Geek News

Science Science of the Union. Energy, healthcare, and space all got shoutouts, but a few key topics didn't make it into this year's speech. via Popular Science "http://bit.ly/2Gp1xwy"

Mozilla is concerned about Facebook's lack of transparency regarding political advertising, Chief Operating Officer Denelle Dixon said last week in a letter to the European Commission. Mozilla is currently working to launch its Firefox Election package for the European Union Parliament Elections and says it is not able to provide EU residents with the desired transparency, mainly due to challenges encountered with their Ad Analysis for Facebook add-on.  The add-on, Dixon explains, analyzes a user's Facebook feed to identify ads and how the user is being targeted, and informs the user on that. The data is also compared to information from public sources, to show differences in ads served to specific users. "These two pieces of functionality are critical to bringing greater transparency to political advertising and to advertising in general. However, recent c...

Mozilla is concerned about Facebook’s lack of transparency regarding political advertising, Chief Operating Officer Denelle Dixon said last week in a letter to the European Commission. Mozilla is currently working to launch its Firefox Election package for the European Union Parliament Elections and says it is not able to provide EU residents with the desired transparency, mainly due to challenges encountered with their Ad Analysis for Facebook add-on.  The add-on, Dixon explains, analyzes a user’s Facebook feed to identify ads and how the user is being targeted, and informs the user on that. The data is also compared to information from public sources, to show differences in ads served to specific users. “These two pieces of functionality are critical to bringing greater transparency to political advertising and to advertising in general. However, recent changes to the Facebook platform have prevented third parties from conducting analysis of the ads users are seeing. Th...

Technology The new batch continues the trend of inclusivity. Did you yawn, too? via Popular Science "http://bit.ly/2MQKO6p"

Technology Shining a UV light on the gliding mammals reveals something beautiful. Flying squirrels are adorable little mammals that weigh less than half a pound—and have fluorescent bellies. via Popular Science "http://bit.ly/2GowXmB"

Health It should be no surprise that dense population centers with low vaccination rates would get outbreaks. Of the 14 counties that researchers predicted last June would have measles outbreaks, three have gone on to have them. More cities could be at risk in the near future as… via Popular Science "http://bit.ly/2DfLptN"

Health Here's what you should know. The report points to a broader issue about heavy metal contamination in foods and what levels are safe to ingest. via Popular Science "http://bit.ly/2SdINao"

Technology What’s good for art may also be good for you. Are museums good for wintertime dryness? I decided to investigate and found out exactly what our skin and respiratory system need to thrive. via Popular Science "http://bit.ly/2HW1EC1"

Health How medicine is made: the nitty-gritty of drug research and development. You might have read something last week about how we’ll have a cure for cancer within the year. You read wrong, but it’s not your fault. The Jerusalem Post published an… via Popular Science "http://bit.ly/2Se6ZcL"

Gadgets Useful gear found outside of the dealership. Not all products used for motorcycling are available at the local dealership. This list highlights some useful products not designed for riding. via Popular Science "http://bit.ly/2Gpiyqe"

Environment Developers buried our streams. It's about time we exhume them. Most streets are either too bright or too dark. If we have the technology, why are we still over-lighting our streets? via Popular Science "http://bit.ly/2Tx8mjb"