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FCC releases interactive map for latest Broadband Progress Report
The FCC has been providing regular updates on the progress of broadband rollout in the United States for some time now, but it's gone a bit further for its latest Broadband Progress Report. It's now also released in a new web-based interactive map that lets you zoom in on broadband availability county-by-county to get a better picture of all that data, with details on things like population, income and access to different types of broadband provided for each area. In case you missed it, the report itself found that 19 million Americans lack access to any sort of fixed broadband service, and that a further 100 million haven't subscribed to a broadband service even in areas where it is available. You can find an embedded version of the map after the break, or a larger version at the source link below.
YouTube's Elections Hub is a one-stop channel for the latest US political happenings
In case you haven't noticed, it's election year in the US of A. And while we already have a slight idea of which political party your beloved neighbors prefer, why not have an all-inclusive video hub to keep you updated with the latest action taking place on the road toward America's historical White House. Here's where YouTube comes in. The Google-owned service announced earlier today the creation of its Elections Hub, which it's dubbing as the "one-stop channel for key political moments" happening now and all the way until the final US election day on the 6th of November. Naturally, the social vid giant's teamed up with some of the biggest outfits around to bring live and on-demand content to the Elections 2012 channel, including ABC News, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and, for the spanish-speaking crowd, Univision. Regardless of who's landing your worthy, priceless vote, this should be a great corner of the internet to keep you in the loop during this year's Stateside political battle.
Judge rules Facebook users can share friends' profiles with the feds
It's not the backdoor access that the FBI has been pushing for, but US District Judge William Pauley III has now ruled that it and other law enforcement agencies are entitled to view your Facebook profile if one of your "friends" gives them permission to do so. As GigaOm reports, that ruling comes as part of a New York City racketeering trial, in which one of the accused, Melvin Colon, had tried to suppress evidence turned up on Facebook that led to his indictment. That information was obtained through an informant who gave investigators access to the profile, something that Colon had argued violated his rights against unreasonable searches and seizures under the Fourth Amendment. In the ruling, Judge Pauley dismissed that claim, likening the Facebook access instead to a phone wiretap in which one person on the call allows the government to monitor it -- a practice that has been ruled constitutional. GigaOm also has the ruling in its entirety at the source link below for those interested.
Census Bureau releases first mobile app, offers real-time stats on the US economy
The US Census Bureau just released its first public API last month, giving web and mobile app makers access to its vast stores of statistics, and it's now also gone the extra mile by releasing its first mobile app. Dubbed America's Economy, the app draws on data from the Department of Commerce and the Department of Labor to provide a real-time picture of the US economy, offering details on everything from the country's gross domestic product to housing sales to the unemployment rate (all presented with the requisite charts and graphs). That's available for Android smartphones and tablets right now, while an iOS app promised in the "coming weeks." It's also the first of three planned apps from the Bureau -- the others are said to be coming over the next several months (both of which will also be available for both Android and iOS).
Federal appeals court says warrantless wiretapping is legal
A federal appeals court has ruled today that the US government can tap into Americans' communications without worrying over frivolous things like "being sued" by its people. In what most sane civilians will probably see as a depressing loss of protection, a three-judge panel of the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that citizens can sue the United States for damages stemming from the use of information collected via wiretap, but not for the collection of information itself. In typical pass-the-buck fashion, Wired reports that Judge Michael Daly Hawkins and Judge Harry Pregerson added the following: "Although such a structure may seem anomalous and even unfair, the policy judgment is one for Congress, not the courts." Alrighty. For those unaware, the back and forth surrounding this issue extends back to Congress' authorization of the Bush spy program in 2008, and more specifically, a pair of US lawyers and the now-defunct al-Haramain Islamic Foundation -- a group that was granted over $2.5 million combined in legal fees after proving that they were spied on sans warrants. The full report can be found in the PDF below.
Strategy Analytics: Android lost US market share in Q2, isn't losing sleep just yet
Android is most definitely on the upward march when it comes to the world stage. But you might be surprised at how it's faring in the US: it's down, according to Strategy Analytics' estimates. As of the second quarter, Google's market share dropped from 60.6 percent a year earlier to 56.3 percent. No one would call it a moment of crisis for Android, but it implies that Apple was drawing in more of the customers jumping ship from other platforms -- the iPhone climbed to 33.2 percent while RIM and others lost ground. The real tests of where the market is going, we imagine, will come in the second half of the year. Apple will have to survive an American summer full of Galaxy S III variants, while Samsung and the rest of the Android camp may have to cope with a bigger than usual iPhone update as 2012 heads into the sunset.
Apple demands $2.02, plus $3.10... equals a total of $2.5 billion in Samsung damages
How big is $2.525 billion when you're Apple? It won't affect living standards in Cupertino, that's for sure, but it's evidently enough to be worth hauling a rival through the US courts. The figure is revealed in Apple's damages claim, submitted in the run-up to its battle with Samsung in California, and is quite separate to other claims in Europe and Australia. If you're not already sick and tired of this feud, then the sums behind that big amorphous total make for curious reading. According to a unit cost breakdown by Foss Patents, Apple wants $2.02 for every previously sold Samsung product that uses "overscroll bounce," another $2.02 for those that allow "tap to zoom and navigate," $3.10 for those that involve a "scrolling API," plus a mega $24 for each and every device that breaks an Apple design patent or trade dress right. That means the bulk of Apple's claim -- as much as $2 billion -- is actually for aesthetic rather than technical infringements. Of course, these figures have no bearing on what the US court may eventually decide to award to either party, and neither do they factor in any strategic value of the blood from Samsung's nose, or the negative PR that can only grow amid such litigious behavior.
Apple's supply chain increases US production
Apple's effect on manufacturing in the Far East is well publicized, but its influence on homegrown companies is not highlighted. A recent report from AppleInsider takes a closer look at lesser-known companies that have benefited from Apple's success with the iPhone and iPad. Besides the high-profile Corning Glass in Kentucky and Samsung plant in Texas, other companies like Avago and Fairfield Semiconductor are in the process of increasing its American operations to meet Apple's demand for smaller components such as custom wireless modules and power supply chips. You can read more about Apple's effect on US manufacturing in this report on AppleInsider's website.
Google brings five California-based US National Parks into Street View
Taking a virtual tour of the Amazon or Antarctica? Totally doable with Street View. But some of America's finest National Parks? Yeah, those have been a long time coming. Today, Google announced the inclusion of five California-based US National Parks in Street View, and for those who haven't had the opportunity (of a lifetime) to visit, they're absolutely worth a look. Starting at the top, Redwoods National Park provides a street level look at some of the world's most mysterious trees, while those looking for even more Treebeard-type characters can point their browser to Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks. Naturally, Yosemite and Joshua Tree (shown above) are included as well, and the 360-degree views Google's cadre of motorcars managed to capture really do a fairly astounding job at capturing the splendor. The toughest part? Knowing which one to traverse first.
Google Nexus 7 tablet gets mid-July arrival dates from Staples in US and Canada
It's no secret that both the 8GB and 16GB variants of Google's Nexus 7 have been set to ship in two to three weeks from pre-orders placed at its Play store. While retailers like Gamestop are also remaining mum on specifics, Staples has stepped up with actual arrival dates on its US and Canadian websites for the 16GB model. Apparently, fast fingers within the United 50 that lay out $250 to reserve one of the Jelly Bean-loaded slates by July 10 can expect it to arrive as early as the 13th -- that said, Staples notes that this "limited quantity" of initial stock is set to ship "between July 12th and July 17th." Heading to Staple's site for the Great White North, the tablet is listed to hit shelves in-stores and online on the 23rd for 259 Canadian dollars, however, there's no word on when online orders might ship. We'd still advise you to take these dates with some NaCl at this point, but it's likely a safe to bet that you'll have yours before August if you place an order soon.
iFixit tears down the Nexus Q: made in the USA, and possibly somewhere else
Is it possible to manufacture a sophisticated wireless-capable device entirely in the United States? That's vaguely the suggestion of Google's jet-black orb, launched last week at the search (and now hardware) giant's I/O event in San Francisco. Now, the Nexus Q is just dying to get undressed, and that's exactly what our iFixit friends have done, revealing each component's country of origin. Perhaps one of the most notable items, the Samsung 16GB moviNAND Flash Memory module, may have been made stateside (Austin, TX), but could also have been produced in Hwaseong, South Korea. Some parts, such as the Ethernet port (China) or optical-out connector (Japan) could only have been imported, as iFixit points out, though others are certainly domestic (a photomicrosensor made in California or Illinois). Ready to dive in yourself to verify those findings? You're not going to want to open this thing up on your own -- there's a bevy of capacitors inside, including one with output in the 400-volt range (a warning label alerts would-be trespassers). You can, however, poke around a bit more at our source link below.
The most expensive internet in America: fighting to bring affordable broadband to American Samoa
"You could argue that there's some value in it." That's New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, speaking candidly during a recent interview at D10 in California. The topic of conversation? Widespread WiFi, and whether or not the government should be the one thinking about its future ubiquity. More specifically, if WiFi hotspots should be treated like "roads or water supply," as aptly stated by AllThingsD's Kara Swisher. This obviously isn't the first time such an idea has crossed the minds of those connected to Washington, D.C. Muni-Fi (municipal wireless networks) projects were all the rage a few years back, but one spectacular failure after another swiftly extinguished that momentum. In more modern times, America (as well as other nations) has sought to solve the "rural broadband" problem, bringing high(er)-speed internet connections to places with a higher bovine population than human. But bringing broadband to places like rural North Dakota seems like an easy chore to a small, but passionate, group of 60,000 sitting some 4,770 miles from San Diego, California. American Samoa may be an unincorporated US territory located closer to pure bliss than the hustle and bustle of Wall Street, but it's no doubt being taken into consideration in recent mapping projects aiming to pinpoint the areas most lacking in terms of digital infrastructure. Unbeknownst to most mainlanders, this fragile island chain is home to the most expensive internet in America, and the political issues surrounding it are astonishing. Head on past the break to learn more on what I discovered.
Google shocker: American web company says web boosted American economy by $500 billion
Who knew that a company which makes a lot of money on the web would be keen to pitch the web as important to the US economy? Google thinks it's as natural as breathing, as it just took significant credit for fueling real-world shopping. About 97 percent of Americans reportedly searched online for a local business -- it's safe to say Google was involved in a lot of those hunts -- and spent an average of nearly $2,000 per person at brick-and-mortar stores last year. The search giant extrapolates to argue that the web pumped about $500 billion into the US economy, even while excluding internet-only sales. That's certainly a staggering number that shows how much of a cornerstone the internet has become for American business, although it comes across as slightly insecure: a company that's reportedly under tight scrutiny from regulators might be eager to show just how much good it's doing for the public in tough economic times.
HTC picks former AT&T exec Mike Woodward as North American president
HTC has been fighting to get a better relationship with US carriers lately, and it may have just chosen a clever (if roundabout) approach: hire one of their executives. As of today, AT&T's former phone portfolio VP Mike Woodward is now HTC's president of its North American division, reporting directly to worldwide sales head Jason Mackenzie. The new position won't necessarily get him any privileged access, but it certainly gives HTC someone who's well versed in what carriers want out of a device launch. We'll have to wait awhile to see what Woodward's strategy will be; suffice it to say that the company wants more One X-level anticipation and fewer of those bumpy, Inspire 4G-like releases.
Made in America: could your next phone be homegrown?
"Made in America." For some reason, my parents -- and the parents of many of my peers -- take great pride in seeing that phrase. I've seen people buy inferior products just because the label on the back proclaimed that it was thrown together in one of our 50 great states instead of across some imaginary line in "another country." Part of me wonders if people actually check to see if said claims are legitimate. As a business graduate, I fully understand the importance of producing goods within one's borders. There's a delicate balance that needs to be struck between imports and exports, and a huge part of a nation's economic growth hinges on how well that balance is executed. I suspect the generation before mine remembers a very different America than the one I've grown up in -- one where smokestacks outnumbered high-rise buildings, and one where jobs requiring steel-toe shoes were more lauded than those requiring a fancy degree and "knowing the right guy." Manufacturing was the backbone of America through some really, really trying times, and there's some sense of national pride that comes along with images of swinging hammers and climbing ladders. "We built this country," as they say.
Google Nexus Q is 'Designed and Manufactured in the U.S.A.'
Google didn't touch on it during its keynote, but The New York Times' John Markoff has the story on one fairly unique feature of its new Nexus Q home media device: the base of the unit proudly boasts that it's "Designed and Manufactured in the U.S.A." That includes an unnamed company in the Midwest that manufactures the metal base and another in Southern California that makes the case, while the device itself was reportedly being assembled just last week at a large factory 15 minutes away from Google's HQ. According to Google, it hopes that people will be willing to pay more for the device as a result ($299, if you missed it), but it has no plans to play up the "Made in the U.S.A." angle in its marketing. Wired also has an in-depth piece of its own on the making of the device -- you can find it linked below as well. Check out our full coverage of Google I/O 2012's opening keynote at our event hub!
Stuxnet pinned on US and Israel as an out-of-control creation
Ever since Stuxnet was discovered, most of the accusing fingers have been pointed at the US, Israel or both, whether or not there was any evidence; it was hard to ignore malware that seemed tailor-made for wrecking Iranian centrifuges and slowing down the country's nuclear development. As it turns out, Occam's Razor is in full effect. An exposé from the New York Times matter-of-factly claims that the US and Israel coded Stuxnet as part of a cyberwar op, Olympic Games, and snuck it on to a USB thumb drive that infected computers at the Natanz nuclear facility. The reason we know about the infection at all, insiders say, is that it got out of control: someone modified the code or otherwise got it to spread through an infected PC carried outside, pushing Obama to either double down (which he did) or back off. Despite all its connections, the newspaper couldn't confirm whether or not the new Flame malware attack is another US creation. Tipsters did, however, deny that Flame is part of the Olympic Games push -- raising the possibility that there are other agencies at work. [Image credit: David Holt, Flickr]
Tim Cook: 'I want there to be' Apple products made in America
Apple CEO Tim Cook is currently being interviewed by AllThingsD's Kara Swisher and Walt Mossberg, and took time to answer the question of whether or not Apple is interested in manufacturing any of its products domestically. While pointing out that it does source components locally, including glass for the iPhone made in Kentucky as well as CPUs for the iPhone and iPad made in Austin, Texas by Samsung, Cook indicated he "hopes" final assembly could be done in the US. Initially repeating "I want there to be [manufacturing in America]," he closed with "we will do as many of these things as we can do [in America], and you can bet that we'll use our influence to do it." Check out our liveblog for all the quotes on this and more, unless of course you're already planning a trip through the rolling hills of Kentucky to stock up on back glass for your iPhone.
Nokia confirms intent to bring unlocked 808 PureView handset to North America (update)
Nokia's major focal points within the US market may currently be its Lumia 900 and Windows Phone, but that doesn't mean it's planning to leave its other notable offerings outside of Uncle Sam's borders. Speaking with PC Mag, Nokia executive Chris Weber explained that the company aims to offer its current Belle-rocking, imaging-champ, the 41-megapixel 808 PureView, north of Mexico in the "next couple of months." That's rather unsurprising, considering it recently passed through the underground testing-chambers of the FCC. Unlike the Lumia, however, this mega-phone will only be sold unlocked, naturally sporting AT&T bands (possibly others, too. See the update below) for connectivity. While we're still eager to find out more detailed availability information, you can now rest assured that you'll soon be able to capture highly detailed photos of your freedom fries to post on Tumblr. Update: PC Mag's Sascha Segan wrote in the comments below to clarify this device's likely connectivity options: Weber said he was sure the phone would support AT&T. He didn't refer specifically to any frequency bands or say the phone wouldn't support any other carrier. I presume it's going to be the international model, so it'll be any carrier the international model supports.
Samsung details Ice Cream Sandwich upgrades for American carriers
Samsung has published a list detailing which carrier variants of its phones and tablets will be blessed with Android Ice Cream Sandwich. While Sprint's Nexus S 4G is already enjoying the latest Android OS, the update will also arrive on the Now Network's Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch. From Verizon, both the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and Galaxy Tab 7.7 will get the upgrade, accompanied by the WiFi variants of the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus and the Galaxy Tab 8.9. On AT&T, ICS is confirmed for its Galaxy S II, the Galaxy S II Skyrocket, Galaxy Note, Captivate Glide, Nexus S and Galaxy Tab 8.9. T-Mobile customers, however, lack a similarly breathless list of upgradable hardware, instead Samsung says it will aim to upgrade "eligible devices" in the coming months and will "provide updates as we have additional details to share." Which all sounds like those updates aren't coming to Big Magenta any time soon. Samsung vows to update the list with more details as they arrive, which is available at the source below.
