DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

What Ukraine Has Lost A drone photograph shows numerous severely damaged buildings with labels highlighting residential buildings, a football field and a high school. This is the first comprehensive picture of where the Ukraine war has been fought and the totality of the destruction. More buildings have been destroyed in Ukraine than if every building in Manhattan were to be leveled four times over. In mid-May, the Russians bombed some towns in northeastern Ukraine so ferociously that one resident said they were erasing streets. “No matter how unpatriotic it may sound, there’s not much future for her in Ukraine,” Ms. Hrushkovska said.

Persons: it’s, Corey Scher, Den, Finbarr, Jamon, Diego Ibarra Sánchez, Marinka, ”, Iryna Hrushkovksa, “, Hrushkovska’s, Hanna Horban, ” Ms, Hrushkovska, ” Marinka, Celestino Arce, Tyler Hicks, Laura Boushnak, Finbarr O’Reilly, Horban, Horban’s, Vova, Svitlana Moskalevska, Olha Herus, “ Fish, Jan, Serhii Nuzhnenko, Gleb Garanich, Leonid Ragozin, Varvara, Herus’s, Tetiana, Ms, Herus, Reni, Izmail, Vavara, Varvara Hrushkovska, Hanna Kovalenko, “ It's, ” Artem Hoch, Danylo Organizations: New York Times, City University of New York Graduate Center, Den Hoek of Oregon State University, The New York Times, Copernicus Sentinel, Maxar Technologies, Google, Russia’s Defense Ministry, Ukraine ., Museum of Local, People’s Museum, Getty, Ukrainian Army, Reuters, SHEVCHENKA, SHCHORSA, New York, Kyiv Kharkiv, Ukrainian, Chernihiv Kyiv Kharkiv UKRAINE Dnipro, Kherson Mariupol, Kyiv Kharkiv UKRAINE Mariupol, Microsoft Bing, Institute for, American, The New York Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Marinka, Kyiv, Mariupol, Rubizhne, Kherson, Kharkiv, Manhattan, Dresden, London, Gaza, Den Hoek of, Geneva, Donetsk, Izium, Den Hoek, Crimea, Russian, Donetsk City, Vilkhivka, Huliaipole, “, Ukrainian, Berlin, Pavlograd, Soviet Union, NurPhoto, Kolos, Marinka — Donetsk, Donetsk People’s Republic, іі, Marinka’s, Irpin, Ukraine’s, Bakhmut, Ukrainians, Zaporizhzhia, Orikhiv, Dnipro, Nova, Oleshky, Donbas, Chernihiv Kyiv Kharkiv UKRAINE, CRIMEA, Kyiv Kharkiv UKRAINE

☆ Opinion | Holy Cow, 34 for 45!
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-01 | by ( Maureen Dowd | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON — At Nativity grade school, we grew up steeped in the lore — and gore — of martyrs. For their brave deeds and words, these men and women were stoned, crucified, beheaded, stripped of all their skin, shot with arrows and cooked alive on a red-hot griddle. So I’m a little surprised my siblings would somehow put Donald Trump in those martyrs’ sainted company. My sister and brother, disturbed by Trump’s constant chaos and slashing insults, saw their hopes for Ron DeSantis or Nikki Haley evaporate. I called my Republican sibs Friday to see if hearing the word “guilty” ring out 34 times in a New York courtroom had finally severed them from Trump; they are, after all, children of a police detective.

Persons: WASHINGTON, Donald Trump, ’, Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley Organizations: Republican Locations: New York, Trump

☆ Doug Ingle, the Voice of Iron Butterfly, Is Dead at 78
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-31 | by ( Alex Williams | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Doug Ingle, the lead singer and organist of Iron Butterfly, the band that turned a purportedly misheard lyric into “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida,” the 17-minute magnum opus that propelled acid rock into the outer reaches of excess in the late 1960s, died on May 24. His death was confirmed in a social media post by his son Doug Ingle Jr The post did not say where he died or specify a cause. Mr. Ingle was the last surviving member of the classic lineup of Iron Butterfly, the pioneering hard rock act he helped found in 1966. The band released its first three albums within a year, starting with “Heavy” in early 1968, and, after a lineup shuffle, cemented its place in rock lore with its second album, “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida,” released that July. A radio version of the title song, whittled to under three minutes, made it to No.

Persons: Doug Ingle, Ingle, ”, “, Vida ”

☆ In This English Countryside Race, the Winner Takes the … Cheese
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-29 | by ( Jenny Gross | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Cheese!” hundreds of people chanted at the top of their lungs. An eight-pound wheel of Double Gloucester cheese flew down a hill. The cheese-chasing contest, one of the most peculiar traditions in England, if not the world, dates to at least the early 1800s, according to local lore. Thousands showed up to Cooper’s Hill in southwestern England to watch on Monday, undeterred after the local authorities deemed the event unsafe for competitors and spectators alike. The winners hailed from as close as Gloucestershire and as far away as Germany, the United States and Australia.

Locations: Gloucester, England, Gloucestershire, Germany, United States, Australia

☆ Indy 500 takeaways: Josef Newgarden repeats as winner with bold pass, joins elite group
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-26 | by ( Jordan Bianchi | Jeff Gluck | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +5 min

Josef Newgarden completed a daring pass to the outside of Pato O’Ward on the final lap to win the rain-delayed Indianapolis 500 on Sunday. As Newgarden and O’Ward sped down the frontstretch taking the white flag, O’Ward completed a slingshot pass of Newgarden, who then attempted his own slingshot pass as they raced into Turn 3. Josef Newgarden and Pato O’Ward battled to the end in the 108th running of the #Indy500. AdvertisementAnd Newgarden certainly earned the win Sunday, completing a bold pass that will go down in racing lore. The race had 48 lead changes, which is the fourth-most in Indianapolis 500 history (out of 108 races).

Persons: Josef Newgarden, Pato O’Ward, Newgarden, Hélio Castroneves, O’Ward, Scott Dixon, Alexander Rossi, Alex Palou, 0QqbcbnfYl, “ Pato, Pato, ”, Arrow McLaren, Wilbur Shaw, Mauri Rose, Bill Vukovich, Al Unser Sr, Kyle Larson, Ryan Hunter, Reay, Larson, Borg, — Jordan Bianchi, Indy, Newgarden’s elation, Jeff Gluck, Justin Casterline Organizations: Borg, Warner, INDYCAR, NBC, Indianapolis, Castroneves, NASCAR, Team Penske, Penske, Indy, Drivers Locations: Mexican, O’Ward, Charlotte, Indianapolis

☆ Here’s why we eat popcorn at the movies
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-25 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

But the perfect (and very profitable) pairing of today wasn’t always the case: For many years, movie theaters wanted nothing to do with the snack. People watch movies in a newly reopened AMC River East theater on Aug. 20, 2020, in Chicago. Popular movies often bring collectible cups and popcorn buckets, or, in industry-speak, Collectible Concession Vehicles (CCVs). The cinema business will continue to evolve, but one thing will remain constant, said Gil of Queen’s University. “Theaters will stop playing movies before they will actually stop selling popcorn.”

Persons: “, Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, ” Paul Dergarabedian, Andrew F, ” Smith, Cracker Jack, ”, Smith, ’ ” Smith, hawkers, Peter Stackpole, John Aitkin, John Sr, Aitkin, Alicia Wallace, CNN It’s, Loren Williams, Alicia Reese, Ricard Gil, Jason Wambsgans, Gil, Wedbush’s Reese, Red Robin, ” Nels Storm, Garfield ”, Cory Ryan, Heather Morgan, Alamo’s, ” Andrew Sherburne, Christian Meoli, Camilla Meoli, ” Gil Organizations: Minneapolis CNN, CNN, AMC, Exposition, Bettmann, Riverview, “, Riverview Theater, Wedbush, Queen’s University, Chicago Tribune, Tribune, Service, Waffle, AMC Theatres ’, Walmart, Kroger, Alamo, University of Iowa’s, Cinemas Locations: Minneapolis, America, New England, South America, Philadelphia, Texas, South Minneapolis, Riverview, “ Kingdom, Canada, Chicago, Brooklyn , New York, Iowa City , Iowa, Seattle, Emerald, California

☆ Jenny Nicholson breaks down Disney’s ‘Star Wars’ hotel closure
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Aj Willingham | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Some of her most popular videos cover shows and movies like “The Vampire Diaries,” “Pirates of the Caribbean” and installments in the “Star Wars” franchise. None of them are nearly as long as her most recent video, “The Spectacular Failure of the Star Wars Hotel.”Over the course of 20 video chapters, Nicholson details her 2022 stay at the “Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser” hotel in Orlando, Florida. The tale is likely familiar to Disney and Star Wars fans, many of whom heard about the high-dollar, high-concept hotel and its closure in 2023. The big draw of the hotel lay in what Disney marketing called an “immersive, customizable Star Wars experience” that Nicholson equated to LARPing, or live-action roleplaying. “I couldn’t care less about some dumb Star Wars hotel, but give me those 4 hours,” one X user said.

Persons: YouTuber Jenny Nicholson, ”, Nicholson, Allen J, Gen, Disney, Bob Iger, CNN’s Natasha Chen Organizations: CNN, Disney, Walt Disney, ” “ Pirates, “, Wars, Star Wars, Los Angeles Times, Star, Google, Magic, Orlando’s Walt Disney, Disney Parks, Galactic, ’ Locations: Caribbean, Orlando , Florida, Walt, Orlando’s, Anaheim, Florida

☆ Exercise Is Medicine aims to get your doctor to assess your physical activity
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Melanie Radzicki Mcmanus | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Has your doctor quizzed you about your level of physical activity? If so, you can thank Exercise is Medicine, a global health initiative managed by the American College of Sports Medicine. Created in 2007, the initiative encourages health care providers to assess patients’ physical activity during visits, plus include regular exercise when designing care plans. Health care providers can impact patient health by routinely assessing physical activity at every interaction. EIM now includes Exercise is Medicine on Campus, for example, a program that helps colleges and universities promote and assess physical activity among students, faculty and staff.

Persons: CNN —, Jacob Wackerhausen, Elizabeth Joy, EIM, Joy, it’s, ” Joy, ”, Amy Campbell, GVSU, Campbell, ” Campbell, There’s, you’ve, “ Rather, Gerren Liles, “ It’s, “, Melanie Radzicki McManus Organizations: CNN’s, CNN, American College of Sports Medicine, American, of Lifestyle Medicine, Intermountain, Lore Health, Health, Grand Valley State University, EIM, CARE, Cancer, New Locations: Salt Lake City, Grand, Grand Rapids , Michigan, they’ll, EIM, New York, New York City, Liles

One reason the Met Gala after-parties are nearly as famous as the Met Gala itself has to do with an incident that took place 10 years ago at the Standard Hotel in the West Village of Manhattan. On that night, Beyoncé was a star of the red carpet at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, along with her husband, Jay-Z, and her sister Solange Knowles. Afterward, in an elevator car headed to the Boom Boom Room, the club on the top floor of the Standard, Solange attacked her brother-in-law while Beyoncé stood watching and a bodyguard tried to restore order. The security-cam footage leaked to TMZ and the internet, and a family fight became the stuff of New York social lore. Connie Fleming, the hotel’s longtime doorwoman, reflected on the changes in the social atmosphere since the heady days of 2014.

Persons: Beyoncé, Jay, Solange Knowles, Solange, Christian Siriano, Coca Rocha, Connie Fleming Organizations: of, Metropolitan Museum of Art, TMZ Locations: West, of Manhattan, York

☆ They Put a 65-Foot Hot Dog in Times Square, and It’s a Blast
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Melena Ryzik | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

As the sun set on a cloudy evening in Times Square on Friday, a 65-foot-long frankfurter cantilevered into the sky and spewed out a blast of rainbow confetti. of its bun, drag wrestlers were finishing their match in an elevated boxing ring, practically twerking on the ropes, cheered on by hundreds of spectators. It was the first public event for “Hot Dog in the City,” an installation for Times Square Arts, the largest work that the organization has ever commissioned. The giant wiener was created by Jen Catron and Paul Outlaw, married Brooklyn artists whose métier is often interactive, food-based spectaculars that also question the lore — and lure — of Americana. When they hit upon the hot dog, a national symbol of patriotism and also an emblem of the hard-to-digest truth about mass production and labor, consumerism and marketing, it seemed like a natural match for the setting.

Persons: wiener, Jen Catron, Paul Outlaw Organizations: Times Square Arts, Brooklyn Locations: City

☆ As ‘The Phantom Menace’ turns 25, six (non-Jar Jar) things the ‘Star Wars’ prequel got right
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The teeth-gnashing aspects of “Star Wars: The Phantom Menace” have been chewed upon for a quarter century, from Watto to Anakin Skywalker’s Midi-chlorian count (and miracle birth) to almost everyone’s favorite punching bag, Jar Jar Binks. Think of them as creative building blocks, which overcame clunkier parts of the script and awkward performances to influence the rest of the “Star Wars” timeline. Ray Park as the villainous Darth Maul in "Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace." It’s also likely a key reason why “Star Wars” has continued to flourish as parents pass it on to their kids. “Star Wars: The Phantom Menace” will play in select theaters beginning May 3.

Persons: Anakin Skywalker’s, George Lucas ’, Dave Filoni, “ Obi, Wan, They’re, Darth Sidious, Ian McDiarmid, Lucas, credibly, Mace Windu, Samuel L, Jackson didn’t, Ray Park, Darth Maul, Filoni, “, Ewan McGregor, Liam Neeson, Obi, Wan Kenobi, McGregor, Neeson, Wan –, John Williams, It’s, ” Organizations: CNN, “, “ Star, Lucasfilm, Force Locations: Watto, Republic

☆ A crypto bigwig dropped $1.5M on a watch from the Titanic as a gift for his wife
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Geoff Weiss | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

FTX's former head of Europe bought the most expensive Titanic relic ever auctioned. The gold watch sold for $1.5 million, and belonged to John Jacob Astor IV. Gruhn is a German crypto law veteran who formerly served as the head of FTX Europe. Gruhn is now readying the launch of a new crypto trading venue called Perpetuals, and said he plans to restart FTX Europe under a different name. "From all the facts it was clear that FTX Europe did not and couldn't know about the fraud from SBF," he said.

Persons: John Jacob Astor IV, Gruhn, —, Patrick Gruhn, Henry Aldridge, Astor, Andrew Aldridge, wasn't, Sam Bankman, Fried Organizations: Service, Titanic, titans, Henry Aldridge & Son Locations: Europe, German, America, United States, Gruhn

☆ Bill Gates Is Still Pulling Strings at Microsoft, Overseeing AI Ideas
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Ashley Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

In fact, Business Insider has learned, Gates has been quietly orchestrating much of Microsoft's AI revolution from behind the scenes. The company, Nadella promised, would "continue to benefit from Bill's ongoing technical passion and advice to drive our products and services forward." According to two executives, Gates' memo treated as gospel, sparking Microsoft's push to take the lead in the AI arms race. Now, it seemed, OpenAI might offer Microsoft a way to help forge the AI future that Gates had long envisioned. According to two executives, Gates' words were treated as gospel, helping spark Microsoft's push to take the lead in the AI arms race.

Persons: Bill Gates, Satya Nadella, Gates, Siri, They're, Clippy, Copilot, That's, Sam Altman, — Gates, Satya, Nadella, Steve Ballmer, Peter Thiel bashed, Bill, Melinda, Jeffrey Epstein, Nadella's, Rather, OpenAI, Kevin Scott, Scott, Altman, you'll, OpenAI's, Bing —, Bing, Steve, Sam, Kayla Wood, Frank Shaw, Shaw, —, Charles Lamanna, Jaime Teevan, Jeff Teper, Charlie Bell —, He's, Forbes, Mustafa Suleyman, DeepMind, Bill G, Suleyman, aren't, hadn't, there's, Ashley Stewart Organizations: Microsoft, Agents, Business, Google, Wired, Street Journal, Rover, Steve Jobs, OpenAI, Amazon Web Services Locations: Tay, Gates, Clippy, Washington, Redmond , Washington, Seattle

☆ Did Richard III Kill the Princes in the Tower?
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Amelia Nierenberg | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

For over 400 years, Richard III has been seen as Britain’s most infamous king — a power-hungry usurper who killed his young nephews to clear the way to the throne. In Shakespeare’s “Richard III,” the king tells an assassin, “I wish the bastards dead,” referring to the princes Edward V and Richard. “And I would have it suddenly performed.”But the king’s murderous image, drawn from history books and cemented in literature and lore, is just not true — or, at least, it has not been proven true, argues Philippa Langley, an author and independent historian. “Maybe there is evidence,” she said over a cup of tea in Edinburgh earlier this year. “But there seems to be no evidence.”

Persons: Richard III, Shakespeare’s “ Richard III, “, Edward V, Richard, Philippa Langley, ” Locations: Edinburgh

☆ The 15 bonus tracks from Taylor Swift's 'The Tortured Poets Department' could be their own near-perfect album
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Callie Ahlgrim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

That's certainly true of her latest album, "The Tortured Poets Department," which arrived last Friday to mixed reviews. New Taylor Swift music is bound to spark widespread debate, but the conversation swelled when she surprise-released "The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology," a deluxe edition with 15 extra songs. Indeed, most of these deluxe tracks succeed as self-contained stories, recalling the mythic peaks of "Folklore" and "Evermore." Then again, more songs equals more streams, and "The Tortured Poets Department" is on target to become one of the most-played albums of the streaming era. AdvertisementFinal Grade: 9.3/10"The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology" was released on April 19, 2024.

Persons: —, Taylor Swift, I'm, Swift, I've, Swift's, aIMee, Cassandra, Peter, Wendy, shouldn't, It's, Beth Garrabrant Worth, Chloe, Sam, Sophia, Marcus, Robin Organizations: Service, Poets Department, Business, Department, Press Locations: Cardigan

☆ In 'Tortured Poets' Lyrics, Taylor Swift Finally Criticized Her Own Fans
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Callie Ahlgrim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Taylor Swift is not known to bite the hand that feeds her. Taylor Swift built her brand as a friendly and relatable pop starA young fan exchanges friendship bracelets with Taylor Swift during The Eras Tour" in Sao Paulo, Brazil. But nearly two decades into her career, the business of Being Taylor Swift has become a billion-dollar industry whose parasocial peanut gallery has grown in size to match. With 'The Tortured Poets Department,' Swift is telling fans they don't actually know herTaylor Swift greeting fans at the 2019 VMAs. John Shearer/Getty Images"The Tortured Poets Department" allows a peek into the inner turmoil of Being Taylor Swift, with all the attention, venom, and possessiveness she attracts.

Persons: Taylor Swift, Swift, Taylor, Little, that's, fame's downsides, Kanye, John Shearer, Matty Healy, Joe Alwyn, Healy, who'd, Swifties, Healy didn't, she's, Swift — Organizations: Recording Academy, Poets Department, Marvel, Department, Spice Locations: Sao Paulo, Brazil

☆ London pub name-dropped in Taylor Swift's new album forced to turn people away as Swifties arrive in force, reports say
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-21 | by ( Cameron Manley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Black Dog pub in London has had an influx of visitors since Taylor Swift's new album was released. AdvertisementThe Black Dog pub in south-west London, named in Taylor Swift's new album, was forced to turn away customers after so many of the singer's fans descended on the pub, reports say. "The Black Dog" is the title of track 17 of Swift's widely acclaimed album, "The Tortured Poet's Department," released Friday. Related storiesThe staff at The Black Dog pub mentioned the rumors in a viral TikTok video, which has clocked more than 400,000 views as of Sunday. We can now say we were in The Black Dog on the day of its release."

Persons: Taylor, —, Taylor Swift's, Joe Alwyn, Matty Healy, Matty, Joe, Amy Cowley, We've, It's, Cowley, Taylor Swift, Robert Kamau, MailOnline, Jordan Ludwig, Katelyn Anziano, Kylee, Katelyn, It'll Organizations: Service, Poet's Department Locations: London, London's Vauxhall, British, New York City

☆ A Holiday for Weed Fans, Complete With Corporate Sponsors
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-20 | by ( Ashley Southall | More About Ashley Southall | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In the culture of cannabis, April 20 is a high holiday when those who partake light up in enjoyment and in protest of prohibition. Although the origins of “4/20” are debated — according to popular lore, a group of California high school students in the 1970s met after school at 4:20 p.m. to smoke weed — the day has been globally celebrated for years. Until recently in New York, celebrations carried the risk of arrest or fines, so they would often take place in secret locations or places where the authorities were somewhat lenient, like Washington Square Park. In 2020, the police busted a pot party in Manhattan, not because people were smoking weed but because they were flouting social-distancing rules during the coronavirus pandemic. And a growing number of celebrations — some with brand sponsors — have emerged, catering to users new and old as well as people who are just “canna-curious.”

Organizations: Washington Locations: California, New York, Manhattan

☆ ‘Tortured Poets Department’: A listener’s guide to references hidden in Taylor Swift’s lyrics
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-20 | by ( Alli Rosenbloom | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

CNN —Taylor Swift released “The Tortured Poets Department” on Friday, a 31-track surprise double album, and she’s clearly in an emotionally evolved era. Either way, as the title suggests in this song, she’s determined to get him back. ‘I Hate it Here’“This place made me feel worthless,” Swift sings. Others have connected the Cassandra that Swift sings about to the figure in Greek mythology, a priestess whose accurate prophecies were not believed. ‘The Bolter’“As she was leaving it felt like breathing,” Swift sings.

Persons: CNN — Taylor Swift, Department ”, you’ll, Post Malone, Swift, “, pining, ” “ I’ve, ”, ‘, Matty Healy, Joe Alwyn, Healy, Lucy, Jack –, Lucy Dacus, Jack Antonoff, –, Charlie Puth, ” Swift, iHeartRadio, ’, Alwyn, Swift’s, Taylor Swift, Christopher Polk, Orville Peck, Florence, Florence Welch, you’d, Welch, Emma Stone, “ Who’s, Edward Albee’s, Virginia Woolf, We’ve, Rich Polk, Aaron Dessner, ” Ouch, frontman’s, Travis Kelce, ‘ Clara Bow ’, Stevie Nicks –, Ryan Reynolds ’, Clara Bow, Swift longingly, doesn’t, ’ Swift, ‘ Nuff, Chloe, Sam, Sophia, Marcus ’, Reynolds, Blake Lively’s, Betty, James, Inez –, you’re, Kelce, Ezra Shaw, aIMee ’, Aimee, Kim Kardashian, she’s, “ KIM, you’ve, ‘ Cassandra ’, Kardashian, Cassandra, ‘ Peter ’, Peter Pan, Peter ”, Peter, Dessner, ‘ Robin ’ Organizations: CNN, Department, GQ, NBC, NBCU, Bank, Getty, YouTube, Kansas City Chiefs, San Francisco 49ers, Marvel, Windows, Disney Locations: British, London, Beverly Hills, ‘ Florida, Florida, Anaheim, London’s Vauxhall, Las Vegas, Cardigan

☆ Books Bound in Human Skin: An Ethical Quandary at the Library
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Jennifer Schuessler | Julia Jacobs | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The New York International Antiquarian Book Fair is the place to inspect some of the most exquisite rare books on the market. But at this year’s event in early April, some browsers may have been unprepared for a small, grayish item on view: a book bound in human skin. The book, which measures about 3 by 5 inches, came with a price tag of $45,000 — and a colorful back story. According to a statement by its owner, the binding was commissioned in 1682 by an Italian doctor and anatomist identified as Jacopo X, and has been kept by his descendants ever since. So he removed a piece of skin, and used it to bind a copy of the play.

Persons: Jacopo X, Jacopo, “ Le Baron d’Albikrac, ”, ” Ian Kahn Organizations: New York Locations: Italian

☆ A Trove of ByteDance Records Mistakenly Went Public. Here’s What They Say.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Mara Hvistendahl | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Somehow, thousands of pages of sealed court documents relating to the birth of TikTok’s owner, ByteDance, were mistakenly released by a Pennsylvania court. The documents — emails, chat transcripts and memos — are a fascinating window into ByteDance’s origins. They also tell a new version of the ByteDance origin story, one with fits and starts on the way to becoming one of the world’s most highly valued start-ups. The ByteDance origin story, as we know it, has the ring of Silicon Valley lore. As the story goes, the company’s founder, Zhang Yiming, sketched out the idea on a napkin for an employee of a Susquehanna subsidiary in 2012.

Persons: Jeff Yass, ByteDance, Zhang Yiming Organizations: Susquehanna International Group, Republican, Susquehanna Locations: Pennsylvania

☆ An invite-only audio app has Silicon Valley and creators buzzing. But can it last?
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-16 | by ( Sydney Bradley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Somewhere between Clubhouse and X (formerly Twitter), Airchat's feed of audio snippets transcribed by the app has sparked conversation. Already, the invite-only app has a channel dedicated to the creator economy titled "Creators" — including industry figures like Eric Wei (CEO of Karat), Lia Haberman (influencer marketing expert), and Brett Dashevsky (host of Creator Economy NYC events). Dashevsky, a self-described "avid Twitter user," said that Airchat is already displacing his average Twitter screen time. It wouldn't come as a surprise to anyone in tech or social media to see Meta double down on Threads' audio tools. But she added that she could see Meta brainstorming ways to promote Threads' audio tools, which could become a concern for Airchat.

Persons: Naval Ravikant, Brian Norgard, Airchat, Washington Post's Taylor Lorenz, George Santos, Eric Wei, Lia Haberman, Brett Dashevsky, Haberman, it's, Diana, Umana, Meghana Dhar, Meta, Dashevsky, I've Organizations: Naval, CPO, Business, Tech, Republican, Apple, Big Tech Locations: VCs, Washington

☆ Joker: Folie à Deux trailer: Lady Gaga’s Harley Quinn makes Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker feel less ‘alone’
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Alli Rosenbloom | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Talk about a “bad romance.”Lady Gaga is making her long-awaited debut as Harley Quinn alongside Joaquin Phoenix’s reprisal of his Oscar-winning Joker in the first trailer for “Joker: Folie à Deux” released on Tuesday. The teaser trailer begins with Phoenix’s cuffed and plain-faced Joker – whose name is Arthur Fleck – being escorted through a facility he’s being held in. “I’m nobody,” Gaga’s Quinn later says, as she is seen miming a gun to her head and pulling the trigger. “I’m not alone anymore.”In DC comic book lore, the Joker and Harley Quinn have often been each other’s love interests, with Quinn introduced as the villain’s therapist in Arkham Asylum. “Joker: Folie à Deux” will premiere in theaters on October 4.

Persons: Gaga, Harley Quinn, Joaquin Phoenix’s, Oscar, Phoenix’s, Joker –, Arthur Fleck –, ” Gaga’s Quinn, what’s, ” Fleck, “ I’m, Quinn, Todd Phillips, Folie ”, Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener, Zazie, Sophie, ”, “ Organizations: CNN, Phoenix

☆ Critical Role's heartbreak prince helped make 'Dungeons & Dragons' cool. Now he's coming for the gothic horror gaming scene.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-08 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Critical Role recently released "Candela Obscura," a gothic horror roleplaying game. AdvertisementIn October, Critical Role, a crew of eight self-professed "nerdy-ass voice actors," played their long-running "Dungeons & Dragons" game at a sold-out Wembley Arena. These qualities make O'Brien ideal for stepping into the game master role for "Candela Obscura," Critical Role's new gothic horror game, and he's leaning hard into the tragedy. AdvertisementIt's also one of the more punishing gaming systems he's played in, O'Brien told me during our video call. Mercer, the team's designated game master, is the one who crafts the narrative and controls how the story develops.

Persons: Liam O'Brien, —, Matthew Mercer, O'Brien, I've, It's, he's, Twitch, Mercer, — O'Brien, — Taliesin Jaffe, Imari Williams, Aimee Carrero, Alexander Ward —, Taliesin Jaffe, Alexander Ward, Julius Caesar, Irish, Martin McDonagh, Spenser Starke, Rowan Hall, Aabria Iyengar, Starke, Mary Shelley, it's, Amazon, Marisha Ray, Travis Willingham, Ashley Johnson, Sam Riegel, Laura Bailey, Matthew Mercer Robyn von Swank Organizations: Service, Wembley, Darrington Press, Hasbro's, Hasbro, CR Locations: Europe, Ireland, New York, Mercer, Starke

☆ Nerd world's most famous faces are out to conquer the gothic horror gaming space — and their heartbreak prince is here to get the job done
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-08 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Critical Role recently released "Candela Obscura," a gothic horror roleplaying game. These qualities make O'Brien ideal for stepping into the game master role for "Candela Obscura," Critical Role's new gothic horror game, and he's leaning hard into the tragedy. AdvertisementIt's also one of the more punishing gaming systems he's played in, O'Brien told during our video call. Mercer, the team's designated game master, is the one who crafts the narrative and controls how the story develops. "I always prefer complicated narratively satisfying endings to a neat little happy ending," O'Brien told me.

Search resuls for: "Lore"

25 mentions found