News Briefs

Sandia National Laboratories is actively seeking partners to conduct research in the newly opened Cybersecurity Technologies Research Laboratory (CTRL). The CTRL offers the capability to run experiments and freely discuss a wide range of cyber research issues.

Federal agencies and emergency response organizations are invited to challenge one company to solve their most difficult remote communications and interoperability problems. RapydConnex will award free technology assessments and the scope of preliminary solutions to qualifying entrants

The Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) Masters Competition is now open. Contestants in any one or all of this year's seven challenges must submit their concepts of best services, business cases and applications for GMES satellite data.

The U.S. Defense Department has revamped its Telework Program for the civilian work force. Leaders at each Defense Department component now are required to promote telework within their organizations and to take all possible steps to overcome artificial barriers to program implementation.

More than 70 percent of energy security professionals believe smart grid security standards cannot keep pace with the ever-changing technology and threats, according to a recent survey.

The Multifunctional Information Distribution System (MIDS) Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) has been approved for full production and fielding. The MIDS JTRS is a software-based terminal that provides interoperable and secure tactical datalinks and programmable networking capabilities.

The next generation of the Software Communications Architecture (SCA 4.0) has been approved for use. The SCA 4.0 includes technology that tailors the operating system size for a radio and its mission.

The U.S. State Department hosted TechCamp Bangkok in the city of the same name on March 20 and 21. More than 60 civil society leaders from throughout Thailand came together for hands-on training in areas such as social media, online organization, digital safety and mobile applications.

If your job depends on staying up-to-date on the latest from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), there's a mobile app for your iPhone or iPad. The free app, available through the iTunes store, provides access to new reports, testimony, video and podcasts. GAO representatives say the agency plans to release a similar app for Android smartphones and tablets in the next several months

Teaming with researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University, the APIC Corporation recently announced a scientific breakthrough that could lead to computer chips powered by light pulses rather than electronics.