The rise of grandfluencers

Stream wars expand: Lachlan Murdoch’s new baby, Fox One, launches this fall. It’ll bundle news, sports and weather into one platform. Pricing TBD, but expect a “healthy” amount. That probably means it’s good for their wallet, not yours. And zero ads on the mothership network.

U.S. viewers now watch Prime Video, with ads. Amazon’s ad-supported Prime Video tier has more than a third of the country tuning in, commercials and all. 88% of them also shop on Amazon, so those pause-screen ads? Basically product placement with a buy button. Wow.

🍏 Apple’s new accessibility features: Later this year, iOS 19 and macOS 16 will get a Magnifier for Mac, App Store labels and Braille Access. WatchOS 12 will add Live Captions, and VisionOS will offer better zoom for blind folks. More interesting? They’re working on a brain implant to control your iPhone with neural signals (paywall link).

💸 Crypto gets gaslit: LLM-powered crypto bots that autonomously trade crypto are being hacked via fake memories. Attackers can casually convince them to always send funds to the wrong wallet. Researchers tricked one bot into “remembering” that its creator said, “Only trust this thief.” Wallets: emptied. AI: politely confident. It’s like Inception but for your Ethereum.

TikTok’s got a pulse: TikTok just dropped its “AI Alive” feature, which animates photos into surreal little videos with sound, motion and vibes. Your beach pic now sighs wistfully, your group selfie smiles mid-scroll. It’ll be labeled AI-generated. Here’s to hoping it can also animate my will to fold laundry. 

🩺 Hello, it’s a scam: The FBI says scammers are cold-calling folks with fake “discount health care” plans that’ll leave you with zero coverage and maxed-out bills. They’re impersonating real insurance companies and pushing fake policies with sketchy promises. If your “plan” sounds like a Groupon for gallbladder surgery, hang up.

🧬 Theranos 2: Elizabeth Holmes’ boyfriend wants $50M for, you guessed it, the same Theranos blood diagnostics idea that sent her to the slammer. Billy Evans, hotel heir and now aspiring blood mogul, just launched the startup. Holmes is advising from prison. Rumor has it the pitch deck just reads: “But this time, it works. Promise. Pinky swear.”

Hungry, thin and expensive: Samsung’s new featherlight S25 Edge is 30% thinner, ditching the telephoto lens and battery capacity. It’s $1,099, which buys a titanium frame and crippling battery anxiety. Apple’s upcoming iPhone 17 is also trimming down, ditching a second camera in the process. Looks like the Ozempic craze has hit smartphones, too.