Space Vacation

PRESENTED BY FINANCE BUZZ

New week, new you. If you’re struggling to decide whether to read a William Shakespeare play or just play some Grand Theft Auto, you may soon be able to enjoy them simultaneously. Mubi is set to release Grand Theft Hamlet, which is a documentary about out-of-work actors Pinny Grylls and Sam Crane staging Shakespeare’s masterpiece inside of GTA Online. It’s an insane idea… which is why we’re excited about it.

DAILY TOP TRENDS

Influencers Go IRL

Digital influencers are organizing IRL events to build community among fans and open up new lines of revenue.

The Big Picture: The creator economy and the experience economy are both booming, so combining them allows influencers to break out of the online noise and host events that gather their most loyal followers — the demographic that gives creators career longevity.

Behind The Scenes: A lot of creators blew up during the COVID era, and now they want to finally meet their fans in person.

• Following in the footsteps of podcasters selling tickets to live tapings, digital creators like Dude Perfect, Rhett and Link, Ariana Nathani, and even newsletter writers like Hunter Harris, have been hosting events.

• They’re specifically designed to complement their content, like Dude Perfect’s trick-shot shows and Nathani’s meet-ups for single Gen Zers.

• The market is so hot that companies such as app Posh, publisher Vox Media, and newsletter platform Substack are building event-focused businesses.

The Future: The key to these events is that creators provide a time when they’re simply meeting and engaging with fans. Positive face-to-face interaction goes a long way in creating a follower for life. And that naturally spreads to the community — whether it’s total strangers or people who’ve engaged with each other online about a creator’s content — who can also meet and potentially become real-life friends. It’s the promise of social media in action.

Don’t be surprised if some new creators start to build online followings by incorporating an IRL aspect to their content right from the get-go.

Together With Finance Buzz

Tackle Your Credit Card Debt With 0% Interest Until Nearly 2026

If you have outstanding credit card debt, getting a new 0% intro APR credit card could help ease the pressure while you pay down your balance.

Our credit card experts have identified top credit cards that are perfect for anyone looking to:

• Pay down debt

• Not add to it

Click here to see what all the hype is about.

Vast Offers Vacations In Space

Space startup Vast has unveiled their flagship project — the world’s first commercial space station that will launch into low-Earth orbit in 2025, where guests will have the opportunity to be ferried to the station for an all-inclusive 10-to-30-day stay.

Why It Launches: The modern space race is the privatization of space, turning the stars into a frontier that can be explored by anyone (with enough money) who wants to. As space travel becomes more accessible, it’s only a matter of time before orbit becomes a hot travel destination.

Between The Stars: Vast’s Haven-1 will be ready for guests by 2026. Here’s what they can expect:

• A maple wood-focused interior design so that it feels warm and inviting.

• Rooms equipped with adjustable light and temperature controls.

• Duvets that inflate to create the perfect pressure for a galactic good night’s rest.

• Free WiFi in case you want to Netflix and Orbit™.

Final Approach: The Haven-1 isn’t all fun and games, though. Vast views it as an important research lab to see how to best house astronauts to live and work in space, giving scientists and researchers the creature comforts necessary for long experiments in microgravity — the ultimate ambition of billionaire founder Jed McCaleb. As more of these stations come online, prepare to see hospitality giants like Hilton and Marriott strike deals, so they, too, can enter the space tourism market.

Go Further: If ten days seem like a long time in orbit, you can always just go up for a nice dinner at a Michelin-star restaurant.

DEEP DIVES

• Read: NYT Magazine explores the wide-ranging modern influence of dance choreographer Parris Goebel on everyone from Rihanna to Ariana Grande.

• Watch: Idea Generation sits down with Fear of God designer Jerry Lorenzo about his ascension in the world of streetwear.

• Listen: The Future of Everything explores the budding pharmaceutical industry of making medicine in space.

56.2% of you voted No in Friday’s poll: Do you find LinkedIn useful?

“If you want to hear about all the wonderful places people have gone and food they’ve eaten, it’s great. LinkedIn has become like Facebook, with people wanting you to applaud the latest certificate they’ve earned or company function they’ve attended.”

“Few people engage as their authentic selves. It’s either influencers who have all the answers or someone telling you ‘how excited they are to announce.’”

“I’m one of those rare people who found my job on LinkedIn, but I’m an outlier. The site is almost completely useless. Too many bots, fake job listings, scam recruiters, and people giving unsolicited career advice.”

“It’s unfortunately a necessary evil nowadays.”

Let’s keep the conversation going. Join our Poll Of The Day newsletter so your opinions can shine. Discover how your views line up with your peers’, check out cool insights, and have some fun. It’s data with personality.

QUICK HITS

→ Entertainment / Media

✏️ Influencer studies and courses on digital content creation are now offered at Ivy League schools.

🎮 Xbox will now offer users the ability to download full games straight from its Android app.

📀 Since Redbox went under, 24,000 disc kiosks have become paperweights at grocery stores, pharmacies, and other stores.

→ Technology

🚕 Tesla unveiled its Cybertaxi and surprise Robovan at its We, Robot event… but shareholders aren’t impressed.

📱 TikTok apparently can become addictive to young users in as few as 35 minutes, internal documents show.

🐱 Casio has created a robotic pet called Moflin that can learn your emotions over time.

→ Fashion / E-commerce

🧐 Amazon’s Rufus AI chatbot can reportedly check the price history of products on the platform.

🏎️ Formula 1 and Hot Wheels are teaming up on a car collab… but not the kind you can drive.

🎨 A building in Bristol, England that has an early Banksy mural on its side is hitting the market… and expected to fetch 1,000% more than what the owner bought it for in 2000.