Infotech and Telecom News

Top Tech Stories

Pirate Bay Encourages VPNs for Illegal File Sharing

Sweden’s Lund University reports a 40 percent rise in the number of 15- to 25-year-olds using virtual private networks for free—and in good part illegal—sharing of music and movies since 2009. The study likely will prompt government anti-piracy crackdowns on VPNs used to access the Swedish download site The Pirate Bay. Copyright enforcement against The Pirate Bay, which hosts links to mostly pirated free music and videos, have been enforced across Europe and are imminent in Great Britain. In...

BART Defends Cell-Phone Shutdown to FCC

San Francisco’s Bay Area Rapid Transit is defending the system’s order to shut down commuters’ cell-phone service last August. BART’s actions fueled a considerable amount of negative reaction. Digital rights groups have spoken out against government agencies assuming the ability to shut down wireless coverage as a matter of policy. “BART is a government agency, and the First Amendment prevents the government from censoring communications. Also, federal law—the Communications Act—outlaws both...

Retransmission Dispute Results in ND, MN Blackouts

Midcontinent Communications, a regional cable provider serving North Dakota, South Dakota, and several communities in western Minnesota, lost its feeds for Fox affiliates KNDX, KXND, and two other stations in Bismarck, North Dakota, after failing to reach a new retransmission-consent agreement with station group owner Prime Cities Broadcasting. Its agreement with Prime Cities expired on Sunday, April 8, and the Bismarck stations went off the air. Midcontinent is one of several cable stations...

Latest News in Tech

Syndicate content