Regardless of the moral issues surrounding married people sleeping around, people threatening perceived other lovers, and people stalking people they're supposed to protect, there's one thing most people will agree with: This isn't how government workers are supposed to be using email.

After Sandy, Gov. Chris Christie ordered, with just a few days' notice, that the state be prepared to accept voting via email. Unfortunately, it didn't work so well -- because it was too popular.

Faced with the massive Sandy superstorm, governments made unprecedented use of the Internet, smartphones, and social media to inform citizens. While it was a great example for the future, it also pointed up a number of problems that will need to be addressed.

Later this week, entries will begin to be accepted by the Federal Trade Commission, under a program called Challenge.gov, for methods to stop illegal commercial robocalls.

After becoming the first state in the nation last year to allow voting by iPad for the disabled, Oregon is expanding the program this year in size and scope, adding support for overseas military voters as well as support for Windows and Android tablets.

Recent revelations that the transition from paper-based to electronic health records (EHR)/electronic medical records (EMR) is increasing Medicare costs – possibly by encouraging fraud – is leading some to call for a halt to the whole EHR process, saying it is increasing costs without improving patient care. While the program had been started in the federal government under President George W. Bush, it had been expanded by a February 2009 decision by Congress and the Obama administration to spend as much as $30 billion in stimulus funding. (Ironically, part of the argument in favor of the investment was that it would reduce medical costs.)

The U.S. White House confirmed on Monday that it had been the subject of a spearphishing attack, but opinions varied as to how serious it was. 

So what is it about those Scandinavians and crowdsourcing their government? First we have Iceland crowdsourcing its Constitution, then we have Sweden crowdsourcing its official government Twitter feed. Now we have Finland crowdsourcing new laws. What is it about those countries that inspires this, and why doesn't it work so well in countries like the United States?

One of the new features in the Apple iPhone 6 operating system announced last week -- which was telegraphed some months ago -- is improved support for FaceTime, its video call application, to support calls over the cellular network as well as over WiFi. AT&T said in August that people would be able to use it over the cellular network only if they signed up for a Mobile Share data plan -- which would require users to give up the unlimited or tiered data plans they already have for a metered plan that some find more expensive. Now, three consumer advocacy groups have announced that they plan to file a complaint saying that AT&T is violating Net Neutrality regulations.

In a reaction so swift it's surprising it didn't get whiplash, the Federal Communications Commission has disavowed a proposal it's been working on to tax broadband users to raise money to improve rural broadband service.