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Alongside tools for AI-generated podcasts, Spotify on Thursday introduced a new, ElevenLabs-powered AI tool for self-publishing audiobooks within the Spotify for Authors platform. The company said at its Investor Day event that the feature will launch in beta this June on an invite-only basis, initially with support for the English language only. The AI-powered audiobook generation won’t bind authors to an exclusive contract, meaning they are free to publish their generated audiobooks anywhere. The news builds on Spotify’s previous partnership with ElevenLabs, which allowed writers to submit audiobooks created on the voice AI startup’s platform to Spotify. The audio streaming…
Atlantic hurricane season is almost upon us and the early signs indicate it might be less active than usual. But that’s no reason to delete your weather app and ignore the forecast.The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is predicting eight to 14 named tropical systems, of which three to six will become hurricanes and one to three will be Category 3 or higher.“What’s driving this forecast is largely an El Niño event,” said NOAA administrator Neil Jacobs.Characterized by a tongue of hot water stretching across the Pacific, El Niño is likely to emerge this summer. That stretch of warm ocean…
Nike is taking a different approach to this summer’s FIFA World Cup 2026.Ahead of the tournament’s kickoff on June 11, the sportswear giant revealed a sneak peek of the global cast of characters who will feature in its World Cup marketing over the next 12 weeks.They include soccer stars such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Erling Haaland, as well as athletes, artists, and celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Serena Williams, Travis Scott, K-pop star Lisa, and Puerto Rican rapper Young Miko. Nike released Polaroid photos of the cast across online and social channels today (May 21), saying they will appear in “unexpected collabs…
Fragrance tech company Patina says it has raised $2 million in funding investors, including Betaworks and True Ventures. The company focuses on creating new scent molecules using advanced molecular design, machine learning, and scent research. Today, most of the scent molecules used in consumer products are created by a small number of specialized labs, which then sell those molecules to fragrance houses or cosmetics companies — the brands that ultimately turn them into perfumes, candles, or flavored products. Patina is trying to shake that up, entering an area that has seen little innovation in the past half century. The company…
Margo Millet specializes in “constructive, recreational appendage analysis,” and for $20 on OnlyFans, she will tell you what Pokémon your penis most resembles and what attacks it might have.Artfully detailing strangers’ private parts on the internet is not exactly the kind of work the protagonist of Margo’s Got Money Troubles dreamed of doing when she was little, but she’s strapped for cash, parenting solo, and has an uncanny gift for it (such as: “Your Bulbasaur’s special move is Ooze Attack, extremely potent pre-cum”). Before long, and with 200 new followers, Margo has learned her first lesson: “The ones that hate…
The $15 Trillion Audience Marketers Still Treat Like an Afterthought ADWEEK’s latest podcast episode.ADWEEK The future of brands gets decided here. Join the industry’s top marketers at Brandweek for the ideas, insights, and connections shaping what’s next. Get your ticket. In this episode of Adspeak by ADWEEK, Jennifer Meehan joins two creators over age 55, Stewart Reynolds (@brittlestar) and Granny Guns for a sharp conversation on one of marketing’s biggest blind spots: older audiences. Despite controlling nearly half of global spending power, the 55+ demographic receives only a fraction of advertising investment. The discussion explores why older…
Long before Zohran Mamdani became New York City’s 112th mayor, he understood that if you want to reach young voters, you have to meet them online. Now, in classic Mamdani fashion, the mayor is taking that strategy even further. On Thursday, Polygon exclusively revealed that Mamdani is launching a recurring Twitch livestream series titled “Talk with the People,” premiering today at 4 p.m. ET, where he’ll answer questions directly from viewers through Twitch chat. It will also simulcast across YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X, and Bluesky. The Twitch move says a lot about the changing relationship between politics and the…
IPad? Never heard of it.I have been using Android tablets pretty much since the first one came out, and I’ve never felt the need for anything made by any fruit companies. Android tablets make great “nice to have” entertainment centers, or they can be complete lightweight laptop replacements for travel.Whatever your use case, I’ve tested just about all the Android tablets out there, and these are the best, depending on what you need them for. If you want to see how these stack up next to those iPad things, check out our guide to all the tablets on the market.Be…
Walmart’s Ad Growth Holds Steady, up 37% in Q1 Higher-than-expected tax refunds offered a tailwind to sales.Scott Olson/Getty Images Cannes Lions is where the biggest ideas take center stage. Join ADWEEK for must-see conversations, top industry leaders, and the moments everyone will be talking about. The numbers37%: Growth in global advertising revenue during the first quarter.$177.8 billion: Total revenue, up 7.3% year over year.26%: Year-over-year ecommerce growth sales in Q1.More than 100%: Growth in the number of shoppers using Sparky, Walmart’s AI shopping agent, on a weekly basis during the first quarter.50%: Sales growth on Walmart’s…
In a media landscape dominated by Baby Shark and Skibidi Toilet, one startup is reimagining children’s media by focusing on well-being, not watch time. Maka Kids is building a streaming app for children ages zero to six featuring content designed for healthy development. The startup has now raised $3 million in seed funding to scale its platform, and is currently accepting waitlist sign-ups. Unlike traditional streaming platforms, Maka Kids doesn’t have recommendation algorithms, ads, or auto-play. Instead, it is designed to offer a predictable experience that supports learning, creativity, and emotional growth. Maka Kids was founded by Isabel Sheinman and…
It is indeed a weird time to be an automaker, as US federal incentives disappear and support dwindles for newer electric-powered cars. “Manufacturers would really like to know what the future will be and what are the rules,” says Mike Finnern, the senior vice president and zero-emission fleet lead at WSP, a consulting firm. Guarantees of large, future orders from fleet managers like city governments, but also private businesses, “will help them be stable for a while.”EVs are a nice fit for government fleets, Finnern says. Surveys suggest that regular car buyers are still plenty apprehensive about shifting to a…
Beauty and wellness booking marketplace Fresha has announced an $80 million investment from KKR’s Next Generation Technology Growth fund, valuing the London-based company at more than $1 billion. The investment is notable for coming from KKR’s growth equity arm, which targets companies with proven business models that are still in aggressive expansion mode — a sign that Fresha is seen as past the risky early stages and ready to scale. The London-based company, founded in 2015, has grown significantly over the past few years. When TechCrunch covered a Fresha fundraising round in 2021, the company had 60,000 businesses on its platform…
This is not a true duffel bag so much as “the world’s first true wide-mouth packing system,” as Rux calls it, but it is nevertheless an impressive piece of equipment from a company known for its modular gear-toting systems. Not unlike a foldable version of the popular 70L storage container, the Duffel box starts completely flat, but the sides pop up, and the patent-pending top rolls down to form a box that stays open on its own. There are no zippers involved in its construction, but there are multiple straps, panels, and pockets, and you will most likely need to…
For months, scammers have been taking advantage of a loophole that allows them to send spammy emails from an internal Microsoft email address typically used for sending legitimate account alerts. It’s not clear how the scammers are abusing the system, but they have been able to set up new Microsoft accounts as if they are new customers, and use that access to send out emails purportedly from the tech giant itself, potentially tricking people into thinking that these emails may be genuine. Microsoft doesn’t yet appear to have gotten a handle on the issue. Last week, I received several, similarly…
Comparing Our Favorite Dyson VacuumsWhat’s Still to Come from Dyson in 2026Dyson announced in September 2025 that its lineup of vacuums has been totally refreshed for 2026. A few vacuums have already come out, including the PencilVac and new robot vacuum, while a couple are yet to come. Here’s what we’re still waiting to see this year:The Dyson V8 Cyclone. This is an update to Dyson’s popular V8 vacuum, with 30 percent more suction power—150 air watts—and twice the run time, giving it over an hour over the original V8’s 30 minutes. It’ll have a triggerless power button and a…
Publicis’ Carla Serrano Warns Women Could Pay the Price Amid AI Shift The future of brands gets decided here. Join the industry’s top marketers at Brandweek for the ideas, insights, and connections shaping what’s next. Get your ticket. As Publicis Groupe makes billion-dollar bets on AI and technology, most recently with its $2.2 billion purchase of LiveRamp this week, chief strategy officer Carla Serrano is wary of a creeping issue: women are slowly but surely being erased from the boardroom.At the New York Women in Communications Matrix Awards in New York on Tuesday evening, where she…