NEW RESOURCES

EurekAlert: One-stop policy shop opens, with solutions to end plastic pollution. “An invaluable new resource to help tackle plastic pollution on land and in the ocean is going live today. The Global Plastics Policy Centre (GPPC) online platform is the latest development from the University of Portsmouth’s Revolution Plastics research initiative. Free to all, it is a ‘one stop shop’ of independent, evidence-based advice on plastic policy.”

Brunel University: National Gallery creates immersive experience for families on Roblox. “A magical augmented reality family trail at the National Gallery has been adapted into a free at-home experience for Roblox, the global online platform connecting millions of people through shared experiences. The Keeper Council is a family-friendly experience launching this summer where aspiring museum ‘keepers’ from all over the world learn about the Gallery’s paintings and curate their own art collections.”

EVENTS

Vanderbilt University: Attend ‘Scientist-Artists: Embracing Duality’ virtual event on July 27. “Now more than ever, people are recognizing and exploring how art and science interact and influence each other, within research fields and scientist-artists themselves. Join Kendra Oliver, assistant professor of pharmacology and director and founder of ArtLab, for our next Lab-to-Table Conversation, in which we will explore how a group of self-identified scientist-artists are embracing this particular duality.”

TWEAKS AND UPDATES

TechCrunch: Twitch builds toward a ‘layered’ safety approach with new moderator tools. “On Twitch, interconnected channels already informally share information on users they prefer to keep out. The company is now formalizing that ad hoc practice with a new tool that lets channels swap ban lists, inviting communities to collaborate on locking serial harassers and otherwise disruptive users out before they can cause problems.”

9to5 Google: Google Photos website starts showing the backup quality of every image. “The tweaks and small additions to Google Photos continues with the Info pane on the web getting a rather useful ‘Backed up’ section.”

AROUND THE INTERNET WORLD

Engadget: Twitter welcomes more users but finds it harder to make money. “In the last three months, Monetizable Daily Active Users (mDAU) climbed from 39.6 million to 41.5 million, while global reach leapt from 189.4 million in April to 196.3 million today. Unfortunately, those increasing user figures did not see a boost in the company’s bottom line, and revenue was $1.18 billion, which is slightly down both year-on-year and quarter-on-quarter.”

BBC: Snapchat owner hit as advertising slump hits sales. “Shares in the owner of social media platform Snapchat have plummeted after it missed revenue expectations and warned it faces ‘incredibly challenging’ conditions. The firm says advertisers cut spending as they face supply chain disruptions.”

CNN: Here today, gone tomorrow: China’s vanishing livestreamers. “The 30-year-old livestreamer, also known as Austin Li, was — until recently — one of China’s biggest internet celebrities, with 64 million followers on Taobao, an online shopping platform. He once sold 15,000 lipsticks within five minutes in a sales competition against Alibaba founder Jack Ma, winning himself the nickname ‘China’s lipstick king.’ But the superstar salesman has gone silent after his popular livestream show was abruptly cut off on the eve of the anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre this year.”

SECURITY & LEGAL

University of California Riverside: UCR practices for cyber threats against special archives. “It began with angry social media messages before ballooning into full threats and a takeover of UC Riverside computer systems controlling fire sprinklers at Tomas Rivera Library. That was the scenario of a cultural heritage preservation and cybersecurity drill held Wednesday, July 13 that included 25 participants from campus departments and off-campus partners who reacted in real-time to a fictional threat to the campus. It was first drill of its type on campus aimed at preserving irreplaceable heritage and special collections against cybersecurity threats, said Jason Espinoza, director of UCR’s Office of Emergency Management.”

The Register: Albanian government websites go dark after cyberattack . “According to a statement from the Albanian National Agency for Information Society (AKSHI), the websites of the Prime Minister’s Office and Parliament have both been pulled as has, critically, the e-Albania portal used by residents and foreigners alike to access public services. The latter is particularly alarming since the Albanian government closed many in-person services in favor of the e-Albania portal in May 2022.”

RESEARCH & OPINION

University of Melbourne: Bringing A Living Archive To Life . “Working with Indigenous partners and students in Australia and the US, we are engaging in creative practices, including storytelling through possum-skin cloak-making, intercultural collaborations and supporting the research through teaching and learning. These steps aim to enliven archived collections by making and doing, finding new ways to support Indigenous knowledges and stories.”

Tech Xplore: Aboriginal language could help solve complex AI problems. “An Aboriginal language could hold the key to solving some of the most challenging communication problems between humans and artificial intelligence (AI) systems. A new paper, published by Frontiers in Physics and led by UNSW Canberra’s Professor Hussein Abbass, explains how Jingulu—a language spoken by the Jingili people in the Northern Territory—has characteristics that allow it to be easily translated into AI commands.” Good morning, Internet…

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