New via LLRX – A bit about PURLs – Ed Summers, librarian, metadata expert, teacher, and computational expert, delivers an insighful lesson on the Persistent Uniform Resource Locator. PURLs were developed to make URLs more resilient and persistent over time. You could put a PURL into a catalog record and if the URL it pointed… Continue Reading
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Monthly Archives: January 2022
Report – Solar on Superstores
“A report by Environment America Research & Policy Center and Frontier Group – Solar on Superstores Big roofs, big potential for renewable energy – Bryn Huxley-Reicher, Frontier Group; Wade Wilson and Ben Sonnega, Environment America Research & Policy Center. Solar energy is the fastest-growing form of electricity generation in the United States. America has 40 times… Continue Reading
Why most of us should be wearing N95 masks
Washington Post: “N95 respirators have long been the best disposable face coverings for protection against airborne viruses, but until recently, they were scarce. When worn properly, N95s can filter out at least 95 percent of particles in the air, including the virus that causes covid-19. Only pricey air-purifying respirators or hazmat suits offer better protection.… Continue Reading
Virtual Ancient Rome in 3D – Aerial view, 8 minute flight over the detailed reconstruction
“Our goal is to create the most extensive, detailed and accurate virtual 3D reconstruction of Ancient Rome. In this video you can see the whole center of the Eternal City from the air, as well as other significant areas, such Campus Martius, or Trastevere (Transtiberim). You can see the Forum, Colosseum, imperial Forums (Fori Imperiali),… Continue Reading
EPIC Urges Postal Service to Reverse Plans to Expand Law Enforcement Access to Customer Data
“In comments to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), EPIC urged the agency to reverse a system of records expansion that would pull data from U.S. Postal Service customers for use by the law enforcement wing of the Postal Service. The proposed modification would give the USPIS access to information used for package tracking and other services,… Continue Reading
Top 5 things to remember when filing income tax returns in 2022
IRS.gov: “With filing season beginning January 24, the Internal Revenue Service reminded taxpayers about several key items to keep in mind when filing their federal income tax returns this year.Given the unprecedented circumstances around the pandemic and unique challenges for this tax season, the IRS offers a 5-point checklist that can help many people speed… Continue Reading
How to run Windows on your Mac computer
CNET: “Even Mac users completely satisfied with their computers may have times when they need to run Windows. Maybe they need to run software that’s only available on Windows. But whatever the reason, Apple makes it surprisingly easy to run Windows on your Mac. If you have an Intel-based Mac with enough storage, and the… Continue Reading
Fed releases long-awaited study on a digital dollar but doesn’t take a position yet on creating one
CNBC: “The Federal Reserve on Thursday released its long-awaited study of a digital dollar, exploring the pros and cons of the much-debated issue and soliciting public comment. Billed as “the first step in a public discussion between the Federal Reserve and stakeholders about central bank digital currencies,” the 40-page paper shies away from any conclusions… Continue Reading
IRS Will Require Facial Recognition Scans to Access Your Taxes
Gizmodo: “Online tax filers will soon be required to submit a selfie to a third-party identity verification company using facial recognition tech in order to file their taxes or make IRS payments online. Starting this summer, users with an IRS.gov account will no longer be able to log in with a simple username and password.… Continue Reading
How to add a bit of spin to a circle in a PowerPoint slide
Tech Republic: “The spin animation in Microsoft PowerPoint makes shapes appear to turn, and it works great unless you’re working with a circle. You can’t see a circle spin—it spins, you just can’t see it because there’s nothing to anchor your eyes on. Adding other shapes to the circle is an easy way to expose… Continue Reading
A Project to Count Climate Crisis Deaths Has Surprising Results
Wired – “CLIMATE CHANGE CAN kill people in all kinds of ways. There are the obvious ones—wildfires, storms, and floods—yet rising temperatures may also lead to the increased spread of deadly diseases, make food harder to come by, and increase the risk of conflict. Although we know about these wide-ranging but equally terrifying risks, attempts… Continue Reading
Study IDs Visual Characteristics That Make People ‘Like’ Images on Instagram
NC State: “Marketing researchers have identified the combination of characteristics that make people “like” images on the social media platform Instagram. For example, the visual complexity of images has a significant effect on whether viewers choose to engage with a social media post. “We are increasingly able to determine whether images included in social media… Continue Reading
