Smartphones

A mobile-first approach enhances police operations

With mobile devices tapping into its police-only internet, the Lenexa Police Department can log and share data quicker as well as track crime trends and officer locations for more efficient police responses.

  • By Kaitlyn Levinson

Smartphone sensor networks monitor bridge integrity

The resulting data could help decrease inspection and maintenance costs while increasing bridges’ lifetimes.

  • By Kaitlyn Levinson

FTC lawsuit spotlights a major privacy risk: From call records to sensors, your phone reveals more about you than you think

If you use your mobile phone for anything other than a paperweight, your visit to the cannabis dispensary and your personality – how extroverted you are or whether you’re likely to be on the outs with family since the 2016 election – can be learned from metadata and telemetry and shared.

  • By Susan Landau, The Conversation

Satellite Internet coming to small public sector offices in Texas

Texas will offer satellite-based broadband Internet access to government councils, school boards and other publicly funded affiliates.

  • By GCN Staff

FCC sets timetable for text-to-911

The Federal Communication Commission’s new rules will ensure that all remaining wireless carriers and certain IP-based text application providers are prepared to support text-to-911 by the end of the year.

  • By GCN Staff

Smaller Toughpads get voice connectivity

Panasonic announced two fully rugged, 5-inch enterprise-class handheld tablets for mobile professionals.

  • By GCN Staff

Smartphones before the court: Searchable wallets or pocket PCs?

There are tools and techniques law enforcement can use to get data from a smartphone, but the question of when police can search a phone remains to be decided.

  • By William Jackson

Multi-device BYOD management from a single console

Latest release of Absolute Manage will offer full BYOD support for Mac and Windows computers as well as tablets and smartphones from a single console.

  • By GCN Staff

Partnership yields new weather stations, irrigation scheduling app

A pilot crop water conservation project developed by Anheuser-Busch, the Bureau of Reclamation and two state universities will mean improved water efficiency for Idaho Falls area barley growers.

  • By GCN Staff

Web app tracks prison probationers

The New York City Department of Probation is pioneering a new goal-tracking Web app aimed at reducing recidivism and encouraging positive behavior among those on probation.

  • By Dibya Sarkar

Can transportation agencies call on smartphones for traffic data?

The Transportation Department announced plans for a nationwide vehicle safety network, but it left open the role smartphone technology would play as a more efficient and inexpensive means of traffic data collection.

  • By Patrick Marshall

Latest PhoneSats will test cross-satellite data sharing, space weather monitoring

NASA's PhoneSats will demonstrate how off-the-shelf consumer devices can lead to a new, distributed means of problem-solving in space.

  • By Susan Miller

Is the new iPhone's fingerprint scanner a sign of things to come?

If opened to app developers, Apple's Touch ID could give another authentication option to agencies looking to manage mobile devices, especially if other smartphone manufacturers follow suit.

  • By Kevin McCaney

3 reasons smartphones aren't ready to replace police radios

Combining cellular and other digital communications with traditional police radio networks increases interoperability and extends coverage areas, but there are limits to its uses.

  • By William Jackson
Featured eBooks

A 'typical' Android that works under water, is clear in loud settings

The Hydro Edge is a waterproof smartphone with good features -- including Kyocera's Smart Sonic Receiver -- with a low price.

  • By John Breeden II

Civilian agencies can get military-grade comm on standard Android phones

Motorola and Fixmo are offering agencies and law enforcement the same encryption, policy management and compromise detection to date available only to the military.

  • By John Breeden II

Government users want larger screens, and Apple may be listening

Readers say apps are easier to use with more display real estate, and device-makers are listening.

  • By John Breeden II

Boom times for mobile security

Concerns about privacy, spying and leaks are creating demand for products and services that encrypt and protect mobile communications, and smart phones have the processing power to handle it.

  • By William Jackson

Smart phone: 30 years in the making

The technology behind smart phones can be traced back to GCN's beginnings, and further, into government research projects. Here's a brief look at what's behind a smart phone's key components.

  • By Kevin McCaney

30-year showdown: IBM PC vs. Apple iPhone

While marking GCN's 30th year, we're taking a look at how far computing has progressed in three decades. It's no secret that PCs have advanced greatly in the intervening years, but how does an IBM PC stack up against an iPhone?

  • By John Breeden II

Caterpillar's rugged Android phone suited to gov's dirty work

The company known for big yellow construction equipment has a rugged, speedy and surprisingly light smart phone for the field.

  • By John Breeden II