Higher rural broadband adoption rates are directly linked with economic health, according to new research released by the National Agricultural & Rural Development Policy Center. The research looked at the impact of broadband availability, download speeds, adoption rates, and the number of broadband providers on seven economic factors and using three different modeling techniques. Read more.
It was only a few short years ago that many states still didn’t provide spending transparency information online. Now, for the first time, all 50 states maintain websites with checkbook-level data, allowing citizens to dig deeper into how governments spend taxpayer dollars. Read more.
In shaping its targeted advertising strategy, Facebook is no longer relying solely on what users reveal about themselves. Instead, it is tapping into outside sources of data to learn even more about them — and to sell ads that are more finely targeted to them. Facebook says that this way, marketers will be able to reach the right audience for the right products, and consumers will see advertisements that are, as the company calls it, “relevant” to them. Check out this New York Times articlefor the full story.
Identity theft has always been a concern, but with more and more details of our private lives openly accessible on the Internet, it's easier than ever for cybercriminals to steal somebody's identity.Check out this infographic for tips.
Google is extending its super-fast Google Fiber Internet service, which offers access to Internet speeds of up to 1 gigabit per second, to Olathe, Kan., the fifth largest city in Kansas. Get the details.
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