Creepy data grab and how to make it stop
This is the kind of thing that makes you wish flip phones were still a thing. The world has moved from marketing to digital profiling. We are being tracked like never before.
Advertising giant Publicis Groupe just released a video bragging that its CoreAI platform tracks a staggering 91% of all adult internet users. Yes, that probably includes you, me and everyone we know.
🍫 A real-life Willy Wonka show? Yep, Netflix is casting for a new reality competition series inspired by Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It’s called The Golden Ticket, and contestants face wild games and temptations in a retro-futuristic dreamscape. The best part? You can apply now. I just got over my addiction to chocolate, marshmallows and nuts. It was a Rocky Road. (I saw you smile!)
Samsung broke your soundbar: And they know it. A bad software update they pushed last week left a bunch of soundbars unresponsive and inaccessible. It gets worse: It’s so severe, it can only be fixed with a physical repair. Samsung’s offering to fix it for free, even if you’re out of warranty. The least they can do.
🐱 Meow you’re talking: Scientists are building the world’s largest cat database to figure out why our feline friends act the way they do. Just send in a fur sample, fill out a survey about your cat’s behavior and give a $150 donation. The team will analyze the DNA and look for links between genetics, personality and health. Want in? Sign up here.
StubHub is going public: The ticket resale marketplace just filed to list on the New York Stock Exchange. Even though it pulled in $1.77 billion in revenue in 2024, it still posted a loss of $2.8 million. (How does that happen?) Anyway, wondering who else is lining up to go public? Keep an eye on CoreWeave, Klarna and Hinge Health.
🚀 Trump announced Boeing will build the F-47: It’ll still have a human pilot, but it’s capable of flying autonomously with a swarm of AI-powered drone wingmen. This next-gen jet packs stealth tech, advanced sensors and hypersonic weaponry. China and Russia? Not even close. Watch more here.
🐭 Coming to Disney next year: This is freakin’ awesome. Real Star Wars droids roaming around. They’re working with Google DeepMind and Nvidia’s new Newton model to bring them to life. This will help them walk around the parks, be more expressive and do tricky tasks on their own. What do you call a pirate droid? Arr-2 D2. (Good one, right?)
Scam alert: Google’s new call-scanning feature tells you in real time if you’re getting swindled on the phone. AI analyzes conversations, and if something sketchy happens, you get an audio, vibration and visual warning. It’s for Pixel 9 or later only. Go to the Phone app > Settings > Scan Detection. PSA: Google says they’re not saving your calls. Yea, right.
🎮 Game over, cheaters: You’ll be banned forever if you’re caught selling your Call of Duty account. This is a big problem, so Activision is adding new anti-cheat tech before Season 3 of Black Ops 6 and Warzone starts.