LAS VEGAS -- Vizio previewed its 2019 4K TV lineup offsite at the Vdara Hotel and Spa Monday, putting more focus on quantum dot technology with its Quantum Color designation, and raising peak brightness in its flagship model to 2,900 nits. The company also announced support for Apple AirPlay 2 and HomeKit in its SmartCast 3.0 smart TV platform.
LAS VEGAS -- Vizio previewed its 2019 4K TV lineup offsite at the Vdara Hotel and Spa Monday, putting more focus on quantum dot technology with its Quantum Color designation, and raising peak brightness in its flagship model to 2,900 nits. The company also announced support for Apple AirPlay 2 and HomeKit in its SmartCast 3.0 smart TV platform.
CBP is not processing any refunds during the government shutdown, said John Leonard, CBP executive director-trade policy and programs, during a Jan. 7 conference call with industry. The agency is "not processing refunds of any kind on any type of normal entry or drawback transaction," Leonard said. The liquidation process is functioning, but "the backend refunding process and issuing of checks is not happening," he said. Interest may apply to those delayed refunds, Leonard said.
Cities “have not come close to satisfying the stringent requirements for a stay pending review” of the FCC’s September wireless infrastructure order, the agency said Wednesday at the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. San Jose and other cities sought stay last month, fearing irreversible harms (see 1812180052). The FCC disagreed, saying longstanding case law recognizes that Communications Act "Sections 253 and 332(c)(7) preempt state laws that materially inhibit wireless services.” The order “does not itself require localities to do anything, nor does it compel approval of any particular siting request; it simply articulates standards for courts to apply if and when they are confronted with any future siting disputes,” it said. “Even if localities were unable to recover compliance or other costs, monetary losses are not irreparable.” CTIA opposed cities’ motion in a Tuesday response (in Pacer). Cities haven't shown the order exceeded FCC authority, so they are unlikely to succeed on merits, the wireless association said. They fail to show irreparable harm, or that "the balance of equities tips in their favor,” since keeping the status quo would harm others, CTIA said. "One carrier has been forced to pause or decrease deployments in jurisdictions across the country due to excessive right-of way use or access fees, including fees in eight jurisdictions across four different states involving some combination of annual recurring charges of $1,000-$5,000 per node or pole; one-time fees of $10,000 plus $1,800 per permit, or $20,000; and annual recurring fees of $6,000, $25,000, or 5% of the provider’s gross revenues,” said CTIA, citing an Aug. 6 letter to the FCC from AT&T in docket 17-79. DOJ takes no position on the motion for stay, it said (in Pacer) Monday. Commissioner Brendan Carr, who spearheaded work on the FCC order, tweeted Tuesday that he wished “a full and speedy recovery” to one of the order’s chief critics, San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo (D). The mayor suffered minor fractures Tuesday when a vehicle struck his bicycle, said his office.
The FCC electronic comment filing system, electronic document management system, Daily Digest, universal licensing system and network outage reporting system will remain up during the partial government and agency shutdown, said a public notice Wednesday. Shot clocks on deals will be paused, though some incentive auction activities will continue, the PN said. Comment deadlines also will be paused.
LG is touting Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant voice control in its newest SmarThinQ smart washer and dryer debuting at CES. Users can issue voice commands to turn the appliances on or off, pause a load and monitor status, said the company. A smart pairing function in the dryer chooses the optimal setting for the drying cycle, it said, and the dual inverter heat pump dryer can run two loads at once, while drying a third at low temperature, it said.
LG is touting Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant voice control in its newest SmarThinQ smart washer and dryer debuting at CES. Users can issue voice commands to turn the appliances on or off, pause a load and monitor status, said the company. A smart pairing function in the dryer chooses the optimal setting for the drying cycle, it said, and the dual inverter heat pump dryer can run two loads at once, while drying a third at low temperature, it said.
Many in the communications policy world have battle scars from the last prolonged federal shutdown, 16 days in 2013 when former Commissioner Mignon Clyburn was acting chairwoman. Then, the FCC, unlike some other federal agencies, largely shuttered its website, leading to widespread complaints. The FCC has been funded for the first days of this closure, but that ends Wednesday. The agency isn’t saying at this point if it will take its electronic comment filing and other licensing systems offline, with a public notice planned for Wednesday. The expectation among industry and FCC officials is that the 28 GHz auction won't reopen Thursday as planned and the website will be largely shuttered.
Many in the communications policy world have battle scars from the last prolonged federal shutdown, 16 days in 2013 when former Commissioner Mignon Clyburn was acting chairwoman. Then, the FCC, unlike some other federal agencies, largely shuttered its website, leading to widespread complaints. The FCC has been funded for the first days of this closure, but that ends Wednesday. The agency isn’t saying at this point if it will take its electronic comment filing and other licensing systems offline, with a public notice planned for Wednesday. The expectation among industry and FCC officials is that the 28 GHz auction won't reopen Thursday as planned and the website will be largely shuttered.
TracFone told the FCC it's time to address problems with the Lifeline national verifier, in reply comments posted Thursday in docket 17-287 (see 1812200018). “Despite numerous efforts by TracFone and other Lifeline carriers to engage” with the Universal Service Administrative Co. “the rollout of the National Verifier remains haphazard and mired in confusion,” TracFone said. “Its decision-making process is opaque, with ensuing outcomes that reflect little, if any, input from the Lifeline community who are on the frontline serving millions of eligible customers each day.” The Oceti Sakowin Tribal Utility Authority, in its reply, said the FCC should pause use of the verifier until changes are made. “Lifeline service for residents of Tribal lands is critically important for their health, safety, and welfare,” it said.