April 10, 2012, 12:05 AM
Eleven California lawmakers are among the more than 100 co-sponsors of an increasingly controversial cybersecurity bill that would make it easier for private companies to swap information with the federal government on threats against computer systems. Hackers and thieves, say the bill's...
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February 6, 2012, 12:05 AM
When several armed robberies occurred recently in Lancaster, Calif., police had little of use on the two suspects. Then, a reliable image of one suspect turned up from a surveillance camera. In years past, that still might not have been enough for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s...
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January 26, 2012, 12:05 AM
With an eye toward revolutionizing how defense systems and vehicles are made, the Pentagon has tapped a team of Bay Area-based scientists, engineers and hackers to create a program that will enlist California high school students to build robots, drones and other low- and medium-tech gadgets. ...
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December 20, 2011, 12:05 AM
The latest technology snafus to hit Secretary of State Debra Bowen's office have added to growing frustration from registrars and watchdog groups, who say Bowen has been unresponsive to their concerns. The server crash that brought down California’s campaign finance disclosure...
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September 7, 2010, 12:05 AM
Shortly after launching a state data portal, the state announced the Apps for Californians contest to encourage programmers to use the available data as raw material for building interesting applications. With the contest closed as of Aug. 27, there are 14 entries hosted on the...
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July 28, 2010, 12:05 AM
Generally preoccupied by such celestial phenomena as brown dwarves and solar flares, NASA is now turning its sights to a more provincial domain: farms. In partnership with the California Department of Water Resources, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service and...
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July 1, 2010, 12:05 AM
Last year, the federal government identified $110 billion in improper payments. The money went to the wrong person, was paid at the wrong time, wasn't the right amount or went to someone that wasn't entitled or eligible to receive the money. PaymentAccuracy.gov shows "the rates...
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March 16, 2010, 12:04 AM
Google started lobbying the federal government in 2003 and reported spending $80,000 on its efforts. In 2009, the company reported spending more than $4 million, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. The company reported lobbying on issues such as online advertising, intellectual...
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February 24, 2010, 12:05 AM
Oakland’s BrightSource Energy is a green tech startup backed by energy industry heavyweights and has a modest political operation of its own. So far, the company has obtained an enormous $1.37 billion loan guarantee from the U.S. Department of Energy to build giant solar power plants in...
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February 22, 2010, 12:03 AM
Google only received about a fifth of the number of skilled guest workers Microsoft pulled in during the 2008 fiscal year, according to a list compiled by Computer World. Under the H-1B visa program, Microsoft and Google are able to employ non-immigrant guest workers on their campuses in...
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February 18, 2010, 12:04 AM
A multimillion-dollar computer database that was supposed to provide invaluable insights about California's six million public school children is afflicted with “unacceptable system performance issues,” said Jack O’Connell, state superintendent of public instruction. In...
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