Techwire Reading List: In Case You Missed It

The Techwire team scans hundreds of headlines and websites every week, looking for news to share. Sometimes we come across pieces that are not in our gov tech lane but which we think are of interest anyway. Here are some links to stories and essays that we think you'll find engaging and illuminating. 

FLY ME TO THE MOON: We have ride-shares for cars, scooters and dockless bikes — so why not spacecraft? MIT Technology Review has an interesting take on the idea of hitchhiking satellites: “Rocket launches that leave on a regular schedule will make it much cheaper and easier to get small satellites into orbit.”

THE MEDIA CARRY THE MESSAGE: The California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD), for those who regularly peruse state websites, is a leader in data visualization and open data. It slices and dices the numbers and the issues in an easy-to-understand way, and the site is clean, fact-filled and interesting to peruse. This week, we saw that it’s not just infographics that OSHPD is good at; the office also has a video update on its latest tasks and projects. The voiceover is smooth and soothing and the visuals are designed to illuminate various data points. Kudos to the folks handling communications at the office. 

TELECOMMUTING AS A PERK: As more companies emerge in the tech space, they require more talent — and they’re increasingly willing to pay the price, according to a new report in the Wall Street Journal headlined, “America’s Got Talent, Just Not Enough in IT.” The trade group CompTIA says about 918,000 tech jobs were available in the last three months, and the Journal story notes that some of those jobs are coming with six-figure signing bonuses as well as the ability to work remotely.  

SPREADING THE WORD ON CAMPUS: The University of California IT blog has a message that should be encouraging to CISOs and others consumed with cybersecurity: Campuses are showing more awareness of the need for cybersecurity, and they’re acknowledging that it begins with the user. “Sec_rity is Not Complete Without U,” is the headline. The blog post quotes Michael Corn, chief information security officer for UC San Diego, as saying: “This is about sharing perspectives and experiences to open up a poignant conversation about cybersecurity. After all, it’s a shared responsibility, something that we all need to take part in; it’s not something only for folks like me to worry about.”