NEW RESOURCES

Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) has launched a new Web site called ThreatSearch. “ThreatSearch is the most comprehensive database of conservation assessments of plants. It contains over 242,000 conservation assessments, representing over 150,000 taxa. ThreatSearch lists global, regional and national conservation assessments for plants, from a variety of sources. The aim is for ThreatSearch to be a one-stop shop to find conservation assessments for plants.”

Uber has released a new tool which should be great for municipal planners. “Today, Uber launched a new tool for mapping travel times, powered by the company’s vast store of ride data. Called Movement, the site allows users to measure travel times between various parts of a city, tracking how those trips get faster or slower over time. Currently only available to registered users, the site is scheduled to open to all users in the coming months.”

TWEAKS AND UPDATES

Iran has launched its own national Internet network. “As adopted by the Supreme Council of Cyberspace Iran’s national internet network will operate domestically and independently from all other networks in the world (internet). It is protected from all other networks globally with the ability to interact with them should the permission is granted.”

Digital Trends: New Google Assistant App May Let You Type As Well As Talk. “We’ve spent all this time trying to make it easier to talk to your phone, but sometimes, don’t you just want to text it instead? Anticipating an answer in the affirmative, Google appears to be working on a few new features that will allow you to do just that — texting Google Assistant on the Google Pixel, rather than talking to the AI assistant.”

USEFUL STUFF

Make Tech Easier: 6 of the Best Google Chrome Extensions to Annotate Text on the Web. “Highlighting text on the Web is very useful when reading, researching or emphasizing specific text on a Web page to share online with friends. If you are using the Chrome browser, here are the best Chrome extensions to annotate text on the Web.”

AROUND THE SEARCH AND SOCIAL MEDIA WORLD

They said it couldn’t be done, but it can, as long as you get Jack Dorsey involved – Martin Shkreli has been suspended from Twitter. “Martin Shkreli’s Twitter account was suspended sometime early Sunday afternoon, following a period of targeted harassment against freelance reporter Lauren Duca…. On Thursday, Duca tweeted a screenshot of a direct Twitter message from Shkreli, best known for hiking the price on an anti-parasitic drug by a factor of 56, refusing to answer questions about alleged fraud, and begging celebrities to listen to a rare Wu-Tang Clan album with him. In it, he asked her if she wanted to be his date to President-elect Trump’s inauguration.” Mr. Shkreli was suspended within a couple of hours after Lauren Duca tweeted screenshots of Shkreli to Jack Dorsey’s account.

The NBA streamed a game on Facebook Live — to viewers in India. “The game between All-Stars Stephen Curry and DeMarcus Cousins and two of the NBA’s most tech-savvy teams at the new high-tech Golden 1 Center, will be streamed only in India as part of the Kings’ fourth-annual ‘Bollywood Night’ promotion celebrating traditional Indian culture and entertainment.”

New York Times: At Detroit Show, Minivan Designed by Google Offers Look at a Changing Industry. “There are shiny new sport utility vehicles, brawny pickups and sleek sedans. But the unlikely star of the annual Detroit auto show is an odd-looking minivan capable of driving itself. The van, designed by Google, grabbed the spotlight on Sunday, the first day of press previews at the show. The vehicle’s introduction highlighted the industry’s fascination with autonomous driving vehicles, as well as the rising sway of the technology industry in the auto business.”

SECURITY/LEGAL ISSUES

From TorrentFreak: U.S. Homeland Security ‘Harbors’ BitTorrent Pirates. “Due to the public nature of BitTorrent transfers, it’s easy to see what people behind a certain IP-address are downloading. Last month we reported about a new website that puts this information on public display. According to its operators, this information can help rightholders and law enforcement to track down pirates. In response, we decided to do some field work to see if downloads are also linked to more unusual locations, and the answer is YES.”

RESEARCH AND OPINION

TechCrunch: Off-the-beaten-path innovation could rejuvenate Twitter. “Introducing a new paradigm — beyond its current hashtags and handles — doesn’t just help Twitter open up to a broader user base; it also allows for scaling, like Facebook. When your specialty is connecting people through a familiar interface and you have enough momentum built up, that disruptive future is only a matter of vision and will. Let’s imagine a couple of ways Twitter could jet forward.”

OTHER STUFF I THINK IS COOL

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!