Experts Tell Congress How AI Can Help Agencies Improve Service Delivery

by  Justin Doubleday

HSGAC Chairman Gary Peters says legislation is ‘forthcoming’ in the areas of customer service and AI.

Recruiting more technical talent, improving procurement processes and strong leadership will all be key if agencies are to move past the hype of artificial intelligence and use AI technologies to improve customer service delivery.

That’s according to experts who testified before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Wednesday. Jennifer Pahlka, former U.S. deputy chief technology officer and founder of Code for America, said while government service delivery still lags behind the private sector, “it is getting better.” But she said it has to improve even faster with the advent of AI.

 Read full story at Federal News Network…

NASCIO Releases ‘AI Blueprint’ for State Agencies

by  Mickey McCarter

Local governments also have prioritized generative artificial intelligence in 2024.

For the first time in the history of the National Association of State Chief Information Officers, artificial intelligence landed on its annual list of top 10 policy and technology priorities identified by state CIOs.

AI, machine learning and robotic process automation took No. 3 on the list of 2024 State CIO Top 10 Priorities, which NASCIO published in December. Around the same time, NASCIO published a report intended to assist state governments in development of AI roadmaps.

 Read full story at StateTech…

What CA Gov. Newsom’s Sweeping Budget Cuts Could Mean for IT

by  Theo Douglas

California Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled a $291.5 billion budget this week that proposed resolving a roughly $37.8 billion shortfall with cuts, delayed and deferred funding and by withdrawing $13 billion from state reserves.

The state technology department would receive substantially less funding than last year overall from Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposed 2024-2025 fiscal year state budget, with the unkindest cut — more than half its potential decrease — coming from the elimination of a key federal funding stream.

 Read full story at GovTech…

8 Helpful Hidden Features You Can Unlock in Microsoft Windows

by  Christoph Hoffmann

Microsoft has hidden some tools and functions in Windows 10 and 11 and switched them off by default.

We will introduce you to these gems and show you how to activate them to unlock additional functions in the Home editions.

Not all functions of the operating system can be used, or so it seems. In fact, they are there, but they are deactivated by Microsoft by default, so you have to switch them on first. One example is Spotlight for configuring the lock screen.

 Read full story at PCWorld…

Google Eliminating Cookies Could Protect Privacy. It Could Also Make Life More Annoying for You on the Internet

by  Cody Mello-Klein

Without cookies, a common online tracking tool, advertisers face a crisis and will start looking for other ways to track your behavior and habits on the internet, experts say.

Originally created in the early days of the internet to help websites remember who you are during login, cookies and the ways they facilitate online tracking have become a massive privacy concern. Google eliminated third-party cookies for 1% of Chrome users, 30 million people, last week and aims to do so for all 3.2 billion of its users, according to Statista, by the end of 2024.

 Read full story at Northeastern Global News…

How to Get an Apple Student Discount at Apple’s Education Store

by  Karen Haslam

Find out if you are eligible for Apple's education discount, how much you can save with Apple's student pricing, and how to buy from Apple's Education Store.

Students, teachers, and those who work for an educational institution, can save money on a new Mac, MacBook, or iPad by shopping at the Apple Education Store, which offers discounts all year round.

In this article, we will explain how much the Apple education discount is and who qualifies for an Apple student discount, before explaining how to get an Apple student discount at the Apple Education Store.

 Read full story at MacWorld…

2024 Tech Trends: Here’s What 2024 Holds in Store for Energy and Utilities

by  Joe Kuehne

While cybersecurity is as important as ever, energy companies and utilities will spend 2024 prioritizing renewable options and the technology that supports them.

Throughout 2023, cyberattacks remained a persistent threat to the energy and utilities sector, and that trend will likely continue into 2024 and beyond. Cybersecurity must remain a top priority for energy companies and utilities, but they have new weapons at their disposal to protect themselves and their data.

 Read full story at BizTech…

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9 US Power Sector Trends to Watch in 2024

by  Robert Walton, Ethan Howland, Diana DiGangi, Larry Pearl, Kavya Balaraman and Emma Penrod

The U.S. march toward a decarbonized electric system will continue in 2024 as policymakers and others work to balance, climate, reliability, affordability and other goals.

The U.S. clean energy transition is expected to accelerate this year, buoyed by recent policy and other actions, but transmission and financing are among its challenges. The following is a snapshot of some of the major developments and trends expected in nine critical areas of the energy transition this year.

 Read full story at UtilityDive…

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Misguided Energy Policy Could Sink America’s Manufacturing Renaissance

by  Kevin Kearns, president of the U.S. Business and Industry Council

Electricity demand — which has been relatively stable for more than a decade — is surging. The U.S. economy is embarking on a literal power trip, and the pace is likely to increase.

Consider that California’s major utility, PG&E, expects the state’s electricity demand to jump 7% in the next two decades. New York’s electricity demand is on track to double by 2050. And Virginia’s power demand is projected to jump 85% in just the next 15 years.

 Read full story at The Gazette…