Accurate, Focused Research on Law, Technology and Knowledge Discovery Since 2002

Daily Archives: July 25, 2017

Google announces new SOS Alerts in Search and Maps

Google Blog: Helping people in a crisis – “In times of crisis, access to timely, actionable information is crucial. Working alongside trained responders and volunteers on the ground, technology plays a vital role in providing information to help keep you and loved ones safe and informed. SOS alerts is a new set of features in Google Search and Maps to help you quickly understand what’s going on and decide what to do during a crisis. During a crisis, you may see an SOS Alert at the top of search results when searching for the incident or location. You’ll see maps, top stories and—when available—authoritative local information such as emergency phone numbers, websites, and translations of useful phrases. Depending on how close you are to the affected area, you may also get a notification on your mobile device that directs you to this information. If you’re outside of the affected area, you may still want information about the crisis. Searches for relevant terms (like the name of the event or the location) will also show an SOS Alert that provides a timely overview of the situation, in addition to features such as donation opportunities…”

HHS Unveils Improved Web Tool to Highlight Recent Breaches of Health Information

“The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office for Civil Rights (OCR) today launched a revised web tool that puts important information into the hands of individuals, empowering them to better identify recent breaches of health information and to learn how all breaches of health information are investigated and successfully resolved.  The HIPAA… Continue Reading

Adobe announces demise of Flash in coordination with tech partners

Adobe Blog: “The Adobe Flash Player has played a pivotal role in advancing interactive and creative web content for over 20 years. At the core of our company’s mission statement of changing the world through digital experiences is the invention of formats where none previously existed- we did this with Flash and will continue to… Continue Reading

Sunlight Foundation – On Trump, transparency and democracy

“In this report, we offer a comprehensive but not exhaustive accounting of the Trump administration’s record on open government to date…In the following report, organized into sections we consider the record to date, in context. Six months from now, we will compare and contrast the Trump administration’s progress — or further regression — with the… Continue Reading

Pew – 1 in 4 black Americans have faced online harassment because of their race or ethnicity

“A wide cross-section of Americans have experienced and encountered abusive behaviors online, according to a recently released Pew Research Center survey. And although this harassment can take many forms, some minority groups more frequently encounter harassment that carries racial overtones. This is particularly true for black Americans, a quarter of whom say they have been… Continue Reading

Research – Correspondence Archives in the Age of Email

As a follow up to my previous postings – What is the fate of deleted Presidential tweets? and Obama White House E-mail Archiving Plan Revealed – See Also – Correspondence Archives in the Age of Email: Technology, Privacy, and Policy Challenges by Senior Program Associate Kristen C. Ratanatharathorn on the US-UK task force currently developing… Continue Reading

Expanded Access Navigator – Helping Patients In Need of Potentially Life-Saving Drug Treatments

US FDA Blog: “Patients with serious or immediately life-threatening diseases or conditions who have no comparable or satisfactory alternative therapy and who seek access to potentially life-saving investigational drugs will have another option to guide them through the process – thanks to the launch today of a new online tool called the Expanded Access Navigator.… Continue Reading

British Library digitized version of Leonardo da Vinci’s Codex

British Library – “Contents: Notebook of Leonardo da Vinci (‘The Codex Arundel’). A collection of papers written in Italian by Leonardo da Vinci (b. 1452, d. 1519), in his characteristic left-handed mirror-writing (reading from right to left), including diagrams, drawings and brief texts, covering a broad range of topics in science and art, as well… Continue Reading