NEW RESOURCES

Before I point you to this new search engine, let me ask you: don’t let me use it. Don’t let me sign up for it. You’ll never see me again. When it comes to obscure Internet searches I am like a Lab with a tennis ball. From The Next Web: ‘Digle’ wants to gamify search for uber-specific queries. “UK startup ‘Digle’ wants to change the way we search for hyper-specific queries. Rather than digging in and sorting through pages of un-optimized sites, Digle gives you the option to hand the task off to someone else. These ‘Finders’ are then tasked with the grunt work in exchange for badges, higher positions on the leaderboard, and credits — which are redeemable for cash.”

Australia is creating its first database of unidentified human remains. It’s not clear if the database will ever be available to the public. “The details of 1,600 long-term missing persons files have been entered into the new database. In January, state and territory police will begin uploading details of the unidentified remains, in a process expected to take about six months. Police investigators, pathologists and others involved in solving cases will have access to the information, some of which may eventually become accessible to the public.”

TWEAKS AND UPDATES

A recent Windows 10 update seems to be causing connectivity problems for some users. “Microsoft pushed out a new cumulative update to the Windows 10 release channel yesterday, and a number of users are reporting that it’s causing their internet connection to stop working, although there’s speculation that the update isn’t the cause at all. The update, KB3201845, is designed to fix various issues with the new operating system and was first issued to Windows Insiders in November but the problem clearly wasn’t flagged up with it then, and some people are saying the problem started for them before the update was rolled out.” At this writing the story has over 250 comments. Some flamage some suggestions for fixing the issue.

WordPress 4.7 is now available.

Facebook continues its love for Snapchat with a feature allowing users to make custom frames. “Using a simple online tool that doesn’t require any technical skills — only graphic design skills — anyone can develop and then submit frames that can be used by others on Facebook. The frames can support teams, causes, businesses, events or anything else someone wants to promote.” Just like geofilters! Anyway, this is being rolled out/tested outside the US right now, so if you don’t see it, don’t be surprised.

TechCrunch: Facebook tests turning comment reels into message threads. “Comments on Facebook posts can get quite chatty, so Facebook is trying a new way to help you keep up. Some users now see comment reels appearing as persistently visible chat windows that pop up on their desktop versions of the site, just like traditional message threads.”

Slack and Google have teamed up. “In a bid to become the de facto communications portal in the venture enterprise workflow, Slack has entered into a strategic association with Google Cloud which will bring numerous new features, incorporating deeper integrations with Google services, to its collaboration stage for groups.”

USEFUL STUFF

Eric Meyer has written a quick article to show how you can block specific date ranges from Facebook’s “On this Day” feature. “Suppose you use Facebook (statistically, odds are at least 1 in 5 that you do). Further, suppose you have a period of your life, or even more than one, that you’d rather not be mined by Facebook’s ‘On This Day’ feature. Here’s how to set a blackout for any period(s) of time.”

Do you regularly erase your browser history? How about your Facebook history? “….it’s not just your Internet browser that keeps a record of your browsing history. Facebook does too. In fact it keeps a pretty detailed report of your Facebook ‘stalking’ by keeping a list of all the searches you’ve made on Facebook. In fact, everything you’ve typed into the Facebook search bar – whether it’s the name of a friend, a stranger or a page – gets stored in your Activity Log.”

This sounds useful. From TechCrunch: Hyper News’ offline video app lets you catch up on the headlines during your commute. “A new video app from Hyper wants to help you catch up on the latest news during your commute. What’s interesting about Hyper News, compared with apps from traditional news publishers, is that it has been specifically designed so you can watch its videos even when there is no internet connection available. This makes it ideal for people who travel on the subway to work, or for those times you want something to watch on the plane.”

AROUND THE SEARCH AND SOCIAL MEDIA WORLD

World Policy Blog: Gambia: Social Media Overwhelms a 20-Year Dictator. “Lamin Yarboe, a young man in his late 20s, celebrated the end of a blockade to social media applications in The Gambia on Saturday morning, calling it ‘freedom in its entirety.’ Some 48 hours earlier, as his country went through presidential elections, Yarboe couldn’t even visit Facebook or use WhatsApp. The small West African country went to the polls on Dec. 1 to elect a president. Twelve hours before the polls opened, online traffic began grinding to a halt due to a “presidential directive.” The entire internet gateway was shut down. Telephone calls into and out of the country were impossible, raising questions about the transparency of the electoral process taking place in Banjul. Despite these attempts by the incumbent president, Yahya Jammeh, opposition candidate Adama Barrow won the election, marking the first change in leadership since 1994.”

Premium Times: Nigerian govt vows to sack students for parents’ social media “falsehoods”. “The Buhari administration has vowed to expel students from government-run Unity Schools if their parents use the social media to ‘spread false and negative information’ against the schools.” Good morning, Internet..

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