The Switch: DirecTV has been tricking consumers into paying more for TV, the FTC says

Today's technology and tech policy news  •  Wed., Mar. 11, 2015 View in your Web browser

DirecTV has been tricking consumers into paying more for TV, the FTC says Ever seen a DirecTV advertisement that seemed too good to be true? Government consumer watchdogs say you were right to be wary.The Federal Trade Commission announced Wednesday that it is charging DirecTV, the nation's largest satellite television provider, with deceptive advertising -- alleging the television provider tried to trick consumers into deals that would leave them paying more than expected for television service.  Read full article »

Apple’s iTunes store outage drags on

Having trouble getting your apps to update on Wednesday?  It's not just your phone.Apple's iTunes Store, App Store and Mac App Store were all down for several hours in the morning, with disruptions lasting for many hours.  Read full article »

Watch a test of the rocket NASA says will go to Mars and see what 3.6 million lbs of thrust looks like

NASA achieved a significant milestone Wednesday when its new Space Launch System completed a two-minute test fire that NASA says will eventually help it fly astronauts to Mars. The test of the rocket motor at Orbital ATK's Utah test facility in Utah was a key step toward qualifying the rocket ready to fly. At 11:30 a.m. a burst of fire gushed from the 177-feet long rocket with a thunderous roar.  Read full article »

Privacy advocates try to keep ‘creepy,’ ‘eavesdropping’ Hello Barbie from hitting shelves

At a recent New York toy fair, a Mattel representative introduced the newest version of Barbie by saying: "Welcome to New York, Barbie."The doll, named Hello Barbie, responded: "I love New York! Don't you? Tell me, what's your favorite part about the city? The food, fashion or the sights?"  Read full article »

Innovations: Here’s why patents are innovation’s worst enemy

The Founding Fathers of the United States considered intellectual property so important that they gave it a special place in the Constitution: “To promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries.”  Read full article »

The Switchboard: Ellen Pao takes the stand in Silicon Valley sexism suit

Published every weekday, the Switchboard is your morning helping of hand-picked stories from the Switch team.Over the next few weeks, we’ll be switching things up with a new Switchboard feature we’re calling "On Our Radar.” If you hate it, tell us.  Read full article »

Innovations: Why Mexico City air traffic controllers were happy to have a drone flying around their airport Drones and airports are the water and oil of the aviation world. While there’s intense debate over how restrictive emerging drone rules should be, you’d be hard pressed to find someone not in favor of restricting the air space around airports. If a drone flew into a jet engine it might disable it, resulting in a deadly crash.  Read full article »

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