wordpress
Following Layoffs, Automattic Employees Discover Leak-Catching Watermarks
The watermarks, which could identify people leaking screenshots to the press, are in the background of internal communications platform P2.
influencers
I Went to See ‘God’s Influencer,’ the Millennial Saint Carlo Acutis
Carlo loved Halo and programming, but he loved God more. I went to see him, lying under glass in his Nikes for eternity, at a church in Assisi.
Behind The Blog
Behind the Blog: The Economy, Robot Umpires, and Monsters
This is Behind the Blog, where we share our behind-the-scenes thoughts about how a few of our top stories of the week came together.
News
Another Masterful Gambit: DOGE Moves From Secure, Reliable Tape Archives to Hackable Digital Records
DOGE claimed it saved "$1M per year" by converting 14,000 magnetic tapes to digital storage.
Behind The Blog
Behind the Blog: Ancient Civilizations and Modern-Day Driving
This week, we discuss learning from civilizations past and learning to drive.
Massive, Unarchivable Datasets of Cancer, Covid, and Alzheimer's Research Could Be Lost Forever
Days before Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that 10,000 HHS staffers would lose their jobs, a message appeared on NIH research repository sites saying they were "under review."
Deepfakes
'I Want to Make You Immortal:' How One Woman Confronted Her Deepfakes Harasser
“After discovering this content, I’m not going to lie… there are times it made me not want to be around any more either,” she said. “I literally felt buried.”
onlyfans
OnlyFans Sued After Two Guys Realized They Might Not Actually Be Talking to Models
A class action complaint claims OnlyFans is allowing fraud on its platform by letting models use agency chat service to talk to fans.
Behind The Blog
Behind the Blog: Foolishness and Breaking Through
This week, we discuss getting fooled, the 'one big story' of the week, and Ghibli.
pikachu
Pikachu Spotted Fleeing Police Crackdowns During Turkey Protests
As a real video of someone in a Pikachu suit at a protest goes viral, an AI-generated “photo” is fooling a lot of people.
age verification
Texans Might Soon Have to Show Photo ID to Buy a Dildo Online
A new bill introduced by Angela Paxton, wife of Texas AG Ken Paxton, would impose privacy-invading age verification requirements on online sex toy retailers.
Behind The Blog
Behind the Blog: Vile Media and Fine Sciences
This week, we discuss doxed Teslas, the concept of "amplification," and how we'd much rather be looking at cooking videos than all this mess.