The old Yogi-ism “It ain’t over til it’s over” is alive and well when it comes to the sticky issue of Net Neutrality, and a groundswell of support my re-instate the Obama-era rules that expired on April 23rd. Over 30 U.S. Senators have mounted a charge to restore the rules that treated the Internet like a utility by submitting a “discharge petition” that would turn back the clock as it were on the now-lapsed net neutrality mandate the FCC passed during the Obama administration.
Current FCC head Ajit Pai, appointed by President Donald Trump, was a long-time opponent of those rules and worked to overturn them, despite pushback from the public and many tech-centered businesses. Now, it looks like some recourse is shaping up politically. The fight is far from over, so hit the link to get all the details.
No parts, no business
More tech business news now: It looks like the low-level market war the US is fighting against certain Chinese tech manufacturers is beginning to have some effect. According to the New York Times, phone and gadget maker ZTE is reportedly on the brink of collapse after their supply of partspfrom the US was choked off by the Commerce Department over trade violations involving Iran and North Korea.
ZTE products run on a myriad range of American-made parts including microchips, fiber optic system and the Android OS. The New York Times reports ZTE was recently one of China’s top tech firms, with annual sales hitting 17 billion a year, 75,000 employees and it was even the number four phone vender in the US. But, after Donald Trump was elected and brought a renewed focus on trade imbalances and even China-based industrial espionage, ZTE and Huawei both ended up on the Commerce Department’s naughty list.
See you at the tractor pull, Mr. Rothschild
Like your luxury while you’re out there muddin’? Hey, us too! That’s why we’re saving our krugerands for this: The Rolls Royce Cullinan SUV. Because, hey, this is what luxury off-roading looks like – just take your boots off before you get in.
The Cullinan will climb any mountain using its 563-horsepower V12, and if you find a small river blocking your route to that remote villa, no worries, the Cullinan can part up to 21 inches of water while you sip some Perrier and check your portfolio with the built-in wifi. Going tailgating at the Yale/Harvard game? Slide-out seats are just the ticket to go with your private skybox tickets.
Here’s the big number: $325,000, to start. As you can imagine, a long list of luxurious add-ons can tack on a bit more to the price tag. We’d wager that most of these aren’t ever going to see any off-road duties, but if you buy one, let us know, we’ll be happy to thoroughly test it out for you.
We’ve got more news on our Facebook page and YouTube channel, and be sure to tune in to this week’s DT podcasts: Trends with Benefits (general tech shenanigans) on Thursdays, and Between the Streams (movie and TV topics) every Friday.
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