Hasta La Gadget!

We don’t have a lot to go on, but a machine called the VAIO GS just popped up in the FCC database, along with the usual nasty gub’ment photos. Doing some extremely rough back-of-the-napkin calculations, it looks like it’s Sony’s answer to the Dell Mini 12 — 11 inches wide with a 12ish-inch 4:3 screen. We’re also seeing an optional built-in optical drive, WiFi, Bluetooth, three USB ports, a PC Card slot (that’s what it’s marked — let’s hope it’s really ExpressCard), a Memory Stick slot, Ethernet and modem ports, and VGA out. We’re guessing the optical drive explains the netbook-ish hinge battery placement, but nothing explains how ugly this thing is — let’s hope the downgrade in style from the VAIO P comes with a corresponding downgrade in price. A few more shots after the break.

Update: As a few astute commenters have pointed out, this could be an updated US-bound version of the Japan-only VAIO G from 2006 — if things haven’t changed too much, you’re looking at a two-pound machine with a 12.1-inch display. We’ll see — the exterior is definitely a little different, and we don’t think the market is right for the VAIO G’s original $2,000 pricetag.

Continue reading Sony VAIO GS series pops up in the FCC — a cheap Sony ultraportable?

Filed under: Laptops

Sony VAIO GS series pops up in the FCC — a cheap Sony ultraportable? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Jan 2009 13:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The WSJ reports that Obama’s pick for FCC chairman is Julius Genachowski, Obama’s top tech adviser. He’s the mastermind of the Obama’s technology and innovation plan that supports net neutrality and ubiquitous cheap broadband.

Genachowski, a Harvard Law classmate of Obama’s, served at the FCC during the Clinton years before putting in time at Barry Diller’s IAC/InterActive Corp. and founding the venture capital firm LaunchBox Digital. And he’s almost exactly what Obama promised his FCC chair would look like.

He promises to be a different kind of FCC chair that current chairman Kevin Martin. Most crucially (for nerds), Genachowski supports net neutrality, while Martin was opposed to it, or at least the government mandating it. Martin also had a streak of relaxing media ownership rules, while Genachowski’s plans call for “media-ownership rules that encourage more diversity.” And telecoms like Verizon will probably be sad Martin is going away since he definitely played favorites with them over cable (allegedly inappropriately so).

One thing they agree on, though, is cheap broadband for all—Martin said at CES that a broadband connection is as important being connected to the phone system. But we’re sure they’re gonna go about giving broadband to all in different ways.

We like a fair bit of what Martin has done—the open 700MHz auction, for instance, and who can really hate him for busting Comcast’s balls all the time?—but we’re ready to see what the new guy can do.

Update: Here’s some more on Genachowski from the WSJ and what it might mean for the FCC. [WSJ]

Shortly after Barack Obama’s transition team urged Congress to postpone the looming digital TV transition, FCC chairman Kevin Martin has hit back with suggestions to keep things on track. His primary concern is that delaying the cutover, which has been scheduled for years and advertised as such, will confuse consumers — and honestly, we think he has a point. If the February 17th changeover date suddenly becomes meaningless, we could definitely see consumer confusion about this whole ordeal hitting an all-time high. Martin was quoted at an interview at CES as saying that “there are options they can do without having to delay to get coupons flowing immediately,” suggesting that extra funding should be hastily given or that those 90-day expiration dates be marked null and void. Additionally, many broadcasters have already scheduled work to take down their analog equipment, and cancellations could be costly and disruptive. Oh, brother — just call us when this mess is over.

Filed under: Home Entertainment

FCC’s Kevin Martin proposes alternatives for delaying DTV transition originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Jan 2009 04:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FCC chairman Kevin Martin is concerned that a proposal from the Obama team to delay the DTV transition would cause consumer confusion.

“I recognize that we have a problem [and it’s] something we need to make sure gets addressed, but I am concerned about the confusion” it might cause, Martin said during a Saturday appearance at the Consumer Electronics Show.

Amidst reports that the government-run converter box coupon program is underfunded and that some stations might go black on Feb. 17 due to a “digital cliff,” President-elect Obama’s transition team this week sent a letter to Congress suggesting that the federally mandated Feb. 17 switch from analog to digital broadcasts be delayed.

“Ultimately this is Congress’ decision” because they picked the Feb. 17 date, but there are other options besides delaying the date, Martin said, including removing funding restrictions imposed by the Anti-Deficiency Act and lifting the 90-day expiration date on the $40 converter box coupons.

The Obama administration has reportedly called on Congress to delay the broadcaster switch from analog to digital television.

“With coupons unavailable, support and education insufficient, and the most vulnerable Americans exposed, I urge you to consider a change to the legislatively-mandated analog cutoff date,” John Podesta, co-chair of the Obama-Biden Presidential Transition Team wrote in the letter to DTV leaders, which was provided to The Washington Post.

By law, broadcasters must switch from analog to digital signals by February 17, 2009 in order to free up the airwaves for public safety use. The government has funded an outreach effort and is providing two $40 converter box coupons to any American that wants them, but the National Telecommunications & Information Administration recently said that it might need an additional $330 million to satisfy all the coupon requests.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has also warned about a possible loss of service known as the “digital cliff.”

The Obama letter went out the same day that the Consumers Union also asked Congress, Obama, and President Bush to delay the DTV transition.