NEW RESOURCES

North Carolina State University: Creativity as Survival: Crowdsourcing Unexpected Ways We Use Technology. “I’m part of a team of researchers that is collecting examples of how people are using mobile, networked technologies to accomplish unexpected things – from improving local transportation in low-income communities to sharing information about public health. To identify examples of these innovative efforts, we are enlisting the public’s help. We’ve created a website called the Mobile Networked Creativity Repository to crowdsource examples from around the world.”

State of Minnesota: State rolls out dashboard showing PFAS monitoring results for drinking water . “Minnesota residents who get their drinking water from a community public water system will now be able to find out if their system’s water has any level of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), through an interactive online dashboard unveiled today by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH).”

TWEAKS AND UPDATES

Engadget: EU reaches deal to make USB-C a common charger for most electronic devices. “Europe has reached a deal to make USB-C a common charger for all phones and electronic devices, with the aim to reduce e-waste and inconvenience with incompatible chargers.”

CNET: TikTok Adds Avatars Similar to Apple’s Memoji. “TikTok users can now animate themselves with the latest app feature, TikTok Avatars, the short-form video platform said Tuesday.”

USEFUL STUFF

Gizmodo: It’s Time To Clean Up Your Social Media Profiles. “Here we’ll take you through the steps needed to update your profiles on most of the major social networks, and guide you through the options that are available—some of which you may not be aware of. We’re going to concentrate on the web interfaces, where there’s more room to operate on a bigger screen, but these options are available on mobile too.”

Search Engine Journal: Tips For Avoiding Misinformation In SEO Resources & Conversations. “For every idea proposed, there are others in the SEO industry who disagree. Turning to Google for help isn’t always helpful because Google ranks information about SEO that Googlers themselves are on record saying is wrong. There is a way to cut through the noise and figure out which information is likely valid and which information is smoke and mirrors.” I can’t stand SEO because so much of what’s out there is garbage. This is a helpful article for cutting through the junk.

AROUND THE INTERNET WORLD

South China Morning Post: China and US locked in new infowar after Chinese social media claims American manipulation over Xinjiang. “Beijing and Washington are locked in another round of narrative wars over an unsubstantiated claim that US diplomats had admitted human rights issues in Xinjiang were made up to undermine China. In a statement emailed on Tuesday, a spokesperson for the US embassy urged China to stop attributing false statements to American officials that could make them targets for harassment.”

SECURITY & LEGAL

WIRED: The Hacker Gold Rush That’s Poised to Eclipse Ransomware. “At the RSA security conference in San Francisco on Monday, longtime digital scams researcher Crane Hassold will present findings that warn it would be logical for ransomware actors to eventually convert their operations to business email compromise (BEC) attacks as ransomware becomes less profitable or carries a higher risk for attackers. In the US, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has repeatedly found that total money stolen in BEC scams far exceeds that pilfered in ransomware attacks—though ransomware attacks can be more visible and cause more disruption and associated losses.”

RESEARCH & OPINION

Concordia University: Government websites and apps use the same tracking software as commercial ones, according to new Concordia research. “It’s no secret that the commercial websites and mobile apps we use every day are tracking us. Big companies like Facebook and Google depend on it. However, as a new paper by a team of Concordia researchers shows, businesses are not the only ones gathering up our private data. Governments across the world are incorporating the same tracking tools and empowering large businesses to track users of government services, even in jurisdictions where lawmakers are enacting legislation to restrict commercial trackers.”

Vox EU: Mobile internet access and the desire to emigrate. “The mobile internet has changed how people live, work, and exchange information. Fast broadband can boost household income and affect political awareness. This column examines how 3G mobile internet rollout affects people’s desire and plans to emigrate. Increases in 3G coverage raise individuals’ desire and plans to emigrate, especially for those who do not have networks abroad, while it negatively affects perceptions of relative financial wellbeing and trust in the government. Internet access may be boosting the desire to emigrate while reducing the costs of finding information on opportunities abroad.” Good afternoon, Internet…

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