PARTNERSHIPS | COMMUNITY | PODCAST | FRIENDS
Happy Tuesday, Future Party. Today, we have two very different flying stories — one about air taxis taking people to the next Lakers game and another about carrier pigeons taking your texts to friends. Two trips, two very different speeds. So, sit back, relax, and scroll on.
DAILY TOP TRENDS
YouTube – The Gentlemen
X
(Twitter)– Mike SchurGoogle – Kit Harrington
Reddit – Will Forte
Letterboxd – Insidious: Out of the Further
Spotify – “Say Yes”
Air Taxis Are Coming To LA
Courtesy of Archer Aviation
Event giant AEG and eVTOL startup Archer Aviation announced that they’re building LA’s first “vertiport” — a vertical takeoff and landing hub for electric air taxis.
Why It Flies: On-demand taxis are officially coming to the skies. After numerous tests, Archer Aviation, Joby Aviation, and Wisk Aero are all set to roll out services in the near future. Now, a battle is taking flight to see whether LA or NYC will get the first public route in the US.
Between The Trips: Soon, you may be going to a concert via air taxi.
AEG and Archer’s new exclusive, multi-year partnership will create a vertiport at the sports and entertainment district LA Live.
That would make venues like the Crypto.com Arena (where the Lakers play), the Peacock Theater, a Regal multiplex, the Grammy Museum, and plenty of restaurants and bars accessible via the sky.
Archer would use its Midnight air taxis for the trips, which shuttle up to four passengers across LA in 10 to 20 minutes at speeds of up to 150 mph.
The companies haven’t given a timeline for when the service will officially launch, but most of their studies in the area have already been completed.
Final Route: The city of LA and Archer already have some big plans. The air taxi startup is planning a network that would connect hotspots like SoFi Stadium, USC, LAX, Hollywood Burbank Airport, and locations in Santa Monica and Orange County, according to THR.
Additionally, LA has named the company the exclusive air taxi partner of the LA Olympics. Coincidentally, 18 competitions during the event will take place in Downtown LA, making LA Live the perfect hub for traveling spectators.
The Future: Prepare for AEG to add air taxi service to its highest tier of concert or sports tickets. Now, that would be a flex.
Together with BetterHelp
Online Therapy That Takes Insurance
BetterHelp is now in-network with 125+ major insurance plans for online therapy, giving eligible members more ways to access mental health care for $23/session.
Do You Want Your Text To Send Slower?
Aaaaaaaaaannnnnddd SENT // Illustration by Kate Walker
Some young people are turning to apps that make sending text messages harder and slower.
Why It Hits: The slow-tech movement is taking off with Gen Z as people try to disconnect from their devices and the frictionless ease of doing everything digitally. Slowing down messages doesn’t just take away the instant gratification of modern communication; it also forces people to be extra considerate about what they send — somehow, a text feels more special on a platform like this.
Between The Messages: The carrier pigeon may just be the spirit animal of 2026.
An app called Carrier Pidge lets users “send messages at the speed of pigeon,” per NYT. Users can track their digital pigeon as it delivers a message to wherever the recipient is located — which can take hours or even days.
Hilariously, 0.2% of the digital pigeons will “die” in transit, meaning their message won’t reach the recipient, and users will have to spend 99 cents to purchase a new one.
Another app, Roost, lets users choose from a range of animals — including pigeons, snails, turtles, and penguins — to deliver texts. How long the message takes to send corresponds with the animal.
The app also has a “pen pal” feature that allows users to connect with and send messages to strangers around the world.
Last Note: It’s surprising how much these platforms have blown up in recent weeks, with Carrier Pidge clocking 75,000 users and Roost raking in a whopping 650,000 downloads this month alone. Maybe a 2023 survey by Harris Poll and the Human Flourishing Lab at the Archbridge Institute sheds some light — 80% of Gen Z adults were “worried that their age group relied too heavily on technology.”
Sometimes, people just want to fight back against how easy things can be.
Prediction: Maybe slow texts will be the evolution of the group text — being included in someone’s slow-moving messages could become a badge of honor.
Together with Growth Curve
Growth Curve Gives You The Straight Story
Want to know how media brands actually turn attention into revenue? Growth Curve breaks down one real example every Thursday for 30,000+ smart readers.
Always smart. Always free.
DEEP DIVES
Read: NYT sits down with music legends Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine to discuss why they think AI can be a good tool for creatives.
Listen: Decoder chats with GoFundMe CEO Tim Cadogan about how the platform has become Americans’ modern social safety net.
Watch: Vox explores whether blue zones — places with an abundance of people living over 100 — are a real phenomenon or just a coincidence.
54.5% of you voted Yes in yesterday’s poll: Do you currently own any vintage tees?
“Rolling Stones tongue tee!”
“Managed to hold on to all my ’80s concert T-shirts.”
“The Sonic Youth shirt is all but unwearable now, but the Steely Dan and dead prez shirts are still in my rotation. And no, I didn’t get them at the same gig.”
“I had a tee for every concert I went to… Then my daughters found my stash when they were in their 20s. No more vintage tees were left. Not that they would fit me anymore.”
“Gave all of them away many years ago due to a lack of closet space. Don’t really miss them, since T-shirts aren’t the most flattering look once you get past a certain age.”
Let’s keep the conversation going. Join Poll Of The Day, 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.
QUICK HITS
→ Entertainment / Media
🎤 KATSEYE, the girl group formed through the Dream Academy competition, scored its first No. 1 album with Wild.
🎮 CAA debuted a new fund called Frame1Games to develop indie games.
🌪️ Bonnaroo is taking next year off to recover from this year’s extreme-weather challenges.
→ Technology
🤖 Hugging Face is fielding acquisition offers at a $13 billion valuation.
🖨️ Walmart is now 3D-printing massive commercial buildings.
🚗 Toyota may pass GM as the top auto company in the US — the first time that’s happened in 100 years.
→ Fashion / E-commerce
🏃♀️ Skims hired Kim Schraub — the former chief creative officer of Supreme — as its first-ever chief design officer.
💸 SHEIN is set to go public on September 1 at a potential $27 billion valuation.
🏀 Michael Jordan’s iconic 1998 NBA Finals Game 3 Jersey is heading to auction on Joopiter… and may sell for between $10 million and $15 million.
Let us know how we are doing...
PARTNERSHIPS | COMMUNITY | PODCAST | FRIENDS
Today’s email was written by David Vendrell.
Edited by Nick Comney. Polled and Copy-edited by Kait Cunniff.
Published by Darline Salazar.