NEW RESOURCES

Carnegie Mellon University: Modern Languages Launches Online Language Courses. “The Department of Modern Languages at Carnegie Mellon University is proud to announce the launch of its new online language programs for Chinese, French and Spanish. … Learners seeking to improve their language skills on their own schedule can choose from two options depending on their preferred method of study — self-paced independent study ($10), or an instructor-led program with weekly meetings and a small group of peers ($50). Certificates will be awarded for successful course completion.” You do not have to have a CMU affiliation to take the classes..

University of Nebraska Omaha: Charting Our Path: Celebrating 50 Years of Black Studies Online Exhibit Opens. “‘Charting Our Path: Celebrating 50 Years of Black Studies (1971-2021)’ digital exhibit is now available online through the UNO Libraries’ website. The exhibit shares the history of one of the oldest Black Studies departments in the nation, highlighting the complex relationship between university administrators, students, and the Omaha Black community.”

TWEAKS AND UPDATES

CNBC: Google adds a new way to block calendar spam. Here’s how to use it. “The new Google Calendar feature, rolling out now, will only display events on your calendar if the invite comes from a sender you know, like people in your contact list, people you’ve interacted with before or colleagues. You can also choose to have all invitations appear on your alendar or just the invitations you’ve accepted. The default option is to show invitations from everyone.”

Search Engine Journal: Google Lets Businesses Set Auto Responses To Common Questions. “Google is rolling out a new feature for Business Profiles that allows you to set up automated responses to frequently asked questions from customers. Using this feature, you can suggest questions for people to ask when messaging your business via your Google Business Profile. Similar to how a customer service chatbot works on business websites.”

ZDNet: Microsoft makes sharing Excel workbooks in Teams happen in real-time with ‘Excel Live’. “Microsoft is continuing to make real-time collaboration actually work inside Teams. Its latest effort in this space is called Excel Live. This feature will be available in public preview at the end of August. Microsoft officials announced Excel Live on Day 1 of the company’s annual Inspire partner conference on July 19.”

USEFUL STUFF

The Verge: Today I learned Amazon will recycle small electronics for free. “If you have a flip phone that you haven’t used in over a decade, or maybe even a broken tablet, Amazon will pay for a shipping label that you can use to send it in to get recycled. Apparently, this recycling program has been a thing for a while now, but several of us at The Verge never even knew about it until we saw this tweet from journalist Dave Zatz, and thought it might be a good idea to spread the word.”

AROUND THE INTERNET WORLD

Denver Post: This Denver shoe shiner’s videos might put you to sleep — but that’s the point. “Today, [Jason] Dornstar makes many of his videos in the back room of Homer Reed Ltd., a family-owned menswear store across from the historic Brown Palace Hotel. Tucked away behind the dressing rooms, his space isn’t glamorous by any means — he’s set up at a workshop bench in a grimy corner decorated with trinkets and stickers, a shelf lined with rows of cans filled with polish, wax and creams. A shiny silver YouTube creator award stands out against the clutter, commemorating the day he passed 100,000 subscribers. He calls his corner the ‘Shine Dungeon.'”

Variety: Penske Media Corp. and Getty Images Set Photo Distribution Partnership. “Penske Media Corp. and Getty Images have set a partnership for photographs that will include Getty representing PMC’s growing collection of exclusive images from Variety, WWD, Rolling Stone, Billboard and other brands.”

SECURITY & LEGAL

Reuters: Limits on personal data gathering by Google, Facebook, others advance in U.S. House. “A U.S. House of Representatives committee approved on Wednesday a bill to create the first U.S. privacy law limiting personal information collected online by companies like Alphabet’s Google and Meta’s Facebook. The House Energy and Commerce Committee approved the bill by a margin of 53-2. It now goes to the House floor. A companion bill is before the Senate.”

CNET: FBI Warns Fake Cryptocurrency Apps Are Defrauding Investors. “Cybercriminals are creating fake cryptocurrency apps in an effort to defraud investors, according to a Monday warning from the FBI. The bureau’s cyber division identified 244 victims that have been swindled by fraudulent apps, accounting for an estimated loss of $42.7 million.”

RESEARCH & OPINION

CSUF: Artificial Intelligence Has Fundamentally Changed Branding, Says New Study. “Decades ago, the practice of branding and marketing relied heavily on creativity. Today, that is no longer the case according to research led by Cal State Fullerton Professor of Marketing Chiranjeev Kohli. With the advent of artificial intelligence — machines that think like humans — and a growing amount of data on consumer purchase behavior, Kohli has conducted research to shed light on what he describes as a fundamental change in marketing and branding.”

The Conversation: Go glammas! How older people are turning to TikTok to dispel myths about ageing. “Many older people are turning to TikTok – best known as a playground for Gen Z – to reframe the experience of ageing and kick back against age stereotyping.” Good morning, Internet…

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