NEW RESOURCES

I swear I feel like I’ve written about this, but I can’t find any evidence that I have, so – do you remember The Mini Page? There’s a BIG Mini Page archive online. It covers 1969 – 2007 and it’s keyword-searchable.

Cornell has created an app that will help you track down furnishings you find in pictures. “Given a photo of a chair, lamp or some other item, a new service will tell you who makes it and where to buy it, and show you pictures of how it might look in various rooms.”

TWEAKS AND UPDATES

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University has updated its university archives. “Embry-Riddle’s University Archives has a new and improved look. In tribute to the university’s 90th anniversary this year, the Archives redesigned its database and upgraded its software to a new version that allows public access to historical records via mobile devices. Users of the archival database can search for such materials as alumni memorabilia, audio recordings, corporate records, newspaper clippings, photographs, video media, and many artifacts, including awards and aviation paraphernalia.”

Google is open-sourcing its Science Journal app. “Today we are happy to announce that we are releasing Science Journal 1.1 on the Google Play Store and also publishing the core source for the app. Open source software and hardware has been hugely beneficial to the science education ecosystem. By open sourcing, we’ll be able to improve the app faster and also to provide the community with an example of a modern Android app built with Material Design principles.”

Is Facebook Live adding a feature for two-person broadcasts? “According to a reliable source we spoke to this morning, Facebook is set to begin a phased rollout of a new feature that allows for two-person broadcasts on Live. Originally announced at VidCon back in June, we’re now told the feature should make its way to users on Monday.”

USEFUL STUFF

From Search Engine Journal: Everything You Need to Know About Snapchat Geofilters. (This article includes how to make your own.)

AROUND THE SEARCH AND SOCIAL MEDIA WORLD

Hey, Bing can’t let Google Maps make all the goofy errors. In fact, Bing’s one-upped it by putting an entire city in the wrong hemisphere. “A search on Bing Maps for ‘Melbourne, Victoria, Australia’ says the city is at 37.813610, 144.963100 which we’ve screen-captured above (or here for those reading our mobile site). The co-ordinates are right save for one important detail: Melbourne is at 37.8136° South. Bing’s therefore put it in the wrong hemisphere.”

Looks like Oracle has pretty much declared war on Google. “Groups with words like ‘transparency’ in their name are typically very open about how they operate. That’s why the ‘Campaign for Accountability,’ a non-profit hatched in Washington this spring, is such a mystery: the group refuses to say who pays for its activities.” Except they confirmed that Oracle is one of the payers.

SECURITY/LEGAL ISSUES

Authorities in Egypt have started cracking down (harder?) on social media satire pages. “After the Egyptian officials clamped down on satirical programs in Egypt, notably ‘Al-Bernameg,’ which had been hosted by media presenter Bassem Youssef, Egyptian satirists have resorted to social media as a supposedly safe haven where they can pursue their favorite hobby — taunting heads of state, especially President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.”

RESEARCH AND OPINION

Interesting: Google Translate bot, what are your politics? “Last school year, my incredible colleague at Brooklyn College, Laura Ascenzi-Moreno and I followed a 6th grade newcomer student from China and his teachers, paying attention to how they integrated Google Translate (as a translanguaging practice) into their practices to communicate with each other and learn. In multilingual classrooms, Google Translate has become such a ubiquitous tool — used not just to make sure homework assignments and notes are read by parents but in ways that, as we found, actually contribute to the relationships between teachers, students, and knowledge.” 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 love your comments, I love your site suggestions, and I love you. Feel free to comment on the blog, or @ResearchBuzz on Twitter. Thanks!