Four years in the making, the Quake-Catcher Network uses inexpensive motion sensors installed in volunteers' computers to collect earthquake data in real time.
Los Angeles County's Quality and Productivity Commission recommends sensor and infrared technology, tracking systems and surveillance satellites as potential tools to detect forest and brush fires.
In an unusual example of shared services, Fort Collins, Colo., will pay the Poudre School District to maintain and upgrade e-mail used by more than 1,800 city employees.
