Add to Cart.

Indulging in an impromptu Amazon spree ranks high on my list of hobbies. Same day delivery? I’ll take 2, of whatever it is. The dopamine hit… the instant gratification… some might say it’s a problem. My latest useless purchase was a kazoo. Before that, a pair of bright blue roller skates that saw the pavement exactly once.

But hold firmly onto your credit cards ladies and gentlemen because Hyundai have just made impulsive spending that much riskier. Forget the novelty gadgets, you can now add a whole car to your Amazon cart in just one click – a potential problem for those of us with a penchant for purchasing.

Unveiled at the LA Auto Show, this audacious move flips the script on traditional car buying, as Hyundai plans to rev up its online sales on Amazon’s US platform in the latter half of next year.

So, is this the future of car shopping? My wallet hopes not.

Blunt Tales.

Snoop Dogg is putting the blunt out for good? The same man who pays his personal full-time roller, ‘Renegade Piranha’, $50k a year? What is happening to the world?!  In a viral tweet, the marijuana ambassador posted “After much consideration and conversation with my family, I’ve decided to give up smoke. Please respect my privacy at this time” and as you can imagine, the internet went wild. Google search data revealed that following his announcement, online searches for ‘quit weed’ exploded 1152%, with fans looking to regulate their own smoking habits.

After a few days, the rapper revealed that he was trolling us all. In what some are calling a genius advertising move, Snoop later posted a video for Solo Stove Fire Pits, which are smokeless. Get it? Snoop fans rushed to the comments demanding a raise for the brand’s marketing team. A collab well done.

So, fear not. All is in order, Renegade still has her job. You don’t need to rethink your life decisions, not just yet.

Pixel to Pitch.

“I could’ve gone pro if it weren’t for my knee injury” – the anthem of dreamers who once aimed to be the next Messi but have now settled for office jobs, Football Manager and weekday 5-a-side kickabouts.

But for one lucky Football Manager fan, that dream could be resurrected. In their new partnership with Xbox, Bromley Football Club are offering a full-time role to one of the players – giving them a unique shot at professional football management.

To be eligible to apply, fans will first need to complete the achievement “Championes” in the game by leading a team to a domestic league title win. They can then swap their virtual victories for real-life experience as a “support performance tactician” learning the ins and outs of preparing a football team for success!

How many times have you played Football Manager and thought you could do it in real life? Well now’s your chance, Alan.

Tiny Tech.

Last week, Humane debuted something that could have come straight out of a Black Mirror episode. I present to you, The AI pin. Resembling an iPod shuffle, this tiny device claims to do everything a smartphone can do… and more. You interact with it with your voice, and its miniature projector can display things like incoming calls on the palm of your hand. The idea is to release people from the shackles of their screens and allow them to simply move through the world.

This rejection of mobile phones and shift towards minimalism isn’t entirely new, but the abolition of screens entirely, is. And I think it’s an idea I can (and should) get behind. As someone with a disgustingly high screen time, it’s a need rather than a want.

Do I like this as an idea? Yes. But do I see becoming a norm? Probably not. Some things you just need a screen for. How am I meant to text my work bestie during a dry meeting without whispering into my little AI pin. How will I stalk my ex’s new girlfriend’s Instagram? You see my dilemma.

This idea of existing without screens rings true, but personally I don’t see everyone throwing their iPhones in the bin any time soon.

Bark to the Future.

If you’re an avid coolsh*t reader, you’ll know that there’s 2 things we love talking about. AI, and robots. Robot dogs to be specific. So, when an AI robot dog story landed in my lap, I just couldn’t help myself.

Meet Laika, the life-like robodog that offers physical and emotional support for space travellers (cue ‘awww’).

How Laika differs from the previous robot dogs is that she actually looks… like a dog. Envisioned as ‘the ultimate companion for space explorers’, the friendly, smooth design and array of capabilities enables Laika to connect with its human on an emotional level while using sensors (including depth cameras, thermal imaging cameras, ultrasonic sensors, and slam cameras) to monitor their health conditions and their surroundings.

In the realm of robotic companions, Laika takes the biscuit. While previous robot dogs may have been impressive, Laika’s additional layer of emotional intelligence and integration of advanced sensors takes man’s best friend to the next level.

iRobot.

I told you we like robots over here. So, when we hear world first robotics news, we’re gonna shout about it. A Swiss team accomplished the first ever 3D printed robot hand, with bones, ligaments and tendons mimicking the complexity of a human hand!

This marks a real breakthrough in the world of 3D printing – with all the hand’s components being printed simultaneously – and the field of soft robotics. Now I don’t want to bore you with the technicalities of 3D ligament printing (I don’t understand it) but just take my word when I say this is an impressive thing. And if you want to learn more, read the article.

The group have since shown that this tech can also be used to print other complex moving devices, including a six-legged robot and a pumping robotic heart. They’re just showing off now.

But jokes aside, this achievement opens doors to a new era of possibilities, promising advancements in medical prosthetics, intricate machinery, and potentially altering the landscape of how we perceive and interact with robotics.

It’s not merely a printed hand, it’s a grasp into the future. God that was deep.