Wikimedia – “Previous versions of our application used Google Maps for the nearby view. This has now been replaced with OpenStreetMap – an open and free source of Map Data that has been referred to as Wikipedia for Maps. This closely aligns with our goal of making knowledge available in a free and open manner to everyone. This also means we no longer have to use proprietary Google APIs in our code, which helps it run on the millions of cheap Android handsets that are purely open source and do not have the proprietary Google applications. OpenStreetMap is used in both iOS and Android, thanks to the amazing Leaflet.js library. We are currently using Mapquests map tiles for our application, but plan on switching to our own tile servers in the near future.”
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Daily Archives: April 8, 2012
WSJ Report – Selling You on Facebook
Selling You on Facebook: “Some of the most widely used apps on Facebookthe games, quizzes and sharing services that define the social-networking site and give it such appealare gathering volumes of personal information. A Wall Street Journal examination of 100 of the most popular Facebook apps found that some seek the email addresses, current location… Continue Reading
UNESCO: Open Access to scientific information – Policy guidelines released
Policy guidelines for the development and promotion of open access: “Besides strengthening capacities to adopt Open Access (OA) and to serve as a clearing-house on global OA debate, the 187th session of the Executive Board identified provision of upstream policy advice as the core priority while approving the Open Access Strategy on UNESCOs contribution to… Continue Reading
USDA Agricultural Projections to 2021
USDA Agricultural Projections to 2021 – By Paul Westcott, ERS Contact, Outlook Report No. (OCE-121) 102 pp, February 2012 “Each year, USDA makes 10-year economic projections for the food and agriculture sector. The projections reflect a set of assumptions regarding macroeconomic developments and farm policies, and cover major agricultural commodities, agricultural trade, and aggregate indicators… Continue Reading
The Global Information Technology Report 2012
The Global Information Technology Report 2012 – Living in a Hyperconnected World – World Economic Forum, 2012 “We live in an environment where the Internet and its associated services are accessible and immediate, where people and businesses can communicate with each other instantly, and where machines are equally interconnected with each other. The exponential growth… Continue Reading
Global Integrity Report 2011
“Regardless of how weak or sophisticated their political financing regulations are, countries around the world are equally failing to effectively regulate the flow of money into politics, a new report finds. The Global Integrity Report: 2011, a major investigative study of 31 countries, was released today by Global Integrity, an award-winning international nonprofit organization that… Continue Reading
VA IG – Department of Veterans Affairs Federal Information Security Management Act Assessment for FY 2011
Department of Veterans Affairs Federal Information Security Management Act Assessment for FY 2011, April 6, 2012 11-00320-138 “FISMA requires each Federal agency to develop, document, and implement an agency-wide information security risk management program. VA has made progress developing policies and procedures as part of its program. However, VA still faces challenges implementing components of… Continue Reading
State of America's Libraries Report 2012
State of America’s Libraries Report 2012: “As the national economy continues to struggle toward recovery from the Great Recession, 2011 was a year of grim headlines. The federal Library of Congress lost about 9% of its budget and 10% of its workforce. Detroit, a city in fiscal crisis, agonized all year over how many library… Continue Reading
ALA – National Library Week, April 8-14
You belong @ your library as libraries transform lives through technological literacy: “Libraries are transforming lives by providing patrons the tools needed to compete and thrive in a 21st century market place. Libraries continue to provide traditional resources and services, but now patrons will find book shelves neighboring computer labs and wireless environments. Libraries are… Continue Reading
NTIA Issues Report Setting Path to Make Prime Spectrum Available
News release: “In todays wireless world, the demand for spectrum from consumers, businesses, and federal users continues to grow at a rapid rate. In response to this growing demand, in June 2010, President Obama directed the Department of Commerce, working through NTIA, to collaborate with the FCC to make available an additional 500 megahertz of… Continue Reading
Intelligence Community Assessment – Global Water Security
“While wars over water are unlikely within the next 10 years, water challenges shortages, poor water quality, floods will likely increase the risk of instability and state failure, exacerbate regional tensions, and distract countries from working with the United States on important policy objectives, according to an assessment prepared by the U.S. Intelligence… Continue Reading
