02/16, 1:05pm
LightSquared considering DOD spectrum swap?
The LightSquared saga continues, with the latest having the company founder and billionaire Phil Falcone attempting to swap spectrum with the US Department of Defense, the Wall Street Journal claimed. The purported move is a last-ditch effort to make the network work, after the National Telecommunications and Information Administration said there is no way to make the network work without interfering with GPS signals. If the DOD spectrum swap doesn't go through, Falcone may look into selling the existing spectrum.
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12/28, 4:35pm
Dell Venue gets approved for use by DISA, DoD
Dell's Venue Android smartphone has followed in the footsteps of the discontinued Streak 5 tablet from the company in earning US government approval for use by the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA). It has thus become the first Android phone to get the honor following RIM's BlackBerry devices, as revealed by a DISA document. Department of Defense employees will get limited access to the device's features however, with no access to the Android Market and web browsing done only through a DoD proxy server.
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12/15, 10:40pm
Company still faces opponents
Just one week after a leaked draft of a government report pointed to ongoing interference problems with LightSquared's network, the US Department of Defense and Department of Transportation have issued a joint statement echoing the concerns. The agencies claim the network will not interfere with cellphones, however it has demonstrated "harmful interference to the majority of other tested general purpose GPS receivers."
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10/31, 11:15pm
Device meets DISA criteria
Dell's Streak 5 tablet has reportedly become the first Android device to receive official certification for the US Department of Defense. Although the device is no longer sold to the general public, Dell has reworked the tablet software to improve security. The adaptations have enabled the device to meet Defense Information Systems Agency criteria for use with secure but unclassified communications.
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12/23, 1:00pm
ATT and Verizon top US lobbying while Apple little
Incumbent carriers AT&T and Verizon spent the most money lobbying the US government in summer 2010 while Apple and some other technology firms spent relatively little, newly published disclosure reports have uncovered. The two both significantly increased their spending to $3.47 million and $3.83 million respectively, up from $3.18 million and $2.96 million a year ago. AT&T spent most of its time persuading the government on broadband expansion, calling cards and distracted driving rules, while Verizon's details were less focused and saw it spend on Congress, the Federal Trade Commission, the Internal Revenue Service and the White House itself.
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12/10, 11:40am
US DoD bans removable storage in Wikileaks fight
The US Department of Defense has banned all forms of removable digital storage from being used on its computers in a bid to stop Wikileaks and similar exposures, an ironic leak from the military has revealed. A December 3 "Cyber Control Order" from Air Force Network Operations commander Major General Richard Webber has demanded that staff "immediately cease use" of writable CDs, DVDs, USB flash drives and other media for any system connected to SIPRNET, its secret system. Wired heard it was a direct response to an August review following the first wave of major leaks, which was made possible by PFC Brad Manning burning documents to a CD.
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11/30, 3:55pm
Departmenht of Defense orders 2,200 Sony PS3s
The US Department of Defense has recently ordered 2,200 more PlayStation3 gaming consoles to expand its supercomputer. The current device uses 336 PS3s in a cluster, all running Linux. The PS3s contain IBM's Cell microprocessor, and represent better value than other devices suitable for use in a supercomptuer with the chip. The official Justification Review Document shows the gaming consoles in question are the older, 160GB PS3s, as they have the ability to run another OS, unlike the new, slim PS3.
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