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Trump's telecom-approved pick for FCC Commissioner would add a third Republican to the Commission as the future of the FCC's lone Democrat is unknown. The telecom industry welcomed President Trump's choice for a new commissioner at the FCC, with little concern evident that the appointment could increase partisan imbalance at the agency. Trump nominated Danielle Thumann Severs, senior counsel to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, to fill one of the agency's two vacant seats for a five-year term from July 1, 2024. In her current role since August 2024, she advises the agency on issues related to wireless, public safety and consumer affairs.
Cherokee Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. wrote that the Tahlequah-based tribe, which has the most enrolled tribal members in the U.S., will protect citizens from threats to the environment and culture. “It’s clear that our Cherokee Nation Administration, Council, and citizens have serious concerns about the construction of hyperscale data centers on our tribal lands, which affect our resources and cultural lifeways,” Hoskin wrote. “Our primary responsibility is to protect our citizens and tribal communities from these threats, so we will not support any hyperscale data centers on our reservation without proper consultation.” That also goes for non-tribal land, he said.
Meta’s new open-weight Muse Glimmer model offers a glimpse of Mark Zuckerberg’s personal superintelligence vision, as well as the emerging divide between AI users can own and access. The 30-billion parameter model is essentially an open version of Meta’s most powerful closed model, Muse Spark, which the company debuted in April. Glimmer’s weights are available under the permissive Apache 2.0 license, so developers can download them and modify as necessary. Glimmer is designed to run AI agents that can perform multi-step tasks — like call tools, write and debug code, work with files and screenshots, and execute on a task over an extended workflow — locally on a Mac or PC with a single consumer GPU. It supports text and images, and was trained across more than 100 languages, the company said.
New evidence suggests that artificial intelligence (AI) data centers are distorting the quality of electricity delivered to homes, heightening the risks of appliance damage and fire. A Bloomberg report, using data from Whisker Labs and DC Byte, has shown that the proliferation of data centers supporting AI applications is putting unparalleled strain on US grid infrastructure and impacting the quality of power delivered to millions of consumers, especially in large data center markets like North Virginia. The issue, known as "bad harmonics," happens when the normal flow of electricity in steady waves is disrupted, causing erratic spikes and dips in voltage. Unaddressed, sudden surges or sags in electrical supply can lead to sparks and even home fires. However, the issues could be symptoms of a more significant problem.
Upgrading internal wiring enables property-wide managed Wi-Fi and smart building IoT applications, boosting NOI and property values. MDUs are one of the biggest market opportunities available as a result of fiber deployment expansion. Operators have heavily invested in fiber networks, but bringing fiber to the building is the easy part of the solution. The challenge is delivering the bandwidth to every apartment inside the building. Across the U.S., 90% of MDUs were built before 2010 and extending fiber to individual units in the MDUs can be complex, costly, and time-consuming, requiring additional investment, labor, and building access. As a result, a significant percentage of MDUs are bypassed although fiber is available nearby. This is an excellent revenue opportunity when the right technology is used.
US lawmakers are challenging the legality of tower dumps, arguing that law enforcement's request for large amounts of sensitive data is unconstitutional. While investigating a string of crimes in Jackson, Mississippi, the FBI requested data from cell towers, also known as a tower dump, to help in the investigation. Magistrate Judge Harris, who was assigned to the request, denied the warrant based on the Fifth Circuit’s (US Court of Appeals) decision, which changed the standard of geofence searches. Geofence searches function similarly to tower dumps. They both fall under reverse location searches, and both allow authorities to identify potential suspects based on their time and location.
The FCC is proposing new rules allowing Wi-Fi and unlicensed IoT devices to communicate directly with satellites and operate on spacecraft. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted last week to initiate a formal rulemaking process to examine opening 200 megahertz of unlicensed spectrum for direct-to-device (D2D) links. Under the proposed changes, devices regulated under the FCC’s Part 15 rules—including household Wi-Fi systems and Internet of Things (IoT) hardware—could communicate on uplink and downlink pathways with authorized satellites, an August 6 release from the FCC said.
The unions — representing nearly 800 workers — said the deal threatens readers’ online safety and trust in the company. Just days after USA Today Co. announced a new deal with technology company Palantir to help monetize its users’ data, unionized employees across the country are calling on the company to end the partnership. Thirty-one unions — including those representing journalists at some of USA Today Co.’s largest papers like The Indianapolis Star, The Arizona Republic and the Detroit Free Press — released a statement Monday saying that the partnership threatens readers’ online safety and trust in the company. “We … were shocked to learn that our company has partnered with Palantir,” the unions wrote.
In the mid-’90s, the web was exploding, but finding anything of actual value on it felt like an elaborate negotiation with whatever proto-search engine happened to be standing closest to the door. Unlike now, when Google is widely seen as both portal and gatekeeper, sites like AltaVista, Lycos, Excite, HotBot, and Ask Jeeves promised to tame the chaos, each with its own suite of quirks, charms, and flaws. The real story of pre-Google search is not that early engines were inferior. It’s that they reflected a different Internet entirely, one where directories mattered, crawling was still an art, ranking was fragile, and the idea of “search” had not yet hardened into a single dominant interface.
An OpenClaw agent hacked into a gym's reservation system to bump its human boss higher on a class' waitlist. And the tech industry took notice.
Data center developers can use nondisclosure agreements and shell companies to shield the details of their deals from the public. Even state officials also say they need more transparency from the industry.
A cybersecurity researcher explains how hackers target small computers that control a water system’s tanks, pipes and valves. Hackers tried to break into at least 30 municipal water systems in Minnesota on July 26-27, 2026. Since then, Michigan, New Jersey and several other states have reported similar cyberattacks. The attackers did not try to infiltrate the computers that utility offices use. Instead, they tried to seize control of small computers in equipment like pumps and valves that deliver drinking water to millions of people. The utilities countered the attacks by shutting down the control computers and sending personnel out into the field to operate equipment manually. Utility officials have said that water remained safe to drink.
Spectrum has expanded its fiber broadband network to bring Internet, Mobile, TV and Voice services to nearly 300 additional homes and businesses in Roscommon County, Michigan. Spectrum’s multi-year rural construction initiative is driven by more than $7 billion in private investment from Spectrum and will ultimately add an additional 100,000+ miles of fiber network infrastructure and deliver symmetrical and multi-gigabit speeds to more than 1.7 million new locations across the country.
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Companies that rely on Ceva Logistics for shipping their physical goods to customers say their personal data was taken during a recent cyberattack. The cyberattack on Ceva is affecting at least eight warehouses across Europe used for shipping goods across the continent, the company told TechCrunch.
Platforms like Meta, TikTok, Snapchat, and Google are facing a long road of litigation. According to a report from Reuters, San Francisco’s 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied these platforms’ attempt to defend themselves from thousands of lawsuits through an argument based on Section 230, which protects publishers and platforms from being held liable for users’ posts. The companies argued that Section 230 could also protect them from the claim that they did not warn the public about addictive design choices, but the court said the appeal may have come too soon, since this type of appeal usually arrives after a trial.
Data centers housing artificial intelligence hardware require massive amounts of power, but connecting to the public electrical grid can take years. To bypass these utility delays, Energy Vault is building a 1.25-gigawatt off-grid power system for hyperscaler AI facilities. The microgrids combine onsite gas engines, large-scale battery storage, and automated power management software into a single self-contained system. “Initial deployments are expected over the next four to twelve months, supporting an accelerated speed-to-power schedule that is not dependent on traditional utility interconnection timelines,” said the company in a press release.
☕ Cold Brew - Germany's top Meta regulator says a ban on the company's smart glasses is "well possible" after finding they function as hidden cameras.
- China tested the world's largest fusion magnet.
- The US banned Chinese-made humanoid robots and quadrupeds, and Beijing threatened to retaliate.
- Unsealed court filings revealed Anthropic shredded millions of physical books to train Claude.
- The EU's AI content labeling rules took effect this week.
- Platforms from LinkedIn to Snapchat are cracking down on AI slop.
- And Anthropic disclosed that three of its models breached real companies during botched security tests — days after OpenAI admitted the same thing happened to its models.
Spectrum owner Charter Communications is nearing the finish line in its long-awaited $34.5-billion purchase of Cox Enterprises to form the nation's largest internet and cable television company. But consumer groups are seeking more protections for diversity and other measures. Public interest groups have argued that the PUC’s proposed settlement with Charter doesn’t go far enough to ensure long-term affordable internet for low-income residents or accommodations for customers reeling from natural disasters such as last year’s Eaton and Palisades fires. In addition, advocates have asked utilities commissioners to demand that Charter commit to fostering workplace diversity, equity and inclusion among its proposed 9,000-member workforce in California. Such programs have been under siege since President Trump returned to the White House.
The initiative is part of a 15,000-route-mile expansion Zayo has undertaken over the past 18 months, the company announced August 6. The company said they plan to construct more than 8,000 miles of new long-haul fiber across six new corridors while boosting capacity in 10 existing markets, according to their August 6 release. “AI is fundamentally reshaping where and how network infrastructure needs to be built across the U.S.,” said Zayo CEO Steve Smith, noting the buildout targets new locations at the scale AI demands.
Here’s the latest U.S. map of all copyright suits v. AI companies. We added 2 new lawsuits: -
Berliner v. Huang in N.D. Illinois, another copyright shareholder derivative lawsuit, this one v. NVIDIA officers and board members. -
EVOX Productions v. Midjourney in the C.D. California. EVOX has lawsuits v. Stanford University, Google, and Stability AI. Judge Ellis granted Uncharted Labs’ motion to transfer the case Woulard v. Uncharted Labs from Illinois to the SDNY, so we moved that case to SDNY with a judge assignment pending. We also indicated in red the voluntary dismissal of Poseidon Wave v. Suno.
Editors’ Note: On July 13, California, New York & 10 other states sued to stop Paramount Skydance’s planned $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery. Last week a federal judge dealt the David Ellison-run Paramount a blow by setting the much anticipated antitrust action for a two-week trial in March 2027. Amidst recent ParaBros merger endorsements from TKO boss Ari Emanuel, former cable news anchor Chris Wallace (both of whom have deep financial connects to Paramount) and exhibitor executives, plus a CNN-centric NYT op-ed from Ellison himself, big-screen release pledges and more, California Attorney General Rob Bonta has become Public Enemy No.1 for Paramount and WBD. In an exclusive guest column for Deadline, he warns Hollywood and others not to be distracted from the facts of the states’ case and the fate of the deal. In a guest column, California Attorney General Rob Bonta says Paramount CEO David Ellison is running a misinformation campaign and side deals. Despite the spin you may have heard in recent weeks, the lawsuit my colleagues and I filed challenging the Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros Discovery merger isn’t about trusting the intentions of one company or one man. It isn’t about trusting that CBS News and CNN will remain independent and credible under one umbrella. It isn’t about the future of streaming. This lawsuit is about antitrust law. It is a straight up antitrust enforcement case. One that is very cut and dry. One that seeks to prevent the long-term structural impact from the loss of competition. An impact that can’t be remedied with a few one-off, piecemeal promises.
Last month marked the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. At this moment of reflection and celebration, we’re also reminded why the federal government exists in the first place–to serve the American people. In 1776, a group of individuals came together to establish a government built to represent and serve its people. Today, we have a similar opportunity: not to start over but to reimagine and renew that vision by building a government that reflects everything our nation has learned since its founding and meets the evolving needs of its citizenry. This occasion also comes at a time of great disruption within the federal government and contention over its role and purpose. Over the past year and a half, the Trump administration has made sweeping reductions to the civil service and unilaterally cut grants and programs across government. It has also taken steps to increase presidential control over the civil service, federal boards and commissions, and independent agencies. In the wake of this reshaping of government and following decades of low public trust, the time is ripe for a renewed conversation about government’s role and responsibilities to the people it serves.
AI is putting new pressure on enterprise network infrastructure, exposing weaknesses that organizations can no longer ignore. As companies move into wider-scale AI production, the challenge is connecting distributed data, clouds and GPU resources efficiently. Jim Fowler, CTO at Lumen Technologies, says this shift is driving the move to "Cloud 2.0," a new infrastructure model where the network itself becomes key to delivering AI at scale. 1. First things first: You’ve been on both sides, as a CTO on the enterprise side and now at Lumen. From your perspective, how is the rise of AI changing what enterprises need from their infrastructure? Where are you seeing the most pressure show up?
Today's blog muses a bit on the impact of the Supreme Court ruling in Trump vs Slaughter. . The case arose when President Trump fired Rebecca Slaughter and Alvaro Bedoya, the two Democratic Commissioners at the Federal Trade Commission, soon after he took office. The Congressional legislation that established the FTC said that Commissioners serve seven-year terms, and that a president can only fire a Commissioner “for inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office”. Slaughter sued, and won in District Court, and that ruling was upheld by a split decision at the Court of Appeals. However, when the split decision was appealed to the Supreme Court, the Court ruled that a president has the authority to fire regulators in independent agencies.
Big tech is in a lot of trouble, as the law, the financing, and the American people turn against them. Plus, Amazon's antitrust troubles, and a crack in the electric utility high billing scam. We’ll start with the legal piece, because that’s the part mostly not being covered by the press. For years, the main thrust of the assault on big tech came via antitrust law, the argument being these companies are monopolies thwarting competitors and extorting customers. But over the past few years, it seemed like the antitrust campaign against big tech ended in failure. One judge ruled that Meta is not a monopolist, and a different judge ruled that Google is a monopolist, but then mandated irrelevant and minor penalties. And there are rumors the DOJ case against Apple may settle. But it increasingly looks like these legal setbacks were a pause before a much larger assault on their power. It’s just that it may not come through the antitrust channel, but by taking on the tyranny of unregulated algorithms. Here’s what I mean. Much of the consumer internet-economy operates on top of feeds that draw one’s attention. Meta, TikTok, and YouTube all have high profit margins because they use feeds that require little human curation, and thus have low operating costs. But just because outlays are low for the companies themselves doesn’t mean there aren’t costs, it just means that they are borne by users and communities, in the form of bullying, sex trafficking, addiction, polarization, shorter attention spans, et al. It’s like pollution, where a company pours chemicals into a river, which doesn’t cost the company anything but does poison entire communities downstream. For decades, tech firms have lobbied to stop states and the Federal government from regulating them. At the same time, they have argued in courts that algorithms are protected by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which prohibits companies from liability for third party behavior. Algorithms are also a form of speech, and thus are shielded from state action by the First Amendment. In cases such as Netchoice vs Moody, tech firms have claimed there is a constitutional prohibition against regulating them. Two legal decisions this week suggest big tech will soon lose its legal protections.
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