NEW RESOURCES

ScienceDaily: Researchers create map of potential undiscovered life. “According to conservative scientific estimates, only some 10 to 20 percent of species on earth have been formally described. In an effort to help find some of these missing species, [Professor Mario] Moura and [Professor Walter] Jetz compiled exhaustive data that included the location, geographical range, historical discovery dates, and other environmental and biological characteristics of about 32,000 known terrestrial vertebrates. Their analysis allowed them to extrapolate where and what kinds of unknown species of the four main vertebrate groups are most likely to yet be identified.”

TWEAKS AND UPDATES

CNET: Microsoft reportedly in talks to buy gaming chat app Discord for $10B. “Microsoft is in negotiations to acquire Discord — a messaging app for gamers — for $10 billion, Bloomberg reported Monday. That followed an earlier report by VentureBeat that the San Francisco-based company had received interest from several buyers.”

USEFUL STUFF

TechRadar Pro: Speech-to-text apps: Microsoft vs Google – which is the best for dictation?. “Microsoft Azure Speech Service and Google Cloud Speech-to-Text are leading platforms for voice typing, transcription, and productivity. But when push comes to shove and you have to choose one of these platforms over the other, which is better? In this guide, we’ll compare the Microsoft and Google speech-to-text apps to help you decide.”

Make Tech Easier: 7 Telegram Tips and Tricks You Need to Try. “After Telegram expanded its group size to 200,000 members, it is slowly transforming from a secure messenger app to a WhatsApp rival. The messaging app also features some lesser-known features that will help you get the most out of it. By taking advantage of these options, you can help keep your data private and add your own personal touch when customizing.”

AROUND THE SEARCH AND SOCIAL MEDIA WORLD

Harvard Law Today: How ‘digital witnesses’ are documenting history and challenging the status quo. “In May 2020, George Floyd’s murder by law enforcement was captured on video by a 17-year-old girl. The agonizing, near nine-minute recording spread like wildfire on the internet, inciting rage, protests, and marked a pivotal moment in the Black Lives Matter movement. This video illustrates how young Black people around the United States — but also in other countries — are documenting and sharing their lives and major events using commonly available tools like cellphones. A recent event hosted by the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society explored how such young ‘digital witnesses’ are documenting — and making — history in the United States and around the world.”

Techdirt: Game Jam Winner Spotlight: Fish Magic. “Today, we finish our journey through the winners of the third annual public domain game jam, Gaming Like It’s 1925. We’ve covered ~THE GREAT GATSBY~, The Great Gatsby Tabletop Roleplaying Game, Art Apart and There Are No Eyes Here, Remembering Grußau, and Rhythm Action Gatsby, and now it’s time for the final winner: Best Analog Game recipient Fish Magic by David Harris.”

PR Newswire: Facebook and The Recycling Partnership Launch Free Digital Tool, Online Community to Boost Easier, Improved Household Recycling (PRESS RELEASE). “Through a special program within the personalized Facebook Messenger experience, people in Atlanta and Fort Worth can find out if and how to recycle common items like plastic bottles, cardboard, and metal as well as learn more about the recyclability of less commonly recyclable items… The Recycling Partnership intends to expand the experience to additional U.S. communities later this year as it launches a national database that includes accurate recycling information, including accepted materials for thousands of communities nationwide.”

SECURITY & LEGAL

CNN: Facebook accused of failing to provide a ‘safe’ environment for users. “Reporters Without Borders has filed a lawsuit against Facebook in France, accusing the platform of failing to provide a ‘safe’ environment for users in violation of its own terms and conditions. The media advocacy group, which is considering filing similar lawsuits in other countries, said France’s consumer law is especially well suited to the issue. Misleading consumers is illegal under French law and companies face fines of up to 10% of their annual sales if found in violation.”

Reuters: BoE governor wants UK bill to make Google tackle online scams: Sunday Times. “Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey has been lobbying the British government to introduce a legal requirement for internet giants such as Google to take down financial fraud websites, according to a report in the Sunday Times.”

RESEARCH & OPINION

The BMJ Opinion: The ethics of consent within social media research and AI: Exploitation of vulnerable? . “The proliferation of social media use during the pandemic offers a way to observe information about the pandemic directly from the population and could give researchers real time health data on populations. The information on social media platforms has become a potential dataset. [6] Automated technologies such as AI (Artificial Intelligence) based web scraping or screen scraping bots can be used to data-mine or extract data from social media platforms without user or platform consent.”

Ubergizmo: AI Used To Predict Where Poachers Might Show Up Next. “The system uses data pulled from the SMART platform that was originally developed by the World Wildlife Foundation. This platform helps to suggest the most efficient routes based on the theory of security games. So far, the system has proved itself to be pretty accurate with its predictions. In a trial conducted in 2014, the rangers found that areas that the AI predicted as having a higher risk of poachers resulted in more snares being found, versus areas that the PAWS AI deemed as lower risk.”

North Carolina State University (WOLFPACK!): Virtual Lab Finds the Right AI Tool for Each Chemistry Problem. “Having the right tool for the job makes the job a lot easier, less expensive and faster. Chemical engineering researchers have now developed a virtual laboratory that can be used to determine the artificial intelligence (AI) tools best suited for addressing various chemical synthesis challenges in flow chemistry systems.” Good morning, Internet…

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