axon
Is Your City Using Axon License Plate Cameras? We Need Your Help
404 Media is filing public records requests around the country to find out how cops are using Axon's ALPRs. Here is how you can do that too.
Behind The Blog
Behind the Blog: Bobbleheads and Maxed-Out Gaming
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 discuss generative AI in gaming, getting into sports events, and good laptops.
News
Apple’s Huge “Dual Use” Face Swap App Problem Is Not Going Away
Maybe Apple should ban face swapping apps entirely.
Telegram
Podcast: Is the Arrest of Telegram Founder Pavel Durov an Attack on Encryption?
The 404 Media podcast discusses France's crackdown on Telegram.
News
This Is Doom Running on a Diffusion Model
GameNGen is an interesting proof-of-concept for a diffusion model-based “game engine.”
Car Repair
Appliance and Tractor Companies Lobby Against Giving the Military the Right to Repair
The U.S. military deals with the same repair monopolies consumers do.
News
1 in 10 Minors Say Their Friends Use AI to Generate Nudes of Other Kids, Survey Finds
A new survey attempts to quantify just how common it is for minors to AI-generate nudes of other minors.
Telegram
How Telegram's Founder Pavel Durov Became a Culture War Martyr
Conservatives have spent months championing Telegram as an app that more closely aligns with their values than Signal.
Court Watch
FBI Uses January 6 Rioter’s Self-Published Amazon Book as Evidence Against Him
The Kindle book has been taken down by Amazon but the author's children's books remain up.
News
Here’s the Pitch Deck for ‘Active Listening’ Ad Targeting
404 Media previously reported Cox Media Group (CMG) was advertising a service that claimed to target ads based on what potential customers said near device microphones. Now, here is the pitch deck CMG sent to prospective companies. Google has kicked CMG off its Partner Program in response.
Podcast
Podcast: A Whirlwind Tour of DEF CON
Joseph went to DEF CON to talk to hackers on location. AI, hacking biology, and community all came up.
Behind The Blog
Behind the Blog: Skipping Meetings and Calming Nerves
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 discuss running 404 Media for a whole year, public speaking, and meetings.
Announcements
What We Learned In Our First Year of 404 Media
In August 2023, we launched 404 Media with a novel idea: pay journalists to do journalism. Here we are, a year later.