Shaker Blue, as we're all aware, is a rindless, blue, raw sheep's milk cheese made by the Old Chatham Sheepherding Company in New York state. It's got a moist, creamy, and semi-firm texture with a lingering flavor...just like this newsletter. Meanwhile the stock market shook off Nvidia's somewhat meh earnings yesterday with all the enthusiasm of a Taylor Swift fan at a pep rally. The Dow was sharply up by close of play, and the S&P 500 was flat, coming as a relief for many who are anxious about an AI bubble. That said, Nvidia itself lost about $100 billion in market value, having only more than doubled its year-on-year sales, in a disappointment to some analysts. It reminds me of when I used to get straight As on my report cards, and my parents would ask me what else I'd done to deserve their love that year. Kidding. They wouldn't ask me that. They'd just imply it with their eyes, and that is one of the many reasons why I became an alcoholic. The good news is that traders have mainly bet that volatility will be lower from now than they've expected over the last few weeks, suggesting back-to-school season could be a tad calmer than our Xanax-infused summer on the markets. One day at a time, eh? The cheddlines today: If Barbie is so popular, why do you have to buy her friends? —Matt Davis, Need2Know Chedditor P.S. we've got video of Chick-Fil-A's robot delivery system on our insta! |
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"We love to go for the big air. Another thing I'm known for is huge backflips." — Colt Stephens. |
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1. How Generative AI Can Help Students Learn (And Cheat) |
Contrary to popular belief, generative AI isn't just the best cheating tool ever for school students. Apparently, it can also help them learn. That's why educational publisher McGraw Hill is offering two new generative AI tools that provide personalized learning experiences for students and help educators more effectively support students. We spoke with CEO Simon Allen about the move.
AI Reader, a new feature available within multiple titles on McGraw Hill's eBook platform, helps students develop a deeper understanding of their course materials with in-the-moment engagement and interactive support as they read. Writing Assistant is a tool for grades 6–12 that provides real-time feedback and guidance to students during assignments. For example, as I wrote that paragraph, it might have said, "this sounds really boring, Matt, try making it sound more interesting." You know?
The new tools are the company's first generative AI tools to be introduced in its products, although its math and chemistry instruction has leveraged AI for 25 years.
"What we must do is make students feel that they are engaged in everything they learn," Simon said. If AI tools are taught in the right way, "they are helping students get smarter," he said.
Also it's brilliant when you tell Chat GPT: "Write a college essay with quotes from the play about the characterization of Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire. Make it really complicated and 2,000 words long, and throw in references to postmodern theory and feminist theory."
"Initially, Williams paints Blanche with the strokes of a quintessential Southern Belle – embodying fragility and an ostensible dependence on the magnanimity of strangers. This is epitomized in her line, 'I have always depended on the kindness of strangers' (Williams, Scene XI), which, while reinforcing her supposed delicacy, also introduces a postmodern critique of identity as a construct."
Give me an 'A' already, AI! Read More |
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2. 'Real Housewives' Alumna Bethenny Frankel Talks Sober Curious Trends and Rosé |
Some of us need to sober up, it seems. So it's a great coincidence that former Real Housewife of New York/CEO/podcaster Bethenny Frankel just launched a new rosé wine and a nonalcoholic cocktail line. We caught up with her to talk about the world of sober curiosity.
"Mocktails are like online dating," she said. "They used to be sort of archaic, and you didn't understand them. And now they're very commonplace."
Swipe right! On the mocktail side, she's launched one called a Mingle, and another called Skinnygirl. The first is for mixing; the other is ready-to-drink — and they're selling out at Target. There's also a cucumber melon mojito. When it comes to alcohol, she's launched a Forever Young rosé named after the song that used to play at the end of the night when she worked as a cocktail waitress.
"It's a delicious, elevated, gorgeous wine that is biodynamic, so it's like the next level of organic," she said. "It's very conscientious and thoughtful. It's really something I'm proud of. It's delicious."
She'll also be launching a Sauvignon Blanc later this year. Bravo! Watch Now |
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| Talk about fast food! 🚗🍗
Watch Chick-fil-A's conveyor belt deliver take out straight from the kitchen to the drive-thru! |
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3. Life in Plastic, Not So Fantastic: Barbie Flip Phone With No Internet Launches |
My dentist mate Ron was in a club recently, and a young woman showed him a digital camera from the 2010s. "This is what people used to take pictures with," she told him. Since he was trying to appear somewhat similar in age, he didn't respond that he was developing black and white film in darkrooms 20 years before that. But it seems there's a definite trend to go backwards rather than forwards when it comes to phone photography. Nostalgia trumps camera resolution every time.
On that note, phone-maker HMD has unveiled a new Barbie-branded mobile phone, notable for its lack of internet connectivity. Sporting a vibrant, hot-pink color, the flip phone features a bold Barbie logo on the back. It also includes a 0.3-megapixel (that's, like, really bad) camera with a flash torch, offering Y2K-style photography. Users can personalize their photos with a Barbie-themed camera frame. The phone comes with a hot-pink Barbie cover, two interchangeable back covers with unique designs, Barbie-themed stickers, and a pastel-beaded phone strap. It's priced at around $130 and just launched in the U.K. with plans for a U.S. rollout in the works.
The idea taps into the rising trend of "dumb phones" and digital detox, appealing mainly to Gen Z consumers looking to reduce their online presence and minimize the impact of social media on their lives. Analysts predict promising sales, estimating around 400,000 units to be sold in Britain within a year. That's an awful lot of dumb phones, people. Watch Now |
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You Need 2 Know About This Box!
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Meet the Sunset Box, a quarterly subscription service sending home, wellness, and travel goodies straight to your doorstep, curated by editors at mag Sunset, the Western-lifestyle magazine that just so happens to be a sister company of ours. Since you clearly have good taste (you're an N2K subscriber, after all), we think you'll love this box. Use code CHEDDAR15 for 15% off your subscription. |
Note: Sadly does not contain any cheese. |
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4. We Interviewed a Monster Truck Driver |
Two-time Monster Jam World Champion Colt Stephens, a second-generation monster truck driver with the name to match, gave us an exclusive look inside his 11-foot-tall truck.
"You see how big they are on the outside, but when we get to the inside, they get a little tight because we have a lot of stuff actually going on," he said. "I drive with both feet, both hands. We don't have a speedometer."
"I sit right in the center of this truck. It helps me with my view," he said. "I can see straight ahead, and I can see down through the floorboard just a little bit on both sides where I can see the tire. So that helps me with my visibility. What's crazy about a monster truck is I can only see about 15 feet in front of me, so I'm constantly moving my eyes, trying to watch above the fender and below the fender to see exactly where these 66-inch-tall tires are."
In other words, it's not a sport renowned for subtlety. But subtlety is overrated, as we all know.
"We love to go for the big air," he said. "Another thing I'm known for is huge backflips."
I think Colt Stephens is cooler than me :((((((( Read More |
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5. Burger King's Arch-Nemesis? McDonald's Launches the Big Arch Burger |
Something my cardiologist often says after telling me how well I'm doing on lowering my cholesterol is, "that doesn't mean you can go out and eat cheeseburgers." Which I take as him saying, "that means you can go out and eat cheeseburgers." Because I don't know if you're aware of this, but cardiologists speak a secret opposite language where the advice they give you is delivered with a knowing wink.
Meanwhile actor John Amos still stands in my memory as one of the best comic performances of all time as Cleo McDowell in Eddie Murphy's Coming to America. "They've got the golden arches, mine is the golden arcs," he says. "They've got the Big Mac, I've got the Big Mick." Now, Cleo McDowell has a new burger to copy!
That's right. After a tantalizing eight-month tease, McDonald's is finally dishing out its promised behemoth of a burger. Dubbed the "Big Arch," this towering creation is making its grand debut in select markets across the globe, including Canada and Portugal.
(Googles flights).
McDonald's previewed the burger in December 2023 during their annual investor rendezvous. They promised a more substantial addition to their menu aimed at quelling the hunger of those craving a meatier, more gratifying feast that wouldn't break the bank.
The sandwich is a monument to indulgence. It includes not one, but two quarter-pound beef patties. They're smothered in a trio of melty white processed cheese, topped with golden crispy onions, tangy pickles, fresh lettuce, and slathered in zesty Big Arch sauce. I think I could eat four, which is the number of stents I may also need to get fitted in my arteries as a reward. But life is for living. Read More |
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