What is that goofy-looking barcode to your right, you ask? It’s called a QR (Quick Response) Code and it can store over 4,000 alphanumeric characters in this two dimensional black and white image. Think of it as a cryptogram or cipher readable by mobile devices. The one displayed here for instance actually reads, “GovLoop isRead… Read more »
Last week Twitter announced Fast Follow, a way for citizens to subscribe to your Tweets via SMS even if they don’t have a Twitter account. For example, if I text “follow StPeteFL” to 40404 I will start receiving every Tweet from St. Petersburg, FL as a text message on my phone. That’s easier than subscribingRead… Read more »
Today’s CB2 is by far the least uplifting to date with at least three major active crises in the eastern hemisphere: 1. Heat, Smog, and Death in Moscow 7,000 are estimated dead so far from record temperatures in Moscow and may climb as high as 15,000 in the weeks ahead, putting it in competition forRead… Read more »
Le Président Jean? I, like many of you, read this morning that former-Fugee Wyclef Jean may announce a run for president of Haiti. Jean was born in Port-au-Prince, raised in Brooklyn, and went on to become a famous hip-hop artist and industry entrepreneur. After the earthquake he helped raised over $9 million for Haiti andRead… Read more »
Mobile emergency notifications can save lives by getting important messages out to (or soliciting them from) the public quickly. Whether it’s a phone call delivering a tornado warning minutes before touchdown or a text message alerting students of a shooter on campus, there’s no doubt that it’s an invaluable service when done right. But whatRead… Read more »
It hasn’t hit the mainstream yet, but Florida residents need to keep an eye on what could become Tropical Storm Bonnie heading their way this weekend. Keep an eye out for a special edition CB2 should Bonnie pose a serious threat. Forecast track While the National Hurricane Center won’t have a cone graphic until theRead… Read more »
Where to begin? How does someone who has dedicated the better part of the past 5 years to family disaster preparedness come to terms with the conclusion that people who prepare will always represent such a tiny minority? In this week’s CB2, I’ll break from the oil spill temporarily to present an issue that’s beenRead… Read more »
It’s day 77 and we as a whole are losing interest in the oil spill. The top two CNN.com headlines right now are about Bobby Fischer and the heat wave, what caught my attention this morning is, “Oh cool. LiLo is going to jail,” and if you prefer numbers, Google search traffic for “oil spill”Read… Read more »
With the strengthening of Hurricane Alex, today marks the first hurricane of the 2010 season, and the 70th day since the Deepwater Horizon explosion. The question on everyone’s mind is without a doubt, “What impact will a hurricane have on the oil spill?” The short answer is “no one knows,” since a hurricane has neverRead… Read more »
A Shout-out to Heroes With all the talk of heroes on GovLoop, I thought it would be cool to highlight some of the real heroes in this oil spill: the National Guard and Coast Guard. Over 2,000 of these men and women have dropped everything to work around the clock protecting our coast and wildlifeRead… Read more »