NEW RESOURCES

BCM: ‘MARRVEL’ new way to compile big data in human-centric way. “MARRVEL displays information from OMIM, ExAC, ClinVar, Geno2MP, DGV, and DECIPHER, all separate databases to which researchers across the globe have contributed, sharing tens of thousands of human genome variants and phenotypes. Since there is not a set standard for recording this type of information, each one has a different approach and searching each database can yield results organized in different ways. Similarly, decades of research in various model organisms, from mouse to yeast, are also stored in their own individual databases with different sets of standards.”

The Georgia Archives has added a collection of Bible records on microfilm. “The Georgia Archives actively microfilmed Bible records from the 1950s through the 1980s as substitutes for birth and death records, as the State of Georgia did not collect birth and death records until 1919. These records were brought to the Archives for microfilming by private citizens. The Bible records were retained by the original owners. The Georgia Archives microfilming program was discontinued in 1996.”

The Scotsman: Body snatchers among St Andrews University’s former students. “It has proud links to leaders in medicine, politics and the arts, but now St Andrews University has revealed a darker breed of student, with body snatchers and thieves among those found on its rolls. A new database launched by the university tracks the students who attended the institution between 1747 and 1897 and gives a fascinating insight into the triumphs – and disgraces – of its alumni.”

Flickr: Welcome the Médiathèques Valence Romans Agglo to the Flickr Commons!. “Médiathèques Valence Romans Agglo, or Network of Media Libraries of Valence Romans Agglo, Valence, Rhone-Alpes, consists of 14 public libraries located in the Southeastern region of France. … The Library’s Flickr collection consists of old postcards and photographs of the French cities of Valence, Romans, and their surrounding areas in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century.”

TWEAKS AND UPDATES

Krebs on Security: SSA.GOV To Require Stronger Authentication. “The U.S. Social Security Administration will soon require Americans to use stronger authentication when accessing their accounts at ssa.gov. As part of the change, SSA will require all users to enter a username and password in addition to a one-time security code sent their email or phone. In this post, we’ll parse this a bit more and look at some additional security options for SSA users.”

AROUND THE SEARCH AND SOCIAL MEDIA WORLD

Digital Trends: Here’s Everything We Expect To See At Google I/O 2017 — And How You Can Watch It. “The festivities at the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, California don’t begin until May 17 at 10 a.m. PT — the day and time of the conference’s first keynote address — but rumors have already begun to circulate about what Google has up its sleeve. Here’s how to watch the conference, and what to expect.”

SECURITY/LEGAL ISSUES

PC World: HP rolls out patch to stop keylogging bug in some laptops. “Consumers with HP laptops that have been accidentally recording their keystrokes can easily address the problem with a patch from the PC maker. More than two dozen HP laptop models, including the EliteBook, ProBook and ZBook, have an bug in the audio driver that will act as a keylogger, a Swiss security firm said Thursday.”

New York Times: With New Digital Tools, Even Nonexperts Can Wage Cyberattacks. “Four years ago, investigators were pursuing roughly 16 variants of ransomware that were predominantly being used on victims in Eastern Europe. Now there are dozens of types of ransomware, and they are supported by an entire underground industry. And catching and convicting the people responsible is difficult.”

Press of Atlantic City: New state law requires safeguards against hacking for baby monitors. “Internet-connected baby monitors sold in New Jersey will be required to include security features to guard against hacking, according to a law that Gov. Chris Christie signed Thursday. The law will take effect in December 2018.”

RESEARCH & OPINION

Stanford: Scientists crowdsource autism data to learn where resource gaps exist. “A new crowdsourcing tool aims to map all the locations in the world, beginning with the United States, where individuals with autism live to determine which communities need more resources for diagnosis and treatment of the condition.” Good afternoon, Internet…

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