OVERNIGHT TECH: Locke says U.S. falling behind at CES

Locke touts Obama administration's efforts on R&D, exports at CES

Commerce Secretary Gary Locke said the U.S. has fallen behind the rest of the world in technology and innovation during a Thursday speech at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, and said the Obama administration has spent the past two years working to reverse the country's slide.

"Too many people in Washington were resting on the laurels of what historians like to call the American Century," Locke said in his prepared remarks.

"A report from the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation concluded that no advanced economy in the world has done LESS than the United States to improve its competitive position over the last decade. No wonder then that this past decade featured the slowest average annual GDP growth in America since World War II."

Locke then touted the administration's efforts to increase funding for research and development and speed the development of products to shorten the time between the lab and a product coming to market. He also noted the administration's efforts to reduce the backlog at the U.S. Patent Office.

Another initiative Locke mentioned was Commerce's International Buyer Program, which encourages international attendance at industry conventions like CES. Locke said the program brought 12,000 international attendees to trade shows, creating $800 million in new business for U.S. companies.

Former telecom exec tapped as White House chief of staff

Locke also had some kind words to reporters for William Daley, the former Commerce Secretary who will replace Pete Rouse as President Obama's chief of staff.

"We had several meetings where he imparted his wisdom and help; I'm excited to have him as chief of staff," Locke said.

Locke said Daley is well-respected on Capitol Hill and with industry, and has a record of working in a bipartisan fashion. Among many other things, Daley is a former telecom-industry executive who served as president of SBC Communications before it merged with AT&T. Read more in The Hill: http://bit.ly/gJ9Xwl

Senior NPR exec resigns, CEO docked her bonus

One executive at NPR has stepped down and another got her bonus cut over the dismissal of news analyst Juan Williams.

NPR chief executive Vivian Schiller has been docked her 2010 bonus because of her role in Williams's firing, which set off a firestorm of controversy and fueled GOP cries to defund the news outlet. NPR also announced senior vice president for news Ellen Weiss, who fired Williams, has resigned.

NPR's board said Schiller will not receive a bonus due to "concern over her role in the termination process" but said she will continue as CEO. http://bit.ly/ieU6Uc

FCC: Schools still boast slow Web connections

A report released by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Wednesday showed 80 percent of survey respondents who receive funding through the E-rate program said their broadband connections do not fully meet their needs.

Why they're not satisfied: More than half most said their connections are too slow; more than a third said getting online is too expensive. The E-rate program, directed by the FCC, provides $2.25 billion annually to educational institutions to help them pay for telecom services. http://bit.ly/h6vxJ2

Facebook reaches agreement with state governments

Facebook announced an agreement with the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) that will allow state governments to take advantage of the social networking site in the same manner as federal agencies.

The move mirrors a similar agreement between Facebook and the General Services Administration in 2009 that led to a surge in federal agencies on Facebook. http://bit.ly/gPfXaC

Can't-miss news

Former FCC chairman Kevin Martin joined the board of AirWalk Communications. http://bit.ly/gqQ46O

Apple opened its new app store for Mac users to download software. http://bit.ly/e3bEWG

House Oversight Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) keeps his streak of attending every CES since 1982. http://bit.ly/hGaqUf

Verizon is lobbying Congress to overhaul the 1996 Telecommunications Act. http://bit.ly/h6m9wL

LinkedIn is reportedly planning an IPO for 2011. http://bit.ly/dLensx

Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) wants to limit full-body screening at airports. http://bit.ly/fZlv7U

Watercooler

The online video service Boxee said Thursday at CES that it will begin selling episodes of CBS series later in the year, the first content deal between Boxee and a major television network. Boxee among several companies looking to integrate TV and the Web; competitors include Google TV, Apple TV, Hulu and on-demand video offerings from cable and satellite providers. http://nyti.ms/hPL0At