Ideas
The Narrow-Banded Brain
Stephen Baker, author of the <em>Numerati</em>, <a href=http://thenumerati.net/index.cfm?postID=632>wrote in his blog</a> on Tuesday that there may very well come a day when eye witness accounts could be less of a factor in courts and replaced by the ever increasing deluge of data provided by security cameras, digital recorders and databases. He points to research that indicates humans typically focus on just 1 percent of their field of vision when observing their surroundings and fill everything else on the periphery from memory. That's not a good thing when recounting what you saw in a court of law.
Digital Government
Pandemic: Health IT Goes Viral
Spending on health IT systems at the state and local level will surge almost 20 percent over the next five years, a trickle compared to the 20 percent annual growth rate forecast for the healthcare IT market in China.
Digital Government
Ed Meagher leaves SRA
Meagher, a former deputy CIO at the Interior Department, will join CSC as vice president of healthcare strategy.
Modernization
Survey says people prefer online federal customer service
A survey says Americans are more satisfied with online interactions with federal agencies than with their telephone conversations.
Digital Government
Public service on display at the Griffith Observatory
Blogger Steve Kelman is impressed with what he finds when he visits a former student who is now deputy director of the Los Angeles observatory.
Digital Government
FAR Council considers justifying sole-source awards
Congress demands a good reason for awarding a contract worth $20 million or more without hosting a competition for the work.
Digital Government
Would Patton survive in today's PowerPoint military?
Would Patton or MacArthur survive in the modern military's PowerPoint culture? Some of our readers doubt it.
Modernization
Agencies update Web sites in preparation for Hurricane Earl
The Federal Emergency Management Agency and the National Hurricane center have updated their home pages in preparation for Hurricane Earl.
Digital Government
Regulators nudge up simplified acquisition dollar thresholds
Regulatory changes offer modest benefits for both small businesses and large companies.
People
NASA opens photo-sharing site
NASA is inviting the public to add information and other comments on its historic photo collection on Flickr Commons.
Digital Government
'War consists largely of endless tinkering with PowerPoint slides'
Federal Computer Week
Digital Government
FDA unveils performance management site
Online system will allow public to monitor agency's activities and drug approval process.
Digital Government
Contractors want to review troubled technology projects with OMB
Vendors say administration officials should allow them to weigh in on fixing the management of high-risk initiatives and should keep companies abreast of development interruptions.
Modernization
Agencies use old and new tech to monitor, prepare for Hurricane Earl
The National Hurricane Center relies on satellite images supplemented by advanced equipment that accurately measures wind speeds, while FEMA taps in to social media to help residents prepare for landfall.
Digital Government
DISA says more employees willing to make move to new HQ
Officials convinced most hard-to-replace employees will transfer from Arlington, Va., to Fort Meade, Md., due to flexible work hours and telecommuting.
Digital Government