Gizmodo: House Of Representatives

House Denies Warrantless Wiretapping Immunity For Telcos

Eric Sheline — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 13:55:46 EDT

In a textbook display of checks and balances, the House of Representatives defied President Bush and the Senate yesterday by passing their version of a surveillance bill without legal immunity for telcos. The bill passed by only 16 votes, far from the 2/3 majority needed to override Bush's inevitable veto. It looks like this legislative battle could continue until the next president takes office in 2009. As we have seen, an Obama administration would deny immunity, McCain would grant immunity, and Clinton? Who knows. [dslreports]

Congress Tells Off FCC, Expects Full Count of Broadband Households

Wilson Rothman — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 19:20:00 EST

Turns out, the FCC defines an entire zip code as served by broadband when one single household receives one single 200-kilobit trickle. The US House of Representatives voted to change that. It seems, in order to see exactly how badly we're doing compared to the other post-industrial nations—do we rank 11th? or 15th? or 24th?—there needs to be a more accurate "broadband census."

According to the act, providers of both cable and DSL will be required to report the exact number of subscribers, the technology used to deliver service and the "advertised" speeds. Here's what Ars says will happen next:

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration will use the data to create broadband deployment maps, which it will make available to the public on the Internet. These maps will show what kind of broadband is available in which areas, and will drill down to the ZIP+4 level.

Hear that, FCC? Zip+4. In your face! Anyway, I'm just glad we'll finally know once and for all how badly Korea is kicking our ass. [Ars Technica]

House Proposes "Do Not Buy This TV" Label

Matt Buchanan — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 09:40:32 EST

A trio from my favorite political party has proposed a new bill requiring analog-only TVs to carry a label warning buyers-to-be that they're about to spring for soon-to-be obsolete boxes. The sticker would tell prospective ~~suckers~~ buyers that the "TV has only an analog broadcast tuner and will require a converter box after Feb. 17, 2009, to receive over-the-air broadcasts."

If you weren't aware, after that date all TV broadcast signals will be solely digital. If you were looking for an excuse to dump your old set and get a 60-inch plasma, now you can just say the government made you. – Matt Buchanan

New bill proposes analog TV warning [Ars Technica]