NEWS YOU SHOULD KNOW

Below is a highly subjective, curatorial take on recent technology related news that we thought might be as interesting to you as it to us. If you have a moment, please read the selected stories to learn a little bit more about what’s happening in the tech world.

CNET

Embarrassing Google Search History? Delete It in Two Steps
Here’s how to delete the last 15 minutes of your Google search history in two steps.

Engadget

Google is bringing automatic summaries to Docs and Chat
Google is making it easy to catch up on long documents with a new auto summarization feature, which will soon be available on Google Docs. It relies on machine learning to break down the key points in a file and generate a readable briefing.

MIT Technology Review

Materials with nanoscale components will change what’s possible
This year’s 35 Innovators are making it possible for familiar materials like glass, steel, and electronics to have completely new properties.

Toward customizable timber, grown in a lab
Researchers show they can control the properties of lab-grown plant material, which could enable the production of wood products with little waste.

NY Times Technology

U.S. Says It Secretly Removed Malware Worldwide, Pre-empting Russian Cyberattacks
The operation is the latest effort by the Biden administration to thwart actions by Russia by making them public before Moscow can strike.

Block Says Cash App Breach Affected 8 Million Users
Block says a former employee downloaded data on millions of Cash App Investing customers.

Text Spam Is on the Rise. Here’s How to Spot It and What to Do
Text spam is on the rise. The latest version involves scammers sending messages to you seemingly from your own phone number. Here’s what to do.

How You’re Still Being Tracked on the Internet
Apple and Google are pushing privacy changes, but a shift in digital tracking is giving some platforms a bigger advertising advantage.

Wired

7 Tips to Work Smarter in Google Docs
Google Docs is regularly used by hundreds of millions of users but there are numerous features and tools to explore, many of which help you tailor the app to your needs and can improve your productivity and your workflow. Wired picked out some of their favorites—and at least some of them should help you do more in less time inside Google Docs.

Apple, Google, and Microsoft Team Up to Vanquish the Password
The FIDO Alliance, an industry group aimed at standardizing authentication methods online, announced that its passwordless sign-on method has received support from the big browser builders: Apple, Microsoft, and Google.

Apple Just Killed the Password—for Real This Time
Apple’s iOS 16 and macOS Ventura will introduce passwordless login for apps and websites. It’s only the beginning.

Data Centers Are Facing a Climate Crisis
Companies are racing to cool down their servers as energy prices and temperatures soar. And the worst is yet to come.

Earth Day: Steps You Can Take to Tackle Climate Change
Wired focuses on promising ideas and innovations designed to make the future better for us all. In that spirit, they compiled some of their best stories about potential solutions to help alleviate the climate crisis, as well as the positive steps you can take right now.

The Infamous 1972 Report That Warned of Civilization’s Collapse
The Limits to Growth argued that rampant pollution and resource extraction were pushing Earth to the brink. How does it hold up 50 years later?

The US Has a Historic Opportunity to Bridge the Digital Divide
Past initiatives didn’t focus enough on people of color. Here’s how to do better this time.

Why the Arctic Is Warming 4 Times as Fast as the Rest of Earth
The loss of sea ice is exposing darker waters, which absorb more of the sun’s energy. It’s a devastating feedback loop with major consequences for the planet.

ZDNET

Microsoft Teams new features: Here’s what has been added in the past month
Microsoft Teams continues to evolve. Here are some of the most recent additions.