Monday, Monday — can't trust that day. I'm Diamond Naga Siu, and I also sometimes don't trust my own facial recognition skills.
But I'd definitely stop dead in my tracks if I recognized an ex-partner somewhere. That's what happened to this clothing designer. Except when he apparently recognized an ex, it was via a viral tweet from the FBI about her alleged involvement in the January 6 riot. Yikes.
On that note, let's dive into today's tech — starting with an obituary for the metaverse.
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Robyn Phelps/Insider
1. RIP Metaverse. After just a few short years of hype, the metaverse is already headed for the graveyard of failed tech ideas. Even after Mark Zuckerberg threw the might of his trillion-dollar company behind it, the metaverse couldn't survive a fatal flaw: a lack of coherent vision.
- The metaverse, according to Zuckerberg, was supposed to be the next evolution of the internet and our tech lives. And the stunning announcement that Facebook was changing its name to Meta drove a surge in interest — from other tech giants like Microsoft, analysts, developers, crypto bros, and more. But the actual execution of the metaverse continuously fell short of these sky-high expectations.
- And now, with the rise of generative AI, everyone has moved on and even Zuck is done with the technology. He went from talking about it nonstop (as recently as April 2022) to barely ever mentioning it now.
- The writing was always on the wall, Ed Zitron writes for Insider. But the rise and fall of the metaverse can teach us some important lessons about the tech industry as a whole.
Dive into the metaverse obituary here.
In other news:
Courtesy of Jennifer Clare Ball
2. 'I asked ChatGPT to be my personal stylist.' Jennifer Clare Ball asked the chatbot to help with her hair and outfit for a variety of events: a family dinner, date night, and more. The results were surprising. Check out the fashion comparison here.
3. Tech CEOs are hitting workers with Everything Everywhere All at Once. Ending remote work. Conducting mass layoffs. Pulling back job perks. Just how far can they go before workers rebel? Dive into that here.
4. From side hustle to main hustle: operating ATMs. This ATM entrepreneur made $12 million within three years and shared how he started the business. Check out how he cashed in here. Bonus: This millennial tested different side hustles and revealed which ones actually make money quickly.
5. All the tech companies citing AI in their layoff announcements. The rise of layoffs and AI happened pretty simultaneously. Many major tech companies like Google and IBM even mentioned AI in their layoff announcements. Get the full list of companies that did the same here.
6. Employee dies after falling from the 14th floor of Google's NYC headquarters. The 31-year-old senior software engineer fell on Thursday night. Google told Insider that it is providing grief counselors for staffers. More on the situation here.
7. A night in one of the most wish-listed Airbnbs. My colleague Joey Hadden spent a night in the Great Smoky Mountain cabin. It cost $400 for the night, and she said it's worth a stay just for the stunning views. Get a full look at the cozy, two-story cabin here.
8. Brand new 2010 Tesla Roadsters for sale. Only around 2,500 Roadsters — Tesla's first model — were ever made. But three brand-new vehicles were recently discovered in an abandoned shipping container and are now being auctioned off. Drive over for the full details here.
Odds and ends:
Nomad; Apple; Insider
9. Best bands for the 'rugged' Apple Watch Ultra. There are many bands for every owner's rugged needs: running, surfing, kayaking, and more. Insider's fitness tech editor highlights the best bands of varying materials, styles, and brands. Check them all out here.
10. A pizza oven adds value to your home. Homes sell for 3.7% more on average if they have one. Plus, this appliance generally adds more value than it costs. Get a slice of this real estate trend here.
What we're watching today:
- Intel's invite-only conference Intel Vision starts today in Orlando, Florida. Speakers include leaders from VMWare, Oracle, Lenovo, and other tech companies.
- Quarterly earnings for PayPal, Lucid Group, Palantir, and other companies. Keep up with earnings here.
- Pulitzer Prize winners are being announced today. The annual ceremony will take place at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
- Happy birthday, Enrique Iglesias. Let's go Bailando.
Curated by Diamond Naga Siu in San Diego. (Feedback or tips? Email dsiu@insider.com or tweet @diamondnagasiu) Edited by Lisa Ryan and Bob Bryan in New York.