USEFUL STUFF

MakeUseOf: 7 Websites to Create Obituaries and Memorials Online. “Obituaries and memorials are a great way to highlight your loved ones’ experiences through the lives that they lived, But when you are mourning, it can be difficult to think about how to structure an obituary and what to include in it. Fortunately, there are tools available online to guide you during that process. In this article, you’ll find seven websites to help you create obituaries and memorials for your loved ones.”

The Conversation: From GameStop to crypto: how to protect yourself from meme stock mania. “Recent rallies in stocks popularised on social media have attracted increasing numbers of investors looking to these so-called ‘meme stocks’ for quick returns. But while it might look like a fun game, there are real risks to investing in stocks and other financial products popularised on social media. And with recessions looming around the world, the danger is becoming even more acute.”

SlashGear: 8 Best Uses For Old Webcams. “These newer cameras offer more than just photo and video capability, as they are also packed with AI technology, automatic setting adjustment, and better and wider fields of view. There is no denying that modern webcams have made great strides since their introduction a couple of decades ago. If that’s the case, you’re probably thinking that there’s no need to keep an old webcam around. After all, what could you use it for? Well, it actually has a wide range of creative and practical applications, from keeping your home safe to making awesome art videos.”

AROUND THE INTERNET WORLD

WIRED: Streamers Use Playlists to Control the Music Industry. “Immediately before the streaming era began, we experienced one of the rare moments in the history of recorded music when power flowed in the direction of artists. Although it was an economically disastrous time for many of them, the democratization brought by digital technologies and the internet also finally forced record labels to reform abuses they’d carried off for decades. Now, however, the recorded music market is again taking on its former hourglass shape, this time with the streaming platforms at the center.”

Bloomberg: Google Contractors Allege They Were Fired for Union Ties. “Contract workers at Google’s data centers allege that they were fired for supporting a union and faced retaliation after pushing for better benefits, according to a pair of complaints filed this week with the US National Labor Relations Board.”

SECURITY & LEGAL

NBC News: Cyberattack on Colorado state website follows Russian hacktivist threat. “Colorado state officials said the government’s website was taken offline Wednesday, the result of an apparent cyberattack that came shortly after a known Russia-based hacker group posted on Telegram that it would be targeting U.S. state websites.”

New York Times: Biden Administration Clamps Down on China’s Access to Chip Technology. “The Biden administration on Friday announced sweeping new limits on the sale of semiconductor technology to China, a step aimed at crippling Beijing’s access to critical technologies that are needed for everything from supercomputing to guiding weapons.”

RESEARCH & OPINION

Tech Xplore: Algorithms predict sports teams’ moves with 80% accuracy. “Algorithms developed in Cornell’s Laboratory for Intelligent Systems and Controls can predict the in-game actions of volleyball players with more than 80% accuracy, and now the lab is collaborating with the Big Red hockey team to expand the research project’s applications.”

CNet: The Normalizing of Extreme Politics Is Playing Out on Twitter. “Lawmakers used to see social media as a place to post statements and campaign photos. Now, those on the extreme right use it to fight the culture wars.”

Daring Fireball: Everything . “What we need isn’t an everything app. It’s an everything device, with small focused apps for features. You want to do more? Download — or better yet, create — a new app. And you’ve already got one in your pocket — or in your hand, as you read this very sentence on it — right now.” Good afternoon, Internet…

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