The Mind-Reading Hat

PRESENTED BY FRONT

Happy Monday, Future Party. If you’re excited for this week’s release of A24’s Elizabeth Holmes documentary, You Can See Everything, then you’re going to love this. Bo Lau, an engineer at shopping startup Extend, created an interactive digital recreation of Holmes’ office. You can check her emails, browse her notes, and even try out the (not actually functional) Theranos blood-analyzer machine. Lau was able to pull this off thanks to a little thing called legal discovery. Gotta love the transparency of the American justice system!

Sony announced that it has hired Fede Goldenberg, a top YouTube exec, to run its low-budget horror division, Screen Gems — a first-of-its-kind move for a mainstream studio division.

The Big Picture: Hollywood is still reckoning with the breakout success of Obsession, Backrooms, and Iron Lung — all made by YouTube creators. Now, every studio is racing to lock up digital talent and viral IP. Sony hopes that by hiring someone directly from the source, it can get the inside track on emerging filmmakers.

Behind The Scenes: Screen Gems is expanding its mandate from traditional horror films (and the occasional comedy) to films made by “digital-native storytellers.”

And hiring a guy who already knows those creators was its first move.

Screen Gems’ current head, veteran studio exec Ashley Brucks, will transition to a producing role at the division.

Final Credits: Sony is hoping that doubling down on digital creators will not only bring new storytelling perspectives into the studio, but also provide built-in fandom — making the studio’s marketing department’s job a bit easier.

Sanford Panitch, president of Sony Pictures Entertainment’s Motion Picture Group, said that “Fede has spent his career at the intersection of online creators and entertainment, and he is uniquely suited to build those relationships and help translate great storytelling from digital platforms to the big screen.”

Now, all eyes in Hollywood and the creator economy are on Screen Gems to see if it can get it right.

Coming Soon: Screen Gems won’t be the only one — expect every studio to either reorient an existing division or launch a new one focused on catering to creators.

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A tech startup called Sabi is developing a baseball cap that can read your mind, allowing you to control AI agents without having to type or speak.

Why It Fits: Several companies have entered the brain-computer interface industry in recent years, including Neuralink, Synchron, and Precision Neuroscience. The problem is that all of these startups require some form of brain surgery for their tech to work. That’s not scalable.

Beneath The Fabric: Sabi is betting that making brain-computer interfacing possible without cutting open your head will appeal to… well, pretty much everyone.

Closing Thoughts: Sabi’s prototype, which looks more like a helmet than a cap right now, can interpret people’s thoughts with up to 77% accuracy… at least for those who have been actively using it for over two weeks. The first cap will be demoed at CES in January and is slated to be available next year. Allegedly, 10,000 people are already on the waiting list.

According to Forbes, Sabi has already raised $50 million in seed funding in a round led by renowned tech investor Vinod Khosla. His reasoning: “Very simply, thought-to-computer input is a sexy idea.” Hopefully, the hat makes you look sexy, too.

The Future: Soon, many people in the office may be doing their work simply by staring at their screens.

44.6% of you voted Somewhat — they’re a nice bonus in Friday’s poll: How much does a destination’s history, folklore, or local legends influence your travel plans?

“I love to discover and enjoy the historical lore of any town. I don’t care if it’s Terre Haute, Indiana, or Paris, France. It’s fun, and it makes every place more interesting long after you leave.”

“There is a lot to see and learn. We tend to know more about the physical attributes of a place before we go there and more about its social attributes when we return. And I like that.”

“History somewhat. Folklore and legend not at all.”

“We went to Dresden because my wife’s grandfather was born there. Luckily, we got to see the impressive array of Dresden Jewels.”

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.

🎨 Apple has teamed up with The King’s Trust to launch a creative arts education and mentorship initiative.

💿 Rapper Gunna is starting a record label, SB THE LABEL, in partnership with Atlantic Music Group, with three artists already signed to its roster.

🏎️ F1 Academy is racing to bring the next female driver to Formula 1.

🛰️ SpaceX has struck an $8 billion deal to acquire wireless spectrum from Grain Management as it gears up to expand into mainstream mobile service.

💰 Pitchbook data shows that it now takes startups an average of just 5.5 years to reach decacorn status — a valuation of $10 billion or more — roughly half the time it took five years ago.

🔋 A new report finds that electric batteries are now cheaper than natural gas turbines for powering data centers.

👕 Saint Laurent creative director Anthony Vaccarello is departing the luxury brand after 10 years.

👟 New Balance has revealed a signature logo for Dallas Mavericks star Cooper Flagg.

🥡 Druski has inked a multi-year agreement with delivery platform GoPuff to develop new products and experiences for fans.