Febbraio, 2021

Morgan Pitts has always had an eye for style. While studying marketing at the University of Maryland, many of Morgan’s friends encouraged her to start a blog, but it was not until after graduation that she actively began blogging to showcase her own work. From there, an impromptu tweet and an idea for a T-shirt inspired Morgan to build a platform as a way to build an online community. Now she uses @blackgirlswhoblog and the #blackgirlswhoblog hashtag on Instagram to share playlists and inspiration, and to empower Black women across the world to share their voices, too. What is “Black Girls Who Blog?”“Black Girls Who Blog” is an online community of Black women in the blogosphere and a place where Black women who blog can be seen, heard, celebrated and validated. What made you decide to start it up?When I graduated, a friend who was doing pageants had asked me to style her for new headshots. So, I decided, I want to start a blog. I want to have something tangible to show my work.Fast forward to a year later, April of 2014: I unintentionally tweeted that I would love to have “Black Girls Who Blog” on a T-shirt. It was aimless, and I didn’t think anything of it. I just sent it out to Twitter. At that time, I had a small community of Black women who blogged; we followed each other, and we supported each other’s posts. A friend of mine reached out and asked if an illustration should accompany the text on the shirt. She sent me a draft of the original Black Girls Who Blog logo and had shirts printed. That is how #BlackGirlsWhoBlog was born. I started an Instagram to promote the T-shirts. When that run died down, I thought I’d just continue posting on this account and share different Black women who blog, who I thought were fly, talented, cool and have quality work. I started making every day a theme and that gave me some consistency. The rest is history.The Black Girls Who Blog T-shirt allows fans and followers to show their appreciation IRLAre you the only person behind it? Do you do all the writing?Yeah. I do literally everything. I’m a one-woman show.How do you find people? How has the community grown since you launched it?When I first started, I was posting bloggers that I was aware of. As the hashtag and the page grew, I just had to search through #BlackGirlsWhoBlog on Instagram. Features are selected by using the hashtag and tag in the photos. There is some color coordination that goes into the selection so every week there’s a cohesive color theme.What is the response from the people you feature? Do you feel like the community is growing? The community is very dynamic. You have people who are going to hold it down and support, who were here back in 2014, and you have people who are stumbling across it today. They become immersed and want to be a part of it. I don’t tell people they’re being featured. I do my own research, and then I curate the content I post. Everyone is even more excited when they’re featured because they have no idea that it’s coming. They wake up, and they’re like, “Oh my gosh!”Michelle Ijeoma was recently featured on @blackgirlswhoblog. She’s a corporate lawyer who blogs about beauty and style at michelleijeoma.comHow are things looking for the Black Girls Who Blog hashtag?A few months ago, the #BlackGirlsWhoBlog hashtag on Instagram hit one million users, and I’m proud of that. You can obviously see the following, how it’s grown and how people interact with the content.What are some things that you’ve learned about this community that you didn’t know before?You assume that the only bloggers out there are the popular ones. You don’t even realize how many people have their own personal blogs that they take very seriously, update consistently and put a lot of time, effort and money into. There’s so many different topics, so many different lanes of blogs out there. Morgan celebrates her birthday wearing a gold skirt and a baby-blue “Eat. PRAY. Blog.” T-shirt.You appear on a lot of panels; can you talk about that?I did two events in New York. One was a panel with three of the ladies that I’ve mentioned in my blog, talking about how the blogosphere and the internet have given microphones to marginalized voices.  I did another event with Glossier. They were expanding their shade range of complexion products, so I did an event with them. And then most recently, I did an online video call tutorial on how to make video content with the Jumprope app. [Events like these are] an extension of “Black Girls Who Blog.” They’re events for community members, and I do them when the opportunity presents itself. Someone has come to me and asked , “Hey, would you be interested in doing this?” If I’m interested, I pitch the idea. It’s an extension of the brand IRL versus in a URL.A digital promotional flyer for Morgan’s Jumprope workshop. Follow Black Girls Who Blog on Instagram to catch one of Morgan’s future speaking events.

Welcome to the latest edition of “My Path to Google,” where we talk to Googlers, interns and alumni about how they got to Google, what their roles are like and even some tips on how to prepare for interviews.Today’s post is all about Rob Tate, a senior account manager for digital ad sales based in New York. Rob shares his experience joining Google mid-career and how he was able to translate his “traditional” sales background in print marketing and retail to a role in digital ad sales. Rob now works helping small businesses shift their focus to e-commerce — something that’s become especially prominent since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.Can you talk us through your role at Google?As an account manager for digital ad sales, I work mainly with web hosting and email marketing companies to manage their digital advertising campaigns across Google Ads platforms. A cool project I’m working on at the moment is brand expansion through Video Ads Sequencing on YouTube. It’s exciting to work with companies who really want to transform their brand story and see YouTube as a valuable piece of the puzzle.What were you up to before joining Google?I grew up in Prince George’s County, Maryland.  Even in my younger years, I had an interest in STEM, being a part of a science and technology program in high school where I studied architectural engineering. After graduating from North Carolina A&T State University with a bachelor’s degree in business management, I worked in the federal government for a few years, where I completed the USPS Management Foundations program with a focus on product innovation and brand marketing. While I was working there, I was also a graduate student at University of Maryland University College (UMUC), where I earned my MBA. Outside of work, what do you like to do?I am a small business owner and run a graphic design consulting company that helps other small and medium-sized businesses build their brands online. My other passions are photography, traveling,  trying out new restaurants, writing, collecting all types of art from Black artists and spending time with my friends and family.Can you tell us about your decision to apply to Google? I was always interested in Google! I applied to roles for years with no success, and finally got into the recruitment process a few years ago. I was mid-level in my career, having five years of work experience when I started the recruitment process. With a more traditional sales background working with print marketing campaigns and retail sales, I knew that my work experience along with my personal experience as a small business owner would help me in my new role, but I was still nervous.What inspires you to come in (or log on) every day?Knowing that the work I’m doing is helping people. It’s not just advertising and marketing: We partner with our clients to build user-centric strategies that help their businesses grow. During the pandemic, so many small businesses have shifted their focus to e-commerce and websites instead of physical locations. We’ve been able to be a big part of those companies shifting their strategies to meet their customers’ needs, even from home.How did the application and interview process go for you? The recruitment process started with me being contacted via LinkedIn by a Google recruiter. I had a bunch of interviews over the course of a few months, and I wasn’t used to that. I felt like Google was a whole new world, but my recruiter did a great job of providing helpful resources to make me feel comfortable during the process. Can you tell us about the resources you used to prepare for your interview or role?I did a bunch of research on the role I was interviewing for — pulling information directly from the job description. I used the How We Hire section on Google’s career site and tips about interviewing with Google to decide what parts of my experience to focus on during interviews. Do you have any tips you’d like to share with aspiring Googlers?Show your willingness to think outside of the box. It sounds cliché, I know, but the way you think can take you far. That expertise that you may not think applies to the role you want at Google may be exactly what gets you the job! Be confident and show your personality — share how the things you do outside of work may help you in the workplace. The small details make a difference and tell your story.

For centuries, Black artists have used their crafts to share their lived experiences with the world. Art as self-expression is not a new concept, but how we display it and share it in today’s digital world is. Throughout Black History Month, Google is honoring the creativity and influence of Black artistry by putting it front and center on our products and platforms. Doodles galore  Today, we’re honoring internationally acclaimed poet and civil rights champion Audre Lorde with a slideshow Doodle, illustrated by Los Angeles-based guest artistMonica Ahanonu. The slideshow features a powerful excerpt from Audre Lorde, challenging the misconception that similar identities are a prerequisite to unity. You can also go behind the scenes for a closer look at Audre Lorde’s legacy and explore Monica’s creative process for bringing this inspiring Doodle to life.We’re also celebrating the Blackstories, voices,music and culture that have contributed to creativity and innovation on YouTube and throughout the world. Every Monday, we’ve featured the artwork of a Black artist on the YouTube homepage to celebrate different aspects of Black creativity, including science, arts, motion and history. Click through to see all the artwork for the month of February:An illustration featuring words like Black History Month, Respect, Create and PowerLeandro Assis celebrates voices of Black creativity.An illustration of Black women scientists teaching young Black girls about science.Keisha Okafor pays tribute to Black creativity in STEM.An illustration featuring Black singers, painters, musicians and other artistsMarco Cheatham illustrates Black creativity in the arts.An illustration of six people dancing in front of a yellow background.Shanée Benjamin cheers Black creativity in motion.Content collections across Google productsSince 2015, our Black History and Culture hub on Google Arts and Culture presents the collections and stories of more than 80 partners. This year, we celebrate Black creativity on a new  BHM chapter page with six new partners: Soul’s Grown Deep Foundation, The Kinsey African American Art & History Collection, Greenwood Art Project, National Jazz Museum in Harlem and the International African American Museum. We’re also adding new original works by Wisconsin poet laureate Dasha Kelly Hamilton and photographer Misan Harriman.Courtesy of the Kinsey African American Arts & History Collection, a Google Arts & Culture partner.You’ll also see Black content front and center on Google Play and Google TV. We’re celebratingBlack creators, culture and history on Google Play, including a collection ofapps by Black innovators and interviews like this one with DeShuna Spencer, founder and CEO of kweliTV. You can also plug into iconic Black films and TV shows as we highlight content collections like “Black Love Stories” and “Revolutionary Black ‘90s Sitcoms” throughout the month on Chromecast with Google TV, or in the Google TV app on Android devices in the United States. And on February 26, YouTube Originals will celebrate the “Black Renaissance” with a special featuring Black creators, artists, writers, storytellers and history makers who have shaped our nation. The special will feature the voices of President Obama, Michelle Obama, Stacey Abrams, Jason Reynolds, H.E.R., Shantell Martin, Bob the Drag Queen, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and more.Wallpapers for your browser and phoneStarting today, you can customize the look of your Chrome browser using a new collection of themes. We worked with six contemporary Black artists to turn Chrome into their canvas and each artist has presented their interpretation of the ways people use Chrome, from finding new information to connecting with others. You can also add new wallpapers to your phone. Google Pixel has partnered with Melissa Koby, a Jamaican-born, Florida-based illustrator, on an exclusive collection of Google Pixel phone wallpapers paying tribute to Black people around the world who continue to find joy and beauty despite trials. Google Pixel has also launched Google Pixel x Black Owned Everything, an exclusive collaboration that spotlights a bespoke collection of products from Black-owned businesses from across the country curated by costume designer Zerina Akers and her company, Black Owned Everything.An illustration of five people in front of a city backdrop.On the Hill by Melissa Koby for Google Pixel reminds us that the “Shining City on a Hill” was made such by the people standing at the bottom of the hill, in the sun. They have, despite their trials, found moments of joy and beauty and the strength to persevere.An illustration of seven hands holding flowers up to the sun, in front of a blue sky backgroundGive Flowers by Melissa Koby for Google Pixel pays tribute to our ancestors who created a life for themselves in this country. The pursuit of their dreams were kept alive by the hope of brighter days for themselves and their future generations.An illustration of many people walking on a pink background, with one person standing on a yellow circleMany One People by Melissa Koby for Google Pixel honors the different paths and walks of life that Black people in America take that shape their existence.Digital art and storytelling to amplify small businesses To help people more easily discover Black-owned brands and products they’ll love, we’ve partnered with mixed-media artist Amani Lewis to create an original piece of fine art integrating products made and sold from Black-owned businesses—a piece of “shoppable artwork.” Brands featured in the artwork include Jungalow, Blk & Bold, Diarrablu, Lonéz Scents, Coloured Raine and 3rd Eye View. You can explore the painting on Google Shopping  and purchase items directly on the merchants’ own sites or through the Shopping tab. We’re also amplifying work by young Black artists such as Briana Peppers, Jade Purple Brown, Pink Lomein and more as they show support for their favorite Black-owned businesses. You can follow along on Twitter to see these specially commissioned works of art as they go live throughout Black History Month, and check out Google for Small Businessto learn more about how you can support Black-owned businesses. A painting of three people sitting at a table, featuring bright colors and vibrant texturesAmani Lewis Shoppable Artwork, featuring products by Jungalow, Blk & Bold, Diarrablu, Lonéz Scents, Coloured Raine, and 3rd Eye View.An illustration featuring four Black business owners: A jeweler, a chef, a plant store owner and a yoga instructor.Brianna Peppers celebrating and encouraging support of Black-owned businesses.An illustration of a woman wearing sunglasses and a white shirt with the black text Yowie on it, sitting on a chair.Jade Purple Brown honoring Yowie, a Black-owned home and lifestyle store based in Philadelphia.An illustration of a Black woman with the phrase “Support Black Businesses” written on her hair.Pink Lomein honoring a few of her favorite Black-owned businesses: Ch0ked,People of Color Beauty,Inclusive Randomness,Charm Junkee andCharged Up Jewelry.Finding community through technology In addition to showcasing Black artists across our products and platforms, we also want to help raise awareness to some of the challenges Black artists face in their day to day lives. Tune into this featured interview with Jillian Mercado, founder of Black Disabled Creatives, and Brent Lewis, co-founder of Diversify Photo, as they discuss the adversities of Black and disabled Black artists. They also discuss how they used Google tools to build a public database of artists and innovators who are often overlooked because of their identities and lack of access to opportunities. Black artistry continues to influence every aspect of American culture, and we hope you’ll join us in amplifying these powerful voices. 

This Black History Month, the Chrome team is showcasing exciting new work by Black artists in a collection of themes that let you customize the look of your browser.We commissioned six contemporary artists and invited them to turn Chrome into their canvas. Working in different mediums and bringing different points of view, each artist has presented their interpretation of the ways people use Chrome: finding new knowledge, connecting with each other, exploring our world and taking action towards our goals.Our design team crafted themes around their work to fuse them seamlessly into Chrome, coordinating the colors of your tabs and making sure the work looks great on all types of laptop and desktop screens.We drew inspiration from the #drawingwhileblack hashtag, organized by featured artist Abelle Hayford, as well as from the many artists who have used their talents to advance the call for justice and give us visions of a better future. We hope these themes help you discover new artists, and bring you energy and joy throughout your day as you go to new places through art. Browse all 24 themes in the collection on the Chrome Web Store, and read on to hear from the artists:“Telepathy” – Sabrena Khadija“Telepathy” – Sabrena Khadija“Black women are my one true source of inspiration. For my ‘Telepathy’ theme I wanted to represent the bonds that connect us and allow us to uplift, empower, and embolden each other. To show that whether we are sisters or strangers, the bonds that connect us remain strong.” Sabrena Khadija is a Brooklyn-based illustrator from Prince George’s County, Maryland.“Bubbly” – Olivia Fields“Bubbly” – Olivia Fields“One day, I was doing the dishes and a tiny bubble managed to escape from the kitchen and travel all the way to my workspace. As I watched it move slowly through the room, I realized I was still drawn in by its gentle movements as well as the urge to pop it before reaching its destination. ‘Bubbly’ is inspired by that warm nostalgic feeling of spending time at play. ”   Olivia Fields is a cartoonist and illustrator based in Brooklyn, New York, where she currently works as a freelancer.”Stay Flo” – Laci Jordan“Stay Flo” – Laci Jordan“Inspired by exploration, escapism, and vacation. ‘Stay Flo’ captures the idea of the movement, flow, and lush vibes commonly experienced through exploring (and vacation).”   Laci Jordan is a multidisciplinary designer, illustrator and creative director. Born and raised in Huntsville, Alabama, Jordan currently lives in Los Angeles.”The Explorer” – Janelle Cummins“The Explorer” – Janelle Cummins“I wanted to create designs influenced by its fluidity. I arrived at a unifying theme of water, a versatile element that provides, sustains and captivates. This theme design shows a macro shot of scenes within water droplets caught on blades of grass. A curious ladybug enters one of the encapsulated worlds.”   Janelle Cummins is an illustrator born and raised in Barbados, who now calls the San Francisco Bay Area her home.”Ntentan (Connections)” – Derrick Ofosu Boateng“Ntentan (Connections)” – Derrick Ofosu Boateng“Connection as a part of human existence is so vital for the society as a whole. Not just on the surface, but deep within us, where we’re joined spirit to spirit, heart to heart. It’s such a healing relationship. That was my inspiration for this collection.”   Derrick Ofosu Boateng is a Ghanaian digital artist inspired by the richness of Africa and the way of life of her inhabitants.”A Spark” – Abelle Hayford“A Spark” – Abelle Hayford“For this illustration, I wanted to approach the concept of ‘finding’ in a more symbolic way. When I find or discover ideas or concepts it feels like a giant spark of inspiration coming to life.”   Abelle Hayford is a Los Angeles-based illustrator and artist working in animation and comics.

Over the last year, the education community had to quickly adapt to challenges, and Google Classroom evolved with them. Today, Google Classroom helps more than 150 million students, educators and school leaders around the world teach and learn — up from 40 million last year. We first built Classroom to simplify and improve teaching and learning. We wanted to help teachers build stronger connections with students and give them back time to focus on the things that made them want to teach in the first place. As more teachers use Classroom as their “hub” of learning during the pandemic, many schools are treating it as their learning management system (LMS).While we didn’t set out to create an LMS, Classroom is committed to meeting the evolving needs of schools. We’ll continue to put the people who use our products first and listen to your feedback to address your top priorities. And we’ll always make sure Classroom retains the simplicity and ease-of-use that’s made it so helpful to teachers, students, and school leaders around the world.Here’s a sneak peek into new features coming to Classroom over the next year — from the ability to use Classroom with other tools and more controls to features that help students learn from anywhere, as well as a simplified workflow for teachers. Better together: Use Classroom with other toolsUse your favorite EdTech tools and content with Classroom (coming later this year)School leaders, teachers and students often use multiple educational tools each day and need them to work together. Soon, for teachers using Google Workspace for Education Plus or Teaching and Learning Upgrade, Classroom add-ons will let them choose their favorite EdTech tools and content from a marketplace and assign it to students directly inside Classroom — all without extra log-ins. Admins will also be able to install add-ons for teachers in their domains. Integrate your favorite edtech tools and content with Classroom add-ons.Set up classes in advance with SIS roster syncing (coming later this year)Provisioning classes for an entire school system can be time consuming. Later this year, admins using Education Plus will be able to create classes and populate and sync rosters directly to Classroom from their Student Information System (SIS).Streamline grade entry (coming later this year)Grade Export, which is available to eligible Skyward and Infinite Campus customers, is coming to Aspen SIS. This will allow teachers to track grades and push them from Classroom’s Gradebook to their SIS, eliminating the need to put grades in two places.This is for you, adminsGet deeper insights with Classroom audit logs (coming soon)With audit logs, admins can get to the root of Classroom-related issues and pinpoint instigating events, such as who removed a student from a class or archived a class on a specific date. Classroom audit information will soon be available directly in the Admin Console.Analyze Classroom activity logs (coming soon)Admins using Education Standard or Education Plus can soon get deeper insights about Classroom adoption and engagement. Admins will be able to easily schedule exports of Classroom audit logs to BigQuery, where they can get adoption and engagement insights. We’re also building a customizable Data Studio template to help admins visualize Classroom data.A better hybrid learning environment for teachers and studentsTrack student engagement (coming later this year)To give teachers visibility into which students are engaged and which are falling behind, we’re launching student engagement tracking. Educators will be able to see relevant stats about  how students interact with Classroom, such as which students submitted an assignment or commented on a post on a particular day.Keep learning happening while offline (coming later this year)We’re updating the Classroom Android app to work offline or with intermittent connections. Students will be able to start their work offline, review assignments, open Drive attachments, and write assignments in Google Docs — all without an internet connection.Submit better pictures of homework (coming later this year)We’ve seen an increase in the number of images uploaded to Classroom — especially from students taking photos of paper assignments. We’re making it easier to attach and submit photos in the Classroom Android app and for teachers to review. Students will be able to combine photos into a single document, crop or rotate images, and adjust lighting.Seamlessly scan, edit and attach images of paper assignments with the Classroom Android app.A simple workflow for educators Improved grading on mobile (coming later this year)More teachers are using mobile devices to give feedback on the go. We’re improving how you use Classroom to grade on Android, including the ability to switch between student submissions, grade while viewing an assignment, and share feedback.Rich text formatting (coming soon)Teachers and students (on web, iOS and Android) will soon be able to customize Classroom assignments and posts using rich text formatting — including bold, italics, underline and bullets.Use rich text formatting in Classroom posts or assignments. Originality reports in new languages (coming soon)Originality reports help students turn in their best work, while making it easy for instructors to detect potential plagiarism. Soon they’ll be available in 15 languages including English, Spanish, Portuguese, Norwegian, Swedish, French, Italian, Indonesian, Japanese,  Finnish, German, Korean and Danish, Malay and Hindi.CS First integration (now available)CS First is our free, introductory computer science curriculum. You can now import student rosters from Classroom into a new CS First class and students can sign in using a Google account.Many of these features were based on your feedback — so keep it coming! We hope these features improve your experience as they become available. If you want to know about upcoming updates, subscribe to our Workspace Updates blog.

Chromebooks — which last year were largely used as classroom tools for writing reports and working on projects — are now the main way many students go to school. As distance learning takes place around the world, educators and students have had to quickly adapt to teaching and learning through Chromebooks. And along the way we’ve updated features and tools to make learning from anywhere easier. This year, we have 40 new devices and accessibility improvements coming so that every student can learn the way they want to. Tools to help educators teach from anywhere Teachers have long recorded lessons to help students do homework and study for tests, but in the past year it’s become downright critical for virtual learning. Which is why we’ve built a screen recording tool right into Chrome OS that is coming in the latest Chromebook update in March. With this tool, teachers and students can record lessons and reports in the classroom and at home. Easier ways for leaders to manage technologyChrome Education Upgrade unlocks access to Google Admin Console, making it possible for schools to centrally manage massive fleets of Chromebooks. Now, there are over 500 Chrome policies in Google Admin Console, including new ones like Zero Touch Enrollment, which make it easier to deploy and manage Chromebooks at scale — even remotely.As schools buy hundreds or even thousands of Chromebooks for teachers and students, it’s overwhelming to find the best device to purchase. To make it easier we’ve created a resource to help you find the right Chromebook for whatever you’re looking for — whether it’s in-class learning, virtual learning or devices for faculty and staff.10:25Updates that equip every student, everywhere  We’re launching over 40 new Chromebooks. Many of them include convertible Chromebooks that function like a laptop and a tablet, and come with a  stylus, touchscreen, and dual-cameras for students to take notes, edit videos, create podcasts, draw, publish digital books and record screencasts. Every new Chromebook is equipped to deliver exceptional Google Meet and Zoom experiences — right out of the box. We also have devices that can better support students with limited access to the internet, or in countries with strong mobile broadband networks. These devices, called Always Connected devices, have an LTE connectivity option that allows you to connect via your preferred cellular network.Making education products that work for all students, also means creating accessibility features. And it turns out these features are helpful to everyone — including people with disabilities. ChromeVox, our full-featured screen reader, has new features including improved tutorials, the ability to search ChromeVox menus, and smooth voice switching that automatically changes the screen reader’s voice based on the language of the text. We are also making significant audio, video and reliability improvements to Meet on Chromebooks so it continues to work smoothly for everyone. How we’re setting the bar higherAs many students are learning from home, it has become even more important for parents and guardians to help support their child’s learning, while also making sure they’re safe online. We’re making it possible for families to add a Google Workspace for Education account to their child’s personal Google Account managed with Family Link. This lets children still log into the apps and websites they need with a school account, while making sure parents can still set guidelines for device and app usage. 10:25We’ll continue to listen and evolve Google for Education products so they benefit educators, leaders and students. To learn more about all of the upcoming improvements to Chromebooks and Chrome OS, subscribe to our Chrome Enterprise Release notes.

Intel accoglie oggi l’ottavo CEO della sua storia: Bob Swan cede il timone del colosso statunitense dei microchip a Pat Gelsinger. In questo articolo vediamo chi è Gelsinger, tra vita privata e carriera lavorativa. Il nuovo CEO di Intel ha davanti a sé sfide difficili e non tutti pensano che riuscirà a vincerle.

Con una emozionante riedizione dei “sette minuti di terrore” del suo predecessore Curiosity nel 2012, il rover o veicolo semovente Perseveranceè arrivato sano e salvo su Marte, atterrando come previsto nel grande cratere Jezero di Isidis Planitia dopo 203 giorni di viaggio (era partito dalla Terra il 30 luglio 2020). Perseverance è il veicolo più pesante mai arrivato su Marte (1025 kg). È un robot grosso come un’automobile: misura 3 metri di lunghezza, 2,7 metri di larghezza e 2,2 metri di altezza. Trasporta a bordo Ingenuity, il primo elicottero-drone progettato per volare su un altro pianeta, nella tenuissima atmosfera marziana. Questo rover è appunto una versione evoluta di Curiosity, atterrato su Marte il 5 agosto 2012, rispetto al quale ha strumenti più sofisticati, fra cui un sistema di raccolta di campioni predisposto per il ritorno sulla Terra grazie a un veicolo da lanciare successivamente, un esperimento per la produzione di ossigeno usando le risorse locali, e telecamere stereoscopiche che dovrebbero regalarci immagini 3D sensazionali. Questa qui sotto è la prima immagine arrivata sulla Terra da Perseverance: è in bianco e nero e a bassa risoluzione perché è stata trasmessa dalle telecamere di navigazione di Perseverance subito dopo l’atterraggio su Marte, in modo da dare le prime informazioni sull’esatta localizzazione del rover e sulle sue condizioni ambientali e operative. La manovra di discesa e atterraggio ha seguito l’acrobatica falsariga inaugurata con Curiosity: lo scudo termico ha frenato il veicolo in arrivo direttamente dalla Terra, assorbendo il calore prodotto dalla compressione dell’atmosfera davanti allo scudo; una volta effettuata la frenata, si è aperto un paracadute che ha portato il veicolo fino a poche centinaia di metri dal suolo, rallentandolo ulteriormente; poi si sono attivati i razzi della “gru volante” (skycrane), che è rimasta in volo librato a circa 10 metri dal suolo e ha calato il rover Perseverance, per poi allontanarsi e schiantarsi con il propellente residuo (questo allontanamento serve per evitare di contaminare la zona di atterraggio). Qui sotto vedete i componenti del veicolo Mars 2020 Perseverance: dall’alto, lo stadio di crociera usato per il viaggio dalla Terra a Marte; la carenatura superiore (backshell); lo stadio di discesa, che ha agito da gru volante; il rover Perseverance ripiegato; lo scudo termico per l’attraversamento dell’atmosfera marziana (NASA). Sta iniziando una nuova fase della ricerca della vita su Marte. Jezero (“lago” in molte lingue slave) è un grande cratere di circa 49 chilometri di diametro che si ritiene abbia ospitato un lago alcuni miliardi di anni fa e quindi è considerato un luogo ottimale dove cercare la vita o tracce della sua passata esistenza.   Questo articolo vi arriva gratuitamente e senza pubblicità grazie alle donazioni dei lettori. Se vi è piaciuto, potete incoraggiarmi a scrivere ancora facendo una donazione anche voi, tramite Paypal (paypal.me/disinformatico), Bitcoin (3AN7DscEZN1x6CLR57e1fSA1LC3yQ387Pv) o altri metodi.Scritto da Paolo Attivissimo per il blog Il Disinformatico. Ripubblicabile liberamente se viene inclusa questa dicitura (dettagli). Sono ben accette le donazioni Paypal.

Ultimo aggiornamento: 2021/02/18 18:00.Stamattina ho ricevuto via mail questa…. cosa: Buongiorno, mi chiamo Alessia, lavoro per [azienda di comunicazione] e mi occupo di comunicazione all’interno della nostra azienda. Vi scrivo perchè gli esperti di [azienda di comunicazione] hanno elaborato un articolo con una guida su come distinguere una voltura da un subentro, i documenti necessari e come contattare il fornitore. Trovate l’intero articolo qui: [link] Credo che possa essere molto interessante per i vostri lettori, perciò volevo proporvi di pubblicarlo sul vostro sito, contribuendo ad una sana e corretta informazione. Sentitevi pure liberi di copiarlo e incollarlo, vi chiedo solo l’accortezza di specificare la nostra fonte con la seguente notazione: Fonte: [link] Oltre all’articolo è presente in allegato un’infografica, se per motivi redazionali dovete modificare o aggiungere del contenuto all’articolo o utilizzare solo questa e scrivere voi l’articolo non è un problema, vi chiedo solo che venga citata la fonte. Grazie in anticipo per la vostra risposta. Vi ringrazio e vi auguro buon lavoro Cordiali saluti, Alessia [cognome] Responsabile comunicazione e marketing Mi viene un dubbio: a chi può essere rivolta una campagna del genere? C’è davvero gente così disperata da pubblicare online questi finti articoli? Ho preso nota di una frase-chiave tratta dall’“articolo”, così fra qualche giorno posso cercarla in Google per vedere se è stata pubblicata e da chi. Non la pubblico qui, per ora, perché al momento è stata pubblicata da un solo sito e non voglio regalargli la visibilità che queste campagne di spam vogliono ottenere.Ho risposto come segue: Buongiorno Alessia, prima di mandarmi questa proposta, ha considerato il fatto che il mio sito si occupa d’informatica e che quindi un articolo su come distinguere una voltura da un subentro non c’entra un fico secco? Cortesemente, mi rimuova dalla lista dei suoi destinatari. E se posso permettermi un suggerimento per un vostro prossimo articolo, propongo “Come scegliere bene i destinatari di una comunicazione promozionale”. Magari senza inserire nella mail un tracciatore di Google Analytics. Cordiali saluti. Paolo Attivissimo Giornalista informatico La mail, infatti, contiene questo codice [ho asteriscato i dati identificativi]: <img src=”https://www.google-analytics.com/collect?v=1&amp;tid=UA-**********-3&amp;cid=132&amp;t=event&amp;ec=ecGSV_********&amp;ea=eaGSV_********&amp;dp=dpGSV_********&amp;dt=dtGSV_********&amp;cs=csGSV_********&amp;cn=GSV_********&amp;cm=cmGSV_********&amp;utm_source=whale&amp;utm_medium=mail&amp;utm_campaign=GSV_********” ueinlftrw=”” /> Caso mai non fosse chiaro ad Alessia e ai suoi tanti emuli che continuano a mandarmi “proposte di collaborazione” e “articoli” pronti per la pubblicazione: piantatela. Rendetevi conto che siete degli squallidi spammer. Trovatevi un mestiere dignitoso.  Ed è totalmente, assolutamente, irrevocabilmente inutile farmi proposte di questo genere. Se aveste letto qualunque cosa di quello che scrivo, sapreste bene che non sono in vendita. O perlomeno, non ai prezzi che potete permettervi. Se vi va bene, verrete cestinati. Se vi va male, beh… potrei pubblicare l’ID della vostra campagna e lasciare che Internet segua il proprio corso. Scegliete voi.   2021/02/18 17:25 Mi è appena arrivata un’altra mail dalla stessa azienda, stavolta firmata da “Camilla.Ferrari”. Stesso schema, tema differente, sito pubblicizzato differente, ID di Google Analytics differente. Stavolta lo pubblico: cosa riuscite a trovare? https://www.google-analytics.com/collect?v=1&amp;tid=UA-138964131-3&amp;cid=285&amp;t=event&amp;ec=ecGBT_12022021&amp;ea=eaGBT_12022021&amp;dp=dpGBT_12022021&amp;dt=dtGBT_12022021&amp;cs=csGBT_12022021&amp;cn=GBT_12022021&amp;cm=cmGBT_12022021&amp;utm_source=whale&amp;utm_medium=mail&amp;utm_campaign=GBT_12022021   Questo è quello del primo invio: https://www.google-analytics.com/collect?v=1&amp;tid=UA-138964131-3&amp;cid=132&amp;t=event&amp;ec=ecGSV_18022021&amp;ea=eaGSV_18022021&amp;dp=dpGSV_18022021&amp;dt=dtGSV_18022021&amp;cs=csGSV_18022021&amp;cn=GSV_18022021&amp;cm=cmGSV_18022021&amp;utm_source=whale&amp;utm_medium=mail&amp;utm_campaign=GSV_18022021   2021/02/18 18:00 Ringrazio i tanti che mi hanno segnalato vari strumenti di ricerca di informazioni riguardanti gli ID di Google Analytics. Li riassumo qui, anche se finora non hanno fornito risultati utili:Domainmetrics.deMoonsearch.comDNSlytics.comHackertarget.com   Questo articolo vi arriva gratuitamente e senza pubblicità grazie alle donazioni dei lettori. Se vi è piaciuto, potete incoraggiarmi a scrivere ancora facendo una donazione anche voi, tramite Paypal (paypal.me/disinformatico), Bitcoin (3AN7DscEZN1x6CLR57e1fSA1LC3yQ387Pv) o altri metodi. Scritto da Paolo Attivissimo per il blog Il Disinformatico. Ripubblicabile liberamente se viene inclusa questa dicitura (dettagli). Sono ben accette le donazioni Paypal.

Un vettore riutilizzabile senza equipaggio Falcon 9 di SpaceX, partito dal centro spaziale militare di Cape Canaveral, in Florida, ha collocato in orbita regolarmente il proprio carico, costituito da 60 satelliti Starlink, ma non è riuscito a completare la manovra di ritorno del primo stadio. Si è verificato un problema nell’accensione di frenata finale, durante la manovra di atterraggio sulla nave appoggio senza equipaggio Of Course I Still Love You, situata nell’Oceano Atlantico a circa 600 chilometri dal punto di lancio. Il primo stadio del vettore è precipitato non lontano dalla nave invece di posarsi sul ponte. Questo primo stadio, siglato B1059, era giunto al suo sesto volo. Era entrato in servizio a dicembre 2019. Per la flotta di lanciatori riutilizzabili di SpaceX si tratta della prima perdita dopo 24 atterraggi consecutivi effettuati con successo. Falcon 9 B1059 streaks off into the night on what would turn out to be its last mission.She had a good run, having launched 6 missions – 2 Dragons, SAOCOM, NROL-108, and a total of 118 Starlinks. Farewell, good booster. https://t.co/4Fh3ucGWIS pic.twitter.com/Hl2yE93suK— Stephen Marr (@spacecoast_stve) February 16, 2021   Fonti: NasaSpaceflight; Teslarati. Questo articolo vi arriva gratuitamente e senza pubblicità grazie alle donazioni dei lettori. Se vi è piaciuto, potete incoraggiarmi a scrivere ancora facendo una donazione anche voi, tramite Paypal (paypal.me/disinformatico), Bitcoin (3AN7DscEZN1x6CLR57e1fSA1LC3yQ387Pv) o altri metodi.Scritto da Paolo Attivissimo per il blog Il Disinformatico. Ripubblicabile liberamente se viene inclusa questa dicitura (dettagli). Sono ben accette le donazioni Paypal.

Ultimo aggiornamento: 2021/02/14 17:35.Ormai il giornalismo si è ridotto a tre regole:La competenza costa troppo e fa perdere tempo.Nessuno rilegge.Tutti copiano. Piccolo esempio di oggi: qualcuno, forse ANSA, ha diffuso una notizia sul terremoto avvenuto in Giappone scrivendo che è dovuto probabilmente a un “assestamento delle placche teutoniche”. Fa ridere, ma dimostra ancora una volta che chi ha scritto la notizia non l’ha riletta, e che tutti gli altri l’hanno copiata, senza rileggerla.ANSA (con tanto di osceno bollino “notizia d’origine certificata”):Repubblica:SkyTG24:L’Unione Sarda:Il copiaincolla arriva anche in Svizzera, con il Corriere del Ticino (che ha corretto quasi subito, scusandosi) e con La Regione Ticino, che hanno attinto al comunicato dell’agenzia ATS.Ci sarebbe poi da dire dell’errore di usare epicentro per parlare del punto di origine del sisma nel sottosuolo: “La scossa, con una magnitudo rivista al rialzo di 7.3, ha avuto come epicentro una profondità di 55 chilometri al largo della costa di Fukushima” (no, quello è l’ipocentro; l’epicentro è il punto corrispondente sulla superficie). È stato corretto da alcune testate (per esempio CdT), ma il concetto è già chiaro. Questo articolo vi arriva gratuitamente e senza pubblicità grazie alle donazioni dei lettori. Se vi è piaciuto, potete incoraggiarmi a scrivere ancora facendo una donazione anche voi, tramite Paypal (paypal.me/disinformatico), Bitcoin (3AN7DscEZN1x6CLR57e1fSA1LC3yQ387Pv) o altri metodi.Scritto da Paolo Attivissimo per il blog Il Disinformatico. Ripubblicabile liberamente se viene inclusa questa dicitura (dettagli). Sono ben accette le donazioni Paypal.

È disponibile la puntata di stamattina del Disinformatico della Radiotelevisione Svizzera, condotta da me insieme a Tiki. Argomenti trattati: L’avvocato che diventa gatto su Zoom fa sorridere il mondo. Sì, ma come si fa a diventare gatti? Florida, impianto di depurazione delle acque “hackerato” con rischio di avvelenamento di massa. Sicurezza sottozero Falsi allarmi virus appaiono sugli smartphone: la truffa del Calendar spam Podcast solo audio: link diretto alla puntata; link alternativo. App RSI (iOS/Android): qui. Video (con musica): è qui sotto. Podcast audio precedenti: archivio sul sito RSI, archivio su iTunes e archivio su TuneIn, archivio su Spotify. Archivio dei video precedenti: La radio da guardare sul sito della RSI. Buona visione e buon ascolto! Scritto da Paolo Attivissimo per il blog Il Disinformatico. Ripubblicabile liberamente se viene inclusa questa dicitura (dettagli). Sono ben accette le donazioni Paypal.

Collegarsi a una videoconferenza e accorgersi troppo tardi che chi ha usato il computer prima di noi ha lasciato attivi i filtri che aggiungono baffi o orecchie da coniglietto può capitare, ma stavolta è capitato in un contesto particolarmente comico. L‘avvocato texano Rod Ponton ha cercato di collegarsi su Zoom con il tribunale per un‘udienza e si è reso conto che il suo volto veniva sostituito digitalmente da un filtro, diventando quello di un gattino che ne seguiva i movimenti e le espressioni, muovendo la bocca quando l‘avvocato parlava. Lo spezzone di video dell’incidente ha fatto subito il giro di tutta Internet, non solo per le espressioni ridicole del gattino ma anche per la serietà e l’aplomb con il quale tutti hanno gestito la situazione, specialmente quando l’avvocato ha detto al giudice, Roy B. Ferguson, che non riusciva a disattivare il filtro e che era disposto a proseguire l’udienza in quelle condizioni, dichiarando solennemente di essere presente e di non essere un gatto. “I’m here live; I’m not a cat”. L‘avvocato Ponton è diventato immediatamente una celebrità mondiale grazie al fatto che il giudice ha pubblicato lo spezzone su Twitter, usandolo per diffondere un avviso: “CONSIGLIO IMPORTANTE PER ZOOM: se un bambino ha usato il vostro computer, prima di collegarvi a un’udienza virtuale controllate le Opzioni Video di Zoom per assicurarvi che i filtri siano disattivati. Questo gattino ha appena rilasciato una dichiarazione formale in un caso presso il 349° [tribunale distrettuale]”. Il giudice ha lodato l’impegno e la professionalità di tutti i partecipanti e ha chiarito che il momentaneo inconveniente è stato risolto e l’udienza è proseguita regolarmente. L’avvocato, da parte sua, ha spiegato che ha usato il computer della sua segretaria, sul quale era attivo quel filtro per ragioni non meglio chiarite.  Succedeva anche agli antichi egizi.   Ma a questo punto, finite le risate, all’informatico viene spontanea e irresistibile una domanda: come si fa, di preciso, ad attivare in Zoom il filtro testa di gatto? Non c’è. I filtri disponibili Zoom aggiungono barba e/o baffi, occhiali, cappelli, orecchie o antenne e poco altro. Non c’è traccia di gattini. Allora da dove arriva il gattino animato dell’avvocato texano? Secondo LifeHacker e la BBC, quello specifico gattino così comicamente animato esiste soltanto in Live Cam Avatar della Reallusion, un vecchio software per webcam della Dell che risale al 2010 circa.  Se però vi accontentate di un filtro che ottenga un effetto analogo anche se non identico, potete usare Snap Camera, per Windows 10 o macOS 10.13 o successivi. Dopo averlo installato, cercate uno dei suoi filtri felini, attivatelo e poi lanciate Zoom o Teams o qualunque altro software di videoconferenza, avendo cura di scegliere come webcam non quella integrata nel computer ma quella virtuale creata da Snap Camera.  Per disattivare questo filtro è sufficiente riselezionare la webcam normale. La domanda finale, però, arriva dall’account Twitter di Larry the Cat, il gatto del numero 10 di Downing Street: “Esiste un filtro per Zoom che trasforma i gatti in avvocati?” Scritto da Paolo Attivissimo per il blog Il Disinformatico. Ripubblicabile liberamente se viene inclusa questa dicitura (dettagli). Sono ben accette le donazioni Paypal.

C’è parecchio clamore intorno alla notizia che aggressori informatici ignoti sono entrati via Internet nei sistemi di controllo di un impianto di trattamento delle acque a Oldsmar, in Florida, e ne hanno alterato i valori delle sostanze chimiche immesse per la depurazione, con conseguente rischio di avvelenamento della popolazione servita dall’impianto (circa 15.000 residenti).Il Tampa Bay Times riferisce che uno degli addetti all’impianto stava monitorando i sistemi quando ha visto che il cursore del mouse si stava muovendo da solo e che qualcuno lo stava usando per cambiare la quantità di idrossido di sodio (soda caustica) da 100 parti per milione a 11.100 parti per milione. L’operatore ha subito ripristinato il valore originale. La vicenda viene ora investigata dall’FBI oltre che dalle autorità locali.A prima vista sembrerebbe un attacco molto sofisticato, opera di terroristi o altri grandi malfattori. Ma leggendo il resoconto ufficiale delle autorità emerge un quadro ben diverso: gli intrusi sono entrati facilmente perché la gestione remota dell’impianto usava un semplice TeamViewer che permetteva di accedere a tutti i computer usando la stessa password di accesso remoto, e i computer erano collegati direttamente a Internet senza alcuna protezione (firewall o simili). Inoltre tutti i computer erano connessi al sistema SCADA di gestione dell’impianto e usavano ancora Windows 7.Come se non bastasse, l’impianto aveva smesso di usare TeamViewer sei mesi fa, ma l’aveva lasciato installato.Insomma, un disastro annunciato. Probabilmente si tratta di un ex dipendente oppure di qualcuno che pigramente ha usato i motori di ricerca che trovano gli impianti lasciati aperti online, come Shodan, e fra i tanti honeypot (trappole) ha trovato quel bersaglio assurdamente facile.Se avete impianti di qualunque tipo comandabili da remoto, pensate alla sicurezza; aggiornateli, usate password robuste e differenti, e non lasciate tutto spalancato sperando che nessuno vi trovi. Esistono motori di ricerca appositi: vi troveranno. Non fate come quell’impianto idrico italiano che è rimasto aperto e visibile per mesi nonostante le mie segnalazioni.Fonti aggiuntive: The Verge, AP. Scritto da Paolo Attivissimo per il blog Il Disinformatico. Ripubblicabile liberamente se viene inclusa questa dicitura (dettagli). Sono ben accette le donazioni Paypal.

Uno studente di Modena, dove sono stato a far lezione qualche tempo fa, mi segnala una tecnica molto particolare usata dai truffatori online per tentare di ingannarlo: un allarme che è comparso sul suo iPhone e lo avvisa che il dispositivo “è gravemente danneggiato da (4)”. Quattro cosa, non si sa. L’avviso prosegue dicendo che “Senza una protezione adeguata, la tua identità e altri dati importanti possono essere facilmente sottratti. L’applicazione consigliata da iOS evitare [sic] che ciò accada in modo efficace. Clicca qui sotto per avvalerti della necessaria protezione.” Viene inoltre fornito un link da seguire: h**p://load03[.]biz/?cc=a922a578-4872-45eb-a7e4-2fc71777bc40&sid=8k5zel che non visualizza nulla in Browserling.com (emulando Android o Windows 7), ma il sito Load03[.]biz è segnalato come diffusore di truffe basate su falsi allarmi antivirus. Infatti questo avviso è in realtà un innocuo evento del Calendario, confezionato in modo da sembrare un allarme. I truffatori iniettano l’evento nel Calendario della vittima sfruttando la funzione di invito, che consente di aggiungere eventi a un Calendario altrui semplicemente conoscendone l’indirizzo di mail. Gli utenti non particolarmente esperti, presi dall’ansia, spesso non si accorgono che si tratta semplicemente di un evento del Calendario e cadono nella trappola. L’allarme va ignorato, nel senso che non bisogna seguire le sue istruzioni, ma è meglio eliminarlo cancellando il calendario-truffa che lo contiene. Niente paura, non occorre cancellare il vostro calendario, ma soltanto quello al quale il truffatore vi ha iscritto: nell’esempio qui sopra, il calendario Events (nome scelto intenzionalmente per confondere la vittima). Per prevenire il ripetersi di questo genere di attacco si può andare nelle impostazioni del Calendario (accedendo a iCloud con un browser, se necessario) e chiedere che gli inviti arrivino come mail invece che come notifiche in-app. Scritto da Paolo Attivissimo per il blog Il Disinformatico. Ripubblicabile liberamente se viene inclusa questa dicitura (dettagli). Sono ben accette le donazioni Paypal.