Hello world,

Happy Friday! I hope you’re prepped for the snow. Below are tons of links to read while warming up next to the fire, or by the random hot pole in your apartment for my fellow city dwellers.

Before the links, here’s one update I thought was interesting: New York City will use a $10M federal grant to build a very accurate, detailed underground map.

… Well, it’s going to be a map of underground utilities with the goal of preventing future construction delays caused by things like unknown pipes and cables.

… Also, access to the map will be very limited and only granted for short periods of time, and it won’t even be done until 2028.

If you don’t want to wait and aren’t qualified to get access to restricted city maps, check out this isometric pixel map of NYC to get your fix.

For those of you who are nostalgic, maybe for the days when the city had even more snow, check out this website that shows you the Street View of 1940s New York.

If you’re still still hooked on the underground map like me, I recommend watching a documentary about “mole people” that lived underground in New York City. The creator of the documentary, Erik Swanson, recorded this in 2008 but didn’t edit the footage until 14 years later because he didn’t want to out the tunnel residencies or invade their privacy. They don’t live in the tunnel anymore, at least not in this location. It now is home to Amtrak maintenance trains and equipment, and police patrol the area often to make sure there aren’t any residences.

Let me know what you think:

Tech News

• Related: Check out this isometric pixel art map of NYC.

• Snap settled a lawsuit alleging that social media platforms design products to be addictive for young users. The settlement was announced during a California Superior Court hearing one week before the trial was set to begin. Financial terms were not disclosed, and Meta, TikTok, and YouTube did not settle. (The New York Times)

• TikTok is hiring a Creator Advocacy and Engagement Coordinator to bring creators and small businesses directly into U.S. policy conversations. The role centers on building and managing relationships with creator advocates, preparing them for meetings and events with federal, state, and local leaders, and coordinating closely with internal policy teams. (TikTok)

Money Moves

• Holywater raised a $22M Series A to expand its microdrama app called My Drama, which focuses on short, serialized storytelling. The funding will support more shows, new genres, and distribution improvements. Microdrama is emerging as a serious mobile-native format. (Axios)

  

  If I was in a scrolling mood I could see myself watching one

• AI video startup Higgsfield raised $80M at a valuation above $1.3B, citing a $200M annualized revenue run rate. The company plans to triple headcount as demand for AI-generated video surges. It’s another signal that AI media tools are scaling fast, not just experimenting. (Reuters)

  • According to this youtube video, Higsfield is accused of luring creators with discounted “unlimited” plans, then abruptly changing the rules in mid-December, triggering mass bans and account lockouts. Users report losing access to their work, inconsistent appeals, and new usage limits that effectively killed the unlimited plan while pushing paid add-ons. After public backlash, some accounts were quietly restored, but many remain banned, with critics calling the episode a deliberate bait-and-switch and warning creators to stay away.

New Features

• Code in Spotify’s iOS app references a “Page Match” beta that would sync audiobooks with physical books or ebooks by scanning a page and using OCR to match it to an audiobook timestamp. The feature appears to require users to own both the audiobook and the same title in print or ebook form. Spotify has not announced the feature. (The Verge)

• YouTube CEO Neal Mohan said in his annual letter that the company plans to expand AI tools for creators in 2026. He said YouTube will add AI content labels, protections for creators’ likenesses, expanded parental controls, and new Shorts formats and monetization options. He also said YouTube will work to reduce low-quality AI-generated content. (The Hollywood Reporter)

• Pitchfork launched a paid subscription that allows readers to comment on reviews, rate albums, and access its archive of about 30K reviews. The launch marks the first paywall in the publication’s history. Some content remains available without a subscription. (Axios)

Elon and His Companies

• Elon Musk criticized Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary after O’Leary said the airline would not install Starlink due to fuel penalties and limited passenger demand. A Starlink executive disputed the fuel impact estimate, saying it would be about 0.3% rather than 2%. Ryanair has not announced plans to adopt Starlink. (Gizmodo)

• Elon Musk and Sam Altman exchanged posts on X after Musk shared content about a murder-suicide involving delusional conversations with ChatGPT. The exchange followed ongoing public disagreements between the two over OpenAI. The posts drew significant attention on the platform (The Information)

• Elon Musk’s AI chatbot Grok was used to generate non-consensual nude images of individuals on X, according to reports and advocacy groups. The images included public figures and, according to UK groups, AI-generated child sexual abuse material. Musk said he was not aware of underage images. (Bloomberg)

• Similarweb reported that Meta’s Threads surpassed X in daily mobile users, with 141.5M users across iOS and Android compared with X’s 125M as of Jan 7, 2026. The data showed Threads growth driven by mobile usage. X remained ahead in web traffic. (TechCrunch)

OpenAI Roundup

• OpenAI rolled out global age-detection on ChatGPT to identify accounts likely belonging to minors as it prepares to allow adult content. Flagged users face added restrictions, with selfie verification available to reverse misclassification. The move is a preemptive regulatory shield. (Reuters)

• OpenAI signed a three-year agreement with ServiceNow to embed its models into enterprise workflows, including AI voice agents and automated IT actions. The deal includes a revenue commitment tied to customer usage. It positions OpenAI deeper inside corporate infrastructure, not just chat interfaces. (The Wall Street Journal)

• Court filings revealed Microsoft began courting OpenAI in 2015, invested $1B in 2019, and later added over $12B more. Microsoft also secured approval rights over major decisions and prepared to hire Sam Altman during his 2023 ouster. The documents show how deeply Microsoft shaped OpenAI’s trajectory. (GeekWire)

Netflix Roundup

• Everything is gambling!! Netflix launched a live voting feature for subscribers with the premiere of its livestreamed talent show Star Search on Jan 20. Subscribers voted in real time via TV remote or the Netflix app, votes closed after a limited time, and Netflix tallied results in real time. (TechCrunch)

  • Remember, Polymarket just did this with the Golden Globes.

• Netflix offered $27.75 per share in an all-cash bid for Warner Bros. Discovery’s studio and HBO assets, totaling about $82.7B. The deal would split WBD into two companies and requires shareholder and SEC approval. It’s Netflix’s boldest consolidation move yet. (CNN)

• Netflix plans to roll out a redesigned mobile experience in 2026 featuring vertical video, clips, and video podcasts. The company says the changes reflect mobile-first viewing habits and competition from social platforms. Netflix is slowly borrowing from TikTok’s playbook. (The Hollywood Reporter)

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