DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Texas County Keeps Public Libraries Open Amid Book Ban Controversy
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( David Montgomery | Alexandra Alter | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A small Texas county decided to keep its public libraries open during a heated public meeting in which county commissioners weighed whether to shut down the library system after a judge ordered the county to restore banned books to its shelves. The decision was seen as a victory for a group of residents who had sued the county and library officials, arguing that the book removals were unconstitutional and violated citizens’ First Amendment rights. The judge, Robert Pitman, of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, ordered Llano County to return the books to their place while a lawsuit over the banned books, brought on by a group of county residents, proceeds. After the judge’s order was issued, county commissioners called a special meeting to decide whether to “continue or cease operations” at the library. The ongoing fight has divided the community and made Llano, a rural county in central Texas about 80 miles northwest of Austin, a new testing ground for citizens invoking First Amendment protections in the face of rising book bans.

☆ Warner Bros Discovery unveils revamped 'Max' in push for streaming growth
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Dawn Chmielewski | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Warner Bros Discovery eliminated "HBO" from the name of the streaming service, which for some viewers connotes bespoke series but repels others. He repudiated his predecessor's COVID-19 era strategy of releasing new movies simultaneously in theaters and in the home, via HBO Max. Instead, Warner Bros films would enjoy a traditional theatrical release and reap box office proceeds before becoming available on the streaming service. It licensed some of these shows to other streaming services, as Warner Bros Discovery looked for new ways to monetize its film and television libraries. Like other media companies, Warner Bros Discovery has yet to turn a profit on its HBO Max and Discovery+ streaming services, though the company has reduced losses from them.

☆ As summer heat looms, Japan urged to curb impact, emissions
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Stanislav Kogiku | SOPA Images | Lightrocket | Getty ImagesTemperatures are rising in Japan and summer is coming fast. "The risks from climate change are right before us," said Yasuaki Hijioka, deputy director of the Center for Climate Change Adaptation at the National Institute for Environmental Studies in Tsukuba, northeast of Tokyo. But climate change means communities are often caught off guard because the systems were engineered for the weather conditions of the past. The warming weather can also hold more moisture, adding flooding and landslides to the summer forecast, something that Japan has also seen with growing frequency. "We need to view climate change as a natural disaster."

☆ Florida Democrats are trying to use Ron DeSantis' book laws against his own recently published book
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Florida Democrats are challenging Ron DeSantis' book under his own education laws, per The Daily Beast. They argue that the book could run afoul of his own laws on race and gender concepts in schools. Ron DeSantis by requesting his new book be reviewed under laws pushed through by his own party, The Daily Beast reported. DeSantis vocally backed the Florida Board of Education's successful effort to ban Critical Race Theory in state classrooms in 2021. It's unclear how many school districts in Florida currently stock DeSantis' book.

☆ I'm a drag queen in Tennessee and scared the new law banning cabaret performances will hurt the drag community and leave me without a steady income
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-01 | by ( Alexandra York | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Bella DuBalle, a Memphis-based drag queen, said this law will hurt both her and small businesses. DuBalle has been doing drag for a decade and working as a full-time drag queen in nightclubs and other venues for three years. However, a new law in Tennessee that takes effect on April 1 threatens her business and that of fellow drag performers in the community. DuBalle believes the law will harm the income and livelihoods of both drag performances and the local businesses that feature them. Building a full-time career took perseveranceBella DuBalle has been a full-time drag queen for three years.

☆ Gavin Newsom heckles Ron DeSantis over latest Disney power struggle, on the Florida governor's home turf
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-01 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Gavin Newsom of California praised Walt Disney World for its "masterclass" of putting Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida "back in his place" after the company created a loophole to maintain control of its land. News broke this week that a law giving the Florida governor power to take over Disney World's governing board is likely toothless. Democratic governors frequently criticize DeSantis' policies in Florida, and DeSantis last month mocked people who do so yet "end up being spotted on the beach somewhere vacationing in Florida." As for a potential 2024 GOP nomination contest between the former president and DeSantis, Newsom predicted Trump would "clean his clock."

As an immigrant from Vietnam, my mom doesn't have a credit score and has no intention of getting one. When I wanted to build credit, I looked toward community-oriented resources like public libraries and local churches. Owning land was considered a major asset, and homes built on that land served as collateral on borrowed money. My parents came from large families who supported themselves through agrarian means, so they rarely had any need for borrowed money. We have a greater understanding of how credit scores are calculated and more resources geared toward people who have been previously excluded from credit building.

☆ Some Republicans are suggesting that the Nashville shooter's reported trans identity played a role in causing the deadly incident
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The Nashville shooter identified as transgender, according a police statement Monday that was later walked back. Some Republicans, including JD Vance and Marjorie Taylor Greene, are suggesting the shooter's trans identity played a role. We aren't aware of the shooters intentions in terms of gender identity," a Metro Nashville Police Department spokesperson said. As details of the shooter's identity began to emerge, some prominent Republican elected officials zeroed in on Hale's reported transgender identity. "How much hormones like testosterone and medications for mental illness was the transgender Nashville school shooter taking?"

☆ DeSantis' policies are controversial even among his supporters. They might come back to bite him, even in a primary
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

DeSantis supporters revealed they were less inclined to vote for him after learning about his policies. Diving into the poll's results, 40% of all respondents — over 620 respondents — said they "definitely" or "might" vote for DeSantis. The pollster then asked respondents about eight of the policies that DeSantis has championed as governor, but didn't note the relation to DeSantis. Looking at the poll's crosstabs, however, and it appears that DeSantis supporters were less likely to vote for him after learning about his policies. DeSantis' signature achievements are unpopular amongst the massesDeSantis, along with the Florida legislature, hasn't shied away from unpopular policies in the past.

☆ San Francisco is forcing couple to remove sidewalk 'obstruction' — or pay $1,400. It's a little free library.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( Aidan Pollard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A popular little free library in San Francisco was ordered to be removed, the Wall Street Journal reported. The order was prompted by a call to a city hotline used for complaints about regulatory violations. The library is part of a crackdown in San Francisco on unpermitted objects that interfere with public ways, the Wall Street Journal reported. The Meyers' library is still standing, the Journal reported, as the city sorts out new rules for the small box and many like it. In the end, Susan Meyers told the Journal the original hotline complaint may have been a catalyst for the city to rethink its regulations.

REUTERS/Stefan WermuthMarch 25 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge has ruled that an online library operated by the nonprofit organization Internet Archive infringed the copyrights of four major U.S. publishers by lending out digitally scanned copies of their books. The San Francisco-based non-profit over the past decade has scanned millions of print books and lent out the digital copies for free. But Koeltl said there was nothing "transformative" about Internet Archive's digital book copies that would warrant "fair use" protection, as its e-books merely replaced the authorized copies publishers themselves license to traditional libraries. "Although IA has the right to lend print books it lawfully acquired, it does not have the right to scan those books and lend the digital copies en masse," he wrote. Internet Archive promised an appeal, saying the ruling "holds back access to information in the digital age, harming all readers, everywhere."

REUTERS/Stefan WermuthMarch 24 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Friday ruled that an online library operated by the nonprofit organization Internet Archive had infringed the copyrights of four major U.S. publishers by lending out digitally scanned copies of the books. The San Francisco-based non-profit over the past decade has scanned millions of print books and lent out the resulted digital copies for free. But Koeltl said there was nothing "transformative" about the Internet Archive's digital book copies that would warrant "fair use" protection, as its ebooks merely replaced the authorized copies publishers themselves license traditional libraries. "Although IA has the right to lend print books it lawfully acquired, it does not have the right to scan those books and lend the digital copies en masse," he wrote. The Internet Archive in a statement promised an appeal, saying the ruling "holds back access to information in the digital age, harming all readers, everywhere."

☆ Efforts to Ban Books Nearly Doubled in 2022, Report Finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Jennifer Calfas | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Participants gathered for a rally against book bans in Tallahassee, Florida, this week. Attempts to ban books in U.S. libraries nearly doubled in 2022 from a year earlier, according to a new report from the American Library Association. The organization said Thursday it identified 1,269 efforts to censor books and resources in libraries last year. That is the most recorded in the more than two decades the American Library Association has tracked these trends, and a jump from 729 in 2021.

Xbox Game Pass vs. PlayStation Plus: GamesHorizon: Forbidden West is the latest high-profile game to hit PlayStation Plus. Horizon Forbidden West / SonyThe main selling points of Game Pass and PlayStation Plus are their Netflix-style libraries of downloadable games. That said, there are a handful of Game Pass titles that are only available on console or PC, not both. Game Pass members get a 10% discount when buying games that are already on Game Pass, so you can always get a deal before a game leaves the service entirely. That 10% discount also applies to downloadable content and add-ons for Game Pass games, which aren't always included with the base version.

☆ DeSantis-picked education board considers expanding so-called 'Don't Say Gay' law to 12th grade
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Florida's board of education is considering an expansion to a Parental Rights law critics call "Don't Say Gay." It would limit instructions about gender identity and sexual orientation for up to 12th grade. It wasn't immediately clear whether the proposal was aimed at supplanting or clarifying the 2022 law, formally known as the Parental Rights in Education Act. Some Florida school boards have shown they're confused about how to abide by the Parental Rights Act. Some have removed books exploring sexual orientation and gender identity from their libraries, though it's unclear for what grades.

☆ Online-Books Lawsuit Tests Limits of Libraries in Digital Age
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( Erin Mulvaney | Jeffrey A. Trachtenberg | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The Internet Archive, in San Francisco, lends digital versions of physical books it has scanned to readers worldwide. A federal judge on Monday will weigh pleas by four major book publishers to stop an online lending library from freely offering digital copies of books, in a case that raises novel questions about digital-library rights and the reach of copyright law that protects the work of writers and publishers. Nonprofit organization Internet Archive created the digital books, building its collection by scanning physical book copies in its possession. It lends the digital versions to readers worldwide, with more than three million digitized books on offer. Titles range from Stephen King ’s scary bestseller “It” to Kristin Hannah ’s historical novel “The Nightingale.”

☆ I'm an AI prompt engineer. Here are 3 ways to use ChatGPT to get the best results.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( Aaron Mok | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Anna Bernstein is a prompt engineer at Copy.ai, which makes AI tools to generate blog posts and emails. Her job is to write prompts to train the bot to generate high quality, accurate writing. Here are three tips on how to write prompts to get the best outcomes from AI. Now I'm a prompt engineer helping to optimize the most cutting edge technology in the world. If you want the AI to fully understand your request, make sure your prompt includes a verb that clearly expresses your intent.

If you're in debt or need help with your taxes, you can often get free help. Some situations may require the help of a financial advisor, and a fee-only advisor can be a good choice. Whether you simply don't want to pay for a help or are unable to, there's good news: Expensive professional help isn't the only way to solve your financial problems. The National Foundation for Credit Counseling provides credit counseling for any income level. Investing for retirementThe Financial Planning Association allows financial planners to provide free advice for families experiencing cancer, households needing help after COVID-19, and more.

☆ DeSantis administration revokes Hyatt Regency Miami alcohol license after it hosted "A Drag Queen Christmas"
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The DeSantis administration had previously said it was looking into "A Drag Queen Christmas." "A Drag Queen Christmas" is a holiday-themed drag show that tours in 36 different cities and features stars from the reality show "RuPaul's Drag Race." In July 2022, the DeSantis administration filed a complaint against a Miami bar that hosted a drag show where minors were present. This year, Tennessee became the first to ban adult performances, including drag, from public spaces such as parks and schools. Public libraries across the US began facing backlash from some parents in recent years for hosting Drag Queen Story Hours.

So You Want to Turn an Office Building Into a Home? There’s an appealing simplicity to the idea of converting office buildings into housing. Basically, they did this:How to Turn a 26-story Office Building Into a 30-story Apartment Building Cut a hole through 23 floors of the building. How to Turn a 26-story Office Building Into a 30-story Apartment Building Cut a hole through 23 floors of the building. That could change with tax abatements and subsidy programs, or if outdated office buildings lose so much value that the cost of acquiring them plummets.

☆ Gen Zers are bookworms but say they're shunning e-books because of eye strain, digital detoxing, and their love for libraries
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Kate Duffy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Three Gen Zers gave their reasons for preferring printed editions over e-books. But when it comes to reading, Gen Zers say they prefer to pick up a printed book over an e-book. Book sales in the US and the UK have boomed in the past two years, the management consultancy McKinsey found. Perhaps the most surprising trend is not Gen Zers' love of books but the way they consume them. She said while e-books were affordable and great for traveling, her preference was printed books.

☆ Google search is bad and getting worse. Here's how search is evolving in the era of AI.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Mason Pelt | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

He says Google search is worse than ever, and the company isn't financially incentivized to fix it. Google search is worse than it was three years ago. People use Google search in two waysPeople use Google to either find general information where any credible source is acceptable. Searching, "who is Neil Gaiman," or "list of the endless in the Neil Gaiman series" will likely give searchers the answers they seek. That sentence's chaotic grammatical mess is a window into the Google search results pages.

☆ Democrat Jamaal Bowman calls DeSantis’ parental rights push ‘a sham’ and urges Biden to ‘speak up’ to support public education
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

But before that, he spent 20 years in public education and founded a middle school in the Bronx. What Youngkin, DeSantis, and other Republicans are doing is "all a sham" because parents have always had rights, Bowman said, and McAuliffe's response was "misguided and misinformed." Bowman said he wants Biden, Cardona, Vice President Kamala Harris, and First Lady Jill Biden, a community college professor, to speak even more about public education and parents' longstanding rights as partners. He wants Biden to hold a town hall and "speak up on what's real in our public schools." His vision for education, he said, includes an end to annual standardized testing, a greater focus on project-based learning, more equitable funding for public education, and greater investments in children with special needs.

☆ 5 ways to file your taxes for free this season
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Kate Dore | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

IRS Free FileIRS Free File offers free online guided tax preparation for your federal tax returns and some state filings if your adjusted gross income was $73,000 or less in 2022. It's a good option for those who have simple returns, don't need ongoing tax planning advice and could benefit financially from the free service. Although 70% of taxpayers qualify for IRS Free File, only 2% used it during the 2022 filing season, according to the National Taxpayer Advocate. Tax prep for older AmericansOlder Americans may also qualify for free in-person and virtual tax help through the AARP Foundation Tax-Aide program. The program works with VITA and Tax Counseling for the Elderly, or TCE, which also provides free tax preparation for those who qualify.

☆ Nvidia will soar 19% as the market's top semiconductor stock because their chips work most seamlessly with AI and they already have a head start, Credit Suisse says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Nvidia stock is set to hit $275 due to its leadership in AI, according to Credit Suisse. Nvidia shares have jumped more than 60% since the year's start as ChatGPT has raised AI hype. Characterizing Nvidia as the "leading silicon AI enabler," Credit Suisse said its graphic processing units are at the core of AI development and machine learning. Moreover, Nvidia's software will be its "competitive moat" in AI that keeps other companies at bay, Credit Suisse said. Credit Suisse is not alone in its bullishness.

Search resuls for: "Libraries"

25 mentions found