Reel-y impressive tech: Amazon is dropping six new AI models. Reel turns simple text prompts into short videos. Here’s a little snippet. I’m impressed! For now, three text-generation models are live for certain developers. The rest drop for everyone else to try early next year.
The tipping point
A Canadian news channel went undercover at 100 businesses to see if they asked for tips. They were prompted to tip at fast food joints, jewelry stores, auto shops and even online shops. Two-thirds of employees didn’t know where the tips went. Tip theft is illegal in the U.S., but we all know not every business follows every law.
23 years ago
Enron went bankrupt. After more than two decades, they’re making a comeback. This week, “Enron” launched a rebranded website and press release about their return, now featuring crypto. Unbelievable, right? Yup. It’s a parody site for “entertainment purposes only.” Talk about an En-runaround!
It twerks: People are turning to TikTok to pay off medical bills. Some creators can earn cash from videos over a minute long, and viewers only have to interact once. A mom turned a live dance party with her kids into $2,500 to pay off her 3-year-old’s medical bills. It works!
A wicked amount of money: A mom is suing Mattel for $5 million. The “Wicked” movie doll she bought for her daughter had a link to a p*rn website instead of the film’s official page. Mom says visiting the site caused lots of emotional distress for them both … that only money can help.
📺 Ads as far as the eye can see: Walmart just spent $2.3 billion to buy Vizio. Why? Because they want to put their ads right in your living room, track what you watch and sell your data. Over 19 million people use Vizio’s SmartCast system. Here’s how you can turn off the tracking on your TV, Vizio or otherwise.
The FBI is sounding the alarm: I’ve been saying this for years: For sensitive convos, always use end-to-end encrypted apps. It took a massive telecom cyberattack from Communist China for the Feds to say it. Signal, WhatsApp, Google Messages and iMessage work for both calls and texts. PSA: RCS messages between iPhones and Androids aren’t encrypted.
Pasta City, created with Amazon Nova Reel by Amazon Ads
Reel-y impressive tech: Amazon is dropping six new AI models. Reel turns simple text prompts into short videos. Check out the video above for a little snippet. I’m impressed! For now, only three text-generation models are live for certain developers. The rest drop for everyone else early next year.
$20,100.10 Cheeto puff
Sold on eBay. The single puff duct-taped to a wall was Frito-Lay’s cheeky response to a similar “art” piece of a banana that sold for $6.2 million. At least the winner of this auction got a supply of Cheetos worth their bid’s price — about 450 8.5-ounce bags. Orange fingers for life.
🏴☠ Hands off my treasure: Porch piracy is so out of control, you can now pay for stolen package insurance. PorchPals covers up to $2,000 of deliveries (or three claims a year) for $120 annually. Don’t bother. Save your money. Sign for your packages or have them delivered to a locker. Steps here!
🎮 Twitch and YouTube are booming: Gamers spend more hours per week watching other people play video games than playing themselves. This year’s League of Legends World Championship esports event peaked at nearly 7 million viewers. Hey, parents — your kids can turn playing video games into a real job after all.
Re-FundMe: There’s a lot of drama here. Donors to a GoFundMe campaign meant to locate missing Hawaii woman Hannah Kobayashi want their money back. The 30-year-old vanished after missing a flight at LAX, but CCTV shows she went to Mexico. The family used part of the $46,000 raised for her father’s funeral; he committed suicide during the search. Don’t give to a GoFundMe unless you know the recipient personally.
$7,100 for a PC case
InWin’s Infinite clocks in at 100 pounds. It has 180-degree curved glass, diamond-cut edges and a mechanical hinge that opens with the press of a button. Each glass panel takes about 12 hours to mold. Uh, don’t drop it.
500,000 fans
On Xiaohongshu (China’s Instagram) for Maye Musk. Elon’s gorgeous mom has been a model for many years and is a superstar in China. At 75, she’s a top silver-haired influencer. Maye we all be this fabulous.
🚖 Cybercab’s dirty secret: Elon Musk says Tesla’s robotaxi service is coming by 2026. The catch? It won’t be “fully autonomous” as promised. A recent job listing shows Tesla is hiring a team to remotely control its vehicles when they get stuck. FYI: They’re not the first to do this, it’s an industry standard. Waymo and others just keep it under wraps.
Winging it: Forget those small prop planes carrying advertising banners over beaches. Drones are replacing planes in places like Miami Beach. They’re quieter and — get this — they track ad views in real time and fly about 400 feet lower than planes. There’s no avoiding ‘em.