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CNET News
Maggie Reardon is a senior reporter for CNET News. She covers telecommunications.
PROFILE
Maggie Reardon
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FROM Maggie Reardon
To the Point
Is net neutrality about to come to an end? The Federal Communications Commission calls it " restoring Internet freedom ," but whose "freedom" is the FCC talking about? AT&T, Verizon and other broadband providers are regulated like utilities -- required to give access to all content at equal speed. That's "net neutrality." The FCC would eliminate the "neutrality" and allow broadband companies to charge some websites more than others, creating fast lanes for those who could afford them and slow lanes for others. So, what's at stake for start-ups that depend on equal access to innovate and to grow — and for consumers?
Design and Architecture
Stormy connections Brandon Jernigan talks on a cell phone while riding his bike through flood waters. Photo by Marvin Nauman/FEMA This morning at Apple's new corporate campus, CEO Tim Cook and colleagues announced a reinvention of their retail stores, transforming them into town squares, as well as the new iPhone X, and a big change to the iWatch: the addition of cellular. But what's the point of a fancy phone if you can't make a phone call? His announcement comes on a day when much of the state of Florida and the Caribbean are without power. Nancy Klingener with NPR member station WLRN wrote that in Key West, "It's like we've been transported to the pre-digital pre-cellphone era. In fact, it's the pre-telephone era for most of us." As our lives become increasingly dependent on digital devices, what happens when the juice stops flowing? And how are cell phone companies making sure the lines of communication stay open even when the cell phone towers take a hit?
To the Point
WHO Says Cell Phones May Cause Cancer Recent studies have shown that the biggest danger from cell phones is more automobile accidents. But the International Agency for Research on Cancer said today there could be a health issue . The Agency is an arm of the World Health Organization , which might now issue new guidelines on cell phone use. Maggie Reardon is a senior writer with CNET News .
To the Point
Cell Phones as a Key Tool in Search and Rescue Missions James Kim and his family, who were lost near Grants Pass, Oregon, were the subject of massive news coverage and massive sympathy this week. Leaving the family in their car, he died making a "superhuman" effort to get help. His body was finally found through use of a cell phone. Searchers determined that Kim had struggled for miles in extraordinarily difficult terrain--even swimming in icy water. The awful irony is that, had he continued down the road, he would easily have reached a lodge and probably safety.
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To the Point
Voter Suppression, Climate Change and the President As America prepares to vote again, a question remains from 2016: are the Russians still “meddling” with US elections? Meantime, are Republican election officials in Georgia and Kansas suppressing the vote to serve their own interests? Those updates and the latest on climate change: President Trump says, maybe it’s not a hoax after all.
KCRW Features
The Asian American voter in OC In Orange County the population is changing. While the numbers of most ethnic groups have grown slowly over the past 10 years, the number of Asian Americans is up 41 percent since 2010. And don't think the politicos haven't noticed. What kind of impact will Asian American voters have on Orange County's representation in Congress? Will they help keep the county Republican, or could they turn Orange County blue?