Code for America's year in civic tech

Gmoke writes, "Code for America organizes a network of people dedicated to making government services simple, effective, and easy to use by building open source computer and communications technologies. They have 133 chapters and more than 40,000 members."

"I like the amount of cross-fertilization happening:

* CyclePhilly a smartphone app for cyclists was redeployed in Knoxville, TN and Dusseldorf, Germany.

* MBTA.ninja which gives real-time reports from fellow T riders was redeployed in Poland and the port of Virginia.

* Code for Miami and Triangle NC both stood up instances of Citygram.

This Year in Civic Tech: 2015 in Review
[Hannah Young/Code For America]

• A satellite has been jamming GPS over Europe

  For years, GPS receivers scattered across Europe — from Svalbard to Spain — kept registering the same brief, total signal blackout at the exact same instant, in bursts of three… READ THE REST

• The YouTube channel with 77,000 videos of red and blue rectangles

  In early 2014, internet sleuths found a YouTube channel called Webdriver Torso that had uploaded more than 77,000 videos. Each was 11 seconds long and identical in form: a series… READ THE REST

• New solar-power desalination device leaves no brine

  University of Rochester researchers have built a solar-powered desalination device that doesn't leave behind brine — the concentrated saltwater that conventional plants dump back into the ocean, where it raises… READ THE REST

• Turn your data into diagrams in just a few clicks with this $13 Microsoft tool (MSRP $250)

  Disclosure: Boing Boing earns a commission on purchases made through links in this post.  TL;DR: Present information more clearly with this lifetime license to Microsoft Visio 2021 Professional for Windows for only… READ THE REST

• Refresh your PC with Microsoft Office and Windows 11 for just $26

  Disclosure: Boing Boing earns a commission on purchases made through links in this post.  TL;DR: Get MS Office Pro Plus 2019 and Windows 11 Pro for just $25.99 (reg. $428). You can… READ THE REST

• Lock in 1 year of premium protection with ExpressVPN for only $40

  Disclosure: Boing Boing earns a commission on purchases made through links in this post.  TL;DR: This 1-year subscription to the ExpressVPN Basic Plan includes access to advanced protection features like ExpressMailGuard and… READ THE REST