Happy 2009 everyone! Here’s your first (official) Roundup!

This has been a rather slow news week (being in between the holidays), but that doesn’t mean I couldn’t find anything to roundup!
Take a look after the jump this week’s top tech stories! (in no particular order)

1: From: Ars Technica

FCC okays DTV “analog nightlight” rules
Date: Sunday, December 28, 2008

The FCC has (finally) allowed a “analog nightlight” to be broadcast on  full power stations in 136 markets. This would allow emergency information as well as information on how to upgrade to digital to slackers who have not made the switch.  At least this way the slackers aren’t completely stranded, this isn’t going to be an easy switch after all.

2: From Endgadget
The obvious truth about text messaging: you’re getting ripped off
Date: Sunday, December 28, 2008
Source: NYTimes.com (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/28/business/28digi.html?_r=3)

Well, hopefully you have already figured this one out (I mean, how much data can a 160 character text message really use). And, as these articles report, it doesn’t even use extra bandwidth, its already there whether people are texting or not. This is because text messages are broadcast in “control channel” which is why there is the 160 character limit in the first place. “The channel uses space whether or not a text message is inserted.”  So for the carriers, text messaging is the best thing ever for them, since it doesn’t cost them virtually anything to offer the service on top of there voice service.

3: From: Gizmodo
Microsoft Proposes Obnoxiously Restrictive Pay-As-You-Go Computing System
Date: Tuesday, December 30th

Well, I could have sworn that I have seen this before and it got shot down, but it looks like “Pay-as-you-go” computing is back and more annoying than ever. Last time I saw this, it was to rent the entire OS / Computer until you payed it off  and then you own the PC fully. This time the patent will be to take full capability of your high performance hardware. An example Gizmodo gives is “to play a high-end game, you’d have to rent not just the game, but a sort of unlock for your processor, RAM and video hardware, just so you can fully make use of them.” And if you choose not to rent the upgraded performance, you would be in stuck in “slow mode” (and you could just imagine how much fun it would be to use Adobe Photoshop or play WoW) Lucky, “Pay-as-you-go” is only in the idea stages and not yet a “feature” of windows.

UPDATE: Electronista has recently reported that Microsoft’s Patent Application has been rejected. Of course, Microsoft can still appeal the decision. The Rejection was due to “occasional use of fuzzy terminology” and the fact that all of the claims in the application described stuff that was already patented.

4: From: Endgadget
30GB Zunes mysteriously begin to fail at 12AM, December 31st — day of reckoning to follow
Date: Wednesday, December 31st, 2008

Wednesday morning, all 30gb Zunes began to freeze at the start up screen for no apparent reason. Microsoft eventually got around to posting a “fix” to the problem (by waiting 24 hours until January 1st). They attributed the problem to “a bug in the internal clock driver related to the way the device handles a leap year” and that there would be a firmware update fixing the problem by 2012. To me, its kind of scary that they have to confirm that there will be a firmware update in the 4 year period.

That’s it for this week! Keep reading The Roundup every Friday at Noon Eastern for your weekly tech news summery!

–Keith Hobin