Technology Grant Workshop I New Privacy Statement I How to Avoid Holiday Scams

City of Seattle, Washington sent this bulletin at 12/21/2020 03:52 PM PST

Time is running out to apply for a Technology Matching Fund Grant! Deadline is January 12!

The application period is open now through Jan. 12, 2021 for our Technology Matching Fund grants. Grants of $25,000 each will be awarded to projects that work to improve digital literacy, provide affordable devices, and increase access to free or low-cost internet. The goal of the Technology Matching Fund grants is to support initiatives that improve connectivity, digital skills training, and provide devices to give more equitable access to technology. Read more about our grant application on this blog post. If you are interested in applying and missed our recent online workshop, watch the recording on YouTube. You’ll see:

The impact this funding has on the community
What this funding can provide
A look at some successful past projects
How the selection process works
A timeline of the grant cycle

For more information, you can also read about the Internet for All and Digital Equity Initiatives.

Seattle IT’s Community Advisory Board (CTAB) elects new leadership for 2021

Tis’ the season for online holiday shopping AND holiday scams! Seattle IT’s security leads offer tips to stay vigilant online.

Shop Your Block’ with an interactive map of local stores developed in partnership with the Office of Economic Development and Seattle IT

Seattle IT is on LinkedIn. Follow us and learn more about our projects, people and career opportunities.

Privacy Statement Updated: What it means for Seattle residents

Our Privacy Office has revised the City’s Privacy Statement regarding how information is presented to you and our internal department customers. The updated Privacy Statement is a continuing commitment to the City’s responsibility to protect the public’s data. This commitment is even more important as we experience much of our work and life online due to the global pandemic.

The revised privacy statement allows users to easily find information on how specific data is collected such as personal data, digital images and videos, permitting information, and much more. The statement also allows users to easily view data laws and regulations the City of Seattle follows.

“It’s the responsibility of the Privacy Team not only to ensure all public data collected through any City department is handled responsibly, but also to create trust with the residents of Seattle,” said Chief Privacy Officer Ginger Armbruster. “We work with departments to review and advise about new technology to ensure it meets the commitments we have made about data privacy.”

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Tech News

Seattle-area startup Group14 raises $17M to charge up battery-enhancing tech, by Lisa Steffler, GeekWire
Woodinville, Wash.-based Group14 Technologies has raised $17 million to expand development and sales of its silicon-carbon composite material that can replace the graphite anodes in lithium-ion batteries, dramatically improving their performance. The new funding will help with next year’s groundbreaking of a large-scale plant in Moses Lake in Eastern Washington.(more)

Balancing act: What Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan’s short tenure says about running a tech hub, by Monica Nickelsburg, GeekWire
Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan sought to build a bridge between the tech industry and its harshest critics in the divided city during her first term. In a one-week tech blitz last year, Durkan paid visits to Amazon, Expedia, and Apple’s downtown campuses to celebrate the rapid growth of the tech sector. She also invited top tech companies to build municipal products and advise the city. (more)

Seattle Stations Begin Broadcasting NextGen TV, by Michael Balderston, TV Technology
SEATTLE—NextGen TV has arrived in Seattle, as seven local TV stations have begun broadcasting the ATSC 3.0-based digital transmission standard. All of Seattle’s major broadcasters are transmitting a NextGen TV signal. This includes KOMO-TV (ABC), KIRO-TV (CBS), KCPQ (Fox), KING-TV (NBC), KONG (Ind.), KZJO (MyNet) and KUNS-TV (Univision). KONG, which is owned by Tegna, is serving as the “lighthouse station” for NextGen TV in the market, according to Kurt Rao, senior vice president and chief technology officer at Tegna. (more)