Roy Mark

Microsoft said Dec. 22 it is moving quickly to comply with an injunction barring the world largest software maker from selling copies of Word 2007 and Office 2007. At the same time, Microsoft is considering all of its legal options following the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruling upholding a $290 million […]

While not admitting to any wrongdoing, Comcast has preliminarily agreed to pay $16 million to settle a class action lawsuit that claims the cable giant blocked or throttled peer-to-peer traffic to its customers. The maximum payout to members of the class action suit is set at $16. The proposed settlement stems from a November 2007 […]

Microsoft lost its appeal Dec. 22 of a $290 million judgment that found the world’s software maker infringed an XML-related patent held by i4i Ltd of Canada. As a part of the ruling, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit issued an injunction barring Microsoft from selling from versions of its popular Word […]

Three new astronauts are expected to arrive at the International Space Station Dec. 22 after launching from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan Dec. 20. Docking is scheduled for 5:54 p.m. EST.NASA astronaut T.J. Creamer, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kotov and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Soichi Noguchi, all flight engineers, will complete the Expedition 22 crew, […]

Verizon continued its strenuous defense of its ETFs (early termination fees) for smartphones in a Dec. 18 response letter to the FCC (Federal Communications Commission). Verizon’s Nov. 5 decision to double the penalty fees to $350 for smartphone subscribers who leave their contracts early has prompted calls for federal legislation limiting ETFs. According to Verizon’s […]

From Hubble to Moon Water: NASAs Stellar Headlines in 2009 by Roy Mark February: Orbiting Carbon Observatory Goes Up in Smoke NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory satellite to study atmospheric carbon dioxide launched aboard a Taurus XL rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California fails to separate upon command and is lost. March: Discovery Crew […]

Reality trumped regulations Dec. 18 as the Department of Homeland Security extended a deadline that would have required all travelers boarding airplanes to have driver’s licenses that comply with the federal anti-fraud standards of the REAL ID law. “In order to ensure that the millions of Americans traveling this holiday season are not disrupted, DHS […]

Since the Russians successfully launched Sputnik 1 in 1957, more than 4,600 space missions have been conducted worldwide, leaving behind not only a legacy of space exploration but also a swirling mass of flotsam: defunct spacecraft, derelict launch vehicle orbital stages, intentional refuse, and the debris of more than 200 satellite explosions and collisions.The orbital […]

President Obama has made his decision on the future direction of NASA, including scrapping the Ares I rocket in favor of a new heavy-lift launcher to carry astronauts beyond the moon. According to Science Insider, Obama made his decision after a Dec. 16 meeting with NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. Obama will also ask Congress to […]

Vice President Joe Biden announced Dec. 17 an initial $183 million investment in 18 broadband projects benefiting 17 states to lay a new foundation for high-speed Internet economic growth. Over the next 75 days, another $2 billion will be made available on a rolling basis to communities that currently have little or no access to […]