People

Agencies' unique coding systems hinder Recovery Act oversight, official says

The board that oversees money from the stimulus law ran into an old problem: agencies doing things their own way and forgetting about unity, official says.

Cybersecurity

DOE Discloses Power Grid Threats

In the interest of serving the greater public good, the Energy Department recently disclosed an analysis of the cybersecurity vulnerabilities of private and government electric power grids. Typically cyber weaknesses at private utilities -- and even in specific government energy programs -- are kept close to the vest.

Digital Government

Reading the ASD/NII Tea Leaves

The "removal" of Teresa "Teri" Takai, California's chief information officer, from her planned nomination hearing on Monday to become the assistant secretary of Defense for networks and information integration and Defense CIO was no accident.

Digital Government

Hacking for Lactation

If you're a software coding guru, the National Library of Medicine -- and breastfeeding mothers everywhere -- need you.

Ideas

The Email Guessing Game

An obstacle I encounter regularly in this job is locating contact information for specific individuals in the federal government. Unless I've met someone directly or been given their email and phone number by a colleague, it takes a good amount of time to track them down. I regularly have to ask, "Do you know the email standard at [agency name]?"

Modernization

Industry retirees leave mainframe computers behind

Old mainframe computers stay at a company longer than the employees who know how to run them, according to a news report.

Digital Government

DOT Launches Online IdeaHub

The Transportation Department on Tuesday launched an online community where its employees can share and collaborate on new ideas. The network - called IdeaHub - will enable the department to take employee engagement and innovation to the next level by allowing workers to do something they've never fully been able to do before - share ideas and collaborate with their 55,000 DOT colleagues across the country, according to a <a href="http://fastlane.dot.gov/2010/08/ideahub-to-engage-dotemployees-tap-their-expertise.html#more">post</a> by Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood on the department's Fast Lane blog.

Modernization

Emirates to block most BlackBerry services

Move by UAE to suspend BlackBerry services will affect local users and international travelers passing through the nation's airport.

People

OMB may open purse to help program reviews

Close on the heels of the fiscal 2011 review requirements, officials are now offering to help agencies pay for program evaluations.

Acquisition

Are agencies paying too much through the GSA schedule? Readers respond

Blogger Steve Kelman replies to some of the many comments he received on a recent post about the confusion surrounding GSA schedule pricing.

Digital Government

Turning the tables: What do you think of John Q. Public?

Well, we know that many members of the public harbor the opinion that feds are overpaid, and there are plenty of congressional budget hawks and special interest groups who work to bolster that perception. It’s a message that is not hard to sell in a tight economy.

Digital Government

RIM unveils touch-screen Torch

RIM unveils the BlackBerry Torch, a smart phone that combines a BlackBerry keyboard and a touch screen.

Digital Government

GSA slams its way through IT improvements

One-day workshop addresses important technology projects, says agency CIO.