The UK Telegraph [unpaywalled] – ‘I saw the Holocaust… so many dead bodies’: To mark the anniversary of the attacks, I traveled to Israel to hear stories of Israelis forced to face an unimaginably dark ordeal….So many questions still unanswered from October 7. I put those queries to scores of Israelis – survivors, soldiers, politicians,… Continue Reading
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Author Archives: Sabrina I. Pacifici
License Plate Readers Are Creating a US-Wide Database of More Than Just Cars
Wired [unpaywalled]: “…License-plate-recognition systems, broadly, work by first capturing an image of a vehicle; then they use optical character recognition (OCR) technology to identify and extract the text from the vehicle’s license plate within the captured image. Motorola-owned DRN sells multiple license-plate-recognition cameras: a fixed camera that can be placed near roads, identify a vehicle’s… Continue Reading
Financial Institutions Net Zero Tracker
World Resources Institute: “Banks have made headlines in recent years for committing to reach “net-zero emissions” by 2050 and pledging to mobilize trillions of dollars in the fight against climate change. Indeed, banks will play an important role in halting global warming: Companies rely on them to help finance the zero- and low-carbon technologies and… Continue Reading
US Local News Search Gets State Newspapers
Tara Calishain – I’ve been continuing work on my US Local News search because I’m sick of trying to find news online and getting whatever slop someone managed to slip into a search engine’s index. When I want local news I want LOCAL NEWS, not junk! I’ve just finished a new version and I’m pleased… Continue Reading
The Rapid Adoption of Generative AI
NBER – The Rapid Adoption of Generative AI. Alexander Bick. Adam Blandin & David J. Deming. Working Paper 32966. DOI 10.3386/w32966. Issue Date September 2024. Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a potentially important new technology, but its impact on the economy depends on the speed and intensity of adoption. This paper reports results from the… Continue Reading
Plastic is embedded into every aspect of modern life
Beat Pollution – Plastic is embedded into every aspect of modern life, from what we wear, how we travel and what we eat. But where exactly is all this plastic coming from? Since the 1950s, 9.2 billion tonnes of plastic have been produced, of which 7 billion tonnes have become waste, filling up landfills and… Continue Reading
What are the current swing states, and how have they changed over time?
USA Facts: “Swing states, also known as battleground states, are states that could “swing” to either Democratic or Republican candidates depending on the election. Because of their potential to be won by either candidate, political parties often spend a disproportionate amount of time and campaign resources on winning these states. While there is no universal… Continue Reading
IRS free tax filing will be available in 24 states for the 2025 season — here’s who can use it
CNBC: “Next year, more than 30 million Americans in 24 states will be eligible for Direct File, the IRS’ free tax filing program, the agency and U.S. Department of the Treasury announced on Thursday. The Direct File pilot was open to limited taxpayers in 12 states for the 2024 filing season, including Arizona, California, Florida,… Continue Reading
Google – Ask questions in new ways with AI in Search
Google Blog: “Over the years we’ve continually reimagined Google Search, so you can ask your question in any way you want — whether you type a query, search with your camera or simply hum a tune. The advanced capabilities of AI have been integral to expanding what Search can do, and our Gemini model customized… Continue Reading
The Journalist Who Cried Treason
The Atlantic unpaywalled: “Craig Unger’s career was nearly destroyed when he investigated a possible election conspiracy. Three decades later, he says he’s got the goods. The obsession that would overtake Craig Unger’s life, get him labeled a member of the “tinfoil-hat brigade,” and nearly destroy his career as an investigative reporter took root on an… Continue Reading
Systems used by courts and governments across the US riddled with vulnerabilities
Ars Technica: “Public records systems that courts and governments rely on to manage voter registrations and legal filings have been riddled with vulnerabilities that made it possible for attackers to falsify registration databases and add, delete, or modify official documents. Over the past year, software developer turned security researcher Jason Parker has found and reported… Continue Reading
Police seldom disclose use of facial recognition despite false arrests
Washington Post via MSN – Hundreds of Americans have been arrested after being connected to a crime by facial recognition software, a Washington Post investigation has found, but many never know it because police seldom disclose their use of the controversial technology. Police departments in 15 states provided The Post with rarely seen records documenting… Continue Reading
