Sirius will be factory-installed in Land Rover’s 2006 Range Rover and Range Rover Sport, as of July. Both vehicles will come with factory-installed head units; the Range Rover will feature a touch-screen interface. Jaguar will offer Sirius as a dealer-installed accessory in four 2005 models beginning in May: X-type, X-type Wagon, S- Type and XJ Sedan. Sirius will be offered as a port- installed option on the same models for 2006. Mercedes- Benz will add the M-Class SUV to its factory-installed Sirius list beginning in April.
The brass tacks of MGM v. Grokster are likely to land on Congress’s doorstep in coming months, regardless of the Supreme Court’s landmark decision; lawmakers should prepare to be lobbied hard, industry experts told us. The blitz has been on for weeks, with interest groups and industry reps buttonholing party leaders and key committee members in the House and the Senate.
The brass tacks of MGM v. Grokster are likely to land on Congress’s doorstep in coming months, regardless of the Supreme Court’s landmark decision; lawmakers should prepare to be lobbied hard, industry experts told us. The blitz has been on for weeks, with interest groups and industry reps buttonholing party leaders and key committee members in the House and the Senate.
The FCC granted BellSouth’s request to preempt state rules requiring the firm to provide DSL service to customers who get their voice service from CLECs using UNE loops, sources said. The Commission vote, taken Thurs. before ex-Chmn. Michael Powell left office, reportedly was along party lines -- 3 Republicans favoring the measure, 2 Democrats dissenting in part. The item, awaiting statements by commissioners, hasn’t been released.
Sprint agreed to pay $4 million to the U.S. Treasury to resolve an FCC investigation into whether Sprint engaged in slamming. Voting as part of its omnibus “consent agenda” at the Thurs. open meeting, the Commission entered into a consent decree in which the telecom company also agreed to ensure future compliance. Slamming is the unauthorized change of a consumer’s preferred telecom provider.
The FCC granted BellSouth’s request to preempt state rules requiring the firm to provide DSL service to customers who get their voice service from CLECs using UNE loops, sources said. The Commission vote, taken Thurs. before ex-Chmn. Michael Powell left office, reportedly was along party lines -- 3 Republicans favoring the measure, 2 Democrats dissenting in part. The item, awaiting statements by commissioners, hasn’t been released.
As his successor was named Wed., ex-FCC Chmn. Michael Powell said he regretted how the broadcast ownership proceeding was perceived and was most proud of the agency’s role in the growth of technology under his stewardship. Throughout it all, nearly every Sat., he was at his local Best Buy, checking up on the real world of technology, to make sure what the govt. bureaucrats and lobbyists talked about really existed. “They all know me at Best Buy,” he said, “I talk to the customers. The staff says I should wear a blue shirt and join the sales team.”
As his successor was named Wed., ex-FCC Chmn. Michael Powell said he regretted how the broadcast ownership proceeding was perceived and was most proud of the agency’s role in the growth of technology under his stewardship. Throughout it all, nearly every Sat., he was at his local Best Buy, checking up on the real world of technology, to make sure what the govt. bureaucrats and lobbyists talked about really existed. “They all know me at Best Buy,” he said, “I talk to the customers. The staff says I should wear a blue shirt and join the sales team.”
Sony confirmed Thurs. that its PlayStation Portable (PSP) handheld entertainment device had been delayed again in Europe. The company had yet to announce the delay officially by our deadline, but a Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) spokesman confirmed the accuracy of published reports that the launch was delayed again - by “a few months rather than a few weeks” - to make sure enough units are available for the U.S. launch starting March 24. SCE America said last month that it expected to ship one million hardware units on day one of the launch in N. America (CED March 2 p7).
On December 17, 2004, President Bush signed into law S. 2845, the "Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004" (Public Law (P.L.) 108-458).