The New York Times – “These controls, which are buried inside products from Apple, Google, Meta and others, make us share more data than we need to…Apple, Google, Amazon, Meta and Microsoft generally want us to leave some default settings on, purportedly to train their algorithms and catch bugs, which then make their products easier… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Search Engines
Misinformation is eroding the public’s confidence in democracy
Brookings – Misinformation is eroding the public’s confidence in democracy: “Democracy in the United States is in serious trouble. A review of some recent public opinion research shows just how much. For example, an NPR survey conducted earlier this year found that 64% of the American population believes that U.S. democracy is in crisis and… Continue Reading
Google Maps rolls out location sharing notifications, immersive views and better bike navigation
TechCrunch: “Google — facing increasing competition from other apps like Instagram and TikTok when it comes to consumers searching for things — wants to be the first place people go for discovery and planning pastimes. In aid of that, today the company announced three new features for its star navigation app, Google Maps: aerial and… Continue Reading
Gmail is getting a machine learning boost for smarter searches
TechRadarPro: “Searching for emails in Gmail is due to get “more accurate and circumstantial… suggestions.” Previously, search results have relied on things like chips, filters, and operators to help you find that elusive email, but machine learning is soon to make it easier to find what you need. This can be great if you know… Continue Reading
Incognito Mode Isn’t As Incognito As You Might Think
The New York Times Wirecutter: “You’ve seen the prompt: If you’re using a shared or public computer, use incognito mode. It gives you a sense of security knowing that whatever sites you visit or passwords you type won’t be saved to the device—like skulking around in an invisibility cloak. But of course, nothing you do… Continue Reading
5 Google Drive tips you didn’t know you needed
ZDNet: “I depend on Google Drive. I use it every day and am in and out of it from morning till night. Because I spend so much time working within the cloud storage system, I’ve come up with a few “tricks” for making my experience more effective and efficient. Before I get to these helpful… Continue Reading
The scope and extent of literature that maps threats to species globally: a systematic map
Ridley, F.A., Hickinbotham, E.J., Suggitt, A.J. et al. The scope and extent of literature that maps threats to species globally: a systematic map. Environ Evid 11, 26 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13750-022-00279-7: “Human activities are driving accelerating rates of species extinctions that continue to threaten nature’s contribution to people. Yet, the full scope of where and how human… Continue Reading
FCC Probes Mobile Carriers on Data Privacy Practices
“Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel wrote [July 19, 2022] to the top 15 mobile providers requesting information about their data retention and data privacy policies and general practices. In the letters of inquiry, Chairwoman Rosenworcel asks about their policies around geolocation data, such as how long geolocation data is retained and why and what… Continue Reading
How to Make Your Web Browser as Secure as Possible
Gizmodo: “Your web browser is your window to the outside world, but it goes two ways—it’s also the window through which viruses, malware and other nasties can get access to your computer. With that in mind, it’s vital that you take some time to lock down your browser of choice as much as possible from… Continue Reading
‘A uniquely dangerous tool’: How Google’s data can help states track abortions
Politico: “Many of the states rushing to ban abortion are also the biggest users of a surveillance tool that authorities could use to track women ending their pregnancies — the location data from people’s phones. Supporters of abortion rights are expressing growing alarm about the potential uses that police or prosecutors could find for this… Continue Reading
Meta launches Sphere, an AI knowledge tool based on open web content, used initially to verify citations on Wikipedia
TechCrunch: “Facebook may be infamous for helping to usher in the era of “fake news”, but it’s also tried to find a place for itself in the follow-up: the never-ending battle to combat it. In the latest development on that front, Facebook parent Meta today announced a new tool called Sphere, AI built around the… Continue Reading
Pete Recommends – Weekly highlights on cyber security issues, July 16, 2022
Via LLRX – Pete Recommends – Weekly highlights on cyber security issues, July 16, 2022 – Privacy and cybersecurity issues impact every aspect of our lives – home, work, travel, education, health and medical records – to name but a few. On a weekly basis Pete Weisshighlights articles and information that focus on the increasingly… Continue Reading
