Go means green 

Idling at a red light isn’t just wasting time, it’s producing high levels of pollution–about 29 times what you’d encounter on the open road. Google Green Light is using AI experimentally in 12 cities around the world, including Seattle, to adjust traffic lights to improve traffic flow, saving fuel and reducing greenhouse gasses, says the American Planning Association.

Sort of amazing 

The New York Public Library is home to the world’s largest book sorter, which can handle 5,000 books an hour. Sal Maggadino, deputy director of the “Book Ops” division explains (in a classic New York accent) how it works in this video demonstration, which caught the eye of Laughing Squid.

Hackers put brakes on car sales

Car dealerships across the U.S. and Canada were hampered for weeks in June as the software supplier they rely upon to run their business suffered a crippling ransomware attack. Dealers use CDK Global’s software for credit checks, financing, insurance, inventory and more. Many dealerships went old school, resorting to pen and paper to close the deal, AP reported, while CBSNews observed how buyers were affected. Word is that CDK will pay millions in ransom to get its customers back online.

Talk your next text 

If you’ve ever wondered how some people manage to send such long text messages while you can barely tap out a three-word sentence, the Washington Post may have the answer. Learn how to send your own “voice note,” using proper messaging etiquette. No coughing or chewing, please. [This link is to a gift article.]

Citizen archivists wanted 

Historic public radio and television programs like Watergate hearings coverage and The French Chef are available to the public through the American Archive. This joint project of the Library of Congress and WGBH, Boston, has a goal of preserving “the most significant public television and radio programs of the past 60 years.” Volunteers are welcome to edit the computer-generated transcripts.

Get creative for less 

Adobe Creative Suite may be the gold standard for creative software, but gold is pretty expensive. MakeUseOf’s Ruby Helyer has curated a list of the best free alternatives to many of Adobe’s products, including Photoshop, InDesign and Illustrator.

A social media utopian 

Maintained by Google, Orkut was an early social media site designed to help people make friends and maintain positive relationships. Wired tracked down the eponymous founder, Orkut Büyükkökten, who is working on a new platform with similar goals. He envisions “a place of love” that facilitates people meeting in person. “My biggest passion is connecting people through technology,” he says.

Vox populi 

If you’re noticing more Reddit responses popping high up in your Google searches recently, it’s not by accident. One reason, according to Search Engine Journal, is that Google has started prioritizing “helpful content” from discussion forums in a recent algorithm update. The Journal also notes the coincidence of this happening after Google’s $60 million deal with Reddit to license its data for AI projects.

Meta, maligned and misunderstood 

A cinema in London recently canceled the world premiere of a film scripted entirely by AI due to a barrage of protests, presumably from writers. In The Last Screenwriter, a writer is shaken to find a scriptwriting program that’s more in tune with human emotions than he is. Director Peter Luisi complained to the Guardian, “people don’t know enough about the project…I’m doing this as a contribution to the cause.”

Geek humor 

What’s the point of being called Fun Size if you can’t occasionally do something just for fun? Bored Panda has a collection of jokes for techies. Many groaners, some cringes, a few chuckles. Example: “An SEO expert walks into a bar, bars, pub, tavern, public house, Irish pub, drinks, beer, alcohol.” You’ve been warned.