German Regulators Look To Block Teens From Porn Sites

German authorities are trying to force internet service providers to block major porn sites that don’t implement age verification systems. Gizmodo reports: Currently, German law requires porn sites to restrict access to individuals 18 or older. What’s changed is that German authorities, like the British before them, have now dubbed it a good use of their time to actually pursue porn…

Facebook’s Account Verification Leaves Some Quest 2 Buyers With ‘Paperweight’

Quest 2 is the first Oculus headset to require a Facebook account at launch. False positives from its account verification system may be leaving some buyers with no choice but to return it. UploadVR reports: We’re seeing reports from Quest 2 buyers who aren’t on Facebook finding difficulty creating an account. Facebook’s account verification system — reportedly administered by a machine…

Announcing Coursera for Campus free pricing options and academic integrity upgrades

By Jeff Maggioncalda, Coursera CEO The pandemic has been a catalyst for universities to make online learning core to the student experience. In March, we launched the Campus Response Initiative to give students and faculty free access to Coursera for Campus during pandemic-related closures. Since then, we have grown from 30 universities using Coursera for […]
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Seeing the Invisible Ones: My Journey to Coursera and Grace Hopper

Hi everyone! My name is Nhu. I’m a recent graduate and a Software Engineer at Coursera. I was also a first-time representative at Grace Hopper. This year, we experienced the conference virtually—there were no free shirts, colorful booth displays, or long lines. We did not get to experience the energy of being in a room […]
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What’s the birthstone for October?

If you were born in October, your birth month has 2 birthstones: opal and tourmaline. Source: https://earthsky.org/human-world/october-birthstone-opal-tourmaline…

Is Momentum Growing for Universal Basic Incomes?

“A successful basic-income trial in Stockton, California, has inspired a chain of similar pilots in other cities,” reports Business Insider:
The city council of Saint Paul, Minnesota, voted to approve funding for a pilot there on Wednesday. The program is set to begin this fall and will give up to 150 low-income families $500 per month for up to 18 months —…

Mark Zuckerberg Launches a Push to Recruit Poll Workers for US Election on Facebook

“Facebook is launching a recruitment drive for poll workers this weekend, putting messages into users’ News Feeds with links to poll worker registration sites in their state,” reports the Verge: CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a post announcing the drive that it was part of the company’s larger voting information campaign, which has a goal of helping 4 million people register…

Sagittarius? Here’s your constellation

How to find Sagittarius on August evenings, plus the lore and science of this constellation. Source: https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/sagittarius-heres-your-constellation…

EPA To Rescind Methane Regulations For Oil and Gas

An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Hill: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will sign and issue new rules this week that will get rid of certain methane gas emission requirements for oil and gas producers, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday. Unidentified administration officials told the newspaper that the new rules will include getting rid of requirements for producers…