Remote-Control Uber

PRESENTED BY GETHOOKD

It’s Tuesday, Future Party. Yesterday, iconic fashion designer Valentino Garavani died at 93 years old. Arguably one of the most powerful and lauded figures in fashion for decades, Valentino’s influence was felt across Hollywood, Washington, and Paris. He even disrupted the idea of monochrome dressing by introducing the striking “Valentino Red.” You know a fashion legacy is cemented when everyone can instantly recognize your signature color.

A Berlin-based startup called Vay is rolling out a car-rental service that delivers the car to you… without a driver.

Why It Hits: The ways consumers can now get from point A to point B have multiplied thanks to rideshare services and autonomous driving startups. But none have quite disrupted car rentals. Vay hopes to change that by ruling the market for micro-trips.

Between The Lanes: For those who need a car for an afternoon — not just a ride — Vay may be the best option.

Last Turn: The 200-person Vay has already raised $200 million — a pretty remarkable feat for a company that currently operates only in Berlin and Hamburg, Germany, and Las Vegas, Nevada. It has allegedly completed 35,000 trips and relies on the competency of remote drivers operating cars from miles away. Those drivers use four onboard cameras (no fancy sensors), can’t exceed 25mph (and forget the freeway), and manage up to ten cars at a time — but not simultaneously, of course.

Come to think of it, this could spark a debate over which is safer: Waymo or Vay? AI or human?

Next Drive: While Vay’s remote drivers only operate the vehicles when a renter isn’t inside, future versions could introduce a surcharge for letting them take over even when someone is in the car — a bit like a remote chauffeur.

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The price of streaming services rose at a much higher rate than nearly every other consumer good last year — and was the only category to see a double-digit increase in inflation.

The Big Picture: While goods and services still feel unaffordable for many Americans, new data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that inflation actually cooled overall — and in some cases, deflated. That’s great news for your upcoming grocery bills. But streaming platforms are bucking the trend, putting extra price pressure on consumers trying to keep up with an increasingly fractured landscape for movies and shows.

Behind The Scenes: It’s not just you — your streaming bill went up a lot last year.

Final Receipt: So, what’s driving the price surge? According to THR, sports rights are mostly to blame. In an era of spending contraction and fickle audience attention, sports have emerged as the safest of safe bets. The problem: those rights are skyrocketing in price, pushing entertainment conglomerates to raise prices just to stay competitive. And with ESPN and Fox launching their own standalone streaming service with sports as the flagship product, bidding wars are only going to intensify… along with monthly subscription prices.

Next Subscription: The days of cable may be gone for good, but whichever company offers the most attractive sports bundle could be the champion.

Starting in our 30s, some key cellular processes begin to slow down — leaving us feeling more tired and less resilient over time.

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_{^{*500mg Mitopure® have been shown to (1) induce gene expression related to mitochondria function and metabolism and (2) increase the strength of the hamstring leg muscle in measures of knee extension and flexion after 4 months in overweight 40-65 year olds.}}

39.7% of you voted No, and I’m not interested in yesterday’s poll: Have you ever invested in a company at or near its IPO?

“I’d like to see more information about SpaceX going public.”

“I tried once, but wasn’t able to. I’m not sure why — an investment firm told me that only people with a certain type of account could do it. I suppose my measly grand was insufficient for them. It left a bad taste, especially since the ‘P’ in IPO is supposed to stand for ‘Public.’”

“Invested in several dozen private companies. Some make it; most do not.”

“I should have sold it in the first week (Airbnb).”

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.

🍿 Zootopia 2 is now the highest-grossing animated movie of all time after crossing $1.7 billion at the global box office.

🪩 Sphere Entertainment is building its first mini Sphere at the National Harbor in Maryland.

🎥 French entertainment giant Mediawan is in talks to buy Peter Chernin’s North Road Company.

👀 OpenAI plans to release its first AI hardware device in 2026.

🤖 VC firm Sequoia is investing in Anthropic… after already investing in OpenAI and xAI.

📱 Signal creator Moxie Marlinspike is launching a privacy-focused chatbot platform called Confer.

💸 Kiel Institute for the World Economy reports that Americans are shouldering 96% of US tariff costs.

👗 LISA has been tapped as the first-ever Guest Designer for Kith Women.

🫡 So long, Las Vegas Atari Hotel. You’ll forever be in our gaming dreams.