Posts Tagged: GovBytes

GovBytes: DOE Denies Loan for Hi-Tech Law Enforcement Vehicle

Carbon Motors, a company looking to create the ideal police car from scratch, was denied a loan by the Department of Energy to fund the continued development of the vehicle. It stands apart from police vehicles currently seen on the road as it is not now, nor was it ever a passenger sedan. Instead, theRead… Read more »

GovBytes: Experts Suggest Dropouts could help Cybersecurity Efforts

In order to have a strong cyber-security team, government agencies need experts with the skills and education that are up to the task, right? Not so, said several panelists at the AFCEA Homeland Security Conference in Washington, D.C. Olivia Carroll, Director of the Cybercrime Lab for the U.S. Department of Justice said she believes thatRead… Read more »

GovBytes: Legislation to Regulate Autonomous Vehicles Introduced in California

Driverless cars are quickly becoming more of a reality, with some car makers already employing technology such a assisted parallel parking into their vehicles. It is becoming so much of a reality that California State Senator Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima) introduced legislation Thursday (3/1/2012) that would regulate autonomous vehicles in the state. About why the billRead… Read more »

GovBytes: Obama Creates Bill of Rights for the Information Age

The White House Thursday made a push to protect the privacy of online users by announcing the voluntary Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights (CPBR). The bill is designed to give consumers more control over the information they share on the Internet. Obama is calling on the Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration to workRead… Read more »

GovBytes: Criminal Identification Improves in Western States

Several western states have come together to improve their integrated fingerprint databases for a better criminal identification system. The states which participate in the Western Identification Network (WIN), a nonprofit responsible for the program, include; Alaska, California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. The improved system will provide high-definition palm and fingerprint matching.Read… Read more »

GovBytes: Missouri Judges Video-Conference

There’s been a lot of chatter on GovLoop recently about government moving to video-conferencing instead of in-person meetings. Though your office may be having trouble making the move, Missouri’s 4th Judicial Circuit has installed five hi-definition video cameras which will be used mostly for juvenile justice matters, saving travel and scheduling expenses. The system mayRead… Read more »

GovBytes: Millions of tax-payer dollars saved by Oregon’s use of video-conferencing

As the number of agencies and businesses choosing to host video-conferences rather than in-person meetings grows, so do the savings, as well as the environmental benefits. Oregon has been boosting its video-conference efforts, and has a lot to boast about regarding the benefits of the conferences. In total, it’s estimated that Oregon has saved $2Read… Read more »

GovBytes: Anonymous targets Alabama in latest attacks by the cyber-insurgency

Anonymous, whether viewed as an online force for good or hackers disguised as do-gooders, have undeniably far-reaching capabilities. They’ve demonstrated this again Friday (2/10/2012) by announcing that they had hacked local and state law enforcement in Alabama to gain access to the information of 46,000 residents. The information includes social security numbers, license plate numbers,Read… Read more »

GovBytes: Armored Vehicle Keeps the Peace in Fort Lauderdale

High crime rates can be tough to conquer with a limited police presence. It can also be problematic to put police on surveillance, when they may have to attend to a call elsewhere. That’s why police in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, have acquired an armored vehicle, called the Peacemaker, to act as temporary surveillance that theyRead… Read more »

GovBytes: New Citizen Engagement Platform: An Experiment in Representation and Technology

One of the four pillars of democracy is representation. This pillar is deeply rooted in civic engagement and participation, of which officials in Stafford County, VA, fear is lacking. Many residents of Stafford County commute to Washington, D.C., and as such don’t have time for town hall meetings to have their voices heard. To remedyRead… Read more »