Meta's Oakley Smart Glasses, TikTok's Revenue Nearly Doubled YouTube's Last Year, Hidden Hashtags on Instagram, ...

“What if Elon Musk or Larry Ellison bought TikTok?”

(Yes, Trump is entertaining the idea.)

At a press briefing, Trump was asked, “Would you let Elon buy TikTok?” His response? A resounding YES—and he threw Larry Ellison into the mix too.

Here’s what we know:

• TikTok is in limbo after a national security ban.

• Analysts say TikTok’s U.S. business could be worth $50 billion.

• Trump claims it could hit $1 trillion—with the right partner.

And who’s on his mind?

• Elon Musk: A megadonor and powerhouse behind Tesla, SpaceX, and X.

• Larry Ellison: The Oracle chairman who already provides TikTok’s U.S. cloud infrastructure.

Trump’s bold proposal? “Buy it, give half to the U.S., and we’ll give you the permit.”

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Tencent’s new Hunyuan3D 2.0 is here to change the game for 3D modeling.

Imagine turning a simple image—or even a text prompt—into a detailed 3D model in seconds.

Here’s what makes it groundbreaking:

1️⃣ Unmatched Speed: From concept to 3D in just 10-25 seconds.

2️⃣ Incredible Accuracy: With a CLIP score of 0.809, it beats both open-source and proprietary systems.

3️⃣ Open Source: Available now on Hugging Face and GitHub.

How it works:

💡 Hunyuan3D-DiT creates the structure.

🎨 Hunyuan3D-Paint handles the intricate details.

🎥 Multi-view diffusion ensures every angle is flawless.

Why it matters:

From gaming to e-commerce and movies, this tech cuts creation time drastically, empowering industries to build more with less.

And no—it’s not replacing artists. Instead, it handles the repetitive tasks so creators can focus on artistry.

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Meta x Oakley: A Game-Changing Move for Athletes?

Smart glasses specifically designed for runners, cyclists, and rowers—built by Meta in collaboration with Oakley.

According to Bloomberg, these glasses will feature: • A central camera (goodbye awkward angles) • Oakley's iconic Sphaera frame design

Why does this matter?

Meta is leveraging Oakley's cult following among athletes to make AI-powered eyewear mainstream.

But they’re not stopping there.

Other innovations reportedly in the works:

• Camera-equipped earbuds

• A $1,000 Ray-Ban with an AR display (yes, AR directly on your lens).

Smart devices are becoming less about tech and more about lifestyle integration. By focusing on niche audiences—like athletes—Meta might just make wearable tech… irresistible.

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Perplexity has just launched Sonar: An API that’s redefining AI search.

(This is a big moment for enterprises and developers alike.)

For years, generative AI has been limited by static training data. But Sonar changes the game by tapping into real-time web searches, delivering factual and trusted answers.

Here’s why this matters:

→ Enterprises can now customize search sources to their needs.

→ Tools like Zoom are already using Sonar for real-time answers within video meetings—no extra clicks needed!

And here’s the best part:

Sonar is accessible and affordable.

Starting at just $5/1,000 searches, with transparent pricing for input and output tokens, it’s the cheapest AI search API on the market.

But for tougher, complex queries? Sonar Pro has you covered—delivering deeper insights with twice as many citations as the base version.

This is more than an API. It’s a bridge to better, faster, and more reliable AI-powered solutions.

(And yes, it’s already outperforming big players like Google and OpenAI on factual accuracy benchmarks.)

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Hashtags Hidden on Instagram? Here’s What’s Happening.

Imagine searching for something as simple as #jan6th or #democrat—only to see this message: “We’ve hidden these results.”

This isn’t just about politics; hashtags across the spectrum were affected due to what Meta claims was a broader glitch.

In an era where social platforms hold immense power over information flow, even a “technical glitch” can spark debates about transparency and political bias.

The timing of this is curious. It aligns with Meta’s recent policy reversals, such as replacing fact-checkers with community notes and actively recommending political content again.

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President Donald Trump, alongside OpenAI, Oracle, and Softbank, is set to announce a groundbreaking initiative: Stargate.

(it’s a $100B+ game-changer for the U.S. tech industry.)

Here’s the scoop:

👉 What’s happening?

The White House will unveil Stargate—a joint venture aimed at building world-class AI infrastructure in the United States.

👉 Who’s behind it?

Trump will be joined by Softbank’s Masayoshi Son and top executives from OpenAI and Oracle.

👉 Why does it matter?

This project will kickstart with a state-of-the-art data center in Texas and could scale up to $500 billion in investments over four years.

For context:

Softbank’s Son had already pledged $100 billion during a 2016 meeting with Trump. Fast forward to today, and that promise is materializing on a scale no one imagined.

AI is transforming industries.

This move could position the U.S. as the global leader in AI technology.

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Spotify is changing the way we learn. 🎧

This week, they launched Spotify Courses in the UK—a new way to learn through audio.

Here’s what makes this so exciting:

1️⃣ Users can explore topics like business, tech, lifestyle, and even music.

2️⃣ It's a seamless addition to Spotify's offerings—music, podcasts, audiobooks, and now education.

3️⃣ It’s designed for the modern learner: on the go, multitasking, and always curious.

It’s a smart move for Spotify. This could open doors to ad-supported or subscription-based courses in the future—another revenue stream in the works.

It also means big things for creators. A chance to teach, inspire, and share knowledge in a format that millions already love.

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TikTok and Netflix dominated 2024.

(Here’s what the numbers reveal)

By the end of 2024, TikTok generated ~$8B in U.S. ad revenue and surpassed 1.9B monthly active users globally, including 145M users in the U.S. 🌍

What’s even more shocking? TikTok brought in $63.3B globally in ad revenue – nearly DOUBLE YouTube's $33.3B. 📈

Omdia Research highlights that platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Meta are now THE go-to for media consumption in the U.S., especially among 18-35-year-olds.

But here’s the kicker:

📊 92% of TikTok users also use YouTube monthly.

📊 61% of TikTok users engage daily.

In Hispanic communities, TikTok has become even more culturally significant, with engagement outpacing non-Hispanic users.

And it’s not just mobile: 52% of YouTube viewing in the U.S. now happens on TV. 📺

Meanwhile, Netflix continues to dominate in Latin America, holding 48% of SVOD revenues in the region. Mexico and Brazil are fueling its growth, especially with a focus on Spanish content and originals.

What’s the lesson here?

🔹 Platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Netflix aren’t just strong – they’re reshaping how we think about video and ad revenue.

🔹 Latin America is emerging as a key growth region, growing by 9.4% in 2025 to hit $55B.

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NodeBB just joined the Fediverse, the open social web.

What does this mean?

The Fediverse includes platforms like Mastodon (a decentralized X rival), Pixelfed (an open Instagram alternative), PeerTube (a decentralized YouTube competitor), and more.

These platforms use ActivityPub, a protocol enabling decentralized social networking.

Here’s why NodeBB’s move matters:

👉 Forum operators can now integrate seamlessly into this decentralized ecosystem. 👉 They’ll connect with other forums and platforms like Mastodon—without relying on centralized platforms like X or Meta.

And the best part? It’s not just an add-on. It’s a core feature of NodeBB v4.

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Meta just announced a new integration: soon, you’ll be able to link your WhatsApp account with Instagram and Facebook in their Accounts Center.

Why does this matter?

1️⃣ Cross-posting made easy

No more juggling platforms. With one tap, your WhatsApp Status can instantly become Stories on Instagram and Facebook.

2️⃣ Streamlined logins

Thanks to Single Sign-On, you can now access multiple Meta apps with just one login.

3️⃣ Privacy stays a priority

Even if you connect your accounts, WhatsApp messages and calls remain end-to-end encrypted.

Meta is rolling this out globally, but it may take a few months to reach everyone. When it’s live, you’ll find the option in WhatsApp settings or when reposting content.

What’s next? Meta is also planning to expand Accounts Center with features like avatar management, AI stickers, and more.

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Instagram is reportedly offering $10,000 to $50,000 per month for creators to exclusively post Reels.

(This is according to a report from The Information.)

Why now?

TikTok is still missing from app stores following compliance with a federal divest-or-ban law that took effect on January 19th.

In the meantime, Instagram is doubling down:

• Reels can now be up to 3 minutes long.

• Profile grids have shifted from squares to rectangles.

• A new video editing app is in the works (a direct competitor to TikTok's CapCut).

But here’s the kicker: Meta has made similar promises before.

• In 2021, they launched a Reels bonus program.

• By 2022, creator payouts were slashed, and the program ended entirely in 2023.

So, will these new bonuses actually win over TikTok creators?

Time will tell.

For now, one thing is clear: the competition between platforms is heating up—and creators are at the center of it all.

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OpenAI’s Operator tool might be closer than you think.

Imagine an AI that can not only assist you with coding but also book your next trip or manage your schedule autonomously.

That’s exactly what OpenAI’s long-rumored “Operator” promises to deliver.

Here’s what we know:

1️⃣ Evidence of Operator was uncovered by Tibor Blaho, a reputable software engineer known for AI product leaks. Blaho discovered hidden features in OpenAI’s macOS ChatGPT client, like shortcuts to “Toggle Operator” and “Force Quit Operator.” 👀

2️⃣ Leaked benchmarks reveal Operator’s capabilities—and its limits:

• On OSWorld (a computer simulation benchmark), it scores 38.1%, ahead of competitors but far from human-level performance (72.4%).

• It excels in web navigation tasks like WebVoyager but struggles with human-like tasks—only 60% success in launching a virtual machine and just 10% for creating a Bitcoin wallet. 📉

3️⃣ Safety seems to be top of mind. Operator’s development cycle reportedly includes rigorous testing to prevent misuse. This is critical as experts express concern over the risks of autonomous AI systems. 🔒

Why this matters: The AI agent space is heating up. OpenAI’s entry is a direct challenge to players like Anthropic and Google, aiming to dominate what could be a $47.1 billion market by 2030.