With the new European Parliament already in full swing, and the Commission (hopefully) being finalised soon we are pleased to announce that our app, EUssentials, has also received an update! Your favourite EU app has all the new MEP’s as well as (the most current list of) Commissioners.
To celebrate we’re inviting you to our EUssentials launch party. Join us on Wednesday 4 December at Grand Central (2nd floor) to have a drink and let us know what you think of the new and improved app. You can find more info about the app here: http://eussentials.eu/. And you can register for our launch party here.
Hope to see you there!
Cambre’s Tech Team
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Open source data for the apocalypse [Bloomberg]
With daily news getting bleaker and bleaker you’ll be happy to know that when the world does eventually end all the open-source software, (that maybe caused the apocalypse?) that has created everything from the Linux operating system to YouTube, is locked safe and sound in the Arctic World Archive fault in Norway. Svalbard, better known for the Global Seed Fault is now home to a tech vault full of much of the world’s open software code. GitHub, Microsoft’s code bank, is aiming to become the Archive’s biggest tenant, with plans to leave 200 special reels of data each carrying 120 gigabytes of code. Since these codes have become the foundation for our modern lives, it makes sense to try to preserve them for whoever is left after the world ends.
Heading to space with NASA’s new app [TechCrunch]
Heading to space could very well become a regular occurrence for future generations. However, for now, most of us are stuck on the ground. So, if you’ve ever wanted to know what it’s like to do the awesome job of piloting a Boeing Starliner or SpaceX Crew Dragon (and let’s face it, who hasn’t?), then NASA has the answer for you in the form of their new app. The app/web-based game provides a simplified simulation of what it’s like to plan and run a commercial crew mission, from spacecraft choice to the launch and docking process. The app is mostly for informative purposes – but a simplified flight simulator isn’t too bad for now until space travel truly does become the norm.
Undercover at Twitter [Wall Street Journal]
This could be the next book by John Le Carre. This time, the spy didn’t come in from the cold but from the warm desert. The FBI arrested a dual US–Lebanese citizen for allegedly acting as an agent of the Saudi Arabian government while working at Twitter a few years ago. According to the charges, after being recruited by a lieutenant in the Saudi government, they would have shared information about two Twitter users who were critics against the Saudi regime. This does raise questions about the ability of companies to protect themselves against the infiltration of spies paid by outside intelligence. It seems that the spy war isn’t over yet and has been taken to the digital level.
Charge up – you’re going to need it [Cass Business School]
Phone charging is more than just a practicality – it’s a social norm. A new study has found that the battery level on users’ mobile phones defines their social identity, from “control freaks” for over-monitoring to “inconsiderate” for letting the charge run out. Commuting and shopping decisions are now made based on where users are most likely to find charging spots. More extreme still, the study found that battery charge levels can determine a person’s mood, with a full charge more likely to leave you feeling positive and energised. Mobile technology, quite literally, is life-changing – and in more ways than it ever set out to be.
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In case you haven’t had enough…
Apple Card’s Gender-Bias Claims Look Familiar to Old-School Banks [Bloomberg]
When ‘tears of joy’ emojis turn into frowning faces [FT]
Police to use AI recognition drones to help find the missing [BBC]
‘Lost’ Species of Mouse-Deer Spotted in Vietnam After 30 Years [Gizmodo]
Russian hackers who stole DNC emails failed at social media. WikiLeaks helped. [WSJ]
‘Suspicious’ cyber attacks hit UK Labour’s election campaign [Euractiv]
UK Home Office app for EU citizens easy to hack, researchers find [FT]
Painting With Code: UI Engineer Diana Smith Creates Baroque-Inspired Portraits with CSS [Colossal]