The Weirdest Shit Out of Silicon Valley
“The Weirdest Shit Out of Silicon Valley” is a series from The Bold Italic documenting the bizarre news, gadgets, and developments in the tech world.
Welcome to March! You made it! Hopefully your February was a Bridgerton-full fiesta, and not a stay-in-your-sweatpants-and-sob kinda month.
We may be halfway to vaccine “open season” if we’re lucky — so cheers to more waiting around. As always, I’m here to entertain and inform you with the latest musings coming out of the Valley.
Here’s what we saw in February 2021 — but first, our monthly game.
Two Truths and a Lie: Silicon Valley Edition
Which of the following long-distance love-related startups is fake?
- A startup that sells his-and-her/ his-and-his/ her-and-her paired wristbands that pulse in time to your lover’s heartbeat.
- A startup that sells a sensor-laden haptic wearable shirt, which lets you remotely “hug” your loved one.
- A startup that sells connected masks so you can remotely kiss your beloved.
Scroll to the bottom for the answer.
Know of some ridic stuff happening in tech? Email, DM, or tweet me to include it in next month’s edition.
1. Vaccine flexing is all over Tinder, Bumble, Grindr…
Have the shot? Now you’re hot!
2. MIT Engineers teach spinach to email. Yes, SPINACH.
Bonus: This could solve a LOT of climate problems.
3. Wall Street’s hiring a meme-tastic wannabe millionaire trader
For real, meme skills and Reddit know-how are job requirements.
4. You can now relive the bar experience, complete with street sound and ‘people talking’ audio
An online way to get to your drinking hole again.
Answers to Two Truths and a Lie
The connected mask startup is the fake one. The LittleRiot makes Pillow Talk the connected wristbands (a speaker under the pillow makes the sound), and Cute Circuit makes the hug shirt.
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