The House of Representatives will be examining the proposal this week. According to The Hill, the UN backed proposal is already supported by China, Russia, Brazil and other countries that would benefit greatly from being able to control the Internet. If there’s one thing that we’ve learned, it’s that the U.S. hates it when foreign countries try to control the Internet.

Thankfully, our government doesn’t seem to like this proposed regulation. The Hill has found that a majority of congressmen from both sides of the political spectrum are against it. It would appear that the Obama administration is also not a fan of letting the UN’s International Telecommunication Union have more of a stake in the way the Internet is run.

Sen. Marco Rubio was quoted as saying that he’s against letting countries that are “not exactly bastions of Internet freedom” have a stake in the international Internet. He went on to say that countries, like Russia and China, that censor search terms “should not be a leader in international Internet regulatory frameworks.”

To discuss the issue, the House is inviting several prominent people involved in the workings of the Internet to discuss the proposal. Those invited include Robert McDowell, FCC commissioner; David Gross, former State Department official; and Sally Wentworth, senior manager of public policy at the Internet Society. At face value, it looks like the House has chosen a varied approach when it comes to approaching this particular proposal.

The main issue at hand is that governments want more control over the Internet. According to The Hill, the UN wants more control to better fight cyber attacks and control how international Internet access is regulated. You can already see how such a proposal is a bad idea. Our own government is already trying to violate its citizens’ privacy by using cybersecurity as an excuse. Just imagine CISPA on a global scale with multiple stakeholders including China trying to control the Internet. You have a recipe for absolute disaster and the destruction of what those working on the Internet have worked hard over the last 30 years to help create.

The only problem is that the U.S. is not the only nation in the UN. There are unfortunately far more nations that would presumably love to control the Internet than countries that support the current non-government organization approach. The UN proposal could come up vote as soon as December when it meets in Dubai. We’ll keep you updated on this latest assault on Internet freedom.

In a post on the Sony Mobile blog, the company says that Ice Cream Sandwich wont be coming to Xperia Play after extensive testing on their end alongside the testing performed by those that participated in the beta test. It was found that the Xperia Play could not remain stable while running ICS and that it had a negative impact on the performance of games. Considering that the Xperia Play’s main focus is games with its d-pad controls and PlayStation style buttons, it’s a big deal if the phone can’t remain stable during gameplay.

That’s the only bad news, however, in a post full of good news. ICS will be hitting a wide range of other Xperia phones soon. The company announced that ICS would be hitting the Xperia S, Xperia P and Xperia U in tiers at the end of June. Three Xperia phones – Xperia Arc S, Xperia Ray and Xperia Neo V – were all updated with ICS last month. The other Xperia smartphones that Sony released in 2011 will receive ICS at some point during this year.

At this point, it seems that it’s only the Xperia Play that’s being left out of the ICS update. Sony probably made the right choice since an unstable OS would be disastrous for a mobile phone whose main purpose is to play games. The lack of ICS could also be pointing to a successor to the Xperia Play with advanced functionality. One of Sony’s most valuable assets is its PlayStation brand. Being able to market a smartphone that at least looks like a PlayStation device weighs heavily in Sony’s favor.

It appears that Sony is still allowing Xperia Play users to unlock their phone and install ICS to the device if they so wish. It should go without saying, but the software is unstable on the device. If you must have ICS on your Xperia Play device, you can still install it. Just know that it’s not Sony’s fault if your device breaks. You’ve been warned by a lengthy terms of service agreement.

It was announced on Friday that 1,600 GameStop locations around the country are to begin carrying Android powered tablets. The company previously only sold refurbished iOS devices. The move to selling new Android tablets is significant as some of them are seen as better dedicated gaming devices. It fits in much better with the idea of GameStop as a games retailer.

The company is selling a variety of Android tablets from the ASUS Transformer Prime to the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. To encourage the purchase of tablets from GameStop, they are including free games with the purchase of select tablets. Some of those games include Riptide and Sonic CD. Gamestop purchased tablets also come preloaded with Kongregate Arcade and a free issue of Game Informer digital.

It’s not made clear if GameStop will also take trade ins of Android tablets. The online store features used tablets, so it’s a safe assumption. You will still want to call in before making a trip just to make sure they are taking in pre-owned tablets.

To see a full list of the Android tablets being sold by GameStop, check out their storefront. There’s plenty of variety that serves all kind of budgets from those who only want a small tablet that can play the simplest of games to the super expensive Transformer Prime for those who want the very best.

It’s pretty clear that GameStop has one of the best deals in the market for a new Android tablet. They know how to sell to gamers, even those who prefer their games on a tablet. The addition of free games and other bonuses are probably going to attract a lot of business for the company. It also could blow up in their faces and be seen as a poor investment. I think GameStop has a good chance of breaking into the market when you consider just how popular tablets are.

M.I.C. Gadget obtained a video of Foxconn CEO Terry Gou and a Chinese reporter taking a tour through the Zhengzhou branch of Foxconn. It’s a fascinating look at the inside of a factory that many people always thought was some kind of internment camp full of human rights abuses. The video clearly shows what looks like a modern factory with everybody working in relative contentment even if it is extremely mundane.

Unfortunately, the video is in Chinese so don’t expect to really understand what’s going on. Fortunately, The Next Web has translated parts of the video. Apparently, the tour consists of Gou talking about expanding the Foxconn plant in a flyover of a desert area. Then the group hits the plant proper where they show the production of the iPhone 4S and its display. Gou also make the claim that his factory is better than any other factory in other major production countries like Germany and the U.S.

Even though I can’t really understand the video, it’s a fascinating look inside of the most infamous factories in the world. It looks much different than I expected it to, but I guess that’s to be expected. After hearing all of the horror stories, it only makes one think of terrible things when it comes to Foxconn. Check out the video for yourself to see the birthplace of your iPhone.

Absinthe 2.0 is the jailbreak for Apple’s latest mobile operating system, iOS 5.1.1. It was released during a presentation by a “dream team” of Apple crackers in Amsterdam. The team is already working to crack Apple’s upcoming iOS 6, scheduled to release along with the new iPhone this fall.

Those who have been jail-breaking their Apple devices for a while will know how to use Absinthe to jailbreak their iPhone or iPad,. However, Apple is still seeing increasing sales, and many new users do not have experience freeing-up their new toys. Luckily, Absinthe is one of the easiest tools to use when jail-breaking an Apple device.

First, users should make a back-up of their phone using iTunes, just in case something goes wrong. This can be done by going into the “Devices” menu in iTunes and right-clicking on the device, which reveals the “Back Up” option.

Next, users should navigate to the “Settings” iTunes menu and find the “Reset” option inside the “General” options. There, an option to “Erase all Content and Settings” should be used to wipe the device clean.

After that, start up Absinthe 2.0 (actually 2.0.1 now – the software has already been updated) and click on “Jailbreak.” The process may take a while, but users should be sure not to disconnect the device from its USB connection to their computer.

Once the process has finished, users can restore their settings, apps, and files by right-clicking the device in iTunes and using the “Restore from Back Up” option.

That’s it. It’s a very simple process that gives Apple users extra freedom and functionality on their devices. Users of jail-broken Apple devices can enjoy extra features and customization, while still utilizing essential iOS elements such as the App Store and voice calls. Keep in mind, though, that Apple believes jail-breaking your device will void your warranty.

(via Green Poison)

Now, a seemingly innocuous app has a major company concerned for its security and has banned its use within their walls. Siri, the personal assistant app developed for the iPhone, is causing a lot of talk lately because of bugs in her system and because of some rather silly ads starring Zooey Deschanel and Samuel L. Jackson, but now the talk is shifting to more serious matters: is the use of Siri safe?

If you’re one of those people who reads the user agreement before you download something, you might have noticed that Siri’s reads like this: “When you use Siri or Dictation, the things you say will be recorded and sent to Apple in order to convert what you say into text. By using Siri or Dictation, you agree and consent to Apple’s and its subsidiaries’ and agents’ transmission, collection, maintenance, processing, and use of this information, including your voice input and User Data, to provide and improve Siri, Dictation, and other Apple products and services.”

That means everything you say to Siri is accessible to Apple and the company’s employees, including the other night when you drunkenly called her a bitch for not finding the number for Pizza Hut fast enough. More importantly, any sensitive info you share with Siri is transmitted and recorded, and IBM doesn’t take kindly to that. They’ve given their employees permission to use personal devices for work and at home, but they have to agree to let IBM install software which will allow them to delete certain information by remote should they believe it to be compromised.

While all this sounds a bit extreme–and makes me wonder what exactly IBM is so protective of–it pays to never be too careful these days, when everyone and their uncle has access to a computer or handheld device and shady characters are well versed in hacking.

In a letter to Congress, Public Knowledge, Free Press, Consumers Union, and New America Foundation wrote:

Data caps do have a very real impact on consumer behavior. Data caps dampen the use of broadband generally and discourage high-bandwidth applications, like online video, specifically. This dynamic has been illustrated in letters submitted to the Federal Communications Commission last year by public interest groups [including signatories to his letter].1

If data caps had a legitimate economic justification, they might be just a necessary annoyance. But they do not have such a justification. Arbitrary caps and limits are imposed by multichannel video providers that also provide broadband Internet access, because the providers have a strong incentive and ability to protect their legacy, linear video distribution models from emerging online video competition.

Do data caps cause harm to you? Why or why not? We’d love to hear your perspective.

These issues have gained a lot of attention lately after several companies have raised concerns regarding the negative impact that data caps have on them. Netflix recently lashed out at Comcast over the cable giant’s announcement to not count the television programming users access through its Xfinity video streaming service against their 250-gigabyte monthly data cap. Reed Hastings, Netflix’s CEO, believes that Comcast isn’t following the FCC’s Open Internet Order and took to Facebook to voice his distaste for the company’s latest move:

Comcast no longer following net neutrality principles.

Comcast should apply caps equally, or not at all.

I spent the weekend enjoying four good internet video apps on my Xbox: Netflix, HBO GO, Xfinity, and Hulu.

When I watch video on my Xbox from three of these four apps, it counts against my Comcast internet cap. When I watch through Comcast’s Xfinity app, however, it does not count against my Comcast internet cap.

For example, if I watch last night’s SNL episode on my Xbox through the Hulu app, it eats up about one gigabyte of my cap, but if I watch that same episode through the Xfinity Xbox app, it doesn’t use up my cap at all.

The same device, the same IP address, the same wifi, the same internet connection, but totally different cap treatment.

In what way is this neutral?

Although Larry Downes, a senior adjunct fellow at Tech Freedom, would prefer not to have data caps, he told us that they do not fall under net neutrality concerns. As he explained, net neutrality is being misrepresented in this case and, therefore, takes the focus off of the real issues.

“The advocates believe any new service that is not really clear from a competitor’s standpoint… they kind of like to just paste it with the phrase net neutrality,” said Downes.

“It’s extremely misleading and very unhelpful to try to figure out what is best for customers if we just kind of paste everything with net neutrality,” he added.

Amazon is another company that is sounding alarm over data caps, and it expressed its concerns in a Senate Commerce Committee hearing on online video. Based on numerous reports, Sony is also halting plans to move forward with its own video streaming service until the FCC weighs in on Comcast’s Xfinity decision.

Just yesterday, Senator Al Franken sent a letter to the FCC vocalizing his concern over Comcast’s behavior as well. He is urging the commission to take action against cable company.

There is, however, the other side of this debate that believes data caps are necessary and even justifiable. Eli Dourado, a research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, is among this group. He spoke with us and explained that, even though he is a paid subscriber to three different online video services, he still thinks that data caps serve a significant purpose.

According to him, the first reason Internet service providers have data caps is for pricing incentives. In other words, if ISPs had one flat rate and no data cap, they would have to charge a lot more for their services. With caps, Dourado explains that ISPs can offer options to consumers, thus better meeting needs.

For example, ordinary consumers pay a lower cost for their services but have a data cap. Businesses, on the other hand, pay more but have no cap. Consumers are also able to pay more to not have a cap, if they wish.

The second reason Dourado thinks data caps are necessary is to help alleviate congestion. Everyone knows that when too many people are using the same bandwidth, the service slows way down. If data caps didn’t exist, more than likely, ISPs would have a metering plan in which users would pay bit-by-bit. Most consumers, however, would prefer to pay a flat rate, even if it’s more, in order to make their accounting easier.

“They’re [consumers are] willing to pay more and to have a flat rate than to pay less and have a metered rate,” said Dourado.

Thirdly, he believes data caps are justifiable to ISPs for copyright reasons. As SOPA and PIPA demonstrated, the entertainment industry is very concerned with copyright violations. Without data caps, Dourado told us that there would be “a lot more filtering and a lot more government control over content on the Internet.” This, in turn, could lead to ISPs being forced into a “copyright police” position. Dourado also mentioned that the chances of a SOPA passing could be more realistic without caps.

“If not something exactly like SOPA, something equally bad or worse could happen if there were no data caps,” he said.

Dourado went on to say that he too doesn’t think data caps are an issue of net neutrality. According to him, caps are important given the current economy and cable infrastructure.

“Everybody wants a neutral Internet… but, it’s totally different when you get into the actual economics of network industries of building out this infrastructure… it’s not always easy to provide neutrality,” said Dourado.

“Somebody has to pay for the pipes,” he continued, “and the most efficient way to have people pay for them is to pay a share of the fixed costs, and then a share of the marginal costs.”

Furthermore, Dourado told us that he has never gone past his cap even with his three online services. As a result, he doesn’t think that excess usage is very common.

“If you’re a normal Internet user and you browse the Web and use email and watch some YouTube videos here and there, you’re not gonna get anywhere near the cap,” he said.

He went on to say that, for those users who are afraid they will go over their limit, the consequence is essentially an “idle threat.” He said most ISPs simply send a letter of notification, and beyond that, nothing really happens.

“If enough consumers just say…. ‘We’re gonna use this and we’re gonna go to our cap or even succeed it,’ I think that the Internet service providers will have to accommodate them,” said Dourado.

As for mobile data caps, Dourado told us that they are even more important than those imposed by ISPs since mobile networks contain a much higher volume of congestion. In other words, the days of unlimited data plans are a long way from coming back.

Although there isn’t an investigation open to examine data caps at this time, Dourado said the groups that oppose them are very effective at getting their message out. In the long run, however, he is optimistic that the government will not intervene.

Do you think the government should step in regarding data caps? Please share your thoughts.

Now, though, just a few hours later, Absinthe has gotten an update. It seems there were some bugs in the initial release that were preventing some users from jailbreaking their devices. Absinthe 2.0.1, which is available now, should fix those bugs.

In case you missed it this morning, the new jailbreak supports all models of the iPhone from the iPhone 3GS to the iPhone 4S, the third- and fourth-generation iPod Touch, and all models of the iPad except for the newest models of iPad 2 that have gotten an upgraded processor. Support for that iPad 2 model, the iPad 2,4, should be coming in an update sometime over the next few days.

You can download Absinthe 2.0.1 from greenpois0n, though you might have to wait awhile. The site appears to be down at the moment. Considering the high demand for the new jailbreak, that’s not at all surprising. If you’ve already jailbroken your device, you shouldn’t need Absinthe 2.0.1. If you’re still waiting to download Absinthe, then you might want to hold off until tomorrow, in order to give greenpois0n a little breathing room.

Instagram wasn’t enough for Facebook, however, as they have also created their own dedicated camera app for iOS. Despite being owned by Facebook, Instagram had to do something to compete. They turned to the only avenue there was – stand-alone camera hardware.

The above scenario is all true except for Instagram launching a stand-alone camera. What if we lived in a world where they did though? The super talented guys over at ElectRoulette, who brought us the genius Google Glasses parody Meme Glasses, has brought us an in depth look at the Instagram camera.

Resembling that old Kodak that’s gathering dust in the attic, the Instagram camera merges retro design with new technology like sepia filters. The camera can apply various filters and even add in new elements like mountains and flowers with the nature filter. The technology on display can also make your car appear more retro than it has any right being.

It’s pretty much accepted that the stand-alone camera market is really only for aficionados anymore. The general user now has a smartphone that can replace the camera and a wide variety of other functions. What if Instagram were to release a camera though? Would the same people who have flocked to the app buy a camera branded with their favorite camera app? The world may never know.

The Qi standard incorporates magnetic induction technology, which uses a transmitter coil and a receiver coil – an alternating current is pushed through the transmitter coil, which generates a magnetic field which induces a voltage in the receiver coil. Panasonic will provide its own moving coil system, which automatically detects where a device is sitting on the charging pad, and compensates accordingly.

Below is a small clip describing Qi charging terminals:

Panasonic is also developing Qi-compatible battery packs, for older devices that won’t take a charge from the wireless stations. The latest Eluga smartphones support the technology, and if the initial roll-out goes well, Japanese users will soon have a new way of charging up.