Friday's Fearsome Five: MN Disaster Declaration, Your Cell Phone Location Data Is Not Yours, Indiana Data Model Reminder, HIFLD Live!, and Smart Grid Legal Troubles

For your consideration, Friday's Fearsome Five:

Minnesota Disaster Declaration: In response to severe storms and flooding that occurred in the state during the month of June 2012, on July 6th, FEMA announced President Obama had Declared a Disaster for Minnesota. With that declaration, federal funds will now cover up to 75% of reimbursable costs.  Use the links below to learn more, or to fiddle around with FEMA's Federal Disaster Viewer (example shown above):

• Minnesota Declaration Home Page
• FEMA's Disasters and Maps Home Page 
• FEMA's Federal Disaster Viewer (GeoRSS and KML available under "Feeds")

Your Cell Phone Location Data Is Not Yours: Investigative journalists at Pulitzer Prize winner ProPublica recently filed a report on a mysterious fact.  It turns out that cell phone companies have been doing all sorts of stuff with the geo-location data collected from your cell phone, but if you want that same data, forget it. Click the link below to learn more:

• Cellphone Companies Will Share Your Location Data - Just Not With You (ProPublica, June 27, 2012)

Indiana Data Model Reminder: In a follow-up to the post "Webinar: The Indiana Data Model", here's a reminder concerning the time and place:

• When: Thursday, July 19, 2012
• Time: 2:00 to 3:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time (1:00 Central)
• Audio Dial-in: (317) 278-7008 / 710589#
• Video: http://connect.iu.edu/indiana/ - login as Guest

HIFLD Live!: Holy ta-mole-ez, Batman - the next meeting of the Homeland Infrastructure Foundation Level Data (HIFLD) Work Group will be available via webinar! If you would like attend via the web, here's what you need to know:

• Meeting basics: See - Next HIFLD Meeting Heads Up: 19-20 July, San Diego, CA
• Registration: You must register or RSVP through the HIFLD website at: www.hifldwg.org
• Agenda: Click here (Major discussion areas: 2012 HSIP Gold/Freedom Data Feedback Session, and online dynamic services)

Smart Grid Legal Troubles: This is one of those items where I feel strongly about both sides of the issue (ha) - so over the weekend you're going to have to decide for yourself.  Question: Are smart grid readers an invasion of your privacy?  More than a few folks think so as you'll come to learn through the links below:

• Electronic Surveillance: GPS and Smart Meters and the Fourth Amendment (Between the Poles, July 10, 2012)
• City of Ojai First So Cal Government to Criminalize Meters (Stop Smart Meters!, June 5, 2012)

Comment: And with that, thanks for tuning in this week - have a great weekend!