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TL;DR
In a hurry? Here's our pick of the top news items of the week.
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TikTok is exploring a US-only version of its feed algorithm, which may allow it to remain in operation in the states. (Social Media Today)
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Apple's iOS 18 will give Siri much more control over apps thanks to AI integrations, letting users control specific app features with voice commands. (The Verge)
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Anthropic is releasing a new feature for Claude that allows people to create various assistants to meet their needs, with or without Google and OpenAI. (The Verge)
Audiences
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Social media is now the top channel for brand discovery in the UK, surpassing traditional search engines and TV ads, with platforms like TikTok and Pinterest growing rapidly. (Warc)
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72% of Americans are planning to travel this summer, with 36% saying they’ve already planned their trip. (CNN)
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Influenced by high-income Americans' budget increases, overall summer travel budgets are up 18% YoY. (Deloitte)
Platforms
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British advertisers are significantly boosting their investments in online entertainment, with notable increases on CTV and podcasts. (Warc)
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London’s Evening Standard has announced plans to shut down its daily newspaper and replace it with a weekly outlet. (The Guardian)
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TikTok’s now alerting some users that they’ve activated a DM streak in the app, similar to Snapchat. (Social Media Today)
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Instagram rolled out new Notes features, including Likes and Prompts. (Social Media Today)
Content
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The EU has devoted €141M in financing for the film, TV and creative sectors in Europe through loan guarantee agreements with French, German and Finnish intermediaries. (ScreenDaily)
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BBC Studios and Pluto TV will launch four new FAST channels in EMEA over the coming months. (Advanced Television)
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A trailer for "Moana 2" was viewed by 178M people in its first 24 hours, more than any other trailer for a film in the history of Disney. (THR)
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Range Sports has partnered with MLB to develop original programming around the Mets' team, players and fans. (THR)
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Dakota Johnson plays a late-blooming lesbian in a new Max series called "Am I OK?" based on the real-life coming out story of screenwriter Lauren Pomerantz. (NBC)
Tech &
AI-
An AI tool called Showrunner lets you create your own episodes of an animated TV series that look like "South Park." (IndieWire)
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OpenAI signed deals with Vox and the Atlantic to put news into ChatGPT. (Washington Post)
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Acer's newest laptop comes with the ability to snap pictures and video in stereoscopic 3D. (The Verge)
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Free ChatGPT users can now access custom GPTs, analyze charts, ask questions about photos, and other features added with GPT-4o. (The Verge)
Location-based
entertainment-
America’s tallest waterslide with a 145-foot tower opened at Greek-themed amusement park, Mt.Olympus. (The Sun)
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A cyberattack group hacked Ticketmaster's consumer data, affecting 560M customers. (CBS News)
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Universal Studios Florida will open its new attraction, DreamWorks Land, on June 14th. (MYNews13)
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US Open fans are angry with Ticketmaster over the inability to attain seats via presale. (NJ)
Travel &
hospitality-
Five of the top 10 busiest travel days in TSA’s history have occurred in 2024 as Americans set travel record after travel record. (CNN)
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Tourism brands and destinations have adopted interactive videos to create an action-oriented planning experience for their audiences. (PhocusWire)
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Bark Air, a new airline designed completely for pups, recently made its inaugural flight from New York to Los Angeles. (Travel and Leisure)
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Boba and non-alcoholic spirits are continuing to grow in popularity with younger consumers. (NRN)
Gaming
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US gaming revenue topped $66.5B for the third consecutive year. (igamingbusiness)
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Amazon will be publishing Maverick Games' debut title, a driving game that will be open world and narrative-led. (gamesindustrybiz)
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Lego’s first Legend of Zelda set is a 2.5K-piece Great Deku Tree. (The Verge)