Daily Archives: October 3, 2021

Here Is What You Don’t Know About BTS Jungkook Fair Trade Report And BTS ARMY urges ‘Protect JK’ – Central Recorder

Posted: October 3, 2021 at 3:00 am

BTS Jungkook fans are urging Big Hit Music labels to protect JK after a complaint has reportedly been filed against the Grammy-nominated singer alleging that he has been false advertising. Heres what we know so far.

For the unversed, the controversy regarding BTS Jungkooks participation in the alleged under the table advertisement started after he wore clothes from a brand called Six6uys. The company is registered under Jungkooks brother, Jeon Junghyuns name, who is the CEO.

But, Korean media reports suggested that BTS Jungkook was previously appointed as the director of the company. Later, after the controversy, Jungkook allegedly resigned from his position.

According to the latest report, a netizen filed a complaint against Jeon Jungkook at the Fair Trade Commission. The report alleges that Jungkook had a stake in the company Six6uys. Yet, he wore the clothes of the same brand without specifying that or explicitly mentioning that.

The Netizen further claims, as reported via Koreaboo, Six6uys launched the clothing brand, Graffiti On Mind early September this year, and Jungkook wore the brands shirt on the broadcast.

It added, A few days later, he wore the same shirt in a different color in a selfie uploaded to Twitter and Weverse. BTS is a top boy group that represents South Korea and has an astronomical status.

Even if Jungkook did not personally share a review of the product or ask fans to buy it after uploading the photo to social media, just by giving the brand exposure often, he could cause a raise in the profits beyond imagination.

The complaint concluded by saying, As such, this is an incident that could detriment a fair and free market, and this is something that the Fair Trade Commission also strictly prohibits. I request that the Fair Trade Commission look into the matter carefully.

South Korea strengthened laws against false advertising or back door advertising in 2020. The new law states that any social media influencer has to explicitly mention if their product endorsements are financially rewarded or intended for promotion.

Violators of the law will have to pay the penalty if convicted of false advertisement up to 2 percent of related sales and revenue or 500 million won ($422,000).

BTS ARMY has taken to Twitter to urge Big Hit Music to protect JK. Fans are accusing the anti-fans of using Jungkooks name for a smear campaign. The fanbases have urged the fandom to mass email Big Hit Music.

A fan said, Cutting these problems from the root is necessary and urgent, @bts_bighit, @BIGHIT_MUSIC, these issues should never rise to this point, because as proved time and time again, they will get out of hand. Please protect JK better.

The fanbase added, Many people are finding out what is happening today, but it has been going on for weeks, and it is serious. They are organized and have everything well planned, its the same people that have constantly been making up agendas to ruin him since 2019, and enough is enough.

A second fan slammed the music label, saying, What the hell are you doing? Dropping so many contents but useless in eradicating antis, akgaes, and disgusting payola media to protect your artist. You are fast in releasing merchs to sell, but when it comes to protecting your artist, you are blind and deaf.

So far, Big Hit Music has not released any official statement regarding the matter. Keep an eye on this space for any updates regarding Big Hits statement.

In other news, Why did singer J Balvin slam Latin Grammys on Twitter?

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Here Is What You Don't Know About BTS Jungkook Fair Trade Report And BTS ARMY urges 'Protect JK' - Central Recorder

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Tim Peake: Astronaut says humans will be a multi-planetary species as he launches his first childrens book – iNews

Posted: at 3:00 am

When Boris Johnson had to choose a gift to present to the US President at the White House last week, he opted for a book by Britains first official, Government-supported astronaut.

Joe Biden received a signed copy of Tim Peakes Hello, Is This Planet Earth? with an inscription expressing hopes that it provides a reminder of what were fighting to save as our countries tackle climate change together.

As Peake launches his next book his first for children this week, he is relying on the stamp of approval of two people much more important than either the President or PM his young sons Thomas and Oliver.

They loved it, he says of the environmental message at the heart of the novel, Swarm Rising.

Peake bounced his sci-fi plotlines around with the boys on European camping holidays, and theyve also read every chapter as its been developed and given feedback.

In the action-adventure story, co-written with childrens author Steve Cole, schoolboy protagonist Danny Munday is kidnapped by agirl named Adi (short for Alien Digital Intelligence).

In fact, she is part of the Swarm, a super-advanced hive mind, which intends to protect the Earth from the environmental catastrophe caused by the human race.

It may sound far fetched, but Peakes real-life predictions are barely less fantastical.

He agrees with Elon Musk, the billionaire founder of aerospace manufacturer SpaceX, that humanity will soon become amulti-planetary species.

Yes, I think its going to happen relatively quickly. As a self-sustaining civilisation on another planet? I think were probably 50 to 100 years away from that, he tells i from his home study in Hampshire, surrounded by space memorabilia including a model of the Soyuz TMA-19M rocket that took him into space.

In terms of landing your first humans on Mars, I think were 15 to 20 years away. But when I was writing Swarm Rising, what was interesting was thinking beyond that. Are we going to really travel beyond the solar system in a biological form, flesh and blood? Another solution of course is to upload, go digital and then travel at the speed of light as a signal, as a digital intelligence through the universe.

These are ideas he has been mulling over for years, including while listening to the BBC podcast The Infinite Monkey Cage when I was exercising on the space station.

He was absorbed by the prospect of uploading a human brain to a quantum computer.

Thats a potential for the future of humanity and a civilisation might have done that before us millions of years ago and already be out there.

Peake is also concerned about the hazards for todays space travellers. Space junk is a huge threat, he warns.

There are estimated to be 100m pieces of debris bigger than 1mm across floating around the Earth, and a collision could shatter a satellite or spacecraft.

The chief of the Air Staff for the RAF suggested this year that Britain may soon follow the United States in creating its own Space Force to engage in what then-President Donald Trump said in 2019 was the worlds new war-fighting domain.

Space exploration up until now has been very much an international peaceful collaboration, says Peake.

Independent nations are now starting to have strategic assets in space that are vulnerable and those assets need protecting from other states. Its an inevitable progression, unfortunately.

In 2015, when Peake was preparing to blast off for his 186-day expedition to the International Space Station, atabloid headline claimed he was the first ginger inspace. One thing he is happy to be is an interplanetary role model for a new kind of masculinity; a softly spoken foil to the stereotype of the macho spaceman of old.

When people think of astronauts, they might think back to the Apollo era, the Mercury Seven, all fast-jet test pilots, and Ithink that now its very different, were a very diverse group. its good to be able to portray the reality of what the agencies are looking for.

Within the next four years, he also hopes to make one final, giant leap as the first Brit to walk on theMoon.

When I mention that, in his fifties, his dream mission would also make him the oldest person to step foot on the dusty surface of the Earths only natural satellite, hechuckles.

Im not sure where you got that from. But yeah Im certainly hoping for a second mission to space, he says, adding that astronauts can put off retirement to 60 (though much will depend on the British governments financial commitment to the European Space Agency).

For a long-duration mission, we are looking at less than 60. If you are launching before that, then thats fine. Beyond 60, its probably not advisable to be involved in the longer duration missions, not to say that it cant happen but obviously space flight is physically and mentally demanding and it has a punishing effect on the body and the bodys ability to regenerate and recover reduces as we get older.

So, I press, does he want to become the oldest Moonwalker? Well, theres plenty of older astronauts out there, Peake says with another laugh. So Im sure some of them might get there before me.

But, yeah, at the grand old age of 49, Id like to still think Ive got at least one more mission left in me.

Swarm Rising by Tim Peake and Steve Cole is published by Hodder Childrens Books (12.99)on Thursday, 30 September

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I Hope the Old Trucker Who Starts the Morning Sharing TikToks of His Road Buddie, Bobbie the Kitten, Is Having a Good Day – The Mary Sue

Posted: at 3:00 am

It has been brought to my attention that there are a series of wholesome TikToks about a man, his truck, and his kitten. Since Im trying to go to heaven when I die, I thought Id let you all know about Old Trucker in an attempt to spread some joy this morning.

Okay I know my ass is going to hell, but that doesnt mean I cant start the day with a kitten who curls up on a truckers dashboard, the trucker speaking in a way that reminds me of a grandpa who sits in a rocking chair to tell stories.

To my delight (and envy, because my cats would never), this story has led to others sharing their road adventures with their fur babies.

Like? This is apparently a thing? That people do?

Well, let me just go ahead and bookmark that for later.

From what I can gather, Old Trucker has been uploading TikToks of his trips for a while. He always wishes viewers a good morning, talks about where hes headed, and is just an all around pleasant person to listen to. Hes big on telling your loved ones that you love them and is always thankful for the people he has in his life TikTok family included.

Basically, it was already a wholesome TikTok channel.

A couple of months ago, he uploaded video of a cat who had kittens at his house. Unfortunately, the runt of the liter, Bobbie (with an ie), was the only kitten who survived.

To add more heartbreak to the story, Old Trucker uploaded video in August of him being in the hospital. Apparently, he had a heart attack, so he had to take some time to recover.

There is, however, a silver lining.

Once Old Trucker was out of the hospital he uploaded a video to give an update, saying that if he was able to drive again, he would be taking along a new friend.

Fortunately, he passed the stress test and was able to go back on the road.

With Bobbie!

Its clear that having Bobbie is helping with his health. Pets are great sources of stress relief, and I imagine being on the road with a new little friend makes for good company.

Bobbie was meant to be with Old Trucker, as Bobbies mom (Fiona the Cat) literally walked over to Old Trucker, dropped Bobbie off, and left (according to Old Trucker, at least). After taking Bobbie to the vet and giving him his own little bed via the glove compartment, a friendship thats sure to last for years was born.

What Bobbie has done for my heart and my frame of mind is far more than any prescription that any doctor could give me.

Old Trucker, I hope you know what this story is doing for all of our hearts, too.

(Image: Sunrise/Old Trucker on TikTok)

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Man ‘trapped in the future’ shares daunting glimpse of his day-to-day life – The Mirror

Posted: at 3:00 am

A 'time-traveller' who has been sharing videos from the future and somehow uploading them onto present-day TikTok claims he is trapped in the year 2027 and is completely alone

Image: TikTok.com/unicosobreviviente)

A 'time traveller from 2027' has shared new footage of his mind-bending ordeal and revealed that he is 'trapped and alone' after surviving a mass extinction event.

A man dubbed the TikTok Time Traveller has been uploading videos from the future onto present-day social media and has amassed a massive following.

Calling himself Javier, @unicosobreviviente, the man said that he lives in a deserted city in Spain as the last human alive, and he spends his time documenting the empty streets.

And now he's shared another video, in which he walks down a 'secret passageway' that resembles a nuclear bunker, and says that he'll have to get used to solitude as he'll be 'here alone forever'.

What do you think about Javier's situation? Let us know in the comments

Javier has been sharing videos since February 13, when he first showed a supposedly desolate Valencia in Spain.

He explained that he woke up in hospital with no idea what had happened, and filmed the deserted streets for his TikTok fans.

He initially said: "I just woke up in a hospital and I don't know what might have happened. Today is February 13, 2027, and I am alone in the city.

"Humanity has been extinct, there is no one in shopping centres."

While the shop in the clip is indeed empty, the lights are on, the shelves are stocked, and the internet clearly works as he was able to upload the video.

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Now, Javier has filmed himself walking down a flight of concrete stairs to a passage that resembles a nuclear bunker.

A caption reads: "Im tired already. I no longer know what to do or where to look

"I think I'll have to get used to being here alone forever."

After walking through reinforced concrete corridors which are lit with bulbs he reaches some stairs which appear to be blocked off by a glass panel.

The video has been viewed 489,000 times in just three days, and has received over 35,000 likes alongside a thousand commets.

One user said: "Well, at least there's TikTok in the future."

And another added: "Are you still stuck in time?"

While another simply said "Go to the Apple store, please. I need to see the iPhone 14."

Some users have been quick to mock Javier, asking how there is still power in a post-apocalyptic future, and he simply replied: "most likely there is a type of connection between 2021 and 2027".

Do you have a story to share? We'd love to hear all about it. Get in touch via yourmirror@mirror.co.uk

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Facebook Will Be On The Hot SeatAgainAt Senate Hearing Thursday Because Of Instagram Kids App – Forbes

Posted: at 3:00 am

BRAZIL - 2020/08/28: In this photo illustration icons of Facebook and Instagram apps are displayed ... [+] on a smartphone. (Photo Illustration by Rafael Henrique/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

More than most companies and organizations, Facebook has for years been in the harsh glare of the public spotlight for their activities, policies and products.

The latest chapter for this apparently crisis-prone companyits decision yesterday to postpone rollout of a version of Instagram for childrenis playing out in headlines around the world. The spotlight will get even brighter and hotter this Thursday when a Facebook executive testifies about the app at a public hearing conducted by a U.S. Senate Commerce subcommittee.

What Facebook and Instagram are saying and doing about the controversyand how they are saying and doing itprovide business leaders with important lessons about responding to, managing and communicating about crisis situations.

Facebooks image, reputation and credibility are on the line once more. As the New York Times noted, the company, is so mistrusted in Congress that Apple has tolobby on Facebooks behalf. Far more people ina recent surveyhad anunfavorable view of Facebookthan they did of other U.S. technology giants. And Facebooks user numbers arent growing much in the United States, by far the most important advertising market.

Instagram Head Adam Mosseri said in a news release that, We firmly believe that its better for parents to have the option to give their children access to a version of Instagram that is designed for themwhere parents can supervise and control their experiencethan relying on an apps ability to verify the age of kids who are too young to have an ID.

While we stand by the need to develop this experience, weve decided to pause this project. This will give us time to work with parents, experts, policymakers and regulators, to listen to their concerns, and to demonstrate the value and importance of this project for younger teens online today, he said.

Ari Lightman, professor of digital media and marketing at Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz College said, Facebookand Adam Mosseri did the right thing in pulling the project for now but perhaps not in terms of how they addressed the public.

This is an absolute powder keg with an epidemic of misinformation, effects of the pandemic and a variety of academic reports from NGOs and reporters on the harm to teens associated with Instagram use.In addition, it happens when reporters allege that Facebook knew of the report on harm to teen girls and largely dismissed it or ignored it altogether, he said.

Lightman also observed that, This represents a very large [consumer] segment for Facebook/Instagram (Gen Alpha). [It] might represent a new captive audience as the time spent on the app has been partially eroded by Snapchat, TikTok and Discord.However, in their defense Facebook/Instagram did not even have an opportunity to discuss how the platform might work for tweens 10-12.

So they got called out even before putting together product design and functionality and now have a moment to pause and build out the right platform addressing concerns from educators, parents, mental health practitioners, etc. he noted.

Lightman said, The takeaway is to listen to the market and assess all the different risk/benefit vectors prior to initiating a campaign.

By not addressing this, it leaves the public in doubt [the] substantive changes they might be able to make if they do launch the platform for tweens in the future.Being transparent and addressing concerns that might be out there as well as how they might work with advocacy groups, regulators and educators is critical for any organization looking at developing a digital platform for this age group, Lightman concluded.

Baruch Labunski, president of Rank Secure, said that, As a marketing expert, I understand that a company in crisis sometimes has to tackle difficult issues. Its easier to manage a crisis when that company can choose when to make an announcement and if that company is being forthcoming and acting in the interest of the public. Neither is true in the case of Instagram Kids.

[Instagram head] Adam Mosseri may tell you about the wonderful safety features Instagrams new product for kids aged 10-12 will have, Lubanski said. [But] thats less credible when hes only discussing the companys decision to pause their work on the appBuzzfeed broke the story about Instagrams internal announcement earlier this year and a deluge of criticism ensued, he said.

Labunski noted that, One of Mosseris justifications for the launch of Instagram Kids is that kids under 13 are already using Instagram, despite the platforms rules. He says that if kids are going to use it anyway, the platform should be safer and bring with it more parental controls.

Its my opinion thats simply insufficient and also not credible, he said. Facebook and Instagram already consume enormous amounts of the time and attention of adults. Starting kids earlier? Its impossible for me to see how thats in the public interest. We know that hate speech and body shaming flourish on social media platforms. Who in their right mind thinks we need to send invitations so 10-year-olds can participate?

Mike Bienstock is CEOof Semaphore, a management and licensing firm. He noted that, YouTube has been struggling with the kids issue for years. They developed a generation of kids channels and then destroyed them by withholding ads when things started going poorly PR-wise. In turn,many kids' channels slowed/stopped their uploading to YouTube.

Facebook is likely facing the same issuesthere is no good solution here. If you restrict ads, you lose the content-production machine. If you allow ads, you are selling to kids too much, so the easiest path is to forget about programming for kids. Leave that to PBS where content is planned and created with child development in mind. It's never going to be protectedthe way children need and still survive monetarily, he predicted.

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Opinion – A letter from the office of citizenship – New Era

Posted: at 3:00 am

For a couple of weeks, I have been struggling to write this piece, as I have been rehearsing in my mind not to start trouble.

As a child of God, I am one to recite It is well with my soul until I turned on Eagle FM, Lord have mercy.

That radio station has the ability to turn my happiness in pure anger because of the commentary and views of their listeners who tend to throw in comments such as A rape case among children is a normal thing because children play, The issues of housing in Namibia cant be solved because even if you build them, no one will buy them, or Ondangwa is a small town; it cant be compared to Windhoek even the allocation from central government is not the same.

Those were just some of the commentary contributions that were made in September that broke the camels back and drove me to pour out my thoughts as a Namibian citizen, and say,Dear Namibian, can we all stop living in glass houses, sipping on a cup of tea, swiping up and down on our iPhone 13 and uploading filtered snapshots.

Because enough is enough with the negativity and the spirit of ignorance and oblivionism while the whole country is burning up with social issues that need our voices and actions but give it a side eye, shift blames and point fingers because we dont want to be the enemy of the state but be people pleasers, clapping our hands and watching our bank account go up; we are good as long as it is not hitting home.

The year 2021 has been brutal on everyone. We started the year with Air Namibia closing its door, adding to the long list of unemployment and families around the country being plugged back into the cycle of poverty.

With multiple lockdowns and the economy buckling under-pressure, some chose to go in the street, despite it all because hunger will kill them.

As fear, anxiety and death consumed us, I sat on the plane, destined for Ondangwa. I am not one to come home in August and September because it is always dusty and windy with no tree in sight; the whole town became a ghost town. But this year, I chose me to come back home and sit down for a deep retrospection and introspection on my core value as a human being.

As I began my drive home in my uncles Beetle car, I cannot realise how, for the past two decades of my existence, Ondangwa has become an eyesore, a sight you want to pass and never come back to or something from a horror movie or a dream you want to wake up from.

That will apply to the travellers but for some of us, Ondangwa is home. We did not choose the problem but we were born into it; now, its our problem, Chude Jideonwo.

The town has been belittled to nothing but a small town with a failed town planning structure and majority of land located near the B1 road being occupied by sheebens and bottle stores.

I cannot help but wonder what do the youth do?

As we drove further inland, my question was answered, as I saw some of my age mates hustling by selling cellphone accessories and uumuhaka at major malls, but I observe a majority of them at this alcohol drinking hub and my heart sank.

One will wonder, is this a community of innovators and committed citizens or that of drunkards? There is a saying: Kehe Omukwaniilongo omOndonga endela; if such a saying is true, I wonder the image and the narrative that currently exists in those who have been to the town?

With a population of approximately 36 846, according to the 2011 regional census, the town is dominated by the 15-59 age group, which holds 63% of the total population, with no social responsibilities being displayed by the giant retailers into the community, where trade takes place, majority of the development is reliant heavily on central government.

This brought a stagnant growth that went from bad to worse due to a shaky, unstable economical environment, natural disaster and other human doings.

Being located in flood plains, Ondangwa unkempt and almost neglected environment rooms, with elect buildings some kept intact and others almost falling apart take centre stage.

As we turned into a short gravel road on our way home, we were met by a new military base, which took away hundreds of homes to relocate them into the desert and my heart sank, as I wondered why would you put a military camp in the middle of a community; why did you not take it to Uulunga waKolondo because you will be saving a lot of money from transportation of military personnel.

As I gazed to my left hand side, I realised Ondangwa urban is now flooding; it is an expansion of the rural areas, where any form of agriculture is now soon to be of extinction.

Out loud with no filter, I asked the famous questions of Mee Sofia Shaningwa: This towns and development we are building, where are they going to end? Are we going to turn the whole of Namibia into towns? Are we not going to have agricultural land for crops cultivation and animals grazing?

It almost puzzles me as young person how we are invested on the internet and travelling to other countries and not even realising it is actually possible to bring development (education, health and transportation) without destroying the majority of its fundamental living standards.

When are we going to capitalise on farming commercially in the communal land, instead of investing it all in erven, because we all know a majority of our food here is imported from South Africa and other SADC countries?

Yet, we act surprised when we see 1kg of Macaroni costing N$98.00, competing with a cement bag.

As I sat down listening to Kati FM from the compound of my late father, I watched my nephew return from school and I wonder the world he will live in, the education he will be receiving and the skills he will harness when its all said and done.

Chills went down my spine because it does not looking bright currently. I did not write this piece for interrogatory purposes nor to look down on progress made or whine like an ungrateful born free who thinks she can do better than the rest.

I wrote to start a conversation, to awaken sleeping giants and for deep thinking tanks to put their caps on and be somewhere when the African Continental Free Trade is implemented.

It is for all of us to see the bigger picture in a legacy format and leave the future generation with something to stand on because we did not fail them as we have failed ourselves.

Ondangwa has lost more than it had gained in the past decades. Although we have not been publicly dragged on the front pages of newspapers, it doesnt mean it is all Colgate smiles. They say, fear those silent ones; they will shock you one day.

But until then, I refuse to bring my kids and grandchildren into such an environment without excising my democratic freedom of speech and voting.

I am not an activist; I am just a citizen of Namibia with major concerns.

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Do Smartwatches Play Music? Streaming And Offline Music – TechBullion

Posted: at 3:00 am

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To be precise, Yes! Smartwatches can play music these days without having a smartphone around.

All the latest watches by Apple, Samsung, Mobvoi, Garmin, and Fossil have enough capacity to store at least a few hundred songs.

Apart from that, as the smartwatches rose to prominence, popular music streaming services like Spotify, Amazon Music, Deezer, and Pandora all released their wearable apps. For Amazon Music and Spotify, Garmin and Samsung watches are best, whereas, Apple supports its own Apple Music and Fitbit is best for Pandora and Deezer.

This post will bust some of the myths surrounding the music experience on smartwatches.

Smartwatches have long been a remote control for music on phones. This feature hasnt been dropped but has become ubiquitous.

However, for the past couple of years, there has been a myriad of smartwatches with music storage. Fitbit, Apple, Samsung, and Fossil all have smartwatches with a storage capacity that ranges from a mere 4GB to as large as 32GB.

Keep in mind that roughly half of this storage is dedicated to music. Whereas, the other half is reserved for apps.

Streaming Music on Spotify, Amazon Music, & Deezer is what we have become used to, and nobody wants to go back to uploading good old Mp3 Music on smartphones. We dont expect our smartwatches to compel us to do so.

We accept that the early watches dont have connectivity options other than slow Bluetooth technology. But now we have Wi-Fi and even LTE connectivity on the smartwatches. So streaming tracks, audiobooks and podcast is very much a reality.

Samsung and Apple both have LTE variants for they demand a little extra. Keep in mind, streaming music on the smartwatch will take heavy on the battery performance.

Garmin spread the misconception about the music feature. Many of its models have a separate Music unit for which they cost extra (about $50). To mention a few, Garmin Venu SQ music, Garmin Forerunner 245 Music, and Garmin Forerunner 645 Music offer nothing more than music than their base models.

But many affordable watches these days offer music storage. Surely, you cannot stream music on these watches, but you can surely store songs. Both Huami and Mobvoi offer plenty of affordable watches that can store Mp3 Songs.

Apple has been reluctant to give way to third-party competitor apps on its devices, but for smartwatches, it seems to open up. Along with Apple Music, you can run other third-party music streaming apps.

The prime example is that of Spotify. We all know about the row between Apple and EPIC Games group, and that Spotify sided with the latter. But even that doesnt let Apple discontinue support for Spotify on its premium watches.

If youre a Spotify subscriber and own an Apple Watch, you can play and store playlists, podcasts, and albums right on your wrist.

Also, you can stream music right from your wrist independently from your iPhone via Wi-Fi or LTE.

If you are referring to the music being played on the tiny speakers of a smartwatch, true, it is a terrible experience. They are not build to play songs but for the voice assistant to read commands and actions.

However, if you connect the earbuds to your smartwatch, the music experience is the same as that on the smartphone.

The Bluetooth technology on the smartwatches was not strong enough so surely there was lag that can ruin your music experience. But now, most of the premium watches feature Bluetooth 5.0 which ensures better connectivity and fast transfer for data, thus a lag-free experience.

Smartwatches have been changing the world the same way smartphones and pc did decades ago. In the past, they were nothing but an extension of smartphones, mimicking the notifications, controlling music, and setting alarms.

The delinking of smartwatches from phones is welcome progress. Now, smartwatches have become a tech gadget in their own right. They can make calls, send texts, and even stream music independently of the smartphone over Wi-Fi and Cellular connectivity.

Apart from that, they can now track fitness and health metrics which havent been possible in smartphones.

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Seori Breaks Down Collaborations And The Heartwarming Dive With You Music Video – PopWrapped

Posted: at 3:00 am

Becoming a respected solo artist takes time, effort, and talent in order to discover your audience and the relatively new, yet experienced artist Seori is more than prepared to impress.

Hailing from South Korea, the natural singer/songwriter has expressed her pure, unchangeable love for music for a few years independently. Starting out on YouTube, Seori forged her own path by covering music including Abirs Tango and Best part by H.E.R., effectively putting herself on the map for her hauntingly beautiful voice. With that undeniable connection to R&B and Soul, Seori then began to build her own following, as people began to pick up on her unique vocal range and overall presence that built a reputation on raw talent.

As Seoris confidence and platform began to show growth, a shift soon followed, with the artist gaining the attention of her label ATIPAUS a fairly new company with a lot of belief behind the soloist. Since signing, shes found her own voice through her debut EP ?depacse ohw that introduced her incomparable soothing style to the world.

On the EP, the rising stars voice mesmerizes on her inspiring lead single Running through the night, then brings a nostalgic whistle backing to a electro-pop-esque tune with Really high. The EPs closing track I wanna cry feels like its yet another standalone track that establishes her dominance at emotional storytelling completing a triad of rsum worthy hits.

Seori only continued to find the next best steps for her career, with the singer getting to work alongside some of the biggest names in K-Pop but also some massive projects that any artist would be thrilled to take on. In early 2021, the HYBE group Tomorrow X Together (TXT) dropped their brilliant return single 0X1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You) with the singer delivering a strong, whimsical chorus, charting at number 37 on the Billboard K-pop 100 and giving the singer affirmation from her powerhouse peers that shes a must-have artist for your playlist.

Seori also managed to dive into other solo projects, OSTs, and even a soundtrack for the major Marvel film Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings but most recently, a track Dive with you feature eaJ. This song particularly expands her comfort zone with ballad-level arrangements and offers a universal perspective that relishes in love and the indescribable feeling of hope that comes with forging something stable. The video itself is used as yet another space for her significant messages, depicting a positive representation of LGBTQIA+ relationships and the importance of inclusivity (a message that feels encouragingly brave considering the current landscape of the genre).

For being so new to the industry, Seori has already stepped up as an artist with originality, humble beginnings, sincerity, and utter strength that were just fortunate enough to experience. With the new music video for Dive with you out now, we spoke to the up-and-coming star about her incredibly busy year and whats to come.

Firstly, congratulations on a major year for you! When you think back to some of your incredible cover songs, what has that transition been like to become a full-fledged singer/songwriter?

Seori: Since I was 18, I had a dream of becoming a singer-songwriter. I always love singing but someday I started to wonder what people who dont know me would think about my song and how to start as a singer-songwriter. So, I started uploading several song videos on YouTube, and luckily, I was able to meet ATISPAUS to prepare for the album. Making the album was so exciting, but it didnt feel real that I was becoming a singer at the same time. And I was worried about how people would listen to my first album because people liked my cover video of Abirs Tango. But fortunately, Im glad that many people like my music.

Youre quickly becoming one of the most sought-after artists in South Korea because people are starting to discover your vocal brilliance! Has there been a moment so far that has felt almost too good to be true?

Seori: I still have a long way to go to become a popular singer, but Im glad to hear that! There are so many moments that I couldnt believe its real. I was really happy when huge artists told me that they knew my song, and when I collaborated with a great artist or did a Marvel OST, and when I received support from many comments, I was really happy. But if I have to pick one that I cant forget, it was my first fan signing event. I was really happy to see and talk to the fans who came from afar and waited for a long time, that lingering happy feeling lasted for a long time. Thanks to that, I was able to realize that my fans were next to me, and that memory gives me the driving force.

You were featured on the massive hit song I Know I Love You with TXT earlier this year, and your chorus is impeccable! What was probably the best part of that collaborative process for that song in particular?

Seori: Thank you! To tell the story, I was able to hear the demo right away. The collaboration with TXT was unbelievable, and also the song was amazing. The songs atmosphere was amazing, just like my favorite songs, so I wondered how they knew my taste. I was able to work more happily for TXT greeted me comfortably and gave me good feedback while recording.

Your newest single Dive with you includes eaJ and you also just dropped the music video for the song too! When you first tackled the song, did you already have an idea about how you wanted the music video to play out or was it a concept that slowly came together later on?

Seori: The keywords and scenes I wanted to show in the video were the ocean and innocence. I wanted this song to be the purest and most passionate. Because many people must have experienced such pure and passionate hearts, are experiencing them and maybe will experience. Regardless of age, those memories are precious youth in us. I hope that this song will be filled with it and that the listeners can recall their shining page of life.

The song itself is such a sweet, almost power-ballad-like track and your sounds compliment each other extremely well! What were your initial hopes or pre-requisites to finding the right voice for this song?

Seori: I wrote Dive with you, with a beautiful male voice in my mind, not a song I would sing. Because I was listening to Watermelon Sugar when I was writing this song. But my producer and team members told me that it would suit me well, so I made it for myself. And as soon as I thought of featuring, I thought of eaJ. I compliment myself at that moment. I think it was a decision that cant be better. eaJs verse is so cool and beautiful, right?

We also were fortunate enough to see you on the Shang-Chi soundtrack for the aforementioned epic Marvel film, so congratulations on that one-of-a-kind achievement! Did working on music for this massive film bring any unique challenges or lessons?

Seori: Thank you for the congratulations! And thanks to the Warriors, I challenged and learned. Just like the title, I needed to express the courage of the warrior and tried to deviate from my usual vocal style. At first, I hesitated, but the director led me well, so I was able to make a new type of attempt. And it was my first time singing with such a huge orchestration, so I thought a lot about dynamics and how to create a magnificent feeling like a movie on my part. It really influenced me a lot in many ways!

Because of your growing platform and a long list of collaborators, I have to ask, are there any artists that youd consider to be dream features?

Seori: I have to say, Avril Lavigne. Shes the one who made me sing and write songs. Ive been a fan for a long time since I was young, and my favorite song changes every day because I like them all. Will she know me? I could faint if she knows me.

Features aside, youve also shown that you can really hold your own and it has people so excited to see what you do next! Can you drop any hints about what type of content we can expect from you in the coming months?

Seori: Im preparing hard for the HITC 2021 Festival! Im super excited to be on such a big stage. Its my first festival in front of audiences. I hope that everyone at the festival can enjoy it.

Youve dropped some incredible music like the music we discussed, and other standouts like Lovers In The Night! Is there one song youve worked on that youd say you have a special attachment to?

Seori: Its hard to say just one thing for sure because my favorites change every day, but today I want to pick a cd only track called If. I really love the lyrics of the song. If I have a chance, Id like to sing it live.

Finally, if you were going to return to your roots with a cover of a current song youre addicted to what would be your go-to cover song?

Seori: Stay by The Kid LAROI and Justin Bieber! I cant stop listening to it and singing along these days. Im sure everyone feels the same [laughs]. So, I guess I might upload the cover video of Stay.

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Seori Breaks Down Collaborations And The Heartwarming Dive With You Music Video - PopWrapped

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Public cost of training Boeing workers far higher than projections – The Nerve

Posted: at 2:58 am

By RICK BRUNDRETT

When S.C. lawmakers in 2009 first approved massive taxpayer-backed funding for aerospace giant Boeing to build an assembly plant in North Charleston, the state estimated it would spend nearly $34 million over 15 years for worker training.

But over the past 10 fiscal years, the state has spent $58.3 million an approximately 70% hike over original projections to train Boeing workers through the S.C. Technical College Systems readySC program, according to information provided this week by the college system to The Nerve.

The average per-worker training cost to the state also jumped significantly, from about $8,950 as initially estimated to approximately $12,100 a 35% increase.

In an email response this week to The Nerve, Technical College System (TCS) spokeswoman Kelly Steinhilper said the readySC program trained 4,831 Boeing workers from fiscal 2012 through last fiscal year, noting that employees on average participated in 30 classes over multiple phases and years. The states original projections covered training for 3,800 workers.

The $58.3 million in training costs over the 10-year period included instructor salary/benefits, equipment and consumable supplies and materials for training, Steinhilper said. Currently, 53 readySC staff are assigned to the Boeing project, she said, with training provided at Boeings plant site or Trident Technical Colleges Aeronautical Training Center in North Charleston an $80 million facility that opened in 2019.

To put the $58.3 million into some context, its more than the entire current budgets of about 60 state agencies or divisions, state budget records show. In comparison, revenues last year for the Chicago-based Boeing totaled about $58.2 billion, company records show nearly $26 billion more than this fiscal years entire state budget.

From fiscal years 2016 through 2020, lawmakers designated a total of more than $43 million for the readySC program out of state general and surplus funds, budget records show.

Effective Jan. 1 of this year, Boeing agreed to begin paying the TCS for worker training, according to documents provided recently to The Nerve by the S.C. Department of Administration under the state Freedom of Information Act.

Those records show that the TCS was authorized to receive about $1.9 million from Boeing in the last half of fiscal 2021, which ended June 30, and another nearly $5 million for this fiscal year.

The State of South Carolina and Boeing have been partners for the last 10 years during which time readySC has provided training for all Boeing production employees under a contractual commitment made when Boeing first began production in the State, according to other-fund authorization requests by the TCS to the Department of Administration. Consequently, readySC now has a highly skilled staff specializing in training of aircraft production employees.

The TCS requests, the latest of which was dated July 12 and approved on July 20 by Brian Gaines, director of the state Executive Budget Office, said Boeing will pay the TCS for all costs incurred to provide this training. Steinhilper said Boeing is paying the personnel costs associated with that (readySC) staff.

Boeing has more than 7,500 workers in South Carolina and about 160,000 worldwide, according to the S.C. Department of Commerces website.

The Nerve launched publication in January 2010 with a week-long investigative series on the Boeing incentives package, conservatively estimating that the cost of all taxpayer-backed freebies totaled at least $500 million. The true cost to taxpayers likely will never be known in part because of state privacy laws protecting companies receiving certain incentives.

Of the state and local incentives offered to Boeing since 2009, state bonds collectively make up much of the taxpayer cost. The general obligation bonds sold to benefit Boeing will cost taxpayers a total of $483.3 million, including $119.3 million in interest, through June 2025, according to information provided this week to The Nerve by the S.C. Treasurers Office.

In a special session in October 2009, lawmakers rushed through an incentives package for Boeing that included approval of an initial $170 million in bonds under a section of the S.C. Constitution that allows legislators to disregard debt ceilings.

Other taxpayer-backed goodies provided to Boeing under a 20-year state incentives agreement provided to The Nerve in 2010 by the Department of Commerce included:

In addition, Charleston County at the time offered Boeing a number of incentives, including, according to county agreements:

Boeing had two existing North Charleston facilities before constructing the 11-football-field-size 787 Dreamliner assembly plant, which started operating in June 2011. In addition, Boeing in 2014 broke ground on a 256,000-square-foot airplane paint hangar, and in 2015 opened a propulsion engineering and assembly facility in North Charleston, according to Commerces website.

Brundrett is the news editor of The Nerve (www.thenerve.org). Contact him at 803-254-4411 or rick@thenerve.org. Follow him on Twitter @RickBrundrett. Follow The Nerve on Facebook and Twitter @thenervesc.

Nervestories are free to reprint and repost with permission by and credit to The Nerve.

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The First Littoral Combat Ship Has Been Decommissioned After Just 13 Years Of Service (Updated) – The Drive

Posted: at 2:58 am

The axe has finally fallen on the first of the U.S. Navys problematic Littoral Combat Ships, with the decommissioning of the USS Freedom (LCS-1) after a less-than-stellar career lasting just 13 years, during which it was mainly used as a test and training vessel. The removal of the Freedom from the fleet continues a process of retiring these warships, which begun with the former USS Independence (LCS-2) being decommissioned on July 31, and plans are meanwhile afoot to potentially deactivate another three Freedom-class shipsand one Independence-class vesselby March next year.

The decommissioning ceremony for Freedom, the lead ship of its class, took place yesterday at Naval Base San Diego, California. COVID-19 restrictions meant it was a closed-doors event, but it seems possible the fanfare surrounding the decommissioning would have been muted in any case, with both LCS classes having suffered a catalog of problems and the service finally having run out of patience with at least a portion of the fleet.

U.S. Navy/MC2 Vance Hand

Capt. Larry Repass, USN, commanding officer of the USS Freedom delivers remarks during the decommissioning ceremony on September 29.

Nevertheless, retired Rear Admiral Donald Gabrielson, the former commander of U.S. Naval Forces, Southern Command/Commander, U.S. Fourth Fleet and the commanding officer of the Freedoms 2008 commissioning crew highlighted the warships achievements:

I have never in my life seen or served alongside a more capable, dedicated, devoted, talented, and inspiring group of people than the sailors I served alongside with LCS and what I have watched in every day since, said Gabrielson. As we acknowledge this bittersweet moment, I hope well all remember that this ship was a vehicle to learn and innovate by doing and to make real progress in a short amount of time, and that doesnt happen with other ship concepts.

At the time of its decommissioning, the Freedom had a crew of nine officers and 41 enlisted sailors. Built in Marinette, Wisconsin, by Fincantieri Marinette Marine, the warship had originally been commissioned in November 2008.

Operational limitations meant that Freedom deployed only once in its career, otherwise being primarily engaged in test and training duties. The first two examples of each subclass were completed to different standards than the subsequent examples, further reducingFreedom's operational relevance. According to Navy officials, it would have cost another $2.5 billion to make the first four ships two from each class combat-ready. Thats roughly the cost of buying four brand-new LCSs.

The decommissioning of LCS-1 supports department-wide business process reform initiatives to free up time, resources, and manpower in support of increased lethality, the Navy wrote in an official statement. The LCS remains a fast, agile, and networked surface combatant, designed to operate in near-shore environments, while capable of open-ocean tasking and winning against 21st-century coastal threats.

Despite that positive spin, the utility of the LCS remains hampered by its controversial mission modules, which were originally designed to be switched in and out of the hulls rapidly while in port, before the idea was abandoned, leaving each ship with a single module to be installed. As it stands, only the anti-surface warfare version of these modules is fitted on some of the hulls, with the anti-submarine warfare and mine countermeasures modules not yet available.

U.S. Navy

Former Rear Admiral John Neagley, Program Executive Officer for Unmanned and Small Combatants, poses with sailors from the USS Forth Worth (LCS-3) at a test event for the Dual-mode Array Transmitter (DART) Mission System and ASW Mission Package.

The Navys statement on the decommissioning of USS Freedom alludes to the costs that will be saved as a result, reflecting the higher-than-anticipated expenses involved in operating these warships. Indeed, its been reported in the past that the LCS is almost as expensive to run as the far more capable Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer.

At the same time, problems with the propulsion systems on the Freedom class have continued. In particular, this has affected the combining gear, which links the two main diesel engines to a pair of gas turbines to its water jet propulsion system. Having this machinery function properly is critical to the vessels being able to reach a speed of 40 knots, which was a requirement from an early stage in the program.

U.S. Navy/MC3 Katarzyna Kobiljak

USS Freedom underway during a 2014 Independent Deployer Certification Exercise (IDCERTEX) off the coast of Southern California and Hawaii.

Meanwhile, despite the removal of earlier units in the two subclasses, production of the LCS continues. There are now 21 LCSs in service, following yesterday's decommissioning. These include nine of the Freedom class, of which there are five more under construction or in the process of fitting out, and one more example on order. There are also 12 Independence-class warships in service, with five more under construction or fitting out, and one more on order.

Problems with the drive train led to the Navy putting a pause in deliveries of Freedom class ships earlier this year.

Now, with the first ship in each LCS subclass having been decommissioned, the Navy has its eye on the deactivation of three Freedom-class ships, the USS Fort Worth (LCS-3), Detroit (LCS-7), and Little Rock (LCS-9), plus one Independence-class vessel, USS Coronado (LCS-4).

U.S. Navy/MC1 Jay C. Pugh

USS Fort Worth (LCS-3), left, arrives in Singapore as the Arleigh Burke class guided-missile destroyer USS Sampson (DDG-102) gets underway.

The service hopes to be rid of these next four vessels by March 22 next year, as part of its latest budget request for Fiscal Year 2022, but that will depend on Congressional approval.

Of the next vessels destined for disposal, LCS-7 and LCS-9 have been earmarked for decommissioning due to problems with the combining gear. As for LCS-3 and LCS-4, their retirement has been recommended due to the expense of upgrading them to a configuration that would provide commonality with other more recent LCSs.

If the Navys plans for these four ships are approved, they will be placed in Out of Commission, In Reserve status, meaning they could theoretically be reactivated if required.

U.S. Navy

USS Independence (LCS-2), the lead ship of the class, was the first of the Littoral Combat Ships, to be decommissioned, at Naval Base San Diego, on July 29.

While the Navy remains committed to building its troublesome LCS vessels, at the same time it is planning to introduce a new class of frigates, the FFG-62 Constellation class, with construction expected to begin on the first hull imminently. However, the new warships are not expected to enter service until the late 2020s, meaning there is still a requirement for the LCS, at least on paper, even if only as a stopgap measure.

U.S. Navy

An artists conception of the forthcoming FFG-62 Constellation-class frigate.

As if to demonstrate growing confidence in the LCS vessels, the Navy has announced plans to deploy six LCSs before the end of this year. This would be a significant milestone for the ships, which have so far deployed only sporadically, with more than one of those cruises being interrupted by embarrassing mechanical failures. To this date, no Littoral Combat Ship has deployed to the Middle East, including to the tumultuous Persian Gulf, an area where these giant jet boats were supposedly designed to dominate.

There are also hopes that new capabilities will increase the operational value of the LCSs, including the planned addition of the Naval Strike Missile, or NSM, on all of the hulls. Thought has also been given to adapting the ships to suit the expeditionary advanced base operations (EABO) concept, currently being developed by the Navy and Marine Corps. Some have suggested the LCS might be used in a role akin to a fast troop transport, to move small groups of infantry around the Indo-Pacific theater.

U.S. Navy

The Independence-class LCS USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS-10) launches a Naval Strike Missile (NSM) during exercise Pacific Griffin.

The decommissioning of the USS Freedom, coupled with the removal of the first of the Independence-class vessels, brings at least one chapter of the LCS saga to an end. At the same time, with a stated ambition to reach a total fleet size of 355 ships, the decision to remove any hulls prematurely that would help reach this total is not one taken lightly. While the Navy has not entirely given up hope in these warships, it seems clear that the services future priorities lie elsewhere.

Update, October 1: Following a request from The War Zone, the Navy has confirmed that the former USS Freedom will be placed in Out of Commission, In Reserve (OCIR) status, as is also planned for the other four LCSs that the service wants to withdraw. OCIR ships are stored in Bremerton, Washington.

Contact the author: thomas@thedrive.com

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