🤔 Is TikTok About to be Cooked?
No more DRAAAKEEEE????
GM everyone. Sorry for missing the newsletter yesterday, my sinuses were f*cked and my head was killing me. To remedy this I spent 45 minutes in the sauna at Equinox this morning and now my eyes are watering and I can’t stop blowing my nose but we are on the path to recovery.
There is a TON of news to discuss so let’s just jump right in—
The Apple Vision Pro is here, and it’s getting mixed reviews. The hype for Apple's first new product category in nearly a decade has largely been relegated to a niche crowd of early adopters and tech enthusiasts (probably because it costs $3,500) I don’t hear anyone talk about this in public really. While Apple’s marketing has touted the magical experience was wearing this ‘spatial computer’ and some of it has looked pretty futuristic, this facade seems to be evaporating as the Vision Pro hits reviewers and consumers mailboxes. Reviews have claimed its an impressive experience to wear and a technological feat, but the magic simply isn’t there. The image pass through is mixed, the weird front display that shows a digital representation of your eyes is bad, and the external battery pack is a pain to wear. I have written about this before, but I really don’t see how a product like this will succeed until it looks like a normal pair of glasses. You don’t want to be caught dead wearing this thing—
Did you know your Stanley tumbler has lead in it? The hottest cup on the market, currently being sold at high markups on StockX, apparently uses some lead in the inner sealant. The company claims that this is nothing to worry about as its not accessible to those drinking from the cup. But it didn’t take long for HydroFlask to send some shots at Stanley’s head top.
Say goodbye to Drake, Taylor Swift, Rihanna, and pretty much every artist that matters on TikTok. A deal between Universal Music Group (UMG) and TikTok has fallen through in the last hours, meaning music from artists signed to UMG will be removed from TikTok. To my knowledge this is the first time this has happened and there is no precedent to say what happens next. Will existing TikTok’s using these sounds be removed or silenced? This is a major blow to TikTok, but I’d argue its an even bigger blow to the artists on UMG. TikTok has proven to be a major growth hack for artists, and a viral song can lead to new artists being discovered and popularized (think Bad Habit by Steve Lacy), as well as older artists getting massive royalty checks (Running Up That Hill by Kate Bush) It will be interesting to see what happens next.
Jason Stewart, co-host of How Long Gone, wrote a fantastic review of Horses in LA. The popular LA restaurant, often compared to numerous dimly lit Keith McNally NYC eateries, faced major controversy last year when allegations of the head chef/owner killing cats came out. You can look into the details on your own. A story like that would typically be a death knell, but Horses seems to have weathered the storm. Go check out Jason’s review. Also the story’s artwork by Ellie Skrzat had me LOLing.
Just how gentrified is Williamsburg? The New York Times has an excellent photographic timeline showing how the now popular Brooklyn neighborhood has turned from a landscape of factories to a bustling consumer friendly neighborhood adorned with SoulCycle, Whole Foods, and even Hermes now. Say what you will about the transformation, all I have to say is I love Williamsburg. I’ve many friends there so I go a lot. I often get told I look like I live there, and later this year I’m moving there. If you read this and live in Williamsburg, let’s get a drink at Dolly’s.
Joe Diver is one of my favorite designers. This UK-based designer is one of the best at combining minimal typography with evocative imagery. He’s worked with Rimowa and other major clients. I adore his work and I love how he elaborates on his design process on Twitter.
Okay that’s all for today! HAVE A GREAT DAY!!!!!!!
About the Writer
Jake Bell is a content marketing and creative strategist based in NYC. He specializes in content creation, branding, art direction, creative strategy, and making things cool.
To learn more about Jake visit www.jb.studio
Have a tip email me jake@jb.studio
Like video? Check out his TikTok
Like fit pics and pictures of chairs? Visit his Instagram.