A few months ago the Federal Aviation Administration (“FAA”) released long awaited proposed regulations governing the commercial operation of small unmanned aircraft systems (“drones”), including the registration and use of small drones and operator certification. The proposed regulations do not affect recreational use of small drones, which continues to be loosely regulated. When releasing the proposed regulations, the FAA stated…
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IP and Technology
Trends in Consumer Electronic
Devices with Open Standards. A challenge for consumers of electronic products is that the company that made or sold the product wants to control all aspects of the experience. While this is understandable from the maker/seller side, it can be a frustration for the consumer. With more software developers and device manufacturers using open standards, consumers could use devices across…
New Year’s Resolution: Check Your Junk Mail
According to a security bulletin published in 2013 by Kaspersky, a company specializing in internet security products, 70% of email traffic is spam. That amounts to roughly 15 billion messages globally per day. Fortunately, for most businesses, content filters eliminate a majority of these threats. Content filters, nonetheless, can be too zealous at times, and therefore, it is important to…
Top 10 Gadgets at CES 2015
With 170,000 attendees and over 3000 exhibitors at CES 2015, you could might overlook a gadget or two. With this disclaimer, here is this year’s list of Top 10 gadgets: Volvo Connected Bicycle Helmet. Three Swedish companies – Volvo, Ericsson, and POC – jointly developed this bicycling safety warning system, a welcome development given the 50,000 cyclists who are injured…
As Cyber Attacks Increase, How to Respond to Hackers?
Throughout 2014, there has been a constant stream of cyber attacks, culminating in the state-sponsored attack on Sony Pictures Entertainment. There were thousands, and every month brought significant attacks on business and government computer systems. A monthly listing of notable 2014 cyber attacks from many sources follows this blog post. The most complete listing available with details covering the past…
2014 CES Top 10 Gadgets
As expected, there was a lot to see at CES this year. No one can see it all in four days, but here’s a list of the Top 10 gadgets that caught my attention. dji’s Phantom 2 Vision Quadcopter with Integrated FPV Camera. This flying camera takes photography to a new level. It comes with a high-performance camera that takes…
Trends Observed at 2013 CES
The thousands of products and services on display at the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show can crowd out perspective, like so many trees that you cannot appreciate the forest. Attending a keynote address or an informational program or two brings larger perspectives to what one sees at CES. I attended the one-on-one interview of Julius Genachowski, FCC Chairman, and the keynote…
Software Export Licenses from the Department of Commerce
Software operates a large portion of high-value goods and services exported from the United States, including industrial machinery and services that can be accessed by users in remote locations. The value of software to U.S. exports is beyond doubt, yet difficult to measure. The U.S. Government recognizes the crucial importance of software technology to our national security and foreign policy.…
Dispatch from Las Vegas and the 2012 CES
Traditional consumer electronics manufacturers and automobile manufacturers are causing the buzz at the 2012 CES. The exhibit spaces of Sony, Samsung, LG, Ford, and Mercedes-Benz are packed with inquisitive visitors. For attendees, traveling light with comfortable shoes is a must. Over 2,500 companies are showing products and services throughout 1.8 million net square feet of exhibitor space. There are 15…
Digital Distribution of Entertainment Content – The Battle Lines Are Drawn
I. Introduction A battle is being waged in the world of digital distribution. The spoils to the winner will be the lucrative control over entertainment (i.e. music and video) content. Squaring off are the copyright owners of content on one side and nearly everyone else involved in the entertainment industry on the other. Technology advances have made it possible for…