AT&T argued that acquiring Time Warner will help it compete with streaming video companies like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon, all of which have invested in original programming that they don’t have to license to competitors. The decision will likely be seen as good news for other pending and potential mergers
Tag: 06.12.18
An AI Made A Movie. And The Results Are… Impressive
The director of the film, who goes by “Benjamin,” was not available for comment. Benjamin is an AI—one that created Zone Out in a matter of 48 hours, piecing it together out of thousands of hours of old films and green-screen footage of professional actors. The resulting movie, created for a two-day AI filmmaking challenge, is not going to win awards. But it’s still impressive.
The Mad James Joyce Scholar Who Corrected ‘Ulysses’, Fed Pigeons In Boston, And Absconded To Rio
Jack Hitt explains the years-long scholarly feuds over the errors, large and small, in various editions of Ulysses (and why they matter); tells the story of James Kidd, the professor who prepared, but never published, the most accurate edition of Joyce’s novel yet; and finds and visits Kidd in Brazil, some 16 years after he disappeared from Boston, seemingly without a trace.
Nick Medlin, Longtime Editor (And Conscience) Of MAD Magazine, Dead At 82
“As MAD‘s editor from 1985 to 2004 — a position he shared with John Ficarra — Mr. Meglin became a major figure in the magazine’s long history … [He] was the chief barometer of whether the publication’s silly and satirical humor had gone too far — or not far enough.”
Public Men’s Room To Be Converted Into 25-Seat Theatre
“Planning permission has been granted for a block of men’s public toilets in Newport to be turned into a performance space. The Victorian building in Newport city centre is to become a 25-seat micro-venue used for monologues, site-specific works, magicians and other professional and amateur performances.”
Organizer Of Fyre Festival Fiasco Arrested For Selling Fraudulent Tickets While Out On Bail
“[Billy] McFarland, who pleaded guilty to wire fraud charges in March, was charged with an additional count of wire fraud and money laundering late Tuesday afternoon. Prosecutors say the scheme to sell tickets to exclusive events … was a fraud from the start, and one which specifically targeted people who had fallen for the Fyre Festival.”
Qing Dynasty Vase Found In Attic Sells For $19 Million
“An 18th-century Chinese vase forgotten for decades in a shoe box in a French attic sold for 16.2 million euros ($19 million) at Sotheby’s in Paris on Tuesday – more than 30 times the estimate. Experts at the auction house said the exquisite porcelain vessel was made for the Qing dynasty Emperor Qianlong and had set a guide price of a much more modest 500,000 euros.”
Ousted Director Of Amsterdam’s Stedelijk Museum Cleared Of All Conflict-Of-Interest Charges
“In a surprise turn of events, a team of legal researchers has issued a 120-page report that could exonerate embattled former Stedelijk director Beatrix Ruf, who resigned from the museum amid allegations that her private art consultancy posed conflicts of interest with the museum. … Although the report says that Ruf should have been more transparent about the remuneration she was receiving from outside professional activities, this did not pose a conflict of interest to the publicly funded museum.”
Paris Wants UNESCO Cultural Heritage Status For Its Bistros
“Less formal than restaurants but with more full meals than a café, these bistros are indeed a classic component of the archetypal Parisian scene. … Now, bistro defenders say, this institution is under threat, pressed under the boot of high rents and changing social habits. It’s easy to understand the concern, but will acknowledging bistros’ special place in Parisian culture actually do much to save them when the culture itself is changing?” Feargus O’Sullivan explains the changes and how they’re affecting the bistros of Paris.
Canada’s Music Industry Wants $160 Million Worth Of Tariffs Charged On Every Smartphone In The Country
“One hundred and sixty million dollars over four years — it would be a shot in the arm for the Canadian music industry, to be sure. According to information obtained under the Access to Information Act, that’s what the industry is asking the federal government to pony up to compensate artists for what is known as private copying.”