Dime Trap

Social media offers a never-ending stream of content, but to get it, you have to put up with a lot of manipulation. Influencers entice you with clickbait, notifications hijack your attention, and algorithms tune your experience to keep you glued to your phone. The internet can be a hostile place, but recently, I found a thriving little community that feels different. It’s called Blast Radio, and it’s the most creatively refreshing thing I’ve seen online in years.Does Charlie Have a Kryptonite to Her Power?Blast Radio is a…

It was around 10 PM on a weeknight, and as usual, I was on the couch staring at my phone. I tapped open Spotify to pick a little background music for my bedtime death scroll, but this time the app had something new for me. It was a popup with a green circle on a blue background, asking if I wanted to try the new AI DJ. Well Spotify, don’t mind if I do. I’d heard a bit about this feature, but I wasn’t ready for what came next: Spotify started talking to me.Does Charlie Have a Kryptonite to Her Power?“It’s really great to…

Photo: Variance Films/ Emma McIntyre (Getty Images)As award season ramps up, RRR—one of the best historical fantasy action films we’ve ever seen—has so far nabbed Golden Globe and Critics Choice Awards for its music. Composer M.M. Keeravaani recently chatted with io9 to discuss working with RRR director S.S. Rajamouli on the film’s epic music, the international reaction to the film, and the viral video sensation of “Naatu Naatu”—thanks in no small part to the film’s charismatic leading men NTR Jr and Ram Charan.Sabina…

One week ago, 21-year-old influencer and photographer Tati Bruening was scrolling through Instagram and became annoyed over the fact that she was only seeing a seemingly endless stream of Reels, even though she wasn’t in the Reels tab. Where were the photos of her friends? In her frustration, Bruening threw together a meme—half-jokingly, she insists—calling for the powers that be to “Make Instagram Instagram Again.” She posted it to the photo-sharing app and even made an accompanying petition with her demands on…