Technology News | Digital Culture

Spotify Gives Megan Thee Stallion, Flo Milli Their Own Anime Characters

by
Screen Shot 2022 12 20 at 8.16.50 AM

Spotify and leading Livestream shopping platform NTWRK are collaborating to celebrate the streaming service’s “Feelin’ Myself” playlist with an exclusive trading card pack featuring anime caricatures of iconic female rappers Megan Thee Stallion, Ice Spice, GloRilla and Flo Milli. 

The NTWRK x Spotify hype-worthy trading card pack will feature the up-and-coming and established rappers as a modern-day super heroines celebrating women in hip-hop. Fans will have the chance to win the exclusive trading card pack only on the NTWRK app today (Dec. 20) at 1 pm PST / 4 pm EST.  

The back of the cards will include the individual initials of each rapper and a barcode that leads users to the Feelin’ Myself playlist, encouraging collectors to dance along as they unveil their new pack of cards.  

The post Spotify Gives Megan Thee Stallion, Flo Milli Their Own Anime Characters appeared first on The Source.

Remember When They Wanted to Ban TikTok? It’s Already Starting To Happen

by
black content creators

U.S. lawmakers and politicians have been increasingly waging war on TikTok, the hugely popular social media app owned by Chinese company Bytedance.  

TikTok’s critics have accused the app of being a direct channel to the Chinese government and, thus, a privacy and cybersecurity risk. In particular, they have raised concerns that TikTok collects massive amounts of data from U.S. citizens. It may be shared with the Chinese government and could be used to interfere with U.S. elections by spreading misinformation.

The app is already banned from all devices issued by the U.S. military. This past Wednesday, the U.S. Senate unanimously approved a bill banning the app from all devices issued by federal agencies. The bill contains exceptions for law enforcement, national security, and security research.

Earlier this past week, the governors of Virginia, Alabama, Georgia, Idaho, New Hampshire, North Dakota, and Utah ordered their agencies to prohibit the app on all state-issued devices. These states join Texas, Maryland, South Carolina, and Nebraska, which already have similar bans.   These bans also include, for example, blocking the use of the app on campus and dorm WiFi at state universities. 

Sen. Marco Rubio (R. Fla.) is leading a bipartisan effort to pass a law banning TikTok altogether in the U.S. The proposed legislation would ban social media companies belonging to “countries of concern,” i.e., China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, and Venezuela. 

In a statement on its website, TikTok states that it stores U.S. user data in the United States and that none of its data is subject to Chinese law. It says further that it has never been asked to remove content by the Chinese government and would not do so if asked.   However, in July 2022, TikTok confirmed in a letter to U.S. Senators that employees outside the U.S., including China-based employees, could access data on U.S. users. 

Implanting a U.S.-wide TikTok ban would present a formidable challenge. Over a billion users visit the TikTok site each month, and substantial commercial interests use TikTok as a platform and rely on its services.   A TikTok ban would likely be politically unpopular. It would raise the question of why foreign social media companies are being singled out when there are domestic social media companies, such as Facebook, that are equally capable of disrupting U.S. elections through the spread of propaganda and misinformation.

The post Remember When They Wanted to Ban TikTok? It’s Already Starting To Happen appeared first on The Source.

Boy Meets Girl x Blueberry Explores the Metaverse

by
Boy Meets Girl Bluebery CTSY 01

Boy Meets Girl and House of Blueberry are releasing a four-piece digital fashion collection. The digital wearables are a representation of bestsellers for Boy Meets Girl in the physical world. Items such as leggings, sweatpants, and two signature T-shirts make up the virtual boutique that Roblox users can browse. Additionally, users can try on designs and create customized digital identities for their avatars. 

House of Blueberry is on a mission to build the largest digital fashion house in the universe. They have had over 20 million assets sold, 10,000 stock-keeping units and more than 400,000 unique customers. The Roblox community has 43.2 million active daily users where nearly 67% are under the age 16. In an effort to set the standard high for their digital space, Boy Meets Girl will carry its anti-bullying mission forward  into the metaverse through positive messaging in the Blueberry virtual boutique. 

Stacy Igel, founder and chief creative officer of Boy Meets Girl said, “As someone who was an early adopter of virtual markets, this was a natural partnership for me. I’m thrilled to bring Boy Meets Girl into the metaverse in collaboration with House of Blueberry. During COVID-19, my son Dylan got to learn a lot about virtual worlds and has been teaching me about Roblox. So you can imagine how excited I am to share this collaboration and how excited he is too.” Roblox is dominated by the youth and many collaborations carried out via the platform shape the perspective of young boys and girls.  

Mishi McDuff, chief executive officer and founder of Blueberry, added, “We love the mission of the Boy Meets Girl brand and can’t wait to bring that positive energy into the metaverse. We think the iconic Boy Meets Girl branding will really come to life on Roblox and make for a fun, welcoming virtual experience for our community.” 

IMG 5447

This project expands The House of Blueberry’s collaborations from past projects with Jonathan Simkhai and the Broadway musical “Dear Evan Hansen.” In the physical world, Boy Meets Girl has partnered with Saks Fifth Avenue, to carry its core kids unisex organic collection on Saks.com. The collection features an eight-piece sustainable kids collection, including its signature logo hoodies, sweatpants and Ts in mint, light pink, blue, black and heather grey. 

The items will be sold exclusively in Blueberry’s metaverse fashion boutique and catalog on January 10th. The T-shirt, leggings, and hoodie sell for 85 Robux and the beanie for 65 Robux.

The post Boy Meets Girl x Blueberry Explores the Metaverse appeared first on The Source.

Apple Announces New Apple Music Sing Feature

by
Apple Announces New Apple Music Sing Feature

The exciting new feature Apple Music Sing, which enables users to sing along to their favorite songs with customizable vocals and real-time lyrics, was unveiled by Apple today. Apple Music Sing provides multiple lyric views to let users take the lead, sing duets, sing backing, and more within Apple Music’s unmatched lyrics experience. Apple Music Sing makes it enjoyable and straightforward for everyone to take part, when and wherever they choose, with a constantly expanding collection that includes tens of millions of the most singable music in the world.

The new Apple TV 4K, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Music Sing will all be available to Apple Music users later this month.

“Apple Music’s lyrics experience is consistently one of the most popular features on our service,” said Oliver Schusser, Apple’s vice president of Apple Music and Beats. “We already know our users all over the world love to follow along to their favorite songs, so we wanted to evolve this offering even further to enable even more engagement around music through singing. It’s really a lot of fun, our customers are going to love it.”

Included in Apple Sing are:

  • Adjustable vocals: Users now have control over a song’s vocal levels. They can sing with the original artist’s vocals, take the lead, or mix it up on millions of songs in the Apple Music catalog.
  • Real-time lyrics: Users can sing along to their favorite songs with animated lyrics that dance to the rhythm of the vocals.
  • Background vocals: Vocal lines sung simultaneously can animate independently from the main vocals to make it easier for users to follow.
  • Duet view: Multiple vocalists show on opposite sides of the screen to make duets or multi-singer tracks easy to sing along to.

A collection of over 50 specially curated companion playlists for Apple Music Sing will also be released, encompassing all iconic songs, duets, choruses, and anthems that have inspired people to sing worldwide.

The post Apple Announces New Apple Music Sing Feature appeared first on The Source.

Apple Unveils New Tech in Annual Product Launch

by
Apple 2022 Product Launch

A little over fifteen years ago, Steve Jobs stood on stage and revealed the first iPhone in a reveal that would change the world as we know it (for nostalgia, the full video can be found here). On Wednesday, Apple CEO Tim Cook continued the tradition of launch announcements to share some new features and updates to the iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods.

The launch event was pre-recorded and delivered from Apple Park, the company’s headquarters in Cupertino, California. Cook started sharing a montage of users who had used their Apple Watches in life-threatening situations and then shared some new features of the upcoming Apple Watch 7. The watch’s biggest change (in addition to a slightly new design and bigger screen) is that it is reportedly more durable and able to withstand more extreme conditions than previous models. The watch targets outdoor athletes with increased water resistance, increased durability, a compass, and a depth metric for scuba divers. The 7 series t also has a new “action” button for quick use while working out or wearing gloves. The 7 series has more health tracking capabilities and car crash detection technology, which can detect if the wearer was in a severe car crash and automatically call emergency services. The watch will also reportedly get up to 60 hours of battery life thanks to a new software rollout.

Cook unveiled the iPhone 14, which comes in two models: the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus. The Plus will replace the “iPhone 13 mini” model with a bigger model with a 6.7-inch screen. One of the biggest changes is that digital eSIM technology will replace a physical SIM card. However, the 14’s biggest reveal was the phone’s capability to connect to satellites for emergency services in remote areas thanks to a partnership with Globalstar. 

The third product reveal was a new generation of AirPods. An Apple H2 chip reportedly provides better sound quality and clarity. Other new features include an improved volume touch control button, longer battery life, a smaller XS ear tip, and an in-case speaker.

The new Apple Watch will cost at least $799 and will be available in stores on about Sept. 23. Preorders will be available next Wednesday. The iPhone 14 will start at $799 and the Plus will start at $899. Preorders start on Sept 9, but the Plus won’t ship until October. The new AirPods Pro cost $249 and will go on sale on Sept 23.

The full launch video can be seen here.

The post Apple Unveils New Tech in Annual Product Launch appeared first on The Source.

Microsoft Reveals that Janet Jackson’s ‘Rhythm Nation’ Could Crash Some Laptop Hard Drives

by
Janet Jackson

Millions of people have been turning up to Janet Jackson‘s ‘Rhythm Nation’ for over three decades, but some laptop computers apparently are not fans of the chart-topper. Last week, Microsoft revealed a bizarre vulnerability in which playing the 1989 hit can cause certain laptops to crash.

The bizarre story apparently began back when multiple users contacted Windows XP product support to report issues with their devices, mostly the widely used 5400-RPM laptop hard drive that was sold around 2005. It’s common to set up a laboratory experiment on a device or software application whenever there are multiple reports of an issue, such as the reported issue with ‘Rhythm Nation’ and the laptops. The laboratory experiment found that the song didn’t just necessarily crash the laptop that it was being played on, but also nearby laptops that were using the same hard drive model.

Raymond Chen at Microsoft explained it in a blog as such: “the song contained one of the natural resonant frequencies for the model of 5400 rpm laptop hard drives that they and other manufacturers used.”

Since then, the manufacturer has added a custom filter in the audio pipeline that detected and removed the offending frequencies during audio playback. Additionally, this hard drive was a spinning disk hard drive and most spinning hard drives have been gradually phased out in favor of solid-state drives over the years, but as Chen notes, they still persist in a host of devices around the world. 

Ironically, the news comes within a few days of Apple’s announcement of a serious security vulnerability (along with a software update) for iPhones, iPads and Macs that could potentially allow attackers to take complete control of these devices.

Perhaps listening to music on cassette or record players is truly the only safe bet anymore.

The post Microsoft Reveals that Janet Jackson’s ‘Rhythm Nation’ Could Crash Some Laptop Hard Drives appeared first on The Source.

Kendrick Lamar and Spotify Launch New In-App Experience

by
AR PR KendrickLamar 16x9 02

My Top 5: Kendrick Lamar Projects, a new, interactive in-app experience that allows users to choose their top 5 favorite Kendrick Lamar projects and share them on social media, was introduced by Spotify.

Kendrick Lamar’s latest album, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, shot to the top of the charts shortly after its release and currently holds the record for being the most listened Hip-Hop album of 2022 on Spotify. Rap and Hip-Hop fans have maintained the discussion on social media. Now, with My Top 5: Kendrick Lamar Projects, Spotify brings this passion for the argument to the fore by enabling fans to simply arrange their favorite Kendrick projects into a shareable visual graphic.

Spotify MyTop5 KendrickLamarProjects

The feature will debut in 23 markets and be offered in 12 languages. On your mobile device, go to https://spotify.com/top5. Choose and arrange your favorites: You can select your top five projects from a list of Kendrick Lamar’s works in the experience, then drag and drop those projects into the visual display to determine the order in which they should appear. After that, tell your pals.

You can learn more about the experience here.

The post Kendrick Lamar and Spotify Launch New In-App Experience appeared first on The Source.

Audiomack Expands International Presence with Launch of Audiomack Punjabi

by
punjabi banner 2

Audiomack Punjabi, a new vertical focusing on enhancing the renowned genre, introducing it to new audiences, and delivering diverse playlists spotlighting the region’s most popular modern musicians, was launched today by artist-first music streaming service Audiomack.

Punjabi will now be available alongside hip-hop, Afrobeats, Latin, Caribbean, and other popular genres on the streaming service. Punjabi Verified, 808 Pind (Village), Ishq, Party Pataka, Punjab to Canada, Punjabi Duets, and more will be added to the newly launched playlists, which will be updated regularly.

Amrit Maan, The PropheC, Himmat Sandhu, Ezu, Jasmine Sandlas & Gur Sidhu, Karan Aujla, Himanshi Khurana, and Baani Sandhu, as well as the late-great Sidhu Moose Wala, will be the initial cover stars of Audiomack’s playlists.

We are excited to officially launch the Punjabi genre on the Audiomack platform,” Audiomack co-founder and CMO David Ponte said. “These new playlists and trending section will position Punjabi artists alongside hip-hop, Afrobeats, and Latin music, rightfully giving them a share of an ever-growing pie of hungry music fans. We are confident that Audiomack’s free suite of tools, including the Creator App, Supporters, and discovery solutions, will connect this growing genre with prospective fans worldwide. Our mission is to be a catalyst for the genre’s international growth, much like our impact on Afrobeats’ popularity in the West, for years to come and share the talents of these undeniable artists with Audiomack’s users.”

The inauguration of the new vertical pays homage to the genre’s long history and legacy in India and Pakistan. It’s an opportunity for Audiomack to better serve fans around the world, educate new listeners about the Punjabi sound, and highlight the region’s cultural achievements.

“Punjabi music has been pushing into the mainstream space like Latin and AfroBeats for a minute. It’s great to see Audiomack have their ear to the ground and have the foresight to give our music the platform it deserves,” Punjabi artist Jaz Dhami said. “I feel Audiomack will help close the gap between genres even further as it’s not your typical streaming site. Globally, this is going to help link artists like never before.”

Beyond Asia, the genre is popular amongst the massive Indian diaspora across the globe.

“We are delighted to formalize the association with Audiomack, allowing our artists and the extensive catalog of Punjabi music to reach global audiences along with the other popular genres like hip-hop, Afro Beats, Latin and many more,” Believe Digital Regional Director (Believe – Artist Services, India) Shilpa Sharda said. “This collaboration will be a great addition to our existing brand relationships and an immense opportunity for our artists to build up their fan base internationally.”

More information about Audiomack Punjabi can be found here.

The post Audiomack Expands International Presence with Launch of Audiomack Punjabi appeared first on The Source.

NBA 2K x SoundCloud Announce Winning Artists For NBA2K22 Soundtrack

by
Screen Shot 2022 05 24 at 2.55.27 PM

The global music search is over for SoundCloud and NBA 2K’s “2K Beats: The Search” to discover the next generation of emerging artists. Today, SoundCloud and NBA 2K revealed the first 10 winning artists including 4KPHIL, J Nolan, Jamari, KC Carter, Lulu Be., Neek, OttoMattic, Samad Savage, Shiwan, and Third Coast Chris whose tracks will be featured in the NBA 2K22 Season 7 soundtrack heard by players around the world. Fans can discover the new tracks in-game starting May 20th, and today in the playlist on SoundCloud here. 

The winning artists were handpicked by SoundCloud and NBA 2K from more than 15,000 submissions and feature some of the hottest new original tracks from emerging artists who are gaining traction from fans on SoundCloud alongside top artists on the soundtrack such as Aitch, Freddie Gibbs, Megan Thee Stallion, Metro Boomin, Saweetie, Skepta, Smino, and many more. Get to know more about the first wave of winning artists from “2K Beats: The Search” below. 

“I grew up playing NBA2K and the NBA as a whole,” says 4KPHIL. “Rap music goes hand in hand with the game of baseketball, and I’m ecstatic to have my song included in the 2022 soundtrack.” 

The post NBA 2K x SoundCloud Announce Winning Artists For NBA2K22 Soundtrack appeared first on The Source.

The Notorious B.I.G. Comes Back To Life In ‘The Brook’ Digital Metaverse

by
biggie the brook

The Notorious B.I.G. estate dropped a major metaverse announcement on Christopher Wallace’s (Biggie’s) would-be 50th birthday on Saturday, May 21.

Biggie fans can enjoy The Notorious B.I.G. on Web3 via a hyperrealistic model of his likeness in a new metaverse activation called “The Brook.” Fans can register to be the first alerted to when they can enter this unique world.

The teaser of the Brook below features the voice of Mark Pitts, who managed Biggie in life and worked with the teams at Surreal, Zoan and Willingie to give an authentic voice to the creative direction of the metaverse.

“Being born and raised in Brooklyn, I wanted it to feel as close to the Brooklyn that helped raise me. The hyperrealism is authentic to that experience. As we expand, we will use that same authenticity in other cities,” said Pitts.

“Technology continues to create opportunities that are beyond one’s imagination and I’m excited that we are stepping into the future with a beautiful rendition of a hyperrealistic avatar of my son Christopher and I’m thankful for our wonderful team of creative partners for their work to deliver Biggie into new media for his fans to enjoy,” said Biggie’s mother Voletta Wallace.

READ MORE: Biggie Would’ve Turned 50 on May 21, New York City Celebrates

The late great cultural icon was born Christopher Wallace in Brooklyn, New York. The Brook, by definition, is a small stream or river that flows into other rivers that eventually flows into the ocean. The Brook is also a reference to the four-time Grammy nominee’s hometown and will be realized as a metaverse activation of hip-hop culture, lifestyle, music, entertainment, sports and fashion.

According to the release, the platform will encompass an immersive digital space, giving users the opportunity to experience and explore virtual worlds, buy tickets to and attend virtual concerts, purchase virtual and physical merchandise, buy virtual real estate, and buy, sell and trade NFTs. The platform will launch with The Notorious B.I.G. and then spread to other activations and talent.

The project, developed in partnership with ZOAN, Surreal Events, and Hyperreal, is tied to his hometown in Brooklyn, to deliver Biggie into a new media for his fans and give provide a new platform to experience the culture of Hip-Hop.

Watch the trailer below. Share your thoughts with us on social media.

The post The Notorious B.I.G. Comes Back To Life In ‘The Brook’ Digital Metaverse appeared first on The Source.