This is Nick. This is Jack. And someone has finally beaten Tetris. In its 40yr history, no one had beaten it… you don’t play Tetris, Tetris plays you. Until 13-year-old Willis Gibson reached the highest score the game can handle — 999,999. Then the game froze... Whatchu talkin’ ‘bout? There were no more blocks to drop. It was game over for Tetris. Willis wins.

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1) The Keyboard Is Entering a New Era

For the 1st time in 30 years, Microsoft is changing the computer keyboard. PCs are getting a new button: An AI button. Someone’s bullish about an AI future…

The letter B is still hard to reach (and typing the asterisk requires acrobatics). The popular letters stay close, and the less cool letters are a bit of a reach. Since the QWERTY keyboard is considered optimal, it hasn’t really changed in 3 decades. But Microsoft believes AI is the future, so it’s replacing one of the command keys with an AI key.

• 🦋 The new button looks like a baby Origami butterfly. Or like Clippy got a Gen Z makeover. 

• 🦋 Tap it and Copilot (Microsoft’s AI assistant) pops up on the sidebar.

The Takeaway →

It’s not a new keyboard key, it’s a new advertisement. Have you noticed your remote’s permanent, physical Netflix button? That button isn’t just convenient, it’s an ad for Netflix. Back in 2011, Netflix paid TV-makers $1 per remote for it. 

• The key: You can’t delete it. If this were an app, you could forget about it. But you’ll see Microsoft’s new keyboard key everyday.

• And it’s not free: To use Copilot, it’s $30/month. It's the only key on your keyboard that’s paywalled.

In order for you to use the new future tech of AI, you’ll press a physical button. The irony…

2) Your 2024 Workout Routine Feat. TikTok & Peloton. 

Peloton announced a new partnership with TikTok yesterday. The stock burpee-d 15% on the news. 

Let’s rewind: Peloton pulled a hammy after the pandemic, the stock’s down 95% since. But in May the new CEO announced a turnaround plan that would transform it from an exclusive membership club to an accessible fitness app priced as low as $13/month — To be “For Anyone, Anywhere”...

…Including on TikTok: Where Peloton will now run, #TikTokFitness, a content hub on the platform. With 1B TikTokers, the audience is as ripe as pits for Peloton. Get ready for:

• 🤸‍♀️5-min core sessions and mini wind-down yoga routines.

• 🤳 BTS vids of Cody Rigsby eating a burrito before spin class or Ally Love making a playlist for an abs sesh.

This means Peloton discovered its true identity: A media company. Remember when it claimed to be a tech, software, hardware, gym, media, apparel, and logistics company? It’s in their IPO paperwork from 5 years ago. That was too much. With this fitness/media deal, there’s no need for a Peloton bike, just your device. No excuses anymore. 

But the most powerful detail of the Peloton x TikTok deal is the one with the least info…

The Takeaway →

Word of mouth is great. Word of famous mouth is better. The partnership announcement alluded to “Celebrity Collaborations,” which are key for Peloton to gain a new audience. Imagine: Trevor Noah doing a guided run — that could attract Trevor Noah followers to Peloton via TikTok. Or maybe 2 podcast hosts leading a spin class while sharing business news?

On the Pod Today…

💊 Walgreens stock just hit its lowest point in 26 years: It’s a Pharmageddon. Our dramatic solution involves Amazon — To hear more about it, listen to today’s pod.

Here’s what else you need to know today —

💼 The Jobs Report for December comes out today: As of now, unemployment’s still at a very low 3.7%.

🤔 Mark Zuckerberg just sold $400M of Meta stock, after the stock price tripled over the past year. 

☃️ The Northeast US is expecting some long-awaited snow this weekend. NYC should get more than 1 inch of snow for the 1st time in 700 days. 

📱 Apple’s iPhone is losing market share to… foldable phones. Razors 2.0. 

🖊️ ESPN just inked a 10-year deal with the NCAA for $920M. That’ll include the rights to 40 NCAA championships: 21 women’s, 19 men’s events, and increasing coverage of women’s sports. 

📉 The Quit Rate (employee’s voluntarily quitting jobs) hit a 3-year low. And hiring is at its lowest since April 2020. #Squattingseason

And one more thing. What game are you a master of? Wordle Wizards, show yourselves. 

—Nick & Jack