I'll Be Slumped in the Corner |
Accasciato means "slumped" in Italian, and it's a soft, creamy cheese made by A Casa Madaio dairy farm in Cilento, Campania. Fresh cow's and buffalo's milk are coagulated, drained, and kept for maturation for 60 days, delivering a cheese with a sweet aroma and a firm texture, much like this newsletter. Meantime, how are you bearing up? Still pretending to work? It's exhausting, isn't it? Like, can we not just all call a truce and agree to get back to it on January 2? No? Slumped! —Matt Davis, Need2Know Chedditor P.S. Scientists have taught rats to drive miniature cars on our 'gram. |
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"A lot of people expect to have issues when they're hanging their holiday lights." — Angie Hicks |
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1. Is It a Bird? Is It a Plane? No, It's a Drone Selling Us Stuff! |
"There's been such a saturation of digital marketing over the past 20 years that a lot of agencies and brands are looking for uncluttered space," explained Jacob Stonecipher, CEO of Sustainable Skylines, which advertises using drones. "We're kind of the gold standard of uncluttered environments as we're flying in the sky."
Stonecipher's vision was born on a New Jersey beach, where he watched banner-towing airplanes fly by. He saw an opportunity to innovate and modernize. The company utilizes vertical takeoff drones to pull banners, eliminating 90% of the carbon emissions associated with traditional airplane advertising. These drones fly lower and slower, creating ads you can actually read without as much noise pollution. Stonecipher also highlighted the unique appeal of aerial advertising.
"It really just is an exciting form of advertising," he said. "It's just kind of that magic of flight." Unlike digital ads that people have been trained to ignore, aerial banners naturally draw attention and create a sense of wonder, he said.
Sustainable Skylines has received FAA approval and has already launched commercial flights along Miami Beach. The company plans to expand to other markets in Florida and eventually across the country and around the world. They're also definitely not responsible for the recent drone scares over New Jersey. Promise. Stonecipher envisions a future where drone advertising is not only sustainable but also data-driven and targeted. The company is developing audience measurement tools to provide advertisers with valuable insights into the effectiveness of their campaigns.
"A lot of media buyers prioritize investments into ad space that has some kind of audience measurement," Stonecipher explained. "So, what we're actually doing is bringing audience measurement to aerial today." Read More |
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2. Why Is Bitcoin Reaching New All-Time Highs? Let's Speculate! |
What's behind Bitcoin's impressive rally? Well, it's "the removal of a bunch of headwinds, a bunch of barriers that were actually suppressing the value of Bitcoin in the cryptocurrency market," said Bobby Zagota, U.S. CEO of Bitstamp.
He highlighted the approval of the Bitcoin ETF, the election outcome and the resulting regulatory clarity, and the increasing maturity of Bitcoin as an asset class as key factors driving the surge. "At this stage, particularly in the U.S., Bitcoin is a store of value," he said. "It's an alternative that is not completely correlated to the equity marketplace."
Crypto is also full of men. Why aren't there more women? "The industry has not created the right access points or bridges or information to really enable full participation there," he said. Read More |
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| Rats driving cars? Yep, you read that right! 🚗🐀
Scientists at the University of Richmond have successfully trained rats to drive tiny cars in exchange for Froot Loops.
The study reveals that this task not only enhances cognitive function but also helps reduce stress (wait, driving reduces stress?!?) and promotes positive emotions like optimism in the rats. Watch as these rodents navigate their tiny vehicles toward a rewarding treat. |
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3. Will This Billionaire Save TikTok? |
The clock is ticking on TikTok's future in the United States. With a potential ban looming, Frank McCourt, the founder of Project Liberty and former owner of the L.A. Dodgers (but not the late Irish-American memoirist), has stepped forward with a unique proposition: purchase TikTok and transform it into a platform that "empowers users to control their digital identities and data."
"It's time for an upgrade to the Internet where you and I own our identity, our data, our relationships," he said. McCourt's vision stems from his (correct) belief that the current internet is "broken," characterized by surveillance, data scraping, and algorithmic manipulation.
Project Liberty's bid for TikTok — for an undisclosed sum — aims to migrate the app's 170 million users to this new platform, offering a solution that benefits both national security concerns and user empowerment. McCourt emphasizes that Project Liberty's bid is unique because it comes with a ready-to-use tech stack, developed over five years, that can facilitate this transition. He acknowledges TikTok's potential value, estimating it to be around $20 billion, though the exact amount depends on what ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, is willing to sell it for.
How about $1? Or a large wheel of cheese? We could probably round up a couple of those, if ByteDance is interested.
Trump said he had a "soft spot in [his] heart for TikTok" yesterday after the app helped him get elected. So all bets are off. Read More |
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4. Christmas Lights: Hire a Pro or DIY It? |
As the holiday season approaches, many homeowners find themselves channeling their inner Clark Griswold from Chevy Chase's Christmas Vacation movie, wrestling with tangled lights and teetering on ladders. But according to Angie Hicks, founder of Angi, there's a smarter and safer way to illuminate your home for the holidays: just hire a pro.
"Two-thirds of homeowners planned to put up lights," she said, but many encounter unexpected hurdles. From faulty light strands and blown fuses to the risk of falls and injuries to simply not being good at it, DIY decorating can quickly dim the festive spirit. Hiring a professional can alleviate these headaches and ensure a safe and stress-free experience. Hicks explained the cost can vary depending on the scope of the project.
"If you're hiring a handyman to come in and just hang lights that you already have, you might be able to do that for, you know, a couple hundred dollars," she said. "If you're looking for a company to come in and bring the light, supply the lights, store the lights, install them, take them down, it could be $1,000 to do a project."
Beyond the convenience and safety, professionals can also help with the often-dreaded task of taking down the decorations after the holidays.
"A lot of people just don't take their holiday lights down," Hicks observed. "And by hiring a pro, a lot of times they'll include both installation and take-down in their price."
Hicks also offered advice on the ideal timing for holiday decorating, suggesting that early November, before the weather turns cold, is the best time to get started. Oops. If you'd like to Venmo me a thousand bucks, I'll be round straight away to put up your Christmas lights. Alternatively, you can find a professional to do it, amazingly, through Angie Hicks's website. Read More |
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5. A Very Carpool Christmas Comes to Apple TV+ |
The holiday season just got even brighter with the announcement of Apple TV+'s latest special, "A Carpool Karaoke Christmas."
This year, the spirits of fans worldwide will be lifted, ever so slightly, by the joyous tunes and festive vibes of this much-anticipated special, now streaming on both Apple TV+ and Apple Music.
Lady Gaga, Dua Lipa, and Chappell Roan will join forces with Apple Music's Zane Lowe for the episode. Stepping into the driver's seat traditionally occupied by James Corden, Lowe said it's the most fun he's ever had in a car. Poor chap.
From timeless classics like "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and Wham!'s "Last Christmas" to chart-toppers including Lady Gaga's "Die With a Smile," Dua Lipa's "Houdini," and Chappell Roan's "Good Luck, Babe!"—the soundtrack of this special is at least 50% interesting, according to an AI we consulted.
Additionally, as a festive treat, Zane and Gaga (Lowe and Lady?) unveiled a special rendition of "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" on Apple Music and across all major music platforms. Amen. Read More |
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