THE VERGE Tuesday August 15, 2023
TikTok users in Europe will be able to switch off the personalized algorithm behind the app’s For You and Live feeds as the company makes changes to comply with the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), notes The Verge. According to TikTok, disabling this function will show users “popular videos from both the places where they live and around the world” instead of content based on their personal interests. DSA rules that require very large online platforms allow their users to opt out of receiving personalized content, which typically relies on tracking and profiling user activity.
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The New York Times Tuesday August 15, 2023
For the past two and a half years, Oregon has been trying an unusual experiment to stem soaring rates of addiction and overdose deaths. People caught with small amounts of illicit drugs for “personal use,” including fentanyl and methamphetamine, are fined just $100 — a sanction that can be waived if they participate in a drug screening and health assessment. The New York Times recently looked at what the experiment has meant to Portland in a report featuring photographs by Jordan Gale.
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KICKSTARTER Tuesday August 15, 2023
After making several trips into the Exclusion Zone to document the impact of the 1986 disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, photojournalist Gerd Ludwig gathered his images together in a landmark book, The Long Shadow of Chernobyl (Edition Lammerhuber). He believed his work there was complete, but the Russian invasion of Ukraine has again drawn attention to Chernobyl. Ludwig is now crowd funding a project that will take him back to the dangerously contaminated area to report on the next chapter of the Chernobyl story.
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DP Review Tuesday August 15, 2023
Tamron has announced the development of the 70-180mm F2.8 Di III VC VXD G2 for Sony E-mount, the successor to Tamron's original 70-180mm F2.8 zoom lens. The G2 lens includes a couple of notable features compared to the original, notes DP Review. They include a new optical formula and Tamron's vibration compensation mechanism for in-lens image stabilization, as well as Tamron's VXD linear motor for fast autofocus. The lens has a close focusing distance of 30cm (11.8") at 70mm and 85cm (33.5") at 180mm.
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