NewsBytes Briefing: Elon's trying to tell us something, and more
The US has printed more money last year than it did in two centuries since its founding. In a totally unrelated incident, the world's billionaires grew richer by $10.5 trillion. The smart money seems to be trading in real dollars for Bitcoins, which ironically cannot be printed willy-nilly. However, only one blessed meme lord is making a deliberate public announcement while doing so.
Hyundai manages to wipe out $7.1 billion with one mistake
Speaking of smart money, here's something from the other end of the spectrum. The stock values of both Hyundai and Kia shed a combined $7.1 billion earlier today. This comes courtesy of the Hyundai Motor Group first prematurely announcing its autonomous vehicle partnership with Apple and then backtracking on the claim. We can't decide if this is masterful/illegal market manipulation or just plain dumb.
The iPhone 12 might be bad for your heart
If the last one didn't give Hyundai investors a heart attack, the iPhone 12 just might. No kidding. The MagSafe feature found in all iPhone 12 variants basically deactivates critical cardiovascular implants such as pacemakers and implanted defibrillators when held near the chest. Having said that, it may also have saved some lives from tripping related incidents. Nature has a way of maintaining balance.
TikTok will turn 16-year-olds into direct-response salesmen
The legendary Billy Mays may be hawking OxiClean in heaven, but his legacy might live on through TikTok. What was once a strange platform for even stranger short form videos, will soon convert its army of 16-year-olds into an eldritch horror consisting of Gen Z direct-response salesmen. Does that mean the Indian Government was remarkably prescient?
Yet more Bitcoin madness; This time from Germany
Speaking of unfortunate events, German authorities are sitting on $60 million in Bitcoins, but with no means to retrieve them. A thief caught with 1,700 illegally mined Bitcoins has conveniently forgotten the password to the digital wallet securing the loot. To be honest, it would be easier to ask Elon Musk to retrieve MrBeast's bitcoin stash from the moon.
