Color me surprised

January 23, 2025

Color me surprised: Samsung just dropped the details about its new Galaxy S25 smartphones, and they’re basically S24 models with better processors to handle the real upgrade: Samsung AI. Neat, new features include a lock screen summary with info to help you plan your day; Photoshop-level editing with a swipe of your finger; and cross-app actions that let you layer multiple requests into one, like, “Find a well-rated coffee shop nearby and text the address to Barry.”

Tags: features, New features

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64 iPhones, one music video

OK Go’s new music video for “A Stone Only Rolls Downhill” was filmed on 64 iPhones. arranged them into a mosaic of split screens and edited it all into a single take. It took their 31-person team of 31 over 1,000 takes and more than 577 hours of prep to nail the 4-minute video. Even Tim Cook was impressed.

44%

Percentage of young Americans who don’t want to own a car. Adults ages 18 to 34 would rather call an Uber or Lyft or rent a ride on Turo. But we’re not heading to a robo-taxi future just yet; a solid 52% of all folks don’t trust self-driving cars. I won’t get in one.

The sky is falling

On Prince Edward Island, Canada Laura Kelly’s doorbell cam caught the exact moment a meteorite fell. In a big first, the cam also caught the sound it made on impact. It happened last July, but scientists just dropped their findings. Huh, sounds different than I expected.

$0

To stream Super Bowl LIX on Tubi. All you need to sign up is an email address (no credit card, yay!). Kickoff is 6:30 p.m. ET on Feb. 9. No idea who’s playing yet, but I know you love it when something’s free!

$580 million

How much Tom got for Myspace. Remember that guy in the white T-shirt from your Top 8? That’s Tom Anderson. He doesn’t show his face much these days, but he was just spotted in California. Tom and co-creator Chris DeWolfe sold the early social media site to News Corp in 2005. A few years later, Tom retired to Hawaii to lei around.

$50 per year

To use a $900 camera as a webcam. A photographer had the bright idea to use his fancy Canon PowerShot G5 X Mark II digital camera for video meetings. When he plugged it in, nothing. Then, he found the reason on Canon’s site: It’s $5 per month or $50 per year for the software. Shutter up.

$24,000

What reality star Spencer Pratt got in donations on TikTok after he and his wife, Heidi Montag, lost their home in the LA wildfires. They got another $125,000 on GoFundMe. Keep in mind the couple made anywhere from $70,000 to $90,000 per episode of “The Hills” and, until the fire, bragged on social media about their luxury lifestyle, including a $1 million wardrobe. The Pratts had insurance. If you want to help victims of the fires, I have a better idea: Donate to RedCross.org.

$5 to $50

Drop in Apple’s trade-in values for iPhones, iPads, Macs and Apple Watch models. You used to get up to $650 for an iPhone 15 Pro Max; now, it’s $630 at best. Hit this page to check your new trade-in value.

3

How many times a week you should snack on baby carrots. Researchers found frequency “significantly increased” skin carotenoids, which are associated with less inflammation and lower risk of heart disease. Crunch on!

When AI Goes Wrong! | Best of AO Animated in Week 1 | Australian Open 2025

🎾 This is causing quite a racket: The Australian Open is live on YouTube … sort of. Due to broadcast rights sold to media companies, live coverage is limited to animated avatars playing on a computer-generated court. It’s less Grand Slam and more Nintendo Wii. Don’t believe me? Check out this hilarious Week 1 recap. Unbelievable.