Federal Agencies Can Maximize OneGov for Enterprise Platform Consolidation

by  Cory Stonehocker

Officials can leverage the GSA procurement vehicle to reduce software redundancy, optimize existing platforms and maximize the value of investments.

Summary

The GSA’s OneGov initiative leverages the federal government’s collective buying power to negotiate better pricing on widely used enterprise platforms – including ServiceNow, Salesforce and Microsoft – giving agencies a meaningful cost reduction on tools they already depend on.

But procurement alone isn’t enough. Many agencies continue paying for overlapping or legacy tools even after gaining discounted access to platforms that already cover those capabilities. The real opportunity lies in eliminating that redundancy.

IT leaders should start with a full software inventory to surface duplicative subscriptions, then expand utilization of existing platforms. ServiceNow, for example, goes well beyond IT service management – it supports HR workflows, customer service and case management.

 Read full story at FedTech

Small Towns, Big Tech: A Practical Path to Modernizing Government Services

by  Jan Ruderman

The real journey of a government ready for artificial intelligence begins with a single, powerful step that officials can take today.

Summary

Small and rural governments face mounting pressure to modernize, yet most lack the staff and capital to pursue large-scale technology overhauls. The result is often “analysis paralysis” – endless planning cycles for ambitious projects that never launch.

The better path is incremental. Sustainable modernization starts not with a moonshot, but with mastering the fundamentals: capturing accurate, structured data at the point of activity. Whether it’s a patrol officer scanning a driver’s license at an accident scene or a public works crew logging a pothole repair via barcode, small digital actions build the data foundation that makes future automation and analytics possible.

Employee adoption follows when tools reduce friction rather than add it. For overwhelmed IT leaders, the advice is straightforward — identify one broken, paper-based process, solve it, and let that success fund the next step.

 Read full story at StateTech

Tech Force Set Out to Hire 1,000 Technologists Last Year. It's Onboarded 10 So Far

by  Natalie Alms

The effort is meant to infuse the government with young engineers, cyber and data workers.

Summary

The U.S. Tech Force program, aimed at hiring 1,000 young technologists for the government, has only onboarded 10 so far.

The program, managed by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), faces challenges due to the lengthy and complex federal hiring process, which prioritizes existing federal employees and is not accustomed to centralized hiring practices.

Despite these hurdles, OPM is working to streamline the process and increase collaboration between agencies to expedite hiring.

 Read full story at Government Executive

Google Earth's New Flight Simulator Provides You With the Whole World to Crash Into

by  Tom Hawking

Explore the world in a new, not-at-all stressful way!

Summary

Google Earth has added a Flight Simulator to its browser-based version at earth.google.com. To access it, navigate to the Tools menu and select “Flight Simulator” – though you’ll need to dismiss several AI prompts along the way.

The simulator is more forgiving than Microsoft’s ultra-realistic Flight Simulator franchise, making it a fun — if humbling — way to explore Google Earth’s remarkable composite imagery. Mouse movements control the aircraft, a fact that can lead to unintended consequences for the uninitiated.

The author’s own test flight devolved into an extended barrel roll, a 90-degree nose dive, and ultimately a watery crash off the coast of West Africa. A lighthearted reminder that Google Earth remains an impressive resource – even if soaring gracefully through it proves easier said than done.

 Read full story at Gizmodo

How to Opt Out of Google's New AI Training Default

by  JR Raphael

Google's gonna start using your search-oriented images and audio to train its AI systems — unless you explicitly tell it “no thanks.”

Summary

Google is rolling out a privacy setting change that — by default — allows the company to use images, files, video, and audio from your interactions with Google Lens, Search, and Gemini Live to train its AI models. A new “Search Services History” section will appear in Google account settings, with the “Save Media” toggle switched on automatically.

Google says the data won’t be linked to your identity, but many users may still want to opt out. The fix takes about 20 seconds.

Visit the Google Activity Controls page and disable “Save Media” under “Search Services History” if it’s visible. If it isn’t live yet, uncheck “Include Visual Search History” and “Include voice and audio activity” as a temporary measure – then revisit weekly until the new section appears to confirm your preferences carried over.

 Read full story at Computerworld

The Invisible Battlefield: How Cyberwar Is Reshaping Everyday Life

by  Chris Inglis

Former National Cyber Director Chris Inglis warns that cyberattacks threaten hospitals, utilities, and essential services.

Summary

Chris Inglis, First US National Cyber Director and Semperis Strategic Adviser, observes that for much of his career, battlefields were tangible — deserts, cities, mountains, and oceans. Today, one of the most consequential is invisible: cyberspace, ambient, persistent, and woven into nearly every part of modern life.

Cyber conflict is no longer a narrow technical issue but a central arena where nations compete and societies are tested. The front line exists wherever networks do — hospitals, utilities, financial systems, and governments. Disruptions here threaten patient care, essential services, and public confidence, with consequences that are immediate and physical.

Cybersecurity is about protecting lives and the systems modern society depends on.

 Read full story at Dark Reading

5 Things Utilities and Data Centers Don't Want You to Know

by  Mark McNees

The next decade of your electric bill is being decided right now, mostly in rooms you will never see

Summary

Florida is about to experience the largest electricity build-out in its history, driven by data centers that consume power equivalent to small cities. Utilities and tech firms prefer this remains background noise.

Here are five things they'd rather you not consider: 1) Deals are secret, with billion-dollar contracts approved quickly and little analysis, often shifting costs to other customers. 2) You pay first—and for decades—via general rate increases after infrastructure is built into the rate base. 3) Many announced data centers will never be built; utilities receive far more requests than facilities constructed, yet customers pay for unused capacity. 4) New laws don’t audit internal prices utilities pay their own affiliates. 5) The public advocate is under-resourced, leaving ordinary customers unrepresented while big players negotiate.

Transparency fixes are needed now as your electric bills for the next decade are decided behind closed doors.

 Read full story at The Invading Sea

Can This Grid Monitoring Tool Reduce Outage Times by Up to 80%?

by  Sean Wolfe

Electrical Grid Monitoring claims its Accurate Fault Location and Detection solution can locate power grid faults within a single pole-span distance.

Summary

Electrical Grid Monitoring (EGM) claims its Accurate Fault Location and Detection (AFLD) solution can accurately locate power grid faults within a single pole-span distance, potentially reducing outage times and utility costs.

The technology, independently tested by the DOE's National Laboratory of the Rockies, collects data from sensors deployed on power lines to triangulate fault locations. EGM is collaborating with utilities to deploy its technology on live distribution networks.

 Read full story at Factor This

Google Commits $1.5 Billion to Alabama Data Center and Digital Skills Expansion

by  Emma Thompson

The Jackson County investment includes training for more than 130,000 Alabamians, $550,000 for school STEM kits and a new $2 million energy fund.

Summary

Google has announced a $1.5 billion investment through 2027 to expand its data center campus in Jackson County, Alabama, paired with digital skills training for more than 130,000 residents. The company will partner with over 150 organizations, including Alabama A&M University and area community colleges, and has committed $550,000 for STEM kits in Jackson County schools.

The expansion builds on Google’s presence since 2018 at the former Widows Creek coal plant site. Google has contracted over 300 megawatts of new power capacity for the region and created a $2 million Energy Impact Fund for weatherization and energy efficiency. Google says it will cover all electricity costs and infrastructure expenses tied to the expansion.

 Read full story at ETIH