This week, we are talking Home Depot’s b-hole reminiscent chatbot and vibecoding JD Vance’s face. Plus—the biggest mystery in American shopping: why does TJ Maxx make people need to poop? Also on tap: Apple’s iPad launch cringefest and a surprising rise in Android smartphone adoption among creatives AND finance bros alike.

The Rise of Butthole Logos

Key takeaways:

Home Depot's "Magic Apron" and Lowe's "Milo" chatbots launched within hours of each other—proving that every brand now needs an AI assistant, even if they all look the same.
AI is speeding towards eliminating websites as we know them—future shopping experiences will be conversations, not catalogs.
Apple's recent marketing attempts are wildly out of touch—trends about trends are dead, but nobody told Tim Cook.
Are we Pavlov-ing ourselves into using the bathroom at TJMaxx? All signs point to yes
Vibe coding is taking over—non-coders can now generate functional apps, proving that AI isn’t just summarizing things anymore—it’s building them from scratch.
[00:01:19] “Eenie meenie miney Milo. Home Depot's chatbot looks like a b-hole.” - Phillip
[00:55:05] “AI is fundamentally changing the way we interact with software. Convenience is the ultimate aim of technology, and we're just at the beginning of this shift.” - Brian

Links:

In-show mention: Purchase The Lore Journal
In-show mention: Home Depot Chatbot and Press Release
In-show mention: TJMaxx Reddit Thread
In-show mention: Register for Shoptalk Afterparty
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