NEW RESOURCES

K5 News: Free online tool identifies dangerous drug/supplement combinations . “Sometimes a supplement can interact with another medication. Now scientists and engineers at the Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence have developed an online tool to help consumers determine if a supplement will interact with another drug they are taking.”

TWEAKS AND UPDATES

Wow. The Verge: Descript’s new podcast editor includes an AI voice double for dubbing over mistakes. “Essentially, Descript turns your audio into text, broken up by who’s speaking, and it then lets you manipulate those audio files as if you were editing on a text version of the script in a word processor. Delete a sentence or two, and Descript will automatically shorten the file to make the recording sound smooth and natural.”

USEFUL STUFF

Make Tech Easier: Useful YouTube Channels that Teach You How to Code. “Learning to code can be complicated. If you’ve found that to be true, but you still would like to learn the skill, you may benefit from project-based video tutorials. These project-based tutorials offer the chance to create actual programs and apps by “coding along” with the maker of the video.”

MakeUseOf: 10 Simple Tips to Make Home Videos Look Professional. “If you shoot a lot of videos but are rarely happy with the results, you aren’t alone. Most people would love to know how to make better videos. Fortunately, it’s not that difficult. Whether you’re recording something to publish online or simply to capture memories to keep and share, these simple tips will help you make better videos.”

Komando: Here’s how to claim your $100 settlement if Yahoo leaked your data. “Yahoo! You may be eligible for $100 in compensation as part of a class-action lawsuit against the company. The lawsuit is over a number of serious data breaches at Yahoo that took place over several years affecting users. Yahoo is close to settling the multimillion-dollar lawsuit. In an email announcing the expected settlement, Yahoo said those affected by the breaches also have the option to get free credit monitoring.” The article notes that the settlement money might go the way of Equifax.

AROUND THE SEARCH AND SOCIAL MEDIA WORLD

Sydney Morning Herald: Government must ‘rein in global monopolies’ Facebook and Google: TV lobby . “The broadcasters, via their lobbying group FreeTV, have thrown their support behind measures designed to curb Facebook and Google dominance, including requirements to alert media companies ahead of algorithm changes and a review of advertising and quota rules that dictate the minimum requirements for Australian content.”

International Business Times: Poetry In Motion: Social Media Revives Ancient Art. “…sales of poetry books jumped 66 percent between 2012 and 2017, according to Nielsen BookScan, which gathers data for the book publishing sector. Around 1.3 million poetry books were sold last year, a 12-percent increase over the previous year, its figures show. Two thirds of the buyers were aged under 34.”

Oh boy, this one will do your head in. Mashable: Disney almost bought Twitter in 2017, but Bob Iger saw too much risk. “What would Disney’s Twitter look like in 2019? Would it be a happier, more welcoming place? Would the Nazis still have a platform? Would Donald Trump? There’s no answer for these questions, but it’s noteworthy to learn that such a twist of fate almost came to pass. In Robert Iger’s upcoming book, ‘The Ride of a Lifetime,’ the Disney CEO talks about how his company almost acquired Twitter in 2017 but ultimately stayed away.”

SECURITY & LEGAL

BetaNews: Microsoft promises to provide security updates for federally certified voting Windows 7 systems. “Windows 7 is certainly rather long in the tooth now, but it is still very widely used. As such, despite the general end of support coming in January, Microsoft has committed to keep Windows 7-based voted machine secure.”

ZDNet: WannaCry ransomware is still infecting PCs – and some victims are still trying to pay the ransom. “Over two years on from the initial outbreak, WannaCry ransomware is still infecting victims – and some people are still paying the ransom in a futile effort to retrieve their encrypted data.”

RESEARCH & OPINION

Techradar: Google Chrome is in danger of becoming Windows – everyone uses it, but no one loves it. “You may remember a few weeks ago I let out a howl of rage about how sick I was of Google Chrome using up so much RAM in my PC. While it was certainly cathartic to write out all my frustrations, the response to the article was illuminating. What struck me was how many readers contacted me who agreed, while sharing their own frustrations with Chrome.”

Ars Technica: 50% of US homes still won’t have fiber broadband by 2025, study says. “Fiber broadband is now available to more than 30% of households across the US, and fiber networks should reach 50% of homes by 2025, a new study says. But 50% coverage would obviously leave another 50% of homes without access to the fastest wireline broadband technology.” Good morning, Internet…

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