Online poker is one of the few tech policy topics that could see action during the lame duck session, along with cybersecurity. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., has been pushing legislation that would regulate online poker at the federal level while banning other forms of Internet gambling, working closely with Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., on the measure. Reid's bill is near and dear to the heart of his home state's casino industry, but less popular with the state governors and lottery commissions. They view it as a payoff to land-based casinos, and are opposed to any limit on what Internet gaming options they can offer residents. The states also have a leg up after a recent Justice Department shift in its interpretation of the Wire Act, which means states are already cleared to permit online gambling without any further action from Congress.
Of course online gaming is far from the top priority for Congress with the fiscal cliff looming, but action isn't out of the question before the end of the year. Kyl's upcoming retirement lends some urgency to the issue, and the legalization of online poker has growing support across both parties. The main stumbling block remains the House, where social conservatives such as Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., have shown resistance to expansions of gambling in the past. However, because the DoJ's shift has opened the door for states to offer a host of online casino games, advocates such as Poker Players Alliance chairman and former Sen. Alfonse D'Amato are hoping the poker bill will be viewed as limiting rather than expanding online gambling. Whether their sales pitch will be effective remains to be seen, but it's clear that some Americans will be able to bet legally from the comfort of their own homes within the next year.
Lockheed Martin Calls for Cyber Threat-Sharing Legislation: Lockheed Martin called for legislation to improve information sharing on cybersecurity threats and said hackers are now trying to penetrate the company's defenses by attacking its suppliers. Executives at the defense contractor are hoping Congress and the White House will act to improve the ability for companies and the government to share information on cybersecurity threats; current laws potentially label such cooperation as collusion. Lockheed's executives declined to comment on the Senate cybersecurity bill (S 3414) that could hit the floor again this week, but said the number of attacks on its networks has spiked dramatically in the last few years. Lockheed's concerns could also potentially be addressed by the information sharing bill passed by the House (HR 3523), but that legislation has yet to gain any traction in the Senate. Energy Department Owns World's Fastest Supercomputer: A new supercomputer dubbed Titan and located at the Energy Department's Oak Ride National Laboratory in Tennessee was named the world's fasted supercomputer by TOP500 on Monday. Titan is 10 times more powerful than its predecessor, the Jaguar system, and will be used for a wide range of research. The Energy Department now operates five of the 20 fastest supercomputers in the world, including the second- and fourth-fastest machines. Report: John McAfee Sought in Murder Probe: John McAfee, the creator of the well-known antivirus software, is reportedly being sought by authorities in Belize in connection with the murder of an American expat named Gregory Faull. Gizmodo first reported the story yesterday; other outlets have since confirmed that authorities are seeking McAfee. Apple and HTC Settle Patent Lawsuit: Apple and the Taiwanese smartphone maker HTC agreed to dismiss a series of lawsuits against each other over the weekend, another step on the ongoing patent wars between Apple and Google's Android operating system. Apple had accused HTC of copying the iPhone, but the settlement includes a 10-year license agreement that grants both parties rights to current and future patents held by each other. The settlement was the first deal between Apple and an Android device maker; Android has surpassed Apple's iOS as the most popular smartphone platform in the world.