The Cybertruck Crashes Into Reality

PRESENTED BY EXPATSI

Happy Monday, Future Party. It may surprise you, but the FAA still uses floppy disks for its air traffic control system. Yes, the agency in charge of keeping us safe in the skies is still using tech that peaked in the ’80s and ’90s. The FAA announced that it’ll finally start phasing them out over the next two years as part of the rollout of a new ATC system that’s hilariously called the “Brand New Air Traffic Control System.” Hey, as long as it doesn’t run on Windows 95, they can call it whatever they want.

Tesla announced that it’ll stop production of the controversial Cybertruck by the middle of next year.

Why It Hits: With the discontinuation of the Cybertruck following the end of Model S and X production, Tesla is accelerating further out of the passenger-car business. With the Cybercab and Optimus robots on the horizon, Tesla may be inching closer to actually becoming an automation company.

Behind The Wheel: The Cybertruck was meant to be the sci-fi truck of the future. Now, it’ll be a relic of the past.

Final Build: At one point, Tesla CEO Elon Musk hailed the Cybertruck as the best car the company ever built… but high costs also prompted him to say, “we dug our own grave with the Cybertruck.” Those costs led Tesla to charge tens of thousands of dollars more than expected for the vehicle, putting it well out of budget for the average Tesla fan. In fact, the truck became a vehicle for diehard fans as it turned into a cultural lightning rod tied to Musk’s evolving reputation.

The Cybertruck may have been bulletproof, but it certainly wasn’t ridicule-proof.

The Future: If Tesla does end up merging with SpaceX, it’s possible the company could get out of the passenger-car business altogether. Where that leaves the even-more-hyped Roadster is anyone’s guess.

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An AI book-to-screen studio and distribution platform called Authors First is empowering authors to adapt their works into films — starting with an epic about the life of Genghis Khan.

The Big Picture: The budget required to bring works of historical fiction, fantasy, and science fiction to life is enormous, which is why only a select few bestsellers get the green light for big movie or TV adaptations. Authors First, which has already raised a $10 million seed round, is now giving authors the tools to bring their works to life themselves.

Behind The Prompts: First up on Authors First’s slate is a TV adaptation of Conn Iggulden’s 2007 novel Wolf of the Plains, which explores the formative years of Genghis Khan.

Final Generation: Many times, authors have a complicated relationship with adaptations of their works, especially when they’re so epic that they require a blockbuster budget to bring them to life — and more money typically means more compromises and a shared creative vision. Look no further than the drama surrounding the upcoming adaptation of Children of Blood and Bone. But that’s just the name of the game when it comes to making movies and shows.

But Authors First — founded by PE veteran Robert Hamwee with an executive team of veterans from Warner Bros., Hulu, and Universal — believes there’s a market for authors having as much creative control over the film adaptations of their works as they do over the words on the page. AI now gives these authors the tools to make that ambition a reality… and, at least according to Iggulden, it was the only way to bring an epic-scale book like his to life. Every offer he received from Hollywood to adapt it fell apart over the budget.

Coming Soon: If successful, Authors First could open up a new revenue stream for authors, much like audiobooks.

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64.1% of you voted I neither play nor watch golf in Friday’s poll: How would you describe your interest in golf?

“Golf is so elitist and boring.”

“The only thing more boring than playing golf is watching it on TV.”

“I have played in the past, but I am no good, and I am aware of that, unlike so many others out there.”

“I played years ago… but then I sold my Nintendo Wii.”

“I play and watch disc golf. It was the fastest-growing sport during the pandemic besides pickleball.”

“Now that I’m retired, I’m able to play more often. I like to watch the big tour events, like the Masters.”

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.

📺 Fox closed its $22 billion acquisition of Roku, with Roku Media President Charlie Collier and Tubi CEO Anjali Sud departing amid the leadership shakeup.

🎸 Live Nation posted a record $10.1 billion in revenue last quarter, driven by growth in its international business.

📕 Salon is shutting down after 31 years in operation.

🤖 Anthropic’s potential IPO valuation has fallen as low as $1.1 trillion following a post-election selloff in AI stocks.

✈️ Airbnb plans to roll out an AI travel agent next year that can create a personalized interface based on users’ queries.

📦 Select Amazon customers can now text Alexa for help while shopping.

👕 Martine Rose has been named Balenciaga’s new creative director.

👟 Yeezy is back with a new partnership with JD Sports.

💀 LOEWE is collabing with Tim Burton on a capsule collection inspired by The Nightmare Before Christmas.