The Download: how to prove you’re human, and replacing the grid’s gas
1 X is a lot quieter without its Brazilian users
The extremely online nation ran many of X’s most popular fan accounts. (NYT $)
+ Brazil’s Supreme Court is under fire from some quarters for banning access to the platform. (FT $)+ The investors who helped Elon Musk buy X are seriously out of pocket. (WP $)
2 China’s online surveillance net is widening
Influencers’ followers are increasingly becoming targets for police interrogation. (The Guardian)
+ How 2023 marked the death of anonymity online in China. (MIT Technology Review)
3 Intel has a plan to revive its fortunes
The once-mighty chipmaker plans to shed as many unnecessary assets as possible. (Reuters)
+ Its sales are shrinking, and rival Nvidia is flourishing. (Bloomberg $)
4 We need much more grid storage
EVs haven’t fully taken off, so battery makers are looking to the grid instead. (Economist $)
+ New iron batteries could help. (MIT Technology Review)
5 Dating apps are developing AI wingmen to help you flirt
Tinder, Hinge, Bumble and Grindr’s new bots will suggest smooth chat-up lines. (FT $)
6 US sanctions are pushing China and Russia to build new payment systems
To help them skirt the US-dollar-dominated global financial order. (Insider $)
+ Is the digital dollar dead? (MIT Technology Review)
7 These scientists want to store biological samples on the moon
Seeds, plant, animal and microbial samples could be safer there than on Earth. (Wired $)
+ Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft is making weird noises. (Ars Technica)
+ Future space food could be made from astronaut breath. (MIT Technology Review)
8 Making video calls from prison is seriously expensive
But US regulators are finally capping how much private companies can charge. (WSJ $)
9 Hobby apps are exploding in popularity
Social media fatigue is real, and Strava and Letterboxd are reaping the benefits. (Bloomberg $)
+ Want to see what your friends are up to? Check your Venmo. (The Atlantic $)
+ How to fix the internet. (MIT Technology Review)
10 Why AI is such a compelling movie villain
From 2001: A Space Odyssey to the Terminator to the Matrix. (WP $)
