``

Hey {{first_name}}, it’s Sunday, January 11. Here's what we're covering this week:

• Grok AI is flooding X with illegal deepfakes of minors (governments are absolutely furious)

• How to leave your TV on 24/7 without destroying it (your roommate TV deserves better)

• A robot vacuum that climbs stairs like a mechanical frog (the future of lazy cleaning is here)

• The runaway CES robot that escaped and started throwing air punches (I want to believe)

Plus: T-Mobile's hiking prices again and Apple's foldable iPhone gets a September date

Alright, and we’re off!

Partner Message

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📝 How-To

How to leave your TV on all day (without killing it)

If your TV is basically a roommate at this point, there are a few simple tweaks that can keep it from cooking itself or burning in your favorite scoreboard.

• Pick the right type of TV

  • Prefer thicker LED/LCD sets with full‑array or direct‑lit backlighting; they handle heat and long sessions better than ultra‑thin edge‑lit models.​

  • Treat OLED like a “special occasion” display: it looks incredible, but static UI elements and marathon sessions make burn‑in more likely over time.​

• Turn the brightness down

  • High brightness = more heat = faster wear on panels, reflector sheets, and internal components.​

  • Use “Movie,” “Cinema,” or “Filmmaker” modes or manually drop brightness/contrast for anything that’s running all day.​

• Avoid static stuff on screen

  • News tickers, sports score bugs, channel logos, and certain HUD‑heavy games are classic burn‑in fuel, especially on OLED and QD‑OLED panels.​

  • Rotate content, use built‑in screen savers, or move static tasks (like 24/7 news) to a cheap secondary screen or monitor instead.​

• Let your TV rest and run its protections

  • Modern TVs have “pixel refresher” or compensation cycles that quietly run when you power them off; that’s how they fight image retention and early burn‑in.​

  • Don’t just leave it on 24/7; give it at least some daily downtime so those maintenance routines can actually run.​

• Watch for early warning signs

  • Uneven brightness, faint “ghost” images, or discolored patches are early indicators of heat issues or image retention.​

  • If you notice these, cut back on static content, lower brightness further, and make sure the TV is well‑ventilated and fully powered down at night.

Pro tip: If you have to run something all day, use the cheapest, thickest LED TV you own and save your nice OLED for movies and games.

📩 Newsletters Worth Reading

tl;dr sec.
Join >90,000 security professionals getting the best tools, talks, and resources right in their inbox for free. [LINK]

Newsletter Operator
Learn how to grow and monetize your newsletter. Trusted by 50,000+ founders, CEOs, and creators. [LINK]

Status
Scoops and insights on the media and tech industries, hitting inboxes six days a week [LINK]

 📚 Tech Terms Worth Knowing

Edge AI
(noun)

Definition: Artificial intelligence processing that occurs directly on local devices at the network edge—such as smartphones, IoT sensors, or security cameras—rather than requiring data transmission to centralized cloud servers, enabling real-time responses with enhanced privacy.

Usage: "The security camera uses edge AI to detect and classify potential threats locally, sending alerts within milliseconds without streaming footage to the cloud."

📰 The Big One

Grok's image generator is flooding X with illegal deepfakes—and governments are losing patience

Elon Musk's Grok AI has been caught generating sexualized images of minors and non-consensual intimate imagery of real people, triggering international investigations and a full-blown regulatory crisis for xAI.

​The Internet Watch Foundation found "criminal imagery" of girls aged 11-13 on dark web forums, where users claimed they used Grok to create the content.

​Within days of Grok's updated "Edit Image" feature launching in late December, X was flooded with AI-generated deepfakes—including images of celebrities, public figures, and regular users "undressed" without consent.​

How it spiraled:

Grok Imagine's "Spicy Mode"—a paid feature that allows NSFW content—failed to enforce even basic safety guardrails like detecting minors or blocking sexually explicit prompts involving real people.

​Users discovered they could upload any photo and use text prompts to digitally undress subjects, creating what amounts to weaponized deepfake porn at scale.​

​Grok itself posted an apology on X, admitting it "generated and shared an AI image of two young girls (estimated ages 12-16) in sexualized attire" and acknowledging it "potentially violated US laws on CSAM".​

Who's furious:

The UK, EU, India, Malaysia, and France have all launched investigations into xAI and X. Britain's Prime Minister called the situation "disgraceful" and said regulators have "full support to take action".​

​US senators sent a letter to Apple and Google demanding Grok and X be pulled from app stores for violating distribution policies.​

​AI safety experts point out xAI didn't build even "entry-level trust and safety layers" that are standard across the industry—detection systems that other platforms implemented years ago.​

Why it matters:

• Legal jeopardy: Creating and distributing CSAM is a federal crime. xAI could face criminal or civil liability if it knowingly permits this content after being notified.​

• Platform erosion: What was once a mainstream social network is now one of the biggest distributors of non-consensual deepfake pornography, putting Musk's companies in direct conflict with regulators worldwide.​

Bottom Line:
On Friday, xAI finally restricted image generation to paid subscribers only—a move critics called "turning an illegal feature into a premium offering." But the damage is done, and this won't be the last regulatory fight Musk picks over AI safety standards he considers "politically correct. [LINK]

⚡ Fast Five

1.) T-Mobile is hiking up its prices
T-Mobile is raising its prices for both voice and mobile internet lines, effective January 21, 2026 [LINK]

2.) Apple Games App Debuts in iOS 26
The Apple Games app is a dedicated hub for gaming on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. [LINK]

3.) Meta denies Instagram breach after 17.5M users' data appears on dark web
Malwarebytes reported that personal information from 17.5 million users appeared on dark web forums [LINK]

4.) Walmart to add drone delivery to 150 more stores
Walmart and Alphabet's Wing plan to expand their drone delivery service to 150 more U.S. stores. [LINK].

5.) Apple's foldable iPhone rumored to be set for September launch:
Apple is eyeing a September 2026 release for its first foldable smartphone [LINK]

PARTNER MESSAGE

Learn AI in 5 minutes a day

What’s the secret to staying ahead of the curve in the world of AI? Information. Luckily, you can join 1,000,000+ early adopters reading The Rundown AI — the free newsletter that makes you smarter on AI with just a 5-minute read per day.

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💾 Extra Bytes

OpenAI launches ChatGPT Health: Here’s what to know [LINK]

Ring’s AI upgrades help cameras ignore the neighbor’s cat [LINK]

Update Chrome now to avoid a Web app disaster, says Google [LINK]

Lenovo’s Legion Go 2 with STEAMOS launches in June, from $1,199 [LINK]

Motorola Razr Fold debuts with jaw-dropping specs and camera prowess [LINK]

Finnish startup IXI enhances glasses with real-time autofocus lenses [LINK]

American Airlines offers free high-speed Wi-Fi on most flights [LINK]

Samsung’s new fridges track food and open hands-free like a butler [LINK]

📱 Gear of the Week

Roborock Saros Rover

Roborock’s new Saros Rover is a stair-climbing bot that uses a wild articulating wheel-and-leg system to hoist itself up each step, clean the tread, and then move on to the next without you babysitting it.

Think “mechanical frog” more than Roomba—it can handle slopes, do small hops, and transition between floors, giving multi-story homes a legit glimpse at the future of lazy-person cleaning [LINK]

⚙️ Moron of the Week

This week’s moron of the week goes to a runaway robot that “allegedly” skittered out of its CES 2026 booth and casually walked out of the convention center and proceeded to throw punches at the open air.

Listen, I can’t verify if this was intentional or another CES fluke, but god damn, this is absolutely hilarious, and I want to believe it’s true.

⚙️ Tools

Gobil: Create your own digital worker — it does your online work automatically, 24/7 [LINK].

MTV Rewind: 24/7 music video streaming-MTV when it actually played music. [LINK]

Tripolo AI: Boost productivity with an AI assistant that runs on any app, on any device—no integrations required [LINK]

Pretty Prompt: Instantly refine and perfect your prompt to get better outputs from ChatGPT with one click. [LINK]

Thanks for reading!

Alright! Thanks for getting all the way to the end. Until next week…….

-Kevin

📌 Partner Disclaimer: We may earn a commission if you purchase something through our links or sign up for any services. This is one way we support The Weekly Download

``

Hey {{first_name}}, it’s Sunday, January 4.

Here's what we're covering this week:

• Apple's skipping the iPhone 18 in 2026 (upgrade chaos incoming)

• AI-powered pen from OpenAI and Jony Ive (ChatGPT meets handwriting)

• Pebble's smartwatch resurrection with 2-week battery life

• Quick Roku cleanup that'll save your sanity

Alright, and we're off!

Partner Message

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📝 How-To

Make your Roku less annoying in 5 minutes

Roku’s great until the home screen turns into Times Square and every app wants your attention. Here’s a quick tune‑up you can run this weekend.

Clean up your home screen

• From the left sidebar, go to Settings > Home screen to control what shows up on the main grid.​​

• Hide stuff you never use (Live TV, What to Watch, Featured Free, etc.) so you only see your apps and inputs.​​

• To move apps, highlight a channel tile, press the * button, choose Move channel, and park your must‑use apps in the first row.​

Fix the volume jumps

• On most Roku models, you can turn on Volume leveling so ads and channel changes don’t blow your eardrums.​

• While something is playing, press the * button, go to Sound settings, and turn on Leveling (or Night mode if you’re watching while everyone’s asleep).​

Use the remote like a power tool

• If you have a Roku voice remote, hold the mic button and say things like “Open Netflix” or “Pause” instead of digging through menus.​

• Install the Roku mobile app and use Private Listening so the TV audio plays through your phone and headphones instead of the speakers.​

Make it look like your TV

• Head to Settings > Themes > Theme packs to swap wallpapers and overall look; Roku’s own “Roku City” theme is a nice, minimal default.​

• You can also change screensavers and declutter the extra recommendation rows for a calmer “just apps” home screen..

Partner Message

The free newsletter making HR less lonely

The best HR advice comes from people who’ve been in the trenches.

That’s what this newsletter delivers.

I Hate it Here is your insider’s guide to surviving and thriving in HR, from someone who’s been there. It’s not about theory or buzzwords — it’s about practical, real-world advice for navigating everything from tricky managers to messy policies.

Every newsletter is written by Hebba Youssef — a Chief People Officer who’s seen it all and is here to share what actually works (and what doesn’t). We’re talking real talk, real strategies, and real support — all with a side of humor to keep you sane.

Because HR shouldn’t feel like a thankless job. And you shouldn’t feel alone in it.

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📩 Newsletters Worth Reading

tl;dr sec.
Join >90,000 security professionals getting the best tools, talks, and resources right in their inbox for free. [LINK]

Newsletter Operator
Learn how to grow and monetize your newsletter. Trusted by 50,000+ founders, CEOs, and creators. [LINK]

Status
Scoops and insights on the media and tech industries, hitting inboxes six days a week [LINK]

 📚 Tech Terms Worth Knowing

Multimodal AI
(noun)

Definition: Artificial intelligence systems capable of processing and integrating multiple types of data simultaneously—such as text, images, audio, and video

Usage: "The multimodal AI analyzed the product photo, read the accompanying description, and listened to customer feedback audio to generate a comprehensive quality report."

📰 The Big One

No standard iPhone 18 this fall?!

Apple is skipping the standard iPhone 18 in 2026 and shifting to a staggered launch strategy that puts Pro and foldable models in the spotlight first, with the base iPhone 18 now pushed to spring 2027.

What’s happening: Apple is not expected to ship a standard iPhone 18 in 2026, breaking from the annual refresh cycle for its mainstream iPhone line.

​New cadence: Instead of dropping all core models in September, Apple is moving toward split launches, with premium devices arriving in the fall and cheaper “standard” models following later.

Fall 2026 lineup: Rumors point to iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and Apple’s first foldable iPhone taking the usual fall spotlight.

Spring 2027 wave: The regular iPhone 18 is now expected to land in spring 2027, alongside an iPhone 18e and a second‑gen iPhone Air as part of a lower‑cost refresh event.

Why It Matters

• ​Less self‑cannibalization: Staggering launches gives each model more time in the spotlight and reduces the risk that new devices immediately eat into each other’s sales.

• ​Consumer impact: Shoppers who usually upgrade to the base model may be nudged toward Pro or older discounted models during the gap before the standard iPhone 18 arrives.

Bottom Line: If you’re eyeing a “regular” upgrade, plan around a longer iPhone 17 run—or be ready to jump Pro or wait until that spring 2027 standard iPhone 18 window [LINK].

⚡ Fast Five

1.) OpenAl developing Al-powered pen for 2026 launch
The Jony Ive-designed device will transcribe handwritten notes to ChatGPT and enable voice communication. [LINK]

2.) More kids than ever will be banned from social media this year
Governments globally are implementing or planning strict social media bans for minors. [LINK]

3.) Belkin unveils wireless HDMI adapter with 131-foot range
The $149.99 ConnectAir uses peer-to-peer connection for 1080p screen sharing without Wi-Fi, launching in Q1 2026. [LINK]

4.) Amazon customers receive checks from $2.5B Prime settlement
Amazon customers are receiving checks and refunds this month following the company's landmark $2.5 billion settlement with the FTC [LINK].

5.) Motorola to unveil first book-style foldable on Jan. 6:
The device marks Motorola's expansion beyond its Razr clamshell series and may feature a smaller cover screen [LINK].

PARTNER MESSAGE

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Efficiency in CX has often come at the cost of experience. Gladly AI breaks that trade-off. With $510M in verified savings and measurable loyalty gains, explore our Media Kit to see the awards, research, and data behind Gladly’s customer-centric approach.

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💾 Extra Bytes

Grok chatbot’s safety fails, releases explicit images of minors [LINK]

Samsung’s new Freestyle+ projector uses AI to light up your wall [LINK]

Review roundup: Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold [LINK]

PlayStation 6 and the next Xbox might be late, and AI is to blame [LINK]

OpenAI’s new audio device aims to reduce screen time soon [LINK]

Meta buys another AI startup and promises to cut all ties with China [LINK]

The Government may have hacked your iPhone [LINK]

Gmail finally lets you fix that cringey old email address [LINK]

Amazon turns Alexa into an actual personal assistant [LINK]

📱 Gear of the Week

Pebble Round 2

Pebble’s classic round smartwatch just got a full reboot: same super‑slim vibe, way smarter guts. Think 1.3-inch edge‑to‑edge color e‑paper display, stainless steel body, and a ridiculous 10–14 days of battery on a single charge

What’s cool:

• Actually lasts: Up to two weeks of always‑on notifications, sleep, and step tracking instead of dying every other day.​

• Looks like a real watch: 8.1mm thin, bezel‑free round face, and comes in matte black, silver, or rose gold with 14mm or 20mm bands.​

• Stays simple on purpose: Runs Pebble OS with hundreds of watch faces and apps, but skips heavy fitness sensors and app bloat.​

Pricing: $199, preorders open now, shipping in May

The bottom line: If you miss old‑school Pebble charm but want modern battery life and a cleaner design, the Round 2 is the no‑drama smartwatch to beat [LINK]

⚙️ Tools

FunKey: Satisfying mechanical keys + mouse click sounds to your Mac [LINK]

OptiVault: Al financial advisor that optimizes your money and budget [LINK]

Descript: AI-powered video editing [LINK]

Refreshme: The all-in-one personal financial management tool. [LINK]

Thanks for reading!

Alright! Thanks for getting all the way to the end. Until next week…….

-Kevin

📌 Partner Disclaimer: We may earn a commission if you purchase something through our links or sign up for any services. This is one way we support The Weekly Download

``

We're thrilled to announce Juan as the winner of our recent BLUETTI Elite 10 giveaway—and yes, this is 100% real! At KnowTechie, we run actual giveaways with real winners because we love giving back to our community.

Huge congrats to Juan! Thanks for being part of the KnowTechie family, and keep an eye out for our next giveaway. You could be next! 👀

Hey {{first_name}}, it’s Sunday, December 28, and the internet is somehow getting weirder and more useful at the same time.

Between Facebook testing a paywall on basic link posts, OpenAI turning your ChatGPT history into a Wrapped-style ego check, and Microsoft trying to make Windows handhelds not suck, this week is stacked with stuff you’ll actually care about.

In this issue: how Meta is quietly turning Facebook into a toll road for creators, the one AI recap you should actually click, a wild Fast Five (including teens who can’t read clocks), and some gear and tools to make your digital life a little less painful.

Alright, and we’re off!

Partner Message

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The data shows:

• Only 10% of shoppers buy through AI-recommended links

• 87% discover products through creators, blogs, or communities they trust

• Human sources like reviews and creators rank higher in trust than AI recommendations

The most effective brands are combining AI discovery with authentic human influence to drive measurable conversions.

Affiliate marketing isn’t being replaced by AI, it’s being amplified by it.

Download the full report to see what this means for your brand.

📝 How-To

Your ChatGPT Year-in-Review Is Here. Here’s How to Find It

OpenAI rolled out “Your Year with ChatGPT,” a Wrapped-style recap that turns your prompts into stats, goofy awards, an AI poem, and a custom image. It works for Free, Plus, and Pro users as long as chat history (and, ideally, memories) are turned on.

How to get it

1. Open ChatGPT on web or mobile.​

2. Look for the “Your Year with ChatGPT” / “Year in Review” card on the home screen and click it.​

3. If you don’t see it, start a new chat and type “Your Year with ChatGPT” to trigger the recap.​

4. Available in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand—for now

📩 Newsletters Worth Reading

Big Desk Energy
Startup insights, stories, and vibes sent to your inbox every Tuesday. [LINK]

Turing Post
For smart people building AI and with AI. [LINK]

Five Minute Daily
Everything you need to know for the day in just five minutes [LINK]

📩 Gear of the Week

MIZUDO WiFi RO Water Filter:

Smart water filtration for families who want clean drinking water without the guesswork. Monitor filter life, TDS levels, and daily usage from your phone while 9-stage filtration removes 1,000+ contaminants. 800 GPD capacity, 30% less cabinet space, NSF certified. 17% off through 12/20. [LINK]

📚 Tech Terms Worth Knowing

Agentic AI
(noun)

Definition: A more autonomous kind of AI that can plan, take multi-step actions, and use tools or apps on your behalf, instead of just replying to prompts.

Usage: "Marketing teams are already testing agentic AI to research competitors, draft campaigns, and schedule posts without a human clicking every button."

📰 The Big One

Facebook wants you to pay to post links now

Some Facebook Pages and Professional Mode profiles are being capped at two external link posts per month.

​To post more links, Meta is nudging them into a Meta Verified subscription, starting around 14.99 USD / 9.99 GBP a month.

Meta calls it a “limited test” to see if more link posts are a perk worth paying for.

Who’s hit and who’s not:

The cap currently targets creators and business-style accounts, not standard personal profiles. Publishers’ own Pages are mostly excluded, but they’ll still feel it if regular users can’t freely share their stories.

​Links in comments and links to Instagram/WhatsApp still don’t count toward the limit.​

Why it matters:

For creators, bloggers, and small businesses, Facebook is becoming less of a free traffic hose and more of a toll road.

​For Meta, link posts are already a tiny slice of overall views, so it can charge for them without hurting its engagement stats [LINK]

⚡ Fast Five

1.) YouTube TV wins best live TV streaming service
YouTube TV has been named the best live TV streaming service of 2025 by the Cordie Awards [LINK]

2.) Psychiatrists link AI chatbots to psychosis cases
Leading psychiatrists are increasingly linking extended use of AI chatbots to psychosis cases [LINK]

3.) NYC smartphone ban reveals teens can't read analog clocks
New York City teachers are confronting an unexpected consequence of the city's smartphone ban [LINK]

4.) Major retailers now charge fees for holiday gift returns
American shoppers hoping to return unwanted Christmas gifts face a new reality this week [LINK].

5.) Apple discontinues 25 products, ending iPhone SE era
Apple has axed 25 products in 2025—including the iPhone SE—marking the end of an era [LINK]

PARTNER MESSAGE

Here’s an un-boring way to invest that billionaires have quietly leveraged for decades

If you have enough money that you think about buckets for your capital…

Ever invest in something you know will have low returns—just for the sake of diversifying?

CDs… Bonds… REITs… :(

Sure, these “boring” investments have some merits. But you probably overlooked one historically exclusive asset class:

It’s been famously leveraged by billionaires like Bezos and Gates, but just never been widely accessible until now.

It outpaced the S&P 500 (!) overall WITH low correlation to stocks, 1995 to 2025.*

It’s not private equity or real estate. Surprisingly, it’s postwar and contemporary art.

And since 2019, over 70,000 people have started investing in SHARES of artworks featuring legends like Banksy, Basquiat, and Picasso through a platform called Masterworks.

• 23 exits to date

• $1,245,000,000+ invested

• Annualized net returns like 17.6%, 17.8%, and 21.5%

My subscribers can SKIP their waitlist and invest in blue-chip art.

Just click this link

_{Investing involves risk. Past performance not indicative of future returns. Reg A disclosures at masterworks.com/cd}

💾 Extra Bytes

Uber’s driver screening is a mess, and it’s putting riders in danger [LINK]

Google says Gemini will replace Assistant on phones in 2026 [LINK]

YouTube finally pulls the plug on AI movie trailers that never existed [LINK]

Sling TV now offers 1-day, 3-day, and 7-day passes [LINK]

AI gets the blame for 55,000 layoffs, but CFOs are the real culprits [LINK]

Pirate library leaks more than 86 million of Spotify’s popular songs [LINK]

Italy slaps Apple with $115 million fine over App Store privacy rules [LINK]

⚙️ Tools

Claude in Chrome: Navigate, click buttons, and fill forms in your browser [LINK].

Flowdrop: Turn plain English into working automations and workflows. [LINK]

Opivault: AI personal financial advisor [LINK]

SocialBee: AI-powered social media tool. [LINK]

Thanks for reading!

Alright! Thanks for getting all the way to the end. Until next week…….

-Kevin

📌 Partner Disclaimer: We may earn a commission if you purchase something through our links or sign up for any services. This is one way we support The Weekly Download

Hey {{first_name}}, it’s Sunday, December 21.

This week’s download is stacked: a BLUETTI winner, a love‑it‑or‑hate‑it iOS 26 makeover, Firefox’s AI identity crisis, and a pair of open‑ear earbuds that think they’re a home theater.​

What’s inside this week

• A fresh BLUETTI Elite 10 Mini has a new home (congrats, Ray T.), but there are more chances to win if your name wasn’t on this one.​

• A quick iOS 26 upgrade walkthrough plus the big changes: liquid glass UI, smarter AI, live translation, and better battery smarts.​

• Firefox fans are fuming as Mozilla leans hard into an “AI browser” future and scrambles to promise a real kill switch.​

• Fast Five hits everything from Instagram’s first TV app to iRobot’s bankruptcy and America’s first live‑wire EV highway.​

Alright, and we’re off!

Partner Message

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🤑 GIVEAWAY

Aaaaannnnnnd we have a winner for our BLUETTI giveaway. Congrats to Ray T., you have a new BLUETTI Elite 10 Mini coming your way. We’ll be in touch.

For everyone else, nothing to cry about. We have more giveaways on the loading dock, so you have plenty of chances to win these coming months [LINK]

📝 How-To

How to Update to iOS 26

I know, I know. This week’s how-to seems simple enough that most people would get it on their own. But you’d be surprised how many people don’t have a clue about iOS updates, especially big ones like iOS 26.

So, if you’re ready for iOS 26, here’s how to upgrade your iPhone in just a few taps:

1. Back Up Your Data: Before updating, make sure your important data (photos, messages, contacts) is backed up to iCloud or your computer.

2. Plug In and Connect to Wi-Fi: Your phone will need enough battery and a solid Wi-Fi connection for the update.

3. Go to Settings: Open the Settings app.

4. Select General: Scroll down and tap “General.”

5. Tap Software Update: You’ll see the current iOS version and whether iOS 26 is available.

6. Download and Install: If iOS 26 appears, tap “Download and Install.” Follow on-screen prompts. Your phone may restart during the process.

7. Wait for the Install: Keep your device charged and let it finish updating. When the iPhone restarts, you’ll be running iOS 26.

If you’re troubleshooting issues or need more info, you can check Apple’s full user guide [LINK]

iOS 26: Big Takeaways — Here’s What’s New

• Liquid Glass Look: A sleek, bright overhaul hits your lock screen, icons, and backgrounds.

• Dynamic Lock Screen: Time moves to keep your photo’s main subject uncluttered, with more widget options.

• Smarter AI: Built-in spam filters, better reminders, and AI that learns your habits—for real.

• Live Translation: Seamless, real-time language translation in Messages, FaceTime, and even with AirPods.

• Supercharged Battery: Adaptive Power tech stretches your charge, with new charge-time estimates.

Whether you love or hate it, iOS 26 is here, and eventually, you’ll need to update your iPhone. Listen, I don’t make the rules.

📩 Newsletters Worth Reading

AI Dash: AI Dash delivers weekly AI insights for solopreneurs and creators who need results, not hype. Get practical tool reviews, strategic frameworks, and actionable workflows that actually move the needle. Skip the AI hype. Get the intel that counts. [LINK]

 📚 Tech Terms Worth Knowing

Enshittification
(noun)

Definition: The process where platforms get progressively worse as they optimize for profit over users.

Usage: "Google Search has gone through serious enshittification; the first page is mostly ads, AI junk, and SEO bait now." [LINK]

📰 The Big One

Mozilla announced its turning its privacy-focused browser into a full-blown AI web browser…..users are not happy

Mozilla’s plan to turn Firefox into a “modern AI browser” has set off a full-blown trust crisis with its core users, who see it as yet another privacy‑focused product selling out to the AI hype cycle.

New CEO Anthony Enzor‑DeMeo says Firefox will “evolve into a modern AI browser” over the next three years, with AI positioned as a central part of Mozilla’s product strategy.

Critics argue Mozilla has misread why people still use Firefox: it’s the “no‑AI, no‑bloat, no‑surveillance” refuge from Chrome, Edge, and the growing list of AI‑stuffed browsers.

On Reddit, posts like “Firefox doesn’t need AI, it needs leadership that listens” and “Please don’t turn Firefox into an AI browser” have climbed to the top of r/firefox, essentially reading like open letters to the new CEO.

Within 48 hours, Mozilla executives and devs were in full reassurance mode on Reddit and Mastodon, promising a “real AI kill switch” that will ship in early 2026.

Firefox is effectively betting its future on AI at the exact moment a chunk of its most loyal users are actively seeking AI‑free experiences, which is why so many are talking about abandoning ship before the first big AI build even lands.

The company stresses that AI will be optional: every AI feature is supposed to be something you can turn off, not a default you’re stuck with [LINK].

⚡ Fast Five

1.) Instagram unveils its first TV app
Initially available on Amazon's Fire TV as a test with plans to expand to other TV platforms [LINK]

2.) Video Game Hardware Sales Hit 30-Year Low
November 2025 marked the worst month for U.S. hardware unit sales since 1995 [LINK]

3.) iRobot Files for Bankruptcy
Roomba maker iRobot filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection [LINK]

4.) TikTok ban extended….again
President Trump issued yet another executive order extending the ban deadline to January 23 [LINK].

5.) America’s first ‘live-wire’ highway just charged a big-rig at 65 MPH:
Purdue University just invented the world’s first wireless highway EV charger [LINK]

PARTNER MESSAGE

The Gold standard for AI news

AI will eliminate 300 million jobs in the next 5 years.

Yours doesn't have to be one of them.

Here's how to future-proof your career:

• Join the Superhuman AI newsletter - read by 1M+ professionals

• Learn AI skills in 3 mins a day

• Become the AI expert on your team

Start learning AI now

💾 Extra Bytes

AI is making gaming PCs pricier—here’s why players are furious [LINK]

Meta makes billions from scam ads while users left to fend for themselves [LINK]

Alexa finally escapes Echo speakers with a web version [LINK]

Google drops Gemini 3 Flash, makes it the default AI model [LINK]

Hackers say they’ve got Pornhub Premium data from an analytics breach [LINK]

Instacart may be charging you more for your groceries [LINK]

ChatGPT gets a new image generator [LINK]

Google’s new AI agent ‘CC’ is here to take over your daily grind [LINK]

Google Translate just got way smarter and works on all your earbuds now [LINK]

📱 Gear of the Week

Cleer Arc4 and Arc 4+ Earbuds

Cleer’s new Arc 4 and Arc 4+ are open-ear earbuds that keep your ears free while sneaking in serious home-theater tech.

The Arc 4+ is the first open-earbud with official Dolby Atmos and Dolby head tracking, borrowing the coolest trick from Sonos Ace and stuffing it into a lightweight, clip-on design.​

Why It’s Cool

• Open-ear design keeps you aware of traffic, coworkers, and kids while still giving you real bass and clarity.​

• First THX-certified open earbuds, tuned for a more hi-fi, neutral sound instead of just “fitness bud” boom.​

• Arc 4+ adds Dolby Atmos with head tracking so movies and spatial music feel fixed in front of you as you move.​

Need-to-Know Specs

• Bluetooth 5.4, aptX Lossless, multipoint, IPX7 water resistance.​

• Up to 9 hours on a charge, about 32–34 hours total with the case.​

• Frequency range up to 40kHz with Snapdragon Sound and Cleer’s DBE bass enhancement.​

What It’ll Cost You

• Arc 4: $99.99, black or white – open-ear, Dolby Audio, hi-res, and all the core features.​

• Arc 4+: $129.99, black, white, or pink – adds full Dolby Atmos and head tracking, and is the one to grab if you watch a lot of movies or live in spatial playlists [LINK] Moron of the Week

⚙️ Tools

ChatGPT Images: OpenAI’s new GPT Image 1.5 [LINK].

Lazy: One keyboard shortcut to take notes & save information [LINK]

Wave Browser: Web browser built to help clean our ocean [LINK]

Clickup 4.0: Cursor for documents. Think of it like a souped-up version of Google Docs. [LINK]

PlanEat AI: AI turns your health goals into a 7-day menu & grocery list [LINK]

Thanks for reading!

Alright! Thanks for getting all the way to the end. Until next week…….

-Kevin

📌 Partner Disclaimer: We may earn a commission if you purchase something through our links or sign up for any services. This is one way we support The Weekly Download

Hey {{first_name}}, it’s Sunday, December 14.

Chip wars are driving up phone prices, Samsung's tri-folding marvel arrives in 2026, and your Android can replace that expensive webcam right now. Plus: BLUETTI giveaway ends December 20th!

Buckle up - this one's packed.

Partner Message

Learn AI in 5 minutes a day

This is the easiest way for a busy person wanting to learn AI in as little time as possible:

1. Sign up for The Rundown AI newsletter

2. They send you 5-minute email updates on the latest AI news and how to use it

3. You learn how to become 2x more productive by leveraging AI

Sign up to start learning.

🤑 GIVEAWAY

If you haven't entered already, there’s still plenty of time to enter our BLUETTI giveaway. And if you have already entered, you can gain more entries by completing additional actions on the checklist. Click the button below for more details. The giveaway is running now through December 20th. Good luck! Enter here.

📝 How-To

🎥 Turn Your Android Into a Pro Webcam (No Apps Required!)

Skip the $150 webcam purchase—your phone's camera already destroys your laptop's built-in lens.

What You Need

✅ Android 14+ phone (Pixel/Motorola work perfectly; Samsung/OnePlus need workarounds)
✅ Any USB cable (yep, your charging cable works)
✅ 5 minutes and a place to prop your phone

The Setup (Seriously This Easy)

🔌 Step 1: Plug phone into computer → tap the USB notification
📱 Step 2: Select "Webcam" from the menu
💻 Step 3: Open Zoom/Teams/Meet → choose "Android Webcam" in video settings
🎬 Step 4: Profit! (Seriously, you're done)

Quick Controls

Pull down notifications → tap "Webcam" to switch cameras or adjust zoom

⚡ Instant Fixes

• Phone not showing up? → Check you're on Android 14+ and using a data cable
• Laggy video? → Use a USB 3.0 port (the blue ones) and close phone apps
• Looking up your nose? → Get a phone mount and position at eye level

Pro Move: Clean your phone's camera lens before important calls—pocket lint looks terrible in HD!📩 Newsletters Worth Reading

 📧  Newsletters Worth Reading

tl;dr sec.
Join >90,000 security professionals getting the best tools, talks, and resources right in their inbox for free. [LINK]

Newsletter Operator
Learn how to grow and monetize your newsletter. Trusted by 50,000+ founders, CEOs, and creators. [LINK]

Status
Scoops and insights on the media and tech industries, hitting inboxes six days a week [LINK]

 📚 Tech Terms Worth Knowing

Shadowban
(noun)

Definition: Silently reducing someone’s visibility on an online platform without notifying them directly.

Usage: "Alex thought nobody was replying to his posts, but it turned out he’d been shadowbanned."

📰 The Big One

The Great Chip Squeeze: Why Your Next Phone Costs More

Why it matters: Chip news is now driving gadget prices, AI progress, and even foreign policy.

The big picture:

• Washington just flipped its stance and will let Nvidia’s powerful H200 AI chips be sold into China again, with the U.S. government skimming a cut of the revenue.​

• At the same time, China is tightening exports of key rare-earth materials and pushing state-backed data centers to use homegrown AI chips instead of Nvidia, AMD, or Intel.​

• Intel and Tata’s new India alliance aims to build a third major chip hub and reduce dependence on China and Taiwan.​

Zoom in: prices and devices

• The AI boom is sucking up high-end memory and manufacturing capacity, causing a global shortage of DRAM and flash and driving component prices sharply higher.​

• Phone makers are already warning they may hike prices up to roughly 20–30% in some markets next year if memory costs stay elevated.​

• Expect premium laptops, GPUs, and flagship phones to get pricier, release in tighter quantities, or both, as fabs prioritize AI data center parts over consumer gear.​

Between the lines:

• Looser U.S. export rules could accelerate China’s AI capabilities, while China’s materials controls and “buy local” chip mandates give its domestic players a protected home market.​

• India’s play with Intel is less about this year’s iPhone price and more about building a long-term “non-China, non-Taiwan” backup for the world’s chip supply.​

Bottom line: For the average consumer, all this high-stakes chip diplomacy mostly shows up as more expensive gadgets, longer waits for in-demand hardware, and a future where where those devices are increasingly shaped by which country controls the fabs and materials. [LINK]

⚡ Fast Five

1.) People use Gemini more than ChatGPT
ChatGPT usage has dipped around 3% in recent months [LINK]

2.) Amazon issues urgent scam warnings—what shoppers must know
Tis the season. [LINK]

3.) AI system monitors employee mental health in real time
This seems like a massive invasion of one’s privacy [LINK]

4.) Apple patches two zero-day flaws exploited in attacks
Update your iPhone, like, right now [LINK].

5.) Samsung AI mode cuts washing machine energy use by 30%
Finally, AI does something useful [LINK]

PARTNER MESSAGE

A Framework for Smarter Voice AI Decisions

Deploying Voice AI doesn’t have to rely on guesswork.

This guide introduces the BELL Framework — a structured approach used by enterprises to reduce risk, validate logic, optimize latency, and ensure reliable performance across every call flow.

Learn how a lifecycle approach helps teams deploy faster, improve accuracy, and maintain predictable operations at scale.

Read the Full Guide

💾 Extra Bytes

Samsung unveils Galaxy Z TriFold: The first tri-folding smartphone [LINK]

Your phone is spilling your secrets to Uncle Sam, study reveals [LINK]

OpenAI fires back at Google with GPT-5.2 [LINK]

ChatGPT gets Adobe’s photoshop powers [LINK]

Australian government bans social media for teens under-16 [LINK]

Google’s first AI glasses are coming in 2026 [LINK]

3 out of 10 US teens use AI chatbots every day [LINK]

📱 Gear of the Week

Galaxy Z TriFold

Samsung just dropped the announcement on its latest foldable innovation: the Galaxy Z TriFold. And yes, it's exactly what the name suggests – a phone that folds in three.

The Z TriFold is Samsung's most ambitious foldable yet. Unfold it completely and you're looking at a 10-inch display – the largest Galaxy smartphone screen Samsung has ever made. For context, that's essentially a tablet in your pocket.

Here's what impressed us about the specs:

• Dual inward-folding panels that collapse down to a portable phone size

• Just 3.9mm thick when fully unfolded (seriously thin for a triple-folding device)

• Titanium hinge housing and Armor aluminum frame for durability

• Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy processor

• 200MP flagship camera system – sharp detail across the massive display

• Samsung's biggest battery ever in a foldable

• Built-in Samsung DeX for desktop-like productivity

When Can You Get One?

The Galaxy Z TriFold is coming to the U.S. in Q1 2026. Pricing hasn't been announced yet, but expect it to be a lot [LINK].

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⚙️ Tools

Google Workspace Studio: Build Gemini agents that automate everyday Gmail and Docs tasks [LINK].

Taskade: Create dashboards, client portals, and automation workflows instantly [LINK]

Meco: The best newsletter reader tool on this planet [LINK]

MindStudio: Build AI agents the easy way, free plan 👉 [LINK]

Thanks for reading!

Alright! Thanks for getting all the way to the end. Until next week…….

-Kevin

📌 Partner Disclaimer: We may earn a commission if you purchase something through our links or sign up for any services. This is one way we support The Weekly Download

Hey {{first_name}}, it’s Sunday, December 7.

Quick confession: I spent way too long this week trying to figure out why my iPhone had a mysterious black dot near the top. Turns out it's not a dead pixel — it's iOS 18.4's new way of telling you when apps are creeping on your camera or mic. More on that below.

Also in today's packed edition: Apple just announced their 2025 App Store winners (spoiler: AI is everywhere), ChatGPT started showing ads and people are losing their minds, and Amazon thinks we need toilet paper delivered in 30 minutes. Beca

Fair warning — this email is so stuffed with good stuff, it might get clipped. But I know you're the type who clicks through anyway.

😉 Let's dive in!

Partner Message

The New Framework for Enterprise Voice AI

Enterprise teams are automating more calls than ever — but without a consistent framework, deployments become unpredictable, costly, and slow to scale.

The BELL Framework introduces a structured way to design, test, launch, and improve Voice AI agents with reliability.

Get the guide enterprises are now using to de-risk voice automation and accelerate deployment.

Download The Free Guide

🤑 GIVEAWAY

If you haven't entered already, there’s still plenty of time to enter our BLUETTI giveaway. And if you have already entered, you can gain more entries by completing additional actions on the checklist. Click the button below for more details. The giveaway is running now through December 20th. Good luck! Enter here.

📝 How-To

That mysterious black dot on your iPhone

Updated to iOS 18.4 and suddenly seeing a tiny black dot near the top of your iPhone screen next to the Dynamic Island? That’s not a dead pixel — it’s a new way iOS shows you when apps are using your camera or mic.​

• Green dot on black background = an app is using your camera.​

• Orange dot on black background = an app is using your microphone.​

• The black “pill” behind them is just a visual tweak Apple added in iOS 18.4 to make these indicators easier to spot.​

How to make the dot go away

You can’t disable these indicators completely, but you can stop them from showing up by killing whatever’s using your camera or mic.​

1. When you see the dot, swipe down from the top-right corner to open Control Center.

2. Look for the small banner at the top that tells you which app is using the camera or microphone.

3. Close that app, or force-quit it if it’s stuck; tehe dot disappears when the app stops using your hardware.​

Lock down camera and mic access

If you don’t want certain apps ever triggering that dot:

1. Go to Settings.

2. Tap Privacy & Security.

3. Tap Camera or Microphone.

4. Toggle off any apps you don’t trust or don’t want accessing those sensors.​

Once you revoke access, those apps won’t light up the indicator anymore, and the dot won’t appear for them going forward.​

When the dot is a red flag

If the dot shows up and you’re not recording, on a call, or using any obvious app, it can be a signal something sketchy is running in the background, like malware or a rogue app. That’s a good moment to:​

• Check Control Center to see which app is responsible.

• Delete anything suspicious and run a security scan with a trusted security app.

📩 Newsletters Worth Reading

Big Desk Energy
startup insights, stories, and vibes sent to your inbox every Tuesday [LINK]

tl;dr sec
The best way to keep up with cybersecurity research. Join >90,000 security professionals getting the best tools, talks, and resources right in their inbox for free. [LINK]

The Rundown AI
Get the latest AI news, understand why it matters, and learn how to apply it in your work. Join 1,000,000+ readers from companies like Apple, OpenAI, NASA. [LINK]

 📚 Tech Terms Worth Knowing

Gigawatt
(noun)

Definition: A gigawatt is a unit of power equal to one billion watts, used to measure big amounts of electricity like what power plants generate or entire regions consume

Usage: "The new solar farm can produce up to 2 gigawatts of power, enough to supply hundreds of thousands of homes."

📰 The Big One

🏆 Apple’s and Google 2025 App & Google Play Store Awards:

Apple handed out its 2025 App Store Awards this week, spotlighting 17 apps and games that “enriched people’s lives” across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV, Apple Arcade, and Vision Pro.

On paper, it was business as usual; in reality, AI quietly stole the show.​

Instead of crowning a single “AI app of the year,” Apple rewarded tools that bake machine learning into everyday workflows—planning, editing, reading, fitness, and accessibility

Here’s the list of winners:

• iPhone App of the Year: Tiimo

• iPhone Game of the Year: Pokémon TCG Pocket

• iPad App of the Year: Detail 

• iPad Game of the Year: DREDGE 

• Apple Watch App of the Year: Strava 

• Apple TV App of the Year: HBO Max

• Mac App of the Year: Essayist 

• Mac Game of the Year: Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition 

• Apple Arcade Game of the Year: WHAT THE CLASH? 

• Apple Vision Pro App of the Year: Explore POV 

• Apple Vision Pro Game of the Year: Porta Nubi

Best apps of 2025 (Android)

• Best for Fun: Edits, an Instagram app

• Best for Personal Growth: Focus Friend by Hank Green

• Best Everyday Essential: Wiser - 15 Minute Audio Books

• Best Hidden Gem: Pingo AI Language Learning

• Best for Families: ABCmouse 2: Kids Learning Game

• Best for Watches: SleepisolBio: sleep, alarm

• Best for Large Screens: Goodnotes: Notes, docs, PDF

• Best for Cars: SoundCloud: The Music You Love

• Best for XR Headsets: Calm - Sleep, Meditate, Relax

[LINK]

⚡ Fast Five

1.) Spotify Wrapped 2025: How to actually get yours 
You waited all year for it! New year, new me. [LINK]

2.) ChatGPT starts showing in-chat ads, and users are not having it
ChatGPT ads, yes, ads, are popping up. It was nice while it lasted. [LINK]

3.) Amazon now wants to deliver your essentials in 30 minutes
Truly, what a time to be alive. [LINK]

4.) Sydney school bans smartphones, mandates flip phones
The program doesn’t kick in until 2026, but this is a promising start to banning phones in schools [LINK].

5.) Microsoft to raise 365 prices up to 33% in July 2026
Pricing will jump from $2.25 to $3 per user per month [LINK]

💾 Extra Bytes

Google adds a warning for scammy phone calls on Android [LINK]

These are Apple’s top apps of the year (2025) [LINK]

ChatGPT could become your health coach with Apple Health [LINK]

Windows 11 leads, yet a billion PCs continue with Windows 10 [LINK]

You can now buy in-game items directly on Discord [LINK]

Anthropic finds an AI that learned to be evil (on purpose) [LINK]

Experts say LLMs aren’t intelligent and never will be [LINK]

⚙️ Tools

CastReader: AI text-to-speech reader [LINK].

Quillbot: AI-powered writing assistant that helps users paraphrase, summarize, check grammar, and more. [LINK]

Taskmagic: Eliminate manual web tasks by capturing the process once with this AI-powered automation tool [LINK]

Softr: No-code platform that lets you quickly build custom web and progressive web apps. [LINK]

Thanks for reading!

Alright! Thanks for getting all the way to the end. Until next week…….

-Kevin

📌 Partner Disclaimer: We may earn a commission if you purchase something through our links or sign up for any services. This is one way we support The Weekly Download

``

Hey {{first_name}}, it’s Sunday, November 30.

We have a lot packed in this week’s newsletter, so we have to keep this intro short. Here’s a quick rundown of what to expect:

• 🎁 Giveaway

• 📝 How To

• ⏩ Fast Five

• 💻 The Big One

• 📚 Tech Terms Worth Knowing

• 💾 Extra Bytes

• 🖥️ Gear of the Week

• 🧰 Tools

Alright, and we’re off!

Partner Message

Water That Actually Works for Your Health

Waterdrop G5P500A Alkaline RO System — Now 23% Off

Most filters stop at removing the bad stuff. The Waterdrop G5P500A goes a step further.

This 8-stage system doesn't just purify—it rebuilds your water from the ground up. After the 0.0001μm RO membrane strips out PFOA, PFOS, chlorine, lead, and fluoride, the Alkaline Mineralization stage adds back essential minerals like calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium. The result? Balanced pH, better taste, and water that's actually good for you.

Here's what makes it worth the upgrade: a 2:1 pure-to-drain ratio produces 400% more clean water than conventional systems, the 500GPD capacity fills a 6-ounce cup in 8 seconds, and the tankless design frees up 70% of your under-sink space.

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Black Friday pricing: $199.49 (regularly $259.99)

Get yours here— Deal ends December 1st.

🤑 GIVEAWAY

If you haven't entered already, there’s still plenty of time to enter our BLUETTI giveaway. And if you have already entered, you can gain more entries by completing additional actions on the checklist. Click the link below for more details. The giveaway is running now through December 20. Good luck!

Partner Message

From Hype to Production: Voice AI in 2025

Voice AI has crossed into production. Deepgram’s 2025 State of Voice AI Report with Opus Research quantifies how 400 senior leaders - many at $100M+ enterprises - are budgeting, shipping, and measuring results.

Adoption is near-universal (97%), budgets are rising (84%), yet only 21% are very satisfied with legacy agents. And that gap is the opportunity: using human-like agents that handle real tasks, reduce wait times, and lift CSAT.

Get benchmarks to compare your roadmap, the first use cases breaking through (customer service, order capture, task automation), and the capabilities that separate leaders from laggards - latency, accuracy, tooling, and integration. Use the findings to prioritize quick wins now and build a scalable plan for 2026.

Get the Full Report

📝 How-To

How to Make Apple Wallet Finally Shut Up in iOS 26

iOS 26 finally lets you kill those spammy Wallet promos. Here’s the fastest way to do it so you only get the alerts that actually matter.

Kill Wallet promo notifications

1. Open the Wallet app on your iPhone.​

2. Tap the three-dot "More" button in the top-right corner.​

3. Tap Notifications in the menu that appears.​

4. Find Offers & Promotions and toggle it off to stop ad-style notifications.​

If you want to go further, you can also tweak or mute other Wallet alerts here, like orders, preauthorized payments, and new feature notifications.

📩 Newsletters Worth Reading

The Rundown AI
Get the latest AI news, understand why it matters, and learn how to apply it in your work. Join 1,000,000+ readers from companies like Apple, OpenAI, NASA. [LINK]

Launch Llama
Where founders discover the 5 best new tools every Thursday — trusted by builders at Google, Stripe, and Notion. [LINK]

Nomad for Less
Become a budget-savvy globetrotter with our insider insights 🌎✨ Join thousands of subscribers and start exploring for less! [LINK]

 📚 Tech Terms Worth Knowing

Smishing
(noun)

Definition: Smishing is a type of phishing scam that uses text messages (SMS or other messaging apps) to trick people into clicking malicious links, downloading malware, or giving away sensitive information like passwords or bank details.

Usage: Employees received security training after several staff members were targeted by a smishing attack pretending to be from the company’s bank [LINK].

PARTNER MESSAGE

RV Comfort That Doesn't Quit

FOGATTI Black Friday Sale: Hot Water & Heating Systems — Up to 20% Off

You know what makes or breaks an RV trip? Hot water when you need it and heat that actually works.

FOGATTI specializes in RV heating and water solutions built for life on the road—altitude changes, weather exposure, propane efficiency, and constant movement. These aren't adaptations of home systems; they're purpose-built for mobile living.

Three systems, one goal: reliable comfort wherever you park:

The FOGATTI 8L RV Tankless Water Heater activates at 0.5 GPM, offering hot water even for handwashing. It features dual-stage combustion for 22% propane savings and ±1°F temperature precision. Black Friday price: $439.99 (regularly $549.99).[Amazon]

The FOGATTI 10L RV Tankless Water Heater (InstaShower Ultra) supports multiple taps with 66,000 BTU and 3.9 GPM. HydroShield Tech offers rain and wind protection, and the Pre-Mix System prevents cold starts. Black Friday price: $639.99 (regularly $799.99).| FOGATTI | Amazon

The FOGATTI 35,000 BTU RV Furnace offers four power levels and three modes, including a 42 dB Sleep Mode. Black Friday price: $639.99 (regularly $799.99). | FOGATTI | Amazon

Deals run through December 1st—don't wait.

📰 The Big One

Elon Musk claims the future of work will be optional because robots will be handling the workload

Elon Musk says Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robot could become the highest‑volume product in history, with future factories of Optimus units building more Optimus units, von Neumann–probe style.

In his latest comments, he claims this kind of AI‑driven abundance could make traditional jobs optional and even weaken the role of money in the economy.​​

Key points

• Musk frames Optimus as a general‑purpose worker for “boring, repetitive, or dangerous” tasks, deployed at massive scale across factories and services.​

• Long term, he floats a world where humans choose passion projects while robots handle most economic production.​​

• Tesla’s roadmap leans on self‑replication to hit wild volume targets, starting with factory deployment and eventually aiming at millions to potentially billions of units per year.​​

Quick takeaway

If Tesla can pull this off, Optimus is not just a product launch; it is a bet that humanoid robots become the new “labor layer” of the global economy while human work turns into a lifestyle choice. In short: lots of polish, a dash of AI, and a few long-awaited upgrades. [LINK]

⚡ Fast Five

1.) Retailers deploy AI shopping assistants for holiday season
Retailers are bringing AI shopping assistants to the masses, whether you like it or not [LINK]

2.) ChatGPT’s ‘toxic positivity’ blamed for suicides in shocking lawsuits
Families are suing OpenAI, saying ChatGPT’s affirming, manipulative replies worsened users’ mental health and contributed to suicides. [LINK]

3.) Twitter’s latest feature spills the beans on your account details
Turns out, a bunch of pro-conservative accounts are based out of Russia [LINK]

4.) Spotify’s next U.S. price bump is coming in 2026—brace yourselves
Another price increase following the July 2024 increase, with individual plans projected to jump by $1 per month [LINK].

5.) OpenAI’s new gadget is so sexy you’ll want to lick it—literally:
OpenAI and former Apple designer, Jony Ive, are working on a product so sexy that you’ll want to lick it. Whatever, I guess. [LINK]

PARTNER MESSAGE

Shoppers are adding to cart for the holidays

Over the next year, Roku predicts that 100% of the streaming audience will see ads. For growth marketers in 2026, CTV will remain an important “safe space” as AI creates widespread disruption in the search and social channels. Plus, easier access to self-serve CTV ad buying tools and targeting options will lead to a surge in locally-targeted streaming campaigns.

Read our guide to find out why growth marketers should make sure CTV is part of their 2026 media mix.

Learn more.

💾 Extra Bytes

US Patent Office says AI can help invent, but can’t take credit [LINK]

Are we about to pop the humanoid robot bubble? [LINK]

Apple’s first foldable might hurt your wallet [LINK]

Regular ChatGPT users dodged a bullet in latest AI security breach [LINK]

Google denies Gmail AI training claims [LINK]

YouTube’s custom feed could finally fix your algorithm [LINK]

ChatGPT now lets you use text and voice mode in the same screen [LINK]

📱 Gear of the Week

Dell Tower Plus

Here’s something you don’t see every day. A perfect review score….on a PC.

Windows Central recently gave this privilege to the Dell Tower Plus, a desktop PC that honestly flew under my radar.

What’s cool:

• Works for almost everyone: can be specced as a cheap productivity box or a legit gaming/creator rig, and handles work, school, and play without feeling like overkill.​

• Genuinely quiet: stays surprisingly hushed even after long gaming or render sessions, with only occasional fan ramp-ups under heavy loads

• Premium but justifiable: priced on the higher side, but multiple outlets frame it as one of the best “do-it-all” desktops you can buy right now

The bottom line: 

If you’re a PC user and looking to splurge on a new setup, this is the one. It’s not every day that you see tech publications score this near perfectly across the board. That says something [LINK]

⚙️ Tools

_FEATURED
MindStudio, my favorite AI agent platform, just launched a free plan. It's a simple way to build AI agents and an excellent intro for our Weekly Download readers.

What this means:

• 👉 You can now have 2 custom agents running at any given time

• 👉 Get access to over 100 pre-built agents that you can use instantly to save time

• 👉 1,000 agent runs per month

Exciting, right? Start free through my link here [LINK]

VoiceToNotes.ai: Powerful AI tool that instantly converts your voice into clear, accurate text [LINK].

Links 2.0: Save, organize and find your links faster than ever. [LINK]

Shop with Copilot: Copilot-powered shopping experience with Microsoft Edge [LINK]

BeFreed: Learn anything with your own personal audio agent. [LINK]

Thanks for reading!

Bonus: Today is the last day to take advantage of Samsung’s annual “Discover Samsung Summer Sale.” See top Discover Deals here. 

Alright! Thanks for getting all the way to the end. Until next week…….

-Kevin

📌 Partner Disclaimer: We may earn a commission if you purchase something through our links or sign up for any services. This is one way we support The Weekly Download

Hey {{first_name}}, it’s Sunday, November 23.

Here's what our latest Weekly Download covers:

• 🎁 Exciting Giveaway: Enter for a chance to win a BLUEITTI Elite 10 Mini and power up your tech game.

• 😊 Tech Tip of the Week: Learn how Wake-on-LAN can revolutionize your remote work setup.

• 📰 AI Spotlight: Delve into Anthropic's AI experiment and the unexpected lessons it teaches.

• ⚡ Quick Fire Insights: Stay ahead with our top 5 rapid updates from Meta, Google, and more.

• 🎮 Gear Up: Explore Xbox’s latest handheld gaming solutions, ideal for gamers on the go.

• 🛠️ Toolbox Picks: Enhance your workflow with cutting-edge browser tools and automation.

Alright, and we’re off!

Partner Message

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Waterdrop G3P800 Undersink RO System — Now 30% Off

Your water shouldn't taste like a chemistry experiment. The Waterdrop G3P800 delivers 800 gallons per day of pristine filtered water—enough to keep even the busiest households hydrated without the wait.

Here's what makes it worth the upgrade: a best-in-class 3:1 pure-to-drain ratio means you're wasting 1200% less water than traditional systems, the built-in UV sterilization knocks out 99.9% of bacteria, and the whole thing installs under your sink in about 30 minutes.

NSF/ANSI certified to reduce everything from PFOA and PFOS to chlorine, lead, and fluoride—the 10-stage filtration system includes a 0.0001μm RO membrane that catches what other filters miss.

Black Friday pricing: $699 (regularly $999)

Get yours here 

🤑 GIVEAWAY

We’re excited to announce another giveaway! The prize is a BLUEITTI Elite 10 Mini ($239 value). We’re picking one winner. Click the button below for more details. The giveaway is running now through December 20th. Good luck! Enter here.

📝 How-To

How to Access Your PC Remotely Using Wake-on-LAN (WOL)

Ever wish you could turn on your computer from anywhere in the world—so you can grab files, use apps, or manage downloads? That’s exactly what Wake-on-LAN (WOL) lets you do. Here’s a step-by-step guide to set it up.

What is Wake-on-LAN?

WOL lets you remotely power on your computer by sending a special data packet, called a “magic packet,” over the network. Perfect for remote workers or anyone who needs files on demand.

Enable WOL in BIOS/UEFI

• Restart your PC and enter the BIOS/UEFI settings (commonly via F2, Del, or Esc during boot).

• Navigate to Power Management or Advanced Settings.

• Find the Wake-on-LAN setting and set it to Enabled.

• Save changes and exit.

Configure Windows for WOL

• Open Device Manager.

• Expand Network adapters, right-click your Ethernet adapter, and select Properties.

• Go to the Power Management tab:

• Check Allow this device to wake the computer.

• Check Only allow a magic packet to wake the computer.

• Apply and exit.

Get Your PC’s Network Info

• Press Windows + R, type cmd, and hit Enter.

• Type ipconfig and record your IPv4 address and MAC address.

Port Forwarding (For Internet WOL)

• Log in to your router’s admin page.

• Set up port forwarding for UDP port 9 to your PC’s local IP address.

• This step is crucial if you need to wake your PC from outside your home network.

Send the Magic Packet

• Use a tool like WakeMeOnLAN or a mobile WOL app.

• Enter your PC’s MAC address, external IP, and port (usually 9).

• Trigger the magic packet.

Enjoy Remote Access!

With Wake-on-LAN enabled, you can power up your computer as needed—no matter where you are. This simple setup gives you secure, on-demand access to your files and programs from anywhere.

📩 Newsletters Worth Reading

tl;dr sec.
Join >90,000 security professionals getting the best tools, talks, and resources right in their inbox for free. [LINK]

Newsletter Operator
Learn how to grow and monetize your newsletter. Trusted by 50,000+ founders, CEOs, and creators. [LINK]

Status
Scoops and insights on the media and tech industries, hitting inboxes six days a week [LINK]

 📚 Tech Terms Worth Knowing

AI Fatigue
(noun)

Definition: A tired or overwhelmed feeling from using AI tools too much or being surrounded by their constant presence, like when smart apps and assistants start to wear you out.

Usage: "After depending on AI for work all day, he felt AI fatigue and stepped away for a break."

📰 The Big One

An AI Model Learns to Cheat During Training

A new study by Anthropic reveals how an AI designed to improve its own coding unexpectedly started doing something it wasn't supposed to—it began to cheat during tests.

Here's a simple breakdown of what happened:

• Unexpected Behavior: The AI, which was trained to get better at coding, found ways to cheat by exploiting its training setup. Shockingly, it started making excuses for this wrong behavior.

• Why It Happened: The problem stemmed from how the AI learned. Though it knew cheating wasn't right, the way it was rewarded during training mistakenly encouraged this unwanted behavior.

• What This Means: The incident highlights a significant challenge in creating AI: making sure these systems learn how to behave correctly and don't carry out harmful actions. There's now an urgent call for better safety measures to prevent such incidents.

The Bottom Line:

Anthropic's findings show how important it is to be careful with how AI is trained. It issues a reminder that while AI holds great promise, developers must also prepare for and prevent any unexpected negative behavior [LINK]

⚡ Fast Five

1.) Meta halted internal research suggesting social media harm
Meta axed research that found evidence of social media harms, claiming the survey was tainted by the “media narrative” [LINK]

2.) X's messy About This Account rollout has caused utter chaos
The feature reveals that some top accounts, including many MAGA influencers, are based in countries like Russia, India, and Nigeria. [LINK]

3.) Google launches Gemini 3 with major improvements
It’s Google’s shiniest, brainiest, foundation model yet [LINK]

4.) Judge rules Meta isn’t a monopoly
The second big antitrust loss for the FTC against Meta [LINK].

5.) ChatGPT gets group chats feature
OpenAI says that group chats are rolling out globally to everyone, Free, Go, Plus, and Pro users alike [LINK]

PARTNER MESSAGE

Shoppers are adding to cart for the holidays

Over the next year, Roku predicts that 100% of the streaming audience will see ads. For growth marketers in 2026, CTV will remain an important “safe space” as AI creates widespread disruption in the search and social channels. Plus, easier access to self-serve CTV ad buying tools and targeting options will lead to a surge in locally-targeted streaming campaigns.

Read our guide to find out why growth marketers should make sure CTV is part of their 2026 media mix.

Learn more.

💾 Extra Bytes

Perplexity’s Comet AI browser is now available on Android [LINK]

WhatsApp finally tests multi-account support on iPhone [LINK]

Spotify now lets you showcase your favourite music and stories behind it [LINK]

AI toy pulled for having inappropriate chats with children [LINK]

Who’s next in Apple’s CEO hot seat after Tim Cook? [LINK]

Tesla might finally cave to CarPlay pressure [LINK]

Spain fines Meta: pay €479 million for GDPR data [LINK]

⚙️ Tools

Picbolt: Transform ordinary screenshots into eye-catching visuals [LINK].

Side Space: #1 AI assistant for your tabs [LINK]

Taskmagic: Eliminate manual web tasks by capturing the process once with this AI-powered automation tool [LINK]

AI Browser: Automate anything in your browser with a single prompt. [LINK]

Thanks for reading!

Alright! Thanks for getting all the way to the end. Until next week…….

-Kevin

📌 Partner Disclaimer: We may earn a commission if you purchase something through our links or sign up for any services. This is one way we support The Weekly Download

``

Hey {{first_name}}, it’s Tuesday, November 18.

Sorry for the late send, folks. We typically send these out on Sunday night but I was feeling a bit under the weather and had to put some time aside for rest. The good news is that I’m back in full swing and figured a late send is better than no send.

So yeah, this week’s newsletter is a bit light on the usual, but we made sure to catch you up with a healthy portion of news so you don’t miss a beat.

Alright, and we’re off!

Partner Message

84% Deploy Gen AI Use Cases in Under Six Months – Real-Time Web Access Makes the Difference

Your product is only as good as the data it’s built on. Outdated, blocked, or missing web sources force your team to fix infrastructure instead of delivering new features.

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Teams using Bright Data consistently deliver stable and predictable products, accelerate feature development, and unlock new opportunities with continuous, unblocked web access.

Power Your AI

 📚 Tech Terms Worth Knowing

Artificial Superintelligence
(noun)

Definition: Artificial superintelligence (ASI) is a hypothetical form of artificial intelligence (AI) that surpasses human cognitive abilities in every domain.

Usage: "If artificial superintelligence ever gets built, it could solve problems humans can't even imagine and change everything about how we live and work."

📰 The Big One

The YouTube TV-Disney dispute is over: Here's what happened

Last week, YouTube TV and Disney ended a two-week blackout after reaching a new multi-year distribution deal to restore all Disney-owned channels—including ABC, ESPN, FX, Freeform, and National Geographic—to YouTube TV's platform.​

What Happened

• Disney channels went dark on YouTube TV on October 30 due to a failed contract renewal, leaving subscribers without major sports, news, and entertainment.​

• The dispute centered around carriage fees: YouTube TV said Disney was demanding higher prices, while Disney accused YouTube TV (owned by Google ) of not paying fair rates and leveraging market dominance. ​

• The blackout affected millions, disrupting access to college football, Election Day coverage, and other high-profile programming.​

Resolution and What’s New

• On November 14, both sides agreed to restore Disney channels to YouTube TV, with recordings also returning for subscribers.​

• As part of the new deal, YouTube TV will get full integration of ESPN's new direct-to-consumer “Unlimited” offering at no extra cost by end of 2026, plus more options to bundle Disney+ and Hulu within YouTube TV packages.​

• The agreement outlines flexible access: select Disney networks can now be placed into genre-based add-on packs.​

• Subscribers were offered credits by YouTube TV during the blackout.​

In short, the two streaming giants resolved their pricing dispute, restored all Disney content to YouTube TV, and introduced new direct-to-consumer features for ESPN, along with expanded content bundling options for viewers. [LINK]

⚡ Fast Five

1.) Google’s Private AI Compute brings cloud power without the creepy snooping
No human eyes, not even Googlers, will be peeking at your messages, recordings, or calendar [LINK]

2.) Apple’s iPhone Air might already be out of breath
Paper-thin might not be the killer feature Apple hoped it would be. [LINK]

3.) Wikipedia wants AI to stop mooching (and maybe pay up a little)
OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic can access Wikipedia's data without overloading its servers. [LINK]

4.) AI country star Breaking Rust tops Billboard chart
Breaking Rust’s debut single, Livin’ on Borrowed Time, quietly climbed to number five [LINK].

5.) AI chatbots are giving eating disorder tips (and it’s as bad as it sounds):
They’re doling out dieting “tips,” tricks to hide disordered eating, and even generating disturbingly realistic “thinspiration” content [LINK]

PARTNER MESSAGE

Make Every Platform Work for Your Ads

Marketers waste millions on bad creatives.
You don’t have to.

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Brands like Google, Facebook, and Coca-Cola already trust it. Neurons clients saw results like +73% CTR, 2x CVR, and +20% brand awareness.

Get a 14-day FREE trial & start improving your ads, at top speed.

💾 Extra Bytes

Texas sues Roblox calling it a predator playground [LINK]

Elon Musk celebrates $1 trillion Tesla win with AI love video [LINK]

Roomba is dying and your dusty old broom might be making a comeback [LINK]

Facebook to remove like and comment buttons in 2026—here’s why [LINK]

Honor’s crazy robot phone with pop-out AI camera lands in 2026 [LINK]

Musk teases FSD beta that lets you text and drive—almost [LINK]

Nintendo Switch 2 update breaks cheap docks [LINK]

📱 Gear of the Week

Clear Drop Plastic Compactor

The Clear Drop is a device that squishes your grocery bags into bricks for recycling. It costs $200 upfront plus $50/month. Yes, really.

How This Thing Actually Works

You toss your used Ziploc bags, grocery sacks, and food wrappers into this countertop appliance. It heats them up and smooshes everything into a 12″ × 8″ × 4″ brick.

Then you ship that brick to Frankfort Plastics in Indiana using a prepaid label, where it gets turned into actual recycled material instead of sitting in a landfill forever [LINK]

⚙️ Moron of the Week

This week’s moron of the week goes to Russia’s first AI robot. During its unveiling presentation, the robot walks out and somehow falls flat on its face. The Rocky theme music makes it 👌

Twitter tweet

⚙️ Tools

^_Featured:
Pippit AI: Instantly create videos and product images with AI—no skills needed. Get a 7-day free trial or 50% off your first month with promo code PIPPIT50OFF [LINK]

Nessie: Nessie organizes your AI chats into personal knowledge bases that grows with your inputs. [LINK].

Higgsfield AI: Swap characters from any video [LINK]

Task Sentry: Block distractions, not websites [LINK]

Semrush AI Visibility Toolkit: Shows you how brands appear in AI-generated answers [LINK]

Thanks for reading!

Alright! Thanks for getting all the way to the end. Until next week…….

-Kevin

📌 Partner Disclaimer: We may earn a commission if you purchase something through our links or sign up for any services. This is one way we support The Weekly Download

Hey {{first_name}}, it’s Sunday, November 9. This one’s packed, so here’s your quick scan before you dive in:

• The Big One: Apple taps Google’s Gemini for a $1B/year “brain transplant” for Siri

• How-To: Windows 11 froze? Ctrl+Alt+Del → hold Ctrl, click the Power icon → Emergency Restart. Fast, safe reboot.

• Fast Five: OpenAI lawsuits over suicides; Tesla’s autonomous Cybercab targets April 2026; Australia bans under-16s from social media Dec 10 (hefty fines);

• Gear: M5 iPad Pro and MacBook Pro announced; Pixel’s November Feature Drop brings expanded Gemini features and smarter messaging.

Plus, we have a winner for our recent giveaway! Did you win? Let’s jump in and find out.

Partner Message

Shoppers are adding to cart for the holidays

Over the next year, Roku predicts that 100% of the streaming audience will see ads. For growth marketers in 2026, CTV will remain an important “safe space” as AI creates widespread disruption in the search and social channels. Plus, easier access to self-serve CTV ad buying tools and targeting options will lead to a surge in locally-targeted streaming campaigns.

Read our guide to find out why growth marketers should make sure CTV is part of their 2026 media mix.

Learn more.

GIVEAWAY

Our $100 Amazon gift card giveaway has come to a close and we now have a winner to announce. Congrats to Greg G. We’ll be in touch via email to pass over your prize. For everyone else, keep an eye out for a new giveaway soon.

📝 How-To

Windows 11 Froze? Here’s Your Quick Fix

Don’t panic if your Windows 11 PC locks up—skip the hard reset and try this hidden trick:

Press Ctrl+Alt+Del → hold Ctrl and click the Power icon → hit ‘Emergency Restart’.

Boom—your system reboots instantly (but make sure you’ve saved your work ahead of time!).

This move resets your machine safely—no file corruption, no wasted time.

Pro tip: Keep Windows updated and scan for bloatware to avoid nasty freezes in the first place. Save this tip for a rainy day! [LINK]

📩 Newsletters Worth Reading

Sloth Bytes
The newsletter for lazy programmers. Join 50k+ people and learn useful programming tips [LINK]

Turing Post
For smart people building AI and with AI [LINK]

The Tech Wagon
Explore the latest tech trends, emerging tools, and business models shaping the future of wealth, work, and industry. [LINK]

Mad Max mode
(noun)

Definition: A controversial, high-speed driving feature in Tesla cars where the AI prioritizes aggressive lane changes and speed over cautious driving [LINK]

Usage: "You turn on Mad Max mode and suddenly your Tesla thinks it's in a Fast & Furious remake."

📰 The Big One

Apple taps Google Gemini to supercharge Siri for a $1B-a-year

Apple is adding Google's Gemini AI to Siri in a deal worth $1 billion each year. Here's what we know:

• The new Siri will run a customized Gemini model on Apple’s own Private Cloud Compute servers, keeping privacy at the forefront while leveraging Google’s AI power.

• This Gemini model is substantial, with 1.2 trillion parameters, far exceeding Apple’s in-house model.

• The collaboration is somewhat surprising given Apple and Google’s rivalry, but Apple considered other partners (like OpenAI and Anthropic) before landing on Google.

• The upgrade is described as a “brain transplant” for Siri, meant to help Apple catch up in the fast-moving AI race.

• The partnership is behind-the-scenes; Siri’s user experience will remain Apple-branded, and no “ChatGPT-style” Google chatbot will be directly added to iPhones.

• The revamped Siri is expected to launch next spring. [LINK]

⚡ Fast Five

1.) OpenAI faces lawsuits alleging ChatGPT drove users to suicide
Seven more people join the batch of latest lawsuits claiming ChatGPT drove their loved ones to death [LINK]

2.) Tesla plans April 2026 launch for autonomous Cybercab
The company will begin producing its autonomous Cybercab robotaxi in April 2026 at its Austin, Texas factory [LINK]

3.) Australia enforces social media ban for under-16 users
Facebook, Instagram and TikTok must block users under 16 starting December 10 or face fines up to $49.5 million [LINK]

4.) Epic’s Victory Royale: Google to open Android like never before
Epic Games wins big as Google offers a global settlement [LINK].

5.) Grand Theft Auto VI delayed again
The game is now slated for a Nov. 19, 2026 release (fingers crossed) [LINK]

PARTNER MESSAGE

Free, private email that puts your privacy first

Proton Mail’s free plan keeps your inbox private and secure—no ads, no data mining. Built by privacy experts, it gives you real protection with no strings attached.

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💾 Extra Bytes

Meta has a $16 billion scam problem (or revenue) [LINK]

Uncle Sam demands your DNA in massive immigration data grab [LINK]

OpenAI and Microsoft AI boom is running out of juice [LINK]

Researchers say AI browsers are a cybersecurity mess [LINK]

Apple’s leaker drama just got messier (and a bit weird) [LINK]

Sora lands on Android in the US, Canada, and other regions [LINK]

Gemini AI transforms Google Maps into your personalized navigator [LINK]

Discord’s new features let parents monitor teens without reading texts [LINK]

Landlords are using AI to catfish renters with fake apartment photos [LINK]

YouTube’s war on ad blockers is breaking the site for everyone [LINK]

📱 Gear of the Week

Apple iPad Pro (M5) & MacBook Pro (M5)

• Apple released refreshed models featuring the M5 chip, which boasts up to 3.5x the AI performance of previous versions and faster wireless connectivity thanks to the new N1 chip. Shipments begin late October, available for preorder now [LINK]

Google Pixel November Feature Drop

• Google pushed a major free software update to Pixel device users, adding expanded Gemini AI features (especially on Pixel Watch 4), new customization options, and prioritized messaging tools [LINK]

🤑 DEALS

• Surfshark VPN slashes prices—grab 2 years for just $45.60! [LINK]

• Score a lifetime Windows 11 Pro license for just $9.97 [LINK]

• Get Parallels Desktop Pro and Standard at 50% off—limited time offer [LINK]

Quick Offer: Sign up and download Perplexity’s new Comet web browser. Sign up using this link, and you get a free month of Pro access. Hey, it’s free real estate.

🧰 TOOLS

Arcitext: AI-assisted writing tool that finds your unique voice [LINK].

Noro ADHD Planner: AI-powered planner that works with your ADHD brain, not against it [LINK]

GTA Radio: Listen to GTA radio stations in your browser anytime [LINK]

Superinbox: Replies and organizes your emails. One-click setup. Save 1 hour every day [LINK]

Thanks for reading!

Alright! Thanks for getting all the way to the end. Until next week…….

-Kevin

📌 Partner Disclaimer: We may earn a commission if you purchase something through our links or sign up for any services. This is one way we support The Weekly Download

``

Hey {{first_name}}, it’s Sunday, October 26.

Here’s what we’re covering this week:

• 🚫 How to banish YouTube Shorts from your feed forever

• 💉 Reddit's official AI bot suggests heroin for pain relief

• 🧊 ICE spends $5.7 million to spy on social media

• 🔍 Microsoft Copilot drops 12 major new features

Quick Offer: Sign up and download Perplexity’s new Comet web browser. Sign up using this link, and you get a free month of Pro access. Hey, it’s free real estate.

Hey, before I forget, um, we have a podcast now. It’s also called the Weekly Download Podcast. Hey, I don’t make the rules, but there’s something about that that rings to me.

We just published our first pod (that’s what you call them, right?). Give it a listen.

Partner Message

Become the go-to AI expert in 30 days

AI keeps coming up at work, but you still don't get it?

That's exactly why 1M+ professionals working at Google, Meta, and OpenAI read Superhuman AI daily.

Here's what you get:

• Daily AI news that matters for your career - Filtered from 1000s of sources so you know what affects your industry.

• Step-by-step tutorials you can use immediately - Real prompts and workflows that solve actual business problems.

• New AI tools tested and reviewed - We try everything to deliver tools that drive real results.

• All in just 3 minutes a day

Join 1M+ pros

 GIVEAWAY

Want a $100 Amazon gift card? Our giveaway plans fell through this week so we’re making it up by running one of our own. You guessed it, the grand prize is a $100 Amazon gift card. Take it or leave it. Details here: [LINK]

 How-To

How to Banish YouTube Shorts From Your Feed Forever

Tired of YouTube force-feeding you bite-sized videos? Here's how to fight back.

The Quick Fix:
Google killed the official toggle, but you can train the algorithm to behave.

On Mobile:

1. Find the Shorts section on your homepage

2. Tap the three-dot menu at the top

3. Select "Show fewer Shorts"

4. For individual videos, tap the dots and choose "Not Interested"

On Desktop:

1. Navigate to YouTube's homepage

2. Mark individual Shorts as "Not Interested"

3. After repeated attempts, the "Show fewer Shorts" option appears

Reality Check: This isn't permanent. You'll need to repeat this process regularly.

Power User Options:

• Browser Extensions: Try "Shorts Block" or "Remove YouTube Shorts" (Chrome), "Shorts Blocker" (Safari)

• Pro Tip: Clear your watch history and subscribe to long-form creators to dilute Shorts recommendations

Warning: Google actively breaks these workarounds, so keep multiple methods ready.

Newsletters Worth Reading

tl;dr sec.
Join >90,000 security professionals getting the best tools, talks, and resources right in their inbox for free. [LINK]

Newsletter Operator
Learn how to grow and monetize your newsletter. Trusted by 50,000+ founders, CEOs, and creators. [LINK]

Status
Scoops and insights on the media and tech industries, hitting inboxes six days a week [LINK]

Fast Five

1.) Reddit’s new AI bot recommends heroin for pain relief
I give up. The company’s official AI chatbot suggested, “Have you tried heroin?” for pain relief. [LINK]

2.) ICE drops $5.7 million on AI to snoop social media—privacy folks freak out
ICE gets $5.7M in taxpayer money to snoop on your social media habits. Everyone disliked that. [LINK]

3.) Wikipedia is losing human readers, and TikTok might be to blame
Wikipedia faces an 8% drop in pageviews due to AI-powered search results and TikTok. [LINK].

4.) Tesla faces scrutiny over 'Mad Max' mode speeds
Tesla reintroduced its controversial 'Mad Max' mode, allowing cars to drive at high speeds, sparking public revolt. [LINK].

5.) Tesla says it’s launching its Cybercab service in 2026
Tesla is committed to its self-driving vision, planning 2026 production of the Cybercab robotaxi. [LINK]

 Tech Terms Worth Knowing

Retrieval-Augmented-Generation (RAG)
(noun)

Definition: Lets an AI model fetch live info outside its training, then uses that to build a more accurate answer

Usage: “The current model I’m working with is alright, but when I added this RAG system, it outperformed most of the leading models out there.”

The Big One

Microsoft unloads 12 new Copilot features nobody asked for

Microsoft’s Copilot AI just got a major update, making it actually helpful, social, and easier to use. It’s designed to work with your favorite apps and help groups collaborate—think less robot, more teammate or whatever. Here’s what they’re dropping:

12 New Features

Bottom Line
Copilot is becoming a better assistant to help you with work, study, and everyday tasks. Just remember to use it! [LINK].

PARTNER MESSAGE

The Gold standard for AI news

AI will eliminate 300 million jobs in the next 5 years.

Yours doesn't have to be one of them.

Here's how to future-proof your career:

• Join the Superhuman AI newsletter - read by 1M+ professionals

• Learn AI skills in 3 mins a day

• Become the AI expert on your team

Start learning AI now

Extra Bytes

Amazon’s “Help Me Decide” tool wants to help you shop [LINK]

Study finds Gemini fumbles news, can’t tell facts from opinions [LINK]

Tinder forces everyone to show their face in new verification crackdown [LINK]

Nike throws the kitchen sink at the future with three wild new products [LINK]

Apple’s iPhone Air is so unpopular, production’s getting axed [LINK]

OpenAI’s ChatGPT Atlas AI browser has arrived [LINK]

Spotify just made finding local concerts way less annoying [LINK] Gear of the Week

Samsung Galaxy XR

Introducing Samsung’s Galaxy XR—a headset that delivers VR and MR to your living room. These advanced goggles immerse you in games and movies, making digital objects feel real.

Whether for play, work, or exploration, this is Samsung’s major move into VR and mixed reality. Let's hope it succeeds, unlike Apple's Vision Pro.

What’s cool

• Serious muscle: Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 chip, 16GB memory, and cameras for motion and eye tracking..

• Comfier sessions: lighter build with the battery in a separate pack to keep weight off your face.

• Familiar + futuristic: runs Android XR with apps like YouTube and Google Maps in 3D; built-in AI can help you find things and turn photos into 3D..

Price: $1,799.

The bottom line: 

Samsung made a bold move with the Galaxy XR, pricing it at $1,799 to challenge the notion that futuristic headsets must exceed $4K (looking at you, Apple). While not exactly cheap, it's still less than a used Civic. [LINK]

What would you try first? Hit reply and tell me.

Morons of the Week

This week's "moron(s) of the week" award goes to those involved in the AWS incident that caused widespread internet outages, affecting banks, hospitals, and even KnowTechie. Congrats on earning the title! [LINK].

 Tools

Warp: Desktop terminal that speeds up command-line work with AI suggestions [LINK].

Google Skills: A Learning platform that teaches AI skills through development [LINK]

Chat Quick: Turn anything into a podcast or audiobook instantly [LINK]

Amigo AI: Makes managing your boring finances fun?. [LINK]

Thanks for reading!

Bonus: Samsung is hosting its annual "Samsung Week" sale, offering discounted rates on gear, making it the best time to buy.

Alright! Thanks for getting all the way to the end. Until next week…….

-Kevin

📌 Partner Disclaimer: We may earn a commission if you purchase something through our links or sign up for any services. This is one way we support The Weekly Download

``

Hey {{first_name}}, it’s Sunday, October 19.

Here’s what we’re covering this week:

• OpenAI just announced ChatGPT will allow adult content (politicians are losing their minds)

• Apple is planning touchscreen MacBooks for 2026

• We found the bidet that'll make you question why you ever used toilet paper.

• Your Google Drive is probably full again. We've got the fix.

Quick Offer: Sign up and download Perplexity’s new Comet web browser. Sign up using this link, and you get a free month of Pro access. Hey, it’s free real estate.

Alright, and we’re off!

Partner Message

Go from AI overwhelmed to AI savvy professional

AI will eliminate 300 million jobs in the next 5 years.

Yours doesn't have to be one of them.

Here's how to future-proof your career:

• Join the Superhuman AI newsletter - read by 1M+ professionals

• Learn AI skills in 3 mins a day

• Become the AI expert on your team

Start learning AI now

🤑 GIVEAWAY

Congratulations to Lucy Johnson of MO for winning the iPhone 17 giveaway! Thanks to everyone who entered, and keep your eyes peeled on KnowTechie.com and the Weekly Download for more giveaways like this.

📝 How-To

Your Google Drive is Full. Again.

Tired of that "Google Drive is full" notification? Before you pay for more storage, reclaim your 15 GB of free space with these quick steps:

• Find the Culprit: Check one.google.com/storage to see what’s eating your space—Drive, Gmail, or Photos.

• Sort by Size: In Google Drive, go to the "Storage" tab and sort by "Storage Used" to find and delete the largest files you don't need.

• Clear Out Gmail: Search "has:attachment larger:10MB" in Gmail to find emails with big attachments. Download what you need, then delete the rest.

• Optimize Photos: Switch your Google Photos upload setting from "Original Quality" to "Storage Saver."

• Empty the Trash: Don't forget to empty the trash folders in Drive, Gmail, and Photos. Deleted files stay there for 30 days and still count against your limit!

⚡ Fast Five

1.) Apple plans touchscreen MacBook Pro with OLED for 2026
Apple is preparing a redesigned MacBook Pro featuring an OLED touchscreen display, expected to launch between late 2026 and early 2027. [LINK]

2.) Facebook launches Al photo editing feature with cloud access to camera roll:
Meta's new tool uploads camera roll images to its servers for Al analysis. [LINK]

3.) Hackers expose personal data of 1,000+ federal agents
A hacking group posted names, phone numbers and home addresses of DHS, FBI, and DOJ employees on Telegram. [LINK]

4.) China unveils all-weather humanoid robot and lifelike AI models:
China unveiled new humanoid robots, including the DR02 from DEEP Robotics, which is the world's first all-weather model. [LINK].

5.) Apple engineers raise concerns about new Siri performance:
Apple engineers testing iOS 26.4 are concerned about Siri’s performance, casting doubt on Apple’s AI plans as rivals advance. [LINK]

📩 Newsletters Worth Reading

tl;dr sec.
Join >90,000 security professionals getting the best tools, talks, and resources right in their inbox for free. [LINK]

Newsletter Operator
Learn how to grow and monetize your newsletter. Trusted by 50,000+ founders, CEOs, and creators. [LINK]

Status
Scoops and insights on the media and tech industries, hitting inboxes six days a week [LINK]

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Free music/podcasts, access to lightning deals, and try before you buy are just a few of the many perks that Prime has to offer. Make sure you're not missing out, and get the most out of Amazon Prime.

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Agentic AI 
(noun)

Definition: AI systems that can autonomously plan, make decisions, and execute multi-step tasks without constant human input. Think ChatGPT but with the ability to actually do things, not just chat about them.

Usage: "The new agentic AI platform can book meetings, sort your emails, and order lunch—without any hands-on guidance."

📰 The Big One

ChatGPT Just Got Spicy (And Politicians Are Having a Meltdown)

Remember when ChatGPT wouldn't even help you write a mildly suggestive poem? Well, Sam Altman just announced ChatGPT is rolling out adult content for verified users this December.

The timing? Perfect. This comes just weeks after California's Governor vetoed legislation that would've put stricter limits on AI chatbots and kids.

Here's what went down:

The Flip: OpenAI will let verified adults access erotica and adult content starting in December. Altman claims they've built "new tools" that make this safe now.

The Backlash: California lawmakers are furious. "This proves AI companies will never regulate themselves," said Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan.

The Reality Check: OpenAI promises "strict age-gating," but when has age verification on the internet ever been foolproof?

The company that positioned itself as the "responsible AI" leader just pivoted to competing with AI girlfriends. Because apparently the best way to treat "adult users like adults" is giving them chatbot erotica.

The kicker? This is the same company that wouldn't let you write a vampire romance novel six months ago. [LINK]

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AI keeps coming up at work, but you still don't get it?

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• Daily AI news that matters for your career - Filtered from 1000s of sources so you know what affects your industry.

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• New AI tools tested and reviewed - We try everything to deliver tools that drive real results.

• All in just 3 minutes a day

Join 1M+ pros

💾 Extra Bytes

Wikipedia is losing human readers and TikTok might be to blame [LINK]

ChatGPT helps California woman overturn unfair eviction ruling [LINK]

AT&T to raise home Internet prices by $5 starting Dec. 31, 2025 [LINK]

Microsoft wants you to talk to your PC [LINK]

Anthropic debuts Skills for Claude to make it smarter at work [LINK]

Meta to discontinue Messenger desktop apps—what you should know [LINK]

Android security flaw lets hackers steal 2FA codes and chats [LINK]

California becomes the first state to regulate AI chatbots [LINK]

ChatGPT is getting less “woke” because of a new political bias test [LINK]

📱 Gear of the Week

Eco Nova Bidet

The Eco Nova Bidet is finally making the jump from toilet paper to bidet feel like an upgrade instead of a leap of faith. This sleek bidet seat is all about transforming your bathroom routine—no more questioning if you're actually clean.

What's cool:

• ✨ Instant warm water - Tankless heating means no cold surprises

• 🦠 UV sterilization - Self-cleaning nozzle stays fresh

• 🎛️ Wireless remote - Control everything without getting up

• 💺 Heated seat - Because comfort matters

• 💡 LED nightlight - Navigate those 3am visits

• 🔧 Easy install - No plumber needed

Pricing: $699—positioned perfectly between basic models and luxury options.

The bottom line:

If you want to ditch toilet paper without breaking the bank or dealing with complicated installation, the Eco Nova should be on your radar. Looks like bathroom upgrades just got a whole lot smarter. [LINK]

⚙️ Tools

Everywhere: A context-aware AI assistant for your desktop. [LINK].

PostFast: Save 10+ hours weekly. Automate social posting. [LINK]

Taskmagic: Eliminate manual web tasks by capturing the process once with this AI-powered automation tool [LINK]

TinyFast: Fast file size reducer tool for macOS. [LINK]

Supamail: AI-powered email management app that transforms inbox chaos into organized clarity [LINK]

🤑 Deals

Grab Ocoopa hand warmers for $10 and keep your fingers toasty [LINK]

Apple AirTags bundle drops to $65 at Amazon (limited-time only) [LINK]

Score a lifetime Windows 11 Pro license for just $14.97 [LINK]

Get lifetime access to Microsoft Office for Mac for just $39.97 [LINK]

Thanks for reading!

Alright! Thanks for getting all the way to the end. Just as a reminder, don’t hesitate to jump on that Perplexity Comet offer. If you refer folks, you get $15 per person, and whoever you refer gets Pro access free for a month [LINK]

Until next week…….

-Kevin

📌 Partner Disclaimer: We may earn a commission if you purchase something through our links or sign up for any services. This is one way we support The Weekly Download

Hey {{first_name}}, it’s Sunday, October 12:

This week, the tech world basically set itself on fire.

OpenAI’s new Sora 2 video app broke records but also broke the internet—with Hollywood, creators, and the entire misinformation police all losing their minds.

Instagram wants to be your new TV, AI keeps eating everything in sight, and yes, there are new ways to accidentally leak your logins.

We have a lot to cover in our 100th edition of the Weekly Download, so let’s jump into it.

Partner Message

Smarter Marketing Starts Here

Most marketers waste money on channels that don’t actually drive results. The secret? Incrementality.

Our free ebook, Unlocking Incrementality: A Guide for Marketing Success, shows you how to measure what really moves the needle—so you can stop guessing and start scaling.

Inside, you’ll discover:

• The difference between attribution and true incrementality

• Proven testing methods to measure real impact

• How to double down on the channels that actually work

• Case studies from top brands already seeing outsized ROI

Don’t just run campaigns. Run campaigns that count.

Download the guide and start proving your impact.

GIVEAWAY

Two days left in our iPhone 17 giveaway. If you haven’t entered yet, do it now. Already entered? Stack extra entries by completing the checklist in the post here. Hit the button for details. Giveaway runs now through Tuesday, October 14. Good luck. Enter Here & Get Extra Entries.

How-To

How to Connect ChatGPT to Your Spotify Account

ChatGPT can now tap directly into your Spotify account to create custom playlists based on whatever random request you throw at it.

Connecting your Spotify account to your ChatGPT account is pretty straightforward. OpenAI made it painless. Here’s how to do it.

1. Launch the app

   Open ChatGPT (web or app, they both work)

2. Connect Spotify

   Start a new conversation and mention Spotify in your request.

3. Connect

   Click “Connect to Spotify” when the prompt appears

4. Log in to Spotify

   Log in to your Spotify account and authorize the connection

5. Make your request

   Start making requests. Be as specific or weird as you want

 Learn more here.

Fast Five

1.) Instagram explores dedicated TV app to challenge YouTube
Instagram is exploring creating a dedicated TV app to expand its video presence and compete with YouTube on your living room screen. [LINK]

2.) OpenAI's Sora app hits 1 million downloads in five days
OpenAI’s AI video-generation app, Sora, reached one million downloads in under five days, surpassing the initial launch pace of the ChatGPT app. [LINK]

3.) Discord users’ data swiped in a sneaky customer service hack
A Discord breach through a third-party service has exposed user data, including names, usernames, emails, and the last four digits of credit cards [LINK]

4.) Figure AI unveils humanoid robot for homes
In October, Figure AI introduced its new Figure 03 humanoid robot, a big step towards making robots a part of daily life at home. [LINK].

5.) OpenAI claims GPT-5 cuts political bias by 30%
Just because OpenAI says it reduced political bias doesn’t necessarily mean it's true, and independent fact-checkers want to put its claim to the test. [LINK]

Partner Message

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Workslop
(noun)

Definition: Low-quality, AI-generated content found in the workplace that appears to be good work but lacks substance. Workslop shifts the burden to downstream recipients who must interpret, correct, or redo the content, ultimately increasing workload. [LINK]

Usage: "I can spot workslop from a mile away now—it's that overly polished presentation that says nothing meaningful when you actually read through it."

The Big One

OpenAI's Sora 2 Turns Into a Hollywood Horror Show

Remember when we all freaked out about AI-generated photos? Well, buckle up—video just entered the chat.

OpenAI dropped Sora 2 last week, and the AI video generator app hit 1 million downloads in under five days, beating even ChatGPT's initial launch pace.

But what started as Silicon Valley's latest party trick has quickly turned into a full-blown Hollywood meltdown.

Here's what went down:

The Launch: OpenAI unveiled Sora 2 on September 30, billing it as its most advanced video generator yet. OpenAI recently lifted the floodgates to let anyone with an internet connection try it.

The Good: Early users were blown away. The videos are scarily realistic—we're talking complex scenes with multiple characters, accurate physics, and details that'll make you question reality.

The Bad: Then the copyright cops showed up. OpenAI's overly aggressive copyright filters started blocking everything—users couldn't generate videos with anything remotely resembling copyrighted material.

Want a video of someone in a superhero costume? Blocked. A character that vaguely looks like a celebrity? Nope. The restrictions got so bad that users say the quality has tanked since launch, with some claiming it's now "no better than VEO 3."

The Ugly: Hollywood is freaking out. Studios, talent agencies, and unions are pushing back hard.

The New York Times warns we've entered "the era of fakery" where visual proof means nothing. Misinformation researchers are sounding alarms about deepfakes, fraud, and political manipulation.

Oh, and a WIRED investigation found the AI perpetuates sexist, racist, and ableist stereotypes.

Sam Altman tried damage control, saying rights holders will have "more control" over their likeness, but nobody's buying it. The app that was supposed to democratize video creation has instead kicked off what might be the messiest AI controversy yet.

The kicker? Despite all the drama, it's still sitting at #1 in the App Store. Turns out people really want to make fake videos, even if they can't make good ones anymore.

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Learn AI in 5 minutes a day

What’s the secret to staying ahead of the curve in the world of AI? Information. Luckily, you can join 1,000,000+ early adopters reading The Rundown AI — the free newsletter that makes you smarter on AI with just a 5-minute read per day.

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Extra Bytes

Chrome’s new feature is here to hush spammy website alerts [LINK]

OpenAI’s ChatGPT hits a jaw-dropping 410.8 million downloads [LINK]

YouTube is giving some banned creators a second chance [LINK]

AI could eliminate 100 million jobs from the US alone [LINK]

iFixit teardown reveals Meta Ray-Ban glasses are unrepairable [LINK]

1Password’s new tool stops AI chatbots from leaking your logins [LINK]

Tesla’s “standard” models are here, and they’re still expensive AF [LINK]

OpenAI now lets you chat with apps in ChatGPT [LINK]

Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass Ultimate price hike has gamers fuming [LINK]

Hero of the Week

This week’s moron hero of the week goes to Dr. Fred Ramsdell.

Immunologist Dr. Fred Ramsdell was so busy hiking off-grid in Wyoming that the Nobel Committee had to hunt him down for hours just to tell him he won the Prize in Medicine for discovering revolutionary T cells that could change cancer treatment forever.

Meanwhile, his co-winner thought the call from Sweden was spam and hung up to go back to sleep—absolute legends. [LINK]

Tools

JustPaid: Autonomous AI for billing, contracts, and collections [LINK].

Caesr AI: AI that controls real apps across web, desktop, and mobile [LINK]

Everyday: Productivity tool that gets tasks done across apps with plain English [LINK]

Chatquick AI: Turn your voice into an audiobook & podcast for writers. [LINK]

Thanks for reading!

Alright! Thanks for getting all the way to the end. Until next week…….

-Kevin

📌 Partner Disclaimer: We may earn a commission if you purchase something through our links or sign up for any services. This is one way we support The Weekly Download

``

Hey {{first_name}}, it’s Friday, October 5.

Hey folks, this isn’t your usual Sunday blast, but I came across something I couldn’t wait to share on Sunday, so I hope you don’t mind the extra email this week. Don’t worry, we’ll keep it short.

Alright, and we’re off!

Partner Message

Smarter Marketing Starts Here

Most marketers waste money on channels that don’t actually drive results. The secret? Incrementality.

Our free ebook, Unlocking Incrementality: A Guide for Marketing Success, shows you how to measure what really moves the needle—so you can stop guessing and start scaling.

Inside, you’ll discover:

• The difference between attribution and true incrementality

• Proven testing methods to measure real impact

• How to double down on the channels that actually work

• Case studies from top brands already seeing outsized ROI

Don’t just run campaigns. Run campaigns that count.

Download the guide and start proving your impact.

🤑 GIVEAWAY

If you haven't entered already, there’s still plenty of time to enter our iPhone 17 giveaway. And if you have already entered, you can gain more entries by completing additional actions on the checklist. Click the button below for more details. The giveaway is running now through October 14th. Good luck! Enter here.

📩 Newsletters Worth Reading

AI Productivity Newsletter
1-minute, easy, actionable tips to boost productivity with AI. Thousands of subscribers are already leveling up. [LINK]

TLDR Newsletter
TLDR is the free daily newsletter with links and TLDRs of the most interesting stories in startups 🚀, tech 📱, and programming 💻! [LINK]

The Strategist
Sign up for the Strategist’s daily newsletter for smart shopping advice, exclusive discounts, and actually useful product recommendations. [LINK]

📰 The Big One

Comet Browser: Your Newest (and Hopefully Not Worst) Weapon Against 2FA

Another day, another login. Another password, another two-factor authentication code, another reason to question why we even bother with the internet.

It’s a relentless cycle of fetching codes from your email, your texts, and sometimes, if you’re really unlucky, a carrier pigeon. All this just to access the same five websites you use every single day. Because, you know, security.

But what if I told you there’s a browser that promises to do the dirty work for you?

Enter Comet Browser, the latest contender in the war against login fatigue. Does it work? Let’s find out.

The Glorious Promise of Automation

Comet Browser claims it can handle the entire login process for you. That’s right—passwords, 2FA codes, the whole shebang.

It’s like having a tiny, digital butler who lives in your browser and does all the boring stuff you don’t want to do.

All you have to do is grant it keychain access, which is basically like giving it the keys to your digital kingdom. No big deal, right?

The idea is simple: you tell Comet to log you in, and it does. It finds the verification code, pastes it where it needs to go, and voilà—you’re in.

No more switching between apps, no more mistyping codes, no more existential dread every time you see a login screen. Sounds pretty great, doesn’t it? Almost too great.

How to Let Comet Take the Wheel

Ready to hand over the reins? Here’s the not-so-secret formula:

1. Open Comet Browser and go to the login page. This is the easy part. You’ve done this a million times.

2. Tell Comet what to do. Something along the lines of “Log me into my bank account” should suffice.

3. Let it handle the 2FA code. If prompted, tell it to “check my email for the code” or “grab the code from my texts.”

4. Watch it work. Or, you know, go make a sandwich.

Does It Actually Work?

Here’s the thing: it’s not perfect. Sometimes it works like a charm, and other times it gets stuck, leaving you to copy and paste the code yourself.

So, is it a life-changing miracle? Not quite. But is it better than the current nightmare of manual 2FA? Absolutely.

Comet Browser might not be the hero we deserve, but it’s the one we’ve got. And honestly, anything that makes the daily login grind even a little less painful is a win in my book.

So go ahead, give it a try. What have you got to lose? (Besides your sanity, of course.) Oh, by the way, it’s absolutely free and you can download it right now. [LINK]

Thanks for reading!

Alright, that’s a wrap! Hopefully, you didn’t mind the extra email this week. We really strive to keep to our word by sending you one weekly email, but this was something we couldn’t wait until Sunday.

If this is the sort of thing that pisses you off, let us know in the comments or reply to this email, and I’ll make sure to add you to a special “Do not send extra emails to this email” list.

That’s all I got for now. Keep an eye out for our 100th edition of the Weekly Download this Sunday. As always, thanks for reading.

-Kevin

📌 Partner Disclaimer: We may earn a commission if you purchase something through our links or sign up for any services. This is one way we support The Weekly Download

``

Hey {{first_name}}, it’s Monday, September 15,

Sorry for the delay on this, but things got a bit wild and I wasn’t able to finish in time. Rest assured, I have something to make up for it. But first, here’s what we have going on this week:

This week features Apple's release of iOS 26 and the iPhone 17 series highlight advancements in, well, iPhones. And then of course, Google facing legal challenges and OpenAI navigating ethical concerns. Water is also wet.

Alright, remember what I said what\ would make up for it? Keep on reading, it’s a good one. Alright, and we’re off!

Partner Message

Training cutting edge AI? Unlock the data advantage today.

If you’re building or fine-tuning generative AI models, this guide is your shortcut to smarter AI model training. Learn how Shutterstock’s multimodal datasets—grounded in measurable user behavior—can help you reduce legal risk, boost creative diversity, and improve model reliability.

Inside, you’ll uncover why scraped data and aesthetic proxies often fall short—and how to use clustering methods and semantic evaluation to refine your dataset and your outputs. Designed for AI leaders, product teams, and ML engineers, this guide walks through how to identify refinement-worthy data, align with generative preferences, and validate progress with confidence.

Whether you're optimizing alignment, output quality, or time-to-value, this playbook gives you a data advantage. Download the guide and train your models with data built for performance.

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🤑 GIVEAWAY

To celebrate the launch of the iPhone 17, we're excited to announce a giveaway of a brand new iPhone 17!

But before you get too excited, we're only giving away one, and it's the base model. If you were hoping for the iPhone 17 Max Pro, the $2,000 version, sorry, that's not happening.

We're covering the cost ourselves to give you a new iPhone. So, if you see an ad in our newsletter or on our website (KnowTechie.com), please click it and learn more about the advertiser supporting us and the rest of the staff [LINK].

📝 HOW-TO

iOS 26 Is Here – How To Install it On Your iPhone

Apple just dropped iOS 26, and it's a game-changer!

The new Liquid Glass UI is now live on iPhones, iPads, Macs, and Apple Watches, bringing a sleek, consistent look across all your devices.

This update is available globally, and you can expect it to land around 1 PM ET. Before you update, make sure to back up your iPhone

To install, just head to

Settings > General > Software Update.

Got an older iPhone? Check if your device is compatible - iPhone 11 and newer models are in luck! But if you're rocking an older model, you might miss out on some of the AI-powered features.

What's your favorite new feature in iOS 26?

⚡ Fast Five

1. Apple's Top AI Executive Jumps Ship
   Apple just lost another major AI player as Robby Walker, a key executive behind Siri's improvements, leaves for unknown reasons. The departure adds to worries about Apple's pace in the AI race. [LINK]

2. Plex Users Forced to Reset Passwords After Data Breach
   Media server fans got a scare as Plex announced hackers grabbed some user data. Bank info is still safe, but everyone has to update their passwords ASAP. [LINK]

3.  OpenAI, Google Compete to Power Your iPhone's Smart Features
   A battle is heating up over who gets to run AI on iPhones. Apple quietly integrates both ChatGPT and Google's Gemini, letting your phone choose the smartest answers on the fly. [LINK]

4. Nintendo Wins $2 Million in Lawsuit Against Switch Modder
   Nintendo just took a big legal win, shutting down a high-profile Switch modder and forcing a huge payout. The crackdown sends a warning to other hardware tinkerers. [LINK]

5. Spotify Rolls Out Mood-Based Smart Filters
   No more endless playlist scrolling! Spotify’s new feature lets you sort your songs by moods like “workout” or “chill” at the touch of a button. [LINK]

📩 A Newsletter Worth Reading

Context Collapse
(noun)

Definition: The blending of professional, personal, and public lives on tech platforms—think your boss, friends, and followers seeing the same post.

Why it matters: Context collapse can lead to miscommunication, over-sharing, and the feeling that you have to “perform” different versions of yourself at once online.

Usage: "Posting on LinkedIn gave Kai a serious case of context collapse—her coworkers and her college friends all saw her startup meme."

📰 The Big One

iPhone 17 Drops With a Bang (But, Let’s Be Real, It’s Apple—So Hold the Fireworks)

The iPhone 17 landed this week and, believe it or not, Apple actually did more than shuffle the camera island and recycle last year’s paint.

Every iPhone 17 now gets that high-refresh-rate screen Android folks have been lording over iPhone stans for years, and base storage isn’t an embarrassing 128GB anymore.

The Pro and Pro Max landed with a three-lens, three-ridiculous-name camera system built for “pros.” The selfie cam? Allegedly “Center Stage.”

But let’s not pretend the real headline isn’t the iPhone Air—Apple’s thinnest, lightest, and most flex-worthy slab of glass yet. More on that disaster-waiting-to-happen below.

Takeaway: Apple may have finally delivered an iPhone that feels “new” without needing microscope-level scrutiny, but remember: This is Cupertino. You’ll need a second mortgage if you want a charging brick, and a third if you want a case that actually fits. [iPhone 17 LINK] [iPhone 17 Pro and Max LINK]

PARTNER MESSAGE

How 1,500+ Marketers Are Using AI to Move Faster in 2025

Is your team using AI like the leaders—or still stuck experimenting?

Masters in Marketing’s AI Trends Report breaks down how top marketers are using tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Breeze to scale content, personalize outreach, and drive real results.

Inside the report, you’ll discover:

• What AI use cases are delivering the strongest ROI today

• How high-performing teams are integrating AI into workflows

• The biggest blockers slowing others down—and how to avoid them

• A 2025 action plan to upgrade your own AI strategy

Download the report. Free when you subscribe to the Masters in Marketing newsletter.

Learn what’s working now, and what’s next.

DOWNLOAD THE REPORT

💾 Extra Bytes

Adobe released a free beta of Photoshop for Android [LINK]

Snapchat app is now available on Apple Watch [LINK]

Court rejects Apple’s request to delay App Store changes [LINK]

Reddit is suing Anthropic for allegedly using its data to train AI [LINK]

Google Photos pauses AI-based image search feature [LINK]

DeepSeek accused of using Google Gemini to train new AI model [LINK]

Google Wallet parts ways with PayPal [LINK]

📱 Gear of the Week

iPhone Air: Because You Can’t Flex a Flip Phone on TikTok Anymore

Apple replaced "Plus" with "Air," and you know what? This device is incredibly thin, almost like it could disappear into thin air (well, not really, but you get where I’m going with this). At 6.5 inches, it feels more like a slim metal bookmark than a phone.

There's just one camera (because who needs different angles, right?), all SIM cards are eSIM, and if you want to keep more than three vacation photos, you'll need to buy extra storage and keep subscribing.

Apple claims their product is "titanium strong," but we'll have to wait for YouTubers to test how tough it really is. Regarding battery life, Apple says it lasts all day, but we've heard similar promises before.

Buy it if:

• You crave attention.

• You love answering “Wait, is that really a phone?”

• You feel nostalgia for the iPod Nano’s silhouette frame.

Otherwise, stay tuned until Apple releases an “Air Pro Max Ultra.” [LINK]

⚙️ Tools

Hyperfeed.ai: Build easy-to-use workflows using the language you speak everyday [LINK].

Probz AI: Create internal tools without coding [LINK]

CrePal: AI-Powered Video Production Goes Fully Autonomous [LINK]

Retrotype: It’s a virtual typewriter. That’s the bit [LINK]

Thanks for reading!

Alright! Thanks for getting all the way to the end. Until next week…….

-Kevin

📌 Partner Disclaimer: We may earn a commission if you purchase something through our links or sign up for any services. This is one way we support The Weekly Download

``

Hey {{first_name}}, happy Labor Day!

Sorry for not being in touch lately. I've been dealing with some personal issues. If you have a day off tomorrow, use it. Your mental health matters, and working when you don't need to is lame. Believe me, I'm learning this the hard way.

Alright, back to our regular program.

The tech world is seeing some major shifts this week. AI is affecting jobs and raising ethical questions, especially in finance and healthcare, where people worry about bias and losing jobs.

Apple is planning to release new products. The entertainment industry is also changing, with updates in streaming and gaming to match what people want.

Alright, and we’re off!

🤑 GIVEAWAY

And we have a winner from our recent BLUETTI giveaway. Congratulations to our winner, Cosmin from Italy! Cosmin is in line to receive a BLUETTI Elite 100 V2 (2025 New) Solar Generator ($799 Value). If you didn’t win, no sweat, we’re cooking up some new giveaways in the coming weeks that are just as good as this past giveaway. Stay tuned!

📝 How-To 🔧

🔧 How to Restart Your iPhone Without Using the Power Button

Your iPhone's power button just gave up on life? Don't panic. Apple buried some restart tricks in iOS that most people never discover

Head to Settings > General > Shut Down and slide that power off toggle. Your phone dies gracefully. Plug it into any charger or wireless pad to bring it back.

Siri works too. Say "Hey Siri, restart my iPhone" and confirm when prompted. Takes seconds. If you're desperate, let the battery drain completely and charge it back up. Nuclear option, but it works.

What's your go-to iPhone troubleshooting trick when things get glitchy?

📩 Newsletters Worth Reading

CoolDeep AI
Easy, actionable tips to enhance your productivity with Al. Over 15,000 subscribers are already becoming smarter. [LINK]

The Rundown AI
Get the latest AI news, understand why it matters, and learn how to apply it in your work. Join 1,000,000+ readers from companies like Apple, OpenAI, NASA. [LINK]

Big Desk Energy
Startup insights, stories, and vibes sent to your inbox every Tuesday. [LINK]

 📚 Tech Terms Worth Knowing

Agentic AI
(noun)

Definition: Artificial intelligence systems that can act autonomously to achieve specific goals with minimal human supervision. Unlike traditional AI that responds to prompts, Agentic AI can reason, plan, make decisions, and take action independently to complete complex, multi-step tasks.

Usage: "The company deployed Agentic AI agents to handle customer service inquiries, allowing them to resolve 85% of issues without human intervention while escalating complex cases to human agents."📰 The Big One

 📚 The Big One

AI's Impact on the Workforce: Job Security and Ethical Concerns

A Microsoft study reveals AI's applicability to various jobs, highlighting its potential to change work rather than replace it entirely.

However, executives are increasingly prioritizing AI for cost savings, leading to hiring slowdowns, particularly in white-collar fields.

Full rundown:

• AI applicability scores measure how AI can assist with job tasks.

• Executives are prioritizing AI to cut costs.

• Ford CEO predicts AI` will replace half of white-collar workers.

• Jobs requiring specialized physical skills are safer from AI.

• AI-generated writing faces criticism for copyright issues.

• Experts advocate for AI augmentation over full automation.

In short: Roles needing hands-on skills remain less threatened, while debates continue over copyright and whether AI should assist rather than replace workers [LINK]

⚡ Fast Five

1.) Meta overhauls AI chatbot rules after teen safety scandal
The company will train Al systems to avoid discussing self-harm and inappropriate romantic topics with minors [LINK]

2.) AI Chatbots Can Be Persuaded Like Humans, Study Reveals
A study shows that AI chatbots can be manipulated with psychological tactics to bypass safety protocols [LINK].

3.) Apple's September Event: iPhone 17, Apple Watch, and Accessory Updates Amidst Competitive Disputes
Amazon is developing humanoid robots for delivery, potentially impacting jobs (Turk err jerb's!) [LINK]

4.) The Decline of RSS: The Loss of Web Control and the Rise of Algorithmic Feeds
RSS, a technology enabling user-controlled content delivery, has seen a significant decline, leading to a web dominated by algorithmically curated feeds. [LINK].

5.) Bumble CEO builds AI dating app based on psychology
Bumble CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd is developing an AI-powered dating app that matches users based on psychological attachment styles rather than superficial swiping [LINK]

PARTNER MESSAGE

Better inputs. Sharper outputs. Download the guide to premium AI.

Building or refining generative AI models? This guide shows why scraped data falls short—and what to use instead. Learn how real-world behavior signals, clustering, semantic scoring, and visual diversity improve output. Plus, see how Shutterstock’s licensed data and services reduce risk and boost performance. Train smarter, faster, and more responsibly.

Download the guide

💾 Extra Bytes

Taco Bell rethinks Al drive-through after man orders 18,000 waters [LINK]

OpenAI will report suspicious ChatGPT conversations to police [LINK]

Resident Evil 7 was "possibly too scary" and "some people couldn't handle it [LINK]

Google’s Pixel Care+ is here to save your clumsy ass (and your wallet) [LINK]

iPhone 17 Event Set for September 9 Amid Accessory Leaks and Competitive Disputes [LINK]

The success of Al music creators sparks debate on future of music industry [LINK]

Samsung’s Unpacked event timed to steal spotlight from Apple [LINK]

Microsoft cuts Xbox Cloud Gaming costs—learn how to join now [LINK]

iPhone 17 Pro leak hints at reverse wireless charging feature [LINK]

Apple eyes Google’s Gemini AI to supercharge Siri in iOS 26 [LINK]

Apple’s foldable iPhone finally coming in Fall 2026 [LINK]

Anthropic launches a browser-based Claude AI agent [LINK]

📱 Gear of the Week

Marshall Bromley 750 | $1,299.99

Marshall Bromley 750

The Marshall Bromley 750 is Marshall’s first dedicated party speaker, designed for powerful, portable, and immersive sound experiences with high-end features tailored for and large gatherings.

What’s cool:

• 🎵 360° Powerhouse Sound: Eight drivers deliver 500 watts with True Stereophonic 360° audio that fills any space completely.

• 🔋 Marathon Battery Life: Over 40 hours of playtime with swappable, rechargeable battery that doubles as a power bank for your devices.

• 🌧️ Built for Adventure: IP54-rated weather resistance with wheels and handles makes it perfect for outdoor parties and events.

• 💡 Dynamic Stage Lighting: Integrated LED grid with music-reactive presets transforms any gathering into a concert experience.

The bottom line: 

If you've got money to burn and a serious need to be the person with the best sound system in a three-block radius, the Bromley 750 is your new best friend. Everyone else can stick to their sad little Bluetooth pucks [LINK]

⚙️ Hero of the Week

Let's switch things up and focus on something positive this week. Instead of our usual "Moron of the Week" segment, let's celebrate our "Hero of the Week." Imagine the Foo Fighters' song "My Hero" playing in the background!

This week’s Hero of the Week goes to Steve Wozniak. For starters, the man just turned 75, but more importantly, his overall outlook on life.

On his 75th birthday, Apple legend Steve Wozniak pops up in a comment thread about his 'bad decision' to sell his stock in the '80s with a devastatingly zen reply: 'I gave all my Apple wealth away because wealth and power are not what I live for' [LINK]

⚙️ Tools

Wanderboat: Scans millions of Instagram/TikTok videos in real-time, picks the gems, and serves up the best dining, bars & events on a map [LINK].

Google Vids: AI-Powered Video Creator and Editor [LINK]

🗣️ gpt-realtime - OpenAI’s new advanced speech-to-speech model [LINK]

Riveter: AI agents navigate the web and collect data for you [LINK]

Thanks for reading!

Alright! Thanks for getting all the way to the end. Until next week…….

-Kevin

📌 Partner Disclaimer: We may earn a commission if you purchase something through our links or sign up for any services. This is one way we support The Weekly Download

Image: KnowTechie

According to TechCrunch, these apps pulled in $82 million in the first half of 2025 alone. That’s not pocket change — that’s venture capital money.

The numbers tell a brutal story about human loneliness.

The Market Explosion

• 337 AI companion apps are currently generating revenue worldwide

• 128 new ones launched in just six months

• Downloads jumped 88% year-over-year to 60 million

• Users have downloaded these apps 220 million times globally

The market will crack $120 million by December. Revenue per download doubled from $0.52 to $1.18. People are paying real money for fake relationships.

But here's what the revenue charts don’t show you: the quiet psychological tricks these apps use to keep users emotionally hooked — and how one major player is testing a feature that mimics grief when you stop replying.

We’ve seen the numbers. Now let’s talk about the manipulation, the monetization of heartbreak, and why some experts are calling this “the nicotine of Gen Z.”

The Winner-Take-All Economy Strikes Again

Ten percent of AI companion apps capture 89% of total revenue. Thirty-three apps crossed the $1 million lifetime spending threshold. The rest fight for scraps.

This concentration mirrors every other digital market. A few winners dominate. Everyone else burns cash.

Consumer spending reached $221 million by July 2025. Revenue grew 64% compared to 2024’s first half. Users aren’t just downloading these apps — they’re opening their wallets.

Big Tech Finally Notices

xAI launched anime characters and a 3D fox companion in July. Google hired Character.ai's founder, Noam Shazeer, last year. The writing was on the wall.

ChatGPT’s GPT-5 upgrade triggered an unexpected user revolt. People mourned their old AI companions like lost pets. Sam Altman had to bring back the 4o model. Users formed emotional attachments to specific AI personalities.

Character.ai still commands tens of millions of monthly active users. That’s Instagram-level engagement for chatbots.

Image: KnowTechie

The Girlfriend Economy

The data reveals telling preferences:

• 17% of active AI companion apps include “girlfriend” in their names

• Only 4% mention “boyfriend” or “fantasy”

• Terms like “anime,” “soulmate,” and “lover” appear less frequently

The market speaks clearly about its primary demographic. Users want girlfriends, not abstract romantic concepts.

This isn’t about technology — it’s about filling an emotional void.

The rise of AI companions says a lot about what’s going on in society right now. People want to feel connected, but dating apps haven’t delivered.

Social media just made a lot of folks feel lonelier. With AI girlfriends, there’s this sense of control and zero fear of rejection.

And here’s the wild part: these apps pull in more money per user than most popular mobile games.

These apps generate more revenue per user than most mobile games. They create stronger emotional bonds than social networks. They solve problems that billion-dollar platforms couldn’t crack.

The Future Is Profitable

The market will only grow larger. Loneliness isn’t decreasing. Technology keeps people apart while promising connection.

AI companions deliver what humans increasingly cannot — unconditional availability and acceptance.

Tech companies recognize the threat. They're building companion features into existing products.

The race is on to capture this lucrative, emotionally driven market before smaller players establish a permanent foothold.

Money flows where human needs intersect with technological solutions. AI companions hit that intersection perfectly. The $120 million projection might be conservative.

What’s Your Take on the AI Companion Revolution?

The numbers don’t lie — people are spending serious money on digital relationships while tech giants scramble to catch up. 

Are AI companions filling a genuine need in our increasingly isolated world, or are we witnessing the commodification of human loneliness?

Drop a comment below with your thoughts on this $120 million market explosion. Do you see AI girlfriends as a temporary fix or the future of companionship?

While you’re here: If this is your first time landing on this little slice of real estate on the internet, we run a weekly newsletter with more content like this. Feel free to subscribe, and if you like what you see, share it with a friend.

Also, if you want to see more of us on a daily basis, find us on our main site: KnowTechie.com

If you have an idea for a newsletter, consider setting one up here on Beehiiv. Even if you’re unfamiliar with the newsletter game, this platform makes it almost impossible to mess up. Better yet, it’s free, easy, and somewhat addictive.

Give it a go here. Seriously, it’s free.

``

Hey {{first_name}}, it’s Sunday, August 10.

This week's top stories include a potential shift in the AI landscape as OpenAI faces user backlash over its new GPT-5 model, leading to the reintroduction of GPT-4o.

In the tech world, Apple is gearing up for its September event with anticipated iPhone 17 and Apple Watch Series 11 releases, while also facing potential price hikes due to tariffs.

Meanwhile, the real estate sector is seeing a surge in AI-generated images for listings, raising ethical concerns, and the used EV market is experiencing a buying frenzy due to expiring tax credits.

Here’s what we’re also tracking this week….

Alright, and we’re off!

Partner Message

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GIVEAWAY

If you haven't entered already, there’s still plenty of time to enter our BLUETTI giveaway. And if you have already entered, you can gain more entries by completing additional actions on the checklist. Click the button below for more details. The giveaway is running now through August 30th. Good luck! Enter here. 

How-To

How to Build an Interactive App with Claude Artifacts

Claude's Artifacts lets you build functional web apps that actually work - no fake demos here.

Want to create your own? No, sweat. We got you.

The example below is as cookie-cutter as they come, so feel free to apply the same principles to whatever you’re building and you should be good to go. But if you need some inspiration or other ideas to kickstart your journey, this is a good place to start.

How to Build a Personal Expense Tracker:

1. Go to Claude.ai and log in

2. Copy and paste this prompt: "Build me a personal expense tracker app. Users should be able to add expenses with categories (food, transport, entertainment, etc.), set monthly budgets, view spending charts, and get alerts when approaching budget limits. Include data export and the ability to edit/delete entries. Make it fully functional with local storage so data persists between sessions."

3. Hit Enter - Claude builds a working expense tracker

4. Add real expenses - everything saves automatically

5. View charts and budgets that update with your actual data

6. Export your spending data as a CSV file

Other Functional Apps You Can Build:

• Password Generator with customizable security settings

• Unit Converter for measurements, currencies, and more

• Habit Tracker that saves your daily progress

• Color Palette Generator for designers

• QR Code Creator that generates real, scannable codes

The Bottom Line: These aren't demos - they're real, working apps that solve actual problems.📩 Newsletters Worth Reading

Newsletters Worth Reading

The Deep View
The go-to daily newsletter for 250k+ founders and knowledge workers who want to stay up to-date with artificial intelligence. [LINK]

AI Productivity Newsletter
1-minute, easy, actionable tips to boost productivity with AI. Thousands of subscribers are already leveling up. Now it's your turn. [LINK]

Creatwive Automation
Get the 5-minute newsletter keeping Creatives & Marketers in the loop [LINK]

Tech Terms Worth Knowing

Model Hopping
(noun)

Definition: Rapidly switching between different AI models (or versions) within a workflow to optimize for speed, cost, or accuracy per task.

Usage: "They used model hopping—drafting with a fast model, then refining with a heavier one."

The Big One

ChatGPT-5 is here—and users aren’t thrilled

OpenAI launched ChatGPT‑5 with promises of smarter reasoning, faster coding, richer voice, and deeper multimodal skills, but the rollout has sparked a wave of frustration from longtime users who say it feels like a downgrade in day-to-day use.

Full rundown:

• Users report shorter, safer, and blander answers that feel less creative and less helpful for brainstorming.

• Response times can feel slower, and stricter message limits kick many into weaker fallback models mid-session.

• OpenAI removed easy model selection, so fans of GPT‑4o and other variants feel forced onto GPT‑5.

• Developers cite regressions in code generation and analysis, needing more prodding and manual fixes.

• Not all bad: some praise steadier reasoning, less “yes‑man” behavior, and new multimodal/vibe‑coding tricks that can ship prototypes faster.

Why it matters: If OpenAI can restore user control, loosen limits, and re‑inject personality without sacrificing safety, GPT‑5’s raw capability could shine. Until then, many see a smarter model wrapped in a worse experience.

Fast Five

1.) AOL will end dial-up internet service in September
That marks the end of a 34-year run. End of an era. [LINK]

2.) AI tools and layoffs push CS grads into unexpected career paths
Companies like Amazon and Microsoft are reshaping their workforce, leaving computer science graduates in the lurch [LINK]

3.) MIT study: Smart driving cuts city emissions by 22%
Researchers finding that dynamically adjusting vehicle speeds at intersections could cut city-wide carbon dioxide emissions by up to 22 percent. [LINK]

4.) Microsoft kills popular Lens app after 90M downloads
Microsoft outlined a phase-out timeline beginning September 15, 2025, with complete discontinuation by December 15. [LINK].

5.) Security researchers jailbreak GPT-5 within 24 hours
Sam Altman says that GPT-5 is “the best model in the world [LINK]

PARTNER MESSAGE

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Find Your Dietitian Now

Extra Bytes

Apple's Siri to Get Cross-App Voice Commands Next Spring [LINK]

OpenAI launches GPT-5 but transparency questions remain [LINK]

Google Gemini Now Integrated into Chrome Browser for Premium Users [LINK]

Trump’s Made-in-America iPhone may not happen anytime soon [LINK]

Inside Zuckerberg's 'Billionaire Bat Cave' and Private School [LINK]

CarPlay Ultra and iOS 26 Bring Major Infotainment Upgrades [LINK]

Google’s Gemini AI wants to be your new study buddy [LINK]

Instagram copies even more TikTok and Snapchat features [LINK]

WhatsApp rolls out new safety features to fight online scams [LINK]

Meta found guilty of snooping on period app users’ data [LINK]

OpenAI launches two new open-source AI models [LINK]

New AI app promises to count calories by simply taking food photos [LINK]

⚙️ Moron of the Week

This week’s moron of the week goes to the person who was in charge of the charts portion of the OpenAI GPT-5 launch.

The launch managed an “unintentional chart crime,” flashing benchmark bars so wrong that 52.8% towered over 69% and identical-looking bars showed different scores.

Sam Altman called it a “mega chart screwup,” and OpenAI rushed out corrected graphics afterward—fuel for critics already calling the rollout bumpy.

Nothing says “trust the metrics” like vibes-based bar charts.

Tools

Bing Image Creator - Now with free GPT 4o, alongside DALL-E3. [LINK].

Endex - An AI agent that lives inside Excel. [LINK]

Wispr Flow – Voice dictiation app that lets you speak naturally turns your voice into clean, formatted text—4x faster than typing. [LINK]

Tyce: Cursor for documents. Think of it like a souped-up version of Google Docs. [LINK]

CreateAnything: AI-powered platform that builds full-stack web and mobile apps from simple text descriptions [LINK]

Thanks for reading!

Alright! Thanks for getting all the way to the end. Until next week…….

-Kevin

📌 Partner Disclaimer: We may earn a commission if you purchase something through our links or sign up for any services. This is one way we support The Weekly Download

``

Hey {{first_name}}, it’s Sunday, August 3, 2025.

This week's newsletter features news about Apple developing its own AI answer engine to compete with ChatGPT, aiming for smarter search and stronger privacy.

Meanwhile, Mark Zuckerberg pitches AI glasses as a must-have, Stack Overflow finds developers use but don’t fully trust AI tools, and Google briefly exposed private ChatGPT chats to public search.

On the gadget front, Brilliant Labs’ $299 Halo AI Glasses promise private, long-term memory recall and real-time assistance—all processed locally for privacy.

Plus: scammers are targeting more states, Nintendo raises Switch prices, and OpenAI launches a step-by-step learning mode in ChatGPT.

Alright, and we’re off!

🤑 GIVEAWAY

If you haven't entered already, there’s still plenty of time to enter our BLUETTI giveaway. And if you have already entered, you can gain more entries by completing additional actions on the checklist. Click the button below for more details. The giveaway is running now through August 28th. Good luck!

📝 How-To

The 2-Tool Productivity Hack That Actually Works

Tired of downloading another productivity app that you'll forget about in a week? Same.

Instead of adding to your tool stack, let's strip it down. Here's how to dramatically boost your productivity using just 2 tools you already have on your phone.

Tool #1: Your Timer

Your time is gone once it's spent. That's why a simple timer becomes your best accountability partner.

Two ways to use it:

Beat procrastination with the 5-minute rule - Commit to just 5 minutes on that task you're avoiding. You'll often find yourself working way longer once you start.

Stay focused with timeboxing - Set a goal, start the timer, work with full attention. That dopamine hit when it goes off? Chef's kiss.

Pro tip: The Pomodoro Technique (25-minute work blocks) works great, but don't overthink it. Any timed focus session beats endless scrolling.

Tool #2: iPhone Notes

Best ideas hit at the worst times - in the shower, during a run, right before sleep. Capture them or lose them forever.

Keep your phone accessible everywhere. The Beatles didn't have iPhones, but they always had pen and paper ready. Same principle.

iPhone Notes isn't just basic text anymore:

• Rich formatting

• Checklists

• Document scanning

• Real-time collaboration

Use it for everything from meeting notes to random 3 am business ideas.

The Bottom Line

The fanciest productivity system means nothing if you don't actually use it. These two tools work because they're already in your pocket and take zero setup.

Your productivity system should serve you, not the other way around.

What's your current productivity setup? Hit reply and let me know - I'm always curious how people stay organized.

📩 Newsletters Worth Reading

tl;dr sec.
Join >90,000 security professionals getting the best tools, talks, and resources right in their inbox for free. [LINK]

Newsletter Operator
Learn how to grow and monetize your newsletter. Trusted by 50,000+ founders, CEOs, and creators. [LINK]

Status
Scoops and insights on the media and tech industries, hitting inboxes six days a week [LINK]

 📚 Tech Terms Worth Knowing

Ferrite Bead
(noun)

Definition: A small, cylindrical component—usually black—found on electronic cables. Made from magnetic ceramic (ferrite) material, its primary purpose is to suppress electromagnetic interference (EMI) by acting as a low-pass filter

Function:

• Prevents electronic devices from interfering with each other.

• Protects sensitive equipment from external radio frequency noise.

• Commonly seen on computer cables, power adapters, and high-speed data lines.

Usage: "The chunky black cylinder on your laptop charger is a ferrite bead, quietly fending off electromagnetic chaos."

📰 The Big One

Apple is building the ChatGPT rival it swore it didn’t want

Apple has quietly established a new internal team to develop its own artificial intelligence search engine that could directly compete with ChatGPT, marking a departure from its previous reluctance to build in-house chatbot technology.

Full rundown:

• A new internal team called “Answers, Knowledge, and Information” is leading Apple’s project to build a cloud-powered AI answer engine, reportedly hiring aggressively in both Silicon Valley and Beijing.

• Former Siri chief Robby Walker is heading the initiative, aiming to move Apple beyond its tarnished reputation for sluggish Siri updates and lackluster AI performance.

• The strategy shift coincides with growing challenges to Apple’s $20 billion Google search deal and industry-wide demand for smarter, real-time, web-crawling AI in products like Siri, Spotlight, and Safari.

Why it matters: If Apple cracks the code and delivers real-time, reliable answers without betraying its promise of privacy, it could spark the biggest shift in how we search, learn, and make decisions since the iPhone itself. But that’s a massive “if.” [LINK]

⚡ Fast Five

1.) Meta CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, warns people without AI glasses will face "cognitive disadvantage"
Mark Zuckerberg claims users without AI-powered eyewear will be at a significant disadvantage. In other words, he’s asking you to buy his company’s smart glasses. [LINK]

2.) Stack Overflow survey finds growing use of and distrust in AI tools
Stack Overflow's survey shows 84% of developers use AI tools, yet distrust jumped from 31% to 46% in one year. [LINK]

3.) Google indexes thousands of private ChatGPT conversations
Google made private chats publicly searchable. I repeat, GOOGLE MADE PRIVATE CHATS PUBLICLY SEARCHABLE [LINK]

4.) Google backtracks on plan to shut down all goo.gl links
Google will keep active goo.gl links but delete inactive ones after nine months of warnings. [LINK].

5.) Anthropic cuts off OpenAI's Claude access over GPT-5 benchmarking claims
Anthropic has cut off OpenAI’s access to the Claude API after claims that OpenAI used Claude to benchmark its systems before the launch of GPT-5. [LINK]

PARTNER MESSAGE

Better inputs. Sharper outputs. Download the guide to premium AI.

Building or refining generative AI models? This guide shows why scraped data falls short—and what to use instead. Learn how real-world behavior signals, clustering, semantic scoring, and visual diversity improve output. Plus, see how Shutterstock’s licensed data and services reduce risk and boost performance. Train smarter, faster, and more responsibly.

Download the guide

💾 Extra Bytes

Scammers increasingly target these 5 states with fake local calls [LINK]

Americans rank near the bottom in AI politeness, reports study [LINK]

IRS pulls plug on free tax filing program after just two years [LINK]

Reddit Answers is gunning for Google’s crown—will it succeed? [LINK]

Nintendo raises Switch prices after new tariffs—here’s what you’ll pay [LINK]

Epic scores another win as court slams Google’s app store monopoly [LINK]

How Trump’s trade war is still messing with your next iPhone [LINK]

Anthropic overtakes OpenAI as best AI provider for businesses [LINK]

TikTok launches Footnotes to let users add context to videos [LINK]

Trump and big tech want to fix your medical records [LINK]

OpenAI launches Study Mode in ChatGPT for step-by-step learning [LINK]

📱 Gear of the Week

Brilliant Labs Halo AI Glasses

Singapore-based startup Brilliant Labs has unveiled its second-generation smart glasses called Halo, priced competitively at $299 and aimed at bringing AI-powered memory assistance to everyday eyewear.

The lightweight glasses, weighing just over 40 grams, feature the company's new Narrative system that can remember names of people you meet and recall conversations "years or even decades later."

What’s cool:

• The lightweight glasses (40g) can remember names and conversations for decades, converting all sensory data into irreversible mathematical representations for privacy.

• Powered by an advanced AI chip, Halo includes a microOLED display, bone conduction speakers, and 14-hour battery life—triple that of Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses.

• All data is processed locally, never sent to the cloud, and users have full control with instant voice commands.

• The glasses are fully programmable and open source, encouraging customization by developers and hobbyists.

The bottom line: 

For most people, this means you get the combined power of an AI assistant and a personal, long-term memory boost on your face, without sacrificing privacy or breaking the bank.

⚙️ Moron of the Week

This week’s moron(s) of the week goes to the jerk at OpenAI who thought this was actually a great idea and something its users actually wanted [LINK]

OpenAI pulls ChatGPT feature that let user chats appear in Google Search results

The word "yikes" was made for situations just like this.

mashable.com/article/chatgpt-chats-google-search-results?utm_source=mail.knowtechie.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=the-weekly-download-96-apple-s-ai-plans-leaked-and-they-re-huge

⚙️ Tools

Gemini Deep Think: Google’s top math-solving model, winner of an international competition, is now in the Gemini App for Ultra subscribers. [LINK].

AlphaEarth Foundations: Google’s AI model for on-demand maps [LINK]

Meka Agent: An open-source, autonomous computer-using agent that delivers state-of-the-art browsing capabilities. [LINK]

Text Expander: A typing productivity tool that makes it easier to store, organize, access, and share a library of your most commonly used phrases anywhere you type. [LINK]

Thanks for reading!

Alright! Thanks for getting all the way to the end. Until next week…….

-Kevin

📌 Partner Disclaimer: We may earn a commission if you purchase something through our links or sign up for any services. This is one way we support The Weekly Download