If you’ve ever wondered how you’d react in a real-life Jason Bourne situation, you’re not alone. Some unsuspecting folks recently got an answer to that question, courtesy of a prank engineered by Oscar winner Matt Damon himself.
Here’s the setup: Damon’s inside man hands a ringing cellphone to random passersby, saying only, “call is for you.” Once they got on the line, the actor leads them, Bourne-style, through a top secret mission of vital importance and tracks their progress via a series of hidden cameras.
Of course, people’s reactions to the scenario vary wildly, with some accepting the mission unquestioningly and others — like the gentleman at 0:57 — leaving everyone’s favorite super spy hung out to dry. Those who actually comply with Damon’s requests make for some truly absurd/hilarious theater, and the actor even has to remind one particularly stalwart participant that it’s not a good idea to field phone calls from strangers and obey their every request.
If you’re wondering about the impetus for all this silliness: The video was created in conjunction with Omaze, which raffles off once-in-a-lifetime experiences to those willing to donate $10 to a good cause. The company is currently offering a chance to win free tickets to the Jason Bourne premiere this summer, and the proceeds from the giveaway will benefit Water.org, a charity co-founded by Damon that helps provide access to safe drinking water in impoverished communities around the world.
The video (embedded above), contains a link to enter the contest, and you can also throw your hat in the ring via Omaze.com.
The latest installment in the Bourne franchise is due out in theaters July 29. In addition to Damon, the film stars Julia Stiles and Academy Award winners Alicia Vikander and Tommy Lee Jones.
Some of the best shots in Grok Imagine’s AI-made Odyssey don’t contain actors. Ancient landscapes stretch into the distance. Close-ups of grimy hands suggest people who have touched something rougher than a keyboard. For a few seconds, the illusion holds.
https://twitter.com/imagine/status/2113712964419063911
YouTube videos could soon look better without eating quite so much data, right? Thankfully, the platform plans to introduce a new video format called AV2 on its web player in early 2027, promising more efficient streaming and potentially fewer playback hiccups on slower internet connections. The big headline is a roughly 30% improvement in compression efficiency over AV1, YouTube's existing video format. That doesn't guarantee every video will use 30% less data, but it could make streaming a little easier on both internet connections and data allowances.
What is AV2, and why should viewers care?
YouTube is changing how its Home page works, giving viewers more control over what shows up there and making some of the app’s most-used sections easier to reach. Custom Feeds are now replacing the existing topic chips for eligible users, while YouTube is also testing a redesigned top bar on mobile that moves Subscriptions closer to the Home feed.
YouTube first started experimenting with Custom Feeds earlier this year, letting you type out what you wanted to watch and turning that request into its own stream of recommendations. Now, the feature is starting to look less like a side experiment and more like something YouTube actually wants people to use as part of their everyday Home page.