Government Technology - March 2008 - (Page 14)

GT editors report from the road cene CES Showcases HD LAS VEGAS — In early January, Las j Some products, such as Microsoft’s Surface, managed to make a splash without touting HD capability (although Surface is HD-ready too). Surface is a tabletop PC that users control with their hands. Simply place a digital camera on Surface, and using one ﬁnger, drag images to and from the camera and the hard drive. A ﬁnger-painting tool, an interactive wine guide and a travel planner were also shown. All the applications can be used without a mouse or keyboard, though an onscreen, virtual keyboard is available. There was also buzz about a potential 3-D revival. Manufacturers showed off the latest 3-D monitors, which don’t require 3-D programming. Instead, new imagery technology allows any ﬁlm, game or TV show to be viewable in 3-D — but 3-D glasses are still required. — CHAD VANDER VEEN, TECHNOLOGY & POLITICS EDITOR on the Govtech.com Hot List Here are the 10 most popular stories on Govtech.com from Dec. 27, 2007, to Jan. 27, 2008. ESRI Founder Jack Dangermond Predicts the Future of GIS As interest in GIS grows, ESRI and its professional GIS tools may be approaching a crossroad. www.govtech.com/gt/247185 Vegas again hosted the annual International Consumer Electronics Show. CES has built its reputation as an enormous showcase for the latest and greatest electronics. And while this year didn’t disappoint, there was a palpable sense of apathy on the Las Vegas Convention Center ﬂoor and other venues, as many of the gadgets seemed more like rehashes of past technologies than anything truly innovative. The star of the show was Panasonic’s 150-inch, high-deﬁnition plasma TV. Tipping the scale at an estimated 1,500 pounds, the massive television made its 108-inch cousins — all the rage three years ago — seem tiny in comparison. High-def ruled the day at CES; whether it was high-deﬁnition Blu-ray discs, HDTV, waterproof HD screens, HD monitors, HD video cameras — almost every booth featured at least one HD device. 1 3 5 Top 10 Wireless Predictions for 2008 InCode forecasts the events that will shape the wireless industry this year. www.govtech.com/dc/articles/238754 When Our Systems Make Us Stupid Edited from a speech given by Gopal Kapur of the Center for Project Management, this story was resurrected from the 1997 issue of Government Technology’s Visions magazine. www.govtech.com/gt/articles/251917 2 j Soft Skills Required Gail Roper, CIO of Raleigh, N.C., writes about her experiences breaking into a male-dominated industry. www.govtech.com/pcio/219288 Government Sites Post Social Security Numbers According to a January report from the Washington Post, Social Security numbers of public citizens and government ofﬁcials are available on government sites. www.govtech.com/gt/articles/241040 4 California Gets Greener SACRAMENTO, CALIF. — IT workers gathered in late January at Government Technology’s Green Government event to discuss how to embrace inevitable economic changes as California’s economy goes green. State Assemblyman Lloyd Levine, D-Van Nuys, kicked off the event by inciting Californians to stop lamenting jobs lost due to globalization. Instead he said the state should focus on building an economy that serves the nation’s growing demand for green technology. Will Semmes, chief deputy director for the California Department of General Services (DGS), discussed the agency’s green purchasing strategies. The DGS plans to analyze government ﬁeldworkers’ credit card records to determine where state employees buy gas most often. The DGS would then contract with the most-visited fuel sta- MAR_08 tions to buy alternative fuel for government vehicles. Semmes also discussed the state’s effort to keep more accurate inventories, which would save money and reduce unnecessary consumption. A Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) representative talked about the utility’s energy conservation strategy. Ed Sanchez, program manager for energy efﬁciency, customer research and development at SMUD, said it might sound strange for a power company to urge customers to buy less of its product. But he said SMUD views energy-efﬁciency mechanisms as a way to avoid the expense of building new power plants. SMUD plans to offer future incentives for the deployment of products that reduce consumption by computer servers, he said. — ANDY OPSAHL, FEATURES EDITOR 7 9 Web-Based Mapping Tools Help Governments Transform GIS into New Services Online 3-D mapping tools combine with GIS to deliver better location information. www.govtech.com/gt/241047 Is Your Jurisdiction Prepared? Take the Emergency Management magazine survey. www.govtech.com/em/243540 DHS Extends Real ID Deadline, but Funding and Privacy Questions Remain After nearly three years, the DHS released the ﬁnal regulations for Real ID. www.govtech.com/gt/250777 14 Wireless Meltdown Muni Wi-Fi projects struggle with technology and economic challenges. www.govtech.com/pcio/224317 j Ready for Digital TV? Full-power TV broadcasters must switch from analog broadcasting to digital by Feb. 17, 2009. www.govtech.com/gt/articles/242626 6 8 10 j http://www.govtech.com http://www.govtech.com http://www.govtech.com http://www.govtech.com/gt/247185 http://www.govtech.com/dc/articles/238754 http://www.govtech.com/gt/articles/251917 http://www.govtech.com/pcio/219288 http://www.govtech.com/gt/articles/241040 http://www.govtech.com/gt/articles/242626 http://www.govtech.com/gt/241047 http://www.govtech.com/em/243540 http://www.govtech.com/gt/250777 http://www.govtech.com/pcio/224317

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Government Technology - March 2008

Government Technology - March 2008 Contents Point of View Big Picture The Last Mile On the Scene Four Questions for... Top 25 Doers, Dreamers and Drivers Let's [Not] Get Physical No Data Left Behind Conservation King Community Drug Test Reinventing the System Better Late Than Never Closing the Deal Spectrum Products Personal Computing signal:noise Digital Communities The Expanding Focus of Digital Communities The Digital Imperative Hot Fusion Redefining Municipal Wireless Made in the USA Bridge Detectives The 2008 Agenda

Government Technology - March 2008

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