A Piranha Swims Up My Pants -- Now What?

Et tu, Biden? TikTok, it turns out, has been betrayed by one of its own. It was just 10 weeks after U. S. President Joe Biden joined TikTok’s over 150 million American users that he on April 24 signed a law that bans the popular streaming app unless Beijing-based parent ByteDance divests.

SAN FRANCISCO — If you use Facebook, WhatsApp or Instagram, you’ve probably noticed a new character pop up answering search queries or eagerly offering tidbits of information in your feeds, with varying degrees of accuracy. It’s Meta AI, and it’s here to help, at least according to Meta Platforms’ CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who calls it “the most intelligent AI assistant that you can freely use.” [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] The chatbot can recommend local restaurants, offer more information on something you see in a Facebook post, search for airline flights or generate images in the blink of an eye.

If the airline industry were a country, it would be among the top 10 greenhouse-gas emitters. To accelerate a paradigm shift beyond petroleum-based jet fuel, United Airlines last year launched the industry’s first-of its-kind investment fund dedicated to supporting startups focused on the production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). If researchers can figure out how to use alternative fuel feedstocks efficiently, SAF could work in existing planes, so the industry is embracing it as the fastest path to decarbonization.

We still don’t have flying cars or teleportation, but Waymo is making sci-fi fantasies a reality with its growing fleet of driverless taxis. The company doubled its operating zone in Phoenix in 2023, creating what it claims is the world’s largest fully autonomous service area. In 2024, it expanded beyond Phoenix and San Francisco to the metropolis maybe most associated with driving: Los Angeles.

High fashion has long been dominated by European conglomerates: LVMH, Kering, Richemont. With a major acquisition in August 2023, Tapestry set itself up to be the U. S.’s first real contender in the space. Home to Coach, Kate Spade New York, and Stuart Weitzman, it bought Capri Holdings, bringing in powerhouse brands Versace, Jimmy Choo, and Michael Kors.

With its virtual pinboards providing inspiration for cooking, fashion, home renovations, and other projects, Pinterest has become a refuge from rage-baiting social media cesspools. Young people and the brands trying to reach them have taken notice. The “visual search and discovery” platform now boasts over half a billion monthly users, 42% of whom are Gen Z, the company’s fastest-growing demographic.