The Leaderboard

That subject line wasn’t a mistake, but points to you if you remember that HBO intern. We’re talking about smarter A/B testing in today’s Product Highlight.

But first, some good news.

• Google Maps is getting AI-driven updates. Your move, TikTok.
• UO is selling “vintage” iPods. 🤷‍♀️Needs the “When We Were Young” playlist.
• Boston Dynamics turned Spot into a guide with ChatGPT. Alfred in the next Batman?

We mentioned we had good news today, and if you’re a maker, you’re going to want to read this.

• Product Hunt 😸 lets you add Product Stories to your launch pages.
• Shutterstock is letting you use AI on its photos. Artists will still get paid 😅.
• Google launched image fact-checking. It be like, “So ya... ‘about this image.'"
• Grammarly’s new generative AI feature learns your style. But will it catch that my Gen Z lingo is cringe?

I love spending my morning learning about inventions that weren’t on my radar, like AI-powered canes. Join me…

• TIME’s 200 Best Inventions of 2023 list is here.
• Motorola has a new phone concept. I’m calling it The Slap Bracelet Phone.
• Qualcomm's new chip may outperform Apple and Intel. First one to run Stable Diffusion in a second wins!

We’re heads down this week preparing for our own good news. Make sure to check in on Thursday.

• MINI launched an e-Bike. Why is there not one with Union Jack?
• Apple announced a new event called “Scary Fast.” 🏃📅 Calendar marked!
• Bitcoin hit $35,000 for the first time since 2022. But did you buy the dip?
• Automattic (behind WordPress, Tumblr, etc.) is going into messaging. Sounds like its acquisition of Texts is just the start.

Hope your weekend was great. I can't help but wonder what the people at Wikipedia were thinking this weekend while considering this indecent proposal. 🤔

But here's some better/actual good news.

• Google vs Duolingo is on. But does the tutoring tool have a sassy bird mascot?
• Tinder lets friends view profiles. Can’t ship a partner without early feedback.
• Apple’s Generative AI plan will get here, eventually…

Happy Friday! Today's good news does not disappoint. Perfect for weekend chatter.

• Amazon launched humanoid robots. “Digit” is too cute. And also terrifying.
• Open AI made a ChatGPT guide for Teachers. Teachers get everything but 💰.
• Air taxis are coming to LA & NYC via Delta... But for premium customers first.
• WhatsApp will let you log into two accounts at once. Hooray for those managing work accounts!

Today’s product highlight is a fun one, but first, here’s some good news.

• Canva now natively supports Lottie. We love to see it!
• YouTube launched a hub for authoritative news. A blow to the rabbit hole?
• ChatGPT can officially browse the internet (again). Bad news for those sneaking past gated content. 😉

Apple’s new launch is our top read for today, but to be real, it’s more mixed news than “good news.”

• Apple announced a new Apple Pencil. Good: Affordability. Bad: The rest.
• You can embed Snapchat content now. Ephemeral content had its moment.
• AI funding reached $17.9 billion. 🚧 The way everyone’s working “AI” into their products right now.
• Skip to Stripe's news.

Our eyes are bleeding from all the heady reading this morning, but in a good way.

• Marc Andreessen posted a "Techno-Optimist Manifesto." TechTwitter is split 🍿
• The Information’s 50 Most Promising Startups is here. 🚧 We 👀 beehiiv!
• Spotify launched a merch hub. K, but I want a shirt with my Year In Review persona (i.e. “Genre Fluid”).

Apparently, it's national Boss’s Day in the U.S. Good news: If the 1.541 million people employed by Amazon each pitch in $324, they can buy Jeff Bezos a yacht as nice as his current one. 🤭

• Ferrari is accepting crypto. Fashionably late and brazenly bullish.
• AI read an ancient scroll. Sign up for our AI newsletter to see what AI does next.
• Microsoft acquired Activision Blizzard for real. Gamers in the EEA get a free license to stream via "any cloud game streaming service of their choice.”