#9 The Weekend Download – Catching Up on What Matters

Essential insights you need to stay ahead

📩 Issue #9 – 19/04/2025

⚡ Quick Hits – What You Need to Know

🧠 OpenAI may be building a social network
The AI giant is reportedly working on a rival to X, signaling a future where AI and social media are increasingly intertwined.
🔗 Read More (The Verge)

🚦 Crosswalk buttons now sound like Elon and Zuck
Silicon Valley pranksters hacked pedestrian signals to mimic tech titans’ voices.
🔗 Read More (TechCrunch)

🔥 Top Insights

🧩 Social media is getting better by falling apart
As big platforms decline, smaller and slower networks are quietly making things more human.
🔗 Read More (The New Yorker)

💸 Young people are earning $36K/year renting out their stuff
From t-shirts to speakers, the rental economy is booming for Gen Z.
🔗 Read More (Wired)

🧱 Lego minifigs are fueling a black market
Rare characters are being sold for thousands—and even stolen.
🔗 Read More (NYT)

🔊 The crunchier the better
The sound of your snack is now a key part of taste—and marketing.
🔗 Read More (Fast Company)

📊 Numbers to Watch

🎟️ Coachella doubles down on payment plans
High ticket prices have made financing a festival ticket the new norm.
🔗 Read More (Billboard)

🛍️ Trader Joe’s tote bags become resale gold
People are flipping $3 canvas bags for $70 online.
🔗 Read More (NYT)

💡 Something to Think About

🚫📱 Tech-free luxury homes are trending
In a surprising shift, some buyers are paying a premium for homes with no smart devices.
🔗 Read More (Hollywood Reporter)

🧭 Antarctica tourism is booming—and raising alarms
As more travelers cruise from Argentina to the icy continent, scientists worry about the fragile ecosystem and rising human footprint.
🔗 Read More (NYT)

🌀 Offbeat & Unexpected

✍️ Passengers are leaving handwritten notes in Waymo robotaxis
From job ads to dating pitches, riders are using self-driving cabs as analog message boards—and it’s actually working.
🔗 Read More (Washington Post)

🛌 Marriott and Goop launch luxury sleep retreats
Sleep tourism is going mainstream, with high-end packages designed to optimize rest and recovery.
🔗 Read More (Hotel Dive)

🌊 The return of seasteading
Libertarian dreamers are once again chasing utopia on the open ocean, despite past failures.
🔗 Read More (NYT Magazine)