Ideas
USAID Seeks Expertise in Open Data, Venture Capital
Agency’s Presidential Innovation Fellows need experience in finance and data science, CIO says.
Digital Government
No Existing Technology Can Ensure Drone Safety, GAO Official Says
Unmanned aircraft operations need more spectrum, could be hit by GPS jamming.
Modernization
IRS Faulted for Wasteful Aircard and BlackBerry Purchases
Auditors tell CIO to do a better job monitoring which employees have business needs.
Digital Government
How Rubber Cement Brought Down a $4.6 Million Drone
The stuff used for minor car repairs isn’t so great for affixing computer chips to aircraft.
Cybersecurity
Sandia Draws From Nuclear Science in Inaugurating New Cyber Lab
Experience with supercomputing, cryptography and self-contained microelectronics design makes the lab a leader in virtual defense systems.
People
Summit stresses value of metrics in social media
Agencies are using social media tools in increasingly creative ways; measuring their impact is the next needed step.
Cybersecurity
It's Not Just You: Chinese Hackers Are Terrible at Making Passwords, Too
Investigation shows sloppy Internet habits of some involved in the hacking.
Cybersecurity
Is the Facebook Hack Part of a Bigger Spy Threat?
Facebook announced last week that its systems had been targeted in a sophisticated attack.
Emerging Tech
Like a Swarm of Lethal Bugs: The Most Terrifying Drone Video Yet
An Air Force simulation says researchers are at work on killer robots so tiny that a group of them could blend into a cityscape.
Digital Government
Why Some Scientists Aren't Happy About Obama's $3 Billion Brain Research Plan
Researchers say the project lacks clear goals and gobbles up money that could've gone to better studies.
Emerging Tech
NASA Lost Communications With the International Space Station
A scary break in communications between NASA on the ground and NASA in space comes during a routine software update. All on board are doing well.
Emerging Tech
We the People (of the World)
Azerbaijanis make a strong showing on the White House’s increasingly international petition site.
Cybersecurity
Hacking Against the United States is Traced to a Chinese Army Unit
The specificity of a new report is likely to inflame discussion of the threat posed to multinational corporations by state-sponsored hackers in China.
Digital Government
Why a Secret Court Won't Solve the Drone-Strike Problem
In our system, courts don't grant indulgences or offer absolution; they decide cases, and they don't advise the president.
Acquisition
Set-aside for mid-tier companies still possible
Companies that are too big to qualify for small-business advantages, yet too small to compete seriously against major corporations, may get some help from Congress.
Cybersecurity
Rockefeller, Lead Senate Player on Cyber, Seeks To Win Over Business
Senator is crafting legislation to combat threats to critical infrastructure such as power grids and water supplies.
Digital Government
Cybersecurity Order Neglects the Workforce
Directive makes little mention of the people who protect our computer systems.
People
What's next for the Presidential Innovation Fellows?
As the Presidential Innovation Fellows program seeks the next class of talented technologists, the most recent group looks back on the experience.
Acquisition