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$20K Headphones?! Intel’s AI Beast & Hailey Bieber’s $1B Exit
Read for 5 Minutes to be the smartest cookie for this weekend!
Yashank Goswami
May 29, 2025
News You Can Drop at Dinner Parties.
We’re back with your digest of what’s making headlines in tech, business, and culture, made fun, fast, and fluff-free. Let’s dive in.
Table of Contents
🎧 Hermès Wireless Headphones Cost as Much as a Honda!
Luxury fashion house Hermès is jumping into the tech game with their new wireless headphones, wrapped in rich leather, engineered for elite sound, and priced somewhere between “Oh cool!” and “Wait, what?!”
Spoiler: They cost thousands of dollars.
Photo via Instagram - Axel De Beaufort
If you see someone wearing these, either they’re in fashion, finance, or just really committed to flexing on the rest of us at Starbucks.
💻 Asus Routers Hijacked to Create a Zombie Internet Army
Hackers compromised thousands of Asus routers to build a global botnet, basically, an army of infected devices used to spread malware like it’s on tour.
Moral of the story?
Update your router firmware. Like, today. Your Wi-Fi shouldn’t be haunted.
Learn how to Update Your Router Firmware Here.
Intel’s Dual-GPU Monster With 48GB RAM Built for AI Brains
Intel just showed off a dual-GPU video card with 48GB of RAM, specifically made for AI workloads. Translation? It’s an absolute beast.
Gamers: Sit down for now.
Data scientists: You may now drool respectfully.
Digital Traffic Jams, Solved
Researchers created clever, energy-saving algorithms that keep city data flowing smoothly, especially during emergencies. Think traffic lights that don’t glitch and faster response times when you need help.
Smart cities might not have flying cars yet, but they are getting less laggy.
📰 Newswise
UK Points Finger at Russia for Major Cyberattacks
The UK’s cyber experts blamed Russian military hackers for a series of attacks on politicians, journalists, and public figures. The goal? Chaos and stolen data.
Just a reminder: change your password again, and no, “123456” is not good enough.
📰 BBC
📱Samsung’s Foldables Get Android 16
The upcoming Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Fold 7 are shipping with Android 16 preloaded, bringing slicker performance and better privacy.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 (Image credit: Future)
If foldable phones and fresh Androids are your thing, this is your time to shine.
🎹 Apple’s Logic Pro Now Records Even When You Forget To
Apple updated Logic Pro so it automatically records your jam session, even if you didn’t hit record.
No more “I had a genius riff and lost it” moments.
Your creativity is now auto-saved like Google Docs.
The World’s Biggest Tech Summit Kicks Off in Vancouver
Vancouver is hosting a massive global tech summit with 15,000+ people from over 100 countries. It’s a paradise for startups, innovation nerds, and anyone who’s said “synergy” unironically.
If you’re in BC, this is your Super Bowl.
📰 CBC
🛍️ Victoria’s Secret Systems Knocked Out in Cyberattack
A cyberattack took down Victoria’s Secret’s internal systems, disrupting operations across stores.
They’re now patching things up and improving security. Even the biggest brands need digital self-care.
📰 NYT
🛒 Meta Wants to Open Real-Life Stores for Its Devices
Meta is reportedly planning to launch physical stores to sell VR headsets, AR glasses, and all the other tech they believe will define the future.
Looks like Zuckerberg wants to go from online likes to in-store swipes.
📰 NY Post
💄 Hailey Bieber’s Skincare Brand Just Got Acquired for $1 Billion
Three years ago, Hailey Bieber launched her skincare brand, Rhode, with a mission to bring minimal, clean, and effective products to the beauty world.
Fast-forward to today, and her vision has paid off - ELF, the popular cosmetics company, just bought Rhode for a jaw-dropping $1 billion.
That’s billion, with a B. 💰
I like the logo!
What started as a celebrity passion project is now officially one of the biggest success stories in beauty. Rhode quickly gained a cult following thanks to its sleek branding, Hailey’s influence, and skincare products that actually worked (hello, glazed donut skin).
The brand stayed trendy while building trust with customers, a rare combo in today’s crowded beauty market.
ELF plans to expand Rhode’s global reach, and Hailey will remain the creative force behind the brand.
From model and influencer to beauty mogul, she’s now joined the billion-dollar club.
Not bad for three years’ work, eh?
🇷🇺 The Zuckerberg of Russia? Meet Pavel Durov
Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram and VK, is often called the “Zuckerberg of Russia.” But unlike Zuckerberg, Durov’s journey is filled with mystery, defiance, and more plot twists than a Netflix thriller.
He first created VK, Russia’s largest social network, but refused to hand over user data to the government.
Instead of complying, he fled the country, lost the company, and basically ghosted the Russian tech scene. Like a digital James Bond in a black turtleneck.
Black Turtle Neck = Villain Era For A Man
Then came Telegram, the secure, encrypted messaging app used by over 800 million users worldwide. It’s loved for its privacy—and hated for it too. From extremists to misinformation hubs, Telegram has hosted it all, and Durov has refused to moderate or bow to governments.
He believes in free speech at all costs, even when it gets messy.
But here’s where it gets really wild:
According to recent reports, Durov has allegedly fathered over 100 biological children via surrogacy and private arrangements, earning him the unofficial title of “Silicon Valley’s most elusive sperm donor.”
And that’s not all, he’s now facing legal issues that could lead to up to 10 years in prison, although the exact charges are still unclear due to his globe-trotting, off-the-grid lifestyle.
He’s admired by some as a free speech hero, and criticized by others as an enabler of chaos.
Whether he’s a privacy pioneer or just playing a high-stakes game of digital hide-and-seek, one thing’s clear: Pavel Durov is unlike anyone else in tech.
📰 Fortune
Meme of the Day
There should be ‘Co-worker Awareness Month’
Your inbox is now 2% smarter.
You’re welcome. See you next week, legend.
-Byte Size Buddy