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The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has dealt a new blow to Chinese companies Huawei and ZTE, alleging that they are both national security threats. With an official proclamation established, the FCC says that its Universal Service Fund cannot be used to purchase or otherwise support any services or hardware from either company. The move follows years of US government concern over potential espionage and security issues related to hardware from Chinese companies.

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The successor to one of the most major competitors to the Apple Watch was revealed today - in part - by the FCC. That is the Galaxy Watch, successor to the device with the same title. This Samsung device looks largely similar to the original, with a new stainless steel case and a new Gorilla Glass DX topside pane of protective glass.

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This week the FCC opened up 6GHz band to Wi-fi for the everyday average user, and for other unlicensed uses. This was the next big step - the biggest step, from a regulatory standpoint - toward the biggest upgrade in Wi-fi since 1989. The FCC vote opens up more space on which data can transmit over the internet, to cut down on congestion for everyday citizens. There'll be more space on which data can move, and with 6Ghz, that data can be transmitted a whole lot faster, too.

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Despite all the delays and cancellations happening around the world due to the COVID-19 situation, companies still try to push through with planned products and releases, as difficult as those may be. Apple has, for example, launched the 2020 generation of iPad Pros and is believed to be on the verge of announcing the 2020 iPhone SE. Microsoft may also be preparing to announce products that may be coming soon and one of them, a suspected Surface Go 2, has made its way to the US FCC.

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We live in very uncertain times and while it sounds revolting, there are always those who will take advantage of that fear and uncertainty to make a quick profit. Fraudulent calls, especially the automated ones called "robocalls", have always been a menace, especially in the US, costing Americans billions per year on both wasted time as well as fraudulent transactions. There have been many proposed solutions to this problem but now the FCC is putting its foot down and is making the STIR/SHAKEN a requirement by June next year.

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The COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to phone scammer schemes and malicious attempts to capitalize on panic. The FCC expanded their list of scam and hoax test messages, phone calls, and related media with new coronavirus-related instances that've appeared over the last couple of weeks. These scams range from offers for "free test kits" to a rumor that President Trump will be issuing a "mandatory quarantine" for the entire USA for a 2-week period (he hasn't.)

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Today we're taking a peek at what Verizon will and will not likely do in light of the global pandemic and national emergency that is COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) here in the USA. Verizon's released some information on how they'll respond for certain customers, and have given assurances that they're doing everything in their power to keep people connected in this time of increased network traffic. What's important here - at the moment - is the ease with which the "help" Verizon can/will give will be used by the average everyday consumer.

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A DirecTV satellite has suffered a 'major anomaly' that has put its batteries at risk of exploding, according to a document recently published by the FCC. The company is working on decommissioning the satellite in order to get it out of orbit before the batteries burst, which would jeopardize other satellites.

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Motorola's Moto RAZR 2019 event is later today - but first, a giant leak! Today we're taking a peek at the foldable-display Moto Razr 2019, a device that's been a very long time coming. We've seen renders, we've seen blurry photos, we've seen basic specification lists - we've seen a lot. Motorola's "Moto Razr" 2019 just appeared in a listing on the FCC, complete with photos of the front, back, sides, and even under the hood.

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Spire describes their business as "a data and analytics company that collects data from space to solve problems on Earth." Per a release from the FCC today (October 18, 2019), Spire was granted regulatory rights to launch up to 636 satellites in low-earth orbit "operating at orbital altitudes from 385 to 650 km and inclinations ranging from equatorial to polar sun-synchronous (98 degrees)." What will Spire do with all of these satellites in a wide-reaching constellation surrounding our planet?

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It looks like Nintendo is planning to release a Super NES controller for the Nintendo Switch. The device recently made a pass through the Federal Communications Commission, and though the listing doesn't really tell us much on its own, it's the implication of an SNES controller for the Switch that has people excited. After all, a SNES controller must mean that SNES games are on the way, right?

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Consumers around the nation have expressed concerns about the potential health consequences associated with 5G networks. The issue arrives as cities increase the number of RF antennas to support 5G networks, spurring a letter sent in December 2018 to FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr over the matter. In a statement about the concerns published today, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai proposed that the agency maintain the current radiofrequency exposure limits for handheld gadgets.

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