Jules Roscoe

You're Not Ready Seems bad out there. Unfortunately, it can always get worse. From evil hacker AI to world-changing cyberattacks, WIRED envisions the future you haven't prepared for.

This article is part of a special edition that envisions the futures you haven't prepared for. Read the full edition here: www.wired.com/youre-not-re...

Deepfake Scams Are Distorting Reality Itself The easy access that scammers have to sophisticated AI tools means everything from emails to video calls can’t be trusted.

Today for @wired.com (!): You're not ready for the next generation of scammers. What happens when AI tools get so sophisticated that even real-time video calls can't be trusted? www.wired.com/story/youre-...

thank you!

'They Sometimes Worry That I’m Dead Already:' Deep-Sea Fishers Fight for Wi-Fi Distant-water fishers are out on the ocean for up to 10 months at a time, with no contact to the outside world.

Really heartbreaking, visceral piece from @julesaroscoe.bsky.social:

www.404media.co/they-sometim...

'They Sometimes Worry That I’m Dead Already:' Deep-Sea Fishers Fight for Wi-Fi Distant-water fishers are out on the ocean for up to 10 months at a time, with no contact to the outside world.

powerful story from @julesaroscoe.bsky.social about deep sea fishers organizing for basic internet connection while they're on expeditions www.404media.co/they-sometim...

'They Sometimes Worry That I’m Dead Already:' Deep-Sea Fishers Fight for Wi-Fi Distant-water fishers are out on the ocean for up to 10 months at a time, with no contact to the outside world.

New from 404 Media: deep-sea fishers can spend 10 months at sea, but they're not allowed to use the ship's Wi-Fi, meaning they can't talk to their families back home. Now they're fighting back for change.

www.404media.co/they-sometim...

'They Sometimes Worry That I’m Dead Already:' Deep-Sea Fishers Fight for Wi-Fi Distant-water fishers are out on the ocean for up to 10 months at a time, with no contact to the outside world.

Crazy story today: this group of distant water fishermen is fighting for Wi-Fi on their boats so they can talk to their families (or anyone else in the outside world) for the ten months a year they're out at sea.
www.404media.co/they-sometim...

me and @jasonkoebler.bsky.social got to experience the Wikiportraits project firsthand yesterday – awesome work by the coolest people

Photographers Are on a Mission to Fix Wikipedia's Famously Bad Celebrity Portraits WikiPortraits, a group of volunteer photographers, has been covering festivals and shooting celebrities specifically to improve images in the public domain.

TODAY for @404media.co: Photos of famous people on Wikipedia are famously, famously, tragically bad. These volunteer photographers are trying to change that:
www.404media.co/photographer...

I mean, it’s definitely local local local news…but it’s actually really interesting! And I’m having a hell of a good time covering it. So if you want to follow drama that has nothing to do with you, give it a read :) 5/5 read.thebostonguardian.com/the-boston-g...

This plan was dropped in people’s laps on Jan 8 with a public comment deadline of Feb 5. Over 230 people showed up to a routine call to ask why the city was “forcing” it through. And there was supposedly no communication about this in city govt. 4/ read.thebostonguardian.com/the-boston-g...

Kairos Shen, Boston Chief of Planning. IMG: City of Boston

What’s also interesting is that this plan has been in the works for six years, with very different goals. But the guy who came up with this version of it was hired last September, after being ...let go?… by the previous mayor’s administration. 3/ www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2015/0...

“why should i give a damn?” Well, the plan would let developers build high-rise luxury towers in one of the city’s most historic districts, and there’s been no studies on how that would impact parks, tourism, historic structures, economics, etc etc. 2/ www.bostonplans.org/getattachmen...

I don't post much about this because it's a paper-first news org, but I've been covering some pretty drama-filled news for the Boston Guardian. e.g.:
The city is pausing a new zoning plan after getting over 500 letters of opposition. But it gets better. 1/
read.thebostonguardian.com/the-boston-g...

Ziff Davis, Owner of Sites Including IGN and CNET, Quietly Removed DEI Language From Its Website The company, which owns IGN, CNET, PCMag, and dozens more outlets and properties, took down specific information about its diversity commitment on multiple pages on its website over the past several w...

New: The $2 billion media conglomerate that owns sites like IGN and CNET is quietly taking DEI information off its website: www.404media.co/ziff-davis-d...

An Amazon Delivery Confirmation Photo Is the Last Time a Palisades Resident Saw Her Burnt Down House Amazon drivers have continued delivering packages in some areas of Los Angeles affected by ongoing wildfires in a constantly changing situation.

NEW: Amazon delivery drivers are delivering packages in the Los Angeles wildfires. Amazon says drivers are told not to deliver in mandatory evac zones, but one resident's last photo of her home was a delivery confirmation picture taken after she evacuated: www.404media.co/an-amazon-de...

An Amazon Delivery Confirmation Is the Last Photo a Palisades Resident Has of Her Burnt Down House Amazon drivers have continued delivering packages in some areas of Los Angeles affected by ongoing wildfires in a constantly changing situation.

An Amazon delivery confirmation photo is the last time a Palisades resident saw her house standing. Amazon drivers say they have been delivering in neighborhoods that were evacuated soon after they left, are delivering in adjacent neighborhoods. Scary situation

www.404media.co/an-amazon-de...

Amazon Says It Has a First Amendment Right to Union Bust In response to an NLRB complaint, Amazon argues that preventing it from holding captive-audience meetings violates the U.S. Constitution.

TODAY: Amazon is arguing to the NLRB that its union-busting tactics are "protected by the First Amendment," and that requiring it to put up NLRB posters on workers' rights violates that amendment. www.404media.co/amazon-says-...

AI Companion Device Releases Diss Track Against ‘Friend’ The maker of Friend said he had “no relation” to the person who released the diss track.

TODAY: Everything you need to know about the Friend AI necklace diss track beef on Twitter: www.404media.co/ai-companion...

How a Microsoft App is Powering Employee Surveillance Microsoft Dynamics 365 uses AI-generated performance metrics to single out individual workers, a new report has found.

New from 404 Media: a new report dives into how a Microsoft app is powering employee surveillance
- AI-generated performance metrics
- singles out workers in estimates of how long a task will take
- uses Copilot
www.404media.co/how-a-micros...

How a Microsoft App is Powering Employee Surveillance Microsoft Dynamics 365 uses AI-generated performance metrics to single out individual workers, a new report has found.

TODAY: A new report says that Microsoft's Dynamics 365 Field Service technology uses AI to single out workers and closely monitor their performance. Microsoft says it's on the customer to use this tool legally: www.404media.co/how-a-micros...

Navy Ad: Gig Work Is a Dystopian, Unregulated Hellscape, Build Submarines Instead The same government that has failed to regulate gig work has simply opted to agree that it is bad and to use those working conditions to recruit for the military.

TODAY: Are you sick and tired of your gig work job? Here's some free advice from a Navy-sponsored ad. Join a Navy manufacturing plant: www.404media.co/navy-ad-gig-...

'AI Employees' Managed Through HR Software Is a Capitalist Fever Dream Lattice’s now-canceled software would have allowed AI bots to be onboarded, trained, and evaluated “just as any person would be.”

HR company announces, then gets rid of, a plan to give AI bots employment records and treat them "just as any person would be" after everyone on the internet agrees that is a bad idea:
www.404media.co/ai-employees...

Google Cloud Listed, Then Removed as Sponsor of Israeli Military Tech Conference Google’s logo was removed from the sponsor list of “IT for IDF 2024,” but is still listed as a client of the conference organizer.

TODAY: Google Cloud was briefly listed as a sponsor of an Israeli military tech conference. Organizers say Google was not a sponsor this year, but workers are concerned about the company's links to an Israeli military conference: www.404media.co/google-cloud...

Google Cloud Listed, Then Removed as Sponsor of Israeli Military Tech Conference Google’s logo was removed from the sponsor list of “IT for IDF 2024,” but is still listed as a client of the conference organizer.

New: Google Cloud listed, and then removed, as a sponsor of an Israeli military tech conference. Conference says Google not sponsoring so may have been a mistake. Regardless, workers are concerned at Google's links to the conference, Google not commenting www.404media.co/google-cloud...

A car rental service in Charlotte has replaced their agents with remote workers on video chat. If you need to speak to a manager you go into an office where you talk to another screen sitting at a big executive desk
www.404media.co/car-rental-s...

Car Rental Service Replaces Desk Agents With People On Video Chat A Nu Car Rentals office in Charlotte, North Carolina offers only "virtual assistance" to customers.

Oh would you like to speak to a manager instead of this person on video chat? Sure, just step into this office where there is another video chat screen so you can talk to someone else:
www.404media.co/car-rental-s...

eBay Removes Listing for StingRay Cellphone Spying Tech The StingRay was listed at $100,000 before being removed for violating the platform’s policy on not selling electronic surveillance equipment.

TODAY: eBay took down the most expensive eBay listing I have ever seen (for what looks like a gadget from a 1980s spy film) for violating its policy on not selling electronic surveillance equipment. www.404media.co/ebay-removes...

California Apple Manufacturing Facility Has 19 ‘Potential Violations’ of EPA Regulations A new report by the Environmental Protection Agency suggests that Apple also miscalculated the effectiveness of its hazardous compound air filters.

TODAY: An Apple manufacturing facility in Santa Clara is misclassifying its hazardous waste and has more than a dozen other “potential violations” of environmental regulations, according to an EPA report. Here's the rundown of what they found: www.404media.co/california-a...

Emails Reveal the Playbook Used Against Libraries Planning ‘Drag Story Time’ Events Internal messages shared with 404 Media show how an official’s complaint about a drag queen story hour can spiral into bomb threats against the library hosting it.

Internal messages shared with 404 Media show how an official’s complaint about a drag queen story hour can spiral into bomb threats against the library hosting it. www.404media.co/lancaster-dr...