This week, technology brings trouble for employees and students, but benefits for the government and its citizens. In Massachusetts, a firefighter’s emails were used against him in a sexual harassment investigation. Nearby, a Rutgers student was sentenced to 30 days in jail for using a webcam to spy on his roommate, and a Boston University student’s plea for the Supreme Court to review his $675,000 fine for illegally downloading music was rejected. The government, on the other hand, is using technology to solve–rather than create–problems. Federal agencies are using apps to make their services more available, and political candidates are using text-message advertisements to reach more voters.
Technology and the Workplace
No Expectation of Privacy in Emails Sent Over Employer’s Email Account, MA Court Decides (Employment Matters Blog)
Federal Court of Appeals Says Cleveland Orchestra Must Bargain with National Union Over Electronic Media (Cleveland.com)
Microsoft Office Said to be Coming to iPad, Android Tablets (LA Times)
Interview Questions for Hiring a Remote Worker (CBS News)
Technology and the Law
Jury Concludes Google Didn’t Infringe Oracle Patents (LA Times) (ABA Journal)
Suit Claims Facebook and Underwriters Failed to Disclose Slow-Revenue Forecasts (ABA Journal) (CNN)
Former Rutgers Student Gets 30 Days for Webcam Spying on Roommate (ABA Journal) (NY Times)
Facebook Settles “Sponsored Stories” Lawsuit (LA Times) (CBS News)
New York Lawmakers Propose Ban on Anonymous Online Comments (CBS News)
Court Won’t Reduce Student’s Music Download Fine (CBS News)
There’s an App for That
Obama Requires Federal Agencies to Make Key Government Services Available as Apps (ABC News)
Amazon Rolls Out Test Drive Feature for Select Android Phones (LA Times)
In 2012, Campaigns Target Voters Through Their Phones (CNN)
App Scans Faces of Bar-Goers to Guess Age, Gender (CBS News)
Leap Motion 3-D Motion-Controlled Device Changes How We Interact with Computers (CBS News)