I used Google’s Veo and ChatGPT’s Sora to make a video of my puppy on the beach.
Make a movie in a minute
OpenAI Sora
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, AI is changing everything. And now it’s coming for video. This is the future, and it’s so fun to play around with these new tools.
Forget editing software, green screens or even a camera. Now your keyboard is the director, the producer and creative partner. All you need to do is type what you want to see, and AI will turn it into a slick, high-def video.
Right now, two big players are Sora from OpenAI and Veo from Google, and yes, you can try them both today. Don’t miss watching my video test at the end.
Sora: OpenAI’s text-to-video powerhouse
Sora is now live inside ChatGPT, and it’s jaw-dropping. You type in a description like, “a golden retriever puppy playing at the beach with a tennis ball,” and Sora spits out a crisp, AI-generated video in seconds. No need for footage, no need for editing.
Here’s the breakdown:
- If you’re on ChatGPT Plus ($20/month), you can generate up to 10-second clips in 720p.
- If you upgrade to ChatGPT Pro ($200/month), you get 20-second videos in 1080p, watermark-free, with faster generation times.
- Bing just announced that Sora is being integrated into their new Bing Video Creator (details here).
Veo: Google’s take on AI filmmaking
Google’s Veo lets you create cinematic 1080p videos up to 60 seconds long with realistic movement, lighting and transitions, just from a sentence. Want your cat running across a rooftop in Paris at sunset? Done.
You can get access through Google’s Gemini plans:
- Pro plan is free for the first month, then $19.99/month. You’ll get limited access to Veo and the Flow video tool.
- Ultra plan is $124.99/month for the first three months (normally $249.99). That unlocks full access to Veo, higher quality outputs and extra features like “ingredients to video” controls.
The test
Don’t embarrass yourself in your next AI conversation
ChatGPT
AI is everywhere: your inbox, your apps, your Zoom calls where Kyle keeps saying, “Let’s run it through chat-jeept.” If you’re going to drop those AI buzzwords, here’s how to not sound like a malfunctioning toaster and keep your smart-person street cred intact.
Desk all set
👩💼 Midweek slump? Time to freshen up your workspace.
- This mini desk vacuum (11% off) is like a robot maid.
- Look sharp on video calls with an LED lamp (39% off).
- A bladeless desk fan (32% off) helps you beat the heat.
- Clip a rotating headphone hanger (41% off) to your desk.
- Scroll hands-free with a foldable phone stand (29% off).
🔌 Ten ports = one hub: Grab this neat USB charging hub (33% off) and power up all your tech at once.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
Deepfake Elon stole millions — May 17th, Hour 1
Want billions like Musk? Don’t fall for this crypto scam. Some people are paying $217K to freeze their bodies. I’ll also share five signs your phone might be tapped. Plus, I talk to Randy from Oregon, who wants to cash in on a viral video.
YouTube ads are getting tricky: They’re testing an AI tool called Peak Points that finds the precise moments when viewers are most engaged in a video. Then it drops ads right after. The goal? Help advertisers catch you when you’re paying attention and more likely to click. Kill it with fire.
400 million
That’s how many subscribers MrBeast just hit on YouTube. The data supports it, he’s the undisputed king of the algorithm. He’s got more subscribers than the U.S. has citizens. At this rate, he could drop a video called “I Breathed Air,” and it’d hit 50 million in an hour.
Hold the phone
📞 Don’t hang up. Here are cool tools to keep your phone in place.
- Bump your tunes with a speaker & phone stand combo (48% off).
- Take underwater photos with these waterproof pouches (5% off).
- Long flight? Clip this phone holder ($17) to your tray table.
- Shoot smooth videos and pics with a gimbal tripod (20% off).
- This bike mount (38% off) locks down your phone while you ride.
📱 Pop this on: PopSockets’ new magnetic Kick-Out Grip ($40) can finally stand upright. You take video calls or scroll on social media, all hands-free. Plus, it comes with an adapter for Android folks. So wonderful!
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
😴 Brain won’t shut off? Let me help. Watch this quick video with my tips. Hit the heart, so more people will find it, too. TY!
🎤 Listen up: Adobe has a free tool to test if your mic is set correctly for a podcast or video meeting. Try it here. You’ll get pointers on where to sit relative to your mic and whether there’s too much going on in the background. Nice!
💬 Add and view Instagram captions: Want auto-captions on your story? Tap the (+) icon, upload your video, then tap the Stickers icon and select Captions. To see captions on other people’s stories and reels, go to your Profile > Menu > Settings and activity > Accessibility > Captions, then toggle on Always show closed captions.
Better iPhone videos: Head to Settings > Camera > Record Video and pick 4K at 60 fps. Then go to Settings > Camera > Formats and choose High Efficiency. For better framing, go to Camera > Composition and turn on Grid and Level. Your shots will look way better.
📞 Old phone, new trick: Turn your old smartphone into a home security camera. Charge it up and download a free security cam app like Alfred Camera (iOS, Android) on both your old phone and your current one. You’ll get live video, motion alerts and even two-way talk.
$249.99
That’s how much Google wants for the Gemini AI Ultra VIP pass, monthly. You get AI everything: video gen, doc summarizing, Chrome copilots and a personal bot concierge named Mariner that’ll shop online for you. It also includes YouTube Premium and 30TB of storage because apparently, your digital clone needs closet space.
▶️ My favorite price is free: Pro video-editing software usually comes with a pro-level price tag, unless you know where to look. Kdenlive is free, open-source and gets new updates all the time. This gem works with Windows, Mac and Linux.
🧟♂️ No face? No problem: AI’s tracking you anyway. A startup called Veritone made an AI that ditches facial recognition and still tracks you in video footage, just by how you walk and what you’re wearing. It’s already being used by cops and government agencies. The tech is legal, terrifying and possibly the start of your new fashion surveillance arc.
🌀 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.
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.