Clash of the Titans 

OpenAI is testing a new search prototype, clearly aimed at Google’s current 90% market dominance. The SearchGPT tool will be available to a limited number of users for testing, according to Business Insider. For a chance to try out this new AI-powered search feature, join the waitlist on the OpenAI site.

The lime and the coconuts 

Not a member of Gen Z? A self-proclaimed meme authority on LifeHacker has kindly compiled an explainer for many of the Kamala Harris-inspired memes out there.

Where migrants move

While concerns about immigration generally focus on the U.S.-Mexico border, there’s less attention paid to where immigrants go once they enter the U.S. The Washington Post has a scrolling infographic that shows where migrants are coming from, when their numbers have surged, and where they are settling.

Rainbolt has left the building 

How to win at GeoGuessr: Lock yourself in your apartment for months and memorize the world using Google Street View. That’s what Trevor Rainbolt did during COVID. His ability to identify locations from photos is legendary, but he’d never been outside the U.S. until 2022. Then, he decided to visit the world IRL. The New York Times tracks the geo-genius on his journey of discovery.

When sharing isn’t caring 

While Internet trolls intentionally spread disinformation, the average user can unwittingly compound the problem by sharing bad information. Writing for The Conversation, H. Colleen Sinclair suggests seven ways to avoid spreading misinformation. While social media platforms strive to contain disinformation, Sinclair claims the best defense is self-defense.

Roll over, Beethoven 

For art lovers, Google Arts and Culture just introduced four new summer games and experiments. Here’s a fun one: One Sound, Two Frames features AI-generated melodies based on works of art. In the game, players try to identify which painting inspired the music “composed” using Google AI’s image–to-music technology.

CrowdStrike strikes out  

July’s massive CrowdStrike meltdown crashed Microsoft Windows computers around the world, resulting in the largest IT outage in history. CNN explains how much it will have cost (billions) and what caused it. They also have a little fun with the $10 UberEats voucher CrowdStrike offered clients to make up for the pain.

Privacy for the camera shy 

It’s bad enough that your image is probably in a thousand strangers’ photos floating around on the web. But now our smart home devices and monitors could be taking photos of us, and who knows where those could wind up? That’s why some University of Michigan engineers are developing PrivacyLens, a camera that turns humans into stick figures, the ultimate in anonymization.

Working from home, kids version 

Child labor laws aim to protect minors from working long hours in hazardous conditions. But in the wild west of the Internet there are no laws protecting children from working in their parents’ home for a social media channel such as TikTok or YouTube. Child labor laws need updating for the digital age, says Hillary Robinson, a law professor at Northeastern University.

Street View scofflaw 

To combat its estimated 500,000 uninsured drivers, Greece created an online verification tool anyone can use to find out whether or not a car has mandatory auto insurance. That’s how an uninsured Google Street View vehicle was spotted driving on public roads in Thessaloniki, reports AutoEvolution.