Modernization

Fixing VA tech, touting tourism data and upgrading from GPS

News and notes from around the federal IT community.

Modernization

The Most Interesting Thing About Amazon’s 3D Phone Might Be How You Pay for It

There are few reasons for anyone to buy an Amazon phone other than price.

Modernization

The Cellphone Minutes That Come With … Insurance?

For extremely low-income families, insurance payouts for a health crisis can make the difference between temporary destabilization and a downward economic spiral.

Modernization

Don't throw me into the savings tar pit

Alan Balutis warns that IT cost savings rarely work out as planned.

Modernization

Vendors Scramble as FedRAMP Cloud Services Deadline Arrives

Companies will likely have a few more months before oversight bodies begin to seriously enforce compliance.

Modernization

How VA's $36 million move to the cloud evaporated

The Department of Veterans Affairs IT shop scuttled a long-planned cloud deal because of worries about email retention and security concerns.

Modernization

Faster CDM, the global cloud, a $917M 'Space Fence' and more

News and notes from around the federal IT community.

Modernization

The Future of Mobile Phones Doesn’t Include Phone Calls

Voice traffic on mobile networks will peak in 2015, then revert back to around 2011 levels by 2019.

Modernization

Dealing with the FedRAMP deadline

A day ahead of GSA's deadline for cloud service providers to be certified, both government and vendors say they have seen an evolution in attitudes and strategies.

Modernization

Edward Snowden: I Had More Access Than Almost Any Other Official in the Intelligence Community

The man responsible for leaking classified National Security Agency documents says he wasn't just "some low-level employee."

Modernization

CFTC mulls retooling market surveillance for high-frequency trading

An alphabet soup of regulators collect data on financial transactions, but a universal eye into markets is still on the drawing board.

Modernization

Marine Corps Finds Pentagon’s Mobile Plan is No Bargain

Without a cheaper commercial alternative, it will be too costly to put more smartphones and tablets in the hands of Marines.

Modernization

Bitcoin Is No Longer the Worst Investment in the World

Now it’s merely the third worst.

Modernization

New U.S. Ambassador Swore Her Oath on an E-Reader

Suzi LeVine, the newest Ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein is a former Microsoft executive.

Modernization

Mobile Is Eating Global Attention: 10 Graphs on the State of the Internet

Online photo sharing has sextupled in two years. Nigerians are on their phones 30 percent more than Americans. We now spend more time on mobile than on print and radio combined.

Modernization

Smoothing the path to the cloud

TechAmerica releases a guide for agencies looking to move infrastructure and data to the cloud.

Modernization

Vice chair promoted to top spot at FirstNet

Longtime telecom exec Sue Swenson replaces Sam Ginn at the agency leading an effort to build a nationwide, interoperable public safety mobile broadband communications network.

Modernization

DARPA's micro-tech office returns to its roots

With bio-engineering projects now handled by a dedicated office, MTO is looking at spectrum use and extending Moore's Law.