NEW RESOURCES

Now available and still developing: a database of birds in India. “Bringing cheer to thousands of budding environmental photographers and amateur bird watchers, the Bombay Natural History Society (BHNS) has recently launched a one-of-its-kind online platform that identifies Indian bird species using artificial intelligence.” Currently over 300 species are in the database; plans are to expand it to the 1300 species of birds in India.

The University of Minnesota has launched its Umbra Search African American History tool. (I mentioned it in ResearchBuzz last July but it’s now out of testing/beta.) “The University of Minnesota Libraries, in partnership with the Penumbra Theatre Company, is launching Umbra Search African American History, a free and openly available online search tool that facilitates broad access to over 400,000 digitized archival materials documenting African American history from more than 1,000 libraries, archives, and cultural heritage institutions across the United States.”

TWEAKS AND UPDATES

The Internet Archive is making its Trump “fact checks” easier to access. “We’ve got 500+ fact checks by FactCheck.org, the Pulitzer-prize winning PolitiFact, and The Washington Post‘s Fact Checker embedded within the Trump Archive; these are now viewable on this dedicated page, with the option of downloading a csv containing links to fact checks, links to TV news clips, date of airing, and topics covered.”

The BBC is creating its own “Reality Check” team for checking fake news and misinformation on social media. “The BBC already has a series known as Reality Check, and the plan is to expand this into a permanent feature that will be used to fact-check stories that appear on Facebook and other social media.”

Facebook is making it more difficult to identify edited posts. “In order to actually know whether or not your eyes were playing tricks on you when a friend’s rant no longer has 15 spelling errors the second time you see it, you’ll need to do some digging.”

USEFUL STUFF

Hongkiat: Import or Export Your Passwords Directly From Google Chrome. “Those who have used Google’s Chrome browser would be aware of the password saving feature that can be used for the browser’s Autofill feature. However, did you know that you can import, or even export passwords from the browser itself?”

AROUND THE SEARCH AND SOCIAL MEDIA WORLD

Facebook is trying out its fake news filter in Germany. “The Financial Times is reporting that Facebook is to roll out its fake news filter in Germany. The move comes in time for Germany’s federal elections, which are due to take place later this year.”

Will we be seeing “Uber Maps” soon? “AUSTRALIAN roads will see two technology giants collide today as Uber rolls out a fleet of hi-tech vehicles across the country designed to upgrade Google Maps. The ride-sharing giant will employ its own fleet of camera-equipped cars in Australia, starting on the Gold Coast, in an initiative led by the former head of Google Maps.”

RESEARCH AND OPINION

From Nature.com, and this is me going grrrr: Gates Foundation research can’t be published in top journals. “One of the world’s most influential global health charities says that the research it funds cannot currently be published in several leading journals, because the journals do not comply with its open-access policy. Scientists who do research funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation are not — for the moment — allowed to publish papers about that work in journals that include Nature, Science, the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).”

David Bloom, at TubeFilter: Remind Me Why This Twitter Site Isn’t A Thing? “For quite a while now, tech types have been debating the allegedly imminent decline and fall of Twitter, at least as routinely as the state of venture-capital funding or their stock options. The list of reasons is long: the interface is too complicated; they’re never going to catch Facebook; growth rates are flat; blah blah blah. All true, but here’s what’s happened to Jack’s Joint of 140 Characters JUST IN THE PAST COUPLE OF WEEKS(!!!)…” 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!