• Epic Technology Failures
• BY: Bill Bott   |   February 22, 2013
• There are many, but tracking software -- which various government agencies make use of every day -- is one of the biggest.
• 2 Comments

• Municipal-Broadband Battle Spreads to Georgia
• BY: Government Technology   |   Georgia   |   February 21, 2013
• Georgia is the latest battleground in a conflict pitting big-name telecommunications providers against local governments looking to get into the Internet business to provide better connectivity for residents.
• 3 Comments

• FCC OKs Wi-Fi Expansion Plan
• Source: The Hill   |   Nation   |   February 21, 2013
• The commission said the proposal would increase the capacity of Wi-Fi networks and would help to relieve congestion on hotspots at hotels, airports and other crowded areas.

• Amazon Tax Revenue Begins to Arrive in Some States
• Source: Reuters   |   Nation   |   February 20, 2013
• Sales tax from Internet commerce is starting to arrive in a few states, providing millions of dollars in new revenue, though not as much as once forecast.

• Battered by Sandy, New Jersey Tries Email Voting with Mixed Results
• BY: Brian Heaton   |   February 19, 2013
• Casting a vote by email may seem easy, but the process was no walk in the park when New Jersey allowed it in the wake of Superstorm Sandy.
• 3 Comments

• Online Sales Tax Bill May Get Swallowed by Push for Larger Tax Reform
• Source: The Hill   |   Nation   |   February 19, 2013
• Advocates of online sales tax legislation are worried that their bill could become bogged down in the larger debate over reforming the federal tax code.

• Using GPS to Track Drug Thefts
• BY: Brian Peteritas   |   New York City   |   February 15, 2013
• The NYPD will soon begin using 'bait bottles' of fake pain-killers equipped with invisible GPS devices to combat a rise in pharmacy robberies.

• States Struggling with Oversight of Online Schools
• BY: Stateline   |   February 15, 2013
• The rapid growth of online education is raising concerns -- especially as more for-profit companies launch online programs. While unscrupulous or incompetent online educators may be rare, there are enough of them that many states are considering ratcheting up their oversight.

• FAA Plans Six Test Sites Across US for Drone Flights
• Source: AP/The Washington Post   |   Nation   |   February 15, 2013
• A future in which unmanned drones are as common in U.S. skies as helicopters and airliners has moved a step closer to reality with a government request for proposals to create six drone test sites around the country.

• Obama Presses Cybersecurity Effort
• Source: The Washington Post   |   Nation   |   February 15, 2013
• Citing the growing threat from cyberattacks, President Obama on Tuesday announced that he had signed an executive order that calls for the creation of voluntary standards to boost the security of computer networks in critical industries such as those that keep trains from colliding and drinking water clean.

• Drone Privacy, Research Bills Introduced in Arizona
• Source: Arizona Republic   |   Arizona   |   February 14, 2013
• Arizona lawmakers are bidding to make the state a center for aerial-drone research, but they also want to make sure local police don’t use the unmanned surveillance aircraft to spy on Americans.

• As Sequestration Looms, Cities Create Their Own Economic Fate
• BY: Liz Farmer   |   Nation   |   February 13, 2013
• Whether sequestration happens or not, some local finance leaders are preparing for leaner times ahead when it comes to federal aid.

• Fracking Decision Delayed Again in New York
• Source: New York Times   |   New York   |   February 13, 2013
• Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s administration again delayed making a decision on whether to allow hydraulic fracturing, a controversial drilling method used to extract natural gas from rock formations like the Marcellus Shale, which extends from the Appalachian Mountains to New York.

• Gov. Hickenlooper in D.C.: Colorado's Fracking Regulations are a Model
• Source: Denver Post   |   Colorado   |   February 13, 2013
• States — not the federal government — should lead in regulating natural gas production, Gov. John Hickenlooper told a Senate committee, angering environmentalists and drawing applause from energy groups who are fighting the Environmental Protection Agency.

• Mobile Technology, Co-Creation and the Empowered Citizen
• BY: William D. Eggers,Jason Salzetti   |   February 13, 2013
• Mobile devices are powerful platforms for engaging citizens as partners in transforming the public sector. Governments need to move faster to take advantage of this opportunity.
• 2 Comments