| Arthur P. Stern, instrumental in inventing the color television and GPS, passes away Jun 8th 2012, 23:08  Engadget learned that Arthur P. Stern passed away on May 24th, 2012, but just this week, The Los Angeles Times has published a laudable look back at a man that had an enormous impact on the technology that we rely on -- and, quite frankly, take for granted -- each and every day. Born in 1925 in Budapest, Hungary, Arthur went on to obtain an M.E.E. from Syracuse University, joining General Electric in 1951 and making a near-immediate impact in the realm of television. He's widely credited with pioneering the color TV that we're familiar with today (and holding a related patent -- number 2920132 -- granted in December of 1953), while also publishing initial technical papers on transistor radios. As if that weren't enough, he was also instrumental in the progress of GPS, spearheading the development of key elements in the latter portion of his career. As fantastic as Stern was as an inventor, he was also a beloved grandfather to Joanna Stern, one of the industry's premiere technology reporters. Currently, Joanna works at ABC News, though she has spent time at LAPTOP Magazine, The Verge and right here at Engadget prior. From the entire staff, our deepest sympathies go out to a wonderful colleague and peer. The world has lost a brilliant mind, but on a personal level, a friend has lost much more. Arthur P. Stern, instrumental in inventing the color television and GPS, passes away originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 Jun 2012 19:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink  Joanna Stern (Twitter) |  Los Angeles Times, Joanna Stern (Tumblr) | Email this | Comments | | Canadian government appoints Jean-Pierre Blais as new CRTC head Jun 8th 2012, 22:02  The past five years have certainly been an eventful time for the CRTC -- with broadband controversies and foreign ownership issues garnering plenty of headlines, to name just two examples -- and we now know who will be leading the Canadian regulatory agency for the next five. The Prime Minister's Office announced today that it has appointed longtime civil servant Jean-Pierre Blais as Chairperson, with his five-year term set to begin on June 18th. Blais comes primarily from a legal background, and has previously held positions at Canada's Treasury Board, the Department of Canadian Heritage, and the CRTC itself -- all of which Prime Minister Harper says makes him "well qualified" for the job, and gives him a "comprehensive understanding of the broadcasting and telecommunications sectors and the role of the CRTC." He replaces Konrad von Finckenstein, who's term ended in January, at which point the government indicated he would not be reappointed for a second term. Canadian government appoints Jean-Pierre Blais as new CRTC head originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 Jun 2012 18:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink CBC | Prime Minister's Office | Email this | Comments | |
