NEW RESOURCES

From the University of Illinois: University of Illinois Library launches open-access digital publishing network. “The University of Illinois Library has launched a digital publishing initiative, the Illinois Open Publishing Network, with its first work – a new English translation of a memoir of Claude Monet…. The publishing network is a network of open-access scholarly publications and publishing infrastructure and resources. It is the result of the first year and a half of a research initiative, Publishing Without Walls, funded by a four-year grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.”

This looks super cool, from Newswise: Iowa State Geologists Develop App to Print 3-D Terrain Models of Any Place on Earth. “Students can read all they want about geological folds, axial planes, hinge lines, antiformal synclines and synformal anticlines. But it can still be a challenge to visualize just what geologists are talking about…. So Iowa State researchers have come up with a new option – TouchTerrain. The web application is open source and free for private use through Iowa State’s GeoFabLab. It allows anybody with a 3-D printer to easily and quickly print terrain models of any place on the planet, including the ocean floor.”

TWEAKS AND UPDATES

Queensland State Archives (Australia) has joined Reddit. Posting images from Flickr albums and answering some comments – quite useful. Are there any other archives on Reddit like this?

Google Sunroof has expanded to all 50 states in the US. “For every building included in the data, Project Sunroof calculates the amount of sunlight received by each portion of the roof over the course of a year, taking into account weather patterns, position of the sun in the sky at different times of year, and shade from nearby obstructions like trees and tall buildings. Finally, the estimated sunlight is translated into energy production using industry standard models for solar installation performance.”

The Next Web: Facebook’s new tool helps you get started quickly with React Native projects on any OS. “Got an idea for a new mobile app? You might want to consider building it with a new React Native tool from the folks at Facebook, which works for iOS and Android projects on any OS.”

Just a reminder from Neowin: PSA: Windows Vista has less than 30 days until Microsoft ends its support. “By April 11, 2017, Microsoft will pull the plug on its support for the nine-year-old OS. After this date, the Redmond giant will no longer provide security patches or hotfixes, and support options will not be available to its users. Mainstream support for Windows Vista already ended back in April 10, 2012, but its extended support for the OS’ second service pack is still valid until the following month.” I love Windows XP, and still keep an off-the-Internet XP box around for work. But Vista?

USEFUL STUFF

MakeUseOf: 4 Very Light Alternatives to Adobe Reader. “If you’re still using Adobe Reader for PDF documents, it’s time for you to move on. It’s one of the most notorious programs to ever exist because it hits the trifecta of poor user experience: slow to launch, bloated and unnecessary features, and too many security vulnerabilities.” If I find using Chrome or Firefox unwieldy, I really like Sumatra.

CNET: Alphabet’s Jigsaw wants to explain tech jargon to you. “On Tuesday, Jigsaw, a tech incubator owned by Google’s parent company, launched a website called the Sideways Dictionary that takes jargon and puts it into terms normal people would understand. Jigsaw partnered with the Washington Post to build the tool.”

Oooo, nice overview from Dumb Little Man! (Yes, that’s the name of the blog.) The Freelancer’s Guide to PDF Management. “If you’re a freelancer, juggling multiple balls in the air is a must-know trick. One way to learn that trick is to know how to properly manage your time, systems, and files. As a way to help you, we’ve put together the ultimate guide for managing PDFs — every smart freelancer’s go-to tool — that will leave you more time to spend on your other tasks.”

AROUND THE SEARCH AND SOCIAL MEDIA WORLD

I’m getting AltaVista flashbacks! From SEO Roundtable: Google AdWords Tests 6 Ads At The Bottom Of Search Results?. “Over the past couple days, I saw at least three people report that they saw six or more AdWords ads at the bottom of the search results. So as many as 10 ads on a single search results page, up to four above the organic results and 6 below the organic results.” Somebody’s golden goose might choke to death on all that advertising.

BetaNews: Google reveals Jamboard price and release date. “If you’re looking for an alternative to Microsoft’s Surface Hub, Google has just the thing for you. Unveiled last October, Jamboard is a 55-inch whiteboard featuring a 4K touchscreen display, HD camera, speakers and integration with the search giant’s G Suite productivity apps. Google did not initially reveal how much it will cost or when it will be available, but the company now says that it will be priced just shy of $5,000 and will be released in just a couple of months.”

SECURITY/LEGAL ISSUES

The Verge: Germany considers 50 million euro fines for social media companies that fail to remove hate speech. “The German Justice Ministry has introduced a draft law that would impose fines of up to €50 million ($53.2 million) on social media companies that fail to quickly remove hate speech and other illegal content from their platforms. Justice Minister Heiko Maas presented the proposed law at a press conference on Tuesday.” Good morning, Internet…

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