9588 stories
·
98 followers

ICE and CBP Agents Are Scanning Peoples’ Faces on the Street To Verify Citizenship

2 Shares
ICE and CBP Agents Are Scanning Peoples’ Faces on the Street To Verify Citizenship

“You don’t got no ID?” a Border Patrol agent in a baseball cap, sunglasses, and neck gaiter asks a kid on a bike. The officer and three others had just stopped the two young men on their bikes during the day in what a video documenting the incident says is Chicago. One of the boys is filming the encounter on his phone. He says in the video he was born here, meaning he would be an American citizen.

When the boy says he doesn’t have ID on him, the Border Patrol officer has an alternative. He calls over to one of the other officers, “can you do facial?” The second officer then approaches the boy, gets him to turn around to face the sun, and points his own phone camera directly at him, hovering it over the boy’s face for a couple seconds. The officer then looks at his phone’s screen and asks for the boy to verify his name. The video stops.

💡
Do you have any more videos of ICE or CBP using facial recognition? Do you work at those agencies or know more about Mobile Fortify? I would love to hear from you. Using a non-work device, you can message me securely on Signal at joseph.404 or send me an email at joseph@404media.co.
Read the whole story
InShaneee
3 hours ago
reply
Chicago, IL
Share this story
Delete

Five Horror Games That Need To Be Re-Released

1 Share

Even compared against a game industry that generally makes it incredibly hard to experience the classics, it’s exceedingly difficult to play many of the most interesting horror games ever made. A very significant percentage were never re-released on modern systems or on PC, with the only legal way to play being to buy exorbitantly expensive physical copies and old-school original hardware.

The PlayStation and PS2 eras, in particular, gave us a wide range of games that were derided as “Silent Hill or Resident Evil clones” that went on to gain cult followings that outlived their initial negative reactions, and a whole bunch of these that would benefit from coming to modern platforms.

With that in mind, we’ve created a list of five games we would love to see re-released for modern systems. However, the keyword is re-released, not remade: while a light remaster is fine, horror is very much a genre where even the smallest tweak can have a massive effect on tone and atmosphere, as indicated by a particular case of a remaster so bad that we still need a remaster of the remaster. In an ideal world, these would be served up in emulators, Virtual Console-style.

We’ve decided to leave off some of the most obvious picks from several of the most well-known series for the purposes of this list, as most of these actually have a decent likelihood to return in some form. For starters, the first four Silent Hill games badly need a re-release, especially considering that the 2012 remaster was a disaster. The first three Fatal Frame games warrant a remaster collection, as well. Siren and its sequel should be more accessible. And lastly, PT should also be officially re-released in some capacity, as there is no longer an official way to download it.

With that table setting out of the way, let’s get into five horror games that deserve to see the light of day.

Sweet Home

Horror games re-release

Despite the fact that it never got a release outside of Japan, it’s not an exaggeration to describe Sweet Home as seminal to video game horror: this is the game that directly inspired many of the original Resident Evil’s survival horror elements. Specifically, Resident Evil was originally envisioned as a remake of Sweet Home, with Capcom eventually pivoting because they lost the rights to the property.

Loosely based on a film of the same name, Sweet Home was released in Japan in 1989. It’s an RPG where you play as five characters, navigating them through an intricate, interconnected mansion. Along the way, you find bespoke items, like weird keys, that let you progress in areas you previously couldn’t navigate (does that sound familiar?). It told its story through a combination of in-game notes and cutscenes, something relatively uncommon at the time. While it’s possible that it may not hold up quite as well as some of the entries on the list, it’s somewhat absurd that one of the fundamental building blocks of contemporary horror games has never been released worldwide. Maybe, Capcom will eventually jump through the complicated legal hoops to make that happen.

Parasite Eve

Parasite Eve is another influential game that is quite difficult to play these days. It features a unique combination of turn-based and real-time gameplay, alongside a cinematic presentation that was quite ahead of its time. The story follows Aya Brea, a New York City Cop trying to stop the end of the world—more specifically, she’s trying to stop a floating mutant woman from causing all of humanity to spontaneously combust. Between its beloved soundtrack, unique style of gameplay, and atmosphere, this is one that seems like it would be relatively well-received by a modern audience.

A major problem, though, is that like Sweet Home, it’s also tied to an outside series—in this case, a book—which would likely make it more difficult to get the rights to re-release it. Considering the clamor you still hear about that game decades later, that may just be worth it for Square.

Haunting Ground

Horror games re-release

Haunting Ground is a classic example of a game that was largely panned at release, only to later be re-appraised for its purposeful visual presentation and sense of forced helplessness. You play as Fiona, a young woman trapped in a hellish mansion, as she flees from a variety of pursuers. One interesting element is that, unlike many of its peers, the game’s protagonist had very few means of fighting back—no 9mm handguns or handy wooden planks for you. Because of this, many consider the game to be a spiritual successor to Clock Tower (which recently received a re-release). This sense of helplessness is entirely integral to what the game is pursuing, as a voyeuristic camera and Fiona’s sexualized presentation make her feel vulnerable and pursued. And man, is this game hard to get your hands on: even used, the complete package goes for close to $400 or more.

Rule of Rose

Horror games re-release

After a moral panic over its LGBTQ+ themes resulted in a ban in the UK and a limited US release, Rule of Rose is one of the rarest PS2 games (the NTSC version goes for as much as $1K on eBay). However, if you manage to find a way to play it (or watch on YouTube, where it gained much of its modern online following), you’ll find a transgressive, openly queer story about the dynamics of power between children and adults. Much like Silent Hill, it leans in on externalizing the traumas of its protagonist, while also taking more inspiration from dark fairytales.

Interestingly enough, Onion Games, which handled the recent Moon remaster, has expressed interest in re-releasing the game, even if they “can’t guarantee that any of these initiatives will have more than a 1% chance of happening.” That sounds like a higher chance than getting a physical copy, so we’ll take it. In all honesty, considering how thoroughly its gameplay was panned at release, YouTube may actually be the best way to experience this one, but still, the fact that such a unique experience remains almost impossible to play due to 20-year-old censorship isn’t right.

Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem

Horror games re-release

Seemingly trapped on the GameCube until the end of time, Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem has to be among the most acclaimed, well-known games that not that many people actually played (it was considered a commercial failure at the time despite receiving a glowing critical reception). The narrative is time-hopping and bold, following several characters from across centuries. Meanwhile, its central gameplay was similarly ambitious, and the world shifted around you as your “Sanity Meter” decreased, resulting in iconic fourth wall breaks meant to trick the player into thinking that their game disc wasn’t working or that their GameCube just bit the dust (a much more frightening proposition than any supernatural jumpscare).

Despite its developer, Silicon Knights, going out of business amidst controversy more than a decade ago, Nintendo has been renewing the game’s trademarks for quite some time, making it possible we may see more of it someday. Realistically, a re-release would probably be tied to the Nintendo Switch 2’s GameCube emulator, which requires a $500 console and the most expensive subscription tier for its online service. But maybe, just maybe, it will be a video game we can just buy directly, like the Virtual Console days (a guy can dream). Regardless, this one probably has the highest chance of re-releasing someday.


Elijah Gonzalez is an associate editor for Endless Mode. In addition to playing the latest, he also loves anime, movies, and dreaming of the day he finally gets through all the Like a Dragon games. You can follow him on Bluesky @elijahgonzalez.bsky.social.

Read the whole story
InShaneee
3 hours ago
reply
Chicago, IL
Share this story
Delete

Con Edison Refuses to Say How ICE Gets Its Customers’ Data

1 Share
Con Edison Refuses to Say How ICE Gets Its Customers’ Data

Con Edison, the energy company that serves New York City, refuses to say whether ICE or other federal agencies require a search warrant or court order to access its customers’ sensitive data. Con Edison’s refusal to answer questions comes after 404 Media reviewed court records showing Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), a division of ICE, has previously obtained such data, and the FBI performing what the records call ‘searches’ of Con Edison data.

The records and Con Edison’s stonewalling raise questions about how exactly law enforcement agencies are able to access the utility provider’s user data, whether that access is limited in any way, and whether ICE still has access during its ongoing mass deportation effort.

Read the whole story
InShaneee
1 day ago
reply
Chicago, IL
Share this story
Delete

Student Handcuffed After School's AI System Mistakes a Bag of Chips for a Gun

1 Share
An AI system "apparently mistook a high school student's bag of Doritos for a firearm," reports the Guardian, "and called local police to tell them the pupil was armed." Taki Allen was sitting with friends on Monday night outside Kenwood high school in Baltimore and eating a snack when police officers with guns approached him. "At first, I didn't know where they were going until they started walking toward me with guns, talking about, 'Get on the ground,' and I was like, 'What?'" Allen told the WBAL-TV 11 News television station. Allen said they made him get on his knees, handcuffed and searched him — finding nothing. They then showed him a copy of the picture that had triggered the alert. "I was just holding a Doritos bag — it was two hands and one finger out, and they said it looked like a gun," Allen said. Thanks to Slashdot reader Bruce66423 for sharing the article.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Read the whole story
InShaneee
3 days ago
reply
Chicago, IL
Share this story
Delete

Some Startups Are Demanding 12-Hour Days, Six Days a Week from Workers

1 Share
The Washington Post reports on 996, "a term popularized in China that refers to a rigid work schedule in which people work from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week..." As the artificial intelligence race heats up, many start-ups in Silicon Valley and New York are promoting hardcore culture as a way of life, pushing the limits of work hours, demanding that workers move fast to be first in the market. Some are even promoting 996 as a virtue in the hiring process and keeping "grind scores" of companies... Whoever builds first in AI will capture the market, and the window of opportunity is two to three years, "so you better run faster than everyone else," said Inaki Berenguer, managing partner of venture-capital firm LifeX Ventures. At San Francisco-based AI start-up Sonatic, the grind culture also allows for meal, gym and pickleball time, said Kinjal Nandy, its CEO. Nandy recently posted a job opening on X that requires in-person work seven days a week. He said working 10-hour days sounds like a lot but the company also offers its first hires perks such as free housing in a hacker house, food delivery credits and a free subscription to the dating service Raya... Mercor, a San Francisco-based start-up that uses AI to match people to jobs, recently posted an opening for a customer success engineer, saying that candidates should have a willingness to work six days a week, and it's not negotiable. "We know this isn't for everyone, so we want to put it up top," the listing reads. Being in-person rather than remote is a requirement at some start-ups. AI start-up StarSling had two engineering job descriptions that required six days a week of in-person work. In a job description for an engineer, Rilla, an AI company in New York, said candidates should not work at the company if they're not excited about working about 70 hours a week in person. One venture capitalist even started tracking "grind scores." Jared Sleeper, a partner at New York-based venture capital firm Avenir, recently ranked public software companies' "grind score" in a post on X, which went viral. Using data from Glassdoor, it ranks the percentage of employees who have a positive outlook for the company compared with their views on work-life balance. "At Google's AI division, cofounder Sergey Brin views 60 hours per week as the 'sweet spot' for productivity," notes the Independent: Working more than 55 hours a week, compared with a standard 35-40-hour week, is linked to a 35 percent higher risk of stroke and a 17 percent higher risk of death from heart disease, according to the World Health Organization. Productivity also suffers. A British study shows that working beyond 60 hours a week can reduce overall output, slow cognitive performance, and impair tasks ranging from call handling to problem-solving. Shorter workweeks, in contrast, appear to boost productivity. Microsoft Japan saw a roughly 40% increase in output after adopting a four-day work week. In a UK trial, 61 companies that tested a four-day schedule reported revenue gains, with 92 percent choosing to keep the policy, according to Bloomberg.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Read the whole story
InShaneee
3 days ago
reply
Chicago, IL
Share this story
Delete

Microsoft Teams Will Start Tracking Office Attendance

2 Shares
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Tom's Guide: Microsoft Teams is about to deal a heavy blow to those who like to work from home for peace and quiet. In a new feature update rolling out December 2025, the platform will track a worker's location using the office Wi-Fi, to see whether you're actually there or not. From a boss' perspective, this would eliminate any of that confusion as to where your team actually is. But for those people who have found their own sanctuary of peaceful productivity by working from home, consider this a warning that Teams is about to tattle on you. According to the Microsoft 365 roadmap: "When users connect to their organization's Wi-Fi, Teams will automatically set their work location to reflect the building they are working in." The location of that worker will apparently update automatically upon connecting. It's set to launch on Windows and macOS, with rollout starting at the end of this year. "This feature will be off by default," notes Microsoft. But "tenant admins will decide whether to enable it and require end-users to opt-in."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Read the whole story
InShaneee
4 days ago
reply
Chicago, IL
Share this story
Delete
Next Page of Stories