Retail behemoth Walmart today announced Walmart Family Mobile, a cellphone plan offering unlimited talking and texting for $45 a month. No contract is required. Additional lines are $25 per month. Internet access, for Web surfing, apps, or downloading ring tones, costs extra. USA Today
Code for America Announces Civic Commons
Civic Commons is a way to help governments share software they have developed, and thereby reduce IT costs, foster collaboration, and spur innovation. Code for America
Traffic Deaths Lowest Since 1950
Mobile Devices Could Lead to More City Living
People pushing sustainability don't tend to be the same types who love our digital-crazed iWorld. And that's a problem because it means they don't push one of the great advantages of dense, energy-efficient cities: urban life integrates far better with mobile devices than does its car-logged suburban cousin. The Atlantic
Tear Down Those Freeways!
Is America ready to tear down more of the elevated expressways that ripped through its cities in our post-World War II freeway building boom? Citiwire.net
Five Things America's Strongest Cities Have in Common
Report: Chicago Schools Struggling
By Chicago Public Schools' own reckoning, about a quarter of its elementary schools and more than 40 percent of its high schools are failing, according to internal documents. Chicago Tribune
County Will Buy State IOUs
If California begins issuing IOUs for outstanding bills, Sacramento County will step up to help local businesses and residents. The county announced it will buy up to $10 million in the registered warrants from people and businesses who reside in the county in that event. "By purchasing state warrants, we can help alleviate cash flow problems for individuals and businesses in Sacramento County while at the same time making a smart investment for our organization," Supervisor Roger Dickinson said. Sacramento Bee
More Grandparents Raising Kids
The number of U.S. children being raised by their grandparents rose sharply as the recession began, according to a new analysis of census data. The reasons, while somber, were not all economic. New York Times
Los Angeles Delays Start of School
Welcome to the first day of school. The Tuesday after Labor Day marks the traditional opening of the academic year for students in the Los Angeles Unified School District, but not this time around. Budget cuts have resulted in a shorter school year and unpaid furlough days for teachers and other employees. That reality has pushed things back to Sept. 13. Los Angeles Times
What Makes the Best Country?
Use the country list to browse the World's best 100 countries. Select a country to see its score and rank in each of the five categories: Education, Health, Quality of Life, Economic Dynamism and Political Environment. Newsweek
Mobile Charging Station for Electric Cars
Nation-E is launching the first mobile charging energy system for electric cars that are stranded on the road. Developed as a solution to “range anxiety”, the system offers a means to charge electric cars that run out of energy. Nation-E
Waiting for Personal Rapid Transit
A PRT system (PRT) is essentially a collection of programmable pod cars, running on linear induction motors or rail electrification. Unlike ‘mass’ transit, you go only to your preferred destination; and you ride with three or four others of your choice -- or alone. This is a last-mile form of transit, working best in activity-rich zones with lots of desirable destinations. Citiwire.net
