NEW RESOURCES

Library of Congress: Portraits of Nineteenth Century African American Women Activists Newly Available Online. “African American women as well as men assumed civic responsibilities in the decades after the Civil War. William Henry Richards (1856-1941) was active in several organizations that promoted civil rights and civil liberties for African Americans at the end of the nineteenth century. Richards taught at Howard University Law School from 1890 until his retirement in 1928. In 2013, the Library acquired his collection from the descendants of William C. McNeill, his physician at the end of Richards’ life. Both men were on the faculty of Howard University.”

The state of Tennessee has created an online database of state-issued rabies tags to help track stray pets. “The Tennessee Department of Health has created a web-based resource to use rabies vaccination tags to help reunite lost pets with their owners. Those who find stray pets wearing TDH rabies tags can now use this tool on the TDH website to search for and identify the veterinarians who vaccinated the animals, who can then help with information to find the owners.” To make it clear: the database does not show owner information, just vet information. It’s not a privacy risk.

TWEAKS AND UPDATES

If you’re a Web searcher of A Certain Age you might remember Copernic and its desktop search software. Well, hang on to your nostalgia because version 6 is now available (PRESS RELEASE). “The technology behind Copernic Desktop Search 6, the Company’s award-wining Desktop Search product, was completely overhauled to add brand new search capabilities. By doing so, users can now benefit from features such ‘search Microsoft OneNote®’, ‘support for Lotus Notes 9’ and ‘searching for Microsoft Outlook® Offline PST’.”

Billboard: Judy Garland, N.W.A, David Bowie, Talking Heads Works Enter National Recording Registry. “An eclectic mix of aural achievements, headlined by Judy Garland (‘Over the Rainbow’), Barbra Streisand (‘People’), N.W.A (Straight Outta Compton) and Vin Scully (the last Dodgers-Giants game at New York’s Polo Grounds), have made it into the National Recording Registry this year.”

The Next Web: Facebook opens 360 livestreaming to everyone. “Prepare to see a whole lot more 360 videos on your Newsfeed. Facebook now allows anyone to stream 360 videos to their Page or Profile, provided they have the right camera.”

USEFUL STUFF

Tom’s Guide: Facebook Stories: How to Use The First Decent Snapchat Clone. “Found in the Facebook app on iOS and Android, Stories deletes posts after 24 hours, just as Snapchat does. During my brief time with it, I’ve noticed it’s clearly the company’s best Snapchat imitation yet, with the strongest strong suite of filters. … Similar features have already come to Facebook’s three other major apps (Instagram, Messenger and Whatsapp), which all now feel like beta tests leading to this rollout. Here’s how to use Facebook Stories.”

AROUND THE SEARCH AND SOCIAL MEDIA WORLD

NextGov: NARA Rethinks How to Store Presidential Records. “President Donald Trump may be the most prolific Twitter user the Oval Office has seen, but the National Archives and Records Administration is currently grappling with how best to store the vast number of social media postings, emails and digital documents produced by his predecessor’s White House.”

Mid-Pacific Institute: Student historians use immersive technology to preserve WWII icon . “In Lyssa Zawalski’s Historical Preservation class, high school students learn the intricacies of history by immersing themselves in projects that contribute to the preservation of valuable artifacts. On February 8, the class visited the Pacific Aviation Museum on Pearl Harbor’s Ford Island to scan the P-40 Warhawk.”

The Intercept: I Spent a Week Trying to Make the Broadband Lobby Answer a Simple Question About Selling Your Data. “House Republicans last night voted to overturn an FCC rule that bars your internet provider from telling advertisers which websites you visit and what you search for in exchange for money; the Senate voted along the same lines last week. The decisions were immediately praised by lobbying groups like the NCTA, which represents broadband companies like Verizon and Comcast — and which for some reason framed the gutting of federal privacy regulations as good for privacy, a choice that the organization seemingly cannot explain, no matter how many times you ask.”

SECURITY/LEGAL ISSUES

WIRED: If You Want to Stop Big Data Breaches, Start With Databases. “While companies commonly use these databases to store tempting troves of customer and financial data, they often do so with outdated and weak default security configurations. And while any type of database can be left open or unprotected, a string of breaches over the last few years have all centered around one type in particular: open-source ‘NoSQL’ databases, particularly those using the popular MongoDB database program. Of course there are many types of hacks that can ultimately lead to data breaches, like using spear phishing to gain access to a network, but securing exposed databases is a relatively easy and concrete step organizations can take to strengthen their data defense.” Good afternoon, Internet…

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