Digital Government
House grills Defense health officials about centers of excellence
Military leaders say they need a common management structure and network so they can focus on the research of battlefield wounds.
Digital Government
Oversight committee OKs telework and TSP bills
Federal employees are one step closer to regular telecommuting and to being allowed to put the cash value of unused leave toward their retirement.
Digital Government
Air Force Worried About Gut Illness
This FedBizOps <a href=https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=b3aef8f19fd2bd69b67e5d01c43cd0f3&tab=core&_cview=0>notice</a> on what it calls "Gut Illness" may not have much to do with technology, but it's so loopy I had to write about it.
Ideas
Chatting with Public Officials
A White House official this month has been <a href="http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20100412_6003.php">taking heat</a> for doing something many of us do almost reflexively on a daily basis - chatter with friends, coworkers and bosses online. Andrew McLaughlin, the White House deputy chief technology officer for Internet policy, reportedly used Web-based e-mail to communicate with administration colleagues and lobbyists at Google, his former employer. According to images posted on the Internet, a list of his contacts showed he used his Gmail account to converse with Aneesh Chopra, the White House chief technology officer, and Katie Stanton, another Google veteran who now works at the State Department.
Digital Government
Majority OK with airport full-body scan, report says
In a recent Unisys survey, 65 percent of air travelers found full electronic body scans to be acceptable.
Cybersecurity
Apache.org and Attack Soup
This morning, a <a href="http://isc.sans.org/diary.html?storyid=8623">story</a> from the Internet Storm Center caught my eye. The piece, about an attack launched against the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bug_tracking_system">bug tracking system</a> used by <a href="http://apache.org/">Apache.org</a>, was pretty technical, so I asked Johannes Ullrich, chief research officer for SANS, to break it down.
Acquisition
Smaller task orders on IDIQ services contracts?
A move away from contracting bundling could provide agencies with more flexibility in how they develop and field systems, writes blogger Steve Kelman.
Digital Government
Higher Pay for Cyber Pros
There's going to be sizeable growth in resources and investment in one of the technology sector's hottest job fields: cybersecurity. The latest edition of the <a href="http://phx.corporate-ir.net/External.File?item=UGFyZW50SUQ9Mzc2MzQwfENoaWxkSUQ9Mzc0OTEyfFR5cGU9MQ==&t=1">Dice Report</a> notes that professionals with "cyber" on their resume can command a 20 percent salary premium, particularly as the public and private sectors are looking to beef up their security talent pipelines.
Digital Government
GSA eyes free, Web-based platform for agency contests, prizes
The General Services Administration is looking for information on Web-based platforms that agencies could use for free to issue challenges and award prizes to drive transparency and innovation.
Digital Government
What's Your Web 2.0 Story?
<em>The Washington Post</em>'s <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/12/AR2010041202122.html">Federal Player column</a> on Monday highlighted the work of the U.S. Agency for International Development's Karen Turner in developing a global competition designed to spur innovative ideas for using mobile technology to solve problems in developing nations. What I found most interesting is that Turner, 53, has not only used the contest to improve the work and mission of USAID, but also to prove the value of Web 2.0 technology to many of her peers who are less tech-savvy than the agency's younger employees.
Digital Government
For agencies, cloud's future lies between hype and reality
The technology is there and security is rapidly improving, but agencies now must decide if they're ready for the dramatic changes cloud computing can bring.
People
Applying for federal jobs may get easier
Federal hiring reform seeks to make the government job application process easier for candidates, OPM director says.
Digital Government
Health Care Data Gets Personal
The California HealthCare Foundation yesterday released results of what it is calling a <a href="http://www.chcf.org/topics/view.cfm?itemid=134205">"ground-breaking study"</a> of personal health records. Interestingly, the foundation emphasized findings that tend to fall in the "duh" category.
Acquisition
House panel proposes more defense contracting reforms
The IMPROVE Acquisition Act would improve competition, financial management and workforce issues and save $135 billion over the next five years. backers say.
Digital Government
Cybersecurity roundup: Training, stalling, deterring, outlook
Blogger Brian Robinson provides a quick tour of the latest developments in cybersecurity, including the idea of incorporating cyberware into basic training.
Cybersecurity