NEW RESOURCES

Washington Post: Webcomic fans, rejoice: Library of Congress is launching a new archive for you. “‘Dinosaur Comics!’ ‘Hyperbole and a Half’ and ‘xkcd’ are all coming to the Library of Congress. The library will announce Tuesday that the Webcomics Web Archive is officially launching at loc.gov as part of its growth in ‘born-digital’ collections.”

TWEAKS AND UPDATES

The Next Web: Twitter powers-up Direct Messages with smart new action buttons. “Twitter just souped up Direct Messages, in the process making them more useful for brands when it comes to customer service and growing engagement. Now, businesses have the option to add buttons to direct messages. These let customers easily do something — like follow an account, visit an external web page, or tweet something.”

Fortune Magazine: New York Times Opens Up Comments With Google-backed AI . “Trolls have long enjoyed the upper hand on the Internet: Their hate and stupidity can turn social media into a toxic cesspool, and drive people away from online discussions altogether. So kudos to the New York Times for striking back.”

TechCrunch: Google Maps updates its Local Guides program with a new points system and more levels. “Local Guides in Google Maps, Google’s gamified program for getting its users to update data in Google Maps and upload photos of local venues, is getting a bit of an overhaul today. Most importantly, Google is changing how it rewards points and how its leveling system works.”

New York Times: Verizon Completes $4.48 Billion Purchase of Yahoo, Ending an Era. “Verizon Communications, a telecommunications giant that was a cluster of local phone companies when two Stanford University graduate students began compiling their famous web directory in 1994, completed its purchase on Tuesday of Yahoo’s internet business for $4.48 billion.”

Digital Trends: Waymo’s Cute Autonomous ‘Pod’ Cars Drive Into Retirement . “Waymo, the company spun out from Google’s self-driving unit that continue its work, said on Monday its fleet of Fireflies, as the car is affectionately known, will be retired. Instead, the team will focus on integrating its autonomous technology into larger vehicles such as its new self-driving Chrysler Pacifica minivan.”

AROUND THE SEARCH AND SOCIAL MEDIA WORLD

Mashable: How teens transform their online identities in order to get into college. “Online profiles are now just another part of a student’s background like a GPA or extra-curricular activities. College admissions officers routinely check social media, with 35 percent of those surveyed by Kaplan Test Prep saying they have checked applicants’ social media postings. Of those, 42 percent said that what they found had a negative impact on the student’s application.”

USA Today: The long, troubled history of Yahoo’s top execs. “On Tuesday, Verizon closed its acquisition of beleaguered tech company Yahoo, formally ending the tenure of CEO Marissa Mayer, who will depart with the deal complete. Mayer is one of several top executives to struggle turning around the former Silicon Valley heavyweight.”

SECURITY/LEGAL ISSUES

The Verge: Microsoft releases new Windows XP security patches, warns of state-sponsored cyberattacks. “Microsoft issued a ‘highly unusual’ patch for Windows XP last month to help prevent the spread of the massive WannaCry malware. At least 75,000 computers in 99 countries were affected by the malware which encrypts a computer and demands a $300 ransom before unlocking it. Microsoft stopped supporting Windows XP in April 2014, but the software giant is now taking the unprecedented move of including it in the company’s Patch Tuesday round of security updates today.”

CNET: Virus scanner — or malware? Beware app store fakes. “RiskIQ, a cybersecurity firm, found seven apps related to WannaCry in the Google Play store and two in Apple’s App Store that demanded excessive permissions such as knowing your phone’s wake password. One of the phony WannaCry apps is actually blacklisted by RiskIQ’s standards because of the red flags it raised. Researchers found hundreds of fraudulent antivirus apps on the market — fakes packed with adware, Trojans and sources of malware.” Good afternoon, Internet…

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