Silicon Valley executives join White House technology policy team

9f9f5913-14bc-4fde-919b-6697a44a7e90-460x276

Obama brings on Megan Smith from Google and Alexander Macgillivray from Twitter to advise on big data and privacy

President Barack Obama tapped Silicon Valley for two key positions on his technology policy team on Thursday, naming Megan Smith from Google as his chief technology officer and Alexander Macgillivray, formerly of Twitter, as a deputy.

Smith was vice-president of the “Google X” lab that worked on projects like driverless cars and Google Glass eyewear, and led acquisitions for the company like Picasa and Google Maps.

Macgillivray was general counsel and head of public policy at Twitter from 2009 until 2013, and will advise the White House on big data and privacy policy and other internet and intellectual property issues.

Smith replaces Todd Park, who started two successful health technology companies before joining the government. Park recently returned to California, but continues to work for the administration, recruiting tech experts into the government.

Macgillivray replaces Nicole Wong, who left the White House last month. Wong had been legal director at Twitter and a former Google lawyer before she joined the White House, and helped lead the recent White House review of big data and privacy issues.

Comments

It’s time to test your App-titude!

http://isthattrue.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/53b675ba8661b-1-300x180.jpg Telenor Pakistan’s youth-centric brand djuice, has announced the launch of Apportunity 2014 – a competition for Pakistani students and software developers to create mobile phone applications (apps). Djuice has been organising Apportunity for the past two years and in that short period of time, the competition has gained immense popularity amongst the youth across the country. This year, Apportunity is even bigger than before as djuice has partnered with Microsoft to help bring the competition to the Windows Phone platform besides the already popular Google Android and Apple iOS platforms. Microsoft is also supporting djuice to reach major university incubation centres in order to encourage quality app submissions. Moreover, with the support of Pakistan Software House Association (P@SHA), for the first time, djuice is opening the competition to software houses, as well. Apportunity 2014 has also introduced coac...

Newsflash: Bitcoin Price Plummets Near $11,000 in 2018-Low

Newsflash: Bitcoin Price Plummets Near $11,000 in 2018-Low Bitcoin price dropped to a 2018-low during Tuesday’s morning trading (GMT), losing over $2,300 (Bitfinex) in a 17% fall in just under 3 hours. Dampened by regulatory scrutiny in Korea, home to one of the world’s biggest crypto markets, bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies continued their descent today. After opening Tuesday’s trading near $13,500 on USD-based Bitfinex, bitcoin price settled at $13,200 at 07:00 (GMT) before a collapse that led the world’s first cryptocurrency drop to a low of $10,891 near 10:00 AM. At the time of publishing, bitcoin price is showing signs of a recovery in trading near $12,000. Coinciding with Korea’s regulatory squeeze, multiple reports today have also pointed to a senior Chinese central bank official proposing a wider ban on cryptocurrency trading that would extend to both domestic and offshore trading platforms. The call for a ban includes cryptocurrency services ...

Playing Women's World Cup on turf not discrimination: CSA

The head of the Canadian Soccer Association is frustrated over suggestions that players are being discriminated against because next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup games are being played on artificial turf. A group of 40 women’s soccer players have threatened a lawsuit because artificial turf will be used at the stadiums. They argue female athletes are being discriminated against because the men’s World Cup is played on natural grass. Canada is scheduled to host the World Cup in 2015 at six sites across the country, with the final scheduled to be played at Vancouver’s BC Place Stadium. CSA president Victor Montagliani said it is up to FIFA, soccer’s world governing body, to comment on the issue of turf, but he said any talk of gender discrimination in the sport in Canada is incorrect. Montagliani says the CSA spends a little over $4 million a year on the women’s program. That’s about twice the amount spent on the men’s program.

News & Updates

Search This Blog