On Aug. 13, 2012.
President Obama Phones Mars Rover Team
NASA – President Barack Obama talks on the phone with NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover team aboard Air Force One during a flight to Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska, Aug. 13, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
Posted in SPACE WATCH, Technology, Transportation
Tagged Air Force One, Barack Obama, Mars rover, NASA, Offutt Air Force Base, Space, United States
English: An image of the master telephone patent awarded to Alexander Graham Bell. The patent was arguably the most valuable ever awarded in history.
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)
TechRepublic – Prior to the 80s, S/W was considered not to be patentable. when the USPTO decided to allow S/W to be patented, it relaxed the rules for S/W patents – it never should have done so. First, if you could do something with pencil and paper (even though it may take quite a while), patenting the S/W process to do the same is not “novel” nor non-obvious – two of the patenting requirements. Likewise, patenting a S/W process to support a piece of H/W is also not “non-obvious” – in some cases, there may be only one way to do it.
The best thing the USPTO could do is invalidate all S/W patents and allow only a complete application (and its modules) to be copyrighted, like a book (and its chapters). That two or more people should happen to write the same 2 or 3 lines of code is not sufficient to say a copyright (or even a patent) has been infringed upon. more> http://tinyurl.com/9slan95
By Ry Crozier – [Australia] NBN Co has been cleared in its use of “commercial” grounds to deny Freedom of Information requests, with a review finding no grounds to change or revoke the exemption.
Between 11 June 2011 and 31 May 2012, NBN Co received 35 requests for documents, of which 17 were withdrawn. Two applicants were granted full releases of documents.
“There is no basis to conclude that the broad nature of “commercial activities” exemption has been abused; or that it has had the effect of unreasonably broadening the field of exempt documents,” auditor Stuart Morris QC said. more> http://tinyurl.com/9vu3evj
By Todd Ganos – … Armed with this understanding, let’s move on to the pay-off.
Congress has given certain individuals priority status such that certain expenses are categorized as above the line deductions. For example, line 23 gives teachers the ability to deduct certain expenses above the line. Line 24 gives military reservists and certain government officials the ability to deduct certain duty-related expenses above the line.
But, check out who else – other than the aforementioned public servants – gets to deduct business-related expenses as above the line deductions. Performing artists! You have got to be kidding me! Teachers, military reservists, government employees, and . . . performing artists? Forgive me but I don’t see the connection. more> http://tinyurl.com/ccyhukd
Posted in Business, CONGRESS WATCH, Media
Tagged Adjusted Gross Income, Congress Watch, Expense, Internal Revenue Service, Jobs, Tax, Tax deduction, United States
1980s Dodge Ram Van Verizon
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)
By John Johnson – The Aug. 14 front-page article “Verizon outlines missteps in storm” made no mention of the company’s performance in maintaining home land line and broadband service after the Derecho.
Why did it take Verizon so long to restore broadband and land-line service — in my case, two days for land line and 6-1/2 days for broadband? The Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative had our electric power restored within 40 hours. more> http://tinyurl.com/c2a75jz
Posted in Broadband, Net, telecom
Tagged Broadband, Business, Cable, Internet, Landline, Northern Virginia, United States, Verizon Communications
