Law
Flock Has a Powerful New AI Tool for Police. We Got Its Code
Flock Has a Powerful New AI Tool for Police. Flock's surveillance cameras have already sparked outrage. WIRED reconstructed its next-generation AI system, already in use by some police, to confirm it goes much further than tracking license plates. Vehicle surveillance giant Flock Safety has told the public for years that its technology "cannot recognize, identify, or track individuals." It has now built a system that does both, an artificial intelligence tool for police that can identify drivers and track vehicles by their patterns of movement alone, WIRED has learned. Drawing on a network of cameras that logs the movements of drivers in more than 6,000 communities, the tool can pick out potential witnesses by how often their cars pass through a neighborhood, or surface a driver's "associates" from the cameras they pass together. Because the system also reaches police case files, 911 dispatch logs, and commercial identity records, those plates can be turned into names, home addresses, and relatives.
Child-monitoring apps might need a reboot
Monitoring apps promise to keep young people safer online, but looking in on kids' phones can backfire. Online safety experts say there's a better way. Pam Wisniewski's digital adolescence showed her the best and the worst of the internet. At 14, she left an abusive home, where she'd been isolated in a fifth-wheel trailer at the end of a seven-mile dirt road. She moved in with her older sister and taught herself to type on AOL Instant Messenger. Online, she sought out the support and the community she'd lacked at home. She also discovered how thin the ice can be. "I sent my address to some guy in New Mexico to send me a mug with my name on it," she recalls. "And then I found a news story like five, 10 years later that he killed somebody." Those experiences set the course of her career.
Robotics roadmaps from around the world spotlight of the month: Japan
Robots have been a prolific theme in Japanese pop culture and media since the 1950s, which includes global icons like the, and ( 1). Perhaps not coincidentally, Japanese citizens have a positive outlook on robotic technologies and their use in the labor sector compared to many other nations ( 2); much to their advantage, as robotics continues to be a vital pillar for ensuring Japan's economic resilience and future growth. Here, we discuss priorities and long-term agendas as presented in Japan's national robotics strategies. Although weather control is among Japan's lofty research goals for the next 25 years ( 3), geological disturbances remain inevitable. As such, disaster mitigation and response are high priorities that serve as motivation for robotics development in Japan ( 4).
Japan to require AI firms to disclose training data
Japan is considering setting out a nonbinding code for generative artificial intelligence businesses to encourage them to disclose their AI training data and methods for collecting such data to the public. A government panel Tuesday broadly approved a plan to adopt what is known as a "principle code" for generative artificial intelligence businesses to protect intellectual property rights by urging firms to disclose their AI training data and methods for collecting such data to the public. A draft code was presented at an online meeting of an expert panel on intellectual property rights in the AI era. It is based on a law on AI-related technology enacted in May 2025 and seeks to balance rights protection with technological innovation. The government will use a "comply or explain" approach, under which it will set out a nonbinding code for generative AI businesses, including system developers and service providers, allowing them to choose either to comply with the code or publicly explain why they will not comply. Firms that decide to comply with the code will announce their compliance on their websites and notify the government.
'Banned over a pair of 2 sandals': Why some sellers are complaining about Vinted
'Banned over a pair of £2 sandals': Why some sellers are complaining about Vinted Single mum Emma Neil was a huge fan of Vinted, using it most days to sell old things and buy clothes for her children. That was until she bought a pair of sandals for £3, found they didn't fit so relisted them for £2 then was permanently banned. Vinted said there had been fraudulent activity, such as selling counterfeit items. I did feel like a criminal, says Neil - one of several thousands complaining of being wrongly suspended or permanently banned, spending days trapped in a system of what they believe are AI generated responses. Vinted's preloved buying and selling community has grown rapidly with 17 million UK users - it says the overwhelming majority have a positive experience.
Apple Siri AI settlement: When eligible iPhone users can receive up to 95
Look Up Mashable's Best: E-readers, robovacs, laptops, earbuds, smart home and more Say More Safety Net Creator Hub Versus Gift Ideas For Everyone On Your List Mashable Selects Switch Off Trending Now In My Bag VidCon with Mashable All Series Hint: You'll be waiting a little while. The final hearing on the settlement for the Apple Siri AI class action lawsuit is scheduled for next year. If you're looking forward to your Siri AI settlement check of up to $95 from Apple, it looks like you'll be waiting a little while longer. Apple's settlement in the Siri AI-related class action lawsuit received preliminary approval last month. According to a new court document, the final approval hearing is now scheduled for February 24, 2027.
Desert tarantulas prepare for sex and death at Zion National Park
It rarely ends well for males. More information Adding us as a Preferred Source in Google by using this link indicates that you would like to see more of our content in Google News results. Male desert tarantulas begin searching for mates in late summer. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. By signing up, you confirm you are 16+, will receive newsletters and promotional content and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy .
Tesla is preparing to launch the Cybercab soon
Look Up Mashable's Best: E-readers, robovacs, laptops, earbuds, smart home and more Say More Safety Net Creator Hub Versus Gift Ideas For Everyone On Your List Mashable Selects Switch Off Trending Now In My Bag VidCon with Mashable All Series This will probably be a very limited launch. Stan is a Senior Editor at Mashable, where he has worked since 2007. He's got more battery-powered gadgets and band t-shirts than you. He writes about the next groundbreaking thing. Typically, this is a phone, a coin, or a car.
Meta Ran Ads for an App That Promised to Nudify Female Politicians
One advertisement featured a pornographic video with a deepfake closely resembling a prominent US politician. Apple removed the app from the App Store after an inquiry from WIRED. Meta platforms recently ran ads for an AI porn-generation tool that seemingly encouraged users to create deepfaked videos resembling female US politicians, despite the company's policies against ads containing sexual material. It's the latest in a series of failures by Meta to keep advertisements for tools that produce nonconsensual intimate imagery off its platforms. The tool, which is called Kromix, bills itself as an "AI image styler."
Bald eagle Shadow and new female KD1 sing a morning song
But it still does not mean they are partners. More information Adding us as a Preferred Source in Google by using this link indicates that you would like to see more of our content in Google News results. Shadow and KD1 were spotted near the nest on August 14. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. By signing up, you confirm you are 16+, will receive newsletters and promotional content and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy .