NEW RESOURCES

Engadget: Undercurrent’s virtual art exhibition includes a video game about regenerative agriculture. “Undercurrent is an upcoming immersive art event featuring audiovisual installations from around 40 musicians, headlined by Bon Iver, Grimes and The 1975, designed to inspire climate activism. Before the physical exhibition arrives in Brooklyn on September 9th, a digital sister event is today launching online that showcases 3D interactive music videos from some of the support acts. The Undercurrent digital platform includes original, unreleased music from Nosaj Thing, Mount Kimbie, Actress, Aluna, and Jayda G.”

TWEAKS AND UPDATES

9to5Google: YouTube Premium subscribers can now get 3 months of Stadia Pro for free. “Starting this week, subscribers to YouTube Premium can redeem a perk that gives them three months of Stadia Pro, a much longer trial period compared to the usual one-month offer. The offer applies to YouTube Premium subscribers with individual, family, and student accounts in the following countries: US, Canada, France, Germany, Hungary, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom.”

AROUND THE SEARCH AND SOCIAL MEDIA WORLD

Vogue: Any New Yorker Can Get the Paparazzi Treatment, Thanks to This Instagram Page. “We’ve all seen those ‘candid’ paparazzi shots of celebrities. They know they’re going to be photographed, so they come armed with a strategic (and eye-catching) ensemble, which is often executed by a professional stylist. But the next time you’re wandering around Manhattan and hear the sound of a camera shutter going off, watch out for photographer Johnny Cirillo—because he could be taking your picture, not a celebrity’s.”

BusinessWire: Curiosity Stream’s First-Ever Original Feature Film HEVAL Set For World Premiere September 23rd (PRESS RELEASE). “The feature-length documentary, produced by Jupiter Entertainment, explores the gripping real-life story of British-born actor Michael Enright, who abandoned his Hollywood career to volunteer for the fight against ISIS in Syria. Some thought he was a selfless hero battling America’s most insidious enemy; others saw him as a hot-tempered narcissist, staging a publicity stunt to further his career. But when his service ended, neither the UK nor the US welcomed him back.”

CNET: How the Taliban is using Twitter to ‘fish for legitimacy’ as it reclaims Afghanistan. “On Monday morning during a live BBC news broadcast, journalist Yalda Hakim was interrupted by a phone call from a Taliban spokesman, Suhail Shaheen. Shaheen sought to reassure Hakim and British viewers watching at home that the the people of Kabul were safe and that the Taliban wouldn’t seek revenge after recapturing the Afghan capital for the first time in 20 years. Shaheen isn’t just calling Western journalists live on air. He is also one of a handful of Taliban representatives on Twitter…”

SECURITY & LEGAL

BBC: Parcel delivery texts now the most common con-trick. “Millions of mobile users have received the texts that claim a small payment is needed for a package delivery to be completed. But the texts are a front for fraudsters attempting to steal personal banking details. Cybersecurity firm Proofpoint told banks their prevalence was on the rise.”

Ars Technica: WhatsApp shuts down Taliban helpline in Kabul. “WhatsApp has shut down a complaints helpline set up by the Taliban when it took control of Kabul, after the messaging app came under pressure to block the group from using its services. The complaints number was supposed to act as an emergency hotline for civilians to report violence, looting or other problems. The Taliban advertised the helpline on Sunday when it captured the city, and has used similar WhatsApp hotlines in the past, for example when it took over the city of Kunduz in 2016.”

RESEARCH & OPINION

Ohio State News: New project brings AI to environmental research in the field. “A new 30-foot tower has sprouted on the edge of The Ohio State University Airport, but it has nothing to do with directing the thousands of planes that take off and land there each year. Instead, this tower is the focal point of an Ohio State research project that will explore using artificial intelligence and a variety of sensors to monitor environmental conditions on a minute-to-minute basis.”

Stanford Internet Observatory: Topologies and Tribulations of Gettr. “On July 1, 2021, a new social network modeled after Twitter was launched by former Trump spokesman Jason Miller, with assistance and promotion by exiled Chinese businessman Miles Guo, form Trump strategist Steve Bannon, and others. Today, the Stanford Internet Observatory is releasing the first comprehensive analysis of the new platform. We chart the growth of Gettr over its first month, examining the user community, content, structure and dynamics. We also highlight some of the perils of launching such a network without trust and safety measures in place: the proliferation of gratuitous adult content, spam and, unfortunately, child exploitation imagery, all of which could be caught by cursory automated scanning systems.”

OTHER STUFF I THINK IS COOL

Core 77: A Unique Tarot Deck Makes the Process of Learning About New Emerging Technologies More Inclusive . “Our Lady of Technology Tarot Cards [is] a Tarot-inspired deck of cards that makes for an engaging and empowering approach to brainstorming. Its 22 cards cover a wide range of today’s most influential technologies, from tactile mediums like 3D printing and robotics to digital innovations like blockchain and augmented reality. These cards are inspired by the Major Arcana, a 22-card outline of classic storytelling archetypes, including naïve heroes, wise princesses, and mercurial magicians. With the help of these archetypes, a curious Tarot practitioner can make sense of a given situation and how to best approach it.” Good evening, Internet…

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