Obama tech appointments seen coming soon

President-elect Barack Obama is expected to announce key technology appointments as early as this week. Industry lobbyists, consumers groups and other advocates are waiting for Obama to pick someone to head the Federal Communications Commission and to fill a new job of chief technology officer for the federal government. Top candidates for FCC chairman include Julius Genachowski, a classmate of Obama's at Harvard Law School, and Blair Levin, most recently an investment advisor. Both were high-level staff at the FCC under President Bill Clinton, and both are now advising Obama. Sonal Shah, head of global development at Google, is also advising Obama on telecom issues during the transition. Former agency officials and others, both Democrats and Republicans, told a Washington conference this week the FCC has failed to keep up with new technologies and is hamstrung by outdated laws that were based on old technology.