Tag Archives: Internet

Our long Amazonian nightmare may finally be over

Posted on April 26, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Negotiations are in progress to get Amazon to pay something like its fair share. Amazon.com is negotiating with the state to start paying Texas sales taxes on online sales and to create some jobs in the state, reviving talks that … Continue reading →

Posted in Bidness | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

A step forward for online gambling

Posted on January 7, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting. The Justice Department has reversed its long-held opposition to many forms of Internet gambling, removing a big legal obstacle for states that want to sanction online gambling to help fix their budget deficits. The legal opinion, issued by the … Continue reading →

Posted in Jackpot! | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on A step forward for online gambling

From the “More things you need to be slightly paranoid about” department

Posted on December 31, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Nothing like a new domain suffix to remind you of the potential for creative malfeasance. The University of Kansas is buying up website names such as www.KUgirls.xxx and www.KUnurses.xxx. But not because it’s planning a Hot Babes of Kansas site … Continue reading →

Posted in Websurfing | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on From the “More things you need to be slightly paranoid about” department

The check will be in the mail a little longer

Posted on December 11, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The hard times keep coming for the Postal Service. The U.S. Postal Service said a plan to save $2.1 billion a year and fend off possible bankruptcy would effectively put an end to almost all overnight delivery of first-class letters … Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Put that wine bottle down and slowly back away

Posted on October 31, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Don’t buy wine over the Internet, kids. The State of Texas says so. State officials have teamed up with FedEx, UPS and other shippers to ferret out wines being sent to Texas by websites that don’t have proper permits. That … Continue reading →

Posted in Bidness | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

States looking at online gambling

Posted on August 27, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Until the economy returns to the point where states aren’t completely strapped for revenue, I expect them to look at all possible sources of new money. It’s an idea gaining currency around the country: virtual gambling as part of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Jackpot! | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Perry vetos Amazon sales tax bill

Posted on June 1, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Of course he did. Gov. Rick Perry has vetoed legislation that was aimed at tightening the state’s rules on when online retailers must collect sales taxes on Texas transactions, the bill’s author said this morning. Perry had earlier criticized Comptroller … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Perry vetos Amazon sales tax bill

Lege approves separate online sales tax bills

Posted on May 2, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a start. Taking a stand against Internet retailers like Amazon.com, the Texas House moved Tuesday to tighten the state’s rules on when online businesses must collect sales tax. By voting 122-23 to pass House Bill 2403 by Rep. John … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Lege approves separate online sales tax bills

Amazon not gone yet

Posted on April 18, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

In case you were wondering. Amid its fight with the state over collecting tax on online sales, Amazon.com had said it would close its distribution center in Irving this week, resulting in the loss of 119 jobs. As of Wednesday, … Continue reading →

Posted in Bidness | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Amazon not gone yet

Taking sides on Amazon

Posted on March 14, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The Lege weighs in on Amazon, with opposing bills. House Bill 2719, filed [Wednesday] afternoon by state Rep. Linda Harper-Brown, R-Irving, would favor Amazon’s efforts to avoid collecting tax for online sales by amending the state tax code to say … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Taking sides on Amazon

Teaching safe social networking skills

Posted on December 29, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

This seems like a good idea. The all-boys San Antonio Academy has long used an internal e-mail system provided by a company called Gaggle. So when Gaggle launched the Social Learning Wall application this year, the private academy’s administrators jumped … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Driver records available online

Posted on December 28, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

You know how you need to mail a request to get a copy of your driver’s record when you request to take a defensive driving course to get a ticket dismissed? Now you can save yourself a stamp and order … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Driver records available online

No, I can’t hear you now

Posted on December 19, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

I haven’t attended that many events at Reliant Stadium – a couple of Rice football games, including the 2008 Texas Bowl, and a U2 concert – but that’s enough for me to confirm the lack of wireless coverage in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

More on Latino turnout

Posted on December 2, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Greg adds in his opinion on the Latino turnout question, and as usual it’s worth your time to read in full. Two things for me to comment on. First: If there is a one point that I’ve been reluctant to … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

More on Amazon and the sales tax

Posted on November 27, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

From Slate: Amazon has aggressively fought state efforts to impose sales tax on its operations. In 2008, New York passed a law that required online companies to collect taxes if they had deals with marketing affiliates based in the state. … Continue reading →

Posted in Bidness | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Cutting the cord on cable

Posted on November 21, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

I have no plans to change the way I watch TV any time soon, but a lot of other people are at least thinking about it. The Convergence Consulting Group of Toronto predicts that about 1.6 million U.S. households will … Continue reading →

Posted in TV and movies | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Amazon was just the beginning

Posted on November 7, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

I agree with this. By telling retail giant Amazon.com that it owes $269 million in uncollected sales taxes, the State of Texas has waded into the national debate over taxing Internet sales. The state comptroller’s office said it has sent … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Texas tells Amazon to pay up

Posted on October 29, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Well, that’s one way to attack the budget deficit. Texas has sent Amazon.com Inc. a $269 million bill for uncollected sales taxes on purchases made by state residents from the Seattle-based Internet superstore over a four-year period. […] R.J. DeSilva, … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Casinos look to the Internet

Posted on October 11, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting. Many of the country’s largest casinos, long opposed to gambling games like poker on the Internet, are now having second thoughts. Although online gambling is popular with millions of Americans, it is illegal in the United States, and the … Continue reading →

Posted in Jackpot! | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Collecting sales tax on Internet purchases

Posted on April 19, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Tax revenues are down in nearly every state. Most states rely on sales taxes for a significant portion of their revenues. Purchases made over the Internet are generally exempt from sales taxes. You do the math. In recent weeks, legislators … Continue reading →

Posted in Bidness | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

West U and Bellaire on the Google Fiber bandwagon

Posted on April 1, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The deadline for submitting an application for a city to be a part of Google’s experimental fiber network was last Friday, the 26th. The cities of West University Place and Bellaire got theirs in before the deadline. Cindy Siegel and … Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on West U and Bellaire on the Google Fiber bandwagon

The university printing business

Posted on March 20, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting. An experiment at Rice University to make scholarly research available to anyone with an Internet connection is trying to change the world of academic publishing. […] “The costs of publishing are reduced by digital dissemination, but they are hardly … Continue reading →

Posted in Books | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on The university printing business

HISD Radio

Posted on March 11, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

This, from the inbox, sounds very cool: K12RADIOHOUSTON: HISD’s NEW SCHOOL OF THOUGHT The nation’s first custom radio station created for a major school district (Houston, Texas) No radio tower or transmitter necessary! The Houston Independent School District (HISD) begins … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Sugar Land wants Google Fiber for Communities

Posted on March 6, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Sugar Land joins Austin in making a concerted pitch to bring Google Fiber For Communities to their town. “This project is suited to Sugar Land. Our population is highly educated. We have high standards,” said Sharlett Chowning, director of information … Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Do we want Google Fiber For Communities in Houston?

Posted on February 26, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Perhaps you’ve heard about Google’s latest project. We’re planning to build and test ultra high-speed broadband networks in a small number of trial locations across the United States. We’ll deliver Internet speeds more than 100 times faster than what most … Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments

How green is your website?

Posted on December 2, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Here are two thoughtful and interesting posts about data centers and carbon neutrality from my friend and Trinity classmate Robert Nagle; a postscript with some added thoughts is here. I’m glad to see that my webhost does pretty well in … Continue reading →

Posted in Other punditry | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on How green is your website?

College for $99 a month

Posted on October 4, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Behold the future of higher education. StraighterLine is the brainchild of a man named Burck Smith, an Internet entrepreneur bent on altering the DNA of higher education as we have known it for the better part of 500 years. Rather … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

FCC to move forward on Net Neutrality

Posted on September 23, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Good news. The fight for Net Neutrality took a big step forward on Monday with the chair of the Federal Communications Commission announcing plans to expand the rules to protect a free and open Internet. In a speech at the … Continue reading →

Posted in National news, Technology, science, and math | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on FCC to move forward on Net Neutrality

From the “Things could always be worse” department

Posted on September 18, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Lots of people hate their ISPs, often for good reason. But rest assured, your ISP surely provides better throughput than this. I just wonder if they followed the standard for this test.

Posted in Technology, science, and math | Tagged , | Comments Off on From the “Things could always be worse” department

You kids today, you don’t know what it was like

Posted on August 22, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

And that’s a pretty good thing, as evidenced by GeekDad’s list of 100 things your kids may never know about – things like typewriters, relying on the evening news for all your sports highlights (am I the only one who … Continue reading →

Posted in Society and cultcha | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on You kids today, you don’t know what it was like

Metro meetings update

Posted on August 12, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Carolyn Feibel follows up on the matter of Metro not posting committee meeting notices online. To clarify one point: Metro board committees always meet right before the regular board meetings, on the same day. Those meeting times and agendas are … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Metro meetings update

Post the meeting notices already

Posted on July 30, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Apparently, it’s not so easy finding out when Metro has a committee meeting. Metro does post the time of its regular monthly board meeting on its Web site, but not for the committee meetings. Reporting on government agencies has taught … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Let’s do the time warp again

Posted on July 29, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Businesses try to restrict Internet access for employees, employees diligently try to find ways around these restrictions. What year is it again? It’s a common complaint from young people who join the work force with the expectation that their bosses … Continue reading →

Posted in Bidness | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Let’s do the time warp again

Let the results speak for themselves

Posted on March 23, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Seems to me there’s an easy and straightforward way to resolve the debate that Burka and the Texas Politics Project are having over the efficacy of the latter’s Internet-based polling: Why don’t we compare the results they get to what … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2010 | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Let the results speak for themselves