Federal Communications Commission (FCC) employees owed the government $712,416 in unpaid taxes at the end of 2009, according to an analysis of IRS data by the Washington Post. The FCC had 57 employees who owed taxes. 

Capitol Hill employees--a total of 638 of them--owed $9.3 million. 

Commerce Department employees--over 1,500 of them--owed more than $22 million.

A federal judge allowed the holder of the copyright for a movie to subpoena the names of individuals accused of illegally downloading the film, according to the AP.

The copyright holders of the 2008 German film "Far Cry" tracked the IP addresses of users suspected of pirating the film and subpoenaed their Internet service providers, hoping to get the names of the individuals associated with the addresses.

Once notifed, some customers challenged the subpoena. U.S. District Court Judge Rosemary Collyer denied their petitions on Friday, citing precedent that Internet subscribers do not have an expectation of privacy once they provide their subscriber information to the ISP.

A much-needed stimulus project to replace the Social Security Administration's outdated data center is more than six months behind schedule, according to a report from Nextgov.

The agency's 30-year-old National Computing Center is no longer able to meet the demand for processing applications even as the number of applicants is poised to grow with the aging of the baby boomers. The Social Security Administration faced a backlog 765,000 disability and retirement claims when President Obama took office in January 2009.

The Recovery Act included $500 million to address the backlog, with at least half slated to go towards a new data center. At the time, a union representing employees at the agency argued the backlog was caused by a shortage of workers, not aging technology.

The plans for the new data center have been held up due to a dispute over where to locate the facility. The General Services Administration planned to purchase land for the facility, but Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) questioned why the agency couldn't just build on existing space at SSA's campus in Woodlawn, Md.

SSA conducted an analysis and still came to the conclusion that an off-campus site was warranted due to the growing risk of structural problems in its old building. The purchase of the land is planned for December, with hopes of completing construction by October 2013.

But a Grassley aide said the senator remains concerned about the plan to spend federal money on new land and will continue to monitor the situation.

The Mississippi prison system rolled out technology last month that made it the first state to use advanced technologies to prevent cell phone use by prisoners. 

Playing keep-away with such tiny devices has been a struggle for jails, especially after the advent of pre-paid phones helped eliminate the paper trail.

Law enforcement officials say cell phones allow inmates to continue breaking the law from inside their cells. Mississippi officials also noted several escapes that have been planned with the devices, which can go for $1,000 within prison walls.

Mississippi found a solution to stifle inmate communications even if a cell phone gets inside. It is the first state to deploy "managed access" technology, which allow prisons to work with phone companies so that only registered phones get service. Emergency 911 calls also get through.

The natural-gas explosion in San Bruno, Calif., near San Francisco, on Thursday night that left at least four people dead and dozens injured has prompted Pacific Gas and Electric Co. to use Web tools such as Twitter to keep area residents updated on the response and investigation by authorities.

An explosion in PG&E's natural-gas pipeline at 6 p.m. on Thursday sent an 80-foot fireball streaking into the sky and caused fires that destroyed 45 homes and injured dozens. Soon after reports of the explosion surfaced, PG&E began using Twitter to refer survivors to the Red Cross for assistance and update area residents on the situation. The utility company initially cut power for almost 6,000 area residents to help first responders.

Residents can follow PG&E's Twitter account for updates. The company will also likely take a lesson from BP, which launched an online crisis-management page following the Gulf oil spill earlier this year.

"We have yet to be able to get close enough to the source to determine what happened, but we are diligently working toward this. We are committed to doing what is right and what is appropriate to help all the families and others impacted by this tragedy," PG&E tweeted before noon on Friday.

Update: Google has created a map depicting the location of the explosion, as well as nearby shelters and resources. You can read Google's blog post on the subject here, which notes the explosion took place just two miles from YouTube headquarters.

The Patent and Trademark Office unveiled an online tool this week that illustrates data about the office, including the number of applications in the backlog and staffing levels.

The aim is to provide better data about intellectual property processes, giving companies more information about the application load that the office is handling. Most likely the tool will be of interest to IP lawyers or other patent connoisseurs. 

One point of interest: The tool shows there are 728,055 patents awaiting action. Check out the tool, to be updated monthly, here.

In a piece on Computerworld, Mark Gibbs teases the Federal Communications Commission for delaying its net-neutrality rule-making process by setting the proceeding to '70s anthem Bohemian Rhapsody. Lyrics after the jump.

Microsoft executive Stephen Elop will replace Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo as chief executive of Nokia Corp. on Sept. 21, the firm announced Friday.

"The time is right to accelerate the company's renewal; to bring in new executive leadership with different skills and strengths in order to drive company success," said Nokia chairman Jorma Ollila in a statement. "We believe that Stephen will be able to drive both innovation and efficient execution of the company strategy in order to deliver increased value to our shareholders."

Elop, a Canadian citizen who currently heads Microsoft's Business Division, will be Nokia's first non-Finnish CEO. Nokia remains the world's largest mobile phone maker but has lost ground against rivals such as Apple, HTC and Research in Motion in the market for high-end smartphones. Elop has held positions at several prominent technology firms, including Juniper Networks and Adobe Systems.

"His strong software background and proven record in change management will be valuable assets as we press harder to complete the transformation of the company," Ollila added. 

In a statement Elop said he was excited about the position and dedicated to strengthening Nokia's position as the leader of the mobile communications industry. He previously worked as president and CEO of Macromedia until its acquisition by Adobe in 2005, and earned a bachelor's degree in computer engineering and management from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario.

Reports of the board's search for a new chief executive first surfaced in July. Kallasvuo will step down and give up his seat on the board on Sept. 20.

Former Gateway executive and Republican nominee Rick Snyder has a commanding lead over his Democratic opponent in the race to be Michigan's next governor, according to a new poll from The Detroit News.

Snyder, who served as president and interim CEO of Gateway and founded two venture capital firms, has referred to himself on the campaign trail as "one tough nerd" and drawn attention to his record as a job creator in the state with the nation's second-highest unemployment rate.

That message seems to have resonated; the poll shows Snyder leading Lansing Mayor Virg Bernaro 56 percent to 36 among likely voters in November's general election. The poll of 600 voters statewide was conducted via telephone by the Glengariff Group on Sept. 7 and 8, with a 4 percent margin of error.

Snyder's ability to outspend his opponents helped him win a contentious Republican primary despite hailing from Ann Arbor, one of the most liberal areas of the state. Snyder used his considerable personal wealth to run a series of TV ads touting his lack of political experience, which have been received favorably given the current anti-incumbent sentiment in Michigan and nationwide.