Government
The Download: selling battlefield drone data and AI reshaping language
Plus: OpenAI has launched Astra, its most capable model yet. Battlefields in Ukraine are littered with the remnants of drones. But behind all that wreckage, there's a new gold mine for the defense sector: the data those drones generate. Ukraine has begun making millions of data points gathered during tens of thousands of drone flights available to military contractors and commercial companies. It's a quick way to attract funding and partnerships, but it turns the front line into a model training site, using the chaos of war to create conditions that AI companies struggle to reproduce. As this new industry takes shape, we need a regulatory system that ensures battlefield data isn't treated like ordinary commercial material.
Japan Is Launching a Probe to Collect the First-Ever Samples From a Martian Moon
The mission to Phobos, Japan's first Mars probe launch in 28 years, may reveal new information about our closest planetary neighbor. The Japanese space probe will land on the moon Phobos. A Mars probe from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) may answer some longstanding questions about the Red Planet and its moons. The mission--dubbed MMX for "Martian Moons eXploration"--aims to collect at least 10 grams of samples from Phobos, one of two moons orbiting the planet, and if successful, these will be the first rocks from a Martian moon ever brought to Earth. They won't arrive quickly, however.
We're Suing ChatGPT--And Trump Just Got Involved.
We're Suing ChatGPT--And Trump Just Got Involved. Get your news from a source that's not owned and controlled by oligarchs. The other day I asked ChatGPT about a political moment I'll never forget: "What was the 47 percent story about?" That's accurate as far as it goes. But there's one glaring omission: any reference to, which uncovered the story that reshaped that election cycle. The summary contained no links or citations to our reporting.
ICE Wants to Know Who Bought a Certain Green Beanie From REI in the Last 2 Years
Homeland Security Investigations agents hit the outdoor retailer with a controversial subpoena as part of a dragnet search for the identities of protesters who entered a Minnesota church in March. Did you buy a beanie from REI recently? The Department of Homeland Security might be looking for you. New court filings allege that Homeland Security Investigations agents subpoenaed the outdoor retailer in March, requesting the transaction information for "all persons" in the greater Minneapolis-St. Paul area who had purchased a specific type of dark green beanie from the company since 2024.
A battle-tested spacecraft now begins its approach to Mercury
Fix It Future Blink Self Made Small Talk AI at Heart Watch of the Week Amplify The Best of 2024 AI at Play Watch History Office Ladies Podcast Don't Freak Out All Series Elisha Sauers writes about space for Mashable, taking deep dives into NASA's moon and Mars missions, chatting up astronauts and history-making discoverers, and jetting above the clouds . Through 17 years of reporting, she's covered a variety of topics, including health, business, and government, with a penchant for public records requests. She previously worked for in Norfolk, Virginia, and in Annapolis, Maryland. Her work has earned numerous state awards, including the Virginia Press Association's top honor, Best in Show, and national recognition for narrative storytelling. For each year she has covered space, Sauers has won National Headliner Awards, including first place for her Sex in Space series.
By Any Means review: Mark Wahlberg takes the Johnny Depp path
Look Up Trending Now Good Connection: Uplifting stories for a digital age Creator Playbook Say More Mashable's Best: E-readers, robovacs, laptops, earbuds, smart home and more Switch Off Mashable Voices Mashable Selects Safety Net Versus Gift Ideas For Everyone On Your List All Series'By Any Means' review: Mark Wahlberg takes the Johnny Depp path Imagine Mississippi Burning meets Green Book. Kristy Puchko is the Entertainment Editor at Mashable. Based in New York City, she's an established film critic and entertainment reporter who has traveled the world on assignment, covered a variety of film festivals, co-hosted movie-focused podcasts, and interviewed a wide array of performers and filmmakers. There are moments where feels like Paramount once envisioned it as a prestige play for the Oscars. Directed by Elegance Bratton, the drama draws on true events to expose anti-Black racism in the American South in the 1960s.
Europe targeted by spiralling campaign of sabotage and Russia is the chief suspect
As summer temperatures in Europe smashed records this summer and many politicians shifted to holiday mode, Russia remained focused on its war. Not only did its military attacks across Ukraine intensify last month, becoming ever more deadly for civilians, Russia also appears to have escalated its sabotage campaign across Europe. This time, military and defence sector sites were the prime target. A full month after drones packed with explosives were found at Leipzig's airport, used by Ukraine to transport military goods, Germany's interior minister has declared that Russia is responsible. Russia's President Vladimir Putin is demanding proof, as always, and his officials call the accusation absurd.
AI Use in the Job Market Is Creating an Infinite Doom Loop
Job seekers are trying to game the application process using AI. It's not working, and not for the reasons you might think. Jodi Beggs' résumé got dinged for being two pages long. She used her middle initial on one document but not another, which also cost her points. If she changed "percent" to the % sign, her score went up. Beggs, a data scientist and job seeker, got this feedback from an online system that compares a job description with an applicant's materials to assess how well they match up.