Behind the Blog: Company Comments and a Party Recap
Behind The Blog

Behind the Blog: Company Comments and a Party Recap

This week, we discuss companies' responses to being monitored by an ICE contractor, caring about the little things, weight loss drug ads, and how our SXSW shindig went.
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404 Media is a new independent media company founded by technology journalists Jason Koebler, Emanuel Maiberg, Samantha Cole, and Joseph Cox. Read more about us here.
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The Redbox Removal Team
Redbox

The Redbox Removal Team

Redbox left 24,000 abandoned DVD rental kiosks. These are some of the people recovering them.
Russian Disinformation Campaign Spreads Lies About Ukraine's ‘Stalker 2’
News

Russian Disinformation Campaign Spreads Lies About Ukraine's ‘Stalker 2’

A Russian disinformation operation has set its sights on Stalker 2, which has become a symbol of Ukrainian perseverance.
Are Overemployed ‘Ghost Engineers’ Making Six Figures to Do Nothing?
Overemployment

Are Overemployed ‘Ghost Engineers’ Making Six Figures to Do Nothing?

"We have data on the performance of >50k engineers from 100s of companies. ~9.5% of software engineers do virtually nothing: Ghost Engineers.”
Podcast: Pokémon Go to The Military Industrial Complex
Podcast

Podcast: Pokémon Go to The Military Industrial Complex

Niantic, the company behind Pokémon Go, is building an AI model based on user data; we discuss the rise of AI pimping, and a phone sold the U.S. military is expanding to the public.
Someone Made a Dataset of One Million Bluesky Posts for 'Machine Learning Research'
Bluesky

Someone Made a Dataset of One Million Bluesky Posts for 'Machine Learning Research'

A Hugging Face employee made a huge dataset of Bluesky posts, and it’s already very popular. 
X's Objection to the Onion Buying InfoWars Is a Reminder You Do Not Own Your Social Media Accounts
X

X's Objection to the Onion Buying InfoWars Is a Reminder You Do Not Own Your Social Media Accounts

"X CORP. OWNS THE X ACCOUNTS."
WTF Is Stake, the Online Casino Using Viral Posts to Advertise Its Gambling Site
advertising

WTF Is Stake, the Online Casino Using Viral Posts to Advertise Its Gambling Site

Stake is an online casino and sportsbook that's using watermarks on viral meme accounts to advertise on social media. But it goes deeper than that.
Steam Removes Oct 7 Game at Request of UK Counter-Terrorism Unit
News

Steam Removes Oct 7 Game at Request of UK Counter-Terrorism Unit

The creator of a game that allows players to recreate “Operation al-Aqsa Flood” says it’s no different than Call of Duty.
Pokémon Go Data ‘Adding Amplitude to War Is Obviously an Issue,’ Niantic Exec Says
News

Pokémon Go Data ‘Adding Amplitude to War Is Obviously an Issue,’ Niantic Exec Says

A Niantic executive said he could see governments and militaries buying Niantic geospatial AI trained on player data, but the company said it’s still early days.
Tether Has Become a Massive Money Laundering Tool for Mexican Drug Traffickers, Feds Say
News

Tether Has Become a Massive Money Laundering Tool for Mexican Drug Traffickers, Feds Say

Tether is being used on a massive scale by large scale drug traffickers, to the point where Tether is sold cheaper in Mexico due to its links to drugs, according to court records reviewed by 404 Media.
An Ancient Crystal from the Sahara Reveals a Lost World of Martian Water
The Abstract

An Ancient Crystal from the Sahara Reveals a Lost World of Martian Water

This week, we’ll travel to ancient Mars, indulge in record-breaking “nanopasta,” check out nature’s version of fiber optic cables, and behold a galactic jellyfish.
Behind the Blog: 'I Reject It!'
Behind The Blog

Behind the Blog: 'I Reject It!'

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. This week, we talk about conjuring gaming memories, AI-generated Birkin bags, and a rejection of a certain type of criticism.