Weekly Download #83: YouTube's 20th Birthday 🎂

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Hello , it’s Sunday, April 27. Did you know this week was YouTube’s 20th birthday? Well it was!

On April 23, 2005, the first ever YouTube video was uploaded – a quick fun fact about the Elephants at the San Diego Zoo uploaded by YouTube co-founder Jawed Karim.

Now, we’ll just move right along so no one has to dwell on the idea that 2005 was 20 years ago.

• HOW TO: Score Xbox Game Pass for as cheap as possible

• THE BIG ONE: Slate announces $20k electric trucks

• FAST FIVE: Five news stories you missed.

• GEAR OF THE WEEK: MIXX Assistive Ear Buds

• MORON OF THE WEEK: Get a CLUE(LY).

• DEALS: Save money on gear you NEED.

• TOOLS: Cool apps on our radar.

Alright, let’s do this!

-Roger

Also, you only have until MAY 5 to enter our BIG sweepstakes for the BLUETTI Charger 1—a souped-up charger essential for camping, road trips, or extending the range of your EV.

CLICK HERE TO ENTER

HOW TO
Score Xbox Game Pass for as cheap as possible.

Just in time for Oblivion Remastered, KnowTechie’s own Tim Gagnon put together a helpful guide on the best ways to save money on an Xbox Game Pass subscription.

I recommend reading his whole article, but here’s the top line.

• Tip #1: Redeem Microsoft Rewards Points – By linking your Microsoft account to their rewards program, you can earn points by completing tasks on your phone, in the Bing or Xbox app, or on your computer. These points can be redeemed for sweepstakes entries, gift cards, and yes, even Xbox Game Pass.

• Tip #2: Convert Game Pass Core to Game Pass Ultimate—This one’s a little more complex, but if you have a Game Pass Core subscription, your unused months can be used to upgrade to Game Pass Ultimate. This Reddit thread has details.

• Tip #3: Share Your Account—We wrote a how-to about this back in 2023, but incredibly, it still works. Simply log in to multiple devices and share your game pass library between them.

What are your favorite Xbox Game Pass games? Let us know in the comments or reply to this email with your suggestion, and we’ll feature your answers in an upcoming newsletter with a shoutout and all.

THE BIG ONE
Slate announces $20k electric trucks

The race to build the first ultra-affordable US-built EV just kicked into high gear, because Slate.Auto just announced a $20K starter truck. There’s one catch – it has nothing.

Dubbed “The Blank Slate,” the barebones $20k edition lacks a touchscreen, radio, and other upgrades, which can be custom-bolted on for an extra fee.

The true innovation lies with Slate’s modular design, which offers a series of kits for adding a roof rack, lowered suspension, and more. This BlueSky thread does a great job rounding up all “25 models” of the truck.

Learn more and customize your own EV here:

FAST FIVE
Five news stories you missed

1.) Internet cesspool 4Chan is back online after hackers revealed admins
KnowTechie’s take: Honestly, I thought we were rid of it for good.

2.) Apple may shift iPhone manufacturing to India
KnowTechie’s take: Tariff uncertainty continues to undermine American tech companies.

3.) Study finds that Meta’s AI is getting too friendly with minors
KnowTechie’s take: This feels like a completely avoidable problem!

4.) Google will stop supporting early Nest thermostats on October 25
KnowTechie’s take: Users of the old devices will still be able to adjust the temperature directly, but not with any connected features.

5.) Decentralized Social Networking site BlueSky had its first major outage
KnowTechie’s take: Read this article to see many Mastodon users gloating.

GEAR OF THE WEEK
MIXX Assistive Earplugs

Are you a light sleeper? When my wife and I lived in Brooklyn, we were in a first-floor apartment by the fire station. You’d better believe I slept with earplugs in. But none nearly as nice as our Gear of the Week, MIXX Assistive Earplugs.

So, while they might not look like much, these innovative silicon earbuds are designed to make things quieter without making your head feel like it’s stuffed with cotton.

For $20, you get three pairs (small, medium, and large) and a carrying case. Professional musician pals of mine wear similar earplugs, but they’re far more expensive, so if you’re looking to dip your toe into the world of reusable earplugs, this might be a great chance.

READ THE FULL REVIEW HERE

Moron of the Week
Get a CLUE(LY).

Alright, so I know that this is BAIT but I cannot even with this guy…

Cluely is a new AI-assistant that promises to help you “Cheat On Everything.” Founded by Roy Lee, who claims to have been “Suspended” from Columbia for building an app that helped students “cheat” on interviews.

I’m all for using AI to simplify to-do lists or even for doing research, but this guy seems to want to take all the fun out of human interaction.

DEALS

Letterly: Use this AI-powered app to convert unstructured speech into polished, well-written text content – 66% OFF

Followr: Followr combines AI-powered content creation, automated scheduling, engagement tools, and smart algorithms to grow your social media – 51% OFF.

Amazon Fire TV 55" 4-Series 4K UHD smart TV with Alexa Voice Remote Enhanced + Free Shipping for $309.96 – 40% OFF

Apple AirPods Pro 2 Wireless Earbuds w/ MagSafe Case at Amazon for $169 – 32% OFF

TOOLS

Paint – Adorably retro, web-based MS Paint clone

Runna – Supercharge your Strava with personalized running plans

Whatting – Turn your iPad into a customizable diary

NotebookLM – Google is supercharging how you learn

Microsoft Bing Search – Use Microsoft AI to search the web (and earn Microsoft Rewards Points!)

THANKS FOR READING!

Alright! We made it through another week.

We really appreciate every single one of you – so don’t be afraid to spread the word about our little ol’ newsletter. Tell your friends, family, AND coworkers – the more the merrier!

-Roger

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