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Happy Wednesday, Future Party. It’s the end of an era not because Taylor Swift is set to release a new album, but because AOL is about to sunset its iconic dial-up internet service. We don’t blame you if you didn’t realize AOL was still doing dial-up — the number of subscribers is apparently in the thousands — but don’t be surprised if millennials all around America pour one out in remembrance of this classic sound.

AI firm Perplexity has made an unsolicited $34.5 billion offer to buy Google Chrome — the world’s most popular internet browser.

The Big Bet: Following Google’s guilty verdict for monopolizing the web-search market, US District Judge Amit Mehta is weighing whether to force the tech giant to sell Chrome as part of the remedy. While many analysts doubt Mehta will go that far, plenty of interested buyers are circling — including Perplexity rival OpenAI. But with Perplexity’s formal offer already on the table, Mehta could see an opportunity to greenlight a sale, knowing there’s cash ready to change hands.

Behind The Offer: Perplexity’s offer for Chrome is nearly double the value of the AI firm — $18 billion after its latest fundraise.

The Future: With 3.5 billion users and commanding 68% of the global web-browser market, Chrome’s estimated value sits between $20 and $50 billion… so Perplexity’s offer splits the difference. The only problem is that Google really doesn’t want to sell the browser and has already made it clear that it plans to appeal Mehta’s ruling.

Not that Perplexity cares. The startup, run by Google alum Aravind Srinivas, seems to believe that AI-search dominance will be supercharged by controlling a popular browser — the conduit through which chatbots curate their answers. It’s a little like EV-makers owning the lithium mines that power their batteries. That’s why Perplexity recently launched its own browser, Comet.

Prediction: If Perplexity’s gambit fails, the tables could turn — with Google potentially eyeing the AI upstart for acquisition instead. Either way, the battle lines for the future of search are drawn.

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Video-game cheating has ballooned into a nearly $100 million industry, drawing millions of paying gamers, putting developers and governments on high alert, and creating cybersecurity risks far beyond the gaming world.

The Big Picture: While cheat codes have been around for decades, competitive gaming is hotter than ever, so many people are looking for a leg up… and will pay good money for it. Researchers from the University of Birmingham estimate that between 30,000 to 174,000 gamers in North America and Europe pay for cheat codes every month.

Behind The Cheat Codes: Earlier this year, EA’s head of game security, Elise Murphy, announced that the company’s Jevelin anti-cheat system has blocked over 33 million cheating attempts since 2022.

That number will likely skyrocket.

Last Level: For the most part, there’s nothing illegal about the cheat marketplace (though China and South Korea have banned it) — but cheats violate most games’ codes of conduct, leading to player bans and lawsuits. No developer wants a game’s experience ruined for the majority of players by cheaters.

So, developers are spending big to combat rogue code. Ironically, that’s made playing certain games a great way to protect devices from other viruses. For example, researchers found that “your laptop’s probably never as safe as when you are playing Fortnite; anti-cheat protection will actually keep you safe from a whole range of malware that normal antivirus will miss.” Nifty.

Next Up: As cheat developers create code that taps into a computer’s kernel — the core of its operating system — the next big software bug could easily start with someone just trying to get an edge in Call of Duty.

Starting in our 30s, some key cellular processes begin to slow down, making us feel tired and weak over time.

This decline affects not only our physical strength and endurance but also reduces our quality of life, making everyday activities harder to enjoy.

Luckily, scientists have discovered a way to shape how we age.

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The results?

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61.6% of you voted Yes in yesterday’s poll: Would you move to another city for better job prospects?

“But only IF I had a job first.”

“I’ve done this twice in my life so far. Once in 2012 from a small town in Texas to San Antonio and then again in 2024 to Austin. It’s definitely worth it, and I’d do it again.”

“Uprooting your life isn’t always as simple as chasing a new opportunity. When you’ve built deep roots, family nearby, a home you’ve made your own, and friendships that anchor you, the idea of starting over can feel daunting. The world can be a lonely place when you’re beginning again, and sometimes, a job alone isn’t enough to fill that void.”

Let’s keep the conversation going. Join our Poll Of The Day newsletter, so your opinions can shine. Discover how your views line up with your peers’, check out cool insights, and have some fun. It’s data with personality.

🥊 UFC head Dana White confirmed that a fight will take place at the White House next July 4th.

👔 Netflix’s head of consumer products, Josh Simon, has left to become CEO of Funko.

📺 Live TV streamer Sling TV is offering day passes to its service for $4.99.

🏛️ TerraUSD founder Do Kwon, who was behind a crypto crash that lost investors $40 billion, pleaded guilty to fraud.

🤖 As Meta pays big bucks to poach AI engineers, Microsoft has a strategy to poach them from Meta.

👩‍💻 Google is rolling out a feature that lets users set preferred sources to appear in Search results.

✈️ Budget mayday: Spirit Airlines warned that it may not have enough cash to keep flying another year.

🎞️ Iconic film brand Kodak warned the SEC that it may be unable to pay off its debt within a year, sending its stock tumbling 26%.

🎫 StubHub is looking to relist itself… on the public markets, that is.