Billion-dollar listing

Billion-dollar listing: U.S. investors are lining up to bid on a freshly legislated TikTok. A top contender? Former treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin. If a sale happens, don’t expect China to give up its algorithm — whoever buys it will get the brand but probably not the tech behind it.

Tags: algorithm, brand, China, investors, sale, Steven Mnuchin, tech, TikTok


Facebook, feed me: Prioritize who you see first in your news feed. It’s easiest on your computer. Start by clicking your profile picture in the top right. Select Settings & privacy > Feed. Next, tap Favorites to select people and pages you want to prioritize.

Trivia

So you want to make money with YouTube. What’s the best time to post your video masterpiece to give it the best chance of going viral? Is it … 7 a.m., 9 a.m., 1 p.m. or 7 p.m.?

Find the answer here

​​$9,420 flamethrowing robot

The 26-pound Thermonator robo-pup has an ARC flamethrower on its back. Throwflame, the Ohio flamethrower manufacturer, says the fiery Fido can be used for “wildfire control and prevention” and “snow and ice removal.” Shipping is free, but good luck ordering — the website crashed. Ruff!

28 million people use Meta’s Threads each day

That’s 27% more than X’s 22 million daily users. More people still use X each month, but the daily active user count is a better indicator. Point: Zuckerberg. Musk, your move.

Trivia

The FTC just banned noncompete clauses, which companies use to keep workers from going to competitors. With the ban, does the FTC expect a decrease in A.) Wages earned, B.) Startups founded, C.) Patents filed, or D.) Health care costs?

Find the answer here

93.7-foot wave surfed in Nazaré, Portugal

The feat breaks German surfer Sebastian Steudtner’s previous record from 2020 — an 86-foot wave in the same spot. His goal? 100 feet. A classic “good for him, not for me” if there ever was one.

6-day workweek for Samsung executives after a bad earnings report

The rule is meant to “impose a sense of crisis” after their net profits dropped 72%. Not good. FYI, Samsung still made $11.24 billion in 2023. Excuse me while I play a sad song on the world’s smallest violin.

4 hours of free Wi-Fi is the new trend in coffee shops

Some shops enforce the limit using GoGoGuest. You have to make a purchase in order to get a free Wi-Fi code. No more freeloaders!

300M Spotify streams of Taylor Swift’s new album

“The Tortured Poets Department” set a new record high on its release day, along with these Spotify records: Most streams of a single artist in one day, most streams of a song in one day (“Fortnight”) and most gossip in one day. I made that one up, but I bet it’s true.

Trivia

What do you say when you answer the phone? “Hello,” of course—and that’s thanks to Thomas Edison. His rival, Alexander Graham Bell, thought phones should be answered with something different. Was it A.) “Ahoy,” B.) “All right,” C.) “Howdy” or D.) “Salutations?”

Find the answer here