NEW RESOURCES

State of Massachusetts: Ahead of November 1 SNAP Freeze, Governor Healey Launches New SNAP Resource Hub. “The Governor launched a new SNAP Resource Hub at Mass.gov/SNAPFreeze that includes information on how families facing hunger can get help, ways for people and businesses to offer help, and a new digital map showing how many people depend on SNAP to feed their families in each Massachusetts city and town.”

Playbill: Off-Broadway’s Theatre For a New Audience Launches Comprehensive Online Archive. “Theatre For a New Audience (TFANA) has launched a comprehensive online archive documenting its 45 (and counting) seasons at the forefront of classical and contemporary drama in America. Since its founding in 1979 by Jeffrey Horowitz, TFANA has presented classic works alongside new works that offer bold interpretations of the dramatic canon, with Shakespeare as its cornerstone.”

National Library of Finland: Digitised material newly highlighted in the National Library’s search service. “The digitised collections(opens a new tab) section brings together material digitised by the National Library of Finland as a range of collections by topic, era, material type and other themes. The search service encompasses more than 120 of these curated collections. The compilation section also contains instructions and further information on our digitised material.”

TWEAKS AND UPDATES

ZDNet: I tested Sora’s new ‘Character Cameo’ feature, and it was borderline disturbing. “The new feature lets you create AI videos of your pets, inanimate objects, and more. Here’s how it went for me.”

NBC Sports: ESPN uses star power to fight YouTube TV. “Disney has stars who can push its message to the masses. Via Matt Yoder of AwfulAnnouncing.com, Disney has been doing just that with ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, Mike Greenberg, and Scott Van Pelt.Each has taken to social media with nearly identical messages that push the company line: You could lose access to live sports, and you should visit KeepMyNetworks.com to learn more.”

AROUND THE SEARCH AND SOCIAL MEDIA WORLD

Ars Technica: ChatGPT maker reportedly eyes $1 trillion IPO despite major quarterly losses. “…sources familiar with the matter say the ChatGPT maker is preparing for an initial public offering that could value the company at up to $1 trillion, with filings possible as early as the second half of 2026. However, news of the potential IPO comes as the company faces mounting losses that may have reached as much as $11.5 billion in the most recent quarter, according to one estimate.”

Tubefilter: Nascar drivers are racing against streamers on Twitch. “The NASCAR 25 Creator Series may be the first initiative of its kind, but it’s not the stock car league’s first foray into the creator economy. NASCAR’s Roblox integration has introduced it to the young fans it seeks, and its Twitch channel has grown by 30% year-over-year.”

Gizmodo: We’re Already Barrelling Toward a Smart Glasses Bubble. “Beneath all of those massive names, there are actually tons of companies that already have their own smart glasses for sale (with screens and without) that are even on multiple generations now. Companies like Rayneo, Viture, Even Realities, Solos, Brilliant Labs, Inmo, Rokid… Should I keep going? You see where I’m going with this—things are getting crowded all of a sudden, which in a lot of ways is great.”

SECURITY & LEGAL

Engadget: US government is getting closer to banning TP-Link routers. “A number of US government agencies are backing a potential move by the Commerce Department to ban TP-Link routers, according to The Washington Post. Multiple sources familiar with internal deliberations spoke with the publication on the condition of anonymity, including a former senior Defense Department official.”

The Register: Postcode Lottery’s lucky dip turns into data slip as players draw each other’s info. “People’s Postcode Lottery (PPL) subscribers briefly saw other players’ personal information when logging into the site on Monday. The exposed data included names, addresses, email addresses, and dates of birth. According to forum posts, each time users refreshed their homepage, a different user’s details appeared.”

RESEARCH & OPINION

NiemanLab: Hundreds of thousands of videos from news publishers like The New York Times and Vox were used to train AI models. “The Atlantic’s reporting focused over a dozen prominent training data sets that were either compiled or used by companies including Microsoft, Meta, Snap, Tencent, Runway, and ByteDance. The investigation shows how the unauthorized use of YouTube videos has been an essential contributor to the AI industry’s recent leap forward in AI video generation quality.”

Johns Hopkins University: Investor pressure may be driving risky AI medical device launches. “Their analysis of nearly 1,000 AI-enabled medical devices, or AIMDs, approved by the FDA found an alarming trend: Devices from publicly traded companies are far more likely to be recalled, and many hit the market without being tested on real people.” Good morning, Internet…

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