Tag Archives: FCC

Internet

Net Neutrality: Who Is For It, Who Is Against It and Why [Infographic]

net-system

Net Neutrality is one of the most talked about topics at the moment. What exactly does it mean?

Essentially, Net Neutrality is the principle that all Internet traffic should be treated equally. Internet Service providers want to end Net Neutrality and give priority to certain traffic, while the FCC want to maintain Net Neutrality so all Internet traffic is equal.

The overwhelming concern is that if we lose Net Neutrality the Internet as we know it will be gone forever. It will function more like cable television, where service providers are like gatekeepers who present us with the content they want us to see, rather than the user being free to explore the Internet in any way they wish. The Internet needs to remain a level playing field, and the fight for Net Neutrality is about maintaining the Internet as we know it. It is without question a fight worth fighting.

This info-graphic from Pepeyee outlines the main players in the Net Neutrality argument, the benefits of Net Neutrality, and the important wins and losses in the battle to preserve Net Neutrality since Tim Wu coined the term in 2003.

Net-Neutrality

Computers

Apple iPad Gets The FCC Dissection Treatment

2 Comments

Say, did you get yourself a sleeky Apple iPad today, or are you one of those people who prefer waiting for internal components to first show up and then make a decision? If you got it already, congrats, otherwise you won’t have to wait that long, because the FCC people, that apparently do their job day and night, have completely teared down in pieces the latest and greatest Apple wonder just for you – and boy it looks HOT. Still, no nitty gritty details about the kind of chips and some other parts that make this tablet work so fast and load up things in a snap (although we do know about this Apple 1GHz A4 chipset). Having said that, you know, it’s just a matter of time until those internal specs break cover, courtesy of the iFixit chaps.

Update: The iFixit fellows have done it again. Here’s their tear down roundup: Apparently, the iPad’s memory is hidden inside this customized A4 processor which looks to be manufactured by Samsung. The battery itself which appears to be 5.5x stronger than any iPhone battery is big (a 3.75V, 24.8 watt-hour at 148 grams) and assembled from two separate batteries (cell mark: P11GA6-01-C01F and 741-00310A +) wired in parallel. On average use it appears that Apple has created a very economical machine that uses only 2.5 Watts, while the chassis is made of environmental-friendly recyclable aluminum and glass materials, free of PVC, BFR, Mercury or Arsenic poisonous metalloid. And speaking about glass, the iPad touchscreen panel is pretty thick, around 1.18 mm, compared to the 1.02 mm you’ll find in the iPhone. The hidden rumored compartment we thought that Apple would use for a built-in webcam turns to be an ambient light sensor slot and the empty void in the upper right corner belongs to the cellular communications board you’ll only find inside the 3G iPad. Display and rear case assembly are 350g each, which makes your iPad fairly ergonomic and balanced, while logic board is about 4.5″ wide, spanning about 60% of the iPad’s width. GPS is notably lacking from the RF/data cable (in non 3G iPads), but the 802.11n WiFi/Bluetooth Broadcom card is well integrated into the dock connector cable. Another image of  the 3G component is right after the break.

[via iFixit]

Continue reading Apple iPad Gets The FCC Dissection Treatment →

Computers, News

Dell Mini 10 Gets a WiMAX Update, Needs To Pass FCC First

As it looks, Dell’s Mini 10 netbooks are about to receive a major update, once they get through the FCC certification process, a matter of week or two. And while most specs apparently remain pretty much the same, connection on the other hand turns to be a lot more faster with bigger coverage compared to predecessors’ range. That, results from Round Rock’s new WiMAX adapter, Intel WiFi-Link 6250, that was stuffed inside the tiny portable laptops and aims to make a change. Other than that, for a $299 starting price you buy yourself that same good 10.1-inch display, tucked with a Pine Trail Atom N450 processor, 1GB of RAM, 250GB hard-drive, a 6-cell battery and an optional Broadcom Crystal HD graphics card. Availability is unknown at the moment, but probably will go live when clearance is finally granted.

[via Liliputing]

Computers, Internet, News

Archos To Introduce The Archos 9 Windows 7 Powered Tablet PC

2 Comments

While technology world is at its first steps getting into the portable touchscreen era, French corporation Archos was always there first to come out with the most advanced and sophisticated media devices around, and as of now, it seems the company had done it again with yesterday’s interesting announcement of the Archos 9 Windows 7 tablet PC, which is literally a 16mm thick / 800gm of portable netbook device, made in the form of tablet unit that boasts an 8.9-inch 1024 x 600 touchscreen, along with Intel’s Atom Z515 processor, up to 120GB of storage capacity, 802.11b/g WiFi connection, built-in Bluetooth 2.1 antenna, integrated 1.3MP webcam, 10/100 Ethernet port, two stereo speakers, a microphone and even an optional 3.5G HSUPA WWAN support. Official release is scheduled for somewhere around September this year, while prices start at 450 Euros ($630) for basic version and up to 500 Euros ($705) for the premium models. Head forward, after the break, there’s a nice video preview from techvideoblog, together with a full specs table and some first hands-on images.

Update1: Looks like UK fanboys will be able to nab the Archos 9, either with 80GB or 160GB capacities, for 449.99 Euros ($735) and 499.99 Euros ($815), respectively. Still no word from the French about official release dates, but we’re following.

Updatte2: And word just came in, the Archos 9 tablet is said to be released in October 22nd, concurrently with Windows 7, starting at $499.

Update3: Looks like Archos 9 is finally up for a pre-order. With an 8.9-inches display on top and Windows 7 Starter onboard, this $549.99 tablet machine is one awesome portable device that will let you exult and rock.

Update4: We’ve added another Archos 9 image, this time dissected, courtesy of the US FCC that has torn it apart before approving the North American debut.

Update5: Despite previous announcements, it looks like Archos 9 tablet PC is now due for release somewhere around the first quarter of 2010, instead of mid October 2009. We’re not sure what are the reasons for this delay, but guess you will have to take it for granted.

Update6: The good guys at UMPCPortal were lucky to get the Archos 9, a month before official debut, preloaded with a 60GB hard drive and Intel’s 1.1GHz Atom processor inside. Too bad it runs the Windows 7 starter edition which lacks those nifty tablet features you can use in the Premium and Ultimate versions. Nevertheless, checkout their unboxing video after the break.

archos9-tablet-pc

[Archos]

Continue reading Archos To Introduce The Archos 9 Windows 7 Powered Tablet PC →

Computers, Hardware

Asus Eee PC 8.9" Will Have a Touchscreen After all

2 Comments

Remember the rumors about a touchscreen in the Eee PC? Turns out they were very accurate, as Kevin Lin, ASUS VP of Sales, says Asus will officially start selling the 8.9-inch model with a touchscreen, somewhere around June, for $500. The next Eee PC generation will also include 1GB of RAM, 8GB to 12GB SSD storage capacity and possibly, a GPS system. In addition, we here that the next version (aka Eee 900) might have a “multi-finger gesture input”, as the ultra mini laptop hits the FCC. This means it would include a trackpad, similar to the one in the MacBook Air, with zoom in, zoom out and two-finger scrolling capabilities. We can’t wait anymore…

Asus-eee-pc-touch

[via engadget]

Another picture after the break.

Continue reading Asus Eee PC 8.9" Will Have a Touchscreen After all →