google maps
Google's Calling Lake Ontario 'Lake America' Now
Google Maps announced on Saturday it would start reflecting the change for U.S.-based users.
The Abstract
How the Hell Did an Island Suddenly Appear, Then Vanish?
A floating mass of trees and vegetation in British Columbia’s Williston Lake attracted international attention after it was filmed this summer by boaters—and then seemed to disappear.
News
A16z Says You Actually Love Social Media, Enshittification Isn’t Real
An a16z article argues that enshittification isn’t real and that people actually love social media.
Flock
Texas Police Used AI to Write Report About Using Flock to Search for Woman Who Had Abortion
The incident shows how quickly police departments have come to use AI surveillance tools even in critically sensitive cases.
AI
The Republican Nominee for New York Governor Made a Creepy, AI-Generated Video of Mamdani and Hochul
The video makes Zohran Mamdani and Kathy Hochul look like they're hanging out in a prescription medication commercial.
axon
Cops Are Asking Axon to Make Their Cameras Look Different From Flock So People Don't Destroy Them
“Is there any talk to redesign the Outpost to not look exactly like the Flock camera — I think it will help agencies with the optics while we batten down the hatches,” one apparent cop asked during a now deleted Axon webinar.
Podcast
Podcast: We Spoke to an Amazon Worker Destroying Books for AI
A follow up to the Amazon destroying books for AI story, why a bunch of names keep appearing in AI-generated papers, and ICE's latest spending spree.
News
Oklahoma Tells City It Can't Charge $17,125.44 for a Records Request Related to Data Center Arrest
The the city tried to charge a farmer more than $17,000 for bodycam footage and records related to his arrest at a city council meeting.
Surveillance
This 'Digital Camouflage' Shirt Confuses AI-Powered Surveillance Cameras
I watched Simon Weckert's 'digital camouflage' in action.
scams
How Cyber Sleuths Tracked a Nigerian Scammer to His Doorstep
Erin West and Paul Raffile went to Nigeria to track down a scammer. They found much more than just his identity.
google maps
Google's Calling Lake Ontario 'Lake America' Now
Google Maps announced on Saturday it would start reflecting the change for U.S.-based users.
The Abstract
Thousands of Interstellar Objects May Be Lurking in Our Solar System
The Sun has likely passed so close to other stars in the past that it captured thousands of small interstellar objects from alien systems, reports a new study.
Behind The Blog
Behind the Blog: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Flamin' Hot Slop
This week, we discuss cool old books, new toys for ICE, and a boardwalk slop invasion.