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Category Archives: E-Records

British Library to burn through reserves to recover from cyber attack

FT.com [read free]: “The British Library will drain about 40 per cent of its reserves to recover from a cyber attack that has crippled one of the UK’s critical research bodies and rendered most of its services inaccessible. The London-based institution, which stores nearly 170mn pieces of work ranging from books to sound recordings, was… Continue Reading

AI gadgets will be hot in 2024. You don’t need one.

Washington Post [read free]: “For the past decade, tech companies have chased a dream: Invent a gadget to replace the smartphone. That’s why companies have created computers for your face and wrist, talking speakers for your living room and virtual reality goggles. And while lots of people love Apple Watches, Alexa speakers or Meta Quest… Continue Reading

Delete your digital history from dozens of companies with this app

Washington Post: “Sick of companies grabbing and selling your address, birth date, location, online activity, dog food brand and even adult-film preferences? Oh boy, do I have some good news. A new iPhone and Android app called Permission Slip makes it super simple to order companies to delete your personal information and secrets. Trying it… Continue Reading

How to Scan Documents on Your iPhone

Make Use Of: Use the native Notes app on your iPhone to easily scan and annotate documents with a simple workflow. The Files app also has a document-scanning feature that allows you to save scans to iCloud Drive or other cloud services. Microsoft Lens is a handy alternative with features like capturing data from tables… Continue Reading

Google agreed to settle $5B lawsuit alleging it tracked users’ activity in “incognito” mode

Inside Daily Brief: “Google has agreed to settle a $5B lawsuit alleging it tracked users’ activity in “incognito” mode in its Chrome browser and similar private modes in other browsers. The lawsuit, filed in 2020, accused Google of misleading users about their privacy and continuing to collect data despite using private browsing. The class-action lawsuit… Continue Reading

The Atlas of Surveillance Hits Major Milestones: 2023 in Review

EFF: “If you haven’t checked out the Atlas of Surveillance recently, or ever before, you absolutely should. It includes a searchable database and an interactive map, and anyone can download the data for their own projects. As this collaboration with the University of Nevada Reno’s Reynolds School of Journalism (RSJ) finishes its fifth year, we… Continue Reading

Think Twice Before Giving Surveillance for the Holidays

EFF – Consider taking some time before the new year and review these suggestions to disable surveillance on all the gadgets and gizmos you gave and received for Christmas: “…it’s easy to default to giving the tech gifts that retailers tend to push on us this time of year: smart speakers, video doorbells, bluetooth trackers,… Continue Reading

Lawrence school district using AI to look for ‘concerning behavior’ in students’ activity

LJworld.com (read free): “The Lawrence [Kansas] school district has purchased a new system that uses artificial intelligence to look for warning signs of “concerning behavior” in the things students type, send and search for on their district-issued computers and other such devices. The purchase of the software system, called Gaggle, comes at a time when… Continue Reading

Wireless TVs use built-in cameras, NFC readers to sell you stuff you see on TV

Ars Technica: “It’s no secret that TV makers are seriously invested in pushing ads. Using TVs for advertising goes back to 1941 when the first TV commercial aired. But as we trudge our way through the 21st century, TV vendors are becoming more involved in ensuring that their hardware is used to sell stuff and… Continue Reading

Thomas privately pushed for a higher salary and to allow Supreme Court justices to take speaking fees

PrpPublica: “In early January 2000, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas was at a five-star beach resort in Sea Island, Georgia, hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt. After almost a decade on the court, Thomas had grown frustrated with his financial situation, according to friends. He had recently started raising his young grandnephew, and Thomas’… Continue Reading