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Daily Archives: May 14, 2014

Go almost anywhere with public transit on Google Maps

Official Google Blog:  More than 70 percent of the world’s population doesn’t own a car—a surprising fact for anyone who’s sat for what seems like hours on end in bumper-to-bumper traffic. Millions of people rely on public transit to get around. That’s why, since 2007, we’ve worked to include public transit routes and schedules in Google Maps. In fact, buses, trains, trams and subways included in Google Maps travel 200 million kilometers every day—that’s the equivalent of driving every single road in the world three times! Today, Google Maps is helping you get around on public transit even more easily with these additions:

  • We’ve added every single transit route in Great Britain to Google Maps—making it easier to get anywhere from Land’s End to John O’Groats.
  • On the other side of the globe, Vancouverites looking for sun can now get real-time updates on whether a bus to Kits is faster than one to Third Beach.
  • In Chicago, Cubs fans can now zip to and from Wrigley Field, armed with the real-time information they need to hop on a bus and avoid congestion on Lake Shore Drive.
  • And finally, just in time for the games, we’ve recently added transit information for every host city inBrazil. Can you say “GOOOAAALLLLL?!”
  • Our transit data spans six continents, 64 countries and more than 15,000 towns and cities worldwide. And we’re not done yet: Google Maps will continue to improve—serving people the information they need to get around town when and where they need it.”

Young Adults, Student Debt and Economic Well-Being

Via Pew, by Richard Fry:  “Student debt burdens are weighing on the economic fortunes of younger Americans, as households headed by young adults owing student debt lag far behind their peers in terms of wealth accumulation, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis of government data. About four-in-ten U.S. households (37%) headed by an… Continue Reading

The Internet of Things Will Thrive by 2025

Pew – Many experts say the rise of embedded and wearable computing will bring the next revolution in digital technology. “To a notable extent, the experts agree on the technology change that lies ahead, even as they  disagree about its ramifications. Most believe there will be: A global, immersive, invisible, ambient networked computing environment built through the… Continue Reading

Uranium Marketing Annual Report

Uranium purchases and prices: “Owners and operators of U.S. civilian nuclear power reactors (“civilian owner/operators” or “COOs”) purchased a total of 57 million pounds U3O8e (equivalent1) of deliveries from U.S. suppliers and foreign suppliers during 2013, at a weighted-average price of $51.99 per pound U3O8e. The 2013 total of 57 million pounds U3O8e decreased slightly compared… Continue Reading

China produces and consumes almost as much coal as the rest of the world combined

EIA – “Chinese production and consumption of coal increased for the 13th consecutive year in 2012. China is by far the world’s largest producer and consumer of coal, accounting for 46% of global coal production and 49% of global coal consumption—almost as much as the rest of the world combined. As a manufacturing country that… Continue Reading

Can Information Be Locked-Up? Informed Trading Ahead of Macro-News Announcements

Bernile, Gennaro and Hu, Jianfeng and Tang, Yuehua, Can Information Be Locked-Up? Informed Trading Ahead of Macro-News Announcements (May 10, 2014). Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2436272 “U.S. government agencies routinely allow pre-release access to macroeconomic data to accredited news agencies under embargo agreements (i.e., news embargo or lockup). We use high frequency data to investigate whether there… Continue Reading

Shifting Priorities in the Federal Budget – CBO

Under Current Law, What Is the Outlook for Overall Federal Deficits, Debt, Spending, and Revenues? – Presentation to the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research by Douglas W. Elmendorf, Director, CBO, May 13, 2014. “By 2020, under current law: Federal spending for Social Security and the major health care programs will be roughly 50 percent larger relative to GDP than it… Continue Reading

New GAO Reports – Critical Infrastructure Protection, Disaster Resilience, Law Enforcement Body Armor

CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROTECTION: Observations on DHS Efforts to Implement and Manage its Chemical Security Program, GAO-14-608T: Published: May 14, 2014. Publicly Released: May 14, 2014. DISASTER RESILIENCE: Actions Are Underway, but Federal Fiscal Exposure Highlights the Need for Continued Attention to Longstanding Challenges, GAO-14-603T: Published: May 14, 2014. Publicly Released: May 14, 2014. LAW ENFORCEMENT BODY ARMOR: Status of DOJ’s Efforts… Continue Reading