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FCC has Launched New National Website for General Public

July 2009---The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has launched a new national website for the general public to stay up to date with the Recovery Act's broadband stimulus funds. In the spirit of conducting an open planning process, the FCC seeks a logo design for
Broadband.gov. Details will be available soon. 

Californians and Information Technology

June 2009---PPIC has released the second survey funded by the California Emerging Technology Fund and ZeroDivide.  The survey found that while many more Californians are expanding their use of computers, the Internet, and broadband, a digital divide remains. The survey found that Latinos in California still lag well behind whites, blacks, and Asians in measures such as broadband adoption. The survey also found that a large majority of Californians believe access to high-speed broadband is important. For more information, visit the

Nonprofit Group Aims to Promote Internet Access

June 2009---"About half of California's low-income households have no Internet access, the California Emerging Technology Fund says, creating a gap that the nonprofit is hoping to close with its $1.5-million Get Connected campaign debuting in Boyle Heights [June 11th, 2009]..."
To read more, please visit the L.A. Times website. To watch the webcast, please click http://bit.ly/b3c1o. To view photographs of the event, please visit C

Internet Use Triples in Decade, Census Bureau Reports

The U.S. Census Bureau has released a report on the use of Internet in households and by individuals based on data from 1997 to 2007.

Press Release:

"New data from the U.S. Census Bureau show that 62 percent of households reported using Internet access in the home in 2007, an increase from 18 percent in 1997, the first year the bureau collected data on Internet use. (See Table 1.)...

'As access to high speed connections have become more prevalent, so too have the number of people that connect to the Internet at home,' said Thom File, a statistician with the Census Bureau Housing and Household Economic Statistics Division. 'These data give us a better understanding of who is using the Internet and from where.'"

City of SF Allows Complaints Through Twitter

The City of San Francisco has launched a SF311 Twitter account that allows you to follow it and provide any complaints (i.e. report graffiti). The City of San Francisco can set a trend in this respect, paving the way for other towns in California and in the U.S. 

Read more.


Broadband Funds Resource

July 2009---The Recovery.CA.GOV website has a section on how to apply for broadband stimulus funding. It is a great way to stay informed about current and upcoming broadband fund opportunities that are running through the state of California.

Recovery SF Website

July 2009--A new website has been launched for the City of San Francisco to keep city citizens informed on how stimulus funds are spent:

“Today we face extraordinary challenges, but among those challenges is the risk of being consumed solely by the crisis at hand,” said Mayor Newsom. “We must continue to think strategically and continue to invest in the people, infrastructure and businesses that will pull our economy out of this decline.”

Read more.

Digital Dashboard Will Track California Technology Projects


"In May [2009], California plans to unveil a Web-based dashboard that will let anyone track the progress of major state government technology projects.

The online tool will show if projects are on time and within budget, as well as track a series of other "vital signs" like user acceptance, political risk, technical viability and business value. Information will be updated monthly for the state's largest and most complex technology initiatives, said Adrian Farley, chief deputy director for policy and program management at California's Office of the Chief Information Officer."

Zero Divide Technology Haiku Contest

As a fun way to promote the use of social media and other technology tools in our communities, Zero Divide invites you to submit a technology themed Haiku on behalf of a nonprofit organization for a chance to win them a grant up to $2,000.  Haiku’s may be submitted on three different platforms:

 1.     ZeroDivide Facebook Page – If you are on Facebook, please post your Haiku on our discussion board, http://tinyurl.com/ZD-discussion-board

Reform Groups Blast Telco-backed Broadband Mapper

"This fight started out as a scrap on the blogosphere and in various Federal Communications Commission proceedings. But now that the White House has authorized $7.2 billion in broadband stimulus bucks, the question of who will map out the nation's high speed Internet use has become an urgent public issue. On Monday over two dozen organizations very loudly identified one candidate who they don't want for the job: Connected Nation."
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