TWEAKS AND UPDATES

WP Tavern: Creative Commons Search Is Now Openverse. “Users will find the revamped interface maintains the ability to search the same collections, narrowing results by use case, license type, image type, file type, aspect ratio, and more. The Openverse search engine is also now available in more than 10 languages, with more translations approaching completion. This update includes access to images from StockSnap and new Meta Search providers EDUimages and Images of Empowerment.”

NPR: ‘Return of the Jedi,’ ‘Selena’ and ‘Sounder’ added to National Film Registry. “Every year, the Library of Congress adds 25 new movies to the National Film Registry. It’s a way to draw attention to the Library’s efforts to protect and archive American film history. As usual, a few big blockbusters have made the cut. Thanks in part to online lobbying by fans, Star Wars Episode VI—Return of the Jedi, from 1983, and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, from 2001, will be preserved for posterity.” As will Pink Flamingos.

USEFUL STUFF

Mashable: You no longer need an iPhone to know if someone’s secretly tracking you with AirTags. “Though Tracker Detect appears to be a handy safety tool, it isn’t without flaws. Users have already started leaving negative reviews on the Google Play store, criticizing Apple’s app for requiring manual activation of its scan. This means you’d have to already know someone might have planted an AirTag on you recently, otherwise you probably wouldn’t bother opening the app and scanning. On the other hand, Tracker Detect could potentially drain your phone’s battery if it was automatically scanning all the time.”

MakeUseOf: 5+ Free Virtual Tour Apps to Experience When Stuck Indoors. “One of the good things to come out of the COVID pandemic and social distancing was the rise of virtual tourism. From the comfort of your home, you can travel the world for free through your TV, your phone, or your computer, as these amazing virtual tour apps show. With the growing demand for virtual travel, tour makers have gotten more creative too. You’ll find walking tours, driving tours, and even drone tours now, with add-ons like a local radio station playing in the background or a chance to interact with tour guides and your ‘co-travelers’.”

AROUND THE SEARCH AND SOCIAL MEDIA WORLD

NiemanLab: Legacy news orgs dump their podcast strategies. “News outlet leaders believe that, since others are perceived to have success with podcasting, their payoff must be right around the corner. They see news of multimillion-dollar acquisitions and distribution deals, or derivative rights deals with major stars attached, and believe theirs will happen…soon. But I believe that 2022 is going to be the year that changes. Remember all those pivots to video? The same thing will happen to podcasting: a lot of thrashing around meant to replace one magic-bullet podcasting strategy with another.”

Open Secrets: Chinese government deploying online influencers amid Beijing Olympics boycotts . “The Chinese government hired a firm to recruit social media influencers as part of a new digital operation amid controversies surrounding diplomatic boycotts of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, OpenSecrets’ review of Foreign Agents Registration Act Records found.”

SECURITY & LEGAL

Bleeping Computer: Google pushes emergency Chrome update to fix zero-day used in attacks. “Google has released Chrome 96.0.4664.110 for Windows, Mac, and Linux, to address a high-severity zero-day vulnerability exploited in the wild.”

Washington Post: A division of Virginia’s General Assembly is dealing with ransomware attack. “The information technology arm of the state’s legislative branch has been hit by a ransomware cyberattack, and Gov. Ralph Northam (D) has ordered state agencies to assist in the response, according to a spokeswoman for the governor.”

Route Fifty: States and Localities Seek Unified Front Against Ransomware Threats. “A partnership-oriented approach to cyber-defense is described in a recent National Association of State Chief Information Officers report that recommended it as an effective way to ward off cyberattacks. Sharing resources, intelligence and strategies among state government agencies can help build a united front against attackers, according to the NASCIO report. Vulnerabilities discovered in one agency can be patched in others long before attackers can exploit them.”

RESEARCH & OPINION

Government Technology: Florida Scientists: Social Media Can Track Toxic Algae. “Southwest Florida and the Tampa Bay area experienced major red tide blooms in 2021. Prior to that, a long-lasting and extreme red tide persisted in the area from 2017-19…. In a study published this month for ‘Harmful Algae’ journal, Southwest Florida scientists turned to Twitter data from the 2017-19 event to see how social media users’ posts corresponded with the intensity and locations of the blooms. The paper is a collaboration between the Tampa Bay Estuary Program, Florida New College and the Science and Environment Council of Southwest Florida.” Good afternoon, Internet…

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