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A Warning About Tsunami Warnings
by Winter Casey
Californians remain unprepared for a tsunami disaster in part due to a faulty warning system and little public knowledge of how to respond, according to a report released last week by the state's Seismic Safety Commission.
"The existing tsunami warning system has not achieved all of its objectives for several reasons, including problems with communications, agency coordination and protocols," the report said. The study also noted that "tsunamis present a substantial risk to the economy of the state and nation."
The commission recommends financial support for improved technologies to assess tsunami danger and for communications and emergency-response systems. The technologies also could be used to improve long-term emergency response planning.
Other recommendations include an external review of system criteria for issuing and canceling warnings and for distributing information. Experts at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration would conduct the review. The commission also called for multi-lingual tsunami information and educational materials that could be accessed by people in coastal regions.
Charles Groat, former director of the U.S. Geological Survey, said in a spring 2005 interview with National Journal's Technology Daily that the nation's information systems would fail if a tsunami were to occur closer to shore -- near Washington or Oregon, for example.
Group Opposes Tags In Driver's Licenses
The nonprofit organization Citizens Against Government Waste has raised privacy concerns about embedding "smart cards" in state-issued driver's licenses.
Radio-frequency identification, a type of wireless tracking technology known as RFID, currently is being considered by the Homeland Security Department as an option for implementing a federal law that requires steps to authenticate state-issued driver's licenses. David Williams, the group's vice president for policy, cited the "potential concerns for privacy" and the high cost burden the technology would place on states.
The group has gathered more than 5,000 letters from its members urging Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff to reject the use of RFID chips in state-issued driver's licenses.
"There does need to be a way of knowing who are the good and the bad," Williams said of law enforcement needing the ability to communicate and identify terrorists. However, a database should be able to verify that information without listing detailed personal information, he said.
Williams, who attended a National Conference of State Legislatures' conference last week, said there is "growing concern among state lawmakers" on cost and privacy issues. The group favors magnetic strips or a bar code on licenses as a way to implement the federal law.
N.Y. Police Now Scan License Plates
New York State Police have begun using a new technology that scans license plates and then cross checks the information against a Department of Motor Vehicles database.
The scanners consist of two lenses mounted atop police cars to snap digital photos of plates. James Schepperly of the police department called the scanners a "success." He said the technology was tested earlier this year and in the past couple months has started to be used in a few strategic locations. Currently, police are distributing 13 scanners.
The scanners cost about $18,000 per unit, Schepperly said. The DMV database is not yet linked to the National Crime Information Computer, although New York police would like it to be.
Currently, DMV holds records for 30 days and a special reason is required to access the information. The database does communicate with the scanners if a license plate is flagged as potentially associated with a criminal, and it contains information on AMBER alerts related to missing and abducted children.
"We would like to obtain more" scanners, but there are budget issues, Schepperly said.
Gov. Romney Will Not Seek Another Term
Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney announced Tuesday that he will not seek a second term. He is expected by many to be planning a 2008 Republican presidential campaign.
Touting his achievements as governor over the last four years, Romney also noted in his announcement that the United States is falling behind.
"Our children face global competition unlike anything we ever faced," he said. "They will need the best education we can give them. I will continue to fight for education reform, giving better teachers better pay, empowering principals, hiring more math and science teachers, and giving our kids laptop computers."
Romney has been a key player in the technology community. In the past, he has pushed for increased information sharing among governments and sought an update to Massachusetts' laws against identity theft. He also served as chairman of a task force on emergency responders and has sought ways to speed the distribution of security aid from the federal government.
Report Predicts Tech Spending In States
A new report anticipates that Georgia, Texas and Florida will witness the fastest growth rates in business information-technology spending between 2005 and 2009. The study from the market intelligence and advisory firm IDC also said California, New York and Texas alone accounted for 30 percent of total spending on business IT in 2004.
In 2004, the top 10 states for IT business spending accounted for 56 percent of the national figures, according to the report. The high spending in some states was largely attributed to the healthcare, life sciences, high-tech, banking, financial and communications industries. Companies are expected to be continually focused on communications and infrastructure.
California Lawmaker Urges Cable TV Reform
Assemblyman Ronald Calderon is urging reform of California's cable television laws.
"The California bill must put consumers first," Calderon said at a consumer forum at the University of Southern California. "Cable customers are suffering under an outdated structure that has resulted in unreasonable rate increases, poor customer service and limited program options. We've got to do better by them."
California lawmakers are expected to address cable TV laws next year. At the national level, Congress is currently debating possible reform. Calderon said a sound California bill would address small-business needs and educational and cultural programming.
Jim Conran, the executive director of Consumers for Cable Choice, which sponsored the forum, said the group views changes in cable laws as inevitable.
Michiganders Warned Of Telemarketing Scam
Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox issued a warning to consumers last week about frauds who claim to be legitimate in order to obtain private information.
The criminals call consumers and claim that their checking account numbers may have been compromised online. The con artists then get the people to divulge critical personal data.
"Telemarketing scams are limited only by the imagination of the criminal on the other end of the line," Cox said in a statement. "Whatever scam con artists are using, my advice remains the same: Never give personal information to someone you don't know who calls you on the telephone."
In other news, Nashville Technology Council President and CEO Ray Capp is resigning but will serve on the council's board. Capp, whose resignation takes effect Dec. 31, referenced business, civic and family responsibilities as the reasons for his departure. He is the chairman and co-founder of ConduIT and serves a member of the Metro Council Telecommunications Innovation Task Force.
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