Good Monday Morning!

It’s June 23rd. With extreme heat suffocating the East and Midwest this week, here is a great BBC article about how to stay cool and when to get help.

Today’s Spotlight is 857 words, just over 3 minutes to read.

3 Headlines to Know

Trumps FTC Pressures Ad Giants Over Political Content

The agency may approve the Omnicom–Interpublic merger only if the combined company agrees not to boycott platforms for political reasons, escalating the fed crackdown on brand safety practices.

Trump Delays TikTok Ban Again Despite Supreme Court Ruling

The president granted a third extension to ByteDance, keeping TikTok online even though the law banning it has taken effect and legal experts say he’s ignoring Congress.

Whatsapp Adds Ads

Meta is rolling out paid channels and Status ads on WhatsApp, expanding monetization while keeping personal chats off-limits to targeting, for now at least.

Perplexity Hits 780M Search Queries as AI Ambitions Grow

By The Numbers

George’s Data Take

Gen Z, whose oldest members are now pushing 30, is just built different. You might be wowed by digital video at 96%, but scroll to the bottom.

These digital natives use VR 64% more than the average across all age group, and they’re closing in on 40% adoption. If they’re your target, that’s a wide-open channel just waiting.

The FAA Still Uses Windows 95 and Floppy Disks to Run Air Traffic Control

Running Your Business

There is a brand new FAA Request for Information to upgrade the system. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the new system will not have “floppy disks or paper strips.”

Silver Beacon Behind The Scenes

The idea that our safety is dependent upon a 30-year-old system that was last supported in 2001 is the height of negligence. Sure, it’s a huge project, but it’s been decades. When you develop your next big project, be honest with yourself and the team about its true expected lifespan. 

Ghosts and Slop Are Killing Music

Streaming platforms promised artists an audience but delivered pennies. 

Now, artificial intelligence is deepening the crisis and pushing musicians further to the margins.

Spotify’s payment model already underpays artists by pooling user fees and distributing only fractions of a cent per stream. Its playlists, optimized for passive listeners, promote repetitive, uninspired music over innovation. 

Like every model of its type, Spotify’s recommendation engine favors music that feels familiar and inoffensive, steering listeners toward more of the same and away from anything unexpected or genre bending.

Boo

AI-generated ghost artists fictional musicians producing cheap stock music, are an insidious tactic Spotify uses to lower costs even further. Genres like Lo Fi and ambient music are now flooded with computer generated filler, pushing working musicians out of listener awareness through endless customized playlists.

Spotify’s royalty system makes it easy to game. A recent bot-driven AI scam highlighted how fake accounts and automated streams siphon millions away from actual musicians. A man named Michael Smith generated thousands of AI tracks, flooded the platform, and profited from artificial streams, directly reducing earnings for artists.

AI Slop

Even Christmas carols are unsafe. AI generated Christmas tracks. sneak into compilations, offering listeners unsettling versions of classics. Artists find themselves competing against cheaply made artificial holiday slop, further diluting royalties and public recognition.

Artists fight back by turning to fan supported platforms like Patreon and Bandcamp, emphasizing direct connections and authenticity. Without significant pushback from listeners and industry leaders, though, musicians risk extinction in an AI saturated soundscape.

Disney NBCU Sue Midjourney For AI Copyright Theft

Practical AI

Hollywood’s biggest IP holders accuse the AI company of cloning their characters. Midjourney has recently begun rolling out text to video features, escalating concerns over infringement.

Spotify’s “Daylist” Refreshes Multiple Times a Day?

Protip

Just type “daylist” in the Spotify search bar to see yours.

Craigslist Ad Behind LA Protest Claims Was Just a Prank

Debunking Junk

A fake job post offering big money for “tough dudes” was part of a podcast stunt, not proof of paid protesters.

The Baltic Sea’s Northern Plights

Screening Room

AI Foot Scanner Spots Trouble Early

Science Fiction World

A new in-home device predicts heart failure hospitalizations by scanning fluid buildup in your feet, giving doctors a 13-day head start to act.

Smart Seatbelt Learns Your Body to Boost Safety

Tech For Good

Volvo’s EX60 introduces a sensor-packed seat belt that adjusts to your size and driving conditions while improving over time through software updates.

Wordle’s Not Alone in the Grid Anymore

Coffee Break

From Waffle to Redactle, a whole genre of mind-bending word games has spun off from your daily five-letter fix. Here are 14 of them.

Sign of the Times

Good Monday Morning

It’s June 9th. Donald Trump’s order regarding travel from 19 countries became effective overnight. 341 million people from 12 countries are completely barred from entering the U.S., while another 84 million from 7 others face restrictions.

Today’s Spotlight is 1,058 words, just over 4 minutes to read.

3 Headlines to Know Now

PayPal Drops from Google Wallet

Google Wallet will stop supporting PayPal in the U.S. on Friday, forcing users to switch to cards or bank accounts.

Virginia Limits Teen Screen Time

After banning phones in schools, the state now caps social media use to one hour daily for kids under 16, which raises questions about enforcement and the ease with which teens will just route around it.

Meta Courts Hollywood For VR Edge

To challenge Apple’s $3,500 Vision Pro, Meta is offering millions for exclusive VR content from studios like Disney and A24 to power its sleeker “Loma” device, expected to launch priced under $1,000.

Perplexity Hits 780M Search Queries as AI Ambitions Grow

By The Numbers

George’s Date Take

You may hear more about this number this week, and 25 million daily search queries is impressive, but Google is still your main player and focus.

Perplexity’s current volume is 3% of the purple Bing line at the bottom and far less than 1% of Google.

Meta Accused of Covert Android Tracking

Running Your Business

A new lawsuit claims Meta secretly linked Android users’ mobile browsing to their Facebook and Instagram profiles using a localhost exploit, violating California privacy laws until halting the practice this week.

Silver Beacon Behind the Scenes

If true, this is the single stupidest thing that Meta has ever done. Their monumental FTC case just concluded a couple of weeks ago. Judge William Boasberg, famous for his role in the Trump Venezuelan deportations, is presiding and has yet to issue a ruling. 

I’ve worked in an organization that had a previously signed consent decree. Violating it willingly is an invitation to harsh penalties. Mark Zuckerberg’s smartest move was keeping control instead of allowing a board to oust him if this truly happened.

The Robot Delivery Boom

The bots are here, and business will never be the same

Delivery robots used to be a futuristic gimmick. Now they are everywhere, carrying food and groceries across campus and through neighborhoods. When we started covering them six years ago, there were only 24 bots at George Mason University. 

Today, Starship Technologies alone fields 2,000 bots in 150 locations, delivering everything from snacks to full grocery runs. That first generation has spawned a wave of robot siblings on wheels, wings, and legs. Those robots can range up to two miles, carry as much as three grocery bags, and run for 18 hours on a single charge.

Now, their younger siblings are arriving fast.

Delivery By Drone

Robots in the sky are no longer science fiction. Drone delivery is rolling out fast and scaling up.

Wing, owned by Google parent Alphabet, just expanded drone delivery to 100 Walmart stores across Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston, Orlando, and Tampa. Their three year old program already covers 18 Walmart stores in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Wing drones deliver to spots you pick in your driveway or backyard, often in as little as 15 minutes. The company boasts that its speed means hot meals or even ice cream stay fresh. 

Using satellite maps, people use an app to choose a drop spot about the size of a picnic basket. The drone flies at 150 feet, then descends to about 20 feet above the target to lower the package.

Robots on the Move

A Rivr dog-shaped robot with four wheels can climb stairs and will ride in a Veho delivery vehicle in a new beta test. The experiment is if a robot can successfully accompany a human driver and make deliveries right to the customer’s door while the driver handles other tasks. The robot follows customer instructions on the order and sends a photo of the finished delivery through the app.

Meanwhile, Amazon is building  an obstacle course the size of a store to test two legged delivery robots. They plan to use Rivian vans. Amazon owns 16 percent of that automaker and will ferry delivery bots to neighborhoods. As with the Veho project, drivers could focus on multiple deliveries or other tasks, letting the bots handle the door to door work.

Why It Matters

Delivery robots are a business necessity for companies chasing speed, scale, and cost savings. Amazon alone ships more than 1.6 million packages every day. To handle that volume and reach even more customers, Amazon is betting on delivery robots, automation, and a $4 billion push into rural zip codes.

Every efficiency matters. When a single driver can serve multiple deliveries by deploying robots, the business math changes. Fewer human drivers, more automated drop offs, and faster delivery time means that whoever owns the delivery robot advantage is on track to own the future of e-commerce.

Google’s VEO 3 Delivers Stunningly Real AI Video

Practical AI

The latest version of Google’s video generator creates high-resolution, cinematic footage with realistic motion, lighting, and camera moves from just a text prompt. Here’s an amazing instagram clip for you.

Don’t Use One Browser For Everything

Protip

Privacy experts recommend using different browsers (although not Chrome) for different tasks. Separating work, social, and sensitive browsing makes it harder for companies to track you.

SNAP Would Take a Hit Under House GOP Plan

Debunking Junk

Millions of families could lose food benefits if the House GOP plan becomes law according to Poynter Institute’s Politifact. That directly contradicts claims made in social media and on television by House Speaker Mike Johnson.

Cheetos’ Weird, Different Shape Hunt

Screening Room

DNA Startup Ranks Embryos

Science Fiction World

Nucleus Genomics offers $5,999 reports predicting disease risks, IQ, and height of up to 20 embryos while raising fresh fears of modern eugenics.

Old Phones Become Ocean Data Hubs

Tech For Good

Researchers turned discarded phones into underwater micro-hubs that track sea life and cut e-waste at a unit cost of about $10.

Bigfoot Sightings Correlate With Bear Populations

Coffee Break

New research shows reported Bigfoot encounters increase in areas with more black bears, as much as one sighting per 5,000 bears, but we totally believe that you saw what you say you saw.

Sign of the Times

Good Monday Morning

It’s June 2nd. The Hajj begins Wednesday with an estimated two million Muslims expected to travel to Saudi Arabia. Extreme heat last year killed more than 1,300 people.

Today’s Spotlight is 1,058 words, just over 4 minutes to read.

3 Headlines to Know

Lopez Sued Over Her Own Paparazzi Pics

Jennifer Lopez faces a new lawsuit for posting photos of herself in designer outfits to social media without the photographers’ permission. Remember, photographers and not subjects, own the photos.

Grammarly Nabs $1B Without Giving Up Equity

Grammarly just scored $1 billion in nondilutive funding, showing that AI giants like ChatGPT and Claude have not pushed it off the map as the company doubles down on marketing and acquisitions without losing any equity.

Gemini Can Now Watch Your Google Drive Videos

Google’s Gemini will now scan your Drive videos and spit out instant summaries or answers, so you can skip the playback and get straight to what matters.

Most Americans See AI Mentions, Few Dig Deeper

By The Numbers

George’s Data Take

Despite 93% seeing AI mentioned online, just 8% actually read a news article that talked about AI in depth. Everyone hears the buzz, like a brood of cicadas, but fewer than 1 in 10 dig deeper to find out where the sound is coming from.

Good & bad: You’re early still if you’re integrating AI, but you’re going to have to educate as you go.

This gets critical in the next piece.

Duolingo’s AI Move Triggers Viral Backlash

Running Your Business

When Duolingo announced it would lean on AI and phase out contractors, users revolted with one-star reviews and TikTok funerals, proving you can’t meme your way out when fans feel wronged.

Silver Beacon Behind the Scene

Even if you’re a tech company, you cannot let the nerds drive the message. The world doesn’t want to know about people losing work to LLMs or generative AI.

That’s a message for your investors, not your customers, and I know you know not to make those the same message. 

Your Tattletale Car

Image by ChatGPT, prompted by George Bounacos

The conveniences inside our cars have also enabled sophisticated data tracking to accompany the constant surveillance of our roads. 

WIRED recently reviewed police training documents teaching agencies how to access data from connected cars. Their biggest data jackpot is from subscription services who often supplement low monthly fees with a booming data business even when vehicles aren’t mapped by our phones, tollbooths, and traffic cameras.

Your Car’s Close-Up

Don’t ignore license plate cameras, though. Last month a county sheriff in Texas performed a nationwide search of more than 83,000 automated license plate readers (ALPR) throughout the country. The criminal he was searching for was a woman he accused of performing a self-administered abortion. 

The sheriff told 404 Media that he searched nationwide to “[hit] everything, every possibility.”  But while most forms of abortion are illegal in Texas, the sheriff was able to search for the woman’s car throughout the country, including states where abortion is a fundamental right. 

The ALPR networks continually scan passing vehicles for their license plates, make, model, and color. Coupled with date and time stamps, they’re a nationally accessible permanent record of where the vehicle has been. 

Oregon Keeps Trying To Shut It Down

Car privacy data is big business too. Auto insurers can set rates based on where cars are seen, how often they’re driven, and how fast. Life insurance rates, credit card interest, and even whether you qualify for a mortgage are all informed by behavioral models that are influenced by vehicle data.

And you’re helpless to change that because car companies collect and sell your driving data constantly, but they won’t tell you who they’re sharing it with. When Oregon passed a law allowing residents to request a list of all companies that get their personal data, nearly 400 people asked Privacy4Cars to file these requests with car manufacturers. Despite the law requiring it, not a single car company provided the list.

Oregon’s legislature amended the law last week to strengthen it, but there are still plenty of gray areas and loopholes. The need for comprehensive federal standards is urgent, but states looking out for their citizens could at least follow Oregon’s example in the interim.

Sun-Times Prints Fake AI Summer Reads, Goes Viral

Practical AI

The Chicago Sun-Times ran an AI-generated Summer reading list packed with books and quotes that do not exist, sparking embarrassment, newsroom outrage, and a crash course in the dangers of not fact-checking.

New DMV Text Scam Hits Phones Nationwide

Protip

Fake DMV texts are now sharper and harder to spot thanks to AI, threatening license suspension to scare drivers into handing over personal info as scammers get smarter. I’m getting several of these each week.

Trump’s Harvard Math Claims Flunk the Facts

Debunking Junk

Trump claimed Harvard teaches remedial arithmetic like two plus two, but Harvard’s entry level math course is calculus and its new support class helps students with calculus and higher math. 

I checked the data. Of 800 possible points on the math SAT, the national average score is 521. The average at Harvard is 790. The top quartile has perfect math scores and even the lowest quartile averages 760.

Mads Mikkelsen and Campari’s Cannes Spot

Screening Room

Caltech’s Smart Bandage Spots Infections Before Symptoms

Science Fiction World

A new smart bandage can sense signs of infection and inflammation days before symptoms appear by using real-time fluid analysis and AI to predict healing and offering patients a testing lab on their skin. There is no word on what the bandage AI thinks about this summer’s reading.

New Enzyme Doubles Efficiency of Turning Plant Waste into Biofuel

Tech For Good

Scientists discovered a natural enzyme named CelOCE that unlocks cellulose in agricultural waste much faster than before, which could mean cleaner and more efficient biofuel production.

Roadtrip With Hundreds of Strangers

Coffee Break

Neal Argawal, my favorite web author, is back with Internet Trip,  a crowd based app where you join with hundreds of others to steer a car through Google Street View. They’re deep in Nova Scotia as I write this, lazily making their way towards Halifax and sometimes honking the horn for no reason. 

Sign of the Times