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Wired: “If you’ve ever posted something to the internet—a pithy tweet, a 2009 blog post, a scornful review, or a selfie on Instagram—it has most likely been slurped up and used to help train the current wave of generative AI. Large language models, like ChatGPT, and image creators are powered by vast reams of our …
Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC): “Global annual production of plastic has increased exponentially over the past 65 years, growing from 2 million metric tons in 1950 to 460 million metric tons in 2019. Much of this plastic quickly becomes waste, and plastic waste is found everywhere, including the farthest reaches of the Arctic, the deep seabed, and even …
PC Mag: “Here’s 8 Crucial Tips for Last-Minute E-Filers If you haven’t filed your taxes this year, don’t worry. This no-nonsense guide will help you find all the documents you need, quickly identify big deductions, and get everything done ahead of the deadline. Are you going to be late filing taxes? You might be if …
IP Watchdog: “The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) today announced guidance for practitioners and the public regarding the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the preparation of filings for submission to the Office. The guidance comes two months after the Office issued a guidance memorandum for the Trademark and Patent Trial and Appeal Boards …
The New York Times [unpaywalled]: “Japan is giving the United States 250 cherry trees to replace more than 100 that will be torn up during construction around the Tidal Basin in Washington, the Japanese prime minister, Fumio Kishida, said on Wednesday. The gift honors the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, …
2024 U.S. Transportation Climate Impact Index: How metros rank across 8 key factors – “With transportation still representing the top source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the U.S., new federal funding and regulations hope to spur climate-friendly infrastructure. Meanwhile, agencies across the nation are working to drive down Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT), boost walking …
Wired: “Deleting digital accounts that you rarely or never use not only reduces the amount of clutter in your online life—it keeps you safer too. Every extra account you’ve got is an extra target for a hacker, an extra database that might leak, and an extra way that someone might get access to some of …
EFF: “When EFF set out to map surveillance technology along the U.S.-Mexico border, we weren’t exactly sure how to do it. We started with public records—procurement documents, environmental assessments, and the like—which allowed us to find the GPS coordinates of scores of towers. During a series of in-person trips, we were able to find even …
Lifehacker: “Over the past several years, countless websites have added paywalls. If you want to read their articles, you have to sign up and pay a monthly subscription cost. Some sites have a “metered” paywall—meaning you can read a certain number of articles for free before they ask for money—and others have a hard paywall, …
TechDirt – Glyn Moody: “The shift from analogue to digital has had a massive impact on most aspects of life. One area where that shift has the potential for huge benefits is in the world of academic publishing. Academic papers are costly to publish and distribute on paper, but in a digital format they can …
Yale Law School – Law Archive is a free online archive of working papers, preprints, and fully published papers focusing on legal scholarship. Law Archive was developed in 2023 and formally launched in 2024 by the Lillian Goldman Law Library at Yale Law School in collaboration with the Center for Open Science, our technology partner. …
Kottke: “Well, the total solar eclipse was once again completely awesome. I didn’t have to go chasing all over tarnation this time, the telescope worked out amazingly well, and I got to share it with a bunch of first-timers, both in-person and via text. I’m going to share some thoughts, photos, and videos from others …