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Author Archives: Sabrina I. Pacifici

What I wish I’d known before my smartphone was snatched

FT.com – unpaywalled: “Phone theft is rising at a rapid pace. And far more lucrative than the value of the handset, organised criminal gangs know that our smartphones have become the gateway to a vast amount of our personal financial information. They will go to incredible lengths to steal phones unlocked, deploying tactics including “shoulder… Continue Reading

Google now offers ‘web’ search and an AI opt-out button

The Verge: “This is not a joke: Google will now let you perform a “web” search. It’s rolling out “web” searches now, and in my early tests on desktop, it’s looking like it could be an incredibly popular change to Google’s search engine. The optional setting filters out almost all the other blocks of content… Continue Reading

Decode ingredient lists like a pro

“INCIDecoder is a tool to help you to understand ingredient lists at a press of a button. Not just giving you some numbers or colorings (though we do that too, if you are in a hurry, but having science-based and easy-to-understand explanations about more and more ingredients, so that you can truly understand ingredient lists,… Continue Reading

Rising Cyber Threats Pose Serious Concerns for Financial Stability

IMF: “Cyberattacks have more than doubled since the pandemic. While companies have historically suffered relatively modest direct losses from cyberattacks, some have experienced a much heavier toll. US credit reporting agency Equifax, for example, paid more than $1 billion in penalties after a major data breach in 2017 that affected about 150 million consumers. As… Continue Reading

How to block websites on your iPhone

Mashable: “Whether you’re trying to manage screen time and avoid certain websites, or whether you’re setting some boundaries on your kid’s device, there’s an easy way to block sites on your iPhone. If it’s specifically the latter, you can also set up parental controls on your iPhone — just know they’re not the full answer.… Continue Reading

If You Read a Lot of Fiction, Scientists Have Very Good News About Your Brain

Futurism: “It’s a big day for bookworms: scientists studying how reading fiction affects your brain say the news is very good. In an interview with PsyPost, Lena Wimmer, a postdoctoral researcher at Germany’s Maximilian University, explained that she and her colleagues wanted to lay the groundwork for quantitative studies about fiction’s effect on thinking — and… Continue Reading

As Insurers Around the U.S. Bleed Cash From Climate Shocks, Homeowners Lose

The New York Times [unpaywalled]: “The insurance turmoil caused by climate change — which had been concentrated in Florida, California and Louisiana — is fast becoming a contagion, spreading to states like Iowa, Arkansas, Ohio, Utah and Washington. Even in the Northeast, where homeowners insurance was still generally profitable last year, the trends are worsening.… Continue Reading

Automakers and Climate Policy Advocacy: A Global Analysis

“New InfluenceMap analysis finds that negative lobbying by the world’s largest automakers is putting global climate targets at risk and threatening the transition to electric vehicles. This report analyses the climate policy engagement strategies of fifteen of the largest global automakers in seven key regions (Australia, EU, Japan, India, South Korea, UK, US). It shows… Continue Reading

Web publishers brace for carnage as Google adds AI answers

Washington Post [read free via MSN]: “As the tech giant gears up for Google I/O, its annual developer conference, this week, creators like Matherne are worried about the expanding reach of its new search tool that incorporates artificial intelligence. The product, dubbed “Search Generative Experience,” or SGE, directly answers queries with complex, multi-paragraph replies that… Continue Reading