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Spy bill passes Senate with carrier immunity
Tape up those mitts and put on your thinking caps kids, it's time for an intellectual rumble. Today's subject: the Senate's overwhelming reauthorization of Gee Dubs domestic spying powers with a new measure giving phone companies retroactive immunity from lawsuits. Good thing too (for them) since our AT&T, VZW, and Sprint collaborators have racked up about 40 lawsuits accusing them of violating USitizen's privacy rights. The bill now goes to the House. If they reject it or fail to pass the measure this week, then the temporary surveillance powers activated after 11 September, 2001 will expire on the House floor. So what's it going to be, live free or die or give up some civil liberties in good faith to your government? Your state representatives would like to know. P.S. For those following the election: McCain voted for telco immunity, Obama against, and Clinton didn't vote at all even though she was in the area for Tuesday's primaries. Voter Roll-call (a "Yea" is a vote to strike the immunity provision)
Senators intro wireless consumer protection bill, industry complains
A continuation of earlier sessions on the subject, Senators Amy Klobuchar and Jay Rockefeller have introduced legislation this month that could throw a rather hefty monkey wrench at the contracts and early termination fees wireless subscribers have come to know and love loathe. Known as the "Cellphone Consumer Empowerment Act of 2007," the proposed bill takes swings at virtually every aspect of carriers' billing practices, limiting what fees can be listed on statements, capping contract termination charges, and giving the FCC more direct control over handset locking practices. Naturally, the CTIA and its members are less than thrilled with the proposed law, arguing that it'll lead to higher bills (quite the opposite effect the legislation's sponsors had in mind) and that consumer complaints levied against carriers on the already decline without government intervention anyway. Grab some popcorn and have a seat, folks; this won't all get resolved for a hot minute or two.
Lawmakers worried over digital TV transition
It's one thing to fret over the estimated $1.5 billion Congress has to set aside to pay for the "coupon program" to aid Americans in the analog-to-digital transition of 2009, but now lawmakers are "worried that too few of us know that the analog TVs we have been using for years could become big cathode-ray paperweights after February 18, 2009." Essentially, those in power feel that "too little is being done to get the message across," and that quite a few disgruntled individuals could be smacked with a reality check of gigantic proportions if no one tells them beforehand. According to a poll released by the Association for Public Television Stations earlier this year, some 61-percent of those surveyed had "no idea" the shutoff would even take place, so we'd expect a commercial blitz to give your fast-forward finger a workout in the coming months.
SWG gets a Galactic Senate, we get Community Managers?
I know what you're thinking over there. You don't care about Star Wars Galaxies. Maybe you played it for a while, caught up in the release hype -- or maybe you were too smart to get caught up in the hype in the first place. But either way, it's hard to see how SWG has many subscribers these days -- though they obviously have at least enough to keep the game running. However, despite the game's flaws, its recent implementation of a player-run Galactic Senate is an interesting idea. The senate is comprised of 32 players, nominated by the player-base, but selected, in the end, by Sony Online Entertainment's community team, so it's not a completely democratic process.And what can a senator do? They get to vote on "legislation" proposed by the SOE community team and can "request a redress of issues by the development team." Very nice -- and an interesting implementation of direct player interaction with the development team. In World of Warcraft, I suppose the system does work similarly -- enough reasonable player complaints on on the forums will get the attention of the CMs who will be able to bring up issues with the developers. And with SOE selecting the senators, they may have no more overall influence than our own forum posters.
Senate passes energy bill, hopes to up mileage standards
While we've seen everything from brilliant engineering to run-of-the-mill hacks enable vehicles to squeeze every last inch out of a tank of fuel, it looks like the Senate is taking larger strides in order to raise the MPG bar. The US Senate has reportedly passed an energy bill that would raise fuel efficiency standards to an average of 35 miles-per-gallon, create additional provisions that make it unlawful to charge "unconscionably excessive" prices for oil products, and establish new appliance and lighting efficiency standards to accelerate the use of more efficient lighting in public buildings. Lastly, there was purportedly verbiage that provided "grants, loan guarantees, and other assistance to promote research into fuel efficient vehicles." Of course, the bill still has quite a ways to go before it gets set in stone, and while upping the standard sure seems novel, a quick glance around existing lots will show that quite a few whips sold today aren't quite living up to the 22.7 mpg standard that's already in place.[Via Digg, image courtesy of MPGStickers]
Genetic discrimination ban edges closer to reality
By a fairly wide 420-3 margin, the House of Representatives gave a nearly unanimous thumbs-up to the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, which would "prohibit employers from using genetic information or test results when making employment and health benefits decisions" if it gets a similar nod of approval from the Senate. Fortunately for supporters, the Senate has been known to look fondly upon similar legislation in the past, and if the bill becomes law, health insurers couldn't use "genetic information to set premiums," nor could they require customers to submit genetic tests. Essentially, this could ensure that any future human mutation hacks you inflict on yourself, or more frightening, any robotic humanoid whose genes would find it out, will be safe from scrutiny come interview time. It's about time to order up that oh-so-keen intelligent carpet, right, hiring managers?[Via Wired]
Iowa senator tells colleagues to stop playing games
Usually when a politician talks about video games, they're worried about the deleterious effects they have on children. At least one politician, though, is just as worried about the computer gaming problem among his fellow politicians.The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports on freshman Iowa State Senator Bill Heckroth, who chastised his fellow senators last week for playing games like Solitaire on state-issued laptops during floor debate. Heckroth, who noticed the illicit game-playing while watching proceedings from the gallery with visiting family, worried that the gaming might hurt the reputation of the senators among those watching from above. "I just got to thinking that just doesn't look real professional," he said on the senate floor last Thursday. "You hear enough bad things about being a politician."Veteran lawmakers were relatively blasé about the problem "Freshmen are always shocked by what goes on," said senate minority leader Mary Lundby. "Next year he won't even mention it. He'll probably be playing games."Related: Federal judge caught playing solitaire during a trial
Senator Brownback brings back game bill
Presidential hopeful, Kansas Republican Sen. Sam Brownback, has re-introduced a bill that would require the ESRB play every game, all the way through, before assigning a rating. Every nook and cranny of that Thomas' English gaming muffin would have to be explored before slapping a rating on the title.Feel that generation gap widening? This all goes back to our own issues of not being able to finish games. Forget good games, what about having to finish the bad ones? The very idea of playing a game all the way through before assigning a rating shows how completely out-of-touch the Truth in Video Game Rating Act is. Will Brownback explain on the campaign trail the tax hike required to fund the army necessary to ferret out all the info from these games? The bill would also require the Government Accountability Office to the study the effectiveness of the ESRB and evaluate the potential for an independent system not involved with the video game industry. Imagine if the ESRB said they just couldn't afford the manpower required. The U.S. government would have to make the Department of Video Game Rating Security.
Senators pushing for more limitations on internet / satellite radio recording
It seems that satellite radio just can't catch a break, as the RIAA and its indirect constituents apparently have a perpetual target set on crippling services associated with recording content. Yet again satellite radio (along with internet radio) is under fire, and this time a number of senators are pushing "rules embedded in a copyright bill, called the Platform Equality and Remedies for Rights Holders in Music Act," which could "restrict listeners' ability to record and play back individual songs." Furthermore, the act calls for streams to be laced with "reasonably available copy-protection" so that timeshifting material becomes next to impossible (and illegal, too), and that portable recording devices such as the much-debated XM Inno and Sirius S50 would no longer allow "automatic recording." The reasoning stems from a belief that satellite / internet radio should still be a "passive experience," presumably forcing us to look backwards rather than forward in radio technologies, and proponents of the agenda somehow insinuate that enforcing these rules will curb "music theft." Unsurprisingly, the RIAA "applauded the effort and urged Congress to make passing the legislation a top priority this year," while most everyone else on the planet (including spokespersons for XM and the Home Recording Rights Coalition) is balking at what would potentially make satellite / internet radio less accessible to desiring consumers. While we've no idea how quickly action will be taken on these newly surfaced guidelines, we can all rest assured that our representatives will devote every waking hour to this here issue until it's finalized and implemented, at least if the RIAA has anything to do with it.
University of Florida students grumble over Cingular service
While Cingular has claimed that its GSM network integration with AT&T Wireless is complete (thus more reliable), and throws out a bajillion advertisements gloating about the "independent research" proving the company's lack of dropped calls, you'd probably have a hard time convincing the Florida Gators that those statements are entirely accurate. While we know that Engadget has been banned from Cingular's forums, there's no denying the bevy of complaints from UF students regarding the atrocious service around the Gainesville campus. Things got so bad that students rallied around the issue of Cingular improving its service, finally escalating it to the Student Senate, where unfortunately it was voted down after "fierce debate." The resolution called the carrier's service on campus "unacceptable," and cited problems ranging from consistently dropping calls to receiving error messages when trying to dial out. When local Cingular representatives were asked to comment on the outcry, they reportedly blamed the students "lack of reporting problems" as the culprit, curiously omitting the entire debacle that just went down. Nevertheless, we don't expect the members of the Swamp to take this subpar play laying down, but you may want to think twice about which provider to snap up if you're headed to UF next fall.[Thanks, Anthony]
Proposed legislation: ESRB must complete every game
Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS) has proposed a bill that would require the ESRB to play games in their entirety before providing a rating. This, like so much other legislation, establishes how little the government knows about games, making us concerned when it tries to legislate gaming.The punch-line, as you've guessed, is that there's not enough time for the ESRB to play every game. That's like asking a chef to make every possible meal before rating a restaurant. And how do you decide when an MMO, or even a repetitive game like Tetris, is complete?Under the current rating system, publishers provide the ESRB with video of the gameplay and detailed information about a game's content. The ESRB may also play the game, but the group relies most on publishers' full disclosure. If the publisher lies about the game, that company faces fines and the possibility that the ESRB won't rate its future releases. (Most major chains won't stock unrated titles.)Legislation like this, where our representatives don't understand the subject of their bills, makes us uncomfortable. We hope that logic will end this proposal, but logic seems to evaporate the closer we get to Congressional elections.[Via: Digg]
Did video games lose it for Lieberman?
Was support for video game regulation a significant factor in Joe Lieberman's primary loss to Ned Lamont in yesterday's Democratic Connecticut Senate primary? That's the theory put forth by one blogger, who says that the young children who remember Lieberman from the 1994 video game hearings are now of voting age and out for revenge!We're not buying it, though. For one thing, 18- to 24-year-olds are a historically unimportant voting bloc -- only 36 percent of them voted in the 2000 presidential election (though this group is growing: 47 percent voted in 2004). For another, exit polls (.pdf) show that issues like the war in Iraq and Lieberman's close relationship with Bush were foremost on voters' minds -- video game issues don't even make a blip.Despite the loss, Lieberman has announced he will still be running as an Independent, which means his vociferous calls for game regulation might yet continue to ring through the Senate. Even if he does lose in November, other Senators like Hillary Clinton have shown they are more than willing to take up the cause.
Verizon FiOS trying to change cable franchising in Pennsylvania
Currently in Pennsylvania, cable franchising involves negotiating a deal with each of the 2,565 municipalities individually. For Verizon, who has laid fiber in about 1,600 of these, getting deals done is a long, slow process making it nearly impossible to quickly move in on their cable competitors. Verizon hasn't actually started offering its FiOS TV service and the included two-dozen or so HDTV channels in Pennsylvania but when they do, they'd like to negotiate one deal for the whole state all at once. That's the idea of a bill submitted by State Senators Dominic Pileggi and Anthony Williams, proposing the creation of a single state-administered uniform agreement for anyone offering video services. The President of Verizon Pennsylvania stated their network could carry everything the cable companies have and up to 220 high definition channels at the same time, while cable in the area is limited to only twelve. Of course we're still -- anxiously -- waiting for there to be 220 HDTV channels but you get the point.Naturally, the resident cable companies sort of like the system the way it is, arguing that change will take power away from local communities, give Verizon an unfair advantage and don't see change as necessary. Any HD Beat Pennsylvania readers plan on stopping by Penn State's Delco campus August 8th and pleading for 220 HDTV channels giving the legislature a piece of their mind?
Broadcast Flag sneaks into telecom bill
Those MPAA types are sure a bunch of kidders. After having their Broadcast Flag thoroughly trounced in court, and die many deaths in Congress, they've managed to hide it in a 151 page telecommunications bill. They've even gone with a particularly egregious version, since they were hoping nobody would notice. Not only is it paired with the Audio Flag, but it makes no real exceptions for fair use, and while we're sure The Little Engine That Could would be proud of the perseverance on display here, we have to say these attempts are getting a bit old. The good news is that grassroots efforts are already underway to help you contact your Senator and give him or her a good talking to, Senator Sununu will be offering an amendment to strike the Flag portions from the bill, and the kind folks at Public Knowledge have thrown together a nice list of talking points to fuel consumer side of the debate. We're sure this isn't the last effort we'll see of the Broadcast Flag, but the attempts are sure seeming a bit more desperate.
US house Reps approve net neutrality bill, reveal semblance of sanity
We aren't out of the woods yet, but a U.S. House of Representatives panel has approved the net neutrality bill, a controversial proposal that would prohibit broadband providers from restricting access and impairing the speed of their competitors' content. Many feel this bill is crucial for market competitiveness and preserving the democratic nature of the internet. But instead of inciting a debate here at TUAW about a bill that is already setting media outlets everywhere ablaze, I'll just point you to a few resources to learn more about the issues, such as the Network neutrality Wikipedia entry, a Wired article and Macworld's report of the recent bill approval.
Patent system changes in the works?
It doesn't take the intellect of a US Senator to notice that there's something wrong with our patent system, but it looks like those Senators might finally do something about it. Nothing has even made it out of committee yet, so the actual passage of a patent reform bill still seems quite far off, but there is definite talk going on in Washington as to what patent reform would look like, and there seems to be enough common ground for some good to come of it. The leaders of an intellectual property panel within the Senate's Judiciary Committee had a hearing Tuesday to discuss ideas for new patent legislation, and it was well attended by panelists from tech, pharmaceutical, biotech, independent inventors, academics, and finance. There was plenty to say, and it seems most agree that there needs to be a new system to allow challenges to patents shortly after they're approved in order to avoid costly litigation later on. Tech and financial service companies are also pulling for a second "window" to allow them to dispute patents once a patent infringement suit is filed, something that would've probably aided RIM in their recent fight. Not everyone else is so hot about this idea, so we'll see if this makes it into the final legislation, but it seems any action towards reform would be helpful at this point, so we'll take what we can get.
VG Voters send Senate 20K notes; survey up
New members to the Video Game Voters Network received an e-mail this morning letting them know that nearly 20,000 messages were sent to U.S. Senators from concerned gamers in just over a week's time.What were basically sent were form letters, addressed to the appropriate Senators, telling them not to restrict video games, and concluding with the gaming voter's name and address at the end. It looks like the more effective mailing of handwritten letters will be left up to the concerned citizens themselves.Also noted in the e-mail was a survey meant to "help [them] better target and personalize the action alerts [they] send to you." While it's up to you whether you want to share your demographic information and gaming-blog contributions with a political network (even a game-oriented one), it would probably help refine the organization's strategy in who to approach for help and how. The full letter this blogger received follows.See also: Video Game Voters Network: 10,000 strong in first week VGVN's "Contact Congress/Your Senators!" page [with form letter]
