2021 saw record numbers of people checking out ebooks from libraries, reports the Boston Globe — 500 million, according to figures from the ebook-lending platform OneDrive.
But some Massachusetts lawmakers want to require publishers to make sur…
How ‘Digital Twins’ Are Transforming Manufacturing, Medicine and More
Time reports on virtual doppelgangers — also known as “digital twins”. (Alternate URL here.)
Created by feeding video, images, blueprints or other data into advanced 3-D mapping software, digital twins are being used in medicine to replicate an…
Google Uses AI to Recreate Lost Klimt Painting. But Should They?
The latest painting to receive the reconstructed-by-AI treatment is Gustav Klimt’s 1900 painting “Philosophy”. The Washington Post reports:
For decades, only black-and-white photographs of “Philosophy” existed. Now, thanks to artificial intelligence, …
NBC: ‘You Probably Don’t Need to Rely on a VPN Anymore’
NBC News writes:
VPNs, or virtual private networks, continue to be used by millions of people as a way of masking their internet activity by encrypting their location and web traffic. But on the modern internet, most people can safely ditch them, thank…
AT&T and Verizon Reject US Govt’s Request to Delay New 5G Services
“AT&T and Verizon on Sunday rejected the U.S. Department of Transportation’s request that they delay this week’s scheduled launch of a new round of 5G wireless service,” reports Politico, adding that the carriers “instead pledged to take enhanced m…
Some Billionaires Embrace Cryptocurrencies in Case Money ‘Goes to Hell’
Hungarian-born billionaire Thomas Peterffy, chairman of Interactive Brokers Group, says the online brokerage is now expanding the cryptocurrencies it offers its customers after sensing “urgency” from their clients to get in.
He still hasn’t decided wh…
Are ‘Zoom Towns’ Making Housing Less Affordable?
The CFO of a vacation-rental management company recently told Oregon Public Broadcasting that 20% of people renting a vacation home did so for the first time during the pandemic.
The nonprofit state policy news site Stateline sees a larger trend:
Ev…
US Extends Space Station Operations Through 2030
The International Space Station’s operations have been extended through 2030, NASA announced on Friday. “Though it was never in doubt that the U.S. would continue its near-term commitment to the ISS,” reports Engadget, “NASA’s announcement comes amid h…
The Books Bill Gates Enjoyed Reading in 2021
Last night we asked what books you’d enjoyed reading this year.
Here’s how Bill Gates had answered the same question on his personal blog Gates Notes:
When I was a kid, I was obsessed with science fiction. Paul Allen and I would spend countless hour…
China Speeds Up Moon Base Plan in Space Race Against America
“China has formally approved three missions targeting the south pole of the moon, with the first to launch around 2024…” reports Space.com, “each with different goals and an array of spacecraft.”
The trio make up the so-called fourth phase for the C…