Posts By Allison Primack

Daily Dose: GAO Says the Cloud Computing Contract Needs to Change

The General Services Administration (GSA) thought the battle between Microsoft and Google for the cloud computing contract was solved last Monday favoring Microsoft. However, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) brought several issues to light that may prove that the battle will continue. The contract could have several positive outcomes, if executed correctly. It would allowRead… Read more »

Daily Dose: What Do Jimi Hendrix, Elvis Presley, and George Patton Have In Common?

Answer: All of them served in the US military, and their records will be on view in the new National Archives branch, the National Personnel Records Center, on Saturday in St. Louis. The new museum contains over 100 million military and civilian personnel records. The building has state of the art preservation facilities, and visitorsRead… Read more »

GovBytes: New Law Blocks Cell Phones in California Prisons

Last Friday, California passed SB 26, a law that would block cell phone transmissions in the state’s prisons. The law also imposes strict penalties on the possession and smuggling of cell phones in prisons. California’s Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation is allowed to monitor any attempted cell phone activity on premise. “We know that inmatesRead… Read more »

Daily Dose: Is the Amanda Knox Case Unique?

Amanda Knox, an American college student who was arrested in Italy while studying abroad for the murder of her roommate in 2009, was finally released yesterday. Even though the case gathered attention around the world because of Secretary Hilary Clinton’s personal involvement, the State Department claims that all Americans incarcerated abroad are priorities in theirRead… Read more »

Google Scholarship Video Inspires Thoughts About Education

I just watched the following video, which was a Google Scholarship winner. Not only is it creative and fun to watch, but it also makes you think a lot about the state of education in the United States: Click here to watch the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0UgTe2xml4&feature=player_profilepage What do you think about some of the concepts andRead… Read more »

GovBytes: Robot Technology to Improve Public Safety

According to an article on Government Technology, new automated devices and robots are changing law enforcement as we know it. The invention of these new devices is widening the range of public safety efforts, while simultaneously making these efforts significantly less dangerous. A variety of devices have been created in order to aid police inRead… Read more »

Daily Dose: Pentagon Accepts Alternative Energy Options

Navy Secretary Ray Mabus has announced that the Navy and Marine Corps will be shifting towards alternative energy to “make us better war fighters.” As the nation’s single biggest energy consumer, the Pentagon has many reasons to want to diversify its fuel sources. Mabus and others say the move toward alternative energy is about nationalRead… Read more »

GovBytes: Gov Documents Go Digital

Starting today in Ottawa County, Michigan, citizens can access their government documents, such as their birth certificates, marriage licenses, property deeds and other records, from the Internet. Testing for the system has been in effect for the past month using a program called TrueCertify to help ensure security and encryption for these documents to preventRead… Read more »

Daily Dose: The End of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” Era

Today is an important day for the military, as the Pentagon lifts the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) policy. For the first time in 18 years, troops can “publicly reveal that they’re gay without fear of official retribution”. Enlistees who tell military recruiters, and troops discharged under the ban who are eager to reenlist, willRead… Read more »