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White House responds to SOPA petition as hearing is delayed, DNS blocking on the outs
It's turned out to be a big weekend for those concerned about the controversial Stop Online Piracy Act. Yesterday came word that a key House hearing originally scheduled for Wednesday will be delayed until there is a "consensus" on the bill, and today the White House has issued an official statement on SOPA (and the Protect IP Act, its counterpart in the Senate) in response to a petition that drew thousands of signatures. While it doesn't go quite as far as to issue a firm veto threat from the President, it does lay out the administration's position in the clearest terms yet, including the condition that any proposed law "must not tamper with the technical architecture of the Internet through manipulation of the Domain Name System." That follows word late last week that Representative Lamar Smith and Senator Patrick Leahy would indeed pull the DNS provisions from SOPA and PIPA. The White House statement is less specific in other respects, but it broadly states that the administration will "not support legislation that reduces freedom of expression, increases cybersecurity risk, or undermines the dynamic, innovative global Internet." In related news, the planned blackouts to protest SOPA and PIPA only seem to be increasing, with the popular xda-developers forum recently announcing that it will go dark at 8AM on January 18th, and return either at 8PM or as soon as it's able to get 50,000 people to sign a pledge to contact their local Senator or Representative.
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.
PSA: FEMA to test nationwide Emergency Alert System today, emphasis on 'test'
Don't freak out or anything, but at 2 PM EST today, the US government will sound a nationwide alarm. Barring a coincidence of cataclysmic proportion, however, it will only be a test. It's all part of FEMA and the FCC's Emergency Alert System (EAS), which is slated to be tried out on a nationwide level for the very first time. If, like us, you've spent a healthy portion of your life sitting in front of the TV, you're probably familiar with those monthly local alerts that tend to flash across the screen smack dab in the middle of a Saved by the Bell rerun. That's basically what's gonna happen today across the nation's television and radio networks. Some TV viewers will hear that familiar "this is a test" message during the trial, though most will simply see the word "test" run across their screens. The EAS would allow the president to disseminate information to the public in times of real emergency, which is why the government is so eager to make sure it actually works. All told, it'll last about 30 seconds, so plan your End of the World party accordingly. For more details, hit up the source links below.
White House's 'We The People' e-petition website provides a more perfect venue for trolling (video)
Citizens! Following a tradition set down by the British, the White House will soon launch its own e-petition website. "We The People" will work like this: anyone 13 or older can set up a petition -- but before it's visible on the site they need to get 150 grass-roots signatures. If an entreaty receives 5,000 or more signatures within 30 days, it is guaranteed to receive an official response from a White House staffer. Does the thought of direct access to the executive excite you like a West Wing marathon? You'll probably enjoy the introductory video we've included behind the break.
Official White House Android app attempts to quash OS inequality
They may not be able to please all of the people all of the time, but President Obama and gang are doing their best to reach across the OS aisle with a new Android app. Like the iPhone edition that came before it, this official White House app offers presidential photos and video, updates from the blog and briefing room, and alerts about events and announcements. Unfortunately, all of the people won't be pleased with this new update, either, as the thing is still only available to iOS and Android users, but that's politics for you.
White House unveils national strategy for secure internet IDs
This one's been in the works for some time now, but the White House has just today officially unveiled its plans for a national secure internet ID program -- or as it has dubbed it, the National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace (NSTIC). As expected, that will be entirely voluntary and largely driven by various private sector companies, who will be responsible for verifying your ID and providing you with secure credentials that you'll be able to use across the internet -- the credentials themselves could simply be a secure application, or something like smart card or SecurID token. The administration is also quick to point out that the system is not a national ID program of any sort, and it's going to some length to play up the involvement of multiple credential providers, with Commerce Secretary Gary Locke saying that "having a single issuer of identities creates unacceptable privacy and civil liberties issues." Hit up the source link below for all of the finer details, or head on past the break for a quick video explanation.
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?
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.
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.
White House backs plan to reserve 700MHz 'D Block' for public safety network
Public safety agencies in the US have been pushing for some time to have the so-called 'D Block' portion of the 700MHz wireless spectrum all to themselves, and it looks like they can now officially count on the support of the White House in that effort. The Obama administration announced today that it's backing plans to reserve the airwaves -- estimated to be worth $3 billion if they were auctioned off -- for a new national public safety network, and it also plans to ask Congress to approve the additional spending needed to actually build out the network, which the FCC estimates could cost as much as $15 billion. As The Wall Street Journal notes, the fate of the proposed network is now largely in the hands of House Republicans, who remain divided on the plan -- although some key members have come out in support of it in recent days.
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]
White House reportedly pushing for new internet privacy laws, policy office
It's not official just yet, but The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the Obama administration is about to make a major push for some new internet privacy laws, and for the creation of a new federal position to oversee the effort. According to the usual "people familiar with the situation," the Commerce Department is now drafting a report with a series of recommendations on the matter, which is expected to be released in the "coming weeks" -- although those same people also note that nothing is final, and things could still change. Assuming it does go through, however, a White House task force would then take the report and work on turning the recommendations into policy. As The Wall Street Journal notes, the new laws would be filing something of a significant gap, as the US doesn't currently have any comprehensive laws protecting consumers' internet privacy -- a fact fully evidenced by countries like Canada, Germany and the UK taking the lead in recent privacy battles with Google and Facebook.
White House getting solar upgrade, Obama bath water to be heated by the sun, baby
Long, hot showers after a long day of solving the world's problems are about to get a little more guilt-free for a certain Commander in Chief. White House Council on Environmental Quality Chairwoman Nancy Sutley and Energy Secretary Steven Chu have announced plans to bring new solar panels to the White House, something president Jimmy Carter first did in the '70s to heat the West Wing offices and, believe it or not, George W. Bush did as well during his presidency -- though W's panels were primarily to heat the swimming pool. This latest round of panels are set to be installed in the spring and will provide hot water for the First Family, while PV cells will also "supply some electricity." We're going to guess "some" equates to "not very much," but maybe it'll at least be enough to keep the First BlackBerry topped up.
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]
White House intros official iPhone app in lieu of universal health care
White House Engadget Price Free (tax revenue notwithstanding) Free Customized blog reader Yes Yes Streaming video Yes Yes Platform availability iPhone iPhone, BlackBerry, webOS, Android (coming soon) Led by Joshua Topolsky No Yes Official blog of CES 2010 No Yes Current iTunes download rank in News category #3 #1 Resident Nobel laureate Yes No (coming soon) Change you can believe in Unknown Have you seen our site lately? When you head to the polls this coming Election Day, we trust you know who to choose.
Acting Cybersecurity Czar resigns for 'personal reasons'
She still hasn't ever been formally named to the post she helped create, but acting White House Cybersecurity Czar Melissa Hathaway has now already taken her name out of the running and announced her resignation from the job, citing the usual "personal reasons" and the need to "pass the torch." As The Wall Street Journal reports, however, there may have been a bit more drama going on behind the scenes, with "people familiar with the matter" reportedly saying that she has been "spinning her wheels" in the post, and marginalized politically. For it's part, the White House simply says that cybersecurity remains "a major priority for the president," and that "the president is personally committed to finding the right person for this job, and a rigorous selection process is well under way."[Via Switched]
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]
White House press conference overwhelmed by cell phones
Quick note: if you can't figure out how to set your phone to vibrate during a tense White House press conference, at least learn to turn the damn thing off. Video after the break.P.S.- We're actually more amazed at the second guy, who not only interrupts the briefing, but walks out of the room to take the call. Cojones!
