Utah
Latest
Jack Thompson writes bill for Utah, tries new angle
Shockingly, Jack Thompson still has people who'll listen to him, as the disbarred former attorney has gained some traction in his crusade against video games in Utah. State Rep. Mike Morley (R) has presented a new bill, written by Thompson, which hits retailers with false advertising charges for selling mature games or films to minors. A previous Thompson-written bill in Utah failed.Speaking with a lobbyist familiar with media content issues, GamePolitics notes that this new bill, along with the state of Utah, is a little different than the last time Thompson tried his shenanigans. Even with Attorney General Mark Shurtleff's support of the game industry, the conservative wing of the Utah legislature has recently been reinforced and could pass a bill that might pass judicial review. However, as always, we know the ESA's lawyers are sharpening their knives and getting excited about all those billable hours if Utah passes anything. If the past is any indication, the ESA will win and Utah taxpayers will foot the bill.
Cellphone jammer crammed into key fob, ends texting / talking while driving
Face it, kids. You missed the best time to be a teenager by around five or so years. As it stands now, technology is cutting into that adolescent fun, with device like Ford's MyKey and this one here ensuring that you're actually safe behind the wheel. In all seriousness, the terribly named Key2SafeDriving is a fine concept (at least in the parent's eye), as it fuses a cellphone jammer (of sorts) into a key fob in order to put the kibosh on freeway conversations. Essentially, the signal blocking kicks into action anytime the "key" portion is flicked out, connecting to a handset via Bluetooth or RFID and forcing it into "driving mode." No actual jamming, per se, is going on; it's more like a manual override of the ringer. Anyone who phones / texts you while you're safely driving will receive an automated response informing them of such, though we are told that handsfree devices can be utilized. Researchers at the University of Utah are hoping to see it on the market within six months via a private company "at a cost of less than $50 per key plus a yet-undetermined monthly service fee."[Via Gadgets-Weblog]
MountainWest Sports Network makes HD debut November 22
Despite BYU's fall from the national championship picture, MountainWest fans have something to cheer about as the The Mtn - MountainWest Sports Network makes the leap to HDTV broadcasting Saturday, November 22 with a doubleheader of Colorado State/Wyoming and BYU/Utah college football. Also in HD on The Mtn are all the pre and postgame shows, giving a planned nine hours of sweet, sweet high definition. Now, about that whole needing a sidecar to pour a regular drink thing...[Via KSL]
Bresnan Communications adds Outdoor Channel HD
Bresnan Communications, the 13th largest cable operator in the US, has fittingly added Outdoor Channel HD to its lineup in Montana, Wyoming, Utah and Colorado. Given the areas in which it serves, it makes sense to offer up an outdoor-oriented station in high-def, which Randy Brown, senior vice president of affiliate sales and marketing, completely agrees with. Let us guess -- fishing will be the most watched sport.
Comcast taking Science / Disney / ABC Family HD to Salt Lake City
Alright Comcast, we've given you quite a few passes, but we're officially no longer pleased with hearing that these three channels (and these three alone) are showing up in various regions around the US. According to a tipster parked in Salt Lake City, the carrier is gearing up to launch Disney HD, Science HD and ABC Family HD in Utah's capital, though it seems to have no plans to add 'em alongside any other remotely interesting (or uninteresting, for that matter) high-def stations. Reportedly, the "new" trio will go live on or around July 1st, but chances are high that some other Comcast spot(s) in America will already be enjoying these very networks before then.[Thanks, Patrick]
Provo, Utah sells iProvo fiber-optic network to Broadweave
iProvo, the largest municipally owned fiber-to-the-premises network in the entire United States, has just been sold to Broadweave Networks. The Provo, Utah-based network actually reaches all 36,000 residents and businesses of the city, and manages to connect homes, businesses, government buildings, schools and even traffic signals. The sale price was $40.6 million, which is plenty to retire the outstanding bonds incurred by Provo to build the system. The City itself seems quite pleased, as it gains the advantage of the sale and it continues to enjoy the benefits of the infrastructure. Under the agreement, Broadweave will act as the network owner and service provider, while Provo retains a license to keep on using the fiber as it has in the past. Best of all, the new owner has already promised to "invest heavily in network upgrades in order to increase capacity, features, and performance for commercial customers," though we aren't sure if that means more HD content is on the way.
Salt Lake City's KJZZ-14 to air Utah Jazz games in HD
We know, it's not like you Utah residents really want to see a Game 6, but at least it gives you another shot at catching your Jazz in high-def, right? Salt Lake City's own KJZZ-14 has announced its intentions to serve up all 2008 Utah Jazz playoff games in gorgeous HD, and while there's no mention of what it plans to do next season, we'd say chances are pretty good that it'll keep the newfound tradition alive in 2009 and beyond. Those within reach can catch the games via OTA, but others will be asked to turn to channel 657 on Comcast Digital Cable in order to follow along. That is, of course, if you're staying away from the Energy Solutions Arena this Friday night.[Image courtesy of USUAggies]
Salt Lake City's 2NEWS makes the switch to HD
Just weeks after Comcast users in the greater Salt Lake City, Utah area were gifted with five new HD channels, residents of SLC now have one more reason to flip on the evening news. This past Saturday, the city's 2NEWS (KUTV, a local CBS affiliate) made the leap to high-definition, as its 5:30PM newscast was shown for the first time in HD. Additionally, HD cameras were used to capture clips from the Salt Lake City Marathon, and an all new HD-ready control room is being used to make the magic happen. Another news channels gets with the times -- can't complain with that.
Salt Lake City, Utah gets five new HD channels on Comcast
Check it, Comcast subscribers in Salt Lake City: you've got five new high-def channels to keep you company. As of now, users in the region can tune into AMC HD, HGTV HD, CNN HD, Food Network HD and SciFi HD (no ESPNews HD, sadly). According to a tipster, SciFi HD is the only one still showing a black screen, but given that he's using a CableCARD, it may not be the case for everyone. Flip on the tele and let us know, will ya?[Thanks, Patrick]Update: SciFi HD is live!
HD DVRs now available for iProvo customers
Mstar and Nuvont subscribers on the iProvo network can now look forward to recording their favorite programs for later viewing in high-definition after dealing with SD DVRs up until now. In case you weren't aware, iProvo is a municipally-owned FTTH service serving the residents of Provo, Utah, and it relies on the two aforementioned service providers to dish out content to customers. Previously, users were able to watch shows in HD but only record in SD, and while specifics weren't doled out, we do know the new set-top-boxes will support HDMI. If this tidbit has your name written all over it, be sure and hit the read link for the appropriate contact number to inquire about pricing and availability.Update: Tsuami alerts us that Mstar has yet to make these available -- hopefully that'll change soon enough.
Utah lawmakers condemning open WiFi networks
We've already seen where mooching off an open WiFi signal can land you in Singapore, but are we really to that point here in the US of A? Apparently, Utah lawmakers are considering "penalizing those who leave their wireless networks open" as they trial "various methods of quelling free speech controlling questionable internet content." The paranoid officials are seemingly attempting to "reward ISPs that self-police access to pornography," as the primary concern seems to stem from open signals leading to unmonitored porn surfing by kiddos under 18. Interestingly, one proponent of the plan actually goes so far as to criticize the "unregulated internet," presumably suggesting that a world of controlled, censored, and dictated material would create a much more amicable environment. Still, one (level-headed) local ISP owner stated that shutting down free WiFi zones would damage Utah's reputation, as it would appear as a locale that "is restricting technology rather than expanding it." Truthfully, we tend to agree.[Via Wired]
Massachusetts tries Jack Thompson's failed Utah game bill
Massachusetts' legislators have been offered up HB 1423, a game bill which seeks to "restrict the sale of video games wih [sic] violent content to minors." "Harmful to minors" is defined as content describing or representing nudity, sexual conduct or sexual excitement, "so as to appeal predominantly to the prurient interest of minors." Section four of the bill is where the civil rights lawyers are going to have a field day. It states a game is harmful to minors if it "lacks serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value for minors." That's about as broad as making brush strokes with Mr. Fantastic's super powers.Why does this all seem oddly familiar? This bill was created with the assistance of Jack Thompson and similar versions were shot down in Utah and deemed unconstitutional in Louisiana. Mayor Thomas Menino, one of the petitioners of the bill, was one of those who pushed through a ban on M rated game advertisements on the subway and got very upset during the infamous Aqua Teen Hunger Force bomb incident. Hopefully this bill will die somewhere along the path, because we're sure the citizens of Massachusetts aren't looking to pay back the ESA when this bill is deemed unconstitutional in the courts ... again.
No games seized in search of Salt Lake City mall shooter's home
In an attempt to derive a motive from Monday's rampage which saw a Utah teen shoot nine mall-goers, killing five, before he himself was killed by police, GamePolitics reports that the first signs of the "violent video games made him do it" angle have emerged in the media. Prompted by Jackie-boy spam -- conveniently subjected: "Salt Lake City Teen Probably Trained on Grand Theft Auto Video Game" -- theorists have begun to consider video games as a possible motive for the shootings. Salt Lake Tribune columnist Rebecca Walsh suggests that this speculation was "stated as fact Wednesday on Capitol Hill."Some hope for a constructive investigation of the violent tragedy does come from a second article in the Tribune, which states that police have yet to discern a motive and "did not take any computers or video games" from the shooter's home. GamePolitics promises to keep us posted as the story develops.[Reminder: keep comments on-topic -- this is not a discussion about Sulejman Talovic's religion.]
Utah game bill halted for now
The Public Utilities and Technology Committee of Utah's House of Representatives placed Rep. Scott Wyatt's video game bill on hold. Wyatt's bill is another in a long list of "games-as-porn" bills, "protecting children from video game violence." The bill has been on shaky ground since Utah's Attorney General Mark Shurtleff said he had serious concerns about the constitutionality of the bill, which is similar to others that have been dismissed.Attorney Jack Thompson, who helped write the bill, is sure to send a press release out soon. Thompson and Attorney General Shurtleff have been butting heads for the last couple of weeks over the constitutionality of the proposed legislation. For those interested in listening to the committee hearing, there is an audio recording available at GamePolitics. Just to give a basic idea of what's in this bill, it's worth listening to the audio recording. For example, if a child is in the room when an M rated game is being shown it is a "third-degree felony," subject to a fine "of not less than $300" and "not less than 14 days" of incarceration. Yeah, that sounds like a constitutional law.
Jack Thompson and Utah AG have spat
Earlier this week, Utah's Jack Thompson-authored video game bill was pulled by Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff because he believed the bill would be found unconstitutional. This, of course, sent Thompson into a whirling tizzy and caused him to do the typical press release pimp-slap against Shurtleff.Thompson writes, "This is a constitutional bill. I ought to know. I drafted one nearly identical to it for Louisiana, and we got it passed unanimously... The federal judge declared it unconstitutional because, he said, 'there is no evidence that these games are harmful. The Attorney General has provided me no evidence.' And the judge was right, because the Louisiana AG took what we call 'a dive.' ... because he wanted the law to fail."Thompson is in Utah today giving a speech at the ultra-conservative Eagle Forum in Salt Lake City -- so we're sure some lovely barbs will be thrown at Shurtleff. AG Shurtleff probably wasn't too keen on having Utah suffer the same fate as Illinois, which was forced to pay back the gaming industry the half-million they spent fighting a similar bill that was deemed unconstitutional. Next stop on the Thompson anti-game express: Massachusetts. All aboard!
LouseBuster kills lice, is ineffective against Slimer, Gozer
We're sure Dan Aykroyd and the gang never envisioned their symbolic ghost-busting machine being converted into a lice-evicting device, but researchers at the University of Utah are doing just that. The "chemical-free, hairdryer-like device" -- dubbed the LouseBuster -- eradicates head lice infestations on children by exterminating the eggs (or "nits"), and killing enough lice to prevent them from reproducing. While the description may make some folks queasy, Dale Clayton not only supports the head vacuum, but claims that it cured his teenagers from their own battle with lice. The rake-like comb channels air from the machine into the hair, which after several half-hour treatments makes the environment too arid for lice to survive; however, the team was quick to warn parents that hairdryers weren't an acceptable substitute for the miracle-working powers put forth by the LouseBuster. Nevertheless, Clayton hopes his spinoff company, Larada Sciences, will have the presumably Bill Murray-approved apparatus on shelves soon.[Via MedGadget]
