Back in April I heard about the upcoming "AI Pin" - a new device that integrates into your life similar to how Google Glass or Apple Watch do but in an entirely new form factor. I said back then that it looks like a Star Trek communicator badge and I stand by that.
Now, the device has been announced. It's been developed by a company called hu.ma.ne, which includes a bunch of ex-Apple folks. It costs $699 and has a $24/mo subscription fee. Not cheap but I could also see it being a lot more expensive.
The announcement and demo video has a bizarre tone. It's very calm, almost comatose, but that lack of flashiness shows the device working in real time. This isn't a proposal, this is the device actually listening to the wearer, fetching information and returning answers in real time. It does feel a bit stilted but I think there's an upside to that vibe.
I love the form factor. It's not a watch, it's not a pair of glasses, it's just a badge you wear. Refreshingly new. Okay, it's a brooch but it's still a nice new approach. I also love the Light Interactions that project on to your hand. Will that be visible in daylight? I've no idea but it's innovative in a way that I must respect.
The unfortunate part of this thing is calling it the "AI Pin." The name feels like it's leaning into buzzwords. Why not call it The Badge? Or PinPal? I'm spitballing here but so much "artificial intelligence" is just a piece of software searching your email - it's not really what people think of as "AI."
I digress. Wearable and pervasive tech is an inevitability and they seem to be doing a good job of tackling the privacy issues that come with it. Overall, I find the device quite intriguing and applaud them for the innovations they're bringing. Can't wait to encounter one in person and keep up with various developments.
If you have not watched the OpenAI DevDay Keynote, I suggest you carve out 45 minutes soon and do so. The whole AI landscape is moving incredibly quickly and it's pretty fascinating to watch. Unlike the blockchain exploits of recent years, the AI explosion feels much more relevant and far less like snake oil. There are flaws and concerns but, on the whole, it feels more positive.
Regardless of your viewership of that particular video, you should read this Ben Thompson piece entitled The OpenAI Keynote which serves as a summary of the event, some of the important announcements and, more importantly, an inspection on the return of the keynote generally speaking. It also speaks a good deal about consumer behavior and makes some light predictions on where OpenAI is headed. It's smart, informative and measured - excellent traits all around.
This piece over on Dazed Digital about some recently unearthed Polaroids from Hackers is from 2020 but it's new to me! It's focused on the fashion of the film; specifically how Roger K Burton put together the costumes. I was quite pleased to learn that Wigstock was an influence on Burton's choices, as well as the more obvious influences of Club Kids and classic British punks. Great read.
A professor at the University of Chicago created a new tool called "Nightshade" which functions as a poison pill for generative AI when scraping your images for training data. The idea is that by injecting a special set of pixels and invisible data into an image you could cause an AI to misinterpret your image, thus saving it from being used correctly for training.
I've looked over research preview and agree with the idea of the tool - it'd be nice for artists to be able to opt-in or out of training data - but I'm not convinced this would actually work.
My skepticism aside, it's a topic worth pondering in more depth. Obviously AI is skirting a lot of copyright issues and potentially hurting a lot of artists in a myriad of ways. That's not to say it's a black and white issue - AI is beneficial as well - but this is an area that is a brave new world. How can we train these machines to be useful but also provide credit to those created the foundation? I fear the answer may be "legislation" (of which I am even more skeptical) but we'll just have to wait and see.
Given that this was posted to YouTube some twelve years ago and the show is from thirty-three years ago, this is probably a bit of old news but, hey, it's new to me! I was just randomly served this Nine Inch Nails show from 1990, recorded in full glorious VHS quality. If you've ever seen the official video for "Head Like a Hole," the vibe of this show will feel familiar - lots of tape and detritus everywhere, plenty of flopping about and more dreadlocks than you can count. I say all of that affectionately.
2023 has been a slow year for my long running Nashville music podcast, We Own This Town: Music. Lots of work obligations and not enough spare time to actually compile, record, edit and release new episodes. It happens but I was hellbent on getting out the annual Halloween episode.. and I'm happy to report, I did!
Dark Delights is a two hour mix of Halloween songs all from Nashville artists. The first hour is a bit more upbeat and "jovial," while the second hour dives deep into darker and more atmospheric soundscapes. I'm quite happy with how it turned out.
Even if you have no interest in listening to a Halloween mix, please listen to the first 2 minutes of the episode as I introduce it as "Michael Bleeds." It's an intro that I look forward to writing and performing every year because it's absolutely idiotic but oh so fun. I think you'll enjoy.
A friend recently steered me towards The Head Hurts but the Heart Knows the Truth; the debut album by a band called Headache. It's full of trip hop vibes and extremely reminiscent of that one Primitive Radio Gods song from 1996; minus the BB King sample and actual singing. It's mostly a laid back record filled with compelling lyrics delivered in a very British manner.
The Bandcamp page cites the credits for the record as:
Produced & mixed by Vegyn, all lyrics written by Francis Hornsby Clark.
The record label version of the same page contains a bit more interesting insight (emphasis mine):
Produced & mixed by Vegyn, all lyrics written by Francis Hornsby Clark, and performed by AI. Artwork by Cali DeWitt.
Those very British vocals are, in fact, not a human at all but a facsimile of a human. It's a very clever use of text-to-speech and a pretty believable implementation. If you didn't know, you probably wouldn't notice.
From the guy that brought you Absurd Trolley Problems, comes Internet Artifacts - a virtual museum of historical Internet ephemera. If you've ever wanted a walk down memory lane starting from ARPANET and going all the way through the iPhone, this is for you. Heck, even if that's not something you think you've ever wanted, I bet it is! Give it a whirl!
To start, I have no idea who Devon Rodriguez is, nor have any context on their popularity on social media. I am sure I have seen some of their videos just by virtue of being online but my familiarity is near zero. The same goes for writer Ben Davis, who wrote a review of Rodriguez's recent art show and got massively piled on his fans.
Fortunately, its not necessary to know who either party is to enjoy this opinion piece, The World’s Most Popular Painter Sent His Followers After Me Because He Didn’t Like a Review of His Work. Here’s What I Learned. In it, Davis spells out exactly what happened but more importantly provides the context around art criticism in general and how Rodriguez's internet fame is part of his art, whether he realizes it or not. It also touches on "parasocial relationships" - in which fans of a person think they are actually friends with that entity when, in fact, they are not.
It's a bit of a lengthy writeup but well worth the read. Soak it in and then go have yourself a meaty conversation with a real life friend about how weird the Internet is. It's so weird.
If you have been tinkering around on the Internet for roughly the same period that I have been, you likely remember a time when "Webmaster" and "Web Designer" were not titles that inspired chuckles. This piece from Heather Buchel - It's 2023, here is why your web design sucks. - it's a bit of an ode to that time. Back then, you could design a site and write the code for it; both requiring their own sets of skills but both very much dependent on one another.
My experience does not match those of Buchel's exactly but I entirely agree with the sentiment of the piece. There is a lack of understanding from "front end development" about how web design should be executed. Conversely, there's an equal lack of understanding from designers about how the web gets implemented; from the DOM to proper responsiveness. I hardly think of myself as a thought leader in this space but I can't help but feel a bit of pride that I came up in a time where knowing both was healthy.
Thanks to Nashville Galaxy, I spend a bit of time learning more about the history of Nashville than I have ever done before. Recently I stumbled upon this fantastic article - Coming Home: A History of Queer Nightlife in Nashville. It's exactly as the title suggests - a primer on LGBTQ+ focused clubs, restaurants, bars and more in the Nashville area.
"Nashville" has a long history of being combative and unwelcome to the LGBTQ+ crowd. The article touches on that a little bit but largely just celebrates the existence of these places. It's a great jumping off point to learn even more and you'll get plenty of visual treats along the way like that fantastic brand mark for The World's End!
Recently I've been enjoying the short films of Allison Inman; the Education and Engagement Director at our local indie theater powerhouse - the Belcourt. This particular 10-minute piece, Hi Tech Service, is a slice of life look at an electronic repair shop in Nashville on their closing day. It's a heartwarming little look at how a small spot can be an important part of a neighborhood.
As neighborhoods get gentrified and more corporate chain businesses make their way in, we lose these kinds of businesses. It's understandable that Hi Tech Service would close after a successful operation for several decades (you work to reward yourself with non-work) but you lose the personal vibe that actually make a neighborhood. Inman has done a wonderful job of capturing that.
Randomly stumbled on Ozean, a shoegaze / dreampop band from 1991 based out of San Jose. They played exactly one show and only three songs from their demo recordings have made their way out into the world - just enough to make the vinyl pressing go for $400.
Generally, I would say such a backstory was completely absurd as it sounds exactly like something an elitist record store clerk from High Fidelity would say. But listening to the recordings... they're good. Real good. Exactly what you want from a shoegaze / dreampop band from the early 90's.There was certainly some magic happening with the foursome that made the songs.
There's a 2017 interview with members Eric Shea and Lisa Baer talking about the history of the project, the surprise success of its Internet unearthing and what they may be up to next. Baer says she is going to Nashville to record vocals for the first time since the Ozean project, 25 years later. She does not say for what project specifically. A shame really because I'd love to hear that too.
