Science and Technology in the Virtual World (June 2008)

Recent News

E-Vote: Iowa Secretary of State Makes Election Day Registration Video
5/29/2008
From Government Technology:

Iowa Secretary of State Michael A. Mauro announced today that his office is posting an instructional video online about Iowa's new Election Day Registration law. While it is directed at training precinct officials on the procedure of Election Day registration, the video also provides useful information for voters. Continue...

iMapData Helps DHS and City of Tampa Prepare for Hurricane Season, Super Bowl XLIII
5/20/2008
From GISCafe.com:

iMapData Inc., a leading provider of web-based solutions that capitalize on the company's geo-referenced data and problem solving expertise, recently participated in Spring Blitz, the latest in a series of demonstrations coordinated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to reinforce the nation?s integrated response capabilities in the event of disasters, emergencies, and terrorist activities. Continue...

How Your Cellphone Can Stop Cybercrime
5/19/2008
From Forbes.com:

Security researchers have developed a new strategy to combat cyber crime, something that they call "two-factor authentication." When a Web user makes a purchase or performs a banking transaction online, the phone receives a wi-fi signal from the PC making the transaction. The handset then displays the transaction and waits for the user to approve it before sending another signal back to the computer, allowing money to be transferred.In other words, to steal the financial identity of the gadget's owner and use it for financial gain, you'd have to obtain both his credit card information and his physical phone--hardly a simple task for cybercriminal organizations that typically collect their thousands or millions of victims through phishing schemes or corporate data breaches. Continue...

Westchester County, N.Y., Green Map to Receive Award
5/19/2008
From Government Technology:

Westchester county will be recognized for its innovative use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) when the county's "Green Map" receives a "Special Achievement in GIS" award at ESRI's 28th Annual International User Conference. The "Green Map" is one of about 170 user sites chosen from among more than 100,000 worldwide. Continue...

Emergency Response in China benefits from TerraSAR-X and Spot 5
5/19/2008
From GISCafe.com:

Emergency response operations following the recent earthquake in the province of Sichuan, China, are now being supported through the rapid provision of high-quality radar and optical satellite imagery as well as detailed evaluations of this data by Infoterra GmbH and Spot Image SA. Continue...

Quantum Leap in Solar Cell Technology
5/15/2008
From National Research Council Canada:

A Canadian company named Cyrium Technologies will release prototypes of high performance solar cells that incorporate quantum dot technology within the next year to CPV manufacturers throughout North America. Backed by several major venture capital firms, Cyrium aspires to to increase the efficiency of solar power and make it practical enough to viably become an alternative to fossil fuels. Continue...