Dear Studio Fam,
This week we start by looking at Google’s new smartwatch designed specifically for kids before diving into a humorous yet cautionary tale of AI gone wrong. We’ll also explore the IRS’s new direct-file system that’s set to revolutionize tax filing across the entire United States, and dive into a quirky legal battle between two similarly named games.
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Google Launches Kids Smartwatch
Google’s Fitbit division unveiled its first smartwatch specifically for kids, the ACE LTE Fitness Tracker. The new smartwatch works independently of a smartphone with integrated LTE and focuses on games connected to physical activity in the real world as well as parental-specific communication features. The $229 price might be too much for some parents, particularly considering the $10/month fee, considering the propensity for young children to lose things.
Willy Wonka Disaster Blamed on AI
You may remember the image of the “sad Oompa Loompa” that went viral a few months ago. The picture was taken at a Willy Wonka-themed children’s experience in Scotland that failed to meet the expectations—or really any expectations—of the hundreds of parents and children in attendance. The event was marketed with imagery created with generative AI, and a recent 60 Minutes Australia report details how such technologies are increasingly being used to deceive consumers. If you’re interested in experiencing the Wonka disaster for yourself, it has been recreated ironically in Los Angeles.
IRS E-File Coming To All 50 States
After a successful test in a handful of states, the IRS’ direct-file system will be available to all Americans for the 2025 tax year. The free system has long been resisted by accounting industry giants like H&R Block, who make billions of dollars per year charging Americans to prepare tax returns. Considering that the IRS already has all of the information on hand to process the return of 90% of Americans, the expansion of the direct-file system is a no-brainer to save Americans’ money in an era of high inflation.
Wordle vs Worldle
The New York Times acquired the crossword puzzle game Wordle in 2021 and quickly began a campaign of suing competitors out of existence. But they may have met their match in the form of Kory McDonald, the solo developer behind the web-based geography game Worldle (“World-lee”). McDonald recently received a cease-and-desist notice from the NYT because his game sounds too much like theirs. Indeed, there are few similarities between Wordle and Worldle beyond their names. Worldle players are shown a random Google Street View image and given six guesses to figure out where it is. And it’s not even a smartphone app. Users can only play in a web browser. “Worst-case scenario, we’ll change the name, but I think we’ll be OK,” McDonald told the BBC.