Students at the University of Waterloo in Canada were surprised to find out when a smart vending machine displayed a computer error on a screen that indicated a facial recognition feature was not working correctly. This alarmed students because they didn't know their faces and likeness were being captured by facial recognition software on vending machines in the first place.
Facial Recognition Error Message credit: SquidKid47 on Reddit
CTV reported that "a set of smart vending machines at the University of Waterloo will be removed from campus after students raised privacy concerns about their software."
Facial Recognition Software Error Message Seen on a Smart Vending Machine
They were alerted to the facial recognition software after an error message displayed on the smart vending screen (seen above) that read: "The exception unknown software exception (0xe)434352) occurred in the application at location 0x00007FFAAC4F4C48."
In fact, if it wasn't for the error message, no one would have known about the built-in facial recognition software at all.
River Stanley, a student at the University of Waterloo said:
"We wouldn't have known if it weren't for the application error. There's no warning here."
Once the facial recognition error message started circulating online, students quickly began sharing it, and some students even tried to cover a hole on the machine where they thought the camera was located.
Student Dilpreet Sandhu questioned out of privacy concerns if there are other places where this technology is being used.
She said:
"[I’m] kind of shocked just because it's a vending machine, and I don't really think they need to be taking facial recognition. It is a university campus, so I feel like the general demographic is young adult. You know, late teens, early twenties."
The Smart Vending Machines on the University of Waterloo Campus are Being Removed
The smart vending machines with facial recognition software sold chocolates and other candy and had M&M artwork on them. At least one machine was located in the Modern Languages building and another in Hagey Hall.
CTV reported that "a set of smart vending machines at the University of Waterloo will be removed from campus after students raised privacy concerns about their software."
The better question:
Should these machines prominently display a message informing customers that they are being photographed?
A landscape crew first noticed the 200-foot tower for radio station WJLX as "missing" on February 2, along with broadcasting equipment stored in a nearby building. The radio station owner and general manager says that the theft "has left the community without a voice" amidst online speculation that it was an "inside job."
Stolen radio tower in Jasper, AL. credit: Brett Elmore
Associated Press (AP) reported on Friday that a landscape maintenance crew discovered that the WJLX AM radio tower was "missing" on February 2 along with related broadcasting equipment that was being stored in a nearby building.
Brett Elmore, the owner, posted the following on WJLX 1015 FM's website on 5 February 2024:
“I’ve been trying all weekend to make sense of it, but I just can’t. I’ve been involved in the radio business my whole life, and I’ve never heard of anything like this. I thought I had seen it all...When he called me on Friday and said, ‘the tower is gone,’ I couldn’t believe it. I asked him if he was sure he was at the right place. He responded, ‘the tower is gone. Wires are scattered everywhere.’” -Brett Elmore, WJLX General Manager & Owner
Radio Tower Theft Leaves Walker County 'Without a Voice'
Brett Elmore is left without the ability to broadcast "the sound of Walker County," which is the slogan of the station found on the Brett Elmore Show Facebook page.
However, there is no announcement or news of the theft on the Facebook page of what has happened. The page is as silent as the radio station, itself. He reported the theft to the Jasper Police Department in Jasper, Alabama. They are investigating, but the challenge is the tower was located in a remote area surrounded by 50 acres of woods.
Meanwhile, he requested special permission to keep the FM station 101.5 FM on the air - this tower is located on the other side of town - but he was unsuccessful. Elmore posted on WJLX 1015 FM's website on 8 February:
"The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has denied our request to remain on the air on 101.5 FM. Today, we shut down our transmitter and our programming will be streamed via internet and our apps only until we can restore our 1240 AM frequency." -Brett Elmore, WJLX General Manager & Owner
Brett Elmore said:
“The slogan of our station is the sound of Walker County, and right now with our station down, the community has lost its sound and lost its voice. This hurts, and it hurts our community.”
Elmore believes the radio tower's guy wire was cut first, which would precipitate the tower falling, and then he suspects it was "cut into smaller pieces before being hauled away."
He said:
“To break into my building and steal all my equipment, and the tower?” Elmore said. “[Expletive], leave me the tower — that’s the most expensive thing to replace.” -Brett Elmore, WJLX General Manager & Owner
Memes and Posts Suggested That it was an 'Inside Job'
AL.com reported on Monday that since this story first came out in the news, "memes and posts surfaced over the weekend taking aim at Brett Elmore, owner of WLJX in Jasper, suggesting he was the person responsible for the theft that became national news."
Elmore tried to clear the air on this, denying that this was an inside job.
He said:
“Obviously, people speculate about a number of things,’’ Elmore said. “Why would I do something like this when completely shuts down our entire operation, my entire livelihood?"
“Can anyone answer that question? We didn’t have any insurance so I’m not making a claim of insurance.” -Brett Elmore, WJLX General Manager & Owner
Elmore wants to be clear that he had nothing to do with the theft.
He said:
“I’m not listening to any of the rumors or the speculation of an inside job,’’ Elmore said. “That’s completely bogus and false. I need help finding who did this, that’s what I need,’’ he said. “Someone knows something.” -Brett Elmore, WJLX General Manager & Owner
If anyone has any information on the theft of the WJLX radio tower, please call Jasper police at 205-221-2121 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777.
A GoFundMe was Created to Replace the Stolen Tower
A GoFundMe page was launched to raise donations. At the time of publication on Monday, it had raised just over $10,000.00 in donations, with a goal to raise $60,000 to replace the tower and broadcasting equipment stolen.
Elmore "reluctantly" started the GoFundMe after he was encouraged by a friend to "put his pride aside" and just do it.
Elmore still has hope that the radio tower can be restored.
He said:
“We’re going to make it,” he said. “I have to keep the faith that we’re going to make it.” -Brett Elmore, WJLX General Manager & Owner
Please share this article with family and friends so they can be informed about this story.
Mobile Animal Services Finally Help a Dog that has Had a Box Stuck on its Head for Month
A Mobile resident posted an update on Instagram after Mobile Animal Services and Mobile County Animal Shelter finally helped a dog that many have seen running around town with a box on its head for months.
A Mobile dog roaming around with a box on its head has been evading people for months, and it took a crew to get the box off of its head.
Dog Roaming Mobile with Box on its Head for Months
WKRG News 5 reported many people have witnessed a dog "roaming near James T Strickland Youth Center for months," but Animal Services was not able to get close enough to it to help get the box off of its head.
James T. Strickland Youth Center is near Costarides Street and Yerby Drive.
A city spokesperson told News 5 in the past that the city devised a plan for the Mobile County Animal Shelter to tranquilize the dog to remove the box.
A photo of the dog with a box on its head is seen below.
Dog with box stuck on its head; credit: Martin Miller
One woman who saw the dog commented that the box "looks like a plastic milk crate or something similar."
The Dog was Freed From the Box on Head on Wednesday
WKRG News 5 reported on Wednesday that the City of Mobile Animal Shelter and the Mobile County Animal Shelter were able to remove the box from its head and the dog "fled from the scene."
You read that correctly. It got away.
The photo below shows the team that pulled the box from the dog's head.
Martin Miller shared the update on the situation on his Instagram page, where his biography reads: "Scottish Dog rescuer living in the Deep South."
He wrote:
"HUGE NEWS!! There was a dog in Mobile, Alabama that had a box trapped on its head for almost a YEAR. Traps didn’t work because the box was too big. Well today, the amazing team from BOTH The City of Mobile Animal Services and Mobile County Animal Shelter came together and we got the box off the dogs head! I’m so proud to be part of such an amazing group of people! And to all the members of the community that works so hard to try and help this!! a huge, congratulations to everyone involved!" -Martin Miller
His Instagram post can be seen below.
Have you ever seen an animal get stuck and need human help to get out of a predicament?
