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New technologies can move the focus from cleaning up problems to preventing them, while putting taxpayer money to more efficient use. But governments lag the private sector in employing these evolving tools.
Tim Cook, Apple CEO, wrote in an open letter in 2016 regarding the FBI’s request that Apple help break into a cellphone following a mass shooting in San Bernardino, Calif. In 2016, Apple replied to the request, saying that backdoor method to get into the devices would threaten the security of its customers. On Monday, the FBI sent another letter to Apple requesting that the company unlock two iPhones that were believed to have belonged to the suspected gunman from the Pensacola, Fla., Naval Air Station shooting that occurred in December. (Business Insider — January 8, 2020)
The amount of single-day sales that the Apple App Store brought in on New Year’s Day. The company reported the record-setting amount of single-day sales in conjunction with the announcement that the week between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve brought in another record: $1.42 billion. The total amount of money that the App Store brought in last year was $54 billion.
In anticipation of a tech-driven world, Alabama wants to focus on topics like automation, robotics and cybersecurity. Too often government is left behind regarding tech. “We do not want that to happen here at the robotics park.”
The event was reminiscent of the Wright brothers’ first flight 116 years ago, “But first in flight isn’t just something that we were — it’s something that we are.” Only this aircraft can go 80 mph with 600 pounds of cargo.
The system has been used in elections in six counties so far and will be implemented statewide come February. The voting machines use screens and paper to ensure security and will be used for the spring presidential primary.
The Maryland Workers' Compensation Commission has undertaken the development of a modern Web-based and intelligent system to be used for filing and managing compensation claims from workers.
Two nonpartisan apps, Register2Vote and MapTheVote, are helping Democrats get higher voter turnout than in previous years. But the increase in voter registration still might not be enough to turn the tides.
Gov tech is a young but quickly growing field. Our sister site, Government Technology, took a hard look at gov tech’s progress over the past five years and outlined the leading trends of the industry for the upcoming year.
The Office of Science and Technology Policy’s U.S. deputy chief technology officer, Lynne Parker, said regarding the proposed artificial intelligence (AI) regulations that the White House released on Tuesday. The regulations are specific to how federal agencies create new AI regulations for the private sector, and there’s a month-long period before the rules take effect during which the public can provide feedback. (AP News — January 7, 2020)
The proportion of growth of tech jobs in New York City over the past decade. Big tech companies like Facebook, Google, Apple and Amazon all have plans to move to New York City and establish large offices. By 2022 there is projected to be 20,000 workers between the four giants.
Battery technology is allowing more powerful batteries for even the smallest devices. But all of that energy in such a small space can be dangerous and we should be mindful of good battery safety.
Technology aims to improve our lives through convenience and leisure, but when does it breach into something else? Is implanting microchips into employees convenient and leisurely, or just scary?
A proposal that would ban use of facial recognition technology was first voted on by the Portland, Maine, City Council in November. They voted to postpone. On Monday, the council voted unanimously to postpone again, this time until June.
The phone equipment company’s Snapdragon Ride platform focuses on driver assist technology and hopes to be foundational for driverless vehicles. Qualcomm hopes to see products with their platform in production by 2023.
The Ray, an 18-mile stretch of Interstate 85 in southern Georgia, functions as a test bed for next-generation transportation technologies, including striping to enable autonomous vehicle use.
Reporting by ProPublica revealed that TurboTax’s host company, Intuit, had been deceiving customers into paying for what could have been free. The IRS has responded by dropping a long-standing agreement not to compete with industry by developing its own tax filing software.
State legislatures will have a lot on their plates. They’ll deal with issues in wildly differing ways. We set the context for the 2020 session with an overview of abortion, election security, housing, immigration, net neutrality, pensions, pre-emption, recession fears, redistricting, vaping, and workforce.
A Twitter spokesperson said regarding a misleading video clip that appears to show Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden endorsing the U.S. as a European nation. Twitter is currently drafting new privacy policies around misleading or altered videos but it is unclear if it would result in removal of the clip. Misinformation concerns are growing in anticipation of the 2020 Census and then the election, and many social media platforms are changing their policies to expose these falsities. (The Hill — January 3, 2020).
The number of temporary workers that the U.S. Census will need nationwide to ensure that all households are accounted for. The workers are hired as employees, with benefits and disability coverage available, but it can be difficult to get people to apply for the jobs, especially in areas with low unemployment, like San Francisco. To get an accurate count in California’s Bay Area, the Census will need about 12,000 temporary workers.
In 2013, the ultra-high-speed Internet claimed that Austin, Texas, would become an economic and technological hub. But the black-and-white success that was described nearly seven years ago now looks a bit more gray.
The law requires that the Secretary of State maintain a list of those who voted, the preferred political party of each voter, “[and] must provide the list to the chair of each major political party,” causing privacy concerns.
As technology becomes more competent, ensuring that humanity isn’t replaced or lost is an important part of moving forward.
Bad actors are increasingly using artificial intelligence to manipulate images and video to misrepresent their subjects. As states work to legislate deepfake technologies, perhaps a federal approach would be better.
As more electric vehicles continue to roll onto American roads, EV charging stations have to follow suit. Some states have adequate charging infrastructure, but other states are extremely sparse and perpetuate “range anxiety.”
The financial system for any major organization is complex and that includes state and local government. Efforts to expand the capabilities of finance through new technology can lead to different results as these two examples show.
After a drone strike killed a high-ranking Iranian military official in Baghdad on Friday, American cybersecurity officials warn that the response could come in the form of cyberattacks.
Mary Stone Ross, one of the co-authors of California’s newest privacy law, which requires retailers to give an option to consumers to opt out of the sale of their personal data to third-party companies. California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said the law was designed with the intent to protect children: “The last thing you want is for any company to think that we’re going to be soft on letting you misuse kids’ personal information.” The California law also includes social media platforms and TV streaming services. (NPR, Reuters — December 30, 2019)
The amount scammers would be fined for illegal robocalling operations according to the new law that aims to reduce the number of robocalls Americans will receive in 2020. While the new law won’t reduce the number of robocalls immediately, Americans should expect to see the effects in about six months. Government officials hope that by reducing robocalls, less Americans will be subjected to scams that steal social security numbers, credit card numbers, and other personal information.
Studies found that workers were less discriminatory against their fellow human coworkers once robots were introduced. Differences between beliefs or political views suddenly paled in comparison to human and non-human.
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