MOUNTAIN VIEW, Cal. -- A U.N. arm set a goal of making low-cost broadband available throughout Africa by 2010, and decided promotion of community “telecenters” is a main way to spread communications connectivity and access throughout the world. A closed meeting here of the strategy council of the Global Alliance for ICT & Development set as secondary goals helping to realize a Malaysian proposal for a Cyber Development Corps of volunteers to “train the trainers” in the 3rd world, and advocating 2 broad achievements, the body’s exec. coordinator, Sarbuland Khan, told us: Free broadband for all high schools, pushed by Switzerland, and development of standards for making communications technologies accessible to people with disabilities.
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Cal. -- A U.N. arm set a goal of making low-cost broadband available throughout Africa by 2010, and decided promotion of community “telecenters” is a main way to spread communications connectivity and access throughout the world. A closed meeting here of the strategy council of the Global Alliance for ICT & Development set as secondary goals helping to realize a Malaysian proposal for a Cyber Development Corps of volunteers to “train the trainers” in the 3rd world, and advocating 2 broad achievements, the body’s exec. coordinator, Sarbuland Khan, told us: Free broadband for all high schools, pushed by Switzerland, and development of standards for making communications technologies accessible to people with disabilities.
The content industries eventually may call on Congress to mandate use of “digital watermarking” technologies to fight piracy -- but their trade-group partners conspicuously avoided the touchy issue at a Mon. Capitol Hill event.
The content industries and allied distributors eventually may call on Congress to mandate use of “digital watermarking” technologies to fight piracy -- but their trade-group partners conspicuously avoided the touchy issue at a Mon. Capitol Hill event. Officials from the Digital Watermarking Alliance -- which includes Philips, Thomson, Media Sciences, Cinea and 8 other companies -- stressed new business models and benefits to consumers from watermarking, calling it “complementary” to DRM. But as audience questions suggested the consumer electronics industry is stymieing deployment of watermarking, CEA Pres. Gary Shapiro shook his head and laughed quietly before speaking up.
On February 1, 2007, the Senate amended and passed H.R. 2, a bill which would increase the minimum wage from $5.15 per hour to $7.25 per hour over a period of two years. H.R. 2 would also apply federal minimum wage requirements to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands by increasing the minimum wage in the Commonwealth to $3.55 per hour, with $0.50 per hour increases (or less) every six months until it reaches the Federal minimum wage. (See ITT's Online Archives or 01/12/07 news, 07011299, 3 for BP summary of House-passed version of H.R. 2.) (Senate amended H.R. 2 available at http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=110_cong_bills&docid=f:h2eas.txt.pdf..)
A company flogging “cancer cure” and male fertility “enhancing” supplements online, in catalogs and via infomercials violated a 2000 FTC order that it present “competent” scientific evidence for product claims, the FTC said. The Commission filed civil contempt charges in U.S. Dist. Court, Newark, against Lane Labs and principals Andrew and William Lane, alleging the company made unsubstantiated claims that products BeneFin and SkinAnswer could cure, treat and prevent cancer. Lane Labs based claims that FertilMale improved male fertility on “flawed” data, the FTC said.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has issued a press release announcing that on November 22, 2006, the U.S. and Colombia signed the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement (TPA). (International Trade Commission sources have previously stated that the term TPA is essentially interchangeable with the term free trade agreement (FTA).)
The FTC will sharpen and build up its online consumer protection arsenal the next 5 years, it said. As online scams proliferate, FTC must keep up, the agency said in a 2006-2011 strategic plan unveiled Fri.
On October 4, 2006, President Bush signed into law H.R. 5441, the fiscal year (FY) 2007 appropriations bill for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection) (Public Law (P.L.) 109-295). According to a DHS press release, H.R. 5441 provides for (partial list): improved border security; enhanced port, container, and cargo security; increased transportation funds; etc. See future issue of ITT for details on H.R. 5441.(DHS press release, dated 10/04/06, available at http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/display?content=5957.)
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has issued a notice announcing that it is delaying the effective date of its August 30, 2006 interim rule which would amend 9 CFR Part 93 to restrict the importation of live fish, fertilized eggs, and gametes of fish species that are susceptible to spring viremia of carp (SVC).