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Daily Archives: November 15, 2017

EFF’s Street-Level Surveillance Project Dissects Police Technology

“Step onto any city street and you may find yourself subject to numerous forms of police surveillance—many imperceptible to the human eye. A cruiser equipped with automated license plate readers (also known as ALPRs) may have just logged where you parked your car. A cell-site simulator may be capturing your cell-phone data incidentally while detectives track a suspect nearby. That speck in the sky may be a drone capturing video of your commute. Police might use face recognition technology to identify you in security camera footage. EFF first launched its Street-Level Surveillance project in 2015 to help inform the public about the advanced technologies that law enforcement are deploying in our communities, often without any transparency or public process.  We’ve scored key victories in state legislatures and city councils, limiting the adoption of these technologies and how they can be used, but the surveillance continues to spread, agency by agency. To combat the threat, EFF is proud to release the latest update to our work: a new mini-site that shines light on a wide range of surveillance technologies, including ALPRs, cell-site simulators, drones, face recognition, and body-worn cameras….”

Leonardo da Vinci painting sells in 20 minute auction for record price of $250M

Washington Post – “Leonardo da Vinci’s painting, “Saviour of the World,” sold for $450,312,500 Wednesday at auction, Christie’s said. The price, which includes a buyer’s premium, makes it “the most expensive painting ever sold at auction,” the auction house said in a statement. The previous record for the most expensive painting sold at auction was $179,364,992 for… Continue Reading

Unaffordable cash bail is one of the largest drivers of the mass incarceration epidemic in the U.S.

“The Bail Project is an unprecedented national effort to combat mass incarceration by keeping tens of thousands of Americans out of pretrial detention. – With your help, within five years, we will establish 40 sites across the country with the goal of paying bail for 160,000 people over that period. There is a long tradition… Continue Reading

New Republic – The Cause and Consequences of the Retail Apocalypse

Private equity firms overburdened businesses with debt, and now workers are paying the price. Will policymakers do anything about it? By David Dayen. November 14, 2017. “The Macy’s near my house is closing early next year. The mall where it’s located has seen less and less foot traffic over the years, and losing its anchor… Continue Reading

Article – Why doesn’t everyone love reading e-books?

Myrberg, C., (2017). Why doesn’t everyone love reading e-books?. Insights. 30(3), pp.115–125. DOI: http://doi.org/10.1629/uksg.386 “Why do many students still prefer paper books to e-books? This article summarizes a number of problems with e-books mentioned in different studies by students of higher education, but it also discusses some of the unexploited possibilities with e-books. Problems that… Continue Reading

Building for the future of free knowledge – Keynote by Wikipedia CEO at OCLC Meeting

“Katherine Maher, Executive Director of the Wikimedia Foundation, was our featured day-two keynote on 31 October 2017 at the inaugural OCLC Americas Regional Council (ARC) meeting in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. Drawing from the Wikimedia Foundation’s recent, in-depth research into the future of literacy and learning, Maher shared insights into how we can apply these principles… Continue Reading

Dr. Carla D. Hayden, Librarian of Congress: Featured Keynote at OCLC ARC17

“Dr. Carla D. Hayden, the United States Librarian of Congress, was our first keynote speaker at the inaugural OCLC Americas Regional Council (ARC) meeting in Baltimore, Maryland, USA on 30 October 2017. Dr. Hayden discussed the history of library innovation and the role that libraries can play as trusted, smart sources in the information ecosystem.” Continue Reading

NYT – The $300 Billion War Beneath the Street

$300 billion war beneath the street: Fighting to replace U.S. water pipes: “Bursting pipes. Leaks. Public health scares. America is facing a crisis over its crumbling water infrastructure, and fixing it will be a monumental and expensive task. Two powerful industries, plastic and iron, are locked in a lobbying war over the estimated $300 billion… Continue Reading

U.S. Web Design Standards + DigitalGov

Digital.gov: “We’re excited to announce that the U.S. Web Design Standards has moved over to the Office of Products and Platforms (OPP) and joined the new DigitalGov team, effective October 1, 2017. Over the last 10 years, Digital.gov has become an authoritative destination to learn about the methods, practices, policies, and tools needed to create… Continue Reading

Report – Digitalization and the American workforce

“New analysis by the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program of more than 500 occupations reveals the rapid pace of their “digitalization” since 2001, suggesting the acquisition of digital skills is now a prerequisite for economic success for American workers, industries, and metropolitan areas.The report, “Digitalization and the American workforce,” provides a detailed analysis of changes in… Continue Reading