VMA Veterinary Career Center, Local Google Search, Microsoft Copilot, More: Tuesday ResearchBuzz, January 23, 2024

VMA Veterinary Career Center, Local Google Search, Microsoft Copilot, More: Tuesday ResearchBuzz, January 23, 2024
By ResearchBuzz

NEW RESOURCES

American Veterinary Medical Association: Find a veterinary job that fits you with AVMA’s new data tool. “AVMA JobFIT, a resource in the AVMA Veterinary Career Center (VCC), pulls together information about U.S. communities to help job seekers learn about specific areas and find jobs there. The AVMA JobFIT tool is powered by data and integrated with the VCC job board—our profession’s largest and most active job board—so you can explore the job market in a new way. See available veterinary jobs side by side with local data like housing costs, cost of living, and more.”

TWEAKS AND UPDATES

Search Engine Roundtable: Google Search Local “Nearby Events And Deals”. “For the past few weeks Google has been testing out a new local search box titled ‘Nearby events and deals.’ This box contains links to local stores and places that have events and/or deals in the area.” Remember when you could search Google News by state?

CNBC: Microsoft brings Copilot AI assistant to small businesses and launches a premium tier for individuals. “Microsoft said on Tuesday that small businesses can now subscribe to its Copilot virtual assistant in the company’s productivity apps. Consumers who pay for the Microsoft 365 software can sign up for a new paid version of Copilot.”

Bloomberg: Alphabet’s Moonshot X Lab Cuts Staff, Turns to Outside Investors. “Alphabet Inc.’s lab for pioneering technology is laying off dozens of employees as it turns to outside investors to help fund its ventures. The division, known as X, has in recent months ramped up discussions on funding with venture capitalists and other investors, according to people with knowledge of the matter who asked not to be named as it is private.”

AROUND THE INTERNET WORLD

NBC News: Fake Joe Biden robocall tells New Hampshire Democrats not to vote on Tuesday . “A prominent New Hampshire Democrat plans to file a complaint with the state attorney general over an apparent robocall that appears to encourage supporters of President Joe Biden not to vote in Tuesday’s presidential primary. The voice in the message is familiar — even presidential — as it’s an apparent imitation or digital manipulation of Biden’s voice.”

Search Engine Land: Google to cut thousands of search quality rater jobs after dropping contract with Appen. “Appen, an Australian data services company that Google contracted with for a large number of its third-party search quality raters, was notified by Google that its contract is ending on March 19, 2024. Appen said it had no prior notice and the cancellation would result in a loss of $82.8m of revenue at a gross margin of 26% for the company.”

NPR: How social media algorithms ‘flatten’ our culture by making decisions for us. “In his new book, Filterworld, [Kyle] Chayka examines the algorithmic recommendations that dictate everything from the music, news and movies we consume, to the foods we eat and the places we go. He argues that all this machine-guided curation has made us docile consumers and flattened our likes and tastes.” That excerpt makes it sound like you don’t have a choice. Reminder that you do.

SECURITY & LEGAL

BBC: Cryptocurrency firm Terraform Labs files for bankruptcy in US. “The cryptocurrency company behind the crashed TerraUSD and Luna tokens has filed for bankruptcy in the US. Terraform Labs’ tokens collapsed in May, losing $40bn of their value and contributing to the so-called ‘cryptocrash’ of 2022. Co-founder Do Kwon is currently in jail in Montenegro after having been found guilty of forging documents.”

Reuters: Global watchdog to report in October on how social media fuels bank runs. “Global financial regulators will present the G20 in October their findings from a ‘deep dive’ on how social media can speed up bank deposit outflows and whether changes to liquidity rules are needed, the Financial Stability Board (FSB) said on Monday.”

RESEARCH & OPINION

Stanford Medicine: ‘Smart speaker’ shows potential for better self-management of Type 2 diabetes. “…researchers from Stanford Medicine have created a voice-based artificial intelligence application that runs on a device already familiar to tens of millions of Americans: a ‘smart speaker,’ commonly used to play music and check the weather. The app tells patients the correct insulin dose without requiring them to contact their doctor’s office or wait for an appointment.”

Ars Technica: Top Harvard Cancer researchers accused of scientific fraud; 37 studies affected. “The Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School, is seeking to retract six scientific studies and correct 31 others that were published by the institute’s top researchers, including its CEO. The researchers are accused of manipulating data images with simple methods, primarily with copy-and-paste in image editing software, such as Adobe Photoshop.”

OTHER THINGS I THINK ARE COOL

Core77: The HoloTile Floor: Disney Imagineer Invents Omnidirectional Treadmill Surface. “Inventor Lanny Smoot, a Disney Research Fellow and Imagineer, has invented something incredible: The HoloTile floor, an omnidirectional walking surface that could be one of the breakthroughs for truly immersive VR experiences.” Good morning, Internet…

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January 23, 2024 at 06:31PM
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Parasitology Specimens, MIT Press, National Library of Wales, More: Monday Afternoon ResearchBuzz, January 22, 2024

Parasitology Specimens, MIT Press, National Library of Wales, More: Monday Afternoon ResearchBuzz, January 22, 2024
By ResearchBuzz

NEW RESOURCES

Nebraska Today: Gardner digitizing parasite samples for scientists everywhere. “Scott L. Gardner, curator of parasitology for the University of Nebraska State Museum, has hundreds of thousands of parasite samples at his fingertips — mites, ticks, lice, fleas, tapeworms, trematodes and more. They’re on slides in cabinets, in vials of ethanol, in tubes in ultra-low temperature freezers — and now some are available via online database.”

TWEAKS AND UPDATES

MIT Press: MIT Press’s Direct to Open reaches annual funding goal, opens access to full list of 2024 monographs . “Now in its third year of operation, Direct to Open (D2O) is proud to announce that it has reached its full funding goal in 2024 and will open access to 79 new monographs and edited book collections this year. What makes this year noteworthy is that this is the first year in which D2O has been fully funded by its November 30 deadline and will not require an extension through the end of the fiscal year.”

Cambrian News: Extension granted on National Library archives plan over lack of funding. “The National Library of Wales has been granted an extension to begin work on multi-million pound plans to house the BBC Wales archives at the National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth that were paused due to a lack of funding. The National Library applied to Ceredigion County Council for a time extension to previously-granted plans for the scheme to house BBC Wales archives in a special extension, as funding was lost as a result of the Covid pandemic.”

USEFUL STUFF

MakeUseOf: Are Premium AI Prompts Worth the Money? . “The rise of generative AI tools has taught us one thing: the results you get from AI tools are only as good as the prompt you provide. However, crafting AI prompts that produce awesome results requires creativity, time, and technical know-how. That’s why AI prompt marketplaces have sprung up, offering unique AI prompts crafted by experts, selling you their AI wisdom. So, is it worth buying an AI prompt?” It’s interesting to me that no matter how oriented to replacing humanity a technology is, it will develop a human economy layer almost instantly.

AROUND THE INTERNET WORLD

Asharq Al-Awsat: Saudi Private Sector Abroad: New Database in the Works. “The Saudi Ministry of Investment is currently compiling information on foreign investments by private companies and creating a database for investment data in the Kingdom. This initiative aims to be a central platform for relevant information.”

Balkan Insight: AI-Generated Video Targets Istanbul Mayor Ahead of Elections. “A manipulated video of Istanbul’s popular opposition mayor praising President Erdogan’s party, spread ahead of critical local elections, shows how disinformation is increasingly drawing on the latest technology, such as AI-generated videos.”

SECURITY & LEGAL

Washington Post: Why Jan. 6 insurrections sent a letter to the Folger Shakespeare Library. “While insurrectionists were plotting to storm the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, they took time to write and send a letter to an institution two blocks from their target: the Folger Shakespeare Library, the world’s largest collection of material related to the English playwright. ‘We will be blocking access to your building … to prevent our persons of grievance from using you as a loophole,’ read the insurrectionists’ letter, which circulated on a pro-Trump message board called TheDonald before the insurrection and was published this month in the Folger’s online archive.”

Vice: Leaving The Real World: How I Escaped Andrew Tate’s Get Rich Quick ‘Cult’. “While much has been made of the toxic influence of Tate’s misogynistic attitudes on a generation of impressionable young men, former Tate supporters and critics have spoken out to VICE News to warn of another dimension of the threat he poses: that his latest business endeavour, in their view, is scamming his own fans. The Real World, they say, is a cynical and ingenious grift – with the hallmarks of a pyramid scheme – that targets teenagers to financially exploit them, while using them as drones to power Tate’s formidable social media PR machine.”

RESEARCH & OPINION

Washington University in St. Louis: New research creates framework for large-scale geospatial exploration. “When combatting complex problems like illegal poaching and human trafficking, efficient yet broad geospatial search tools can provide critical assistance in finding and stopping the activity. A visual active search (VAS) framework for geospatial exploration developed by researchers at the McKelvey School of Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis uses a novel visual reasoning model and aerial imagery to learn how to search for objects more effectively.”

Stat News: The FDA and FTC need to crack down on TikTok and Instagram influencers pitching prescription drugs. “Following past instances of successful collaboration on matters such as biosimilar misinformation, the FDA and FTC should formalize their partnership and jointly address the escalating impact of social media advertisements and influencer-driven promotions of prescription medications. Regulatory agencies should collaborate with independent patient organizations to provide guidance on appropriate disclosures and ethical practices for influencer-sponsored prescription advertisements.” Good afternoon, Internet…

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January 23, 2024 at 01:13AM
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DISCMASTER, Brave Browser, Authy Alternatives, More: Monday ResearchBuzz, January 22, 2024

DISCMASTER, Brave Browser, Authy Alternatives, More: Monday ResearchBuzz, January 22, 2024
By ResearchBuzz

TWEAKS AND UPDATES

Internet Archive Blog: DISCMASTER Rises Again. “In October of 2022, the DISCMASTER site arrived, providing amazing semantic search of thousands of shareware and compilation CD-ROMs at the Internet Archive…. Unfortunately, the site went down in June of 2023, due to a number of factors, the most pressing of which was a need to switch hosting and administration duties. (It is not run by Internet Archive and is not hosted at Internet Archive’s datacenters.) However, DISCMASTER HAS RETURNED!”

Bleeping Computer: Brave to end ‘Strict’ fingerprinting protection as it breaks websites. “Brave Software has announced plans to deprecate the ‘Strict’ fingerprinting protection mode in its privacy-focused Brave Browser because it causes many sites to function incorrectly. Fingerprinting protection in Brave Browser is a feature designed to enhance user privacy by preventing websites from tracking users through a technique called fingerprinting.”

USEFUL STUFF

MakeUseOf: The 6 Best Alternatives to Authy’s Desktop App. “With the discontinuation of Authy’s desktop app in January 2024, thousands of users are looking for a 2FA desktop replacement. Thankfully, there are heaps of excellent authenticator applications and browser extensions that you can use to replace Authy.”

Mashable: Your kid saw something totally inappropriate online. Here’s what to do next.. “Young people may see something that causes a profound sense of worry about their safety in the world or is ‘radically out of alignment’ with what they’ve previously observed or considered, [Dr. Janis] Whitlock says….In order to prepare yourself (and a parenting plan) for a delicate but necessary conversation with a kid or teen who has seen something awful online, consider these tips from Whitlock.”

AROUND THE INTERNET WORLD

The Verge: I literally spoke with Nvidia’s AI-powered video game NPCs. “Let me be clear: the characters I spoke to were effectively generative AI chatbots. They didn’t feel like real people — we’ve got a ways to go before voices, facial expressions, and body language catch up to what’s expected of a real-life interaction…. But many of today’s biggest video games already set a pretty low bar for NPCs. Saddling up to the bar of a cyberpunk ramen shop to ask real questions with my real voice — it exceeds what I expect from the average denizen in The Elder Scrolls or Assassin’s Creed.”

TechCrunch: What happened to Artifact?. “Last week, Artifact, a buzzy news app from Instagram’s co-founders, announced it was shutting down after failing to gain critical mass. The news came as a surprise, as the app was generally well-received by its core audience; smartly leveraged AI to power recommendations, summarize news, and rewrite clickbait; and featured a clean and modern design that made it easy to use. So what went wrong?”

The Mainichi: Yokohama library system introduces Japan-1st AI book search . ” Aiming to offer new discoveries for booklovers, the municipal library system here on Jan. 15 unveiled an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered search service that suggests items when users enter a word or sentence — the first of its kind countrywide.”

SECURITY & LEGAL

Politico: Both of these agencies want a piece of Microsoft’s Open AI partnership. “The Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission are deep in discussions over which agency can probe OpenAI, including the ChatGPT creators’ involvement with Microsoft, on antitrust grounds. The FTC initiated talks with the DOJ months ago to figure out which one can review the matter, according to three people with knowledge of the matter.”

Washington Post: How the internet is erasing the Oct. 7 Hamas massacre. “The Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack is among the most well-documented in history. A crush of evidence from smartphone cameras and GoPros captured Hamas’ breach of the border — a strike Israel says left some 1,200 dead, the most deadly onslaught in the country’s history. But Oct. 7 denial is spreading. A small but growing group denies the basic facts of the attacks, pushing a spectrum of falsehoods and misleading narratives that minimize the violence or dispute its origins.”

RESEARCH & OPINION

Bloomberg: Attacks on renewable energy are proliferating on YouTube. “The nature of climate misinformation on Google-owned YouTube is evolving, according to a new report. Videos espousing climate denial are declining across nearly 100 YouTube channels, while videos attacking solutions such as wind and solar are proliferating.”

University of Exeter: Wrongly-enforced rules over “digital surrogates” by museums censors research and creative use, study warns. “Cultural institutions are censoring research, learning and creativity because of the way they police the reuse of digital copies of out-of-copyright artworks and artefacts, a new study warns.”

Android Authority: Sorry, Google: After Assistant’s chaotic evolution, I can’t believe in Bard. “I just can’t get excited about Bard. … I can’t get excited about it because I’m becoming more and more distrustful of Google’s vision — and is there even a vision at this point? Or are we just reacting to the competition? If you remember, Google Assistant was a reaction to Apple’s Siri, while Bard is a reaction to ChatGPT. Neither of them has been an original, well-thought-out project with a clear long-term plan.” Good morning, Internet…

Do you like ResearchBuzz? Does it help you out? Please consider supporting it on Patreon. Not interested in commitment? Perhaps you’d buy me an iced tea. I live at Calishat. See my other nonsense at WikiTwister, SearchTweaks, RSS Gizmos, Mastodon Gizmos, and MegaGladys.

January 22, 2024 at 06:31PM
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East London History, Nightshade, Reading Coach, More: Sunday Afternoon ResearchBuzz, January 21, 2024

East London History, Nightshade, Reading Coach, More: Sunday Afternoon ResearchBuzz, January 21, 2024
By ResearchBuzz

NEW RESOURCES

Newham Recorder: East Londoners recall culture, racism and discrimination. “East Londoners have shared their experiences of racism and discrimination in a new online archive. Voices of East Bank, created this year, consists of more than 100 audio recordings chronicling the diverse heritage, languages, and culture of east London from the 20th century to the present day.”

VentureBeat: Nightshade, the free tool that ‘poisons’ AI models, is now available for artists to use. “It’s here: months after it was first announced, Nightshade, a new, free software tool allowing artists to ‘poison’ AI models seeking to train on their works, is now available for artists to download and use on any artworks they see fit.”

TWEAKS AND UPDATES

TechCrunch: Microsoft makes its AI-powered reading tutor free. “Microsoft today made Reading Coach, its AI-powered tool that provides learners with personalized reading practice, available at no cost to anyone with a Microsoft account. As of this morning, Reading Coach is accessible on the web in preview — a Windows app is forthcoming. And soon (in late spring), Reading Coach will integrate with learning management systems such as Canva, Microsoft says.”

Japan Today: Social media firms bolster monitoring of Japan quake misinformation. “Social media platforms are strengthening their monitoring of misinformation on their platforms concerning a recent powerful earthquake that hit central Japan, as the government asks them to take specific measures to prevent such posts from hampering rescue efforts, the communications ministry said Friday.”

AROUND THE INTERNET WORLD

GQ: How one writer escaped the algorithm: “My wife had to tell me that the Queen had died”. “[Kyle] Chayka, who writes about technology and culture on the internet for The New Yorker, never even bothered set up the screen time function on his phone, because, well, who wants to know? But while researching his new book, Filterworld: How Algorithms Flattened Culture, which charts how algorithms have come to dominate modern culture, he embarked on something drastic: a months-long ‘algorithm cleanse’ during which he avoided all computer-generated content feeds. ‘We have this sense that we don’t exist if we’re not online, which isn’t true,’ he says. ‘But I think the cleanse truly helped me reset my relationship to the internet.'”

Associated Press: Online rumors partially to blame for drop in water pressure in Mississippi capital, manager says. “Law enforcement agencies are investigating whether social media rumors about a potential water outage prompted people to quickly fill bathtubs with tap water in Mississippi’s capital during a cold snap and cause a drop in pressure that temporarily made faucets run dry for thousands of customers of the city’s long-troubled system.”

SECURITY & LEGAL

AFP: Academia warned to guard ‘crown jewels’ after British Library hack. “While cyber-attacks on banks, utilities and media platforms may grab the most attention, the hacking of the British Library has led to warnings that academia has become an easy target.”

Bleeping Computer: BreachForums hacking forum admin sentenced to 20 years supervised release. “Conor Brian Fitzpatrick was sentenced to 20 years of supervised release today in the Eastern District of Virginia for operating the notorious BreachForums hacking forum, known for the sale and leaking of personal data for hundreds of millions of people worldwide.”

RESEARCH & OPINION

Techdirt: Americans Received 55 Billion Robocalls In 2023, A 9% Jump From 2022. “There is some good news: according to data from the YouMail Robocall Index, U.S. consumers received just under 3.8 billion robocalls during the month of December, a 16.3% decrease from the month before. The bad news: that November to December decrease usually happens (predatory scumbags take breaks over the holidays like everybody else) and may not be fully representative of a meaningful trend.”

International Journalists’ Network: To combat disinformation targeting Asian Americans, center language and communities. “Mis- and disinformation within Asian American communities spreads widely on the radio, Youtube and popular apps such as WeChat and WhatsApp. WeChat, which is used by about 60% of the Chinese American community, is particularly vulnerable to misinformation, due to a hyper-partisan, conservative ecosystem that rewards sensationalist content. To learn more about disinformation’s impact on Asian American communities and how to combat it in effective, culturally conscious ways, I reached out to Nick Nguyen, the co-founder and research lead of Viet Fact Check, and Kyle Van Fleet, a strategic communications associate for APIA Vote and head of APIA Vote’s disinformation monitoring program.” Good afternoon, Internet…

Do you like ResearchBuzz? Does it help you out? Please consider supporting it on Patreon. Not interested in commitment? Perhaps you’d buy me an iced tea. I live at Calishat. See my other nonsense at WikiTwister, SearchTweaks, RSS Gizmos, Mastodon Gizmos, and MegaGladys.

January 22, 2024 at 01:29AM
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Respiratory Illness, Google Meet, LinkedIn, More: Sunday ResearchBuzz, January 21, 2024

Respiratory Illness, Google Meet, LinkedIn, More: Sunday ResearchBuzz, January 21, 2024
By ResearchBuzz

NEW RESOURCES

Laboratory Equipment: NYC Database Sheds Light on Increasing Respiratory Illness Severity. “Since the pandemic, respiratory infections have worsened in severity and spread, becoming a significant public health concern. But even before that respiratory infections were a huge health problem, especially for the young, elderly and those with preexisting conditions. Trying to get a better handle on the infections, researchers at Columbia University have used longitudinal cohort data to create an interactive, publicly available website to visualize cohort characteristics, infection events and illness severity factors.”

TWEAKS AND UPDATES

How-To Geek: Google Meet Has New Effects and Lighting Features. “The COVID-19 pandemic led to a surge for better videoconferencing tools. Suddenly, there was a lot of competition in the segment, as more people had to use them with remote and hybrid work (and to socialize outside of work). Google Meet became one of the better options, for its versatility and customization options. Now, the app is getting even better with the addition of several new customization options.”

Search Engine Land: LinkedIn launches sponsored articles. “LinkedIn has introduced sponsored articles, providing marketers with an additional tool that may contribute to enhancing brand awareness, increasing engagement, and driving lead generation.”

USEFUL STUFF

Larry Ferlazzo: This Week’s Free & Useful Artificial Intelligence Tools For The Classroom. “At least, for now, I’m going to make this a weekly feature which will highlight additions to THE BEST NEW – & FREE – ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TOOLS THAT COULD BE USED IN THE CLASSROOM.”

AROUND THE INTERNET WORLD

Daily Beast: Think Deepfakes Are Bad? ‘Cheapfakes’ Are Far More Dangerous. “You’ve likely already been schooled on how to spot a deepfake, a dangerous but relatively immature artificial intelligence tool. Are there odd shadows or glares? Are the lips synced up with the audio? Are there too many or too few fingers on the hands? But as Israel and Hamas wage war on both a physical and digital battlefield, disinformation experts are ringing the alarm about deepfakes’ easier-to-deploy and far more ubiquitous cousin: cheapfakes.”

Ars Technica: Google lays off “hundreds” more as ad division switches to AI-powered sales. “In December, we heard that job cuts might be coming for Google’s ad sales division, and it’s here. Business Insider reports Google is laying off ‘hundreds of employees’ from the ad sales team. The cuts are mostly in the ‘Large Customer Sales’ (LCS) team, which serves the company’s biggest advertising clients.”

SECURITY & LEGAL

Krebs on Security: Canadian Man Stuck in Triangle of E-Commerce Fraud. “A Canadian man who says he’s been falsely charged with orchestrating a complex e-commerce scam is seeking to clear his name. His case appears to involve “triangulation fraud,” which occurs when a consumer purchases something online — from a seller on Amazon or eBay, for example — but the seller doesn’t actually own the item for sale. Instead, the seller purchases the item from an online retailer using stolen payment card data.”

Irish Times: Google begins High Court case against Irish data regulator. “Google has started a High Court case against Irish data regulator Helen Dixon over a new privacy investigation into the company, taking the unusual step of initiating a legal challenge before any determination is made in the case. The judicial review by the web search engine giant is linked to an inquiry by the Data Protection Commission (DPC) into the procedures for opening Google accounts on its website and apps.”

RESEARCH & OPINION

Jeff Jarvis: Make Bell Labs an internet museum. “Bell Labs, the historic headwaters of so many inventions that now define our digital age, is closing in Murray Hill, its latest owners moving to more modern headquarters in New Brunswick. The Labs should be preserved as a historic site and more. I propose that Bell Labs be opened to the public as a museum and school of the internet.”

Schneier on Security: Zelle Is Using My Name and Voice without My Consent. “Okay, so this is weird. Zelle has been using my name, and my voice, in audio podcast ads—without my permission. At least, I think it is without my permission. It’s possible that I gave some sort of blanket permission when speaking at an event. It’s not likely, but it is possible.”

Library of Congress: FADGI Report on Software Accessibility for Open-Source Digital Preservation Applications. “As first discussed in a previous blog post, the Federal Agencies Digital Guidelines Initiative (FADGI) AudioVisual Working Group partnered with consultants at AVP to spearhead a project aimed at enhancing accessibility in open-source desktop applications for the digital preservation community. FADGI has produced free and open-source desktop tools for years and is committed to being a responsible steward regarding accessibility. In spring and summer 2023, FADGI engaged AVP and selected three open-source desktop software applications for evaluations.”

OTHER THINGS I THINK ARE COOL

University of Wisconsin-Madison: Knowing what dogs like to watch could help veterinarians assess their vision. “Ever wonder what kind of TV shows your dog might choose if they could work the remote control? New research from the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s School of Veterinary Medicine provides some answers, but the study was more interested in solving a longstanding problem in veterinary medicine than turning canine companions into couch potatoes.” Good morning, Internet…

Do you like ResearchBuzz? Does it help you out? Please consider supporting it on Patreon. Not interested in commitment? Perhaps you’d buy me an iced tea. I live at Calishat. See my other nonsense at WikiTwister, SearchTweaks, RSS Gizmos, Mastodon Gizmos, and MegaGladys.

January 21, 2024 at 06:31PM
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Twitter, Davos, Google, More: Saturday Afternoon ResearchBuzz, January 20, 2024

Twitter, Davos, Google, More: Saturday Afternoon ResearchBuzz, January 20, 2024
By ResearchBuzz

TWEAKS AND UPDATES

Mashable: X appears to be juicing MrBeast’s views as Elon Musk tries to woo the YouTuber to the platform. “MrBeast, the most popular creator on YouTube, uploaded his latest YouTube video to Elon Musk’s X for the first time. According to MrBeast, he was “curious” about “how much ad revenue” he would make from the upload, so he uploaded the video directly to the platform as a ‘test.’ Now, X users are reporting that MrBeast’s post containing the video upload is being forced into their feed multiple times a day as an unlabeled advertisement.”

Futurism: Global Elites Suddenly Starting to Fear AI. “This time last year, the billionaires at the World Economic Forum conference in Davos, Switzerland were impossibly gung-ho about artificial intelligence. But now cracks are forming, and they sound somewhat concerned. As the Washington Post and other outlets report, this year’s gathering at Davos has featured a decidedly shifted tone as the world’s most influential movers and shakers start to see just how dangerous AI might be.”

AROUND THE INTERNET WORLD

Business Insider: Googlers are realizing layoffs are ‘just business’ — and they’re starting to fight back. “In 2012, Larry Page stressed how important it was that Google acted like a ‘family.’ The search giant had become famous at the time for its perks such as snacks and massages. To Page, then Google’s CEO, treating people well translated to ‘better productivity.’ More than a decade later, Googlers can be forgiven for wondering where that family spirit has gone.”

International Journalists’ Network: Innovating to reach deaf and hard-of-hearing communities with the truth. “After attending ICFJ’s Disarming Disinformation Empowering the Truth Global Summit in March 2023, [Willy] Chowoo developed an idea to leverage smartphones to generate multimedia content that would help deaf audiences become more aware of the overwhelming presence of disinformation. ‘We use sign language to “disarm disinformation.” It is a very powerful tool when it is properly used among the deaf community,’ he said.”

SECURITY & LEGAL

Bleeping Computer: Docker hosts hacked in ongoing website traffic theft scheme. “A new campaign targeting vulnerable Docker services deploys an XMRig miner and the 9hits viewer app on compromised hosts, allowing a dual monetization strategy. 9hits is a web traffic exchange platform where members can drive traffic to each others’ sites.”

New York Upstate: Two Upstate NY poachers busted after using fake social media profiles to target big deer. “New York State Department of Environmental Conservation investigators used search warrants to seize the poachers’ hunting equipment, clothes, and cell phones, revealing the full picture of their elaborate poaching activities. Phone records uncovered a scheme where the two men conspired with a network of poachers who posted on hunting and wildlife photography sites to target large bucks in suburban and urban areas closed to hunting, DEC said.”

San Francisco Standard: Google Engineer Beat His Wife to Death, Santa Clara Police Say. “A Google worker is facing a murder charge for beating his wife to death this week in an attack that left their bedroom covered in blood, prosecutors say. Liren Chen, 27, allegedly punched his wife in the head repeatedly at their home on Valley Way in Santa Clara, police said in court records.” I would not normally include something like this. Unfortunately there’s a lot of misinformation about this case circulating and I wanted to index a news report about it.

RESEARCH & OPINION

Ruhr-Universität Bochum: How Does Materialism in Social Media Trigger Stress and Unhappiness?. “Clothes, cars, travel, followers: People with a materialistic mindset always want more and, above all, more than others. Social media provides them with ideal opportunities to compare themselves with others, which makes them susceptible to passive and addictive user behavior. This stresses them out and, ultimately, leads to low life satisfaction. This downward spiral, which turns materialists into less happy people, was identified by researchers from Bochum in an online survey of over 1,200 participants.”

The Wire (India): How Important are Social Media Influencers in Indian Elections?. “This post highlights the significance of the social media influencers who are crucial in Indian elections due to their wide reach, accessibility, and ability to engage diverse demographics, especially the youth. They play a pivotal role in digital campaigning, amplifying political messages, and providing real-time coverage. These influencers contribute to image building through endorsements and also shape public opinions during election times.”

OTHER THINGS I THINK ARE COOL

This is from several years ago but I just learned about it today, and I’m so delighted I’m sharing it with you. Colossal: A 3D Printed Sundial Displays Time Like a Digital Clock. “Using a clever mix of 3D printing and a few well-placed shadows, this sundial designed by Mojoptix projects the actual time as if displayed on a digital clock. The plastic component that casts the shadow—called a gnomon— is printed with extremely tiny holes that create pinpoint dots of light in the form of digits as the sun shines through during the day.” Good afternoon, Internet…

Do you like ResearchBuzz? Does it help you out? Please consider supporting it on Patreon. Not interested in commitment? Perhaps you’d buy me an iced tea. I live at Calishat. See my other nonsense at WikiTwister, SearchTweaks, RSS Gizmos, Mastodon Gizmos, and MegaGladys.

January 21, 2024 at 01:28AM
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Maine French-Acadians, Hallé Orchestra, Thomas Jefferson Building, More: Saturday ResearchBuzz, January 20, 2024

Maine French-Acadians, Hallé Orchestra, Thomas Jefferson Building, More: Saturday ResearchBuzz, January 20, 2024
By ResearchBuzz

NEW RESOURCES

News Center Maine: UMFK’s Acadian Archives digitizes much of its collections of Maine’s French-Acadians. “Even though northern Maine is still the most Francophone region of the state, there’s been an effort in the past few years to help preserve and teach our state’s Acadian history throughout Maine. To do that, different federal agencies, state officials including Gov. Janet Mills, and the Maine State Library are all working together to digitize historical records focused on French heritage in Maine.”

The Hallé: The Hallé’s brand new digital repertoire database – now live!. “Over 20 years in the making, the Hallé is the only UK orchestra to have produced such a database to date. This fully searchable online tool contains over 40,000 listings of individual works, artists, soloists, concert halls and much more from 1858 to 1990, allowing everyone to become a community archivist. This database will continue to develop and grow but already allows the Hallé to share its history – from schools concerts to international tours and everything in between – far and wide.”

TWEAKS AND UPDATES

Library of Congress: More Jefferson Building Drawings Digitized. “The Library of Congress Thomas Jefferson Building celebrated its 125th birthday in November of 2023. To support research interest in the building and to mark the occasion, we digitized nearly 1000 architectural drawings documenting its construction.”

USEFUL STUFF

How-to Geek: How to Go Frame by Frame on YouTube. “If you want to watch your favorite YouTube video one frame at a time, it’s possible to do that for both downloaded and online YouTube videos. We’ll show you how to use that feature on your device.” One of those rare things that you do on desktop instead of mobile.

AROUND THE INTERNET WORLD

Variety: Film Curator, Programmer and Archivist June Givanni to Receive BAFTA Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema Award. “June Givanni, film curator, writer and programmer of African and African diaspora cinema and founder of The June Givanni PanAfrican Archive, will be presented with BAFTA’s Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema award at the BAFTA Film Awards in February.”

University of Texas at Arlington: Rangers’ World Series Title Made History. UTA Seeks To Preserve It.. “The UTA Libraries Special Collections Department is seeking community donations of digital materials documenting the Texas Rangers’ 2023 World Series run and celebration. Items of interest include digital photographs, videos, artwork, and more relating to the Rangers’ playoff games, community gatherings and celebrations. These materials will be preserved and made accessible through the UTA Libraries Digital Archive.”

University of Southern California: USC Annenberg and Scripps Howard Fund launch open-source investigative journalism program. “With an investment of up to $300,000 from the Scripps Howard Fund, the USC Annenberg School of Journalism is building America’s premier open-source investigative reporting education program. USC Annenberg Associate Professor of Journalism Mark Schoofs and adjunct instructor Kevin Reyes will lead the initiative aimed at supporting the next generation of investigative journalists and innovating journalism education.”

SECURITY & LEGAL

US Department of State: The Framework to Counter Foreign State Information Manipulation. “Foreign information manipulation and interference is a national security threat to the United States as well as to its allies and partners. Today, the U.S. Department of State is announcing an important new tool for addressing this problem: The Framework to Counter Foreign State Information Manipulation. This Framework seeks to develop a common understanding of this threat and establish a common set of action areas from which the United States, with its allies and partners, can develop coordinated responses to foreign information manipulation and protect free and open societies.”

US Government Accountability Office: The Effectiveness of Economic Sanctions At Risk from Digital Asset Growth. “Economic sanctions are an important foreign policy tool that the U.S. uses to try and deter foreign states that are acting contrary to our interest or engaging in behavior such as human rights abuses. But increasingly, foreign states facing U.S. sanctions—including Iran and North Korea—are using digital assets to evade the impacts of those sanctions. Today’s WatchBlog post looks at our new report on how digital assets are being used to evade U.S. sanctions and what the federal government is doing about it.”

PC Magazine: Google: Russian Hackers Using Encrypted PDFs as a Ploy to Spread Malware. “Google says a group of Russian state-sponsored hackers are sending encrypted PDFs to trick victims into running a decryption tool that’s actually malware. On Thursday, the company published a blog post documenting a new phishing tactic from Coldriver, a hacking group that the US and UK suspect works for the Russian government. A year ago, news emerged that Coldriver targeted three US nuclear research laboratories.”

RESEARCH & OPINION

Stanford Business: How Much Is Your Favorite Free App Worth to You?. “How much would someone have to pay you to stop using Facebook for a month: $5? $10? $100? That’s the question Erik Brynjolfsson and his fellow researchers posed to nearly 40,000 Facebook users from 13 countries. It turned out that less than one-fifth would stay away in exchange for five bucks, while more than three-fourths would abstain for $100.”

InfoWorld: What is RAG? More accurate and reliable LLMs. “Retrieval-augmented generation draws upon external data sources to address two shortcomings of large language models, out-of-date training sets and limited context windows.” Good morning, Internet…

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January 20, 2024 at 06:31PM
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