Salt Typhoon Telecom Breach is Wake-Up Call for Threats to U.S. Digital Infrastructure
Salt Typhoon Telecom Breach is Wake-Up Call for Threats to U.S. Digital Infrastructure
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Alleged Mail Thief Arrested After Bragging About Crimes On Instagram Stories
This article was produced in collaboration with Court Watch, an independent outlet that unearths overlooked court records. To subscribe to Court Watch, click here. A serial mail thief’s alleged robbery spree ended after he posted photos of stolen credit cards and bins of mail to his Instagram Stories on the same day he robbed a…
TikTok Shop Sells Viral GPS Trackers Marketed to Stalkers
TikTok Shop is selling GPS trackers marketed with viral videos that have voiceovers explicitly encouraging secretly tracking a romantic partner. Some of the videos have millions of views, and TikTok Shop’s own metrics show that that more than a hundred thousand of the devices have been sold. One of the accounts 404 Media found “If…
DeepSeek AI shakes American swagger and upends assumptions
The app has shaken the markets, and a bullish sense of American superiority in AI development.
New Trump Executive Order Creates AI Challenges For Corporate Boards
President Trump’s action revoking the Biden Administration’s prior Executive Order on AI safety raises expectations for corporate boards to proactively monitor technology risks-at least until a new regulatory plan is forthcoming.
Developer Unlocks Newly Enshittified Echelon Exercise Bikes But Can’t Legally Release His Software
An app developer has jailbroken Echelon exercise bikes to restore functionality that the company put behind a paywall last month, but copyright laws prevent him from being allowed to legally release it. Last month, Peloton competitor Echelon pushed a firmware update to its exercise equipment that forces its machines to connect to the company’s servers…
The Future of Advertising Is AI Generated Ads That Are Directly Personalized to You
Do you and your human family have interest in sharing an exciting IRL experience supporting your [team of choice] with other human fans at The Big Game? In that case, don the chosen color of your [team of choice] and head to the local [iconic stadium]; Ticketmaster has exciting ticket deals, and soon you and…
Podcast: Inside the ICE Deportation Tool
This week we start with a couple of Jason and Joseph’s stories about the tool ICE uses to lookup an incredible amount of information about people. After the break, Joseph explains how he tested an AI service that calls your parents in case you can’t be bothered. In the subscribers-only section, our new regular contributor…
Billions of Sea Stars Mysteriously Turned to Goo. Now We Know Why.
Welcome back to the Abstract! Here are the studies this week that gave me hope, sent me back in time, and dragged me onto the dance-floor. First, what’s your favorite cockatoo dance move? To be fully informed in your response, you will need to review the latest literature on innovations in avian choreography. Then: salvation…
Living Next To Tesla Diner Is ‘Absolute Hell,’ Neighbors Say
One of the big unanswered questions at last week’s grand opening of Hollywood’s Tesla Diner was how its neighbors were feeling about the new, four-story tall movie screen placed directly outside their apartment building. Turns out, many of them are not liking it, or the general chaos that the diner has brought. First, there was…