10 true tech stories you can stream right now

I’m way more into movies based on true stories. Real people, real drama, that’s my kind of thing. You can keep the wizards and aliens. Give me a story where something unbelievable actually happened. 

I put together this list for you as proof that tech isn’t just lines of code or shiny gadgets. It’s ambition, hype, brilliance and yeah, sometimes a total train wreck. You’re gonna want to see each one.

1. The Dropout (Hulu)
This is the true story of Theranos, the startup that promised to revolutionize medicine by testing your blood with just a tiny finger prick. Spoiler: It didn’t work. But founder Elizabeth Holmes still raised a billion dollars before it all collapsed.

2. BlackBerry (AMC+ & Amazon Prime)
Before iPhones took over, BlackBerry was the phone. This funny film details how a couple of Canadian tech nerds built it and how ego, greed and missed deadlines brought it down.

3. The Billion Dollar Code (Netflix)
Two German developers created early Google Earth tech in the ’90s, only to have Google steal it. It’s about big ideas, crushed dreams and the fight to prove who did it first.

4. WeCrashed (Apple TV+)
Jared Leto and Anne Hathaway play the power couple behind the coworking cult that convinced investors it was worth $47 billion until it wasn’t.

5. The Great Hack (Netflix)
This documentary shows how Cambridge Analytica mined your data and used it to influence elections around the world. Chilling, eye-opening and very real.

6. Jobs (Amazon Prime)
Ashton Kutcher takes on Steve Jobs. It’s not just about iPhones. It’s about risk, obsession and building something no one believes in.

7. Super Pumped (Netflix)
Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays Uber founder Travis Kalanick. You’ll get the boardroom fights, power struggles and other potholes that nearly sent a rideshare app spinning out of control.

8. The Playlist (Netflix)
Spotify didn’t just stream music, it rewrote the entire music industry. This dramatized series shows what it takes to take on the record labels.

9. Print the Legend (Netflix)
A documentary about the early days of 3D printing. Founders battle it out for market share, bragging rights and the future of manufacturing. Nerdy? Yes. Fascinating? Also yes.

10. Tetris (Apple TV+)
Yes, the block game. But the story behind it is a Cold War thriller. A developer risks everything to secure the rights to Tetris from Soviet Russia. It’s fast, fun and surprisingly emotional.

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Scam in the skies

I am hearing more and more reports about a certain travel scam that is not making the tech sites or mainstream news. 

A “travel agent” or travel site selling fake plane tickets. You pay real cash for a flight that doesn’t actually exist, like booking a table at a restaurant that burned down in 2006. 

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🌴 It’s not just beds anymore: Airbnb just leveled up with its new services live in 260+ cities. The app now offers spa treatments, private chefs, personal trainers and more. Basically, it evolved from “couch in Berlin” to celebrity-led adventures like Megan Thee Stallion’s anime-themed “Otaku Hottie Quest,” whatever that means.

$29.99

The monthly price of ESPN’s new all-access streaming app. It comes with access to all ESPN live games, documentaries, fantasy sports and enough studio programming to make you forget you haven’t gone outside since football season started. 

Your boss knows: Turns out your free “work perk” might be a mic’d-up Trojan horse. Experts say company-issued AirPods can be linked to your boss’s Apple ID and track your location. HR “saw” you at the happy hour, Karen. Enjoy your “performance review.” You’ll need to restore the AirPods’ factory settings manually to avoid this.

🩸 ChatGPT spotted it first: A woman had night sweats and itchy skin, but her doctor said everything looked normal. She ChatGPT’d her symptoms, and it said blood cancer. The warning was ignored, and a few months later, she was back at the doctor with chest pain and fatigue. Turns out? It was Hodgkin’s lymphoma

🌀 Selfies, but cinematic: Google’s Gemini AI can now turn a single image into a full five-second video. It’s launching with the Honor 400, which sounds like a hovercar but is actually a smartphone. Finally, your brunch avocado toast can have its own origin story.

$800 million

The estimated value of unsold Cybertrucks collecting dust on Tesla lots. With over 10,000 cars sitting in dealer inventory, the stainless-steel behemoth is shaping up to be less “futuristic tank” and more “Elon’s very expensive parking lot decor.” Turns out the PS1-looking fever dream isn’t exactly America’s sweetheart.

Madonna’s biopic got scrapped: But don’t panic, we’re getting a Netflix miniseries instead. Honestly, that’s way better. You really think you can squeeze her entire, drama-packed life into two hours? Please. Word is Julia Garner might play her, but who knows who’ll take on Sean Penn or Warren Beatty. Either way, I’m watching.

💬 Got a weird text from Home Depot? Like “your order is ready,” but you didn’t buy anything? Someone might’ve typed in your number by mistake, but it could also be a scam. Hackers can spoof five-digit numbers to send “view your order” phishing links. Don’t click anything. Log in to your account to check.

$500 million

How much funding Perplexity AI is about to land, pushing its valuation to $14 billion. For context, it was $3 billion last June. So what’s the buzz? They’re pulling in around $100 million in annual recurring revenue and plan to launch an AI agent web browser called Comet. You could say investors are seeing stars.

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.

🍏 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.

🏠 Hackers are stealing home titles: They can take your deed and borrow big money in your name. Home Title Lock monitors your title 24/7. Use code KIM for a free title history report and a 14-day trial of Million Dollar Triple Lock Protection when you sign up.

130 million

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.