Tech

Three Easy Steps to Connection

As I ponder topics for my blog, I often look to issues that are coming up with my clients, family, friends, or those with whom I have recently interacted. I enjoy looking at shared stories and themes, and just like Twitter, my experience has taught me that there are trending topics in life. The oneRead… Read more »

Paper is NOT Transparent – The Role of Document Management in Open Government

Difficult budget times produce changes in government. One trend that I have been watching with interest is the drive to use IT to help government be more transparent. Before computers were found in government, a “paper trail” was considered good government because transactions and government decisions could be reviewed and reconstructed using files for theRead… Read more »

The writing is on the wall

The writing is on the wall and it’s on the Facebook wall if Sky News are to be believed as they analyse a second successive slump of Facebook usage. People are not just wandering off to some other network either – 100,000 Britons actively deleted their accounts in their entirety last year. It seems, asRead… Read more »

USDA to Invest $250 million for Rural Smart Grids

In yet another sign of the Obama Administration’s commitment to renewable energy, energy efficiency and electric grid modernization, the USDA has announced that it will invest $250 million to modernize rural America’s electric grid with smart grid technology. The funding will be managed by the USDA’s Rural Utilities Service, and will cover a 12-month period.Read… Read more »

Online democracy webchat writeup

The first Kind of Digital webchat went really well, with twenty people online in total and at least half of those contributing during the conversation. Not bad at all for a first go. The subject of the chat was how the web can help promote local democracy amongst citizens and communities. You can download aRead… Read more »

My DIY Spider Dolly!

So, I’m a bit behind on the posting front because I’ve been mired in pre-production for my short film that shoots in July. In fact, “The Lake” is the first film to be featured in the Tarakata Films production blog. You can find out more about the film at the following links: Find out moreRead… Read more »

GovBytes: Do You Have a $50,000 Idea For Improving Government?

Do you have a great idea on how to use technology to improve government? If so, the Merit Awards want to hear from you. According to a recent story in GovTech, MeriTalk will be awarding $50,000 for the “most innovative, problem-solving and cost-saving proposal centered on technology.” Ideas can be entered in one of eightRead… Read more »

Maybe one of the reasons why “social” is scary to public sector folk

I’ve been thinking a lot recently about the opportunities and challenges of all things social within my council and the wider public sector and wondering what it is that might be at the root of some of the fears or issues people have around embracing or adopting social within the mainstream operations of the organisation.Read… Read more »

SF Summer of Smart

We’re thrilled to be based out of the SoMA area of San Francisco, a hotbed for tech startups (where keeping tabs on new companies is as easy as searching for a new wireless network). Almost everyday, it seems, there’s a new company with a new product and a new possibility for impact. And this isRead… Read more »