NEW RESOURCES

University of Aberdeen: New resource brings Alaskan school children face-to-face with their past. “For more than 10 years archaeologists from the University of Aberdeen have worked alongside the local community in Quinhagak to painstakingly recover and preserve everyday objects that indigenous Yup’ik people used to survive and to celebrate life. Now the story of the project – and the 100,000 items they have recovered – has been turned into a downloadable educational resource which will help school pupils in Alaska and around the world learn about the Yup’ik way of life.”

TWEAKS AND UPDATES

Federal Trade Commission: FTC Announces New Public Web Page with Interactive Do Not Call and Robocall Data. “As part of its continued efforts to help make the Do Not Call (DNC) data it collects more transparent and easier for consumers to use, the Federal Trade Commission today announced the debut of a new interactive public web page containing a wealth of information about the National DNC Registry and unwanted telemarketing robocalls.”

Engadget: Facebook plans to put its name on Instagram, WhatsApp. “As antitrust scrutiny on Big Tech intensifies, one adjustment on the way from Facebook appears to be…. rebranding. The Information reports that employees have been notified the company will add its name to Instagram and WhatsApp.”

USEFUL STUFF

Lifehacker: HP’s YouTube Channel Is Now a Treasure Trove for Tech Support and Tinkering. “Either some intern is having the most boring Silicon Valley summer or HP’s YouTube team has gone mad with power. Whatever the reason, the company has been on a YouTube flurry lately, uploading hundreds of detailed technical support videos covering countless ways to disassemble, fix, and otherwise mess with its many laptops, desktops, and other products.”

MakeUseOf: 5 Decision-Making Apps to Help You Pick the Right Choice. “We already have a few websites that make decisions for you when it comes to specific situations, like what to eat for dinner or what to watch on Netflix. But those sites don’t allow you to pose your own unique problem. So when you need to ask someone to help you pick between two outfits, or make a major life decision, these are the sites and apps that will guide you towards the right pick.”

AROUND THE SEARCH AND SOCIAL MEDIA WORLD

New York Post: Social media blocks satirical video in Singapore after government complaint. “Facebook and other social media sites have restricted access to a satirical rap video in Singapore after the government of the wealthy Asian city-state requested the removal of content it said could fan racial tension.”

New York Times: Fortnite Fortunes and Freakouts: Parents Grapple With an Obsession. “In the eyes of fans who have fully embraced the popular video game, the competition in Queens last weekend was a realization of Fortnite’s best qualities. It brought to life the game’s colorful and engaging digital world, paid out $30 million in total prize money and connected thousands of attendees from around the world. The World Cup’s 16-year-old winner took home $3 million in prize money.”

Jewish Community Voice: New archive will preserve South Jersey Jewish history. “For some time, [Ruth] Bogutz and the Tri-county Jewish Historical Society collected photos, documents and memorabilia that documented the strengths of the Jewish community in Burlington, Camden and Gloucester counties, and utilized them in educational programs. That collection, which is still housed today at the Camden County Historical Society, is open for students and scholars to research and learn from.”

SECURITY & LEGAL

Politico: Lawyers spar over secrecy for Facebook emails on Cambridge Analytica. “Attorneys for Facebook and the District of Columbia squared off in court Friday over the social media giant’s demands to keep secret an email exchange among its employees about the firm’s dealings with now-defunct political data-targeting company Cambridge Analytica.”

Techdirt: Philippines Lawmaker Introduces ‘Fake News’ Bill That Would Allow The National Police To Literally Police Speech. “The latest country to add a speech-squashing, government-expanding ‘fake news’ bill to its roster of bad ideas is the Philippines. The proposal doesn’t use the terminology du jour, but ‘fake news’ by any other name is still ‘fake news.’ Here’s the immediate effect the ‘Anti-False Content Act’ would have on the country’s population.”

RESEARCH & OPINION

University of Wisconsin-Madison: Research looks at how Snapchat filters affect self-image. “While observing heavy use of selfie apps such as Snapchat, graduate student Amy Niu found herself wondering about the effects that virtual makeovers have on college-age females. Apps such as Snapchat and others offer users photographic filters that change their look. In China, where Niu is originally from, apps similar to this are used even more heavily than they are in the United States.”

BBC: Facebook uses AI to map Thailand’s roads. “Facebook has used artificial intelligence (AI) to map 300,000 miles of previously unmapped roads in Thailand and made the results available to the public. The project had been completed in 18 months, less than half the time it would have taken 100 mapping experts to do it manually, Facebook said.” Good morning, Internet…

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