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Category Archives: Futurism

Khirys NYFW SS22 Is Only The Beginning For Black Reclamation In Fashion And Culture – Forbes

Posted: September 17, 2021 at 9:13 pm

Jameel Mohammed, founder and creative director of KHIRY.

A Reminder, a film by the afro-futurist fashion brand Khiry, sets the record for body politics relating to the Black community and cultural diaspora. Visual queues of Civil Rights footage, familiar pop icons of today, and various images of Black people, famous or not, throughout history, are juxtaposed in a tension between the popular and the oppressed. A deep-rooted role in this film is in dispelling any doubts of fashion and its association to oppressive practices of policing and pillaging Black people, culture, and trends.

Model Veronika Collins in NYFW SS22 Khiry runway show.

Jameel Mohammed is the founder and creative director behind Khiry and is pushing forth a narrative of the afro-fashion diaspora. A leader in the movement to reclaim Black bodies in the public eye, especially in fashion, Mohammed put forth a New York Fashion Week Spring Summer 2022 show that reflected grace and enlightenment through Khirys third collection.

The collection entitled Fights, Flights, and Fantasies (go but so far), is an exploration of escapism, a liberation of Black people throughout popular culture as well as politics. The fight is something Mohammed deals with as a multidisciplinary artist, jewelry maker and a newly-minted fashion designer, with the debut of one-of-one garments and other fine wearable objects by Khiry.

Model in NYFW SS22 Khiry runway show.

Beyond the fine and demi-fine jewelry pieces weve seen from the Khiry brand, wearables fill in a void that Mohammed was in search of filling. Undertaking a year-long process in his escapist state birthed unique garments that spoke to the historical existence of the Black legacy. Mohammed adorned his models in garments like the Macrame Flogger top, Highflier dress, Highflier tank top, and America in Tatters skirt, all created in Khirys Brooklyn studio using techniques from Mohammeds jewelry craftsmanship.

Hand-sewn fringe, cannabis bags and tassels accentuated the models who would move gracefully - dancing - in sync on the runway dressing in fine jewelry pieces from Khiry placed on installations throughout. An installation titled Dont Mean It, Dont Cost was an inspired piece from old drawings that highlighted the tender moments of the connectedness of people and dealing with trauma. The Iklwa shaped top was also reflective of a jewelry piece inspired by the legend of Shaka Zulu, founder of the Zulu Empire in Southern Africa who defended against European colonialism.

Model in NYFW SS22 Khiry runway show.

The show entitled Point of Departure was not only a runway show, gallery, installation, celebration of Black joy and trauma, but it was also a concert performance which Jameel Mohammed would lead with the film A Reminder followed by a song. At the One Fulton Street location in New York City, Mohammed delivered a surprise performance with a song titled Goodbye, which was written and performed with the R&B and soul band, founded by Devin Hobdy and Corey Smith-West, called BatheBoys. "Goodbye" is a story of a protagonist escaping their mental state and reflecting on avoidance, emotional acknowledgment, and growth.

More meaning than one could decipher, Khirys sculptural fine jewelry and afro-futurist aesthetic reflect generational trauma. A trauma that brings strength, especially when pieces are worn by some of the most graceful and empowering women, like Michelle Obama, Megan Thee Stallion, and Amanda Gorman, to name a few. Illustrating a historical continuum of experienced trauma, Khiry delves into ideas of reclamation that allow for ownership and the liberation of Black people through the triumph over oppressive politics.

Jameel Mohammed at the 2021 MET Gala, wearing a Khiry top from the NYFW SS22 runway show.

Only three days after showing at NYFW, and two days after his debut attendance at the prestigious MET GALA, on September 15th, Jameel Mohammed would be announced as a nominee for the 2021 CFDA American Emerging Designer of The Year Award. The 26-year old is already a 2021 Finalist for the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund, solidifying his voice, mission, and Blackness, in the fashion industry and pop culture.

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Jay Townley: There is no return to normal – Bicycle Retailer

Posted: at 9:13 pm

By Jay Townley

Editor's note: Townley is theResident Futurist atHuman Powered Solutions, an industryconsultancy.

On Aug. 9, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change presented a scientific consensus representing the most complete synthesis of climate science available. The scientific consensus was: It's too late to reverse the damage done to the Earth's climate. But it's not too late to change course right away to prevent things from getting far worse.

The IPCC report doesn't present one future. Its most important finding is that there are several futures possible for the world, including the American bicycle business and the bike shop channel of trade!

What we can expect from most governments, certainly many politicians and some industry trade associations and business executives, is the redoubling of their usage of what we have recently heard and seen as the time-honored rhetoric of distraction called "getting back to normal."

Instead of telling people that we need to truly transform and change the way we live, and our businesses, and organize our societies, we will be told that we can go back to the way it was, except perhaps with fossil fuels and disposable goods replaced with green energy, bicycles, and recyclables. Maybe less driving our automobiles and air travel, but all-in-all, we can get "back to normal" with some green changes here and there.

This way of thinking is perhaps as dangerous as the climate crisis itself. While warning about inflation as a threat to our economic future is the rhetoric of reaction, getting back to normal is the rhetoric of distraction. It builds directly upon how our psychology has evolved over decades.

When you hear a politician, trade association leader or business executive talk about "getting back to normal," remember that while this is comforting to hear, they are peddling a dangerous idea most of the American public is hardwired to accept.

And if we keep accepting it as a plausible goal relative to climate crisis, we will end up further away than ever from where we really need to be. As well as accepting the facts, it's time to give up on getting back to normal and face the fact that there is no normal to return to ... there is only the future, and what we choose to make of it.

Shawn Hubler wrote in The New York Timeson Aug. 6, "This is the summer that feels like the end of summer as we have known it."

Ever since reading this I have thought about what it means. When I was growing up, and for many years after, I think of summer as a time for family and individual enjoyment and fun. Like most of you, I looked forward to being able to enjoy bike riding, swimming, and working outside.

This summer 20 months after COVID-19 was identified and 18 months after a pandemic was declared that totally disrupted the U.S. economy and the American bicycle business was different from any summer I have ever experienced.

On Aug. 14, Greenland had rain at the highest point of its ice sheet for the first time in recorded history. There were bare rocks where snow once capped the Sierra Nevada. Wildfires burned across the West, creating their own weather and sending smoke and large-particle pollution up to the jet stream, delaying planes in Denver and turning the sun red in New York City. Heatwaves killed people in the West and contaminated shellfish along the Pacific coast while floods in the South carried homes and people away and heavy rains swept cars from the roads in Arizona.

The hurricane season extends from June 1 through Nov. 30. For 2021, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is predicting a likely range of 13 to 20 named storms (winds of 39 mph or higher), of which six to 10 could become hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or higher), including three to five major hurricanes (Category 3, 4 or 5; with winds of 111 mph or higher).

Where I live in Wisconsin, the lakes and flowages I enjoyed with my grandchildren in the summer are polluted and many have algae-blooms that are deadly to wildlife and will make people sick. Friends tell me they could not fly fish this summer because their favorite streams are too overrun with pollution in various forms, and we have already experienced our first derecho (a straight-line wind and storm event).

Like many people, I especially looked forward to the summer of 2021. It felt like the country was opening up from the pandemic, and after being fully vaccinated in April, I watched with anticipation as at least 10 live bicycle and micromobility events were announced through the rest of the year.

By the time I attended the Big Gear Show in Park City in early August, the Delta variant was stalking the land; two of the smaller bicycle business events were canceled by the last week of August.

Americans, including those of us in the bicycle, e-bike and micromobility businesses, were about to enjoy the season we thought we understood. We were looking forward to it because we remembered what it was ... a warm, sunny, pleasant time where we could sit back and relax and enjoy ourselves as we prepared for the event and show season.

But it wasn't to be. As Shawn Hubler said, "This is the summer we saw climate change merge from the abstract to the now, the summer we realized that every summer from now on will be more like this than any quaint memory of past summers."

Many avid cyclists around the country could not and still cannot ride during bad air alerts or when the temperatures and humidity are too high. Some have turned to indoor cycling and where the temperatures permit, some are changing to riding earlier or later to avoid the heat. This is the summer the world, the country, and our state and local community shifted and changed.

We were already off balance and out of sync because of COVID-19 and the pandemic, and now, this summer the climate crisis became our new inescapable and omnipresent reality, and the end of summer as we have known it.

The folks in the bicycle, e-bike and micromobility businesses that want things to go back to the way they were they want to have their cake and eat it too!

They want to keep the monetary windfall from the pandemic-induced surge in sales and return to the predictable certainty of the pre-pandemic way the mainstream business was conducted with the same supply chains, distribution, channels of trade and pecking order with only enough green changes around the edges and integrity and ESG Integration and accountability to accommodate the most obvious shifts in consumer buying habits.

However, American consumers have been changed by the pandemic that induced them as whole demographic clusters to shift their expectations more rapidly and completely than any other time in history.

Now, many of them, our end users, are applying their new mindsets to where, what, and how they buy and no amount of wishful thinking about the way it was is going to compel them to go back when they have already been exposed to the future ... and found it both satisfying and in line with their expectations for how they want to live their lives. And they are about to be influenced and compelled again by the IPCC report as relates to the climate crisis.

For decades, the bicycle business has spent time and money in great measure on building and enhancing the perception of bicycles and bicycling as viable solutions. The Black Swan economic event and the public health crisis of COVID-19 have accomplished in the last 20 months what the bicycle business has labored at for 46 years, since the end of the last bike boom. What we refer to as the Bicycling Relevance Index has popped up like a balloon, and bicycles and e-bikes are now widely accepted as positive and beneficial means of human transportation and mobility.

Despite the differences between the political parties, an astonishing thing has happened in the House and Senate. Bipartisan legislation in the form of two separate transportation bills has worked their way through both chambers and have a good chance of coming out of conference in a form that will retain bipartisan support, guaranteeing a favorable vote.

This legislation is separate from the much-talked-about infrastructure legislation and contains billions of dollars for state and local governments for transportation alternatives, including electric cars, e-bikes, bicycles, and walking. It is the most human-powered-transportation friendly federal legislation and funding I have seen in my lifetime. There are many reasons for this, but it is another example of the favorable Bicycling Relevance Index and prompts the question: Why would we want to go back to the way it was?

On one side we have politicians, trade association leaders and business executives (some, but not all) who advise us to just hunker down and wait for things to return to normal. And on the other side we have consumers, our end-users, who have been changed by the pandemic and have already moved ahead by shifting their expectations and buying habits to a new rolling future that is continually educating them in innovative types and levels of customer satisfaction.

As well as accepting the facts, it's time to give up on getting back to normal and face the reality that there is no normal to return to there is only the future!

As the IPCC report makes clear, there are now only unknown and unfamiliar alternative futures that we can choose from. Embracing that uncertainty, rather than denying it, is the first step to choosing the right one. And the one thing I am confident of: There will be bicycles, e-bikes and bike shops whatever the future holds.

Jay Townley is a co-founder of and Resident Futurist for Human Powered Solutions, a unique consultancy consisting of some of the most experienced and knowledgeable people in the Micromobility space http://www.humanpoweredsolutions.com

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Elon Musk: Tesla Self-Driving Will Be Able to Dodge UFOs That Crash Into Roadway – Futurism

Posted: September 16, 2021 at 6:07 am

"Im not saying there are UFOs but there are UFOs."Swerve!

Tesla recently released the 10th version of its Full Self-Driving (FSD) software feature, an optional $10,000 add-on that allows its vehicles to take care of a good deal of driving but not all of it, as the name deceptively suggests.

And the feature may have yet another quirky ability hidden up its sleeve, as Tesla CEO Elon Musk suggested on Twitter this week.

FSD 10 predicts height from video pixels directly, without needing to classify groups of pixels into objects, Musk explained in the tweet. In principle, even if a UFO crashed on the road right in front of you, it would still avoid the debris.

Musk also couldnt help himself, donning a tinfoil hat for some tongue-in-cheek humor.

Im not saying there are UFOs but there are UFOs, he wrote in a followup tweet, drawing a hailstorm of sarcastic comments, and theories from the Twittersphere.

Tesla may have made some big advances in its self-driving tech, but the software hasnt always been able to spot the occasional and obvious roadway obstruction. Last month, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened a formal investigation into the carmaker over its self-driving feature causing collisions with with emergency response vehicles.

Whether the new FSD beta will solve those issues remains to be seen. The beta is still limited to a restricted number of early testers.

In a tweet last month, Musk claimed that Tesla is aiming for 1000percent safer than the average human driver. But the proof is in the pudding the same goes for the existence of alien UFOs.

More on Musk: Elon Musk Furious at Law That Would Reward Unionized EV Companies

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Scientists Reveal Plan to Cool the World Through Geoengineering – Futurism

Posted: at 6:07 am

It involves creating whiter, more reflective clouds. Marine Cloud Brightening

From carbon capture machinesto covering glaciers with giant blankets, theres no shortage of ideas on how to combat the effects of anthropogenic climate change. Now, a team of atmospheric scientists want to create whiter clouds that reflect more sunlight to cool down the Earth.

The project, first spotted byInteresting Engineering, focuses on a theoretical method of geoengineering known as marine cloud brightening. The way it works is fairly straightforward: brighter, white clouds reflect more sunlight away from the planet and back into space so if we can make more, in theory, we can cool down Earth.

With that goal in mind, researchers at the University of Washington, the Palo Alto Research Center, and the Pacific Northwest National Library have teamed up to create an initiative theyre calling the Marine Cloud Brightening (MCB) Project. Its an open, international collaboration of atmospheric scientists researching the potential of using marine cloud brightening to help cool down the Earth, according toa University of Washington blog post about the project.

The MCB Project has a three-phase research process focused on developing spray technology to send microscopic particles of seawater into the skies to help brighten low-lying clouds. Each phase will undergo review by independent authorities, according to a fact sheet about the project, to ensure that the tech doesnt inadvertently harm the atmosphere.

If it works, the team believes that cloud brightening could cool the atmosphere enough a substantial increase in atmospheric carbon, potentially buying time to save the planet from climate change.

In all, its an ambitious plan. However, its important to keep in mind that this is a Band-Aid solution at best, and that geoengineering of any type faces a serious uphill battle in the public and scientific communities.

The real solution is probably more along the line of drastically reducing carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels and dont hold your breath.

READ MORE: Ship Tracks Over the Ocean Inspire Researchers For a Way to Cool the Earth [Interesting Engineering]

More on geoengineering: UAE Says Rainstorms Were Caused by Its Cloud Seeding Drones

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Scientists Create 3,000 TB Simulation of the Universe You Can Download – Futurism

Posted: at 6:07 am

Here's how you can download it and start exploring the universe at home.No Mans Sky

Researchers have created what they say is the largest computer simulation of the universe, and have made the data available for anyone to download for free.

An international team associated with the Center for Computational Astrophysics created the virtual universe using ATERUI II, the worlds most powerful astronomical supercomputer, according to a press release by the organization. Dubbed Uchuu (the Japanese word for outer space), the simulation contains a staggering 2.1 trillion particles spanning 9.6 billion virtual light-years. Thats big. Real big.

Scientists believe that Uchuu is the most realistic simulation of the universe yet, modeling its evolution across more than 13 billion years. Specifically, according to Universe Today astrophysicist Brian Koberleins analysis, the model is specifically tuned to examine how dark matter behaves as the universe expands.

Uchuu is like a time machine: we can go forward, backward and stop in time, we can zoom in on a single galaxy or zoom out to visualize a whole cluster, we can see what is really happening at every instant and in every place of the universe from its earliest days to the present, being an essential tool to study the cosmos, said Julia F. Ereza, a PhD student at the Instituto de Astrofsica de Andaluca in Spain who worked on the research, in the press release.

To create Uchuu, the team used 40,200 computer cores. It took more 20 million computer hours to create the simulation, resulting in a boggling 3,000 terabytes of data. However, they were able to compress it all into a measly 100 TB.

For reference, the largest consumer hard drive you can currently buy is currently hovering around 20 terabytes. If you have the storage space, though, you can access and download the raw data from Uchuu on skiesanduniverses.org and its GitHub page. And if you want to dive even deeper, the team published a paper of their findings the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

READ MORE: Researchers Generated an Entire Virtual Universe, And You Can Even Download It [ScienceAlert]

More on simulations:SpaceX Tourists Mission Simulation Included Life-Threatening Situation

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Startup Says Anyone New Jetpack Is So Simple That Anyone Can Fly It – Futurism

Posted: at 6:07 am

Its designed for workers to fly around construction sites.Just Add Jets

Engineers in England say theyve developed a jetpack so simplethat anyone can safely fly it with minimal training.

Maverick Aviation says the jetpack can travel up to 30mph, according to a statement obtained by Construction Global. Its designed come with an easy learning curve, and even has an auto-pilot system installed.

What is unique about what were doing is the computer-controlled autopilot system that makes flying effortless and easy to control with precision, co-founder Antony Quinnsaid in the statement. Thats how we have changed jetpacks from exciting to useful.

Whether any of thatll hold up in the real world is far from clear. The company said that it doesnt plan to test fly its jetpack with a human next summer.

Quinn says the jetpack was designed specifically with construction and engineering workers in mind. Its ease-of-use will mean a lower cost of training,he said, so youre going to have all sorts of professionals suddenly able to work in the most inaccessible environments quickly and safely.

I realized that the growing onshore and offshore wind industry really needed a solution like this, he said. Their engineers climb up ladders inside these structures for hours each day and, in an emergency situation, its almost impossible to get down quickly. Drones can be useful for inspections, but in many circumstances, you need to get an engineer up there.

Of course, jetpacks in construction and engineering sites raise a whole host of questions about safety and liability. Jetpacks are notoriously unsafe, which has sandbagged any shot at mainstream adoption for decades.

For one, just because its easy-to-use doesnt necessarily mean its safe. You would also hope that workers undergo rigorous training in order to use them. Thats also especially important when you consider the fact that people have died flying jet packs before (granted, those jet packs were designed for stunt flying).

And, again, the company may be circulating a pompous press release, but the fact is that it hasnt even tested this thing in the real world yet.

READ MORE: Maverick Aviation unveils jetpack for use in construction [Construction Global]

More on jetpacks: A Startup Is Selling Jetpacks to an Undisclosed Military Customer

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Something Big Appears to Have Just Smashed Into Jupiter – Futurism

Posted: at 6:07 am

"It could only be an impact."Bright Flash

Astronomers watching Jupiter got a surprise on Monday when a large unknown object appeared to smash into the gas giant.

At the time, many amateur astronomers were watching an ongoing transit of the shadow of Io, one of Jupiters moons, according to SpaceWeather.com. Suddenly a bright flash of light appeared, German astrophotographer Harald Paleske told the site.

It could only be an impact, he said.

Other astronomers across the world witnessed and captured images of the event as well, which was corroborated by professional astronomers as well.

Paleske told SpaceWeather.com that the fireball was located at 106.9 degrees latitude, and +3.8 degrees longitude. His images indicate that the flash was visible for about two seconds.

The exact origin of the flash and the nature of the object that caused it is still somewhat of a mystery. However, it can be safely assumed that the fireball originated from an asteroid.

Astronomers are now on the lookout for a dark markor other signs of disruption on the gas giants surface telltale signs that an asteroid did indeed collide with Jupiter.

Astronomers are no strangers to witnessing objects colliding with Jupiter in real time.In fact, NASA data analyzed in 2019 suggests that earlier in the solar systems history, Jupiter may have absorbed an entire planet.

One notable example occurred when Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 smashed into Jupiter in July 1994, according to NASA. When that happened, it left a massive trail of debris and dark marks and bolstered a theory that life has been able to thrive on Earth because Jupiter sucks up so many harmful asteroids that would otherwise decimate its surface.

READ MORE: Impact On Jupiter Surprises Skywatchers [EarthSky]

More on Jupiter: Watch the Rare Triple Transit From Jupiters Moons

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Why Smartphones May Be Too Good – The New York Times

Posted: at 6:07 am

This article is part of the On Tech newsletter. Here is a collection of past columns.

Im going to pose an intentionally provocative question: What if smartphones are so successful and useful that they are holding back innovation?

Technologists are now imagining what could be the next big thing. But there may never be anything else like the smartphone, the first and perhaps last mass market and globally transformative computer.

I may wind up looking like a 19th-century futurist who couldnt imagine that horses would be replaced by cars. But let me make the case that the phenomenon of the smartphone may never be replicated.

First, when people in technology imagine the future, theyre implicitly betting that smartphones will be displaced as the center of our digital lives by things that are less obvious not slabs that pull us away from our world but technologies that are almost indistinguishable from the air that we breathe.

Virtual reality goggles are bulky annoyances now, but the bet is that tech like V.R. or computers that can learn like people will eventually blur the line between online and real life, and between human and computer, to the point of erasure. Thats the vision behind the metaverse, a broad vision that virtual human interactions will be as complex as the real thing.

Perhaps youre thinking that more immersive and human-ish technologies sound intriguing, or maybe they seem like the woo-woo dreams of kooks. (Or maybe a little of both.) Either way, technologists must prove to us that the future they imagine is more compelling and useful than the digital life that we already have thanks to the magical supercomputers in our pockets.

The challenge for any new technology is that smartphones succeeded to the point where its hard to imagine alternatives. In a sales boom that lasted about a decade, the devices transformed from a novelty for rich nerds to the only computer that billions of people around the world have ever owned. Smartphones have succeeded to the point where we dont need to pay them much notice. (Yes, that includes the incrementally updated iPhone models that Apple talked about on Tuesday.)

The allure of these devices in our lives and in technologists imaginations is so powerful that any new technology now has to exist almost in opposition to the smartphone.

When my colleague Mike Isaac tried Facebooks new model of glasses that can snap photos with a tap on the temple, a company executive said to him: Isnt that better than having to take out your phone and hold it in front of your face every time you want to capture a moment?

I get the executives point. Its true that devices like the Apple Watch, Facebooks glasses and Snaps Spectacles are clever about making features of smartphones less obtrusive. Companies including Facebook, Snap and Apple are also working on eyewear that like the failed Google Glass aims to combine digital information like maps with what we see around us.

The comment also shows that any new consumer technology will have to answer the inevitable questions: Why should I buy another gadget to take photos, flip through cycling directions or play music when I can do most of that with the smartphone thats already in my pocket? Do I need to live in the metaverse when I have a similar experience in the rectangular screen of my phone?

Smartphones are unlikely to be the apotheosis of technology, and I am curious to see the development of technologies that want to move away from them. But at least for now, and maybe forever, most technologies for our daily lives are supplements to our phones rather than replacements. These tiny computers may be so darn handy that there will never be a post-smartphone revolution.

Should you buy a new phone now? In a recent column, my colleague Brian X. Chen walked through the questions to ask if youre thinking about swapping your smartphone for a fresh model: Can you repair what makes your phone annoying rather than replace it? Can you still get software updates with the existing model? How would a new phone change your life?

We wanted flying cars and we got an $850 robot vacuum that steers around dog doo: To build the latest Roomba, the company built over 100 physical models of pet droppings, and trained algorithms on over a hundred thousand images to get the device to avoid crap, The Washington Post writes. Also, the robots collect a lot of data from inside your home. (The Roomba is still confused by black striped carpet, though.)

Its a startlingly dark show, and thats on purpose. This is a thought-provoking essay about a new streaming video series focused on a TikTok-famous family that humanizes the people who are thrust into social media celebrity.

Check out these video clips from a nest of barred owls in Indiana. Baby owls learning to fly really are the cutest things.

We want to hear from you. Tell us what you think of this newsletter and what else youd like us to explore. You can reach us at ontech@nytimes.com.

If you dont already get this newsletter in your inbox, please sign up here. You can also read past On Tech columns.

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Hoax Press Release Claims Walmart Will Accept Litecoin, Causing Spike and Then Crash – Futurism

Posted: at 6:07 am

Reports of a partnership are greatly exaggerated. Fake Press Release

Prices for cryptocurrency Litecoin briefly spiked before crashing back down after a fake press release circulated claiming that said the giant retailer Walmart would be accepting the altcoin.

The press release boasted that Walmart would begin accepting Litecoin as a form of payment from customers, according to CNBC. But Walmart later confirmed that the apparent announcement was fake, adding that the company has contacted the press release distribution service GlobeNewswire to find out how it got posted in the first place.

While the original press release has since been taken down, an archived version of it can be found online. It claimed that Walmart would offer their shoppers [sic] to use Litecoin to benefit from the features of cryptocurrency.

The fake release also included alleged quotes from Walmart CEO Doug McMillon and Litecoin creator Charlie Lee.

As the news of the partnership hit, the price of Litecoin swiftly climbed roughly 20 percent. However, once it was revealed that the press release was fake, prices plummeted back down to Earth. The crypto is currently back around where it started, according to CNBC.

The episode could theoretically have been a mistake a la The New York Times Fields of Watermelons Found On Mars story, but the fake press release seemed too polished for that.

It seems more likely that a bad actor could have distributed the fake press release to momentarily pump prices of Litecoin and then sell them off before the truth came to light. After all, it wouldnt be the first time someone tried to manipulate crypto prices.

READ MORE: Walmart says crypto payments announcement is fake. Litecoin tumbles after spike [CNBC]

More on crypto: Elon Musk Adopts Shiba Inu, Causing Cryptocurrency Mayhem

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Faraday Future (FF) to Partner With Local Group of Automotive Enthusiasts the Purist Group to Support a Joint Toy Drive in Conjunction With the Annual…

Posted: at 6:07 am

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Faraday Future Intelligent Electric Inc. (FF) (NASDAQ: FFIE), a California-based global shared intelligent mobility ecosystem company, today announced that it is partnering with the non-profit organization the Purist Group to support a joint FF Toy Drive which benefits underprivileged and less fortunate children and families in Southern California communities. The Toy Drive will be held in conjunction with the annual FF 919 Futurist Day co-creation festival which will be held at the FF HQ in Los Angeles, Calif. on September 19th.

With the support of key partners like Faraday Future, the Purist Group hopes to deliver as many toys as we can, with the ultimate goal to spread joy and give these kids an early Christmas, said Sean Lee, founder of the Purist Group. We are a collection of enthusiasts brought together by a shared interest in the Southern California car culture and dedicated to building up our community through charity events and volunteer-based service.

FF is partnering with the non-profit organization The Purist Group to support a joint FF Toy Drive which benefits underprivileged and less fortunate children and families in Southern California communities. 919 participants are encouraged to bring an unwrapped toy to the 919-event valued at $25 or more. All items will be donated to local charities through the Purist Group. As a global company born and rooted in Southern California, FF and the Purist Group are united in supporting the local communities and families.

Participants at the 919 event consist of FF employees and their friends and family members, charity project participants, investors, media, paid reservation holders, and potential users who actively participate in FF co-creation projects. FF offers an unparalleled experience through an interactive exchange between users and the FF products. The 919 event brings that idea to life, with activities from Cars & Coffee to letting kids co-create with FFs top designers and engineers. The FF executive team will update 919 visitors on the latest developments at FF, especially highlighting positive progress on the FF 91 production and delivery targets.

More information about The Purist Group and how to participate in the toy drive can be found at the charitys website, http://www.puristgroup.com and Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/puristgroup (@puristgroup).

A link to the 919 Futurist Day event including how to RSVP can be found here: https://www.ff.com/us/events/919futuristday/.

Users can reserve an FF 91 Futurist model now via the FF intelligent APP or FF.com at: https://www.ff.com/us/reserve.

Download the new FF intelligent APP at: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id1454187098 or https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.faradayfuture.online.

ABOUT FARADAY FUTURE

Established in May 2014, FF is a global shared intelligent mobility ecosystem company, headquartered in Los Angeles, California. Since its inception, FF has implemented numerous innovations relating to its products, technology, business model, profit model, user ecosystem, and governance structure. On July 22, 2021, FF was listed on NASDAQ with the new company name Faraday Future Intelligent Electric Inc., and the ticker symbols FFIE for its Class A common stock and FFIEW for its warrants. FF aims to perpetually improve the way people move by creating a forward-thinking mobility ecosystem that integrates clean energy, AI, the Internet and new usership models. With the ultimate intelligent techluxury brand positioning, FFs first flagship product FF 91 Futurist is equipped with unbeatable product power. It is not just a high-performance EV, an all-ability car, and an ultimate robotic vehicle, but also the third internet living space.

FOLLOW FARADAY FUTURE:

https://www.ff.com/ http://appdownload.ff.com https://twitter.com/FaradayFuture https://www.facebook.com/faradayfuture/ https://www.instagram.com/faradayfuture/ http://www.linkedin.com/company/faradayfuture

NO OFFER OR SOLICITATION

This communication shall neither constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which the offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

This press release includes forward looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When used in this press release, the words estimates, projected, expects, anticipates, forecasts, plans, intends, believes, seeks, may, will, should, future, propose and variations of these words or similar expressions (or the negative versions of such words or expressions) are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, conditions or results, and involve a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other important factors, many of which are outside FFs control, that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Important factors, among others, that may affect actual results or outcomes include: FFs ability to execute on its plans to develop and market its vehicles and the timing of these development programs; FFs estimates of the size of the markets for its vehicles; the rate and degree of market acceptance of FFs vehicles; the success of other competing manufacturers; the performance and security of FFs vehicles; potential litigation involving FF; the result of future financing efforts and general economic and market conditions impacting demand for FFs products. The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties described in the Risk Factors section of the preliminary registration statement on Form S-1 filed by Faraday Future Intelligent Electric Inc. with the SEC. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and FF does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

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Faraday Future (FF) to Partner With Local Group of Automotive Enthusiasts the Purist Group to Support a Joint Toy Drive in Conjunction With the Annual...

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