MakeUseOf: “Data brokerage is the underground economy that powers online advertising today. They follow us so much everywhere online; it’s hard to believe that this practice of buying and selling our data is even legal. The real-world equivalent of this practice is someone stalking you 24/7, noting your every move, with little or no consequence. And while it initially appears as a harmless way to sell you more things, data brokerage has evolved to affect everything from your credit scores to insurance premiums. So, what can you do to make it hard for data brokers to buy and sell your data?…”
Accurate, Focused Research on Law, Technology and Knowledge Discovery Since 2002
Daily Archives: November 18, 2021
TikTok teaching? U of T researchers study the social media platform’s use in academia
“In a bid to shine a spotlight on their research and make it more accessible, academics around the world are following in the footsteps of their students and taking to TikTok to share videos. The trend is being highlighted by a team of researchers at the Knowledge Media Design Institute (KMDI) at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of… Continue Reading
RAZ Memory Cell Phone
“The phone for dementia and Alzheimer’s. The one-touch dial picture phone is relentless in its focus on simplicity. It consists of one primary screen, and one screen only. The screen includes 3 elements: Pictures and names of up to six contacts (with an option for up to twenty-four); A button to call 911; Alternative RAZ… Continue Reading
Next Big Things in Tech 2021
Fast Company: “Some of the world’s most intriguing innovations are so new that their full impact is yet to be felt. This is what we’re highlighting in the inaugural edition of Fast Company’s Next Big Things in Tech. The 65 honorees on our list, which includes global giants as well as intrepid startups, often harness… Continue Reading
After COVID boom, ebook aggregators face licensing questions from Congress
Verge: “A Democratic senator launched an investigation into how publishers license ebooks to libraries on Thursday, calling on nine major ebook aggregators to provide details on the licensing agreements they make with libraries. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), along with Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA), sent letters demanding that aggregators like Overdrive and EBSCO provide them with… Continue Reading
They Love Crypto. They’re Trying to Buy the Constitution
Another update, November 19, 2021, via WSJ: “Citadel CEO Kenneth Griffin Outbid a Group of Crypto Investors for Copy of U.S. Constitution. The 53-year-old billionaire paid $43.2 million for the historic document, plans to lend it to Crystal Bridges museum in Arkansas..” Update – “ConstitutionDAO loses $43 million auction of rare US Constitution copy. The… Continue Reading
Washington DC City Paper – The People Issue 2021
“Narrowing down the list of people to include in this issue is never easy, but this year the process was particularly tough, spanning multiple hours and multiple meetings. Was it because Washingtonians have suddenly become more interesting and taken on new, compelling challenges? Was it because we’ve paid more attention to those around us as… Continue Reading
Smithsonian FUTURES exhibition
Arts and Industries Building, 900 Jefferson Drive, SW Washington, DC: “Part exhibition, part festival, FUTURES presents nearly 32,000 square feet of new immersive site-specific art installations, interactives, working experiments, inventions, speculative designs, and “artifacts of the future,” as well as historic objects and discoveries from 23 of the Smithsonian’s museums, major initiatives, and research centers.… Continue Reading
Library Data Management Leads Research Out of a Digital Dark Age
Johns Hopkins University: “The Sheridan Libraries’ crucial role in the Johns Hopkins COVID-19 global map highlights the importance that libraries play in the data missions of universities. Library data management services reduce burdens on researchers, improve public access to data, foster collaborations, and maintain the long-term integrity of datasets…University libraries aren’t what they used to… Continue Reading
Crunch at Ports May Mean Crisis for American Farms
The New York Times – “…Backlogs and cancellations are hitting growers as costs rise, profits slump and overseas customers shop elsewhere. A supply chain crisis for imports has grabbed national headlines and attracted the attention of the Biden administration, as shoppers fret about securing gifts in time for the holidays and as strong consumer demand… Continue Reading
DoD IG Report – A Review of DoD’s Response to Jan 6 2021 Insurrection
Review of the Department of Defense’s Role, Responsibilities, and Actions to Prepare for and Respond to the Protest and Its Aftermath at the U.S. Capital Campus on January 2021 [Redacted]. November 16, 2021: “…To conduct the review, we assembled a multidisciplinary team of DoD OIG administrative and criminal investigators, evaluators, auditors, and attorneys. We examined… Continue Reading
U.S. reaches tentative settlement in excessive PACER fees lawsuit
Reuters: “The U.S. government has agreed in principle to resolve a class action lawsuit brought by a group of nonprofits alleging the federal judiciary overcharged the public for access to court documents through its PACER system. The tentative settlement was disclosed in a status report filed in federal court in Washington, D.C., on Monday, more… Continue Reading
