It has been a year since an Instagram user called ‘Benji,’ a.k.a. UK Snack Attack by Benji, released the first ‘Snackfishing’ post on social media with a bottle of clear ketchup, with the viral concepts leading this week’s edition of Tech Times’ Weekly Wrap. Additionally, the ‘chip war’ between the United States and China further escalated last week when new export controls were revealed, with Beijing saying that it is an “abuse.”
Also, the much-awaited Spotify Wrapped 2024 year-in-review is now available for all users on the top music streaming platform, showcasing the many metrics and statistics of one’s audio journey for this year.
‘Snackfishing’ Hoax Was Made For Fun, And Here’s Why
Last year, Benji shared a photo of “Clear Tomato Ketchup” wherein he used the packaging and font of the Heinz brand, and this led many people to believe that the product was real. However, this “clear” ketchup is clearly a hoax, and its creator is only making this for fun, by reimagining renowned products and items into a new one, something from the consumer’s wildest dreams.
This trend was coined as “Snackfishing,” as claimed by Benji, and it is similar to the online scam called ‘catfishing,’ but his playful creations and takes on specific products do not mean any harm to the public.
While the Snackfishing trend misled the public, it also sparked debates about whether these product markups were the real deal, and according to Wired’s report, this was only a way for Benji to unwind from his work as a data analyst. The good thing is that the many concepts from Benji’s imagination continue to bring new products for the fun of it, reimagining famed items that people wish for, and are available in real life.
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US-China Chip War Escalates, Beijing Calls ‘Abuse’
The US Commerce Ministry shared the latest restrictions they imposed against the Asian superpower, China, which centers on their rivalry on semiconductors and design alongside a new ban list versus Chinese companies. Because of these latest developments, China claimed that the US “abused” their position on certain restrictions against them, and went as far as to call them bullies.
In the latest escalation of the so-called ‘chip wars,’ the US imposed a ban on selling twenty-four types of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, as well as new Chinese companies now part of the ban list from accessing American technology.
The Chinese Commerce Ministry claimed that this move by the United States is a “significant threat” to the global industrial supply chains, with China reclaiming its stance to oppose the latest changes.
Spotify Wrapped 2024 Brings The Latest Stats
One of the top experiences during the end of the year is the audio streaming platforms’ year-in-review, and the famed Spotify Wrapped 2024 was finally made available right at the start of December. It offers much information about one’s music listening journey for this year, and it also includes audiobooks and podcasts streaming data on the renowned roundup experience.
However, this year, Spotify not only focused on the metrics and numbers available from users’ streaming experiences for 2024, but the company also introduced the “Your Spotify Wrapped AI Podcast” which leverages Google’s NotebookLM to give an overview by hearing it from AI-generated hosts, podcast-style.
Anyone who has a Spotify account, may it be Free or Premium, may access their Wrapped 2024 via this website or by heading to the app and tapping on the banner that takes users directly to the year-in wrap-up feature.
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