Tribune News Service

Mayor Sam Liccardo has heatedly criticized the utility for this month's outage that affected 60,000 of his city's residents, and he's looking at a broad slate of alternatives. PG&E's recent outage cost San Jose $500,000, Liccardo estimated. He wants to find state or PG&E funding to reimburse taxpayers.

Leaders say the government veteran, who most recently managed the state's DMV Strike Team, is "a problem solver" and "pulls no punches."

The agreement, reached in August and launched in September, will allow Comcast to swap out the DMV’s computer network. It aims to improve the speed at which the department can use the Internet and process customer transactions. The DMV says the upgrade will save the department about $3 million each year.

The move comes several months after an official was unable to determine whether the technology had actually helped reduce crime.

License-plate readers used by Redlands police have caught about 20 vehicles involved in crimes, including residential and commercial burglary, nighttime window smashes at restaurants, and hit-and-runs. Another new technology, GPS tracking, has helped police catch hundreds.

"The governor needs to think long-term and assure Californians of more reliable power providers. That means establishing microgrids in communities throughout California. That means maximizing the use of solar and wind power to generate power closer to homes and businesses throughout the region, thereby reducing the risk of electricity shutdowns. That work must begin now."

An AT&T spokeswoman acknowledged that the PG&E shutdown amounted to a "difficult time" for cellphone users in more than 750 zip codes across the state. The problems exposed holes in a wireless and Internet network increasingly used to communicate in emergencies.

The DMV anticipates a surge in customers visiting offices for a Real ID — a federally mandated card for U.S. residents who want to board domestic airplanes or enter secure federal facilities without having to bring a passport. Thousands are expected to start getting turned away at airports on Oct. 1, 2020.

"The future of the internet as we know it rests in California's ability to defend what is widely regarded as the nation's most robust net neutrality law."

The agency's board of directors approved a contract extension with the ride-share technology provider, and an expansion to nearby communities is under consideration.

Legal scrutiny of California's net neutrality law will likely continue, but a federal appeals court ruling is seen as a win in the battle over Internet autonomy.

The college's first three program offerings for what's known as the "beta cohort" will each have a technology focus.

An official cited the new director's "background in network operations and security." He leaves a similar job at a nearby Bay Area municipality.

The proposal raised the ire of business groups and transit advocates, who said broadband Internet should not qualify for funding through Measure M, the sales tax increase for transportation projects.

Bloomberg Philanthropies has pledged to fund the state's use of satellite data to track the emission of greenhouse gases. The funding will allow Planet Labs of San Francisco to use its existing satellites and launch new ones to quantify emissions from all over the world and the state's progress toward its climate goals.

A role that some may see as a nightmare in state government is one Steve Gordon considers “a dream job” and “the opportunity of a lifetime.” The new DMV chief talks about what's possible.

The municipality is using social media to update residents as it responds to the weekend incident.

With production set for next year's first quarter, the automaker is taking aim at Tesla's market share.

The state's massive financial system got a status upgrade on a state IT dashboard, from red to green, as it moves closer to adoption by all affected state agencies and departments. Change management among state workers has been a challenge, officials say.

The company will preserve operations at two naval bases, and said: “We look forward to working with the city to develop more sensible regulations.”

Enforcing the law against multibillion-dollar app-based technology behemoths, with a California workforce estimated at some 400,000 full- and part-timers, could involve protracted litigation.

Attorneys general from nearly every U.S. state have jointly launched an investigation into Google’s “potential monopolistic behavior.” Notable for its absence: California, Google’s home state.

Its old solution was “accurate and secure,” but was decertified by the California Secretary of State’s Office. The new one would avoid the Internet and provide “a higher level of encrypted data.”

Los Angeles' homeless outreach agency that was meant to move hundreds of people from the streets into housing, shelters or treatment for mental illness and substance abuse has failed dramatically to meet the goals of its contract with the city of Los Angeles, according to a new audit by Controller Ron Galperin. Among its key faults: "Data-driven decisions about the deployment of resources are not made because the information is neither timely nor accurate."

The pilot program for electric bikes and scooters is meant to replicate the success of the city of Sacramento's current ride-share programs, as well as other major cities and college towns in the United States.