course, if the congressional appropriations committee doesn't siphon off $602 million of it to offset the cost of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. "Once we emerge from the immediate crisis, the long-term economic gains to communities that have been left behind in the digital age will be immeasurable," President Obama said in the announcement.
White House throws its weight behind wireless broadband, wants 500MHz of spectrum reallocated
Ask, and ye shall receive, FCC: hot off Julius Genachowski's National Broadband Plan asking for 500MHz of additional spectrum to keep up with anticipated demand over the coming years, the White House appears to be totally on board with an Obama-penned memorandum out today demanding that federal agencies under his control get on board, while also "strongly encouraging" independent agencies to do the same. This isn't some open-ended, pie-in-the-sky deal, either; the 500MHz needs to be turned loose in the next ten years, and the president wants a plan on his desk -- penned with the help of the FCC -- by October 1 of this year on exactly how to make that happen. It's looking more and more like at least some privately-held spectrum is going to need to be reallocated involuntarily, but there's a lot of underused and unused airspace out there right now, so it'll be interesting to see if these guys can comply with the order in a drama-free manner. Follow the break for the full text of the memorandum.
White House releases economic report as e-book
Looking for a bit of light reading this weekend? Then look no further than the 400+ pages of the Economic Report of the President (the hotly anticipated sequel to the Economic Report of the President) which, for the first time, has been made available as a free e-book. That includes versions ready to be delivered to your Kindle or Nook (the former of which is already sitting at #46 on the bestseller list), and an ePub version for Sony readers and other devices. Will this be the final step that truly pushes e-books into the mainstream? Probably not. But if this rapid adoption of technology by the White House is any indication, we could well see weekly Presidential addresses in 3D next year. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
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'.
Walt Disney World unveils incredibly scary, robotic version of President Obama
His likeness is so... unlike him, so incredibly, terrifyingly creepy (and yet still impressive all the same).
With a week to go, Obama urges the remaining few to make DTV preparations
Just in case you were living in fear of another last minute switch on the digital TV transition date, be at ease, President Obama issued a statement urging those who aren't ready yet to prepare as there will be no further delays, and for those of us in the know to make sure that people around the way are getting the message. With a week to go (again) is there anyone still reading this that hasn't gotten their digital TV future straightened out yet?
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]
Crapgadget: No wonder the economy sucks edition
While we here at Engadget are doing everything in our power to get this philosophical "economy" back "on track," it's items like these that aren't doing anything to help. No innovation. No stimulating capabilities. No utility at all, really. Just a webcam that scans business cards, an MP3 player shaped like a cow and a flash drive that's absolutely not certified for circulation by the Democratic National Committee. Though, we must say that they're all tailor made for Crapgadget, which is (just barely) good enough for us -- drop your vote for the lamest below! Read - CowCow MP3 player Read - 4-Port Soccer Ball USB Hub Read - MSI StarCam Flip Webcam Read - USB Bird Fan Read - Bling Bling USB Card Reader Read - Obama Flash Drive %Poll-29537%
National Broadband Plan to bring high-speed access to all Americans... ideally
Hey, what do you know? All those meetings over the proposed National Broadband Plan has amounted to something: a "yeah, we should probably hit this up." Today, the FCC has kicked off an immensely ambitious project to bring "high-speed internet access to every corner of the United States." $7.2 billion of the economic stimulus package has already been allocated for the task, but it'll be ages before anything becomes of this. For starters, the FCC is asking for input from consumers, businesses, etc, yet it doesn't require a response until February of 2010. Meanwhile, nations like South Korea, Japan and Australia are all looking to implement similar rollouts, albeit with much higher speeds. You see, the FCC currently defines "broadband" as 786Kpbs, which obviously isn't anywhere near median rates in some of the aforementioned countries. Pardon our skepticism in this becoming a reality, but at least we'll be extra elated if our rock-bottom expectations are met.
