The Download: direct-air-capture plants, and measuring body fat
2 Hurricane Milton has left millions of Florida residents without power
Thousands of people have been rescued from flooded areas. (WSJ $)
+ Luckily, satellite-connected smartphones can keep them connected. (WP $)
+ Meteorologists are receiving death threats amid storm misinformation. (Rolling Stone $)
3 The US and UK will work together to protect children online
The two countries are forming a working group to tackle sexual abuse and harassment. (BBC)
+ Popular gaming platform Roblox is failing to protect young users, a report claims. (FT $)
+ How to protect your child’s photos online. (The Guardian)
+ Child online safety laws will actually hurt kids, critics say. (MIT Technology Review)
4 China is spreading antisemitic claims ahead of the US election
Fake accounts are spreading dangerous conspiracy theories about politicians. (WP $)
+ US authorities fear Russia, China, Iran and Cuba will sow doubts about the results. (Reuters)
5 Big Pharma is fighting back against compounded weight loss drugs
Unbranded versions proliferated during a shortage of big-name drugs. Now, the largest companies want them gone. (Wired $)
6 Uber and Lyft exploited a legal loophole to avoid paying NY drivers
Drivers have reported being locked out of the app almost every hour. (Bloomberg $)
+ Uber’s facial recognition is locking Indian drivers out of their accounts. (MIT Technology Review)
7 Viral debate videos are inescapable online
The more competitive, theatrical, and unbalanced, the better. (Vox)
8 How Wikipedia editors are tackling the influx of AI trash content
They’re trying to defend the site from misleading, garbled AI articles. (404 Media)
+ AI trained on AI garbage spits out AI garbage. (MIT Technology Review)
9 How to make the ocean quieter
Thanks to flexible propellers and noise-dampening metamaterials. (Economist $)
10 This social app allows Gen Z to filter out tell-tale red Solo cups
To maintain a squeaky clean online image. (TechCrunch)
