TikTok Pushes Deeper Into AI-Generated Video Ads With New Tools
TikTok is rolling out a set of new artificial intelligence-powered advertising features, including the ability for marketers to use text or still images to create AI-generated video for the service.
Marketers can upload an image of a product they want to feature, or write a short text prompt describing the kind of video ad that they want, and TikTok's AI tools will produce various five-second clips that can then be used in an ad, the company announced Monday.
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Fast Company
16 minutes ago
- Fast Company
Pentagon Pizza Index: The theory that surging pizza orders signal global crises
A different kind of pie chart is being used to predict global crises. A surge in takeout deliveries to the Pentagon has become a surprisingly accurate predictor of major geopolitical events, dubbed the 'Pentagon Pizza Index.' Tracking activity at local pizza joints in Arlington County, the X account Pentagon Pizza Report noted an uptick in Google Maps activity from four pizza places near the Pentagon on June 12. We, The Pizza, District Pizza Palace, Domino's, and Extreme Pizza all reportedly saw higher-than-usual order volumes around 7 p.m. ET. 'As of 6:59 p.m. ET nearly all pizza establishments nearby the Pentagon have experienced a HUGE surge in activity,' the X account posted. The timing? Just hours before news broke of Israel's major attack on Iran. The U.S. announced it was not involved in the attacks. 'We are not involved in strikes against Iran, and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region,' Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement released by the White House on June 12. However, as the theory goes, the surge in traffic at local pizza joints close to government buildings may have signaled hungry military leadership hunkering down to monitor unfolding events. 'The kind of analytics we love,' read one comment on X. 'Google Maps research beats some spy agencies around the world,' another user reacted. The predictive power of pizza isn't a new theory. As Alex Selby-Boothroyd, The Economist 's head of data journalism, wrote on LinkedIn: 'The Pentagon Pizza Index has been a surprisingly reliable predictor of seismic global events—from coups to wars—since the 1980s.' During the Cold War, Soviet operatives reportedly monitored pizza delivery activity in Washington, believing a sudden uptick in late-night orders signaled military personnel working overtime. They even gave it a code name: 'Pizzint,' short for pizza intelligence. In January 1991, Frank Meeks, who then owned 43 Domino's outlets in the Washington area, told the Los Angeles Times: 'The news media doesn't always know when something big is going to happen because they're in bed, but [pizza] deliverers are out there at 2 in the morning.' He added that on the night of August 1, 1990, the CIA ordered a record number of pizzas in a single night—21 pies. A few hours later, Iraqi forces invaded Kuwait, marking the beginning of the Gulf War. As CNN's then-Pentagon correspondent Wolf Blitzer reportedly said in 1990: 'Bottom line for journalists: Always monitor the pizzas.' Of course, a correlation between pizza delivery and global crises is not a verified method of tracking world events. In a statement to Newsweek, the Pentagon dismissed the theory, noting they have plenty of pizza options inside the building, along with sushi, sandwiches, and donuts. They also disputed the timeline suggested by the Pentagon Pizza Report, saying it did 'not align with the events.'
Android Authority
17 minutes ago
- Android Authority
Android 16 update breaks button and gesture navigation for some Pixel users
Joe Maring / Android Authority TL;DR Google Pixel users are experiencing an annoying bug after installing the Android 16 update. The bug results in navigation buttons and gestures becoming temporarily unresponsive. User reports suggest that the issue is not limited to a specific Pixel model, although not all users are affected. Google recently rolled out Android 16 on the stable channel, bringing several new features to its Pixel devices. However, the update also seems to have introduced a frustrating bug for some users that makes their phones temporarily unusable. Recent reports on Reddit and X (via Android Headlines) highlight an annoying navigation issue that seems to have cropped up for some Pixel users after installing Android 16. The issue results in both button and gesture-based navigation becoming intermittently unresponsive, and it seems to affect all Pixel models. Here's a demo of the back button randomly not working on Android 16. I grabbed a bug report and submitted it to Google engineering along with this reproduction screencast. Hopefully, they'll figure it out. — Artem Russakovskii (@ArtemR) June 14, 2025 Some users say that the issue appears randomly and makes buttons and gestures completely unresponsive, while others have reported experiencing a delayed response while trying to navigate back or to the home screen. Although we don't have a foolproof workaround, a few affected users say switching to a different launcher app or clearing the Pixel Launcher's data and cache seems to fix the unresponsiveness and lag. Rebooting the device also appears to work in some cases, but the problem resurfaces shortly after the reboot for most users. While the issue doesn't seem widespread, we've seen a growing number of reports over the last few days. Google has yet to acknowledge the issue or reveal the underlying cause, but we expect the company to shed light on the matter in the coming days. We'll update this post as soon as we have more details. Got a tip? Talk to us! Email our staff at Email our staff at news@ . You can stay anonymous or get credit for the info, it's your choice.
CNET
22 minutes ago
- CNET
Meta's AI-Powered Ad Machine Is Coming for WhatsApp Next
WhatsApp, the Meta-owned messaging app used by close to 2 billion people worldwide, is ramping up its advertising efforts. While the app has long promised a privacy-first experience free from traditional ads, recent updates suggest that's changing, and changing fast. In a blog post published Monday, WhatsApp announced an expansion of its "Channels" discovery and business tools, designed to help you find more content and shops directly within the app. Alongside this rollout, Meta is preparing to introduce more ads, including sponsored content in WhatsApp's Status feature and Channel recommendations. This move builds on the company's broader strategy to monetize WhatsApp without disrupting its core messaging experience. According to reporting by TechCrunch, WhatsApp will soon begin testing ads that appear in the Status tab -- similar to Instagram Stories ads -- and sponsored channel suggestions will start showing up in the Updates tab, where you see Statuses and Channels from friends and creators. "We want to make it easier for people to discover content and businesses they care about on WhatsApp," the company said in its blog post, emphasizing that you'll still control who you follow and what you see. But for many, this signals a shift in WhatsApp's long-standing identity as a clutter-free, private chat platform. Meta did not provide additional information upon CNET's request for comment. Where the ads will appear in WhatsApp The new ad placements will roll out in several key areas: Status ads : These will look and feel like Instagram Story ads, appearing in between organic Status updates from friends. : These will look and feel like Instagram Story ads, appearing in between organic Status updates from friends. Sponsored channel suggestions : When browsing the "Updates" tab, you will start seeing paid recommendations for new channels. : When browsing the "Updates" tab, you will start seeing paid recommendations for new channels. Business messages and promotions: WhatsApp is also encouraging businesses to use its new features to promote sales, discounts and product launches. For now, these ads won't interrupt one-on-one encrypted messages, but the expansion of commercial content may still impact how you experience the app. Can you remove ads in WhatsApp? No, not really. There is currently no in-app option to turn off ads on WhatsApp. Since the app doesn't offer a premium or ad-free subscription tier, you will likely have to live with these new ad placements, particularly in Status and Channel discovery sections. However, there are a few workarounds if you want to avoid ads or limit data collection: Stick to private chats : One-on-one and group chats are still end-to-end encrypted and free of ads. : One-on-one and group chats are still end-to-end encrypted and free of ads. Disable auto-play for Statuses : This can help minimize exposure to Status ads. : This can help minimize exposure to Status ads. Try alternative apps: Privacy-focused messaging apps, such as Signal and Telegram, don't run ads and offer similar chat features. Read also: Signal, Telegram or WhatsApp: Which Encrypted Messaging App Should You Choose Ads will start appearing in the Status or Channels screens. WhatsApp The broader Meta advertising picture Meta's move to bring more ads into WhatsApp isn't happening in a vacuum; this move is part of a much larger shift across the company's platforms toward AI-powered advertising and monetization. As outlined in CNET's recent reporting, Meta is going all-in on artificial intelligence to power its ad systems. The company is increasingly relying on AI tools to generate and place personalized ad content across Facebook, Instagram and now WhatsApp. This allows advertisers to create more targeted, automated campaigns with less manual input, and allows Meta to rake in more ad revenue with greater efficiency. For Meta, WhatsApp has always been a sleeping giant in terms of monetization. Unlike Instagram and Facebook, which are flooded with ads and algorithmically curated content, WhatsApp has stayed relatively pure, focused on private communication. But that also means it's been underutilized from a business perspective, which is something Meta seems now eager to change. With the introduction of ads in Status, sponsored channels and new business tools, Meta is signaling that WhatsApp will become a more active part of its revenue engine. For now, WhatsApp insists it's trying to balance monetization with user control. But for longtime users, the era of an ad-free experience may soon be a thing of the past. The integration of ads also gives Meta more space to deploy its AI ad technology. The more you engage with Status updates, Channels and shopping features inside WhatsApp, the more signals Meta can feed into its ad systems to refine targeting across its entire app ecosystem. In short, the ads coming to WhatsApp aren't just about making a few bucks from business tools. They're about folding the platform into Meta's larger vision of AI-powered, cross-platform ad dominance. And for you, that means more commercial content surfacing in places that once felt more private.
