NEW RESOURCES

Read Only Memo: Introducing Warp Point, a Web 1.0 gaming blog directory built for 2026. “There are no algorithms. No AI summaries. No paid promo slots or accounts meant to keep you on the site. We want you to leave — by browsing through the list of independent bloggers and essayists and newsletter writers and archivists, finding one that interests you, and clicking on it. Hopefully you come back and do that again and again.”

Obsolete Sony: The Walkman Archive Is Now Open. “The archive currently includes 1,066 Sony portable-audio model entries: 441 cassette Walkman models, 171 Discman / CD Walkman models, 106 MiniDisc / MD Walkman models, and 348 Network Walkman models.”

University of Windsor: Decades of graduate student scholarship digitized and shared worldwide. “The University of Windsor is making more than five decades of graduate student scholarship easier to find, search and share by digitizing about 3,400 Major Papers produced between 1962 and 2017. Soon to be freely available through the University’s Scholarship repository (Scholaris), the collection preserves student research and creative inquiry while making it discoverable to students, alumni, community members and researchers around the globe.”

TWEAKS AND UPDATES

Cal Matters: California lawmaker rolls back new public records barriers after fierce opposition. “Assemblymember Blanca Pacheco has once again rolled back her controversial proposal to amend California’s public records rules. The Downey Democrat alarmed First Amendment advocates in March when she introduced a measure that would make it more expensive for some people to get public records from government agencies, which she said was intended to cut down on malicious or profit-driven requests.”

Ars Technica: Reddit will require you to log in to use old.reddit.com. “Reddit will start requiring people to be logged into Reddit to use old.reddit.com. The new requirement will take effect ‘over the next month,’ a Reddit employee going by the username boat-botany announced on the social media platform today. The person claimed that the change is part of an ongoing effort to ‘tighten how automated systems access Reddit.’”

9to5 Google: Google pulls the plug on Tenor API, killing GIF pickers around the web. “GIFs are a huge part of the modern web, with Tenor being one of the libraries that powers a variety of apps including Twitter/X. Google acquired Tenor in 2018 and, while the library itself remains intact, the Tenor API is shutting down today.”

AROUND THE SEARCH & SOCIAL MEDIA WORLD

Jalopnik: These Google Maps Alternatives Make Scenic Detours The Road Trip Rule, Not The Exception . “Here at Jalopnik, we believe that taking the scenic route should be a universal road trip rule, so Google Maps’ reluctance to provide drivers with a scenic route option really rubs us the wrong way. You’re in luck, though, because we’ve dug up tons of road trip map alternatives that can get you the best views the world has to offer without constant attempts to reroute you right back to the hackneyed old interstate.”

Deadline: Peacock Ad-Free Tier Launches On YouTube Primetime Channels As Part Of 2025 Distribution Deal. “YouTube has made good on a provision in a 2025 distribution agreement with NBCUniversal, launching the ad-free tier of Peacock on its channel store.”

SECURITY & LEGAL

Courthouse News Service: Federal judge’s ruling gives Yelp a leg up in antitrust case against Google. “A federal judge on Tuesday agreed to recognize another judge’s finding that Google has monopoly power in the internet search market. The ruling effectively gives Yelp a step up in its lawsuit against the tech giant, allowing it to skip discovery on the issue.”

Bleeping Computer: US seizes hundreds of FIFA World Cup illegal streaming domains. “The U.S. Justice Department’s Criminal Division has seized nearly 400 web domains used for illegally streaming matches at the FIFA World Cup. These websites provided visitors with unauthorized real-time streams of 2026 World Cup matches, in violation of U.S. copyright law.”

High Country News: Will betting on wildfires lead to arson?. “In January 2025, Polymarket listed almost 20 questions, created by the platform’s ‘markets team,’ related to the wildfires burning up Southern California. How many acres will the Palisades Fire burn by Friday, three days after it ignited on a Tuesday? Will the Palisades Fire reach Santa Monica by Sunday? When will the Palisades fire be 50% contained? Will the Palisades and Eaton fires be contained before February?”

RESEARCH & OPINION

ARTNews: Russia’s Hermitage Museum Suspends Archaeological Expeditions in Crimea, Citing Fuel Shortage. “The State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg has suspended all archaeological expeditions in annexed Crimea as the Kremlin declares a state of emergency amid a severe fuel shortage and continued Ukrainian attacks, according to the Moscow Times.” Good afternoon, Internet…

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