Jul 21, 2021 | justice & equality, trends, video
Disney+ and Cartoon Network, two major US animation platforms, announced last month they will air four productions by African creators. This comes on the heels of similar announcements by streaming giants like Netflix and Youtube Originals, indicating a demand for representation and homegrown narratives among African audiences amidst a global market boom for animated content.
Source: These African animators are saving their native languages using cartoons
Jul 20, 2021 | games & graphics, video
The announcement that Netflix will begin offering video games on its streaming service is rife with red flags. With subscriber growth hitting headwinds in 2021 after a COVID-19-led surge in 2020, Netflix recently made a splashy announcement that it was hiring a gaming executive, Oculus and EA alumnus Mike Verdu , to build up the company’s newly minted interactive division.
Source: Why Netflix’s push into video games doesn’t make sense
Jul 18, 2021 | justice & equality, networking, trends, video
The influencer is a fading stock character of the Internet’s commedia dell’arte. Often a conventionally attractive white woman, she shows off her aspirational life style via social-media channels. She accrues a large following, and then makes a living by getting companies to sponsor the content of her glamorous life.
Source: What the “Creator Economy” Promises—and What It Actually Does
Jul 18, 2021 | algo, games & graphics, trends, video
Ever since the NFT phenomenon took off several months ago, it’s been all about exclusivity and the value that exclusivity drives—i.e., a lot of money. Digital artists like Beeple have auctioned off NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, of their artwork for tens of millions of dollars at auction houses like Christie’s.
Source: How Warner Bros. is using ‘Space Jam’ to get into the NFT business
Jul 17, 2021 | algo, justice & equality, video
Rite Aid had deployed facial recognition in at least 200 stores over eight years, before ditching the technology last year. Facial recognition is popping up at our favorite stores, but customers are largely unaware.
Source: From Macy’s to Ace Hardware, facial recognition is already everywhere
See also: Black teen misidentified by facial recognition sparks fears of machine-driven segregation
Jul 17, 2021 | trends, video
If you want a preview of next year’s Emmy Awards, just take a walk past your local bookstore. According to data drawn from Publishers Marketplace, the industry’s clearinghouse for news and self-reported book deals, literary adaptations to television have been on a steady climb.
Source: The Rise of Must-Read TV
Jul 13, 2021 | audio, justice & equality, networking, video
A group of young Burmese are braving blackouts and crackdowns to make sure the world stays focused on what’s happening in their country.
Source: From K-Pop stan to keyboard warrior: Meet the activists battling Myanmar’s military junta
Jul 12, 2021 | algo, games & graphics, mobile, networking, trends, video
The online influencer culture is starting to draw serious interest from big venture capital firms. But the real money could be in digital tools, not the personalities.
Source: Hello, Content Creators. Silicon Valley’s Investors Want to Meet You.
Jul 11, 2021 | algo, games & graphics, networking, trends, video
Crypto people say they’re building it. Gamers might already be living in it. The art world is cashing in on it. Web veterans are trying to save it. But what is it?
Source: What Is the Metaverse?
Jul 11, 2021 | video
New streaming services from Fox and the Weather Channel are betting big on the idea that an armchair meteorologist lives inside each of us.
Source: The Arms Race for Weather Lovers Has Begun
Jul 10, 2021 | trends, video
From ‘Tiger King’ to ‘The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel’ to ‘The Vow,’ true-crime documentaries are more popular than ever. But as filmmakers wrestle with the ethical concerns that come with the genre, some are asking whether it needs to adapt to stay afloat.
Source: We’re Watching More True Crime Than Ever. Is That a Problem?
Jul 7, 2021 | algo, video
YouTube’s suggestion algorithm continues to promote videos with misinformation, according to a new study. YouTube keeps the suggestion algorithm a secret, preventing researchers from studying how it works.
Source: YouTube’s secret algorithm continues to push misinformation on users, from false election fraud claims to conspiracy theories, according to a new study
Jul 6, 2021 | video
Even as it dominates globally, the streaming giant no longer shines. HBO Max and Disney+, your move.
Source: Netflix Is Losing Its Cool
Jun 14, 2021 | video
Netflix has launched its own online shop to sell clothing, toys, and other merchandise from shows such as Eden and Lupin. The streaming giant announced the launch on 10 June during its Geeked Week event. “We’re always looking at how we can extend the world of our stories for fans, from apparel and toys to immersive events and games,” Netflix VP of Consumer Products, Josh Simon, wrote in a statement.
Source: Netflix launches online shop to sell clothing, collectibles
Jun 11, 2021 | games & graphics, networking, video
AR-enhanced face filters are here to stay, and Ines Alpha is working to free them from tired beauty standards.
Source: The Antidote to Snapchat Dysphoria? Getting Weird. – NEO.LIFE
Jun 11, 2021 | audio, justice & equality, mobile, networking, video
Touch screens and image-based interfaces can make the visually impaired “feel more disabled”
Source: South Korean blind activists are pushing Samsung and LG to reform
Jun 9, 2021 | games & graphics, trends, video
The livestreaming platform for gamers helped pioneer the patronage systems that prop up so much of the internet today.
Source: Twitch Turns 10, and the Creator Economy Is in Its Debt
Jun 9, 2021 | algo, justice & equality, networking, video
Jun 6, 2021 | games & graphics, video
Apple, Microsoft, Sony and Google have all tried to create a “Netflix for games”, offering unlimited access to a library of titles for a flat monthly fee. But a growing number of reports suggest they may be about to face stiff competition from the streaming company itself.
Source: Netflix reportedly plans push into video games market
Jun 6, 2021 | algo, trends, video
In Sundance-wowing documentary All Light, Everywhere, the biases and dangers involved with surveillance and body cams are investigated.
Source: ‘Nothing can be taken at face value’: should we ever trust the recorded image?
