Month: July 2016

Data cap cash. (credit: Aurich Lawson | Getty Images)

AT&T is raising the data caps for U-verse Internet customers to 1TB a month and providing unlimited data "at no additional charge" to customers who subscribe to the company's 1Gbps service.

But DSL users on AT&T's network aren't getting any extra data, and those users must continue to make do with a 150GB monthly limit.

AT&T has been enforcing data caps on DSL users for years but only began enforcement of caps on its faster U-verse service in May this year. Data caps were set at 300GB, 600GB, or 1TB based on the speed tier. But the changes announced today—which take effect August 21—give all U-verse customers a monthly data cap of 1TB or no cap at all. Previously, a 1TB cap was only for customers with speeds from 100Mbps to 1Gbps.

It's better, we promise.

If you use Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 and want to upgrade to Windows 10 for free, there are just a few more hours left to grab your copy. The offer expires today, July 29. At the time of writing, less than 19 hours still remain.

If you're eligible, you should upgrade. In almost every regard, Windows 10 is a better operating system than Windows 7 or 8.1 (unless you use Media Center, in which case you're trapped on old operating systems forever). If you want to get the free upgrade but can't upgrade right now because of timing or compatibility concerns, your best option is to install Windows 10 onto an empty hard drive using your existing Windows 7 or 8.1 key. Activate that installation and magic will occur: your key will become Windows 10 "enabled," and you should be able to use it to perform the upgrade at a later date. Similar results can likely be achieved by installing into a virtual machine rather than an empty hard disk.

The cut-off doesn't apply to those who use assistive technology such as screen-readers; those Windows users will be able to upgrade to Windows 10 whenever they feel like it, though Microsoft apparently has yet to fully explain how this will work.

(credit: Getty Images | ullstein bild)

Six weeks after federal judges preserved net neutrality rules for the broadband industry, ISPs are seeking a full court review of the decision.

ISPs' attempt to overturn the Federal Communications Commission rules were rejected when a three-judge panel of the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit voted 2-1 in favor of the FCC. Now the broadband industry's trade groups are seeking an "en banc" review in front of all of the DC Circuit court's judges instead of just a three-judge panel. If this fails, ISPs can appeal to the Supreme Court, but the odds against them winning appear to be long.

One en banc petition submitted this morning before the case's deadline came from the National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA) and the American Cable Association (ACA), the two biggest cable lobby groups. En banc petitions were also filed by CTIA—The Wireless Association, the mobile broadband industry's primary lobby group; the United States Telecom Association (USTelecom) and CenturyLink (representing DSL and fiber providers); and a small Texas ISP named Alamo Broadband.

(credit: Getty Images | ullstein bild)

Six weeks after federal judges preserved net neutrality rules for the broadband industry, ISPs are seeking a full court review of the decision.

ISPs' attempt to overturn the Federal Communications Commission rules were rejected when a three-judge panel of the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit voted 2-1 in favor of the FCC. Now the broadband industry's trade groups are seeking an "en banc" review in front of all of the DC Circuit court's judges instead of just a three-judge panel. If this fails, ISPs can appeal to the Supreme Court, but the odds against them winning appear to be long.

One en banc petition submitted this morning before the case's deadline came from the National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA) and the American Cable Association (ACA), the two biggest cable lobby groups. En banc petitions were also filed by CTIA—The Wireless Association, the mobile broadband industry's primary lobby group; the United States Telecom Association (USTelecom) and CenturyLink (representing DSL and fiber providers); and a small Texas ISP named Alamo Broadband.

(credit: CDC)

Update (8/1/2016): On Monday, Florida Governor Rick Scott announced that 10 new Zika cases have been identified in Miami's small, localized outbreak, bringing the total to 14 cases. All of the new cases, thought to be transmitted by local mosquitoes, appear to have occurred in the same one-square-mile area that officials had previously identified as an area where active transmission may be occurring.

In six of the 10 new cases, the individuals had no symptoms of a Zika infection and were only found during a survey of residents. No mosquitoes surveyed have yet to test positive for carrying Zika virus. Gov. Scott is now calling on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to activate emergency response efforts. Also today, the United Kingdom issued a Zika travel advisory for Florida. Our original story on the initial discovery in Florida appears below.

On Friday, Florida health officials confirmed the first local Zika outbreak in the continental US. The outbreak so far involves four people believed to be infected by bites from local mosquitoes, and health officials believe that active transmission may be occurring in a one-square-mile area of Miami-Dade County, just north of downtown.

(credit: CDC)

On Friday, Florida health officials confirmed the first local Zika outbreak in the continental US. The outbreak so far involves four people believed to be infected by bites from local mosquitoes, and health officials believe that active transmission may be occurring in a one-square-mile-wide area of Miami-Dade County, just north of downtown.

The area of Miami-Dade county where officials believe mosquitoes may be actively transmitting Zika. (credit: Florida Department of Health)

So far, mosquito surveillance has not detected the presence of Zika virus in any mosquitoes in that area—or any other areas. However, the four infected Floridians, residents of Miami-Dade County and bordering Broward County, had not traveled to a Zika-stricken area or recently had sex with an infected or potentially infected person. By ruling out those two routes of transmission—which explain how 1,657 other US residents became infected—officials believe local mosquito transmission is to blame.

Local mosquitoes presumably picked up the virus from returning travelers and passed it on to uninfected residents. So far, Florida has documented 381 cases statewide.