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Showing posts with the label 2019 at 07:46PM

Ghana spends over $1 billion on electricity subsidies?

… over $ 1 billion on electricity subsidies. According to a close … Consortium took over the previous Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) … 2019 Subsidizing the cost of electricity in Ghana is a political … to reduce the cost of electricity but then realize soon it … from Electric Power News https://ift.tt/2LJiNA7 Visit Toronto Wiring

EFF: EFF, Coalition Urge Supreme Court to Maintain Public Access to Government’s Use of Privately Developed Technology

EFF, Coalition Urge Supreme Court to Maintain Public Access to Government’s Use of Privately Developed Technology Some of the most controversial technologies government agencies use to surveil the public or automate decisions about them are developed or overseen by private parties. Whether it’s automated license plate readers (ALPRs), cell-site simulators, or algorithmic tools used by federal courts and other agencies to make decisions about people’s life and liberty, the federal government increasingly purchases the technology from private contractors. But a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) case before the U.S. Supreme Court threatens to further restrict the public’s ability to learn about when government uses technology. That’s why EFF, along with a coalition of other organizations, filed a friend-of-the-court brief on Monday asking the court to decline an effort to expand a FOIA exemption that prohibits the disclosure of private parties’ trade secrets and confidential busine...

EFF: Stupid Patent of the Month: IBM’s Software Patent on Texting and Driving

Stupid Patent of the Month: IBM’s Software Patent on Texting and Driving In the smartphone era, “distracted driving” is a serious, and well-known, problem. Official warnings about poor driving habits are as old as the automobile itself. The New York Times published a Pulitzer-winning series on distracted driving back in 2009. Increasingly, technological assists are available for those seeking to manage their smartphone’s distractions while in the car. Apple integrated a “do not disturb while driving” mode into iOS 11, and Google has long had similar functionality in its Android Auto app. Multitudes of third-party smartphone apps exists to address the issue. Finally, more than 50 companies are working on what may be the ultimate solution to distracted driving: autonomous vehicles.  Unfortunately, the U.S. patent system creates warped incentives for emerging software fields like road-safety features. Rather than competing in a challenging space, some players are seeking bro...