September 12, 2023

Gothamist: Google Translate blamed for linking NYC agency with ‘Communist Party of China’

Gothamist: Google Translate blamed for linking NYC agency with ‘Communist Party of China’. “No, Mayor Eric Adams and the Chinese government did not team up to build a better New York City, no matter what you might have read on the city’s website. Earlier this summer, a reporter for a Chinese-language news site noticed something strange about the text on a New York City agency’s website after clicking on the ‘Translate’ button and opting for the Chinese-language translation. What they got back were phrases such as ‘Building a City Together with the Communist Party of China.’”

Around the Search & Social Media World 0
September 9, 2023

WTTW: Police Oversight Board Votes to Permanently Scrap New Chicago Gang Database

WTTW: Police Oversight Board Votes to Permanently Scrap New Chicago Gang Database. “Nearly four and a half years after the city’s watchdog warned the police department’s gang databases were riddled with errors, ripe for abuse and disproportionately targeted Black and Latino Chicagoans, an interim commission overseeing the Chicago Police Department voted to scrap plans to launch a new system.”

Security & Legal Issues 0
September 8, 2023

Block Club Chicago: Alderman Launches Migrant Data Portal, Improving Transparency On Care For New Arrivals

Block Club Chicago: Alderman Launches Migrant Data Portal, Improving Transparency On Care For New Arrivals. “The website will provide weekly updates on the number of migrants in the city, new arrivals, shelter locations and other data, as well as efforts by Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration and city departments to address the ongoing humanitarian crisis, Vasquez said. The data includes how many migrants are staying in each shelter, in police stations and other locations.”

New Resources 0
September 8, 2023

Gothamist: Social media companies to take down NYC ‘subway surfing’ videos after rush of teen deaths

Gothamist: Social media companies to take down NYC ‘subway surfing’ videos after rush of teen deaths. “Social media companies have agreed to automatically take down videos that promote subway surfing, officials said. The MTA has for months requested that platforms like Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok remove the videos. The content crackdown comes after five teenagers died this year while riding outside subway trains. MTA officials said 2,600 videos and photos of subway surfing have been stripped from the social media platforms in recent months.”

Security & Legal Issues 0
September 5, 2023

Minnesota Star-Tribune: Attorneys decry Minneapolis demands for private data in government transparency lawsuit

Minnesota Star-Tribune: Attorneys decry Minneapolis demands for private data in government transparency lawsuit. “A government transparency group engaged in a two-year legal battle with Minneapolis over access to police misconduct records is accusing city officials of attempting to intimidate their board members — many of whom are journalists — by demanding private data such as Social Security numbers through the discovery process.”

Security & Legal Issues 0
September 3, 2023

Associated Press: New York police will use drones to monitor backyard parties this weekend, spurring privacy concerns

Associated Press: New York police will use drones to monitor backyard parties this weekend, spurring privacy concerns. “Those attending outdoor parties or barbecues in New York City this weekend may notice an uninvited guest looming over their festivities: a police surveillance drone. The New York City police department plans to pilot the unmanned aircrafts in response to complaints about large gatherings, including private events, over Labor Day weekend, officials announced Thursday.”

Security & Legal Issues 0
August 25, 2023

New York City Comptroller: NYC Comptroller Lander Unveils New Online Hub to Track City’s Contracting & Budgeting Data for Asylum Seeker Service Provision

New York City Comptroller: NYC Comptroller Lander Unveils New Online Hub to Track City’s Contracting & Budgeting Data for Asylum Seeker Service Provision. “New York City Comptroller Brad Lander launched a new resource on the Comptroller’s Office website to enhance transparency into the City’s contracting and budgeting for service provision to support asylum seekers. The page, titled ‘Accounting for Asylum Seeker Services,’ brings together the most comprehensive publicly available set of the City’s known emergency contracts, budget projections, and high-level data on the asylum seeker population.”

New Resources 0
August 9, 2023

US Department of Health and Human Services: Biden-Harris Administration Launches National Dashboard to Track Heat-Related Illness

US Department of Health and Human Services: Biden-Harris Administration Launches National Dashboard to Track Heat-Related Illness. “The EMS HeatTracker will be used to help state, regional, and local government officials, such as city and regional planners, determine where to prioritize heat mitigation strategies, like street trees, parks, and cool roofs. It will also be used to help mayors and public health officials prioritize interventions like cooling centers and outreach to at-risk populations during periods of extreme heat.”

New Resources 0
August 9, 2023

VietNamnet: Foreign travelers now can look up street names via QR codes

VietNamnet: Foreign travelers now can look up street names via QR codes. “Tam Ky built a database and digitized the names of streets and routes in the city in a plan to apply high technology to store, disseminate and explain the history of the country and localities. This allows locals and foreign travelers to learn about every street in a simple way, with their smartphones via QR Code.”

Other Things I Think Are Cool 0
July 31, 2023

Jezebel: Elon Musk Forced to Take Down Disastrous ‘X’ Sign on Twitter Building After 3 Days

Jezebel: Elon Musk Forced to Take Down Disastrous ‘X’ Sign on Twitter Building After 3 Days. “Over the weekend, days after police had to stop the company from taking down its Twitter sign as they didn’t have the necessary safety permits, Musk rolled out an enormous, blinding ‘X’ sign at the top of the building. The brightly lit eyesore—which inevitably poses a risk to those vulnerable to seizures—terrorized neighbors across the street. Well, as of Monday afternoon, the ‘X’ sign has vanished from the top of the office building following a string of very vocal complaints from neighbors, CBS reports.” Note to posterity: we find this just as ridiculous now as you will then. I got nothing, fam.

Tweaks & Updates 0
July 22, 2023

PD&R: Creating the National Zoning Atlas

PD&R: Creating the National Zoning Atlas. “On April 1, 2023, at a session of the National Planning Conference in Philadelphia, panelists described efforts to create a National Zoning Atlas that already is beginning to centralize and organize every zoning code in the nation. The purpose of the atlas is to offer insight into zoning’s effects and democratize land use decisionmaking through comprehensive, digitized, and user-friendly zoning information.”

Around the Search & Social Media World 0
July 15, 2023

The Conversation: Transportation apps can help people with disabilities navigate public transit but accessibility lags behind

The Conversation: Transportation apps can help people with disabilities navigate public transit but accessibility lags behind. “Many people with disabilities rely on public transit as many do not have a driver’s licence. Planning trips, getting to and from transit stops successfully and navigating transit systems is important. My research has shown that smartphone app technology can encourage inclusion by helping people with disabilities better navigate transport systems.”

Research & Opinion 0

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