The Weekly Authority: ???? Pixel 7a peek

⚡ Welcome to The Weekly Authority, the Android Authority newsletter that breaks down the top Android and tech news from the week. The 223rd edition here, with a first peek at the Pixel 7a, why you shouldn’t go for a stroll in NYC with $95,000 in iPhones, free Steam Decks, and more…

???? I may have bought a Nintendo Switch in the Black Friday sales, and have spent more time adding games to my wishlist than actually playing it so far! Seeing all the cozy games aimed at younger gamers left me wondering just how safe our kids are online, which brings us nicely to our sponsor for this week:

Thanks to Wondershare for sponsoring today’s newsletter!

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• These were the top YouTube videos of 2022 — from Technoblade’s touching farewell to Will Smith’s infamous slap, and more.
• Speaking of, there are so many YouTube TV channels on the platform that it can be bewildering. We’ve listed them all here for you.
• From WandaVision to CHiPs, Rolling Stone has an excellent roundup of the best TV theme songs of all time.
• It’s coming — The Mandalorian Season 3: Release date, story, and everything else we know.
• Disney’s latest animated feature, Strange World, pulled in $11.9m this weekend, the company’s worst box office debut since The Emperor’s New Groove in 2000.
• And Disney’s new AI can make your favorite actor look older or younger.
• Nintendo released a new trailer for its upcoming Super Marios Bros. movie with Anya Taylor-Joy and Seth Rogan making appearances as Princess Peach and Donkey Kong.
• Dive into our pick of the best streaming movies this week, including must-see Norwegian Netflix original Troll and romantic comedy Bros.
• Loved Netflix’s creepy, kooky show? Here’s everything we know so far about Wednesday Season 2 on Netflix.
• Finally: If a Santa slasher sounds like your idea of a good time, check out Mashable‘s Violent Night review.

This week’s wonder comes courtesy of our friends over at The Hustle. Have you heard of Dabloons? You’re probably thinking of “Doubloons,” the Spanish gold coins that pop up in old pirate films now and then. But Dabloons are something different entirely — a user-generated TikTok game surrounding a fake currency.

• Cast your mind back to 2021 (we know, it feels like forever ago) when an image of a kitten’s paw with the caption “4 dabloons” went viral on Instagram, followed by a picture of a black cat and its paw.
• Before you could say “Meow,” the meme was everywhere, including Tumblr and Reddit, before finally spreading to TikTok. When it hit the latter, users decided they would “earn” Dabloons whenever the cat appeared.
• Ok, so Dabloons have no real-world value, but that doesn’t mean you can’t keep track of your earnings, which is exactly what some players started doing.
• According to The Hustle, “The ‘Dabloon cat’ itself evolved into a fantasy RPG merchant, selling weary travelers ‘stew’ in exchange for Dabloons, while others began roleplaying characters such as Dabloon thieves, shopkeepers selling potions to protect against Dabloon theft, Dabloon cops, and Dabloon lawyers.”
• Brands got on board too, including Ikea and Toys R Us.
• Sad news though: with some accounts giving away large numbers of Dabloons, Dabloon inflation hit hard.

Umm, why?

• It’s all a bit of fun really, and it could be that millennials and Gen Z using TikTok enjoy being part of an economy where inflation, the prospect of a recession, student loans, and other financial worries are non-existent.
• It’s sort of fun to see people enjoying social media, for once.
• But if you’d rather invest in real cryptocurrency, check out our guide for everything you need to know.
• You’ll probably also want to eye up our glossary of crypto terms to help you decode the jargon, and while you’re here, take a peek at our comprehensive guide to cryptocurrency wallets. 

Tech Calendar

• December 3-4: Indie Live Expo
• December 6: New DLC for Back 4 Blood (PC, PlayStation, Xbox) and Far Cry 6 (PC, PlayStation, Xbox) released.
• December 8: The Game Awards 
• January 5-8, 2023: CES 2023 (Las Vegas)
• February (date TBC): Samsung Unpacked (Galaxy S23?)

Tech Tweet of the Week

When you see it…????