Sotheby’s (June 12, 2023) – Hélène Leloup is one of the art world’s true pioneers, bringing together a spirit of adventure, a detailed anthropological approach and deep knowledge to become one of the foremost specialists in African and Oceanic art in Paris and New York.
Now aged 96, Hélène is regarded as France’s most important and passionate dealer of sub-Saharan and Oceanic art, an adventurer and explorer, ground-breaking gallerist and collector, and eminent specialist in Mbembe and Dogon art, ever since her first foray to Dakar in 1952.
Wall Street Journal (June 10, 2023) – Noise canceling is a hallmark feature of top headphones across brands, from Apple and Beats to Sony and Bose. Behind the simplicity of the technology from a user perspective, though, is cutting-edge hardware running sophisticated algorithms.
Video timeline: 0:00 A sound wave and its inverse 0:32 Destructive interference 1:30 Noise-canceling headphones’ origins 3:17 What background noise to remove 4:46 Transparency modes or aware modes
What kind of audio processing is necessary to eliminate background noise when listening to music or watching a movie? WSJ dives into how noise canceling works, how the technology has changed and where things are headed.
The Frost is a 12-minute movie in which every shot is generated by an image-making AI. It’s one of the most impressive—and bizarre—examples yet of this strange new genre. You can watch the film below in an exclusive reveal from MIT Technology Review.
MIT Technology Review (June 2023) – The Frost nails its uncanny, disconcerting vibe in its first few shots. Vast icy mountains, a makeshift camp of military-style tents, a group of people huddled around a fire, barking dogs. It’s familiar stuff, yet weird enough to plant a growing seed of dread. There’s something wrong here.
“Pass me the tail,” someone says. Cut to a close-up of a man by the fire gnawing on a pink piece of jerky. It’s grotesque. The way his lips are moving isn’t quite right. For a beat it looks as if he’s chewing on his own frozen tongue.
Welcome to the unsettling world of AI moviemaking. “We kind of hit a point where we just stopped fighting the desire for photographic accuracy and started leaning into the weirdness that is DALL-E,” says Stephen Parker at Waymark, the Detroit-based video creation company behind The Frost.
Ryan Shirley Films (June 11, 2023) – I recently returned from exploring the islands of French Polynesia and I want to share with you my favorite places & experiences, from the towering mountains of Mo’orea to the overwater bungalows in Bora Bora.
Andrew Lanxon Photography (June 10, 2023) – The Isle of Skye in Scotland is famous for being a playground for landscape photography and in this week’s video, I find out why.
I explored some of the island’s most famous landmarks, including the Old Man of Storr, Talisker Bay and Neist Point lighthouse, while venturing further to find more hidden gems like Loch Coruisk.
This video is a diary of my time on the island, aimed at being part travel documentary, part photo inspiration for those of you wanting to visit the island for yourself.
Architectural Digest (June 10, 2023) – A visit to Joshua Tree in California to tour the awe-inspiring Kellogg Doolittle Residence. The sensational build was designed by organic architect Kendrick Bangs Kellogg and his protegee John Vugrin in the 1980s taking over 20 years to complete.
Upon first glance, you would be forgiven for thinking this property was a living creature; the magnificent structure appears skeletal with 26 cast-concrete pieces fanning out in resemblance of vertebrae. An art piece in and of itself, it is no wonder this unique space is considered one of Kellogg’s greatest masterpieces.
Director: Meg Sutton Director of Photography: AJ Young Editor: Daniel Finn Guest: John Vugrin
The Flying Dutchman (June 10, 2023) – Ghent, in the Flanders Region, northwestern Belgium. Ghent lies at the junction of the canalized Lys and Scheldt and is the centre of an urban complex that includes Ledeberg, Gentbrugge, and Sint-Amandsberg.
One of Belgium’s oldest cities and the historic capital of Flanders, Ghent was powerful, well-organized in its wealthy trade guilds, and virtually independent until 1584. Within its walls was signed the Pacification of Ghent (1576), an attempt to unite the Lowlands provinces against Spain. The Treaty of Ghent (December 24, 1814) marked the end of the War of 1812 between the United States and Britain.
Along with Brugge (Bruges) and Ypres, Ghent was one of the chief towns of the medieval county of Flanders. It owes its origin to the economic developments that occurred in Flanders in the 10th century, and the town sprang up on the banks of the Lys River at a spot under the protection of a nearby castle built by the counts of Flanders. Ghent grew rapidly in the 12th century, and by the 13th century it was one of the largest towns in northern Europe. Its astonishing prosperity was based on the manufacture of cloth; Ghent’s luxury cloths made from English wool were famous throughout Europe until the 15th century.
CNBC (June 10, 2023) – Interest in electric vehicles is at an all time high, with sales of new EVs up 55 percent in 2022 compared to the year prior. But there are still a lot of gas cars on the road today and there will be for a long time. EV conversions are becoming a bigger trend that could help.
Chapters: 00:00 — Introduction 02:40 — EV conversions 04:12 — Conversion shops 06:45 — DIY community 11:16 — Challenges
Both the shops and aftermarket community are growing substantially to meet the new demand. CNBC explores what it takes to convert a gas-powered car to an electric vehicle and whether it could go mainstream.
DW Travel (June 10, 2023) – TV-host KMJ guides you through his city, Accra — from the old fishing district of Jamestown to the hip Osu Oxford Street. Of course, KMJ also shares tips on where to eat delicious food and shows you the best place in Accra for chilling by the sea.
Video timeline: 00:00 Intro 00:25 Labadi Beach Hotel 01:25 Legon Botanical Gardens 02:23 Azmera restaurant 03:50 Jamestown with the arts center 04:22 Osu Oxford Street
Accra is the capital of Ghana, on the Atlantic coast of West Africa. Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park honors Ghana’s first president, who helped lead the country to independence. The park contains Nkrumah’s mausoleum and a museum charting his life. Makola Market is the city’s vast, colorful bazaar. Popular seafront spots Labadi Beach and Kokrobite Beach offer golden sand and high-energy nightlife.
World Economic Forum (June 10, 2023) – This week’s top stories of the week include:
0:15Finland’s electricity fell below €0 – It happened twice during one week in May caused by a glut of hydroelectric capacity as a result of heavier-than-usual spring meltwater. This meant the supply of electricity exceeded demand and this, in turn, led to a negative price for electricity.
1:30NYC gives new mothers $1000 – The no-strings cash payments last for 18 months. Then for the following 18 months, low-income mothers receive $500 a month, covering the first 3 years of their baby’s life. The scheme – known as the Bridge Project – aims to fight child poverty in New York as well as reducing inequality and stress for new parents.
3:19NASA will send your name to space – It’s asking people to sign a poem written by Ada Limón, the US Poet Laureate. Limón’s poem will be engraved on NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft. While signatories’ names will be etched on microchips mounted on the craft.
5:11Implants help this paralysed man walk – It creates a ‘digital bridge’ between his brain and his spinal cord, Bypassing sections that were damaged in an accident. The implant lets him stand, walk and even climb stairs.
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News, Views and Reviews For The Intellectually Curious