PHILADELPHIA: Judges gave mixed signals in their questions and reactions to attorneys as the 3rd U.S. Appeals Court, Philadelphia, Wed. heard oral arguments on the FCC’s designated entity order. Arguments unfolded over nearly 90 minutes in a case that will determine whether the long-awaited advanced wireless services auction will begin as expected Aug. 9. Lawyers watching the proceedings said the court’s direction was difficult to augur.
Google AdWords advertisers now have the option of “dayparting” -- adjusting their bids or pausing and resuming campaigns based on time of day or day of the week. An advertiser could, for example, run more ads at lunch or limit ad runs to business hours, the company said.
Sen. Hatch (R-Utah) has long irked fair-use advocates for pushing bills they deem too friendly to labels and studios and unfair to consumers. But not until this week did a tech-oriented PAC pin the bull’s-eye on Hatch’s seat. FireHatch.com, a campaign site backing Hatch foe Pete Ashdown, was created by the Information Policy Action Committee (Ipac). Ipac was set up to back fair use policies and help or punish legislators for their actions on intellectual property. Democrat Ashdown, founder of Xmission Internet, Utah’s oldest ISP, is a vocal critic of Hatch tech policies (WID March 29 p1). But his own skepticism on network neutrality proposals could complicate the tech coalition he’s trying to build to unseat Hatch.
Sling Media released SlingPlayer Mobile, a software package letting Sling users watch or control TVs via any network-enabled mobile phone. SlingPlayer Mobile users will be able to control DVRs to watch recorded shows, pause, rewind, and fast forward TV or queue new recordings remotely. The software works with devices running Windows Mobile Pocket PC 5.0 and 2003 Second Edition, Sling said, but a version for non-touchscreen devices based on Windows Mobile Smartphone will debut later this quarter.
Sling Media Thurs. released SlingPlayer Mobile, a software package letting Sling users watch or control TVs via any network-enable mobile phone. SlingPlayer Mobile users will be able to control DVRs to watch recorded shows, pause, rewind, and fast forward TV or queue new recordings remotely. The software works with devices running Windows Mobile Pocket PC 5.0 and 2003 Second Edition, Sling said, but a version for non-touchscreen devices based on Windows Mobile Smartphone will debut later this quarter.
Sling Media Thurs. released SlingPlayer Mobile, a software package letting Sling users watch or control TVs via any network-enable mobile phone. SlingPlayer Mobile users will be able to control DVRs to watch recorded shows, pause, rewind, and fast forward TV or queue new recordings remotely. The software works with devices running Windows Mobile Pocket PC 5.0 and 2003 Second Edition, Sling said, but a version for non-touchscreen devices based on Windows Mobile Smartphone will debut later this quarter.
It took a Tex. jury 2 hours, including a cigarette break, to decide EchoStar willfully infringed 9 sections of a TiVo patent on DVR “time warp” technology, but it will take much longer to sort how far into the DVR world the ruling extends. It’s not clear how the ruling, the appeals and an EchoStar countersuit affect other pay-TV competitors and manufacturers who supply them DVRs, analysts said Fri. But one things is certain, analysts said: The Tex. jury’s decision will be worth more to TiVo than the $74 million it was awarded.
It took a Tex. jury 2 hours, including a cigarette break, to decide EchoStar willfully infringed 9 sections of a TiVo patent on DVR “time warp” technology, but it will take much longer to sort how far into the DVR world the ruling extends. It’s not clear how the ruling, the appeals and an EchoStar countersuit affect other pay-TV competitors and manufacturers who supply them DVRs, analysts said Fri. But one things is certain, analysts said: The Tex. jury’s decision will be worth more to TiVo than the $74 million it was awarded.
COLORADO SPRINGS -- Inmarsat and Mobile Satellite Ventures executives touted the mobile capabilities of their current and next generation voice and data systems to a different audience here at the National Space Symposium -- military officials in full uniform rather than potential investors in suits and ties -- and they received a different response. Queries about data rates, handset size, price and video capabilities took a back seat to one oft-asked question: What are commercial satellite companies doing to keep new mobile technologies out of terrorist hands?
COLORADO SPRINGS -- Inmarsat and Mobile Satellite Ventures executives touted the mobile capabilities of their current and next generation voice and data systems to a different audience here at the National Space Symposium -- military officials in full uniform rather than potential investors in suits and ties -- and they received a different response. Queries about data rates, handset size, price and video capabilities took a back seat to one oft-asked question: What are commercial satellite companies doing to keep new mobile technologies out of terrorist hands?