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Political attention this year will largely be focused on the presidential race, but at the start of a redistricting cycle both parties are pledging to spend record amounts on state elections.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said regarding facial recognition’s quick spread and advancement without regulation. The New Yorker argued that while many people use facial recognition to“put on a cute filter and have puppy dog ears,” they don’t realize that “that data’s being collected by a corporation or state.” (Business Insider — January 16, 2020)
The number of customers that would be impacted by a T-mobile and Sprint merger. Several states oppose the deal because it would increase prices for customers and decrease competition in the telephone market as it “would leave the United States with three major phone carriers instead of four.” A U.S. District Court judge heard closing arguments on Wednesday, and will make his ruling “as promptly as possible.”
City officials are optimistic that implementing an app for the annual homeless count will yield more accurate results. Drones will be sent out before the volunteers to find encampments to make the process more efficient.
As more people use their phones as a primary Internet source, Mozilla is getting squeezed out as Apple and Google devices favor their pre-installed browsers. Mozilla has to “do things differently, including allocating resources” toward future-leaning tech.
The bill is intended to create incentives for electric and plug-in vehicles, but bills like this have failed before and lawmakers are split on the issue. This would be more than just passing legislation, “People are going to have to think differently.”
Philadelphia’s airport will begin using facial recognition scanners, though there are still many concerns. Officials expect mistakes, but wonder “how might those mistakes be unequally distributed across demographics.”
The idea of driverless vehicles is great but, as of now, doesn’t work in our reality. Unresolved issues like crash liability, battery lifespan and outdated infrastructure make autonomous vehicles a next-generation prospect.
The L.A. County Board of Supervisors has passed a Women in Technology Hiring Initiative aimed at connecting at-risk and disconnected youth ages 14-24 with career mentors and training them to bolster its entry-level IT candidates.
Doug Jones, a computer science professor at the University of Iowa and a former caucus precinct leader, said regarding the Iowa Democratic Party’s (IDP) decision to use an Internet-based smartphone app to tabulate and transfer voting results during the state’s February caucus. The IDP hopes that “the new app lets the party get results out to the public quicker,” but the decision seems unusual as 2020 election conversations are inundated with cybersecurity concerns. (NPR — January 14, 2020)
The proportion of people who said that they put “a lot” of trust in the U.S. Postal Service to do the right thing, a study from Morning Consult found. The survey asked participants, “How much do you trust each brand to do what is right?” and, overall, the USPS earned the top trusted spot with Amazon (38.8 percent) and Google (37.9 percent) following next. Only 7 percent said they had the same trust in the U.S. government.
Three winners will get access to Coord’s software, apps and APIs, and collaboration from the company’s experts, to deliver a project by the end of the year to make local streets and sidewalks safer or more efficient.
Misinformation and deepfakes are a constantly growing concern for American society and if they aren’t properly addressed, they could spark future panic. These tools can help differentiate between what’s real and fake.
The state’s Public Regulation Commission was hacked by a source that could be a foreign country, but findings are still preliminary. The PRC chief of staff thinks the hacking “could be related to a cyberattack.”
Ann Arbor, Mich., is using its ongoing partnership with the University of Michigan and private industry to gather and share data from connected vehicle and infrastructure interactions.
The National Security Association found a “critical vulnerability” in Microsoft’s Windows operating system. Now organizations are being encouraged to “install these critical patches as soon as possible.”
It is off to the caucuses for the remaining Democratic presidential candidates after running a gauntlet of debates, fundraising and public opinion polls. But how did we get here? For answers, you have to look back 85 years.
Sen. John Rodgers of Vermont said of his own bill that would make it illegal for anyone under the age of 21 to have a cellphone. The Democratic senator proposed the bill simply to draw attention to cellphones’ high correlation to distracted driving, cyberbullying and suicides. He said Vermont’s Legislature “seems bent on taking away our Second Amendment rights,” when in actuality, cellphones are more dangerous than a gun. (The Hill — January 10, 2020)
The donation that Jeff Bezos, Amazon CEO, has promised to give to the Australian wildlife recovery effort. Many are upset by the number as it is less than Bezos makes in 5 working minutes.
The U.S. senator wants GPS apps to make information about road restrictions available so truck drivers can reroute if they won’t fit under a bridge. The update would reduce traffic backups and save the state wasted transportation funding.
New Mexico cannot financially afford an undercount in the 2020 Census, but many residents don’t speak the languages provided on the forms, so the state is stepping in. It’s “a good opportunity to recognize the diversity in our state.”
New Orleans, La., City Hall has cleared thousands of city computers after last month’s cyberattack, but the public records system still has a few weeks before it will be fully recovered. The FBI is still investigating the attack’s source.
The city is now the fourth in Massachusetts to ban official use of the technology, with more following close behind. State officials are concerned that the software is discriminatory and will “lead to harmful ‘false positive’ identifications.”
The relatively new role of the state chief data officer is catching on, with a designated professional support network, growing public pressure for data-based policies, and more than half of U.S. states now staffing.
A nascent concept out of the United Kingdom captures the promise and pitfalls of a technology-laden future. As its anticipated arrival date of 2030 comes closer, feet grow colder. Is the story the same here?
A quick look at tech trends and issues public leaders may face in 2020 coming out of last week’s Consumer Electronics Show.
Eduardo Estrada, a Huawei spokesman at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas amid the company’s demos of consumer products. Last year, the Chinese telecom giant was the target of the Trump administration crackdown over alleged 5G dumping in the U.S. and suspicions of spying. (Washington Post - January 10, 2020)
The number of new U.S. astronauts officially added to NASA ranks last Friday. “The new graduates may be assigned to missions destined for the International Space Station, the Moon, and ultimately, Mars. With a goal of sustainable lunar exploration later this decade, NASA will send the first woman and next man to the surface on the Moon by 2024. Additional lunar missions are planned once a year thereafter and human exploration of Mars is targeted for the mid-2030s.”
New York’s Lockport City School District has facial and object recognition that it can no longer use after the state changed the rules. A school board trustee thinks the district should get a refund for the $1.4 million purchase.
E-Bikes have become an extremely common transport option in California’s Bay Area but they might not be suited for all. Cars are cheaper for many and, in some cases, can provide shelter that bikes can’t.
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