Pokemon Go using your phone camera to build a CIA-backed 3D Map AI system.

It sounds like an insane movie plot. But it's real.

In 2016, this was "Lunduke's crazy conspiracy theory about Pokemon Go being used to spy on everyone, backed by the CIA". Now, in 2024, Niantic Labs (the makers of Pokemon Go), proudly brags about using Pokemon Go to spy on you... and using that covertly obtained information to build a massive, 3D artificial intelligence mapping system of private spaces.

"We receive about 1 million fresh scans each week, each containing hundreds of discrete images."

In other words: Lunduke was right.

The CIA, NSA, and Pokémon Go:
https://lunduke.locals.com/post/5756204/the-cia-nsa-and-pok-mon-go

Building a Large Geospatial Model to Achieve Spatial Intelligence:
https://nianticlabs.com/news/largegeospatialmodel

And that's only one impact of Google being officially ruled a monopoly.

A survey about Mozilla's future doesn't mention Firefox... but it does have 8 gender options.

The "What Is Your Dream for Mozilla?" Survey: https://mozillafoundation.tfaforms.net/101

Ads are filling the entirety of the Web -- websites, podcasts, YouTube videos, etc. -- at an increasing rate. Prices for those ad placements are plummeting. Consumers are desperate to use ad-blockers to make the web palatable. Google (and others) are desperate to break and block ad-blockers. All of which results in... more ads and lower pay for creators.

It's a fascinatingly annoying cycle. And there's only one viable way out of it.

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I'm ridiculously excited about this. So I had to talk about it.

Here's all the details:
https://lunduke.locals.com/post/4568283/linux-tycoon-3-comes-to-android-gameboy-seriously

I love these one-off gimmick products. https://computeradsfromthepast.substack.com/p/the-grand-stand

I have a question for the panel. Back in 2019, I was trying to start writing a tech blog. In an attempt to attract attention, I interviewed the now-infamous Drew DeVault. Now that so much information has come out about him, I'm wondering whether I should delete it to avoid being associated with him. Thoughts? https://gitpi.us/post/drew-devault-interview/