DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Music Publishers Sue Twitter, Accusing It of Copyright Infringement
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Ben Sisario | Ryan Mac | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A group of 17 music publishers sued Twitter on Wednesday, accusing it of copyright infringement on about 1,700 songs, and is seeking as much as $250 million in damages, the latest headache for the social media platform owned by Elon Musk. The publishers filed the suit in Federal District Court in Nashville, saying Twitter violated copyright law by allowing users to post music to the platform without permission. Negotiations between Twitter and the music industry to put broad licensing agreements into place had broken down months ago. The suit detailed what the publishers say is Twitter’s failure to police rampant infringement of music copyrights on the service. The post had 221,000 views and 15,000 likes, the suit said, but not the permission of the song’s publishers.

Persons: Elon Musk, ” David Israelite, Musk Organizations: Twitter, Elon, Federal, Court, National Music Publishers ’ Association Locations: Nashville

☆ It's 'kind of scary': Paul McCartney used A.I. to reunite with John Lennon on new Beatles record
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Nicolas Vega | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Paul McCartney has collaborated with countless artists over his 60-year career, from Rihanna to Michael Jackson. In an interview with the BBC's "Best of Today" this week, the 80-year-old revealed that AI has made it possible to release one "last Beatles record." McCartney said that during the creation Peter Jackson's 2021 Beatles docuseries "The Beatles: Get Back," they found an old demo tape that John Lennon had recorded. Through the use of artificial intelligence, they were able to start the process of taking the decades-old recording and turning it into something usable. "[Peter Jackson] was able to extricate John's voice from a ropey little bit of cassette," he said.

Persons: Paul McCartney, Rihanna, Michael Jackson, McCartney, Peter Jackson's, John Lennon, Peter Jackson

☆ Lupita Nyong’o wears custom silver breastplate to 2023 Tony Awards
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Leah Dolan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Attending the 2023 Tony Awards in New York Sunday night, Lupita Nyong’o arrived in timeless formalwear: a sharp black velvet dinner jacket and flared trousers. Nyong’o was wearing a custom breastplate cast and molded on her body by Misha Japanwala, a Pakistani artist and designer whose subversive sculptures are already increasingly attracting an impressive celebrity clientele. (An exhibition of Japanwala’s work is also currently on display at the Hannah Traore art gallery in New York.) Misha Japanwala's work "asks viewers to see the body exactly as it is," the artist writes on her website. Japanwala’s work, however, presents a very different picture.

Persons: Lupita Nyong’o, Nyong’o, Misha Japanwala, Hannah Traore, Misha Japanwala's, Nyong'o, Steve Eichner, Ford, Bella Hadid, Rihanna, breastplates, Yves Saint Laurent, Claude Lalanne, Lalanne, ’ breastplates, Japanwala’s, Japanwala, ” Nyong’o, ” Organizations: CNN, Cannes Film Locations: New York, Pakistani, ribcage, Couture, Greece

☆ Egypt bans Dutch archaeology team from Saqqara due to museum’s ‘Afrocentric’ exhibition
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —A team of archaeologists from a Dutch museum has been banned from carrying out excavations in Egypt’s rich Saqqara necropolis, after the museum mounted an exhibition that drew condemnation from Egyptian authorities. He also confirmed that the journalist who wrote the NRC article had seen the email from the Egyptian authorities. Mostafa Waziri, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities of Egypt, did not respond to CNN’s request for comment. Some commented with photos showing light-skinned ancient Egyptian drawings, next to ones with darker skin tones, which they say the museum is propagating. It recently criticized the Netflix docuseries “Queen Cleopatra,” which portrays the ruler of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt as a woman of color.

Persons: CNN —, Museum of Antiquities Wim Weijland, Oudheden, ” Weijland, Mostafa Waziri, Weijland, “, Nubia …, Miles Davis, Sun Ra, Rihanna, ”, Cleopatra Organizations: CNN, National Museum of Antiquities, Egyptian Antiquities Service, NRC, Leiden Turin Expedition, Museum of Antiquities, “, Supreme, of Antiquities of, Netflix Locations: Kemet, Egypt, Hip, Leiden, Saqqara, Leiden Turin, Cairo, of Antiquities of Egypt, Nubia, ” Nubia, Africa, Khartoum, Sudan, Nubian, Ptolemaic Kingdom

☆ Meet the 8 Black and Latina female founders whose startups have topped a $1 billion valuation
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-04 | by ( Jennifer Ortakales Dawkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A report found nine Black and Latina female founders have reached a $1 billion or higher valuation. The biennial report, which Project Diane and the organization DigitalUndivided released Wednesday, compiled data from more than 750 Latina and Black female founders who have received outside funding. The report also found that there are now more than 350 Black and Latina female founders who have raised at least $1 million in funding, and at least nine Black and Latina female founders have reached a $1 billion valuation. Here are eight Black and Latina female founders who have achieved this feat, in order of the highest current valuation. Each company on this list has at one point achieved a $1 billion valuation, but some have lost that value over time.

Persons: Jessica Alba, Pat McGrath, who've, —, Diane Organizations: Latina, Service

☆ How Rihanna Changed Maternity Style For Good
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Fiorella Valdesolo | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/maternity-style-how-rihanna-changed-it-for-good-33a6c94f

Persons: Dow Jones

☆ Billionaires are older than you may think
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Madeline Berg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Flashy young founders may get a lot of attention, but the typical billionaire is older than you may think. The median age of the world's billionaires is 67, according to a new report from Altrata. The median age of the world's billionaires is 67, according to a new report from data firm Altrata. Only 10% of the world's billionaires are younger than 50 — and over 40% are older than 70. Billionaires, for what it's worth, don't seem ignorant to the fact that they are an older breed.

Persons: Altrata, Elon Musk, Kim Kardashian, Peter Thiel, Jeff Bezos, Larry Ellison, Jack Dorsey, Zuckerberg, Warren Buffett, I've Organizations: Tech, Oracle, CNBC Locations: Omaha

☆ Stop introducing yourself by talking about your job. It's boring and no one cares.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Michael Domanico | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

This is a boring way to intro ourselves to new people. After getting to know everyone's name, one of the most common follow-ups is, "So what do you do?" And instinctively, people reply with their job and talk about their company, their role, and their day-to-day responsibilities. But when someone is talking about something they're super passionate about, your ears can't help but perk up. Instead of learning something about how someone's work cafeteria had some drama last week, you'll likely learn something brand new and get to know the person even better.

Persons: —, Rihanna, it's, you'll Organizations: Service Locations: Swedish

☆ Angelina Jolie unveils new sustainability-focused fashion venture
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Jack Guy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Hollywood star Angelina Jolie has become the latest celebrity to announce their own fashion brand with the launch of Atelier Jolie. The Oscar-winning actor announced the new fashion venture in a post on Instagram on Wednesday. “I’m starting something new today — a collective where everyone can create,” wrote Jolie. “Atelier Jolie is a place for creative people to collaborate with a skilled and diverse family of expert tailors, pattern makers and artisans from around the world,” she added. From Angelina JolieThe brand also has its own Instagram account, and one post provides further explanation of its purpose.

☆ 'He'll do anything to come for you': Bang Bang, the tattoo artist to stars like Rihanna and Justin Bieber, is a controlling, vindictive boss, ex-employees say
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Melkorka Licea | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +31 min

Yet some former Bang Bang employees said that McCurdy's meticulously curated image as a thoughtful progressive in a rough-and-tumble industry wasn't much more than good PR. At Bang Bang, "they just woke-wash everything," one former employee said. This kind of behavior extended to other Bang Bang employees. Ganser, the Bang Bang manager, also sent Wang a text comparing her behavior to her father's, who was in prison. Photo by Gotham/GC ImagesNearly a decade after opening the first Bang Bang shop, McCurdy still sees himself as a trailblazer.

☆ The Village People really want Trump to stop playing 'Macho Man' and say a recent cover of it at Mar-a-Lago caused 'public confusion'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Grace Eliza Goodwin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The Village People have asked Trump to stop using their music and likeness at his events. The letter said a cover band's recent performance of "Macho Man" at Mar-a-Lago caused "public confusion." The letter requested that Trump stop using the band's music and likeness at his events. "The performance has, and continues to cause, public confusion as to why Village People would even engage in such a performance," Willis wrote. The Village People are not the first, and likely won't be the last, musicians to demand Trump stop using their music — artists like Rihanna, Adele, and Elton John have also voiced their disapproval.

Revisit some of the predominant trends in music that came to define a mercurial decade, from pop-rap and boy bands to aesthetic sadness and protest anthems. Rap goes the viral pop routeAt the beginning of the 2010s, rap stars had trouble scoring their own No. Dark and dreary pop blows upLana Del Rey helped to usher in a new era of downbeat and dark pop. Karl Walter/Getty ImagesBoth the Weeknd and Del Rey have pivoted since their debuts, with their images becoming more complicated than their indie origins belie. Del Rey, meanwhile, has only burrowed deeper into her niche, crafting intensely personal records that have matured with her listeners.

☆ Super Bowl LVII most-watched US telecast ever after updated figures
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Super Bowl LVII has been announced as the most-watched US telecast of all-time after the official figures were adjusted by Nielsen. A day after the title game, Nielsen announced that Super Bowl LVII had averaged 113 million viewers across Fox’s television and digital properties making it the third most-watched television program of all-time. The total of 115.1 million viewers includes those watching the Super Bowl LVII across Fox, Fox Deportes and digital streaming services, according to a Nielson source. Eagles fans react while watching Super Bowl LVII at City Tap House in Philadelphia. In February, Fox Sports said that the Apple Music Halftime Show featuring Rihanna drew an average of 118.7 million viewers, making it the second most-watched performance in Super Bowl history.

☆ Rihanna puts her own spin on the Chanel bride at the Met Gala
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Scottie Andrew | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Alton Mason, the first Black man to walk in a Chanel show, and Penelope Cruz also put their own spins on Lagerfeld’s Chanel bride, among other attendees. Rihanna stole the show in 2015 with this Guo Pei yellow gown at the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Met Gala. Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty ImagesRihanna is also known for arriving to the Met Gala fashionably late. (Anna Wintour joked in a Vogue “73 Questions” video that Rihanna is one of the only celebrities allowed to arrive late to the Met Gala). She skipped out on last year’s Met Gala — giving birth to her first child later that May.

☆ The Met Gala Was Just the Start. Welcome to the After-Parties.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Jacob Bernstein | Sadiba Hasan | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Florence Pugh, her head newly shaved, stood at the bar in the front room. Ms. Lipa was at the front of a narrow, packed dance floor, dancing in an outfit adorned with pearls. The singer Juan Luis Londoño Arias, who performs as Maluma, was on the balcony, flashing peace signs to the crowd below. Paris Hilton swayed from side to side, eyes hidden behind white sunglasses, with Marc Jacobs at her side. Mary J. Blige stood next to Mr. Combs as he played emcee.

☆ Super Bowl attracted record audience this year, revised data shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The ratings agency had previously announced in February that the game had an average viewership of 113 million. The revised numbers show that this year's Super Bowl surpassed the record set by the 2015 game, which saw 114.8 million people watch the New England Patriots beat the Seattle Seahawks. "FOX Sports is proud to have presented the most-watched Super Bowl and most-watched TV show of all time. The revised Super Bowl viewership figure is the result of a thorough review by Nielsen," Fox Corp's sports division said. Nielsen's figure includes people who watched the game on the Fox or Fox Deportes TV networks (FOXA.O) or streamed the game on Fox digital properties or NFL+.

☆ Rihanna set to star in new ‘Smurfs’ movie
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Marianne Garvey | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Superstar Rihanna is set to play Smurfette in the upcoming “Smurfs” animated film. “Getting to do animation is a fun journey for me,” Rihanna said. The “Smurfs” film franchise kicked off in 2011 with “The Smurfs,” starring Neil Patrick Harris. “The Smurfs 2” was released in 2013, followed by 2017’s “Smurfs: The Lost Village.”As for her acting career, Rihanna starred in 2012’s “Battleship” and appeared as herself in 2013 comedy “This Is the End.” She also appeared in “Ocean’s 8,” among television show appearances. The “Smurfs” movie hits theaters February 14, 2025.

☆ A fake AI-generated Travis Scott album was taken off YouTube as the fight against AI music continues
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Will Gendron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

AI Hub is a Discord server housing over 36,000 members making AI music. Members from the group created "UTOP-AI," an AI album featuring the voices of Travis Scott and other artists. "I ain't talking Uber, come take a trip into my mind," croons Travis Scott on a song called "Winter Snow." Warner Music Group and representatives for Travis Scott did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment. The alarm bells sounding off in response to AI music have already been rung by the power players in the industry.

☆ Spotify's CEO says the music industry has 'legitimate concerns' about AI-generated songs
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Jyoti Mann | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Spotify CEO Daniel Ek said concerns from labels and music companies about AI are "legitimate." His comments come after AI-generated songs that sound like popular artists went viral this month. The music industry has "legitimate concerns" about songs generated by AI, the CEO of Spotify said. Daniel Ek addressed the industry's growing unease about AI music in Spotify's first quarter earnings call Tuesday and said it's working with partners to come up with solutions. Grimes, the former partner of Elon Musk and mother to two of his children, tweeted Monday that she'd share half the royalties from any AI-generated song using her voice.

NEW YORK, April 25 (Reuters) - Months after his departure from “The Daily Show" in late 2022, comedian Trevor Noah won a Webby Award for comedy in the “America’s Door Problem” segment of the late-night talk show, in which he pushes for gun control and criticizes policymakers’ response to mass shootings. In Noah's segment, he skewers the beliefs of some conservatives that books, critical race theory, video games and rap music lead to gun violence. “Yeah, that’s right, that’s how evil critical race theory is — it's only been around for like a year and it’s already caused three decades of school shootings,” Noah said. Some notable past winners include talk show host Stephen Colbert, comedian Sarah Silverman, television producer Lorne Michaels and French filmmaker Michel Gondry. Reporting by Alicia Powell and Danielle Broadway; Editing by Mary Milliken and Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ People think AI is to blame for the mysterious case of the Spotify song with 49 different names
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Will Gendron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

One Spotify user was recommended the same song under 49 different names and suspects AI is behind it. Turns out, AI-generated songs are taking over conversation in the music industry. Spotify user Adam Faze took to Twitter to try to find out. except every time I looked, it was a different song name and artist entirely." He decided to add each of these recommended tracks to a playlist, which now includes 49 "different" songs.

☆ BTS, one of the biggest celebrity accounts on Twitter, has refused to pay Musk $8 for a blue tick
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

K-Pop supergroup BTS — like hundreds of other celebrities — lost its blue checkmark on Twitter. At press time, the band had not paid to restore its blue checkmark under Elon Musk's Twitter Blue. On Thursday, Musk tweeted that he's personally funding some celebrities' Twitter Blue statuses — but did not specifically say whose subscriptions he's paying for. It's unclear who's paying for the Twitter Blue subscriptions on Hybe's and BTS' official accounts. Other K-Pop groups have also refused to give Musk $8 for Twitter Blue.

☆ U.S. Supreme Court boosts Texas death row inmate Rodney Reed's DNA testing bid
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( John Kruzel | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, April 19 (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday gave a boost to Texas death row inmate Rodney Reed's bid for DNA testing of crime-scene evidence that he argues will help exonerate him in the 1996 abduction, rape and murder of a 19-year-old woman. A Texas trial court in 2014 denied Reed's bid for DNA testing. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals also rejected it in 2017 based on the procedures it determined were required under the state law that gives prisoners a chance to seek post-conviction DNA testing. That court denied a request for rehearing six months later. Circuit Court of Appeals in 2021 decided that Reed should have filed suit within two years of the initial 2014 trial court decision.

☆ Supreme Court Lets Rodney Reed, a Texas Death Row Inmate, Seek DNA Testing
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Adam Liptak | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Wednesday sided with Rodney Reed, a death row inmate in Texas whose case has attracted wide attention, in his efforts to obtain DNA testing that he says may help prove his innocence. Mr. Reed was convicted of the 1996 rape and murder of Stacey Stites, who was strangled to death with her own belt in Bastrop County, Texas. DNA collected from Ms. Stites’s body matched that of Mr. Reed. Mr. Reed, who is Black, initially denied knowing Ms. Stites, who was white, but later said they had been romantically involved. He said another man, perhaps Ms. Stites’s fiancé, had committed the murder.

☆ Torch Capital's founder has some advice for startup founders: Down rounds aren't such a bad thing right now. Here's why.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( April Joyner | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Jonathan Keidan founded VC firm Torch Capital, which backed Ro and recently raised $200 million. Good founders will opt for down rounds over deal terms that could come back to bite, he says. As venture capital funding plummets and investors tighten their purse strings, Jonathan Keidan has a word of advice to startup founders: It's OK to take a down round. Most of the founders Torch has backed, Keidan said, are still steering clear of the relatively sluggish market. "You can roll up your sleeves and really help them, which has been critical in this environment," Keidan told Insider.

Search resuls for: "Rihanna"

25 mentions found