NEW RESOURCES

University of Connecticut: New Interactive Map of Connecticut Nonprofits Rolled Out to Help With Decision-Making. “While 8,300 nonprofits might seem like a lot for a small state like Connecticut, [Mohamad] Alkadry says the database includes everything from small animal rescues and volunteer ambulance services to the largest hospitals, schools, and museums, and allows users to search by things like topic, revenue, and location.”

EVENTS

Poynter: At Media Party, journalists and technologists search for balance in an AI-driven future . “Held at Buenos Aires’ open-air Ciudad Cultural Konex, the conference brings together journalists, technologists and entrepreneurs to imagine new solutions for a struggling news ecosystem.”

TWEAKS AND UPDATES

Engadget: Apple doubles its biggest bug bounty reward to $2 million. “It has doubled its top award from $1 million to $2 million for the discovery of ‘exploit chains that can achieve similar goals as sophisticated mercenary spyware attacks’ and which requires no user interaction. But the maximum possible payout can exceed $5 million dollars for the discovery of more critical vulnerabilities, such as bugs in beta software and Lockdown Mode bypasses.”

USEFUL STUFF

Lifehacker: The Best Ways to Digitize Your Notes. “Doing things the old-fashioned way and hand-writing your notes is better for retaining what you’ve learned, but it definitely has drawbacks that can make typing notes more appealing…. That’s why you should take advantage of both methods: once you’ve written them out, you should digitize your notes in some fashion to make studying easier, blending the old style with the new. Here are the best ways to do so.”

How-To Geek: 5 Pocket Alternatives That Can Replace the Now-Defunct “Read It Later” Service. “One of the most famous read-later apps, Pocket by Mozilla, shut down permanently in October. The app was known for its ease of use, sync, and interface, leaving many loyal users shifting to similar apps. There are many alternative read-later apps you can download and use, with many of them supporting sync across third-party apps, inboxes, and feeds. Here are five apps to check out.”

AROUND THE SEARCH AND SOCIAL MEDIA WORLD

Gizmodo: Microsoft Backs Off New Data Center After Small Wisconsin Town Backlash. “Microsoft has ditched plans for a data center in Caledonia, Wisconsin, after facing pushback from the local community. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported Wednesday that the tech giant canceled its application for the current site but is still seeking to develop a data center somewhere in Caledonia or the broader southeastern Wisconsin area.”

Variety: From Phones to Film: Sharjah Youth Festival Champions a New Generation of Digital-First Arab Storytellers. “At this year’s Sharjah Intl. Film Festival for Children and Youth, the next generation of Arab filmmakers isn’t waiting for permission to create. Armed with mobile phones, editing apps, and an evolving relationship with artificial intelligence, they’re redefining who gets to tell stories across the Middle East.”

Mashable: My ghoster apologized to me. Here’s what they had to say.. “Not only is ghosting seemingly ubiquitous in today’s society of online connections, but so is a ghoster reappearing. Like a cheap movie fright, a text can come out of nowhere. Mashable spoke to ghostees who have experienced this and experts to understand why ghosters come back from the dead.”

SECURITY & LEGAL

Ars Technica: Microsoft warns of new “Payroll Pirate” scam stealing employees’ direct deposits . “Microsoft is warning of an active scam that diverts employees’ paycheck payments to attacker-controlled accounts after first taking over their profiles on Workday or other cloud-based HR services.”

TechCrunch: ‘Dozens’ of organizations had data stolen in Oracle-linked hacks. “Security researchers at Google say hackers targeting corporate executives with extortion emails have stolen data from ‘dozens of organizations,’ one of the first signs that the hacking campaign may be far-reaching.”

RESEARCH & OPINION

Search Engine Land: AI search relies on brand-controlled sources, not Reddit: Report. “A dominant share – 86% to be specific – of AI citations come from sources brands already control, according to a new analysis of 6.8 million citations across ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity conducted by brand visibility platform Yext….The findings challenge the perception that forums like Reddit dominate AI answers.”

PsyPost: TikTok activity linked to young women’s views on body image and cosmetic surgery. “A new study published in Psychology of Popular Media suggests that how young women engage with TikTok may shape the way they feel about their bodies and their attitudes toward cosmetic surgery.” Good morning, Internet…

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