Headlines from around the Web for Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2008
Compiled by Melanie Bender
Most Federal Workers Can Work From Home, But Don't
InformationWeek
If all federal employees eligible for full-time telework did work from home, the employees could save a total of $13.9 billion on commuting costs and stop 21.5 billion pounds of pollutants from entering the environment each year, according to a recent study. However, many employees are unaware of their federal agencies' telework policies, and even fewer know if they are eligible to work from home.
Panel: Securing Cyberspace Among Top Technological Challenges of 21st Century
NetworkWorld
A National Academy of Engineering panel of big thinkers, including Google co-founder Larry Page, has identified 14 top technological challenges for this century and securing cyberspace is among them.
Firm Gets U.S. Nod for Quick Passenger Data Checks
C-Net News
A company owned by international airlines on Wednesday said it has won approval from the United States for a system providing passenger details to U.S. border authorities almost instantaneously.
IT Career Paths You Never Dreamed Of
ComputerWorld
Software developers eager to advance should consider looking for product architect roles. Network and security administrators may want to start looking for positions as electronic privacy specialists. If business analytics is your area of expertise, your next promotion might be to the job of information architect. Just don't expect to be part of an IT department.
Sabotage Eyed As Possible Cause Of Undersea Cable Cuts
InformationWeek
Officials refuse to rule out sabotage but believe that fishing nets or ship anchors are the likely cause of the damage to the five undersea telecommunications cables.
New Computers Delaying Food-Stamp Applications
Austin American-Statesman
New state data show that only 48 percent of Texas food stamp applications processed using the updated computer system, known as TIERS, are completed within the 30 days the federal government requires. State officials say one of the problems is there aren't enough workers trained in the new system.
NIST Releases Results of Latest Fingerprint-Matching Tests
Government Computer News
Only one of five biometric smart-card vendors participating in a federal test of on-card fingerprint matching managed to meet the accuracy standards set for the federal Personal Identity Verification card, according to the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
DARPA Procurement Plan Shows Pentagon's IT Research Priorities
Government Computer News
The Pentagon seeks to fund information technology research projects in technology arenas that reflect the military's emerging warfare challenges, especially those flowing from combat in South Asia and conflict in cyberspace, as outlined in a recent procurement plan.
Survey: IT Spending Set for Slowdown in Q2
InfoWorld
Twenty-three percent of respondents to a ChangeWave Research study said their companies will reduce or halt IT spending in the second quarter of this year, results that underscore recent concerns about a U.S. recession. Only 15 percent of respondents said spending would increase in the second quarter, a nine-point drop from the company's previous survey in November.
Most States Give Green Light to Tamper-Proof IDs
USA Today
Forty-four states are moving ahead to comply with a law requiring more secure driver's licenses, according to the Department of Homeland Security â€" despite privacy concerns and worry that the new documents will be too expensive.
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