Idol Chat

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Happy Friday, Future Party. It’s officially the end of an era — AOL has finally pulled the plug on its dial-up internet service. If you’re of a certain age (over 30), you probably remember the soothing sound of feeding scrap metal into a paper shredder every time you connected to the internet. Amazingly, 163,401 Americans were still using dial-up as of 2023 — mostly folks in remote areas with no access to broadband. Some things never totally lose their utility.

Correction: In yesterday’s CEO headline, we accidentally mixed up our “One” and “Two.” Maybe we were just testing you… shoutout to all our eagle-eyed readers.

New apps are allowing artists and their fans — primarily in the K-pop genre — to message each other… for a price, of course.

Why It Hits: K-pop reigns supreme when it comes to fostering parasocial relationships between artists and fans, per THR. There are already plenty of costly ways for that interaction to happen — from “fansigns” to online fan calls — but low-cost messaging services could further democratize the process, building an endless, direct feedback loop that might even shape the music itself.

Behind The Messages: Communicating with K-pop “Idols,” as they’re known, could soon become as commonplace as texting a friend.

Spell Check: These platforms are racking up serious engagement. Weverse claims its app has over 150 million downloads, with 90% of the traffic originating from outside South Korea. That demonstrates both the global popularity of K-pop and the shift toward messaging as the new trendy tool for communication — reflected in Gen Z’s latest preference for hitting up the group chat over firing off a post on X.

Next Text: It’s only a matter of time before non-K-pop artists try something similar to unlock a new revenue stream.

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Cognixion, a California-based brain–computer interface (BCI) startup, is launching a clinical trial with ten participants to test a system that enables paralyzed patients with speech disorders to communicate using modified Vision Pros.

The Big Picture: Most BCI startups — like Neuralink and Synchron — focus on implants that connect directly to the brain. While effective, those approaches are invasive and risky. Cognixion’s noninvasive system, which combines AI with consumer tech, could make BCI far more scalable and accessible.

Behind The Headset: Thanks to Cognixion, Professor X’s Cerebro is closer to becoming a reality.

The Future: Cognixion has already tested the tech on its own headset, the Axon-R, which “enabled participants to ‘speak’ through the headset at a rate approaching normal conversation speed,” according to Wired. Now, the company wants to leverage the Vision Pro — made possible by a new Apple protocol — because, well, everything someone needs for communication is already built into the OS.

Prediction: With Apple shifting its focus to AI glasses rather than new Vision Pro iterations, Cognixion may need to make its system portable across a range of smart headsets and glasses — which, if achieved, could truly revolutionize the BCI industry.

60% of you voted Yes in yesterday’s poll: Do you currently have a hobby you practice regularly?

“I rock climb with a group of friends 3 times a week. The community is unmatched, and we all get dinner together!”

“Line dancing. Great exercise, and it shakes my brain up, which actually makes me more productive.”

“Reading is always a fun hobby, and I tried crochet and knitting for a while, but my patience isn’t strong enough for that.”

“I was more hobby-like during the pandemic.”

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.

💰 OpenAI is now valued at $500 billion, making it the largest privately-held company in the world.

💻 Perplexity is making its $200/month AI browser, Comet, free to everyone… allegedly to combat “AI slop.”

🤖 Mira Murati’s Thinking Machines has released its first product — a tool that finetunes open-source AI systems.

🥕 Amazon is launching a private-label grocery brand with items that mostly cost under $5.

👕 Armani has approached several fashion and beauty conglomerates about a possible stake sale.

🧢 Billie Eilish is collabing with Complex, Fanatics, and Mitchell & Ness on a line of NBA-branded snapback hats.

📱 Instagram is testing a version of its app in India that makes Reels and DMs the front-and-center feeds.

👀 Threads is launching its own “Communities” feature to compete with X.

🎮 Discord is launching a new ad product that enables brands to sponsor games and rewards users for playing them.