David Vendrell

Business

“Startup Nations” Look to Launch “Freedom Cities” in the US

Groups representing “startup nations” — “tech hubs exempt from the taxes and regulations that apply to the countries where they’re located,” per Wired — are in talks with officials in the Trump administration about potentially building several similar “freedom cities” in the US. The Big Experiment: Although Próspera in Honduras has successfully launched (not without plenty of controversy), Big […]

March 12, 2025

1 min Read

Stories

Joe Doucet Invents “Climate-Adaptive” Paint

Industrial designer Joe Doucet has developed a paint for structures that changes color when the temperature outside changes to either retain or reflect the sun’s heat. Why It Hits: Homebuilders, commercial designers, and municipal governments have been exploring ways to use paints to reduce surface temperatures of buildings and streets and curb the “heat island effect” in dense urban areas. Doucet’s invention […]

March 11, 2025

1 min Read

Stories

Nokia Landed a 4G Cell Network on the Moon

Nokia sent the first 4G network system aboard Intuitive Machines’ Athena lander, which touched down on the Moon on March 6th. The Big Picture: Putting a working cell network on the Moon would be a game-changer for astronauts and future lunar colonies. Behind the Connection: Although Athena fell over on its side and lost power sooner than expected — […]

March 11, 2025

1 min Read

Fashion

Luxury Brands Turn to Boxing

Boxing is luxury now, as the combat sport welcomes renowned designers and staple fashion labels into the ring. Why it Hits: The confluence of fashion and sports has reached a fever pitch, and boxing has been minted with a new cultural influence after Netflix’s Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul fight landed a record number of viewers. 2025 may be […]

March 10, 2025

1 min Read

Business

President Trump Orders for the Creation of a Bitcoin Reserve

Fulfilling a campaign promise, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to establish a government reserve of Bitcoin and a separate reserve for other cryptocurrencies. The Big Picture: President Trump has positioned himself as very pro-crypto in his second term, appointing tech entrepreneur David Sacks as crypto czar, directing his administration to drop lawsuits against exchanges, hosting a […]

March 10, 2025

1 min Read

Entertainment

Filmmaker Robert Rodriguez Launches Brass Knuckle Films

Robert Rodriguez — the renegade filmmaker behind genre classics like From Dusk Till Dawn, The Faculty, and Machete — is launching a new banner called Brass Knuckle Films, allowing fans to directly invest in movies in exchange for various perks. The Big Picture: Trying to boost fan involvement in movie slates has taken off in recent years, whether through platforms like Legion M or […]

March 7, 2025

1 min Read

Entertainment

The 2026 World Cup Will Have a Halftime Show

FIFA announced that the 2026 World Cup — which will take place in various cities across the US, Canada, and Mexico — will be the first tournament to feature a halftime show during the final match. Why It Scores: In case you weren’t just reminded during last month’s Super Bowl, halftime shows are a big deal — big viewership drivers, […]

March 7, 2025

1 min Read

Culture

Functional Beverages Overflow in Popularity

“Functional beverages” — drinks that claim to fortify your hair and nails, give you clean energy, or make you live longer — are becoming one of the hottest markets in the food and beverage industry, as people look to boost their health, beauty, and performance. Why It Hits: Health and wellness has been surging in popularity across […]

March 6, 2025

1 min Read

Media

Alexis Ohanian and Kevin Rose Revive Digg

Digg, one of the earliest social media platforms, is coming back from the (near) dead after original owner Kevin Rose acquired the assets and teamed up with one of his biggest former rivals — Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian — to reimagine the platform for the modern age. The Big Picture: Social media was initially designed to connect average people and […]

March 6, 2025

1 min Read

Stories

Colossal Biosciences Creates a Woolly Mouse

Biotech startup Colossal Biosciences has taken the first major step in its ambition to resurrect the extinct woolly mammoth by 2028 — it created a “woolly mouse.” The Big Bet: You may not be surprised to learn that recreating extinct species — especially something as large and distinct as a woolly mammoth — is pretty difficult. However, […]

March 5, 2025

1 min Read