June, 2006

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FCC chairman nominated for new term
President George W. Bush has tapped FCC Chairman Kevin J. Martin of North Carolina for a second, five-year term on the Commission starting July 1. The White House submitted Martin's name to the US Senate this week for confirmation. Martin says he's honored to be nominated for a second term as a commissioner and as FCC chairman. "This is an exciting time of growth and innovation in the communications sector," Martin said in a statement. "I look forward to working with the Administration, Congress, my fellow commissioners and the talented staff at the FCC to provide all Americans with the services and opportunities offered by the best communications system in the world today."

FCC WRC-03 Amateur Rule Changes Now in Effect
Several FCC Part 97 Amateur Radio rule revisions to implement changes agreed to at the international level during World Radiocommunication Conference 2003 (WRC-03) now are in effect. The FCC Order, released in January, affects §97.111, Authorized transmissions; §97.113, Prohibited transmissions; §97.115, Third party communications, and §97.117, International communications. The Federal Register published the changes May 3.

West Mountain Radio to be Principal Awards Sponsor for ARRL RTTY Roundup
West Mountain Radio, which manufactures the popular RIGblaster digital modes radio-to-sound card interfaces, has generously agreed to be Principal Awards Sponsor for the 2006 and 2007 runnings of the ARRL RTTY Round-Up. During the annual event, which takes place the first full weekend in January, radio amateurs around the globe contact and exchange QSO information using Baudot RTTY, PSK31, ASCII, AMTOR and attended packet operation. ARRL COO Harold Kramer, WJ1B, said West Mountain Radio's participation will provide the events' top scorers with plaques that might not otherwise be available.

Matsushita plans waterproof laptop
The new laptop from Matsushita Electric, famous for its Panasonic brand, is unlikely to break even if water is spilled onto its keyboard, the Japanese electronics maker said Monday. The new Let's Note CF-Y5 features a waterproof sheet and special drainage system that protects the hard drive and circuit board from light water damage, Matsushita said in a statement. The CF-Y5 can withstand a force equivalent to a maximum 220 pounds -- offering extra protection in packed commuter trains -- the Osaka-based maker said. The laptop is expected to hit Japanese stores on May 19 with a price tag of around 265,000 yen (US$2,300; euro1,860.09). Matsushita Electric Industrial is among the many Japanese electronics makers that have struggled in recent years amid tough competition from rivals in South Korea, China and Taiwan. But the company posted a rise in profits and raised its earnings projections earlier this year, thanks to robust sales in flat panel TVs, digital cameras, personal computers, computer chips and batteries.

Intel brands new desktop, laptop chips
Intel Sunday christened its new chips for laptop and desktop computers "Core 2 Duo," hoping to reignite interest in its products amid tough competition from rival Advanced Micro Devices Inc. Formerly known as Conroe and Merom, the microchips boast two processing cores, meaning they are better at handling several tasks at once, such as crunching a spreadsheet while playing video. The world's biggest maker of computer chips also said it will launch a new premium processor, dubbed "Core 2 Extreme," for high- performance enthusiasts. Intel says the chips are faster yet use less energy than previous processors, such as its flagship Pentium 4. Intel's microprocessors are used in more than 80% of personal computers, but the company has been losing market share to AMD and has seen shrinking profitability for several quarters in a row.

June, 2006

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