All posts by Madison Santel

Straight outta Brooklyn, NY, Madison covers Ecology and Climate Issues along with Entertainment and Lifestyle.
Climate Solutions

Greta Thunberg Emerges in 2019: Her Message is being Heard and the Journey has Just Begun

Honors pale compared to the task that lies ahead, but the Accolades are well Deserved

Greta Thunberg, the hugely influential sixteen-year-old climate activist from Sweden, was recently named Time magazine’s 2019 Person of the Year. Just a teenager, Thunberg holds the honor of being the youngest recipient of the title in history.

The Time magazine Person of the Year is a tradition that dates all the way back to 1927, when Charles Lindberg earned the prestigious title for being the first person to fly solo across the Atlantic. Over the past ninety-two years, the honor has been given to influential people such as Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F Kennedy, and Martin Luther King Jr. On a more controversial side of history, the award has also gone to infamous people such as Hitler in 1938, Stalin in 1939 and 1942, and Donald Trump in 2016.

Thunberg, however, is given the honor for her work in influencing others to take on earth’s greatest challenge. Ever since dropping out of school in 2018, she has traveled the world, spreading messages of action and determination regarding climate change. Her dedication to making the world a sustainable place is unparalleled and she has inspired many people with her unapologetic and honest way of addressing the issue head on.

Greta’s accomplishments are all the more impressive given her age, gender, and conditions. A teenaged girl with Aspergers Syndrome, anautism spectrum disorder is not typically the kind of person that Time magazine selects for Person of the Year. Before Thunberg, the youngest Person of the Year was twenty-five years old, and before the turn of the millennium, only four women had ever received the honor. Nevertheless, Greta earned the title on merit, and her recognition is further inspiration for more young women to stand up against tyranny and aspire to great things.

Coinciding with COP 25 Greta Continued on only paused Briefly to Acknowledge the Award

In typical Greta Thunberg fashion, though, she did not gloat or really even celebrate the honor. Steadfast on overlooking symbolic recognition and focusing on tangible change, Thunberg spent the week addressing the UN Climate Conference in Madrid.

As Greta does when meeting with world leaders, she spoke to the UN with the uncompromising sincerity, calling out politicians for considering money over the environment and creating egregious loopholes in order to surpass climate accountability. She called the current pledges in place “misleading,” and deemed that good intentions are not enough; it takes long-term and persistent commitment to save the planet.

Coincidentally, shortly after Thunberg finished her moving speech, over two-hundred activists were removed from the conference. Loudly chanting their beliefs and frustrations for several minutes, the protestors were eventually forced out of the building by security.

Many of the protestors came from the organization Greenpeace, which Thunberg has worked with in the past. Among those removed from the building was Greenpeace leader Jennifer Morgan, who commented on the stark divide between what is going on inside the conference and what is going on outside, implying that the politician’s have a severe detachment from the citizens’ world.

Morgan’s insight is not a good sign, especially considering that the UN Climate Conference is dependent on unity and understanding across borders. However, if there is already a border separating the conference from the rest of the world, then it puts the entire meeting in jeopardy.

Spending the final weeks of a tumultuous year at home in Sweden, there is no doubt that in 2020 she will once again be in the headlines continuing her quest to raise awareness and help us all to face our greatest challenge head on, with open eyes and, hopefully, open minds.

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Climate Solutions

Record Heatwaves, Fires and Floods Signal Global Climate Wake Up Call in 2019

Australia Ablaze: Aussies Endure Hottest Day in History, Deadly Wildfires amid Political Inaction:

Above: photo-link to article

150 year Epic Floods in Venice Foreshadow what’s in store for Coastal Cities as Sea Levels Rise

Above: photo-link to article

Climate Change fuels California Wildfires as Photochemical Smog evolves into Smoke in LA

Above: photo-link to article

October 2019 is the Hottest Month on Record, continuing the Year’s Trend Towards a Climate Emergency

Above: photo-link to article

This Heat is For Real: US and Europe Both Feel the Pain

Above: photo-link to article

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Entertainment, Movies

“Spies In Disguise”: Will Smith and Tom Holland get crazy Cartoony in New Disney Release

Video
https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/fox/spies-in-disguise/spies-in-disguise-trailer-2_h1080p.mov
Official trailer for “Spies in disguise”

Blue Sky Studios has made a mix of movies over the years. Being the animation subsidiary of 20th Century Fox, Blue Sky hasn’t become a household name quite like Pixar, DreamWorks, Illumination, or even Sony. The studio found initial success with “Ice Age” in 2002, which sparked a five movie, fourteen-year franchise that still remains very popular overseas. In between these Pleistocene Epoch-themed successes, they have also produced movies such as “Robots,” “Rio,” “The Peanuts Movie,” and “Ferdinand.”

There is nothing wrong with any of these movies. Some of them even managed to fare well at the box office. Critically, however, none of them have really made an enormous splash, and they tend to fall behind films made by Blue Sky’s competitors.

As of this past March, though, 20th Century Fox has been under Walt Disney Studios’ control, making Blue Sky a Disney property. Therefore, Blue Sky’s next project will be the studio’s first to be released under Disney’s watch.

That next release is titled “Spies In Disguise,” and despite getting its release date perpetually pushed back since January, the film will finally hit theaters on December 25th.

Although “Spies In Disguise” will be Blue Sky’s first release under Disney, the project entered into development back in 2017—long before the Fox acquisition. Likewise, production predominantly took place in 2018. Thus, Disney really didn’t have much oversight in the making of the movie.

The film is partially based off of a 2009 animated short titled “Pigeon: Impossible,” directed by Lucas Martell. This feature adaptation will be the directorial debuts for Nick Bruno and Troy Quane, both of whom have worked in the animation and art departments on previous Blue Sky productions. Meanwhile, Brad Copeland (“Ferdinand”) and Lloyd Taylor (“The Wild”) wrote the screenplay.

The first personnel that Blue Sky signed onto the project, however, were actually the two star voice actors: Will Smith and Tom Holland, both recognizable faces with fairly familiar voices (especially the former). The studio casted these two as the leads way back in 2017 during development.

In the film, Will Smith plays superspy Lance Serling, a suave hero who continually saves the world from destruction—the cartoon character design even looks a little like Smith. Holland, on the other hand, plays Walter Beckett, Serling’s tech officer who invents gadgets to aid the spy on his missions. The plot takes off when Serling ingests Beckett’s latest creation—a “biodynamic concealment”—which zanily turns him into a talking pigeon.

Humbled by this change in species, Serling must team up with the nerdy Beckett to save the world from archvillain Tristan McFord, who is voiced by Ben Mendelsohn. Along the way, the two protagonists learn the perks of being a pigeon when it comes to spying, creating many quirky, action-packed, and humorous instances in the process.

There is no telling what critics might say about “Spies in Disguise.” The animation looks good (it is computer animated with sharp edges and caricature-esque figures in a similar style to “The Incredibles”). Simultaneously, the casting is on point and the story seems funny enough. However, with “Frozen II” still being in theaters and family-friendly sensational blockbusters like “Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker” also coming out in December, “Spies In Disguise” will have a lot to compete with, and will most likely fall to the wayside for most moviegoers.

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Breaking News, Climate Solutions

Australia Ablaze: Aussies Endure Hottest Day in History, Deadly Wildfires amid Political Inaction

Photo / Adobe Stock

Record Breaking December Summer Down Under…

2019 will undoubtedly go down as one of the hottest years on record. However, in the final weeks of the decade, the planet has surpassed yet another sweltering milestone, this time happening Down Under as Australia witnesses its hottest day ever. On Tuesday, December 17th, the Oceanic country experienced average temperatures of 40.9C (105.6F). This is .6 degrees higher than the previous national record of 40.3C, which took place on January 7th, 2013.

Being in the southern hemisphere, Australia experiences summer between December and February. Therefore, it is not a complete anomaly to see such frighteningly high temperatures this time of year. Nevertheless, these figures are unprecedented and potentially dangerous, and their causes, effects and meaning transcend the immediate sphere.

The foremost culprit for Australia’s recent heat waves is the Indian Ocean Dipole, an effect where the surface seawater is warmer in the western half of the ocean than it is in the east. Because Australia lies on the eastern edge of the Indian Ocean, it is engulfed in cold water. The air, however, compensates for this cold surface water with less precipitation, leading to droughts and intense heat. Meanwhile, land along the western Indian Ocean is experiencing a surplus of rainfall and treacherous floods linked to thermal expansion.

To call the Indian Ocean Dipole a natural occurrence is misleading. It is largely an effect of manmade climate change taking its tolls on the sea and atmosphere. When carbon dioxide enters the atmosphere, it traps the heat, creating dangerous conditions on land and jeopardizing ecosystems on all levels.

A Large Fossil Fuel Producer and Carbon Burning System

Australia is, although it seems rarely mentioned, one of the most fossil fuel dependent countries on the globe. With over twenty-four million people in just under 3 million square miles, the nation emits more carbon pollution per capita than most. It is also the world’s largest exporter of coal, and the third largest exporter of all fossil fuels worldwide, trailing behind Russia and Saudi Arabia.

Consequentially, Australia is feeling the effects of climate change firsthand. As a result of its scorching temperatures, seemingly the entire country has found itself ablaze in bushfires. Around the time of the hottest day on record, Australia endured over one hundred wildfires nationwide—an inextricable result of the heat waves and dry climate.

Bafflingly, the Australian government has been basically silent on these issues. Prime Minister Scott Morrison refuses to answer questions about climate change, and has hardly even addressed the heat waves’ relation to global warming. In the wake of the fires, he even fled the country to Hawaii, causing Australians to attack him on social media for his absence.

Likewise, Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack, the Australian government’s second in command, is a climate denier. A member of the country’s conservative National Party, he openly calls the climate crisis a leftist hoax, and claims that its links to the current fires are ungrounded.

Sadly so often the Case, Politics Continue to Lag Behind Science

Such lackluster political representation made Australia far from a progressive member at the recent UN Climate Conference in Madrid. This is ironic given the fact that the country is experiencing such extreme conditions. The nation has reportedly warmed more than 1 degrees Celsius in the last hundred years, making the droughts, fires, and heat more frequent. Based on the shortage of governmental response, we can assume that the Australian federal buildings are well air-conditioned.

Nevertheless, many Australian citizens have expressed outrage that their leaders are failing to take action against these environmental disasters. Heat waves are Australia’s deadliest natural phenomena. They have killed more people than the brush fires by a wide margin. When more people are dying from the heat in places that were temperate just decades ago, it is clear that the causes need to be addressed. If the government can’t or won’t respond, perhaps the people will start to act, and as in many countries currently, rebel against the prospect of going extinct, slowly and inexorably, fire by fire and drought by drought.

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Entertainment, Movies

The End of Star Wars is also the Beginning: “Rise Of Skywalker” Closes Out Skywalker Saga as Disney Continues Legacy

Video
https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/lucasfilm/star-wars-the-rise-of-skywalker/star-wars-the-rise-of-skywalker-trailer-3_h1080p.mov
3rd Official Trailer for “Rise of Skywalker”

A Long Storied History Continues…

On May 25th, 1977, 20th Century Fox released a low-budget, science fiction fantasy film from an up-and-coming director named George Lucas. That movie was called “Star Wars,” and to everyone’s surprise at the time, it became a worldwide sensation that would change the face of cinema and culture forever. In the forty-two years since “Star Wars” came out, the lowly first film has inspired four sequels, three prequels, several TV shows, millions of action figures, hundreds of comics, dozens of books, numerous parodies, and countless spin-offs—not to mention video games, soundtracks, accessories, clothes and other kinds of merchandize that have been embraced across the globe.

In 2012, George Lucas sold his creation to the Walt Disney Company, and since then, new Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy has revamped the franchise with additional content, starting with “Star Wars: Episode VII—The Force Awakens” in 2015 and continuing with “Star Wars: Episode VIII—The Last Jedi” in 2017, along with some spinoff anthology movies and cartoon TV series in between. 

Now, “Star Wars: Episode IX—The Rise of Skywalker” is just days away. This is the movie that will mark the end of the original Star Wars story that began in 1977 with episodes IV, V, and VI, continued at the turn of the millennium with episodes I, II, and III, and now wraps up with the recent Disney movies. Altogether, episodes I-IX make up the “Skywalker Saga,” as they focus on the members of the Skywalker family that the original movies revolve around.

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/lucasfilm/star-wars-the-rise-of-skywalker/star-wars-the-rise-of-skywalker-trailer-2_h1080p.mov
2nd official trailer ofr “rise of skywalker”

The Launch is Upon Us

Much has already been said about “The Rise of Skywalker,” and there is certainly a lot of pressure on director J.J. Abrams (who also directed “The Force Awakens”) to successfully follow up on Rian Johnson’s divisive “The Last Jedi” and also bring the saga to a satisfying, impactful close. 

With the return of “Force Awakens” and “Last Jedi” stars Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, and Oscar Issac, “Rise of Skywalker” will be many fans’ last chance to see these actors’ beloved characters on screen. Also, veteran characters from Episodes IV, V, and VI portrayed by original actors Billy Dee Williams, Anthony Daniels, Ian McDairmid, and the late Carrie Fischer will also appear in the movie, creating acute senses of nostalgia and authentic emotion.  

However, as heavy as “Rise of Skywalker” might be, fans can take solace in the fact that although the Skywalker Saga is ending, Star Wars as a whole is not really going anywhere. Perhaps we may not be getting any further content focusing on characters like Luke, Leia, Rey, or Anakin, and we may not be seeing another movie in the theaters for a while. Nevertheless, under the supervision of Disney, the forty-two year old franchise is bound to continue for many more. In fact, we have already seen the next steps taking shape.

With the launch of Disney+, Lucasfilm has recently made a boom with its first ever live-action series, “The Mandalorian.” Spearheaded by executive producer Jon Favreau, the show has received wonderful reviews from critics and fans alike and it has already been renewed for a second season. 

Disney+ has announced two additional live-action Star Wars series as well, each of which will focus on a pre-existing character. One will center on Cassian Andor, the rebel hero played by Diego Luna in 2016’s “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.” The other will be about Obi-Wan Kenobi, the Jedi master first portrayed by Alec Guinness in the original “Star Wars” and then portrayed by Ewam McGreggor in the prequel trilogy. McGreggor will be reprising the role for the series. Evidently, at least a couple familiar faces from the Skywalker Saga will be sticking around the Star Wars universe. We can probably even expect a few surprise cameos from other fan-favorite characters and actors as well.

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/lucasfilm/star-wars-the-rise-of-skywalker/star-wars-the-rise-of-skywalker-trailer-1_h1080p.mov
Original (1st) Official trailer for “Rise of skywalker”

The Universe Expands…

Aside from television, Respawn Entertainment recently released “Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order,” a videogame with a storyline fit for the Star Wars cannon. The same goes for “Vader Immortal” a VR experience that Disney is releasing on a one-episode-at-a-time basis. Disney also opened “Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge” in its theme parks earlier this year, offering its patrons an immersive narrative experience within the Star Wars universe. Clearly, Disney is taking Star Wars into experimental and expansive new territories.

Then, of course, there are still the movies—the medium from which all this fanaticism and transmedia entertainment began. While it might seem like there is nothing left for Star Wars to say after “Rise of Skywalker” closes the book on the original story, in actuality, there are many more books yet to be opened in the Star Wars universe. Rian Johnson has already been approved for his own spinoff movie trilogy, and with anthology films like “Rogue One” and “Solo” already finding success in between the Skywalker Saga movies, we can expect to see Star Wars back on the big screen soon enough.

In total, “The Rise of Skywalker” may be a little bitter sweet. We are excited to see the last chapter of this larger-than-life story, but we are also sad to say goodbye to it. Happily, though, Star Wars is one of Disney’s most lucrative pieces of intellectual property right now. Episode IX will likely be Disney’s biggest hit this year after “Avengers: Endgame,” and 2019 has been a very successful year for the company.

As long as Disney is chasing profits—which they do oh so prolifically—we can expect to see more Star Wars growing and expanding into different forms of media while also keeping a foot in their filmic origins. For even though the story famously takes place a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away… Star Wars will never really stray too far from its Earthly home and its die-hard fans that have stuck with it through and through.

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Entertainment, Movies

Golden Globes: Netflix Dominates and Apple TV+ makes Big Debut as Streaming still Shines

Photo / Adobe Stock

Streaming is now Fully Integrated into Hollywood Awards System…

After Netflix’s “Roma” earned ten nominations at last years Academy Awards and took home three Oscars, director Stephen Spielberg came out with some controversial statements about streaming content’s questionable eligibility for cinematic awards. Ever since the esteemed director made these comments, streaming services have become an increasingly divisive topic in the film industry—especially as most of them are transitioning towards creating more in-house productions.

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), however, clearly does not see an issue in recognizing streaming platforms for creating excellent content. On December 9th, the HFPA released its nominations for the 77th Golden Globes and a number of the most picked out titles came from streaming companies.

In the Best Picture categories, Netflix reigned supreme, with its original movies adding up to four of the ten nominees. In the Musical/Comedy category, Craig Brewer’s “Dolemite Is My Name” received a nomination alongside “Jojo Rabbit,” “Knives Out,” “Rocketman,” and “Once Upon A Time In Hollywood.” Meanwhile, in the Drama category, Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman,” Noah Baumbach’s “Marriage Story,” and Fernando Meirelles “The Two Popes” were all nominated alongside “Joker” and “1917.”

Baumbach’s “Marriage Story” actually led the entire race with more nominations than any other title. It received six nominations including Best Drama Motion Picture, Best Screenplay, Best Supporting Actress (Laura Dern), Best Actor in a Drama Motion Picture (Adam Driver), Best Actress in a Drama Motion Picture (Scarlett Johannson), and Best Original Score (Randy Newman).

The movie just narrowly beat out Scorsese’s “The Irishman,” which earned five nominations including Best Drama Motion Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay (Steven Zaillian) and two for Best Supporting Actor (Joe Pesci and Al Pacino). Oddly enough, leading man Robert De Niro did not earn recognition for his performance in the film.

Regardless, both are Netflix titles, and with them leading the nominations by the numbers, it makes Netflix the most recognized production company in the runnings. Obviously, the streaming service’s newfound focus on producing prestigious content is paying off in a critical sense, and Spielberg’s comments have not slowed it down on the road to success.

Stars of “The Morning Show” from Apple TV+

New Kid on the Block Hits Pay-dirt on first Try

Meanwhile, Apple TV+ also received three nominations for its original series “The Morning Show”—one for Best Drama TV Series and two for Best Actress in a Drama Television Series (Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon, both of whom are also executive producers on the show).

“The Morning Show” debuted just over a month ago on November 1st, the same day that Apple TV+ launched. While the new service may not be as popular as Disney+ or Amazon, it is the first streaming website to receive recognition from the HFPA in its first year online. This bodes well for the young platform’s future.

Other direct-to-streaming shows that received nominations this year include Hulu’s “Catch-22,” Amazon’s “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” and Netflix’s “Unbelievable,” “The Crown,” “The Kominsky Method,” and “The Politician.” And that’s not including all of the individual actors, actresses, composers, and songwriters who also got nominated.

Clearly, streaming is dominating television nowadays, but if this year’s Golden Globes are any indication, it is also starting to leave a mark on film. This recognition is good news for both Apple and Netflix. With the recent oversaturation of options causing a streaming war within the entertainment market right now, awards will start to mean a lot more than they did in the past. Everything else aside, at least these two companies are not skimping on quality.

Find books on Big Tech, Sustainable Energy, Economics and many other topics at our sister site: Cherrybooks on Bookshop.org

Climate Solutions

The European Union Sets Its Own Eco Standards With Green Deal In Midst Of Madrid’s UN Climate Conference

Collage / Lynxotic

Green Deal is the Real Deal? Probably Not

While leaders from around the globe are coming together to seek climate consensus at the UN Climate Conference in Madrid, the European Union is making its own efforts in Belgium. On Tuesday, December 11th, the EU met in Brussels and introduced what it is calling the “Green Deal,” an outline of policies for the bloc to implement in the fight against climate change.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen presented the Green Deal at the EU meeting. It is her first major proposal (and a bold one at that) since she first took office on December 1st. The plan is part of an overarching ambition for the EU to reach carbon neutrality by 2050.

The Green Deal aims to achieve this ambition through fifty policy measures. Among them are a $110-Billion fund to help transition away from coal, updated production standards to eliminate waste, and a carbon border tax for imports. There would also be more money set aside to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and decrease the level of trade dependency on air travel.

When von der Leyen introduced the Deal, she called it “Europe’s ‘man on the moon’ moment,” likely alluding to United States President John F. Kennedy’s famous “We Choose To Go To The Moon Speech” that kicked off the Space Race in 1962. Like Kennedy’s declaration to put a man on the moon, the Green Deal is unprecedentedly daring. It consciously sets out to challenge the nations involved and bring out the best in their politicians and citizens alike. If all goes well, then the end result could be beyond anything mankind has achieved in the past.

Potential Huge Impact of New Front in Trade Wars?

The irony in von der Leyen referencing JFK in her remarks, however, is that part of the Green Deal states that the EU will no longer engage in trade agreements with nations not participating in the Paris Climate Accords—that means to United States. Thanks to President Trump’s recent withdrawal from the global agreements set upon during the Obama Administration, the Green Deal could leave the U.S. without a few vital trading partners in Europe.

With any luck, maybe this economic incentive will convince the United States to hop back on board the Paris Accord. After all, one of the Green Deal’s primary aims is to inspire other places around the world to politically prioritize the climate crisis and lower carbon emissions. While certain governments have already made progress in these areas, the Green Deal marks the first time that a multi-nation bloc this big is directly attacking the issue on such a wide, in depth scale.

That being said, not everyone is a fan of the Deal. Although it won the support of the conservative European People’s Party (the most prevalent party in Parliament), the Green Deal has its cynics on both sides of the political spectrum. The far-right wingers fear the Deal’s potential effect on extractive industries and the economy. Meanwhile, far-left parties like the Green Party and the European United Left, are weary that the plan is not enough and that it needs to offer more solutions to additional issues.

Still, all but three of the 28 countries in the EU have agreed to the Green Deal’s 2050 carbon neutral goal. The outliers are Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary, three Eastern European nations that rely heavily on coal and other fossil fuels.

Understandably, the Green Deal will not get adopted and accepted overnight. There are a lot of countries that have a say in its guidelines and not all of them see eye-to-eye. Nevertheless, the fact that an entity as large and influential as the EU is proposing such a plan—and that it is getting received relatively well—is a big step for environmental progress. Soon enough, maybe the rest of the world will fall in line too, realize the dangers at hand, and compromise for the betterment of the entire planet.

Find books on Big Tech, Sustainable Energy, Economics and many other topics at our sister site: Cherrybooks on Bookshop.org

Entertainment, Music

if you missed it: Billie Eilish in 1st Ever Apple Music Awards Concert watch now with Apple Music

Photo is a link to the Awards Stream from Steve Jobs Theater from 6:30 PM Pacific Time, December 4, 2019

At 6:30 p.m. Pacific Time or 9:30 p.m. Eastern Time, Apple streamed its first ever Music Awards show. Billie Eilish performed live Globally with a live stream of the Event that took place at the Steve Jobs Theater.

By clicking on the photo above you can see the stream, in case you missed it live. It may require an Apple Music sign in – but Apple is offering 3 Months free to anyone that wanted to check out the concert. (may vary by country). You just have to remember to end the subscription within three months if you don’t want to pay.

On December 3, Apple announced that Billie Eilish was Global Artist of the Year and the Songwriter of the Year along with her brother Finneas. Song of the Year was “Old Town Road” by Lil Nas X, while Lizzo was the breakthrough Artist of the Year .

This admittedly groundbreaking concert appears to be partially intended to get folks that have upgraded to new software on iOS and mac OS to activate the new functions of the Music app, if they haven’t already done so. Here is the link which will take you to the iTunes and or Music app where you can stream the the show: Billie Eilish Live Stream . Of you do not have the app required you will be prompted to download it after clicking the link.

Using the Steve Jobs Theater as a concert venue, part of the Apple Park campus normally used to keynotes and the likes, is also groundbreaking and appears to be a first step toward many new things Apple will be trying going forward.

This new Annual Award and the show are yet another example of the expanding universe of Apple service and media oriented projects. Along with Apple TV+ there is a rapidly growing array of ways that Apple is linking directly to entertainment. Apple News and Apple News + features the information side of things, while the many software offerings, many with a price tag of zero and others, such as Final Cut Pro, for a modest price, relatively speaking, as well as Arcade for gaming subscribers and so on.

The expansion, as we previously predicted is just getting started in 2019 and will literally explode by the end of next year. So far, particularly tonight’s concert, we are seeing great things on the horizon. Enjoy.

Find books on Big Tech, Sustainable Energy, Economics and many other topics at our sister site: Cherrybooks on Bookshop.org

Business

Amazon Allegedly Allowing Chinese Sellers to Deceive Consumers and Paralyze US Vendors

Amazon finally Admits to Facilitating Safety Issues and Fakes in Online Product Listings

Chinese products listed on the e-commerce site have been known to present a multitude of issues for US sellers on the platform. Consumers are also put into potential risks whenever purchasing an item from overseas on Amazon’s site. Counterfeits, unsafe goods, and items that lack the necessary US FDA approval, despite including the logo, are among some of the problems that have frequently occurred. 

On the U.S. site, Amazon doesn’t require a seller’s locations to be disclosed, which makes it harder for Chinese sellers to be held accountable when fake and unsafe goods are identified after shipping.

When consumers attempted to sue Amazon in court proceedings in the past, Amazon’s argument was that they held no burden on product liability, claiming that the items in question were neither manufactured nor sold directly by the company and that they merely allowed those items to be listed for sale.

An extremely dangerous case happened when a customer purchased a hoverboard on Amazon from a third party seller and the board exploded and resulted in the buyer’s house catching on fire and burning down. In that 2016 court proceeding, Amazon won the case and was not held responsible.

However, for the first time ever, Amazon is finally admitting that such risks actually exist. The 2018 Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) file stated “Under our seller programs, we may be unable to prevent sellers from collecting payments, fraudulently or otherwise, when buyers never receive the products they ordered or when the products received are materially different from the sellers’ descriptions. We also may be unable to prevent sellers in our stores or through other stores from selling unlawful, counterfeit, pirated, or stolen goods, selling goods in an unlawful or unethical manner, violating the proprietary rights of others, or otherwise violating our policies”  

Whether Amazon can be held liable in court for damages that result from this passivity appears to be another story.

Mysterious Third-Party Chinese Vendors Lack Accountability on Amazon’s Seller Platform

Chinese sellers within the Amazon marketplace could represent a significant portion of the third-party sellers. Although Amazon does not publicly disclose any data of sellers’ location on the Amazon.com US site, according to Market Place Pulse, approximately 38% of the top sellers are based in China and 44% of China sellers were calculated among the 5 marketplaces (France, Germany, Italy, UK and Spain). 

The majority of Chinese sellers, more than 79%, utilize Amazon Fulfillment (FBA) services that allow for customers to receive items quickly. This has resulted in US sellers struggling to compete in the market while also allowing customers to experience the same shipping experience regardless of the products’ origin.  

Legitimate US Companies Can’t Compete with Rampant Flock of Fraudulent Chinese Vendors

This insurgence of sellers from China are affecting US sellers that have sold products imported from overseas because they are not able to provide competitive prices against Chinese suppliers that are now selling the same products on the site. 

In an interview with the WSJ, a US based company that sells goose-feather duvets claims that they’ve struggled to compete with Chinese sellers that claim to sell the same quality goods but are counterfeits. This US company bought the Chinese “equivalent” and had the materials tested and found that they were duck feathers, instead of its proclaimed goose-feathers, and were being sold at a fraction of the price.

These deceptive listings not only hurt the customers that believe that they are purchasing one thing but actually receive another, but they are also killing a number of legitimate companies’ chances to make a living. The company brought the testing results to Amazon’s attention and the counterfeits were removed. However, the burden of responsibility in locating vendors that sell “fakes” should not be on the third party seller’s shoulders.

Consumers have also been deceived into thinking a product is great based on 5 star feedback when, in actuality, a string of companies have been proven to directly influence inauthentic reviews by bribing customers with gift cards in exchange for a high rating.  

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Business, Tech

Nike Pulls the Plug on Amazon: The Two Year Pilot Program is Over

Nike Shoe Steps on Sad Amazon – Photo Collage / Lynxotic / Upsplash

Just Do It – Nike Dunks on, or Rather Dumps Amazon

In 2017 Nike participated in a pilot program to test out selling a small sampling of its products on the Amazon e-commerce site. Now, in late 2019, Nike made the decision to end that relationship, one that will have only lasted a little over two years. This parting will mean that Nike will no longer sell any of its merchandise directly through Amazon.com.

In a Yahoo Finance interview with the President, Heidi O’Neil, she explained, “We have ended our pilot with Amazon — it comes back to being incredibly committed to amazing experiences for our consumers, direct relationships and building unbreakable relationships. We want to move forward and make sure we continue to innovate on our own platform.”

Nike’s separation from Amazon comes at a time when Nike has also made internal changes to its leadership. Heidi O’Neil has been President of Nike Direct for one year (working within Nike in the marketing department for 20 years). Mark Parker current CEO will soon be stepping down and taking on the role of executive chair and be succeeded by John Donahoe at the start of the new year on January 13, 2020. Donahoe was the former CEO of eBay and current chairman of PayPal, his experience with e-commerce and online payment systems will surely serve Nike well. 

Sharing Customer Relations is not what Amazon was Built On

Nike’s shift away from Amazon serves the company’s larger mission to provide stronger customer relations. Using a direct-to-consumer (DTC) business approach, the aim is to sell more Nike products through its own website and stores – which is something not possible when partnering with Amazon. 

Since making a purchase through Amazon, all points of communication begin and end and are funneled through its platform. If any third-party vendor (even Nike) required additional information from a buyer or wanted to reach out to establish more of a relationship with customer – this involves, at best, a shared information system as the customer is deemed, by Amazon, to be its own, regardless of what brand they are purchasing. This stranglehold of customer data allows for Amazon to keep control in the purchasing process from start to finish. 

In addition, companies that sell on Amazon and have repeat business on the platform do not reap the customer relation benefits, instead Amazon asserts control of that customer relationship. 

Nike’s status as a well-established brand fortunately does not necessarily need to rely on Amazon’s fast shipping and low prices in order to its attract customers – instead the company can focus more on its desired goals to bring about “unbreakable relationships” with those that sport Nike footwear and branded gear.

After Nike’s exit from Amazon, things can only get better: For Nike

Nike counterfeits and unauthorized sellers have always been a concern for the company and was a major discussion point prior to entering into the pilot program with Amazon. Brands that do not sell directly on Amazon are often faced with resellers filling that gap. Grey market goods and resellers with fake or counterfeit products have been a major problem with Nike related products – even conducting a simple Amazon search for Nike products will yield many a reviews that point out the above issues.

“The move shows us that strong brands realize that traffic driven to their own site is self-sustaining, more profitable, and actually brand enhancing, while traffic and incremental revue from Amazon.com is less profitable but also less brand enhancing.”

– Randy Konik, Jefferies & Company ANalyst

Although Nike will cease listing on Amazon, the e-commerce site will still have third party sellers that hold Nike products available for purchase, which leaves the door open for problems relating to authenticity that customers will have to risk if they purchase on a site other than Nike.com.

The counterfeit issue within the Amazon marketplace has been such a rampant problem that another large name footwear brand, Birkenstock removed its products and no longer sell on Amazon as of 2016.

Nike, as one of the best known product lines to leave the online-selling platform is sure to affect Amazon’s future attempts of attracting other big name brands. 

Randy Konik a Jefferies analyst spoke about Nike’s departure: “The move shows us that strong brands realize that traffic driven to their own site is self-sustaining, more profitable, and actually brand enhancing, while traffic and incremental revue from Amazon.com is less profitable but also less brand enhancing.”

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Entertainment, Movies

New Trailers: Trolls World Tour, Bluebird, The Way Back, Citizen K and more…

Video

A bunch of new trailers came out this week, and here are a few for you to check out right now:

‘Trolls World Tour’

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/universal/trolls-world-tour/trolls-world-tour-trailer-2_h1080p.mov
new official trailer for “trolls world tour”

Poppy and Branch discover that there are six different troll tribes scattered over six different lands. Each tribe is also devoted to six different kinds of music — funk, country, techno, classical, pop and rock. When rockers Queen Barb and King Thrash set out to destroy the other music, Poppy and Branch embark on a daring mission to unite the trolls and save the diverse melodies from becoming extinct.

‘Citizen K’

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/independent/citizen-k/citizen-k-trailer-1_h1080p.mov
original official trailer for “citizen k”

Citizen K is a 2019 documentary film about Mikhail Khodorkovsky, written and directed by Alex Gibney. It is a film about post-Soviet Russia. Mikhail Khodorkovsky, a wealthy man in Russia, rocketed to prosperity in the 1990s and became an unlikely martyr for the anti-Putin movement. It had its world premiere at Venice Film Festival.

‘The Way Back’

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/wb/the-way-back/the-way-back-trailer-1_h1080p.mov
new official trailer for “the way back”

The Way Back stars Ben Affleck. A widowed, former basketball all-star lost family foundation in a struggle with addiction and attempts to comeback by becoming the coach of a disparate, ethnically mixed high school basketball team at his alma mater.

‘Bluebird’

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/independent/bluebird/bluebird-trailer-1_h1080p.mov
original official trailer for “bluebird”

Some of today’s biggest singers/songwriters — including Garth Brooks, Vince Gill and Taylor Swift — discuss their memories of performing at the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville, Tenn.

‘Beyond the Law’

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/independent/beyond-the-law/beyond-the-law-trailer-1_h1080p.mov
official original trailer for “beyond the law”

Police officer Daniel Saxon (Charlie Sheen) goes undercover in an effort to topple a motorcycle gang whose members deal in illegal weapons and drugs. To prove himself to the gang’s leader, a thug called “Blood” (Michael Madsen), Saxon engages in a series of dangerous acts. Though he takes solace in his burgeoning romance with Renee (Linda Fiorentino), a photographer chronicling the gang’s lifestyle, Saxon finds the line between police work and criminal behavior increasingly blurry.

‘I See You’

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/independent/i-see-you/i-see-you-trailer-1b_h1080p.mov
new official trailer for “i see you”

I See You is about strange occurrences plague a small-town detective and his family as he investigates the disappearance of a boy.

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Entertainment, Movies

‘Joker’ Breaks $1 Billion, Surpassing ‘Deadpool’ As Most Successful R-Rated Movie Of All Time

Video
https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/wb/joker/joker-trailer-2_h1080p.mov
Second Official Trailer for “Joker”

Amidst Family-Friendly ‘Billionaire’ Movies, ‘Joker’ is the Only R-Rated Feature to Break the Mold

“Joker” came out nearly two months ago on October 4th. Upon release, it earned an immediate $93.5 million, giving it the highest-grossing October opening weekend ever. Recently, however, “Joker” broke yet another record, this time solidifying it as a financial success and a milestone movie. 

Earlier this week, “Joker” became the first R-rated movie to earn more than $1 billion at the box office, edging out “Deadpool” as the most lucrative R-Rated film of all time.

Only a handful of movies have managed to break the $1 billion threshold. This year, “Joker” joins the likes of “Avengers: Endgame,” “Toy Story 4,” and “The Lion King” as a film that managed to earn ten figures. It is also Warner Brothers’ biggest success since “Aquaman,” which came out in December 2018 and grossed $1.2 billion. 

Almost every movie to make over a $1 billion has been a family-friendly action-comedy blockbuster, nestled somewhere between a PG and PG-13 rating. This usually allows for a wider range of people to buy tickets. “Joker,” however, stands out as an R-rated sinister drama that made an artistic debut at the Venice and Toronto Film Festivals. The movie even received some backlash for its ultra-violent themes and its humanization of the criminally insane. 

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/wb/joker/joker-teaser-1_h1080p.mov
Original Official Trailer for “Joker”

Public Obsession with ‘Joker’ Brings Alarm as Many Fear it could Spawn Copy Cats

Of course, the movie is about Batman’s arch nemesis and is technically under the DC Entertainment label. Thus, it was bound to find success from the beginning. Nevertheless, given “Joker’s” mature nature and radical subject matter, it remains quite impressive that the film is doing as well as it is.

Like most big-budget films nowadays, the majority of “Joker’s” success came from foreign ticket sales. The movie has earned $694 million abroad compared to $322.6 million domestic. However, Warner Brothers also managed to make this hefty figure without releasing the film in China, which is the second largest movie market in the world. 

Some may find it disturbing that a movie focusing on the antagonist is drawing so much attention. Many fear that audiences will empathize with the Joker too much and perhaps try to follow in his deranged and violent footsteps.

Despite Criticism, Filmmakers Defend Artistry as a Potential Oscar Buzz surrounds the ‘Clown Prince’

Director Todd Phillips and lead actor Joaquin Phoenix (who plays the titular character) have heard these criticisms loud and clear, but they still defend their work. Essentially, they take the stance that filmmakers have artistic freedom to tell the stories they want to tell, no matter how unsavory the characters or how risky the themes. They contend that filmmakers (like any artists) do not have an obligation to teach viewers morality—it is up to the individual to interpret the story ethically and make the right choices.

Regardless, the criticism is not stopping people from seeing the movie. Evidently, millions of people from all around the world are flocking to theaters for “Joker.” Meanwhile, it is also getting positive reviews and potential Oscar buzz, especially regarding Joaquin Phoenix transformative performance as the Clown Prince of Darkness. 

“Joker” as a whole is a divisive and morally ambiguous picture. The movie was a risk on Warner Brothers’ part and its ultimate legacy is yet to be determined. At the very least, though, Warner Bros knows that the risk paid off financially, and that they are cashing a big check for their fast and loose quasi-Batman anti-hero project.

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Entertainment, Movies

Netflix: Smell the Roses or Binge in Overdrive @1.5 Original Speed

Graphic Collage / Lynxotic

Netflix Ignores Creative Intention as they Scramble After gimmicky Innovation

Ever since Netflix got the world hooked on online streaming, the company has innovatively transformed how people consume both film and television. For a long time, it was also uncontested, seemingly secured as the premiere streaming service. However, with the launches of Disney+, HBO Max, Peacock, Apple+, and the streaming war that will ensue by the end of the year, Netflix will no longer be in the safe zone. 

To survive this oncoming competition, Netflix has been looking for ways to distinguish itself. It has done this partially by creating more original content and making a name for itself as a production company. At the same time, though, Netflix is also trying to get creative within its distinct medium.

Unlike Disney, WarnerMedia, or NBCUniversal, Netflix did not begin as a TV station or a film studio. It started as a DVD rental site and evolved into streaming to keep up with the digital age. Therefore, the company has always been seeking ways to use its online platform to its advantage—from offering multi-lingual subtitles, to recording new dubs, to implementing the choose-your-own adventure model in “Black Mirror: Bandersnatch.”

1.5 Playback Speed Isn’t New, but for Movies? That’s Uncharted Territory with Good Reason

Almost all of these innovations have been embraced and accepted by viewers and filmmakers alike. However, Netflix’s next move in harnessing its digital medium may be taking things a step too far.  

Currently in the works, Netflix may soon give its users the option to view content at 1.5 the original speed. This means that they could watch an hour-long television episode in just forty-five minutes, or a two-hour movie in no more than ninety minutes. Everything would go by 50% faster. The company has already started testing this development on Android mobile devices, but has not yet declared when or if it will become available to all subscribers.   

Granted, consuming media and watching videos at non-standard speeds is not completely novel. YouTube has been allowing its patrons to adjust playback speeds for a while now. At the most severe, viewers can speed through content twice as fast or slog through videos at a mere quarter of the original pace. These options are also common on podcast sites, allowing listeners to hear material more efficiently.

However, there is a difference between watching a five-minute video on YouTube and watching a full-length movie on Netflix. The service’s extensive library contains the work of many esteemed filmmakers—its original content alone comes from the directorial likes of Steven Soderbergh, Alfonso Cuarón, Martin Scorsese, and even Orson Welles. It seems borderline blasphemous to consider rushing these masters’ works with improper haste.  

Film Playback Speed-up option Cheapens Work Extracted from Movie Industry Creators

Likewise, all of the content available on Netflix has a degree of artistic merit. There are screenwriters, directors, cinematographers, animators, editors, and many more people behind each of the titles. Film being a collaborative art-form, there are hundreds of names (and not to mention millions of dollars) attached to every project. Perhaps Netflix ought to honor all of the individuals who creatively and financially slaved over its material.

Ever since Netflix started creating more prestigious original work, it has been held to a new standard. Today, the company is a rather divisive topic amongst the Hollywood elite—Scorsese is obviously willing to work with it, while Spielberg openly dug into it following the 91st Academy Awards. This new 1.5 speed addition to the site, however, is unlikely to earn it any new friends in the filmmaking community. Judd Apatow and Brad Bird have already pushed back against the idea.

After all, a film’s timing is not a haphazard thing. Directors and editors take time and effort to create ideal pacing in a movie. When curated correctly, a movie’s tempo can be just as meaningful as its script. Imagine, for example, if Hitchcock’s camera ran through a house rather than crept through it, or if Kubrick’s painfully long takes were cut off too soon—we would all lose something.  

Watching content at 1.5 the speed is essentially watching content on fast-forward. While Netflix may be responsible for binge culture and slip-screen viewing, this latest idea of theirs may be pushing the envelope too severely. It jeopardizes filmic integrity and comes at the expense of so much creative effort. Netflix should certainly continue to think progressively and outside the box when it comes to entertainment, but meanwhile, it should also keep a toe in the waters of tradition and not forget the fundamental values of cinematic art upon which the company stands. 

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Tech

Tesla’s Success Story of ‘Zero Emission Sexy Fun’ is at a Tipping Point: now the entire Auto Industry Races to Join In

Tesla Model Y

The main factor preventing carbon emission reductions? Over-reliance on fossil fuel for energy & transport

As the climate crisis rages on and protests for climate action happen all over the world, peoples and nations worldwide struggle with implementing a sustainable alternative to the biggest cause of carbon emissions: fossil fuels.

The backbone of the fossil fuel strangle-hold on the world economy is cars and, particularly in the US, a transportation infrastructure based on solo drivers and individual cars. Because of this, a fossil fuel alternative is hard to obtain without the use of fossil fuels themselves throughout the process.

The European Union, for example, despite being the top funds provider for global projects aimed at fighting against the climate crisis, has also provided funding and subsidies for fossil fuels at the same time. However, on Friday, November 8th, the European Union Finance Ministers backed a declaration to end all fossil fuel funding for the first time.

After previously only agreeing to end funding for coal power plants, they issued a joint statement with the EU calling “to phase out financing of fossil fuel projects, in particular those using solid fossil fuels, taking into account the sustainable development, and energy needs, including energy security, of partner countries.”

The European Investment Bank’s official decision regarding the matter is unclear as a number of countries push for the continuance of gas funding in the face of the EU’s general fear that those countries would turn to Russia for help. The EIB board will meet on November 14th to further discuss this policy issue.

Tesla’s Mission and Vision is Coming to Fruition

Fortunately, Tesla has been aware of this complex socioeconomic issue from its establishment, and they are the leading cause of change and innovation that combats this issue on all fronts.

On May 9, 2019, Tesla’s twitter account released a thread detailing the company’s mission and how they plan to execute it in a multitude of ways as they go forward. Their mission is “to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy.”

The first part of their “Master Plan” to realize this mission is to influence the auto industry to transition to electric power because the current leading cause of global CO2 emissions is the constant use of fossil fuels for transportation, especially in the U.S., where its infrastructure primarily relies on transportation via solo, gas-powered cars with individual drivers.

Tesla accomplished this by designing the Tesla Roadster, Model S, Model X, Model 3, and the upcoming Model Y to prove that “people didn’t need to compromise to drive all-electric” in order to benefit the environment.

Tesla’s planned impact on the auto industry is clearly a success as various hybrid and all-electric model cars are set for deliveries in 2020.

Tesla Successfully Influences Auto Industry to Embrace EVs as ‘Sexy & Fun’

As Tesla’s founding ethos of making sustainable transportation fun and ‘sexy’ is proven to be successful, many car manufacturers are following suit by moving towards producing hybrid and/or all-electric vehicles that guarantee a high quality that lives up to, or even surpasses, their long-established, gas-powered, vehicle brand names.

https://youtu.be/o0F9Uktpgtk

On Sunday, November 17th, it looks like Ford is about to jump on this trend first introduced by Tesla and incorporated into the recent practices of renowned car manufacturers, like Lamborghini, Porsche, and Jeep.

Porsche and Jeep have already produced hybrid plug-in versions of their iconic Cayenne and Wrangler models as a movement towards sustainable energy, but Ford’s Mustang Mach-E is going to be the first all-electric SUV to bear a name originally reserved for a trademark, powerful, gas-powered, “muscle” car.

This marks a major shift in values for traditional automakers. At first, car manufacturers would produce moderate-to-low quality electric vehicles just to pacify the environmentalist demographic, essentially putting the carbon emissions reduction burden on consumers, who rightfully find that sacrificing the quality transportation that they deserve in the name of saving the planet is too inconvenient, rather than themselves for failing to give consumers a compatible alternative to their gas-powered vehicles.

But now, with Tesla’s burgeoning global success in high-quality EV sales, the demand for electric vehicles has finally increased to a level that traditional auto companies were unable (or unwilling) to achieve. As a result, high-quality EV production is finally at the top of production priorities in heightening the possibility for a real start toward a sustainable future.

BMW i4

Auto Companies Rushing Forward to Ramp Up EV Production in Fear of Losing the Market to Tesla

Audi, Mercedes and BMW all have big projects for EV production, and have, in essence, capitulated and conceded that EVs will be 100% of the car market in the relatively near future, within a decade for example. They are now concerned that Tesla will dominate with a massive market share if they do not start working to catch up. And if this shift isn’t seen in the various hybrid and electric models coming out in 2020, it demonstrates a clear trend, based on recent auto company investments and factory expansions.

On Wednesday, November 13th, Volkswagen unveiled an $800 million investment into an expansion project for their Cattanooga, Tennessee factory to be turned into VW’s main base for electric vehicle manufacturing in North America. They also expect to introduce 1,000 new jobs at the factory through the 564,000-square-foot body shop addition that’s part of the expansion.

In light of their 2015 emissions cheating scandal, the expansion is also a piece of Volkswagen’s broad plan to turn away from diesel, which globally entails a $50 billion commitment towards EV development and production.

Photo / Volkswagen

Volkswagen’s expansion will also enable the production of their all-electric compact SUV, the VW ID.4, by mid-2022, which is expected to compete with Tesla’s Model Y, which will begin production in early 2020.

Thanks to Tesla’s success, this insurgence of EV popularity amongst consumers is forcing auto companies to measure up to the high-quality Tesla standard, which indicates that the tipping point leading to a clean energy future through sustainable transportation has arrived.

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Cutting Edge, Tech

Tech Week in Review: Streaming Wars, Disney+ & AppleTV+, Zuckerberg’s 5th Estate, AirPods Pro, Tesla and more

Video
https://www.apple.com/105/media/us/airpods-pro/2019/1299e2f5_9206_4470_b28e_08307a42f19b/films/product/airpods-pro-product-tpl-cc-us-2019_1920x1080h.mp4
Apple Promotional Video for AirPods Pro
T-Mobile to Launch 5G Network Nationwide in December: iPhone 12 could start 5G Revolution
A Mass Tesla Fleet Invasion into Multiple Industries has Begun
The Streaming Wars are about to Erupt and TV will never be the same again
Zuckerberg claims Facebook is the ‘5th Estate’ while in Reality he runs Algorithmic Dictatorship
Watch Apple Video of New AirPods Pro: plus Memes and a Deep Dive into the Innovative Auditory Technology

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Photography

iPhone 11 Pro Max and iPhone Photography Award Series Highlights

Video
https://video-lynxotic.akamaized.net/PhotoAwards-1-M-final.mp4
ABOVE: SHORT VIDEO INTRODUCING OUR IPHONE PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS SERIES
iPhone 11 Pro Max: Leading the Way to the Future of Media and Photographic Innovation
iPhone 11 Pro Max: Night Mode for all and Elon Musk’s Cyborgs come to life
iPhone 11 Pro Max photo and video examples
iPhone Photography Awards Announced, Volume 9: People and Sunset
iPhone Photography Awards Announced, Volume 5: Children and Landscape
iPhone Photo Awards

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Entertainment, Movies

5 New Movies Out in the Next 2 Weeks – with Action-Packed Trailers Included

Video
https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/sony_pictures/charlies-angels/charlies-angels-trailer-2_h1080p.mov
New Official Trailer for “Charlie’s Angels”

Here’s a little refresher that features some of the most-anticipated movie releases for the next two weekends:

Another Reboot on the Badass, All-Female Trio, ‘Charlie’s Angels’ are back Again
Matt Damon and Christian Bale recreate Le Mans circa 1966 in ‘Ford v Ferrari’
‘Scandalous’: National Inquirer sets the Standard for Questionable News Coverage
Man Hunt for Cop Killers in ’21 Bridges’ make for a taut suspense Thriller
Tom Hanks employs Radical Kindness to become Mr. Rogers in ‘A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood’

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Entertainment, Movies

5 New Movie Trailers Just Released: Check out the future features from Paramount, Warner Bros. and more

Video
https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/paramount/sonic-the-hedgehog/sonic-the-hedgehog-trailer-1b_h1080p.mov
New Official Trailer for “Sonic the Hedgehog”

A bunch of new trailers came out this week, so we chose a few for you to check out right now:

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/independent/the-wolf-hour/the-wolf-hour-trailer-1_h1080p.mov
Official Trailer for “The Wolf Hour”

The Wolf Hour is a 2019 thriller drama film written and directed by Alistair Banks Griffin. It stars Naomi Watts, Emory Cohen, Jennifer Ehle, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Jeremy Bobb and Brennan Brown.
It had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 26, 2019. It is scheduled to be released on December 6, 2019, by Brainstorm Media.

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/wb/scoob/scoob-trailer-1_h1080p.mov
Official Trailer for “Scoob”

Scoob! (stylised as SCOOB!) is computer-animated adventure comedy film featuring characters from the Scooby-Doo franchise, produced by the Warner Animation Group and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is a reboot of the Scooby-Doo film series, and is intended to be the first film of a proposed set up for a Hanna-Barbera Cinematic Universe.

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/paramount/sonic-the-hedgehog/sonic-the-hedgehog-trailer-1_h1080p.mov
Original Official Trailer for “Sonic the Hedgehog”

Sonic the Hedgehog is a 2020  family adventure film based on the Sonic video game franchise by Sega. It stars Ben Schwartz as the voice of Sonic the Hedgehog and Jim Carrey as Sonic’s nemesis Doctor Robotnik, alongside James Marsden and Tika Sumpter. In the film, a small-town sheriff assists Sonic as he attempts to escape Dr. Robotnik and the government.

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/paramount/the-spongebob-movie-sponge-on-the-run/the-spongebob-movie-sponge-on-the-run-trailer-1_h1080p.mov
Official Trailer for “The Spongebob Movie: Sponge On The Run”

The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run is a 3D live-action animated comedy film based on the animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants. The regular voice cast of the series are expected to reprise their respective roles from the series and the previous films, The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (2004) and The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water (2015).

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/independent/beanpole/beanpole-trailer-1_h1080p.mov
Official Trailer for “Beanpole”

Beanpole (Russian: Дылда) is a 2019 Russian historical drama film directed by Kantemir Balagov. It premiered in the Un Certain Regard section of the 2019 Cannes Film Festival. At Cannes, Balagov won the Un Certain Regard Best Director Award and the FIPRESCI Prize for Best Film in the Un Certain Regard section. It was selected as the Russian entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 92nd Academy Awards.

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Climate Solutions, News

Lynxotic Climate Crisis Updates: Global & Celebrity Activism from Extinction Rebellion, Greta Thunberg and Leonardo DiCaprio

Video
https://video-lynxotic.akamaized.net/OnelifetimeXRMaster.mp4

If you’ve missed our recent coverage of the climate crisis, here’s a compilation of some of our noteworthy articles that’ll help you get up to speed on the issue, especially in regards to how global citizens and celebrities are getting involved in the movement for climate action.

The Extinction Rebellion Brings Global Civil Disobedience to the Modern Matter of Climate Change
Climate Crisis reaching Critical Mass: Extreme Events, Massive Protests and Celebrity Activism
Extinction Rebellion Video Increases political pressure as Elections Loom and Climate Survival is at Stake
Greta Thunberg Declines Nordic Council Environmental Prize, Says “Climate Movement Doesn’t Need Awards”
Leonardo DiCaprio headlines Global Citizens Festival, in Climate Crisis awareness fight
XR Logo

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News

Watch Mercury Transit across the Sun: last time until 2032 – starts at 7 a.m. ET

Video
Mercury Transit / NASA

The Celestial Event of the year is happening now

This Monday, November 11th, will mark Mercury’s journey or transit where the planet passes between Earth and will be visible as it moves across the face of the Sun. The last transit happened in May of 2016 and will not happen again until 2032. According to NASA, this planetary event should be widely visible to most of the World and will lasts a little under six hours, making it convenient for most to be able to catch a glimpse.  

Mercury will begin its trek and can be viewed starting at 7 a.m. ET and ending at around 1:45 ET, those in the west coast will have to wait until the sun rises to see anything. The tiny planet (the smallest planet in our Solar System) will be seen as a small round black sphere moving against the bright Sun. Mercury will cover an extremely small fraction 1/283 of the Sun’s diameter.

All those with interests in viewing the phenomenon that have access to a telescope (or binoculars) will have to utilize a minimum magnification of 50x and most importantly have proper solar filters to prevent damage to the eyes. Even without a telescope, it is advised to never look directly into the Sun without proper protective eyewear. The Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) will be closely watching and recording video and images that can be seen safely in the comfort of any screen at nearly real time by visiting NASA’s 2019 Mercury Transit page.

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Climate Solutions, News, Politics

Extinction Rebellion Video Increases political pressure as Elections Loom and Climate Survival is at Stake

Video
https://video-lynxotic.akamaized.net/OnelifetimeXRMaster.mp4

XR Celebrity Allies Demand from Governments ‘#WhereIsYourPlan’

As we head into election season, the impending climate crisis demands immediate action, especially by our world governments. Extinction Rebellion (XR) is well aware of this as they release this celebrity collaboration short film that calls for everyone to demand their government’s plan to address the climate crisis, with the hashtag #WhereIsYourPlan.

“Through voices representing a lifetime, aged 8 to 80, the film demands that leaders around the world act on the climate and ecological emergency, including stopping the destruction of our forests, our oceans and our wildlife, reducing to global zero carbon emissions within 10 years and in investing in a green economy.”

Extinction Rebellion

This globally significant film was developed by legendary filmmaker Richard Curtis and world-renowned British photography agency RANKIN. Curtis is known for the famous works that include “Love, Actually”, “Notting Hill”, “Four Weddings and a Funeral” and “Bridget Jone’s Diary”.

The celebrities featured include recognizable faces from “Downton Abbey” to “Love Island,” as well as Ellie Goulding, Jaime Winstone, Chris Packham, Daisy Lowe, Imelda Staunton, Stephen Frears, and Jim Carter.

Together, these high-profile entities from every generation raise their voices to unite everyone — no matter their race, age, gender, or nationality — against the current threat of the climate crisis. They stress that, collectively, we only have “one lifetime” to make an impactful change to evade the worst of what the crisis has in store at the current state of our environment.

From a Letter to the Media to a Video Message to the Government, XR Continues Fight Against Climate Crisis

This isn’t the first time that celebrities collaborated with XR in the campaign for climate action. Together, they wrote and signed a letter addressing the media, saying that they will not stop fighting for climate action no matter how many times the media tries to discredit the movement by inciting their unavoidable hypocrisy.

It’s not enough to wait for individual choices to line up with collective environmental values. We need mandated collective action against the corporate entities that continue to make matters worse for everyone on Earth, and this cannot happen without governments’ taking action on our behalf. Unfortunately, it takes a lot to get the government to collectively pay attention.

Even as XR continues to be banned from protesting by their own law enforcement in London, they refuse to let that stop them. On November 6th, they plan to defend their right to peaceful protest as the High Court delivers its official judgment on the Metropolitan Police’s decision to ban all XR protests in London during XR’s second week of the October Rebellion.

Photo / Ella Myers / Extinction Rebellion

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Entertainment, Movies, Tech

Netflix Aiming for Prestige to Combat Debt as Streaming War Brings Extreme Competition

Can this Digital GrandDaddy Stay Relevant as Disney+, Apple TV+ and more enter the Fray?

For years, Netflix has been pointed to as the premiere streaming service and the foremost company responsible for popularizing watching content online instead of on a television or movie screen. It has earned a spot alongside Facebook, Amazon, Apple, and Google as one of the most influential companies in the world of 21st century technology and entertainment—being the N in the notorious acronym FAANG. 

Recently, however, Netflix has been hitting some hard times. Its debt has been steadily increasing for a while and fewer companies are renewing their contracts with it, thus limiting the breadth of its library. Likewise, the launches of Disney+, HBO Max, NBCUniversal’s Peacock, and Apple+ are creeping closer and closer. When these new streaming services become available, their parent companies will stop licensing content to Netflix, and they will bring about unprecedented competition.

While Netflix has slowly been increasing its amount of original content over the years, its most popular offerings remain properties from outside sources. As it has been for a couple years now, the two most watched programs on Netflix are “The Office” and “Friends.” In fact, one has to go pretty far down the list before finding a Netflix original among company’s most popular shows.

Once the streaming war begins, though, Netflix will lose many of these licensed-out titles. Originally airing on NBC, “The Office” will be available exclusively on Peacock. Likewise, being a Warner Brother’s television production, “Friends” will find its new streaming home on HBO Max. Netflix will thus be in a pickle, as they will have fewer titles in their libraries and fewer active deals with pre-established studios and networks.

Nevertheless, Netflix is responding to the impending streaming war with surprising optimism. The company’s CEO, Reed Hastings has expressed feelings of confidence, explaining how the increased competition will force Netflix to be creative and improve its model.

Content is, once again, Key in a Competitive Market

Creativity will be the key to success in the streaming war, as original content will largely determine which platforms outlast the others. Netflix has certainly been upping its original content game throughout 2018 and 2019. On the series side, season three of “Stranger Things” broke records for the company, and the innovative “Black Mirror: Bandersnatch” introduced the choose-your-own-adventure model to television and garnered a Primetime Emmy win in the process.

Likewise, ever since Alfonso Cuaron’s 2018 Netflix original film “Roma” earned several Oscar nominations—including wins for best director and best foreign film, and a nomination for best picture—Netflix has been seen as a far more legitimate production company, worthy of immense talent and prestigious content. To an extent, Netflix has ran with this new reputation in 2019, creating Steven Soderbergh’s “The Laundromat” starring Meryl Streep, Gary Oldman, and Antonio Banderas, as well as Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman” with Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci.

It is a bold strategy for Netflix, but it seems like the company is going for prestige as its new brand. When the streaming war takes place, one of the things Disney, Warner Brothers, and NBC have that Netflix currently lacks is an identifiable brand-type. For the majority of streaming history, a subscription to a service simply meant that you were paying for a smorgasbord of content that could range all different genres and cater to diverse tastes. Now that streaming services and production companies are merging into one entity, subscribing becomes a far more divisive strategy based on brand recognition.

In order for Netflix to remain afloat, they will need to sell themselves as offering something not available anywhere else. For years creative and business-minded people have scratched their heads trying to figure out what kind of content Netflix desires. Perhaps this prestigious trend brings us closer to an answer.

Nevertheless, Netflix has also employed a couple other strategies to keep itself moving through 2019. It has dug into some preexisting intellectual properties and expanded upon them. Recently, it re-capitalized on “Breaking Bad” with Vince Gilligan’s “El Camino” taking place in the same universe as the show. Meanwhile, it also exploited 1990s nostalgia by producing original movies based off of old Nickelodeon cartoon shows “Rocko’s Modern Life” and “Invader Zim.”

Therefore, Netflix’s playbook remains mysterious. Unlike other web-based companies of its caliber, Netflix keeps its data private. So while there are guesses and estimates about trends in Netflix’s model, it is quite possible that the company has a few unseen tricks still hidden up its sleeve. Only time will tell if Netflix will find a way to keep up with the competition, or if the service will go down as an immensely influential, yet tragically short-lived blip in entertainment history.

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