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Category Archives: E-Government

FCC Mobile Speed Test App

“Speed tests run using the FCC Mobile Speed Test app will help to improve the accuracy of the mobile broadband coverage shown on the FCC’s National Broadband Map. The FCC Mobile Speed Test App is a free mobile application available in the United States, designed to evaluate the performance of mobile broadband service. Tests conducted using the FCC Speed Test application play a crucial role in supporting the FCC’s Broadband Data Collection (BDC) program, and will help to identify where broadband is and is not available across the country.”

Human rights scores

Data is Plural: “The CIRIGHTS project aims “to create numerical measures for every internationally recognized human right for all countries of the world.” The team has developed a detailed guide to scoring each government’s record on dozens of such rights, such as freedom of religion, women’s political rights, freedom from extrajudicial killings, the right to… Continue Reading

Flight Rights – Airline Customer Service Dashboard

U.S. Department of Transportation: “Secretary Buttigieg has called upon airlines to improve their customer service commitments to passengers, which all have done to varying degrees. The dashboards below provide information for air travelers on airlines’ commitments to families flying with young children and customers experiencing significant flight disruptions due to circumstances within the airline’s control.… Continue Reading

The MAGA Plan to End Free Weather Reports

The Atlantic [unpaywalled]: “In the United States, as in most other countries, weather forecasts are a freely accessible government amenity. The National Weather Service issues alerts and predictions, warning of hurricanes and excessive heat and rainfall, all at the total cost to American taxpayers of roughly $4 per person per year. Anyone with a TV,… Continue Reading

What the internet looked like in 1994, according to 15 webpages born that year

Fast Company: “What was the World Wide Web like at the start? Long before it became the place we think and work and talk, the air that we (and the bots) now breathe, no matter how polluted it’s become? So much of the old web has rotted away that it can be hard to say;… Continue Reading

Pete Recommends – Weekly highlights on cyber security issues, July 6, 2024

Pete Recommends – Weekly highlights on cyber security issues, July 6, 2024 – Privacy and cybersecurity issues impact every aspect of our lives – home, work, travel, education, finance, health and medical records – to name but a few. On a weekly basis Pete Weiss, highlights articles and information that focus on the increasingly complex… Continue Reading

FTC – Who’s who in scams: a spring roundup

FTC: “Scammers are all about spinning lies, but they still operate in the real world. Many scammers pretend to be well-known businesses to gain trust and make their stories seem more believable. And scammers use real-world methods to contact people and to get paid. Reports to the FTC’s Consumer Sentinel Network point to some of… Continue Reading

SEC Updates Website to Improve Compliance, Functionality, and User Experience

“The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced enhancements to its website to improve compliance with federal statutes and standards as well as the site’s functionality. The updates will improve the website’s user experience for market participants and the public.  “I’m pleased that these updates will improve our website’s compliance with federal standards,” said SEC Chair… Continue Reading

Inside the US government’s brilliantly boring websites

MIT Technology Review – You may not notice it, but your experience on any US government website is a carefully crafted experience. “The United States has an official web design system and a custom typeface. This public design system aims to make government websites not only good-looking but accessible and functional for all. Before the… Continue Reading

How do we know how many people died of Covid-19?

YouTube: “After four years and dozens of studies, we know everything we’re going to know about the death toll of the Covid pandemic. After four years and dozens of studies, we know everything we’re going to know about the death toll of the Covid pandemic. WELCOME TO HOWTOWN! Our small but mighty team of two… Continue Reading

Nine Takeaways From Our Investigation Into Microsoft’s Cybersecurity Failures

ProPublica: “After Russian hackers exploited a flaw in a widely used Microsoft product duringone of the largest cyberattacks in U.S. history, the software giant downplayed its culpability. However, a recent ProPublica investigation revealed that a whistleblower within Microsoft’s ranks had repeatedly attempted to convince the company to address the weakness years before the hack —… Continue Reading

Climate Quick Reference Guides Now on Farmers.gov

“Even when data is at your fingertips it can sometimes still be hard to find what you’re looking for – especially when it comes to climate information. USDA’s Climate Hubs and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) are helping to meet that need by providing Climate Quick Reference Guides for agricultural producers and landowners seeking basic… Continue Reading