During the initial phases of developing the auction rules for the #73 700mhz space many a group was opposed to the blind nature of knowing who was bidding. One could make arguments both ways, which I will get to in a moment. But Gregory Rose over at the blog ‘WetMachine’ has done a excellent job of breakout analysis –

Looking at the applicant pool, the potential 700 MHz bidders differ somewhat from the AWS-1 bidders in the aggregate:

more below…

– A lower percentage of applicants are rural telephone companies: 32.33% of 700 MHz vs. 44.64% of AWS-1 bidders;

– Roughly the same percentage of 700 MHz potential bidders as AWS-1 bidders are designated entities, i.e., small companies receiving bidding credits: 60.90% of 700 MHz vs. 60.24 of AWS-1;

– However, the percentages of small businesses and very small businesses differ significantly: 46.24% very small businesses in 700 MHz vs. 33.33% in AWS-1 and 14.66% small businesses in 700 MHz vs. 26.19% in AWS-1;

– Fewer potential bidders in the 700 MHz auction have agreements with other bidders in the auction (32.33%) than the AWS-1 bidders (42.86%);

– Minority-owned business participation is up in 700 MHz: 5.26% of potential bidders vs. 1.19% in AWS-1.

– The percentage of woman-owned businesses bidding remains near-constant between the two auctions: 1.13% of potential 700 MHz bidders vs. 1.19% of AWS-1.

The AWS auction was of similiar scope and environment to what is envisioned for the 700mhz auction with certain procedural rules altered. The comparison is an apt one.

In a prior life I used to develop IT related electronic auctions in the corporate space. Initially we used to use the auction system wide open. Every entrant knew who the other entrants were as they placed bids. Much later we closed the hole on viewing who was bidding during the auction, though we did let everyone know who were the bidders prior to auction opening. The results –

• Pricing for product did not change that much from the previous method.
• The number of what I classify as ‘ego bids’ stopped. Someone at Dell might have it in for HP so might bid a price that is unsustainable.
• Renegotiation post bid for changes ceased. Under the old process we would constantly have issues with firms wishing to modify prices as they let their angst get ahead of the economics.

So overall if the process I am aware of in the corporate space carriers over cleanly into Auction 73 then the results of the auction should be favorable. The full article from Wetmachine is here.

New Jersey passes a law that restricts the right of registered sex offenders to use a computer but in defined ways. Riiight. Look managing how someone uses a computer is like trying to manage how your teenager drives the family sedan. It is impossible.

The bill applies to anyone who used a computer to help commit the original sex crime. It also may be applied to paroled sex offenders under lifetime supervision, but it exempts work done as part of a job or search for employment.

Assemblywoman Linda D. Greenstein said the new law, which she cosponsored, updated Megan’s Law, which requires sex offenders to register with the state after being released.

“When Megan’s Law was enacted, few could envision a day when a sex offender hiding behind a fake screen name would be a mouse-click away from new and unwitting victims,” she said. “Sex offenders cannot be given an opportunity to abuse the anonymity the Internet can provide as a means of opening a door to countless new potential victims.”

Psssst, Ms. Greenstein, you wasted the taxpayers time. Realistically there are all sorts of dodges available. How do you monitor some sex offender from using public terminals at the library? Or the Airport? Or using a Live CD on a ‘registered’ PC for which nothing will be recorded by any session? This is yet again a case of nanny law offered as progress yet government dodges the core problem that sex offenders probably should not be out of parole at all.

Note: ThirdPipe supports Megan’s law. But releasing sex offenders then placing all sorts of barriers is not the solution. They need to remain incarcerated.

Linky.

With networks and content creators making it easier to view programming online the old closed loop business model of scheduled content to set top box is beginning to show weakness. Two things keeping it from totally  exploding are quality and portability. Look for increased bandwidth and the death of DRM to resolve both of those issues.

About one-third of people who subscribe to cable TV or satellite services said they would drop that service if they could get TV shows they wanted over a broadband computer connection, paying a flat fee.

Those survey results give cable executives the willies, said Gerry Kaufhold, an In-Stat analyst, and it isn’t just Google that has them scared. Right now, the National Football League is giving Comcast and other cable operators fits by offering several choice games online at www.nfl.com/nflnetwork. (from The State)

Well the best laid plans of mice and Microsoft are pushed asunder as more content goes DRM free. Amazon has cut a deal to be able to release Warner Music labels sans the rights management.

Amazon MP3 launched in September after reaching deals with music labels Universal Music Group, part of Vivendi, and EMI. The remaining major recording group, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, has yet to offer its songs for the service.

It has priced about one-third of its nearly 3 million songs at 89 cents each, below the standard iTunes price of 99 cents. The retailer recently began allowing customers to purchase songs by using regular Amazon.com gift cards.

Unlike Apple’s store, Amazon’s shop sells all of its songs without digital rights protection, allowing them to be played on a variety of devices in addition to the iPod.

So Amazon now has Warner, Universal Music Group - Vivendi, and EMI. Sony - BMG is the lone hold out of the major lablels. But they will soon come around. Album sales were down 14% year over year from 12 months ago. Individual song tracks on the other hand have increased sales dramatically. The outstanding question is — how much longer till iTunes goes DRMless as well?

Linky.

[Update] Here is a related article over at Wired. Someone else has reached the conclusion that DRM ain’t where’s its at.

Enabling rural students to do class work during a long commute to their school makes a lot of sense. Here’s more proof that for rural America, broadband is the great equalizer that could ease the congestion in cities.

As students ride a Sheridan school bus over rural Arkansas roads for upward of 90 minutes a day, they’re spending that time working on math equations and taking advanced biology courses.

Unlike others in the Sheridan School District’s fleet, bus No. 46’s magic comes from a small cellular router and a rooftop antenna that provide WiFi Internet access for laptops and Apple iPods.

The school bus — a mobile virtual classroom — is a key component of the new “Aspirnaut Initiative,” a pilot project launched in April by Grapevine native and Vanderbilt University professor Billy Hudson in cooperation with his family, the university, the Sheridan district and the Grapevine Historical Society. (from Fox 5)

Gigabyte is preparing to market the i350. Unit comes with what is fairly standard features. But like several other models of late this device also is dual mode — cellular and Wifi. Specs –

ITEM INFORMATION

---

Service GSM 850/900/1800/1900 ， GPRS class 12
Operating Sys. Microsoft Windows Mobile 6 Professional
Main Display 2.6 inch, 260k color VGA TFT LCD touch panel
Size 110 × 54 × 18mm
Weight 130g (w / battery)
Battery Li-Ion 1300 mAh
Talk Time Up to 4.5 hours
Standby Up to 160 hours
Phonebook Maxium 500 contacts
Camera 2 mega pixels with auto focus, digital zoom, and video recording
Ringtone 192 polyphonic ringtone, MP3, WMA, AMR, MID
GPRS/WAP GPRS Class 12/ WAP 2.0
External Memory Mini SD (SDHC compatible)
CPU Marvell PXA270, 520 MHz
Memory NAND 256MB + SDRAM 64MB
Data Transfer Bluetooth 2.0, Mini USB 2.0

---

If you are looking for a camera phone this is not the one for you. There are better units available from Nokia and Motorola. But if you are looking for a dual function phone this might be one to look at. Price was not available at the time of posting.

Linky.

If you have flown on any airline for any period of years you have heard the refrain — “Please place your tray table and seats in an upright position. Please turn off all electronic devices.” I remember it well. Well Dear Reader explain me this one please –

A memorandum of intent has been signed by American Airlines and AirCell LLC, a provider of airborne telecomms services, which will reportedly make it the first US airline to enable passengers to use AirCell’s high-speed broadband connectivity.

The broadband connectivity test is due to be conducted on the airline’s Boeing 767-200 aircraft, flying mainly transcontinental routes, next year, available in all classes for a fee. American Airlines said the service could be extended to the rest of its domestic fleet if the solution proves successful.

The solution will provide a high-speed Internet connection, VPN access and e-mail capabilities through WiFi-enabled laptops and PDA devices, allowing passengers to access real-time in-flight broadband communication. The technology will use three antennas fitted on the outside of the aircraft, with AirCell providing cellular towers throughout the continental US to transmit the signal, with 802.11a/b/gWiFi signals received inside the cabin.

Wifi is a low power service but on par with cellphones which the airlines always wanted turned off. Not only that, but Wifi is a spectrum hopping service to boot. I would suspect that there is as much opportunity for mischief by having the laptop on than there ever was for the cellphone. Bottom line, its OK so long as the airlines are getting their slice of the income. I don’t mind that so much, but don’t lie about it as a safety issue.

Linky.

Well even on the Internet not every business can be a winner. Even for a major retailer. Case in point is WalMart. The world’s biggest retailer is shutting down it’s online video sales effort.

HT: Consumerist

As part of the 700mhz auction [#73], bidders who are accepted are required to place a 50% deposit of the minimum bid remittance to the FCC. A waiver of the deposit is permitted with cause by the FCC. The primary intent of the waiver was to permit smaller asset based bidders a chance to bid. Well Frontier Wireless LLC had placed such a waivers request. FCC’s answer was — denied. The reason –

Under section 1.2106(a) of the Commission’s rules, “[a]ny auction applicant that has previously been in default on any Commission license or has previously been delinquent on any non-tax debt owed to any Federal agency must submit an upfront payment equal to 50 percent more than that set for each particular license.” Accordingly, an applicant that has cured each default on a Commission license and has cured each outstanding non-tax delinquency owed to a Federal agency prior to the deadline for filing a short-form application to participate in an auction may be eligible to bid as a “former defaulter,” provided that the applicant is otherwise qualified, and provided that it submits upfront payments that are fifty percent more than the normal upfront payment amount established for each particular license. Furthermore, the Commission has explained that the “applicant” is considered a former defaulter if any one of its affiliates, controlling interests or their affiliates as defined by Section 1.2110 has been in default or delinquent on such a debt, but has made the requisite payment.

So either Frontier owes money to the Feds or has previously been delinquent in some prior Commission action. That could be something as simple has having not filed a renewal of a tower license in the prescribed time period. Frontier’s loss.

Linky.

The academic establishment and old media have been trying to cast Wikipedia’s Jimmy Wales as something of a nutty professor for years. In spite of the constant needling from the “mainstream”, Wikipedia has become the dominant destination for knowledge seekers. Search engine Wikia is intended to shake things up in the search business much like the way Wikipedia unhinged the encyclopedia business. In spite of the fact Google is a fairly well behaved near monopoly, I think this is a very good thing.

from Yahoo News:

The idea is to challenge the established players by offering a search service that is more transparent to end users, meaning they can see how search results are arrived at. Wales has described Yahoo and Google as opaque services that don’t explain how results are arrived at.

Join me in wishing the best of luck to Mr. Wales and Wikia. I’ll be visiting often!