Providence Technology Group

Ask any California state worker what piqued their interest in state service, and they’ll probably say a relative told them to apply. To an outsider, state work can feel like its own world with its own rules, its own culture and even its own secret language. Having a family member or close friend who knows how to navigate that world is a huge benefit. Keep Reading This Article at MSN.com

A new report from the Government Operations Agency examines the potential benefits and risks of the state using generative AI – a powerful tool that can create original content based on large inputs of data – in its daily operations. The report comes in response to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s September executive order that instructed state agencies to brainstorm and develop a plan for how to “ethically and responsibly” deploy AI technology in government operations. Keep Reading This Article at MSN.com

For months, an odd sight has intrigued a San Francisco cop regularly stationed outside the downtown offices of the startup Humane. Out of its door have streamed employees with a small, square device pinned to their chests, not unlike the officer’s bulkier, department-issued body-worn camera. “Been wondering what those are,” the officer said when WIRED visited the company last week. Today, the wondering about Humane’s gadget is over. The company is opening up about its high-tech device designed to be fastened to a shirt or blouse—a fit that Humane hopes can become as accepted among people who aren’t sworn officers as sporting wireless earbuds or smartwatches. Keep Reading This Article at Wired.com  

By the first COVID summer, no one knew who was who. In Nigeria, an oil company IT engineer was allegedly filing for unemployment in California and 16 other states with a slew of fake Gmail accounts. At a desert state prison in Imperial County, an inmate used personal data bought on the dark web to funnel unemployment money to his wife for a $71,000 Audi and a down payment on a house. Along the Pacific coast in Carlsbad, Danny Ramos was one of millions of real California workers realizing that something was going very wrong, as weeks or months went by without the unemployment benefits they badly needed. Keep Reading This Article at MSN.com

Five years ago, California embarked on an ambitious plan to bring computer science to all K-12 students, bolstering the state economy and opening doors to promising careers — especially for low-income students and students of color. But a lack of qualified teachers has stalled these efforts, and left California — a global hub for the technological industry — ranked near the bottom of states nationally in the percentage of high schools offering computer science classes.   Keep Reading This Article at CalMatters.org

SACRAMENTO, California — Sacramento made the list of cities with the worst shoplifting problems. The National Retail Federation ranked California’s capital city seventh in the nation for metropolitan areas impacted by organized retail crime, tying with Chicago. Sacramento has been in the top 10 for cities affected by retail theft since 2018, however the city is working toward solutions. Anyone who’s been to a shopping center parking lot recently has likely seen one of the mobile surveillance centers. It’s a square base with a pole full of thermal infrared cameras with sirens and strobe lights. David Studdert, business development officer with LiveView Technologies, said it’s a growing answer to retail theft in Sacramento. Keep Reading This Article at abc10.com

(FOX40.COM) — October is “Domestic Violence Awareness” month, and the city of Sacramento is working to bring help directly to the victims of domestic violence. On Tuesday, the Sacramento County District Attorney’s office debuted a free app to help abuse victims find social services. District Attorney Thien Ho said, “From finding a shelter to finding information about their abuser, or the status of their case, or simply getting counseling.” One of the most innovative and helpful tools on “GetHelpSac.org” is a feature that allows victims to track the criminal cases of their abuser. Keep Reading This Article at Fox40.com

The Mayfield siblings grew up in the charmed nautical world of their father’s imagination. At the Sub Sea Systems workshop in Diamond Springs, power tools whir as two generations work side by side to build custom submersibles that resemble something out of a Jules Verne novel. The whimsy of childhood lives on in this space, exhibited by the “artwork” on office walls left alone for posterity’s sake. “A year ago or so, two of them, the grandchildren, were left up here for a few minutes too long, and each said the other made them do it,” says CFO and “Office Mom” Melissa Mayfield. Keep Reading This Article at Comstock Magazine

Sacramento City Council recently approved over $2 million in grant funding to support 28 local organizations that will help start-up businesses and entrepreneurs in Sacramento. The City received 153 applications for the two distinct grant programs to receive funding for events and programming that develop local entrepreneurs and businesses. Applications opened last June. “This grant program is designed to increase the capacity of Sacramento’s innovation ecosystem and enhance the conditions for start-up businesses in Sacramento,” said Development Project Manager Aubree Taylor. “This funding is critical to provide underserved communities with access to this ecosystem.” Keep Reading This Article at Sacramento City Express  

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given the green light to Neuralink, a company founded by Elon Musk, to conduct human trials in brain-computer interface (BCI) technology. This technology involves implanting a tiny chip in the brain that can read and interpret neural signals. Founded in 2016, the company aims to treat brain diseases and eventually perform human enhancement and augmentation, where biological implants theoretically alter the body to improve physical and mental capabilities. It has been conducting trials in animals like monkeys and pigs since 2018. Keep Reading This Article at MSN.com

If California’s state payroll system were a person, it would be nearing its 70th birthday this year. Like some septuagenarians, the payroll system periodically finds itself struggling to keep pace in the modern age. Unions, workers and lawmakers alike have taken turns over the years bashing the system for delays in payroll changes and occasional pay mistakes. In the last six years, two different state worker unions have either taken or threatened legal action against the state due to delayed raises. Keep Reading This Article at MSN.com

Modern cars are often described as “computers on wheels.” They come with automated driver assistance systems, large display screens, Internet connections and a multitude of ways to sync with smartphones. Yet in the rush to innovate and one-up competitors with ever newer technology, things may have gone too far. Some developments have made driving safer, but others veer toward tech excess that can actually harm drivers. Cars in the current generation can be pricier to repair, harder to understand and operate and, some experts in the field say, more likely to cause distraction and driver disengagement. And a report released last week now suggests that some new car tech also poses a major threat to data privacy. The new report was issued by the Mozilla Foundation, an Internet-focused nonprofi...[Read More]