Andrei from Driving-Tests.org dropped me a note letting me know about his site’s partnership program for libraries – basically there’s an ad-free version of Driving-Tests.org available for libraries and other learning institutions. You can read more details and see a FAQ here. (DISCLAIMER: He didn’t pay me a dime. I think it’s a cool offering so I’m telling you about it.) Here’s a December review of the site from Swiss Army Librarian.

Google has given a million dollars to Lick Observatory. “The unrestricted funds, spread over two years, will go toward general expenses, augmenting the $1.5 million the UC Office of the President gives annually to operate the mountaintop observatory for the 10-campus UC system.”

Now available for Pennsylvania: a database of state senators’ biographies. “Sen. Dominic Pileggi (R., Delaware) announced the searchable online database on Tuesday. Biographies of 1,487 senators, dating to 1791, are available through the site.”

YouTube is testing out YouTube radio? Oooh, I LIKE this. “A non-stop radio station based on the current video. You can like, dislike and dismiss videos to tailor your Radio Station to your taste.”

The radio program “Fresh Air” is getting a digital archive.

Twitter has released a new transparency report. “The report, which discloses the frequency with which government agencies from around the world ask Twitter to hand over data on specific users, said total requests rose by 40 percent, to about 2,871, compared with the company’s last report, in July. The latest requests came from more than 50 countries.”

Microsoft had a HUGE Patch Tuesday. Unfortunately there may be patch problems yet again.

Ooopsie: Twitter’s CFO had his Twitter account hijacked.

Google is putting health info in its knowledge graph. “…starting in the next few days, when you ask Google about common health conditions, you’ll start getting relevant medical facts right up front from the Knowledge Graph. We’ll show you typical symptoms and treatments, as well as details on how common the condition is—whether it’s critical, if it’s contagious, what ages it affects, and more. For some conditions you’ll also see high-quality illustrations from licensed medical illustrators. Once you get this basic info from Google, you should find it easier to do more research on other sites around the web, or know what questions to ask your doctor.” Good morning, Internet…

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