Hasta La Gadget!

When the FCC’s Kevin Martin asserted that the 2009 digital TV transition subsidy program was nearing the end of its financial rope back in October, no one really paid him any mind. After all, this ain’t the FCC’s gig. Now, however, an AP report on the topic is confirming the fears, noting that the NTIA itself is “warning that unless lawmakers step in quickly with more funding or new accounting rules, it will have to create a waiting list for coupon requests.” Should this occur, new vouchers would only be sent out once previously mailed vouchers expired without being used. As of now, only $68.2 million of the $1.34 billion set aside for this program remains free, and after February 17th comes and goes, you can bet the interest will skyrocket. Moral of the story? Get your request in now if you’re in need (check here to see if you are).

[Via ShellyPalmerMedia]

Update: The well is dry! Yikes!

Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

Digital TV subsidy program nearly dry: get your vouchers now originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Jan 2009 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First International Computer — which is a majority owner in Everex and the manufacturer of the first OpenMoko handset — has delivered an intriguing little machine to us courtesy of the oh-so-revealing FCC. The FIC CW001 Mini-note will arrive on US soil packing a 10.4-inch 1,024 x 600 resolution display, 802.11b/g WiFi, Bluetooth, up to 2GB of DDR2 RAM, a 1.3-megapixel webcam, 2.5-inch SATA II hard drive, dual USB 2.0 ports, a single ExpressCard slot, Intel’s 945 GSE graphics, a 1.6GHz Atom CPU, an optical drive and a Windows-based (XP, presumably) OS. You’ll also find an inbuilt microphone, headphone jack, VGA output, Ethernet socket, a 4-in-1 multicard reader and a 4-cell Li-ion good for around 4.5 hours of battery life. No telling if this will surface as yet another Cloudbook, but everything here hinges on the price. Then again, doesn’t it always?

Filed under: Handhelds, Laptops

FIC’s 10.4-inch CW001 Mini-note splashes down in FCC database originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 31 Dec 2008 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Approximately 7 percent of broadcast stations making the switch from analog to digital signals next year will experience a loss of service coverage, known as the “digital cliff,” according to a Tuesday report from the Federal Communications Commission.

The 7 percent of the affected stations are expected to lose about 2 percent of their audience because of the phenomenon, which includes both changes in the coverage area as well as technical issues with the digital signal, the FCC said.

That covers 123 of the 1,749 stations that will be making the switch. Congress has ordered TV broadcasters to switch from analog to digital signals by February 17, 2009 in order to free up spectrum for public safety use. After that deadline, consumers will have to swap their analog TVs for digital sets, subscribe to cable, or attach a digital converter box to their analog televisions in order to receive a signal.

“Although the Commission tried to maximize the ability of TV stations to replicate their analog coverage area as closely as possible, TV station were not required to do so,” according to the report.

As a result, some TV viewers might experience a change in their coverage areas. Approximately 89 percent – or 1,553 stations – will gain channels, but that 7 percent, mostly in rural areas, could see certain channels drop off that digital cliff, the FCC found.