News
Federal immigration officers have accessed the Motor Vehicle Association’s database of drivers numerous times in the past two years and lawmakers hope to end that. But some fear the bill’s “potential implications.”
Facebook’s Pittsburgh office is working to develop 3-D avatars, which would maintain expressions and body language of users to meet face-to-face, virtually, around the world, as the next wave of digital communication. “There’s a can-do attitude among everyone here.”
Cailin Slattery, a Columbia Business School economist, commenting on the poor chances certain states and localities have when it comes to having a positive business outcome using tax incentives. (Governing — February 26, 2020)
The amount that Google wants to invest in offices and data centers across the nation throughout 2020. “These investments will create thousands of jobs … and opportunities in local businesses in surrounding towns and communities.”
As technology becomes easier and cheaper to use, residents are looking for smart-home features in their apartments, which makes owners want to install the tech to keep up with competition and avoid becoming obsolete.
A community discussion was held on the usefulness and benefits of facial recognition systems in schools, which “would have been great to have had before we wrote the check.” The technology has been in use in New York since January.
The Michigan House bill would allow counties to opt out of paying for services that would offer little benefit to them without impeding the implementation of the services in other counties.
The city’s plan involves new cameras, analytics equipment and $1.5 million in overtime pay as the city is short about 600 officers. “We need those technology advancements and we need them right now.”
Even though the state agreed to the purchase, many are opposed. Jeff Bezos, Amazon’s CEO, earned $12 billion last year so why does he need the state’s money? “Stop these gifts to obscenely wealthy companies.”
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said of a proposed Internet tax expansion bill that would require up to a 10 percent excise tax on digital ads from big companies (greater than $100 million in annual ad revenue) that are targeting Maryland Internet users. (PEW Trusts — February 25, 2020)
The total loss of the combined market capitalization of Apple, Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft, and Facebook due to the new coronavirus. Apple and Microsoft each saw losses of approximately $60 billion.
The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Calif., is a popular spot for photos, especially by drones. It’s also a National Recreation Area where drones are illegal, but officials are having trouble restricting them.
After tensions escalated between Iran and the U.S., government officials warned of potential cyberattacks, including against our vulnerable electric grid. “It is not a matter of if, but when, an attack will happen.”
Spectrum, which purchased Time Warner Cable, used advertising to mislead California customers about its available Internet speed. Over 170,000 customers will be eligible to receive restitution.
San Diego’s Lytx has updated it’s video monitoring technology for commercial truckers, DriveCam, so that it can detect when the driver’s eyes have moved from the road to a cellphone or other device.
Researchers from the University of Michigan are concerned about health privacy as tech and health become more intertwined. A study found that 19 of 24 prominent health apps were sharing user data.
Study after study shows that tax incentives don't pay off in real economic gains and often fail to produce the jobs that were promised. When managed correctly, however, they can build on local strengths.
Warren Buffet said regarding his decision to finally get rid of his old flip phone and begin using a smartphone, an iPhone specifically. (Business Insider — February 24, 2020)
The number of days the average public transportation commuter will spend each year sitting on a bus or train (over 400 hours). A report analyzed 30 U.S. metropolitan areas across the nation and found that Boston, Mass., had the best transit system.
A Tesla crashed while Autopilot was engaged, but Tesla won’t release the car’s data that is stored in it’s cloud. Turns out, no current laws give car owners the right to access operational, safety data.
Cities, especially in California, have to weigh the pros and cons of ride-hailing apps, like Uber and Lyft. Some are thinking that it’s time to change the rules, but they aren’t sure what new regulations would look like.
Stafford County hopes to install smart energy, lighting, water, and housing to become a smart community, the first of many. “Our goal is to make Stafford a model community for all of Virginia.”
This 2020 voting system will only be the third modernization of Los Angeles County’s voting system since 1968. Officials just hope that the many changes don’t scare off the county’s 5.5 million voters.
Lydia Mihalik is a fierce team leader and has a passion for improving the lives of others, two qualities that have suited her perfectly for Ohio’s public service as director of the Development Services Agency.
It's being used in increasingly powerful ways to enhance communications in hundreds of communities, helping to create trust, facilitate transparency, address residents' concerns and solve problems.
Elon Musk tweeted on Feb. 17 in response to a new MIT Technology Review report of OpenAI. When asked if AI should be regulated “By individual governments or on a global scale, eg UN,” Musk replied simply: “Both.” (TechCrunch, Twitter — February 18, 2020)
Roughly half of Gen Z Republicans say they think the government should be doing more to solve problems, compared with 38 percent of millennial Republicans and 29 percent of Gen Xers.
The State of the City address outlined plans to become a smart city, including 5G and mobile parking apps. But the mayor didn’t discuss how they’d replenish city funds after these upgrades, and some are concerned.
A group has proposed an amendment to the state constitution, requesting that lawmakers have a limit of 16 years in the state legislature. The proposal still has several steps before getting on a November ballot.
The state of Oregon has already banned police from using body cameras with facial recognition, but the city wants to take the ban further. “We felt a moral obligation to develop a broader approach.”
Most Read
