A report in GovTech stated that most cities operate without CIOs. With the increase of technology policy being used in government, this is a bit surprising. Instead, cities rely on IT managers, systems administrators, and city managers to create and implement these types of programs. Why do cities not have CIOs? The reasons vary. SomeRead… Read more »
This afternoon I attended the Apps for the Environment Forum, hosted by the EPA in Rosslyn. The forum honored the winners of the recent Apps for the Environment Challenge, hosted a variety of speakers from the EPA and executive office, and offered breakout sessions on how to use the Internet and open data space betterRead… Read more »
This past Friday, Rep. Susan Davis (D-Calif.) introduced a bill that would ban smoking within 25 feet of all federal buildings across the country. Efforts to push for smoke-free buildings began in 1997, and continued making incremental progress throughout the Clinton and Bush administrations. “Exposure to secondhand smoke is a serious health issue that drivesRead… Read more »
An article in GovTech this morning features new technology by MotionPower-Express Systems being tested in Roanoke, Virginia. They have recently installed rumble strips along roads that capture energy as cars drive over them. The kinetic energy being generated would be converted into electricity, and that electricity would power the traffic signals at the upcoming intersection.Read… Read more »
This weekend I had the opportunity to attend the TedX Mid-Atlantic conference in DC. For those of you who are unfamiliar, TED is a nonprofit “devoted to ideas worth spreading”. TED has annual conferences in California, and independently organized TEDx conferences throughout the year in cities all around the world. Let me tell you, thisRead… Read more »
If you guessed “angry birds” (based off of the hit mobile video game), then you are correct! An article in GovTech outlines the runner-ups as well: 1. Angry Birds 2. Black Swan 3. Playboy Bunny 4. Nicki Minaj 5. Smurfette 6. Wilfred 7. Monster High 8. Tron 9. Captain America 10. Pan Am 11. CharlieRead… Read more »
This morning I attended the IDGA Social Media for Defense Summit in Alexandria. In case you missed it, these were the biggest points I took away from the speakers: 1. Social Media should be run like a spiderweb For social media, integration is the name of the game. You want to be able to integrateRead… Read more »
According to an article in the Washington Post, users of USAJobs.gov 3.0 have had a hard time using the “new and improved” site. Several glitches have prevented users from submitting applications, and performing other functions, on time. Although the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) sends out daily updates and boasts about successful cases, many usersRead… Read more »
As facial recognition technology has become popular for law enforcement purposes, Congress has become increasingly more concerned about privacy protection surrounding this software. “As in many fast growing and changing sectors, public policy has not kept pace with the development of this sort of technology,” [Senator] Rockefeller wrote in a letter to FTC Chairman JonRead… Read more »
Back in early September, I asked a forum question around the findings of a new study which found that younger feds are happier at work. My colleague Alicia Mazzara summarized it in her Federal Buzz article in the Washington Post today. Study: Federal job satisfaction higher if you’re young In her article and as previouslyRead… Read more »