[KC] DEBRIEF WEEK 40 FRIDAY 10/08
DIGITAL TITANS
_Roblox. Paris Hilton to Launch Her Own Roblox Virtual World, Complete With DJ Stages and a Private Jet Paris Hilton’s digital avatar will soon be living on Roblox. The TV personality-entrepreneur-influencer-podcaster is adding “gamer” to her CV with the launch of Paris World: an outpost on the Roblox gaming platform that will let fans explore a stylized milieu that revolves around the celebrity icon. Paris World, which officially goes live Oct. 6 on Roblox, is described as “a virtual oasis of fun, possibility and, of course, #sliving” (a term coined by Hilton that fuses “slaying” and “sliving my best life”). The new gaming experience includes massive DJ stages, Paris’ own house, a zoo, and, because why not, a private jet, yacht, and her own personal island. Fans can join Hilton in the kitchen prepping a meal (a nod to her new Netflix show, “Cooking With Paris”), at the beach relaxing, or even DJing a virtual festival.
_Facebook. Former Facebook product manager Frances Haugen has been revealed as the source behind tens of thousands of pages of leaked internal company research, which she says show that the company has been negligent in eliminating violence, misinformation, and other harmful content from its services and that it has misled investors about these efforts. In an interview with The Washington Post, Haugen said that while working at Facebook in the company’s civic integrity division, she realized it was not disclosing important information about the harms of its products to the public and the policymakers tasked with regulation, creating a situation she said posed a threat to democracy.“Facebook in its current form is dangerous,” she said. “It became necessary to get the public involved
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Facebook Tests New Option to Facilitate Post Sharing to Multiple Groups at Once. It’s interesting that at a time when Facebook is being accused of favoring its growth over the public good when it’s being scrutinized over how it facilitates the amplification of misinformation. It’s interesting that, amid all of this, the platform is still testing new options that would essentially enable exactly this type of behavior. Today, user @AkramAlodini has shared this image of a new Facebook test which would enable users to share a post into multiple Facebook groups at once. As you can see in this screenshot (shared by Matt Navarra), the new option would enable Facebook users to crosspost an update into multiple groups that they’re a member of, which would facilitate more streamlined sharing, and ideally, for Facebook at least, get more people sharing more content into more groups, more often.
_Instagram. Creating Instagram Videos Just Got Even Easier. Instagram are combining IGTV and feed video into one format. The new format will be visible in a new Video tab on your profile, to make it easier for people to discover new content.Starting today, we’re combining IGTV and feed videos into one format - Instagram Video. We’re also introducing a new Video tab on your profile, where this combined video format will live, to make it easier for people to discover new video content.
_TikTok’s first officially minted in NFT collection, “TikTok Top Moments,” will roll out this fall — starting with digital collectibles from Lil Nas X next month. The collection will feature six TikTok videos as one-of-a-kind NFTs and a series of limited-edition NFTs inspired by cultural moments from the short-form video platform. NFTs (non-fungible tokens) provide a way to certify ownership of digital content using distributed blockchain technology — essentially, they’re like virtual versions of physical collectibles like artwork.
_Netflix’s immensely popular Squid Game is getting an edit after phone numbers shown in the series dialed real numbers, leading to what the company described as “unfortunate” prank dials. The Korean drama about a sadistic “game,” in which players find themselves with no option but to participate in a series of twisted challenges, contains visible phone numbers in multiple scenes (a phone number is also clearly visible in the Squid Game trailer). Reuters, which earlier reported the news, cited Netflix and production company Siren Pictures as saying they purposefully did not include a complete number and weren’t aware the number shown would reach a real line. Netflix confirmed to The Verge that the numbers that appear in Squid Game will be edited, adding that it hopes that the change will end the prank calls. A man who claims to be the owner of the number told a local media outlet that he’d been “bombarded” with messages and calls, adding that they had made it difficult to live his life normally. However, it appears as though multiple individuals may have received calls from enthusiast Squid Game viewers. Netflix did not immediately return a request for clarification about whether the series had impacted one or multiple local numbers. Squid Game has been a massive success for Netflix, becoming the streaming service’s top title in the US as of last week — it remained a top title as of this week as well — the first Korean series to claim that top spot, according to Netflix.
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Night School Studio, the independent game developer known for narrative-driven titles like Oxenfree, announced today it has been acquired by Netflix. This makes it the first games studio the streaming giant has purchased. In Netflix’s announcement, Mike Verdu, vice president of game development, wrote Night School’s “commitment to artistic excellence and proven track record make them invaluable partners as we build out the creative capabilities and library of Netflix games together.” He added that Netflix plans to add “exclusive games designed for every kind of gamer and any level of play” that will be included with its membership and have no ads or in-app purchases Netflixstudio
_Apple. Usually, volume buttons on our devices are standard: the one on top is to increase the volume, and the bottom one is for lowering it. Interestingly, the new iPad Mini 6 is a tablet designed to be used in any and every orientation. It’s encouraged, even. Its volume buttons seem to signal towards that: placed along the top edge, they now sit next to the sleep/wake button. So how does one tell which is which? That raises another question: what if you didn’t have to? As it turns out, the volume buttons aren’t mapped to a specific ‘volume up’ or ‘volume down’ button. Instead, they’re simply… ‘volume’. To turn the sound up, users can simply press whichever one happens to be on top of the other, and vice versa.
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You may have noticed that, despite many apps asking for reviews on the Apple App Store, the tech giant’s apps couldn’t be rated or commented on. 9to5Mac, however, has spotted that Apple has made a subtle change, now allowing users to rate and review its own apps. Currently, there aren’t as many ratings as other apps due to it being quietly switched on, but it’s expected to pick up once more users learn about it, as per Engadget. Turns out, maybe Apple was right to keep the reviews off because not everyone has nice things to say about the in-house apps. As of writing, Apple Maps has a passable three-star rating, but pales in comparison to Google Maps’ 4.7-star score on iOS.
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In addition to the other incredible features that come with iOS 15, including one that lets you create burner emails, Apple’s new system is also introducing 3D cities in its Maps app. According to Mashable, New York City, London, Los Angeles, and San Francisco now have landmarks show up in 3D. Locations such as the Dodger Stadium, London Eye, and Royal Albert Hall pop out with detailed renderings that look just like the real thing.
_Clubhouse. CH Is rolling out Clips to everybody on iOS, right now. in case you missed it: look for the icon in rooms to capture, save and share the last 30 seconds of audio
_Google Maps Brings Visibility Of Every Ongoing Wildfire In The US To App. If your state is susceptible to wildfires, Google has just introduced a brand-new feature to Maps that’ll make it easier for you to spot these sites around the country. Upon opening the Google Maps app, users will be able to choose from several layers, depending on what they’d like to see. For example, there’s the option to check out wildfires, transit, traffic, or even a special COVID-19 tab that shows you the virus’ hotspots. Google Maps Brings Visibility Of Every Ongoing Wildfire In The US To App
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If you don’t want to use a photo of yourself as your profile picture but also don’t quite want to burn a million-dollar hole in your pocket trying to get a ‘CryptoPunk’ to use instead, you may just be in luck. Google has released a plethora of free illustrations to be used across Gmail, Google Workspace, and Contacts on Android. These delightful nuggets of color will pop up when going into the profile picture settings on each app, ready for perusal. The company writes in its blog post that Google Illustrations are “inclusive of various cultures, interests, and backgrounds.” And, this batch isn’t the only one; Google is working on adding more in the future. Plus, the graphics can be further customized to fit individual expressions and needs. Apart from a different color and focus, users can choose to use the whole object or just a segment of it. It’s possible to create something entirely unique when playing around with it.
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Google AI to re-paint Klimt painting destroyed during 2nd world war.
_YOUTUBE. In a strong stand against fake news, YouTube announced it would be banning all videos that spread vaccine misinformation. The social media platform said, “medical misinformation” was against its community guidelines, and will begin cracking down on controversial posts about vaccines that have been approved by the World Health Organization or other relevant authorities.
INNOVATION
_Amazon. Along with the Halo View activity tracker, Amazon has also unveiled the Halo Fitness and Halo Nutrition programs to match, promising to keep its users in shape. The new View tracker boasts an AMOLED color display for easy viewing of health metrics and is capable of tracking activity, sleep scores, blood oxygen levels, and live workouts, among others. Three-sport band colors see it available for preorder in Sage Green, Lavender Dream, and Active Black. But of course, there are alternative band options for accessorizing.
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Unveiled at the brand’s fall event this week, the new home robot—named ‘Astro’—definitely stole the show. First off, it looks adorable, with large doe eyes on a screen atop its body. Now, Alexa won’t just answer you from afar but can follow alongside you through the home, helping with whatever tasks you may have. According to CNET, the robot has myriad features, including mapping a home’s floor plan, following voice commands, and being agile enough to move around the house with ease. Plus, Amazon said Astro can also be used as a companion for the elderly, by entertaining them with cool tricks (beatboxing, anyone?) or helping them connect with loved ones via phone and video calls. Other features, such as health devices and blood pressure monitoring, can be added on, too.
_Canon is launching a Dual Lens lens, to bring stereoscopic into 360 vido / VR.
PEOPLE, CULTURE, MEDIA
_How fashion brands are navigating NFTs and what's next for the metaverse .Fashion and NFTs. Fashion has increasingly been engaging with NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, like gaming and digital fashion, have come to the forefront. For its fall 2021 collection, Gucci partnered with the art auction house Christie’s on an NFT video called “Aria,” which sold for $25,000 in June. Christie’s was also where Beeple, the most famous digital artist, sold his piece for $69 million this year.
_Marketers based in China now account for as much as $10 billion in advertising buys on Facebook, according to a GroupM Business Intelligence analysis of data disclosed by the social network. KC Member David Bloom: “ These numbers are a bit crazy for Chinese companies advertising on major social media platforms. Given that this is happening as I’m seeing stories questioning the existence and reliability of many no-name brands flooding these platforms, and Amazon’s canceling of numerous high-profile tech gear brands on its platform for fake reviews, I’m wondering if we’re seeing a strangling of the golden goose. Who’s going to trust any of these no-names, no matter how good their deals are for alleged name-brand gear, etc.
_Advertisers Are Using This AI Tool To Rate How Good Their Commercials. AreThese days, instead of hosting a focus group, advertisers can simply let artificial intelligence watch their campaigns to gather useful feedback. The company behind one such solution, Kantar, says its ‘Link AI’ AI tool has helped organizations accurately predict how consumers will react to commercials, all without needing actual human testers. According to Morning Brew, Link AI was first introduced in 2020 and has already been used by global powerhouses such as Google, Coca-Cola, and Unilever to improve their marketing campaigns. With the pandemic, it could’ve been more difficult to gather a randomized focus group or to ask testers to complete long surveys. That’s where Link AI comes in, and Kantar believes it could replace old-fashioned methods permanently. The company said the AI model was built upon 230,000 advertisements, including data about audience reactions, which Kantar has been collecting since the 1990s. Next month, Kantar is also planning to release ‘Digital Video AI’, which will perform the same prediction model, but for shorter videos such as five-second YouTube advertisements.
_In an amazing feat, scientists have been able to create lifelike digital reconstructions of three Egyptian men, just by using DNA data from their mummified bodies. The three mummies, which are thought to be over 2,000 years old, were found in Abusir el-Meleq, an ancient city in Egypt located to the south of Cairo. In 2017, scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Science of Human History in Germany managed to sequence the remaining DNA—a world first at the time. Now, researchers at Paragon NanoLabs in Virginia have gone a step further to reconstruct digital 3D models of the three men’s faces, based on a scientific process called phenotyping. The method, called Snapshot, uses genetic details from the subject’s DNA to predict what they would’ve looked like at a certain age in time. This includes details such as ethnicity, skin color, and various physical features.
_Google Engineer Designs Workbook Teaching Early Readers To Code, Screen-FreeKids are learning to code younger and younger, and it’s almost a given when considering the rapid rise in technology. However, parents may be concerned about the health implications of a pair of young eyes glued to a screen for more hours in a day than they already might be. Brandon Tory, an engineer at Google, has devised a solution. This will be teaching the future generation of developers this new skill with what seems like a relic from the distant past at this point: a book. Little Hacker is an effort born of Tory struggling to find resources on learning to code that were aimed at children below the age of nine.
_Introducing China’s Top Virtual Idols: Ayayi and Luo Tianyi . Key Takeaways: 1.The rise of virtual influencers is inevitable, becoming the fruit of the digital environment we live in — 5G, AI, Blockchain, and NFTs. 2. As Gen Zers show increasing interest in two-dimensional (“二次元”) ACG content, a growing number of brands are adopting virtual KOLs to entice these fans. 3. Virtual idols may not yet replace real celebrities, but one of their biggest advantages is their ability to collect data and engage with every single customer.
_Rozy is a South Korean social media personality whose ads are racking up millions of views on YouTube, and she isn’t even a real person. AI-powered social media star: The influencer, who now has over 58,000 Instagram followers, is actually a virtual human created by South Korean content-creation group Sidus Studio X. She is the first of her kind in Korea to be based on artificial intelligence, reported Korea.net.
_This Gaming Mattress & Bed Ensure You’ll Never Even Have To Sit Up To Play Again. We all know of gaming chairs; there are plenty on the market that do a great job. But that requires the user to—shock, horror—sit. And sometimes, on one of those days, this aforementioned user might just want to lie down and lose themselves in the world of the video game. So there is a gap in the market, and that has now been filled by none other than the Gaming Mattress. Bauhutte is a Japanese brand specializing in furniture for gamers, giving its customers the comfiest experience possible to beat previous in-game records.
_Beijing Algorithm Crackdown Favors Chinese Consumers. KC MEMBER David Bloom: “Excellent and highly amusing lead story in Jing Daily newsletter about the ways social-media influencers are trying to get around the government crackdown on flaunting expensive brands, jewelry, etc. Who knew Buddhist belief required you to get so dressed up?'“ What Happened: The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) is making headlines again, this time by announcing that algorithms designed and used by technology firms should uphold core socialist values and that enterprises should set systems for algorithm safety and responsibility, according to Reuters. The Global Times reports that the initiative was developed after CAC solicited the public’s suggestions on a new set of regulations for algorithm management in late August, requiring algorithm service providers to abandon algorithms that block information, manipulate ranking lists and search results, control searches, and selection, falsify likes and comments, or intentionally redirect online traffic.It is expected that CAC and the other eight government departments will create the initiative rules over the next three years.
_Recently, a team from the University of Glasgow in the UK have come up with an easier way to spot these pesky viruses. According to The Next Web, the researchers developed a system powered by artificial intelligence (AI) that helps to identify potentially dangerous strains by examining the signatures encoded in the viral genomes.
_Etsy house. Etsy Creates Virtual House Where You Can Visualize Its Items In A 'Real' Setting . The e-commerce marketplace for handmade goods has opened a virtual ‘Etsy House’, inviting visitors to walk inside to browse some of its picks up close. The massive AR space, featuring 12 rooms and areas, was built by creative visualization studio The Boundary.
BRANDS
_Wendys. Move over, Apple and Samsung; there’s a new smartphone maker in town. And surprisingly, it isn’t another tech firm, but the much-beloved fast-food chain Wendy’s. In an attempt to increase downloads of Wendy’s smartphone app, Wendy’s Canada has created a limited-edition smartphone, complete with a ‘Hey, Wendy’ digital assistant. Can Siri, Alexa, or Google even compare? According to Muse, in a little bit of a letdown, the device itself isn’t specially manufactured by the brand. Rather, it’s a customized Samsung Galaxy A11. However, fans can still show off the unique voice assistant, which promises “some pretty clever comebacks.”
_Nissan’s shiny new wheels are going off the block for a reserve price of CA$280,000 (US$220,000), but there’s a catch: you can’t ride the sale is for a non-fungible token (NFT) of digital artwork by Canadian artist Alex McLeod. Produced in collaboration with Nissan Canada and creative agency Juniper Park\TBWA, it’s an iridescent visual treatment of the iconic GT-R supercar, which on its own is hard to come by. But hold up: there’s a reason for the eye-watering asking price too. On the side is a physical 2021 GT-R NISMO Special Edition in an exclusive Stealth Gray finish; so for the purchase, you’d be taking over the keys to two one-of-a-kind Nissan sports cars—one to be driven on the road, and the other in the mind.
_Dior Enters the Metaverse With Customizable Avatars. What Happened: The proliferation of digital fashion continues and luxury fashion house Christian Dior is the latest name to test the waters by partnering with the metaverse avatar platform Ready Player Me. Together they will launch an interactive branded experience where consumers can create their own digital avatar and see it come to life across various brand-inspired environments. By doing so, users will automatically have the opportunity to purchase one of Dior’s exclusive fragrances. Meanwhile, the hub, which is available to all Ready Player Me users, connects users to more than 300 apps and games currently integrated with the platform.
MMMM OF THE WEEK
_Balenciaga’s sardonic style has made its way to Springfield, thanks to a frantic email sent out by Homer Simpson.
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Fashion’s favorite collab ever is Balenciaga x Simpsons! For those that missed the Paris show this weekend, here’s the amazing short film that illustrates where the inspiration for Demna Gvasalia’s collection came from (Springfield! WATCH: The Simpsons | Balenciaga
OFF-TOPIC
_Artist Takes Museum's Money And Flees With It, And That's The Art . One museum was caught unawares after a commissioned project left it US$84,000 poorer and with nothing in return. An example of a small investment with a high profit, Danish artist Jens Haaning was given 534,000 kroner (US$84,000) in cash by the Kunsten Museum of Modern Art in Aalborg, Denmark to create two artworks. He made off with the money and left both canvases blank, before titling his work, Take the Money and Run.