RSS Parrot

Behind the Blog: Rare Books and Baseball Brain

https://www.404media.co/behind-the-blog-rare-books-and-baseball-brain/

Published: August 7, 2026 15:27

This week, we discuss Flock blogging, "rare" books, and Jesus Christ.

City That Arrested Person for Clapping at Data Center Meeting Moves to Virtual Meetings for 'Public Safety'

https://www.404media.co/city-that-arrested-person-for-clapping-at-data-center-meeting-moves-to-virtual-townhalls-for-public-safety/

Published: August 7, 2026 14:55

A small town in Kansas took its city meetings virtual and ended public comment after city leaders received a wave of death threats.

Flock Pitched a Plan To Turn Uber and Lyft Drivers Into Roaming Surveillance Vehicles

https://www.404media.co/flock-pitched-a-plan-to-turn-uber-and-lyft-drivers-into-roaming-surveillance-vehicles/

Published: August 7, 2026 12:00

A Flock presentation shows the company planned to use around 350,000 Uber, Lyft, and delivery drivers to collect license plate data for its surveillance system.

Software Giant SAP Stops Most Travel and Hiring Because of AI’s Soaring Cost

https://www.404media.co/software-giant-sap-stops-most-travel-and-hiring-because-of-ais-soaring-cost/

Published: August 6, 2026 19:13

SAP says it needs to “be disciplined in how we spend.” That includes still freezing hires and travel. Unless it's to do with AI, of course.

Scientists Designed a Virtual Alien Lifeform to Hunt for Extraterrestrials

https://www.404media.co/scientists-designed-a-virtual-alien-lifeform-to-hunt-for-extraterrestrials/

Published: August 6, 2026 16:49

A model of a microbe cell revealed that methane-producing organisms could potentially emerge on a wide variety of exoplanets, which can inform the search for extraterrestrial life.

Cities Are Ditching Flock, Immediately Replacing It With Axon License Plate Readers

https://www.404media.co/cities-are-ditching-flock-immediately-replacing-it-with-axon-license-plate-readers/

Published: August 6, 2026 13:14

Rather than get rid of ALPR cameras entirely, many cities and towns are switching to Axon, whose cameras can be mounted to an existing streetlamp, helping them blend into their surroundings.

Cops Used Flock to Track a Man Across State Lines to Create Pretext to Search His Car for Weed

https://www.404media.co/cops-used-flock-to-track-a-man-across-state-lines-to-create-pretext-to-search-his-car-for-weed/

Published: August 5, 2026 14:50

"The vehicle travels to Michigan frequently which is a known source state for marijuana as it is legal there," a probable cause justification reads.

Podcast: This Man Might Go to Prison for Wiping His Phone

https://www.404media.co/podcast-this-man-might-go-to-prison-for-wiping-his-phone/

Published: August 5, 2026 14:23

The case of Samuel Tunick allegedly wiping a phone before DHS could search it; inside an AI-powered TIkTok Shop; and Google Earth's dumb AI tool.

Apple's ‘Private Relay’ Is Exposing Users’ Real IP Addresses

https://www.404media.co/apples-private-relay-is-exposing-users-real-ip-addresses/

Published: August 5, 2026 13:46

Researchers found a group of issues that mean Private Relay isn't actually protecting users' real IP addresses. 404 Media verified the issues do expose IP addresses.

The SCREEN Act is a Christian Nationalist Nightmare

https://www.404media.co/what-is-the-screen-act-age-verification-porn/

Published: August 4, 2026 17:41

Mike Lee's SCREEN Act, which heads to Senate Commerce Committee for markup on Wednesday, would expand age verification requirements to a nearly limitless scope of websites, and is supported by the architects of Project 2025.

Microsoft Tells Engineers ‘Tokenmaxxing Is Not What We Are Optimizing For’

https://www.404media.co/microsoft-tells-engineers-tokenmaxxing-is-not-what-we-are-optimizing-for/

Published: August 4, 2026 16:17

Microsoft is introducing budget limits for AI use but says it still wants to be an ‘AI-first’ company.

‘DO NOT MENTION ALPR USAGE’: How Cops Are Trying to Hide Their Use of Flock

https://www.404media.co/do-not-mention-alpr-usage-how-cops-are-trying-to-hide-the-existence-of-flock/

Published: August 4, 2026 14:23

“DO NOT MENTION ALPR USAGE TO THE OCCUPANTS OF THE VEHICLE. DO NOT MENTION ALPR USAGE IN YOUR REPORT OR COMPLAINT."

The SEC Bought Airline Data to Monitor Flights Worldwide

https://www.404media.co/the-sec-bought-airline-data-to-monitor-flights-worldwide/

Published: August 4, 2026 13:55

The SEC bought access to worldwide airline ticketing records. Airlines including Delta, United, and American sold the data.

‘Own the Narrative’: Leaked Flock Guide Shows How It Teaches Cops to Promote Its Tech

https://www.404media.co/own-the-narrative-leaked-flock-guide-shows-how-it-teaches-cops-to-promote-its-tech/

Published: August 3, 2026 17:13

"This document shows a coordinated effort from Flock Safety to compel law enforcement agencies to convince our elected leaders to represent their interests as a company rather than the interests of concerned citizens."

Why a Flock Worker Quit: ‘They Lied’

https://www.404media.co/why-a-flock-worker-quit-they-lied/

Published: August 3, 2026 14:02

Jonathan Paz’s job was to convince cities to buy Flock cameras. After initially being enthusiastic about the company, he started to get disillusioned.

We Need to Quarantine Aliens on the Moon, Scientists Propose

https://www.404media.co/we-need-to-quarantine-aliens-on-the-moon-scientists-propose/

Published: August 1, 2026 10:00

Researchers argue that a lunar biocontainment facility for extraterrestrial samples could prevent “the potential ecological devastation of an invasive extraterrestrial organism.”

Behind the Blog: Silent Retreat

https://www.404media.co/behind-the-blog-silent-retreat/

Published: July 31, 2026 16:24

This week, we discuss going into the woods, a "he admit it" moment, and a tofu sandwich.

Google Earth’s New AI Lets Anyone Fabricate Completely Bullshit Satellite Images

https://www.404media.co/google-earths-new-ai-lets-anyone-fabricate-completely-bullshit-satellite-images/

Published: July 31, 2026 16:03

"Tonight I typed just one sentence into Google Earth and put refugees near the Mexican border. Then I planted a nuclear plant in Iran. Then I put a fatal crash on a street in Amsterdam."

YouTube Bans Popular ASMR Artists, Accusing Them of Making 'Sexually Gratifying' Videos

https://www.404media.co/youtube-asmr-ban-sex-and-nudity-policy/

Published: July 31, 2026 14:25

YouTube told ASMR artists including Bunnii, Slight Sounds, Rose, and others that their content broke the platform's sex and nudity policy. Creators say these bans are unfair and potentially life-altering.

Company Offering Printed Books to Train AI Stops After 404 Media Coverage

https://www.404media.co/ai-company-training-scanning-books-database-isbndb/

Published: July 31, 2026 14:04

Citing backlash, ISBNdb removed its webpages about training AI, denied ever buying, scanning, or selling a book for AI training, and said the site was a "test of market interest."