The Circuit: Pentagon approves Apple devices for employee use

Pentagon approves iOS 6 devices: The Department of Defense said Friday that it has approved Apple iPhones and iPads running iOS 6 for use on its networks, meaning that the department can now issue those devices to its employees. Read full article >>

The Circuit: Consumer groups raise competition concerns over unlimited app streaming

Unlimited app streaming: Wireless companies are warming to the idea of letting some apps stream unlimited video with subsidies from content providers, but as The Washington Post reported, consumer groups have raised concerns that this kind of streaming model could harm competition. Read full article >>

The Circuit: Federal judges to discuss patent system at National Press Club

Judges to discuss patents at National Press Club: Four federal judges will discuss the U.S. patent system Tuesday at a National Press Club event hosted by the Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies. Read full article >>

The Circuit: Amazon introduces its own currency, Amazon Coins

Amazon creates its own virtual currency: Amazon announced Mondaythat it’s giving a starter set of “Amazon Coins” to all Kindle Fire users, which will let users buy apps, games and make in-app payments within the company’s own ecosystem. Read full article >>

The Circuit: Hackers took $45 million in ATM heist

ATM heist: Thieves took over $45 million from automated teller machines in a massive heist over a seven-month period ending last month, The Washington Post reported. The money was taken from ATMs in Manhattan and more than 20 other locations around the world, the report said. Eight men have been accused of helping to orchestrate the attack, which officials have described as a “21st-century b

The Circuit: Rep. Lofgren unveils cellphone unlocking bill

Cellphone unlocking: Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) on Thursday released a new bill that would make cellphone unlocking legal, on a permanent basis. Unlocking a cellphone or tablet allows consumers to take their devices from network to network; it is illegal under the Digital Millenium Copyright Act. Read full article >>

The Circuit: Syrian Internet traffic returns

Syrian Internet traffic: Web traffic in Syria has returned after an approximately 20-hour period during which the entire country appeared to be cut off from the Internet, according to Web analysis firms. Read full article >>

The Circuit: Internet sales tax bill passes Senate, faces scrutiny in the House

Marketplace Fairness Act: The Senate voted Monday to pass the Marketplace Fairness Act by 69-27, but now the Internet sales tax bill faces a tougher challenge in the House.After the Senate passed the measure, which would empower states to collect sales taxes for out-of-state purchases made online, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) criticized the lawmakers as movin

The Circuit: Aereo files federal suit against CBS to prevent further lawsuits

Aereo files complaint against CBS: Aereo filed a complaint against CBS to prevent the television broadcaster from filing a suit against the streaming video startup in Boston. CBS is one of several broadcasters that claim Aereo’s technology, which picks up broadcast waves and delivers them over the Web, is illegal. Two judges have ruled that Aereo’s business is legal, and broadcasters have asked

The Circuit: T-Mobile, MetroPCS complete merger

T-Mobile, MetroPCS: T-Mobile and MetroPCS have finalized their merger deal, and began trading under the ticker “TMUS” Wednesday after ringing the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange.The merger puts T-Mobile USA in a better position to expand its 4G LTE network, but the new firm will have to work to integrate the two networks. T-Mobile, a GSM carrier, need to get customers off MetroPC

T-Mobile, MetroPCS finish deal, ring NYSE bell

T-Mobile and MetroPCS have finalized their merger deal, and began trading under a new ticker on Wednesday.Executives from the new company rang the morning bell on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange to commemorate its new ticker symbol, “TMUS.” Read full article >>

The Circuit: TechNet CEO Ramsey steps down

TechNet head steps down: Rey Ramsey, chief executive of TechNet, announced that he is stepping down from the bipartisan political group of Silicon Valley executives after three years to pursue an “exciting private sector endeavor.” Read full article >>

The Circuit: Sprint receives waiver from SoftBank to speak with Dish

Sprint and Softbank: Sprint said Monday that it has received a waiver from Japanese carrier SoftBank to enter discussions with Dish Network to obtain more information on the merger offer that Dish made to Sprint on April 15. Read full article >>

The Circuit: T-Mobile targeted for ‘deceptive’ advertising

T-Mobile faces suit in Washington state: After a complaint from Washington State Attorney GeneralBob Ferguson, T-Mobile has agreed to refund customers who feel that advertisements for the carrier’s new plan structure were deceptive. Read full article >>

The Circuit: FTC answers lingering questions about children’s privacy law

FTC releases children’s privacy FAQ: The Federal Trade Commission on Thursdayprovided further industry guidance on its amended children’s privacy rules, covering questions about how companies should modify their apps and Web services to comply with the amended Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act. Read full article >>

The Circuit: MetroPCS shareholders approve T-Mobile deal

MetroPCS shareholders approve T-Mobile deal: MetroPCS shareholders Wednesday approved a deal to merge with T-Mobile, the last hurdle the venture faced after winning approval from regulators earlier this year. Read full article >>

The Circuit: Privacy groups oppose requests to delay kids privacy law

Privacy groups oppose COPPA delay requests: Privacy groups Tuesday asked Federal Trade Commission chairman Edith Ramirez not to delay the implementation of new child privacy data laws under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act. Read full article >>

The Circuit: German agency fines Google over WiFi data collection

_Correction: A previous version of this post mistakenly attributed concerns about camera phones in the D.C. Superoir Court directly to court employees. This version has been corrected._ Google fined by German data agency: A German data protection agency hasfined Google 145,000 euros ($189,000) for collecting information from unsecured WiFi networks with its Street View service. Read full a

The Circuit: Google makes push for renewable energy

Google renewable energy: On Friday, Google made a public call for utility companiesto make it easier for other businesses to request a renewable power option.In a white paper, Google offered a model for how that might work. The company recommends offering a “renewable energy tariff” that would give companies the option of choosing renewable energy, but would pass on the costs of setting up a

The Circuit: FCC says carriers have fulfilled ‘bill shock’ promises

FCC makes ‘bill shock’ announcement: The Federal Communications Commission said Thursday that carriers have fulfilled their promise to give their customers proper notification of how much data they’re using to prevent a surprising bill at the end of the month. Read full article >>

The Circuit: FTC issues first case against mobile phone ‘cramming’

FTC acts on cramming: The Federal Trade Commission took its first action against a company accused of mobile phone “cramming,” or adding unauthorized charges to users’ accounts.In a press release Wednesday, the agency said that it has taken legal action against Wise Media, which allegedly billed customers for “premium” text message services without consumers’ knowledge. Read full article >

The Circuit: Immigration legislation addresses H-1B visas

H-1B visas: According to a report from The Washington Post, immigration legislation to be introduced Tuesday will include a change to the number of H-1B visas awarded to highly skilled engineers and computer programmers. The legislation suggests that the cap on H-1B visas should double from 65,000 to 110,000 — and could rise to as much as 180,000 in future years. The legislation also requires s

The Circuit: Dish makes a bid for Sprint

Dish makes a bid for Sprint: Dish Networkannounced Monday that it has made an unsolicited $25.5 billion bid for Sprint Nextel, challenging an earlier proposal between Sprint and the Japanese wireless carrier Softbank. Read full article >>

Dish proposes $25.5 billion merger with Sprint

Dish Network chairman Charlie Ergen offered an ambitious vision Monday for a $25.5 billion merger with Sprint, outlining plans for a single company that provides broadband, video and voice services for the home and wireless devices. Read full article >>

The Circuit: BlackBerry seeks SEC review of analyst report

BlackBerry asks for SEC review of return reports: BlackBerry has said it will ask the Securities and Exchange Commission to review an analyst report that there have been unusually high return rates for the latest smartphone model, the BlackBerry Z10. The company particularly mentioned a report from Detwiler Fenton that suggested that return rates were very high. Once those reports began circula

The Circuit: Mark Zuckerberg launches Fwd.us to lobby on immigration reform

Zuckerberg calls for immigration reform: Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg announced Thursday that he is launching a group, Fwd.us, to advocate for comprehensive immigration reform in the United States. Read full article >>

The Circuit: Google Fiber stakes out new ground in Texas

Google Fiber expands to Austin: Google headed to the city of Austin, Tex., on Tuesday to announce that it is making the state capital the next site for its Google Fiber gigabit broadband service.Gov. Rick Perry (R) and Mayor Lee Leffingwell were there for the announcement that Google will begin connecting Austin homes to the network in mid-2014 and will connect some public institutions to th

Google expands super-fast broadband to Austin

Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) was in Austin with the city’s mayor, Lee Leffingwell, to announce that Google’s super-fast gigabit broadband Internet was coming to the state’s capital.Leffingwell confirmed that Austin will be a Google Fiber city in a Tuesday news conference. The company said in a blog post that its goal is to start connecting Austin homes by the middle of 2014. Read full article >

Google faces new E.U. complaint over mobile search

Microsoft, Oracle, Kayak and other technology and search companies in the FairSearch.org coalition have filed a complaint with the European Union over Google’s Android mobile operating system, saying that the platform gives the tech giant an unfair advantage in mobile search. Read full article >>

The Circuit: Cybersecurity top topic of discussion this week

Cybersecurity markup expected this week: The House panel on intelligence is expected this week to mark up a controversial cybersecurity bill that has drawn criticism from privacy advocates. As reported by The Hill, the committee is expected to mark up the proposed legislation on Wednesday. Read full article >>