NEW RESOURCES

NOAA: Biden Administration launches Heat.gov with tools for communities facing extreme heat. “Today, the Biden Administration through the interagency National Integrated Heat Health Information System (NIHHIS) launched Heat.gov, a new website to provide the public and decision-makers with clear, timely and science-based information to understand and reduce the health risks of extreme heat. Heat.gov will provide a one-stop hub on heat and health for the nation and is a priority of President Biden’s National Climate Task Force and its Interagency Working Group on Extreme Heat.”

Broadway World: The Latine Musical Theatre Lab Launches A Database Of Latine Writers . “The database currently features 100 Latiné musical theatre writers – librettists, lyricists, and composers. Each artist has an individual profile that shares their base city, pronouns, identities, social media handles, and a link to their personal website that directs the user to learn more about each writer, their music, and the stories they tell.” I wasn’t sure what “Latiné” indicated, but apparently it’s an alternative to Latinx.

TWEAKS AND UPDATES

Engadget: Zoom brings end-to-end encryption to its cloud phone service. “Zoom is bolstering its privacy and security protections by expanding end-to-end encryption (E2EE) to more of its services. First up is Zoom Phone, its cloud phone system.”

Yahoo Finance: Alphabet earnings miss estimates, ad revenue beats, stock pops. “Google parent company Alphabet (GOOG, GOOGL) reported earnings that missed Wall Street estimates after the closing bell on Tuesday. The technology giant said adjusted earnings per share hit $1.21 during the second quarter, compared to $1.32 expected by analysts, according to Bloomberg data.”

AROUND THE INTERNET WORLD

Duke University Libraries: Duke Libraries Partners with the Civil Rights Movement Archive to Sustain Activist Centered History. “Duke University Libraries is pleased to announce the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Civil Rights Movement Archive (CRMA) that designates the Duke Libraries as the stewards who will preserve and sustain the CRMA when the current managers are no longer able to carry the work forward.”

How-To Geek: What Is the AVIF Image Format?. “Move over JPEG, there’s a new image file format in town that wants to be king. Powered by the latest media compression techniques, AVIF is finding its way into browsers, software, and operating systems. So what is it, and do you need to do anything?”

The Verge: The Great Fiction of AI. “In order to survive in a marketplace where infinite other options are a click away, authors need to find their fans and keep them loyal. So they follow readers to the microgenres into which Amazon’s algorithms classify their tastes, niches like ‘mermaid young adult fantasy’ or ‘time-travel romance,’ and keep them engaged by writing in series, each installment teasing the next, which already has a title and set release date, all while producing a steady stream of newsletters, tweets, and videos.”

SECURITY & LEGAL

GPO: GPO Releases Five-Year Strategic Plan Focused on Modernizing and Innovating. “U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO) has released its strategic plan for fiscal years 2023–2027. Outlined in the plan are the Agency’s new mission, vision, and values, as well as the four key goals for the next five years: achieve operational excellence; modernize and innovate; ensure financial stability; and develop the workforce.”

Ars Technica: Discovery of new UEFI rootkit exposes an ugly truth: The attacks are invisible to us. “Researchers have unpacked a major cybersecurity find—a malicious UEFI-based rootkit used in the wild since 2016 to ensure computers remained infected even if an operating system is reinstalled or a hard drive is completely replaced.”

The National News: UK and US sign data access pact to share social media and phone data to tackle terrorism. “The UK and US have signed a data access agreement to share social media and phone information to tackle major crimes, including terrorism. The new agreement will come into force in October and will allow either nation to immediately access phone and social media data to help in major investigations, Britain’s Home Office said.”

RESEARCH & OPINION

Harvard Business School: Burgers with Bugs? What Happens When Restaurants Ignore Online Reviews. “Negative Yelp reviews hold more sway with consumers than restaurateurs might think. A machine learning study by Chiara Farronato reveals how online platforms amplify the customer voice, and why business owners should listen.”

Brookings Institution: Misinformation is eroding the public’s confidence in democracy. “The National Intelligence Council has found no indications that any foreign actor has interfered in the technical aspect of voting, such as voter registration, voting and casting ballots, vote tabulation or in the reporting of election results, which is great. However, the spread of false information about the voting systems on social media destabilizes the public’s trust in election processes and results.” Good morning, Internet…

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