> Markdown version of [/videos/100620-fake-or-news-sand-batteries-ai-maps-and-mccartney-kicked-off-reddit](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/100620-fake-or-news-sand-batteries-ai-maps-and-mccartney-kicked-off-reddit). Every page supports `.md` or `Accept: text/markdown`. Links point to the HTML versions so they work for humans too. Agent guide: [/agents.md](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/agents.md). --- # Fake or News: Sand Batteries, AI Maps and McCartney Kicked Off Reddit Did Paul McCartney really get banned from his own subreddit? Or did an AI write angry revenge blogs? Test your tech radar against today's most bizarre headlines. - **Speakers:** Eleftheria Batsou - **Event:** Fake or News - **Published:** October 15, 2026 - **Duration:** 4:02 - **URL:** https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/100620-fake-or-news-sand-batteries-ai-maps-and-mccartney-kicked-off-reddit ## Summary The video features a playful "Fake or News" trivia segment where participants test their knowledge of the technology landscape by guessing the authenticity of bizarre headlines. The game challenges players to distinguish genuine breakthroughs from fabricated stories, illustrating how rapidly advancing technologies often sound like science fiction. Through a series of rapid-fire questions, the hosts explore the blurry line between reality and satire in the modern tech ecosystem. Participants navigate a wide array of topics, encountering real innovations like Finland's massive sand battery for renewable energy and an AI-powered robot capable of beating elite table tennis players. They also evaluate highly plausible fabrications, such as AI-powered drones mapping entire cities in under 24 hours, GitHub Copilot introducing a legacy mode for COBOL and Fortran, and an app designed to translate dog barks into human speech. The segment highlights several humorous and unexpected truths about the digital age, including the absurd but real story of Paul McCartney being banned from his own subreddit for self-promotion. It also touches on the unpredictable nature of autonomous systems, referencing an AI agent that wrote angry blogs after being banned from creating Wikipedia articles. Ultimately, the trivia format serves as an entertaining reflection on the current state of technology, where rogue AI travel agents and exploding Starlink satellites are just as likely to be real as they are fake. **Keywords:** tech industry trivia, fake or news headlines, renewable energy sand battery, ai table tennis robot, starlink satellite explosion, dog bark translation app, tesla full self-driving subscription, on-device ai models, github copilot legacy mode, cobol and fortran maintenance, rogue ai travel agent, reddit self-promotion ban, ai wikipedia agent, technology news satire ## Chapters 1. **Evaluating claims on AI drones and renewable energy batteries** (00:01) — The validity of technological breakthroughs like drone mapping, sand batteries, and satellite explosions is evaluated. 1. **Assessing stories about robot athletes and on-device AI models** (01:06) — News stories concerning table tennis robots, dog translation applications, and on-device artificial intelligence are assessed for authenticity. 1. **Determining the truth behind bizarre AI and technology claims** (02:14) — Peculiar claims involving a footwear company pivoting to technology and rogue travel agents are scrutinized for factual accuracy. 1. **Verifying a Reddit ban and reviewing final game scores** (03:08) — An unusual story about a celebrity getting banned from a community forum is verified before final game scores are revealed. ## Related Moments - [Evaluating tech journalism headlines in a trivia game segment](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1901-wearedevelopers-live-smoover-who-s-best-at-devrel) (from "WeAreDevelopers LIVE - Smoover - Who's Best at DevRel?") - [Testing tech headlines in fake or news](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/2164-wearedevelopers-live-project-chopin-make-your-team-and-agents-play-along) (from "WeAreDevelopers LIVE - Project Chopin: Make Your Team and Agents Play Along") - [Evaluating technology headlines in a fake news game](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/2166-wearedevelopers-live-is-css-catching-up-to-flash) (from "WeAreDevelopers LIVE - Is CSS Catching Up to Flash?") - [Evaluating technology headlines in a fake news trivia game](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1876-wearedevelopers-live-speeding-up-with-webgpu) (from "WeAreDevelopers LIVE - Speeding up with WebGPU") - [Testing technology knowledge with real and generated headlines](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1819-wearedevelopers-live-yes-css-can-do-that) (from "WeAreDevelopers LIVE - Yes, CSS Can Do That!") - [Introduction to the Fake or News game](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/100591-fake-or-news-xxl) (from "Fake or news XXL") ## Related Articles - [Dev Digest 137 - AI'm not sure about this](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/485-dev-digest-137-ai-m-not-sure-about-this) - [Dev Digest 135 - AI is Doomed](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/480-dev-digest-135-ai-is-doomed) - [Dev Digest 122 - Cracks in the polyfill](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/457-dev-digest-122-cracks-in-the-polyfill) - [Dev Digest 134 - Where pixels sing?](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/477-dev-digest-134-where-pixels-sing) ## Related Jobs - [Software Engineer - Video](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/jobs/ext/2600051-software-engineer-video) at **Twilio** - [AI Software Engineer (Germany)](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/jobs/48317-ai-software-engineer-germany) at **Sunhat** - [Senior AI Platform Engineer](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/jobs/ext/3711642-senior-ai-platform-engineer) at **ARM** - [Senior AI Platform Engineer](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/jobs/ext/3709265-senior-ai-platform-engineer) at **ARM** - [Senior Fullstack AI Engineer (React, C#)](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/jobs/ext/2520449-senior-fullstack-ai-engineer-react-c) at **TeamViewer Germany GmbH,** - [Principal Data & AI Engineer, Reporting and Insights](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/jobs/48540-principal-data-ai-engineer-reporting-and-insights) at **Expedia**