NEW RESOURCES

New-to-me, from Poynter: Repustar debuts a tip line tool for US fact-checking organizations. “Repustar, a fact-checking organization that crowdsources fact checks, is partnering with journalism and fact-checking outlets in the US to provide both fact checks to the public and verifiable claims to fact-checkers. It aims to rollout the service globally in 2023. The remotely operated startup is also responsible for FactSparrow, a Twitter bot that users can tag under tweets with claims they would like to be checked, and The Gigafact Project, a fact-checking editorial platform.”

NASA: New Aeronautics Activities for the Back-to-School Season. “Kids are going back to school across the country – and NASA Aeronautics is here to help educators engage them with educational Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) activities related to our flight research. Part of NASA’s agency-wide Back to School campaign for the 2022-2023 school year, this updated aeronautics-focused STEM engagement portfolio includes topics that span the breadth of the agency’s work in aeronautics for students of all ages.”

TWEAKS AND UPDATES

KnowTechie: Duolingo will now teach you elementary-level math. “Duolingo is expected to launch its flagship math (or maths, depending on what side of the Atlantic you live on) course today. Duolingo Math is a dedicated app for iOS and iPadOS. It re-uses the company’s gamification mechanics to teach third-grade maths.”

USEFUL STUFF

Lifehacker: How to Tell If You’re Eligible for Student Loan Forgiveness. “This week, the White House announced a sweeping plan to forgive the student loan debt of millions of Americans. The initiative will cancel up to $10,000 in debt for some borrowers and $20,000 for others. Here’s how to see if you’re eligible for loan forgiveness, how you can get your hands on the money, and a look at how the program will effect student loans in the future.”

WIRED: How to Use the Emergency SOS Feature on Your Smartphone. “Emergency SOS works in a similar way across mobile platforms, as we’ll outline below. Whether you’re dealing with a medical emergency or other safety concerns, its main purpose is to let emergency services and your trusted contacts know that you’re in trouble and where you are.”

AROUND THE INTERNET WORLD

Reuters: Jack Dorsey says his biggest regret is Twitter became a company . “‘The biggest issue and my biggest regret is that it became a company,’ Dorsey tweeted in response to a question about whether Twitter turned out the way he had envisioned. Dorsey stands to receive $978 million if the agreement for billionaire Elon Musk to buy Twitter is completed.”

ArtsHub: Is social media the new curators’ portfolio?. “Social media platforms such as Instagram have greatly impacted the visibility of curators but can it give them some leverage in their professional practice?” I know what the word curate means but I didn’t entirely grasp what an art curator does. The Art Gallery of South Australia helped me understand.

SECURITY & LEGAL

CNN: How much trouble is Twitter in with regulators?. “An explosive whistleblower disclosure by Twitter’s former head of security this week exposes the company to new federal investigations and potentially billions of dollars in fines, tougher regulatory obligations or other penalties from the US government, according to legal experts and former federal officials.”

SF Chronicle: I tracked thieves stealing my car in S.F. Then I saw firsthand what police can — and can’t — do next. “In San Francisco, a city rife with gadget-lovers and plagued by high property crime, the technology would seem to be a game changer. But in reality, situations like my stolen Subaru can often be mired in unforeseen complications. The response by police has at times been thwarted by legal constraints — for example, an officer generally can’t enter a home just because the Find My iPhone app says your cell is inside — and at other times by what victims say feels like apathy.”

RESEARCH & OPINION

Engadget: Federally funded studies must be freely accessible to the public, White House says . “The White House has updated its policy on federally funded research. Going forward, the results of studies funded by the government must be made public right away. Until now, researchers who receive federal funding have been allowed to publish their findings in academic journals exclusively for one year, effectively adding a paywall to their work. Agencies will need to update their policies accordingly by December 31st, 2025.”

Mashable: Virtual rapper FN Meka underscores how AI perpetuates racial stereotyping. “On Aug. 12, AI-powered rapper FN Meka signed a record deal with Capitol Records, becoming the first digital artist to sign with a major label. Eleven days later, the deal was terminated amidst calls that the character promoted ‘gross stereotypes’ of Black culture, as reported by the New York Times.” There are so many great rappers out there who don’t get enough recommendation. Why make a fake one? Good morning, Internet…

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