Blogroll

The FCC has decided: Those realistic AI robocalls are illegal.

Mashable - Fri, 02/09/2024 - 20:00

Following calls to pass a law at the federal level, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has officially declared AI-created robocalls illegal.

The decision isn't a new law, but an expansion of protections already applied to consumers under The Telephone Consumer Protection Act, which also outlines legal procedures for actors charged with issuing robocalls.

SEE ALSO: AI-generated deepfake Biden robocalls came from Texas company

As the agency explains, "The Telephone Consumer Protection Act is the primary law the FCC uses to help limit junk calls. It restricts the making of telemarketing calls and the use of automatic telephone dialing systems and artificial or prerecorded voice messages. Under FCC rules, it also requires telemarketers to obtain prior express written consent from consumers before robocalling them." Robocalls created using generative AI or voice cloning deep fake technology will now be included in prohibited "junk calls."

In January, FCC chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel proposed the FCC make AI robocalls illegal under existing law, writing, "AI-generated voice cloning and images are already sowing confusion by tricking consumers into thinking scams and frauds are legitimate. No matter what celebrity or politician you favor, or what your relationship is with your kin when they call for help, it is possible we could all be a target of these faked calls. That’s why the FCC is taking steps to recognize this emerging technology as illegal under existing law, giving our partners at State Attorneys General offices across the country new tools they can use to crack down on these scams and protect consumers."

SEE ALSO: OpenAI, Google, Microsoft and others join the Biden-Harris AI safety consortium

Fears of fraudulent AI robocalls have increased in recent months, due in part to emerging AI deepfake technologies as well as a recent attempt at voter suppression using a deepfake robocall simulating President Joe Biden.

At the federal level, the Biden Administration is continuing along the information-gathering path outlined in an executive order from last year, including the recent creation of an AI Safety Institute Consortium (AISIC) led by the Department of Commerce and made up of more than 200 participants. The administration has also committed to "advancing potential new regulations and supporting new legislation — so that everyone can safely benefit from technological innovations."

Categories: IT General, Technology

Apple looks to be killing web app capabilities. A new EU law might be why.

Mashable - Fri, 02/09/2024 - 19:43

Yet another headache is in store for iPhone app developers, courtesy of Apple.

Over the past few weeks, reports have spread of the iOS 17.4 beta 2 removing progressive web apps (PWAs) and the ability for those web apps to send push notifications much like mobile apps.

Tweet may have been deleted

An example of a popular PWA is the Starbucks web app, which works like an app across all mobile platforms, can be saved to the desktop, and allows users to place orders and receive special offers as push notifications, all without requiring the user to download an app.

Up until iOS 17.4 beta 2, iPhones allowed users to save specific websites on their iPhone home screen in this way, and the sites could be opened as stand-alone apps. Apple first launched web app capabilities in the earliest days of the iPhone back in 2008. Showing its continued commitment to web apps, Apple announced in 2022 that web apps would be able to generate push notifications. That commitment now appears to be wavering.

Initially thought by some to just be a bug, the latest version, iOS 17.4 beta 2, includes new language when attempting to open a web app that makes it clear that there's something more in the works here.

Tweet may have been deleted

As 9to5Mac reports, some EU-based users are receiving a prompt when trying to open a web app under the new iOS beta that reads that web apps "will open from your default browser from now on." This obviously would defeat the whole purpose of a PWA, which the user is meant to treat like an app rather than a website. 

Furthermore, with this change, these websites lose out on web app capabilities like push notifications, a feature that was only recently launched on iOS. In addition, data stored in PWAs are being wiped as the web app no longer opens and pushes users to the web browser.

SEE ALSO: Apple approved an app masquerading as LastPass

However, some app developers are finding that the situation isn't so straightforward. Developers who spoke to AppleInsider claimed that some PWAs work, although capabilities like push notifications were no longer available.

What's Apple doing?

The majority of developers reporting these web app changes in iOS 17.4 beta 2 are based in the European Union. That's likely because Apple's decision here coincides with the EU's new Digital Markets Act (DMA).

As part of the DMA, Apple can no longer require that web browser developers use Apple's WebKit. Since these web apps are all based on these policies, requiring Safari and WebKit, these could be temporary changes in order to comply with the DMA. After all, this is a beta version of iOS.

But that may not be the case either. Apple was accused of "malicious compliance" just a few weeks ago regarding its changing of certain rules due to the DMA.

The DMA legislation is meant in part to be a consumer-protection law, encouraging competition by forcing Apple to allow developers to distribute their apps through alternative marketplaces, and circumventing Apple's stringent App Store terms and the company's revenue share model. When Apple rolled out a set of new App Store policies in the EU, they were roundly criticized in the industry by the leaders of companies like Meta, Spotify, Xbox, and Epic Games as an attempt to profit off the DMA-required changes — creating paths for developers that make alternative marketplaces cost more than if they just abided by Apple's App Store guidelines.

Apple could now face similar accusations over this web app issue — namely that it's weaponizing its former WebKit requirement as a way to make developers feel punished by the new EU laws.

Apple has yet to comment on the web app situation in iOS 17.4 beta 2, so as of now it's unclear what the future holds for PWAs and website push notifications on iPhone. We'll just have to wait and see.

Categories: IT General, Technology

#BooksforGaza: Writers are auctioning signed books to help Gaza's children

Mashable - Fri, 02/09/2024 - 19:23

Since the beginning of the war on Gaza in October, the death toll has been estimated at 27,000 lives, with 66,000 wounded. Over 11,500 children are reported to have been killed. Now, some 120 days into the war, the humanitarian crisis faced by Palestinians continues to worsen.

Amid destruction in Gaza, more than 10 children are losing one or more limbs every day, and more than 1,000 children have had to have one or both legs amputated. This reality, according to Save the Children, is all the more harrowing as medical supplies and officials are in grave shortage. The United Nations deemed the land "a graveyard" for Palestinian children.

A newly-launched online auction is focusing its efforts on providing support for children who have been critically injured by the war. #BooksforGaza, led by writers Sonia Faleiro and Fatima Bhutto and literary agent Julia Churchill, is a global coalition of writers raising funds for the Ghassan Abu Sittah Children's Fund. The fund is dedicated to providing medical support to children in Gaza, treating them in Lebanon, and alleviating the burden on Gaza's fragile medical ecosystem.

View this post on Instagram

Books for Gaza is offering limited, signed copies from authors across the world. Writers like Sally Rooney, Mohsin Hamid, Kamila Shamsie, Ali Smith, Rupi Kaur, Elif Shafak, Lauren Groff, Olivia Laing, Naomi Klein, and Tommy Orange are amongst the lengthy list of participants. A number of children's authors are also offering their works, like Nikesh Shukla, Katherine Rundell, and Jamie Smart.

SEE ALSO: Meta's censorship of Palestine content is 'systemic,' Human Rights Watch finds

Each book in the auction starts at £35, but people can donate more if they are able. All funds will go towards reconstructive surgery for children through the fund.

"The mission of the [The Ghassan Abu Sittah Children’s Fund] is to transport critically injured children and their carers from Gaza to Lebanon for surgical, medical, psychological, and social care, and to put in place a long term care plan for each child, with the goal of helping each child back into their communities where they will resume their life as normally as possible," reads the auction's mission statement.

At the time of writing, the initiative has pulled in over £38,300, meeting nearly 85 percent of its goal. The auction will run until Feb. 12.

In a post on X, Bhutto, one of the organisers of the fundraiser, wrote, "Come buy a book, and show the children of Gaza that the world has not turned a blind eye to their suffering and never will."

Categories: IT General, Technology

Windows 11 adds Copilot AI to major app

Mashable - Fri, 02/09/2024 - 19:12

After doing things like bringing Copilot to iOS and giving it the power to create music, the Microsoft is adding Copilot to another Windows 11 app, per TechRadar. Folks who test out apps via the Canary and Dev channels can now try out a new version of Notepad, injected with Copilot features.

SEE ALSO: OpenAI, Google, Microsoft and others join the Biden-Harris AI safety consortium

Specifically, users can now select text (such as code and log files), right click, and let Copilot explain the text to you. It's hard to say exactly how useful that is right now, and if/when it will make it out to the broader public.

Also in this new run of app test builds is an update to Snipping Tool, which allows users to add things like arrows to screenshots.

It's not the most explosive update in the world, and again, the regular versions of these apps haven't gotten these new features yet. That said, it goes to show how serious Microsoft is about infusing AI into everything it can.

Categories: IT General, Technology

'A Quiet Place: Day One' Super Bowl commercial has arrived

Mashable - Fri, 02/09/2024 - 19:05

With the Super Bowl comes flashy new trailers for upcoming movies you won't want to miss.

Earlier this week, the first teaser dropped for A Quiet Place: Day One. And in case you overlooked it, go back and treat yourself. This prequel to A Quiet Place throws audiences into a new setting on the day Earth became an unsafe place to make a sound.

Above, the Super Bowl commercial for A Quiet Place: Day One offers another terrifying taste of John Krasinski's wildly popular horror franchise. The ad features Black Panther: Wakanda Forever's Lupita Nyong'o and Stranger Things' Joseph Quinn in a New York City overrun with extraterrestrial monsters. But don't blink — or you'll miss A Quiet Place Part II's Djimon Hounsou popping up to suggest how this prequel's tale might tie more directly to the rural Abbott family from the first two films.

A Quiet Place: Day One opens in theaters June 28.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Lily Gladstone's 'Under the Bridge' scores a release date

Mashable - Fri, 02/09/2024 - 18:45

Hot off scoring their first Oscar nomination for Killers of the Flower Moon, Lily Gladstone is making a return to TV with Under the Bridge. The actor, who has also appeared on such lauded series as Reservation Dogs and Billions, is set to star in the Hulu series.

This harrowing story begins in the fall of 1997, when 14-year-old Canadian girl Reena Virk goes to meet her friends at a party and never returns home. The secret lives of teenagers promises to be a focus in this sure-to-stun limited series, which is based on the best-selling true crime book by the late Rebecca Godfrey.

Screenwriter Quinn Shephard penned the adaptation of Under the Bridge; her previous credits include the daring crime drama Blame, as well as the biting social satire Not Okay.

Alongside Gladstone, Under The Bridge also stars Vritika Gupta, Chloe Guidry, Javon "Wanna" Walton, Izzy G., Aiyana Goodfellow, Ezra Faroque Khan, Archie Panjabi, and Riley Keough.

ABC Signature will be releasing the limited series' eight episodes on Hulu in the U.S., and on Star+ in Latin America and Disney+ in all other territories.

In the U.S., the first two episodes of Under the Bridge will debut on Hulu on April 17, with a new episode available weekly.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Save up to 40% off Sony portable speakers in a limited-time Amazon offer

Mashable - Fri, 02/09/2024 - 18:19

Whether you're getting a party started in your backyard or making your long weekend campsite feel like home, you need a powerful portable speaker to kick the festivities into high gear. With extra-durable speakers that have long-lasting battery life, Sony's got you covered.

Today's best Sony portable speaker deals as of Feb. 9: Best party speaker deal Sony SRS-XG500 X-Series Wireless Portable Bluetooth Boombox Party-Speaker $298 (save $201.99) Get Deal Best camping speaker deal Sony SRS-XE300 X-Series Wireless Portable-Bluetooth-Speaker $136.99 (save $63) Get Deal Best everyday speaker deal Sony SRS-XE200 X-Series Wireless Ultra Portable Bluetooth Speaker $98 (save $31.99) Get Deal

As of today, Feb. 9, select Sony X-Series portable Bluetooth speakers are on sale for up to 40% off at Amazon, including the Sony Boombox Party-Speaker, which is at its second-lowest price to date. These offers are only available for a limited time, so we recommend acting on them while they're still here.

Best party speaker deal Opens in a new window Credit: Sony Our pick: Sony SRS-XG500 X-Series Wireless Portable Bluetooth Boombox Party-Speaker $298 at Amazon (save $201.99) Get Deal Why we like it

Normally listed for just shy of $500, the Sony Boombox Party-Speaker is on sale today for $298. (We've only seen it hit a price lower than this once before.) The 18.11-inch by 10.07-inch portable speaker is a force to be reckoned with, thanks to its two woofers, two tweeters, and X-balanced speakers that work together to create a powerful sound experience. We also appreciate convenient features such as a carrying handle and it's water-resistant and dustproof design. Not only is the speaker itself designed for longevity, but so too is its battery life. With 30 hours of battery, the Sony Boombox Party-Speaker can keep the party going all day, and then some!

Best camping speaker deal Opens in a new window Credit: Sony Our pick: Sony SRS-XE300 X-Series Wireless Portable-Bluetooth-Speaker $136.99 at Amazon (save $63) Get Deal Why we like it

Sometimes, adventure calls for something a bit smaller: the Sony X-Series Portable Bluetooth Speaker. Like the Boombox Party-Speaker, this compact speaker has X-balanced speakers that provide powerful sound that's clear and free of any distortion. It even has a line shape diffuser, which creates a wider range of distribution for your music. This is a perfect speaker to bring along while you're camping or enjoying a day at the beach as it's waterproof, dustproof, and shockproof. Plus, it has a 24-hour battery life that can easily be boosted back to life with quick charging technology.

Best everyday speaker deal Opens in a new window Credit: Sony Our pick: Sony SRS-XE200 X-Series Wireless Ultra Portable Bluetooth Speaker $98 at Amazon (save $31.99) Get Deal Why we like it

If you're looking for a budget-friendly portable speaker that's suitable for everyday use, the Sony X-Series Ultra Portable Bluetooth Speaker is a worthy consideration. Being the smallest speaker on this list, it's a great option for folks who are always on the go and want to take their favorite music with them. However, its small size doesn't leave you wanting when it comes to sound: it has the same X-balanced speakers that this series is known for, plus dual passive radiators that make bass even more powerful. It's also waterproof, dustproof, and shockproof. While it has the shortest battery life of the speakers on this list at 16 hours, that's still a great value for portable speakers. And since just 10 minutes of charging can bump the battery back up to 70 minutes, it doesn't worry us.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Sexy Valentine's Day gifts guaranteed to spice things up

Mashable - Fri, 02/09/2024 - 18:14

It's time to wake up and accept the fact that Valentine's Day is the sex holiday. Sometimes spicing things up in the bedroom is the most romantic thing you can do.

We've scoured the internet to find the sexiest gifts on the market. Whether your boo is into BDSM, toys, or is just one of those people who gets turned on by food, there's bound to be a gift option that satisfies their nether regions and their heart.

NSFW warning: Before you scroll any further, we'd suggest making sure your screen isn't visible to bosses, children, or conservative family members. However, if you're in public with just randos behind you, it's your call as to whether you want to be that person shopping for vibrators in Starbucks.

We apologize in advance for using the word "penetration" so many times. No matter how sex-positive you are, that word sucks.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Best Buy just dropped the Shark FlexStyle to $249.99, but it'll probably only last an hour or two

Mashable - Fri, 02/09/2024 - 18:03

UPDATE: Feb. 9, 2024, 11:50 a.m. EST Best Buy's Drop for Feb. 9 is a $249.99 Shark FlexStyle ($50 off), which went live at 11 a.m. ET. Inventory isn't tanking as fast as it did when Best Buy dropped the FlexStyle to $199.99 during Cyber Week, but we'll update this post accordingly when it inevitably sells out.

Opens in a new window Credit: Shark Shark FlexStyle Air Styling & Drying System $249.99 in the Best Buy app (save $50) Get Deal

In almost every situation, we'd tell you to opt for the Shark FlexStyle over the Dyson Airwrap because it's simply the better bang for your buck. And remember that that's our argument when both are at full price — so you can imagine our enthusiasm for the Coanda-powered dupe when it can be snagged for $249.99 as the Best Buy Drop of the day (compared to the $599.99 tag on the Airwrap).

The $250 Shark FlexStyle is Best Buy's featured Drop item for Feb. 9 and is exclusively available through the Best Buy Drops tab (the one with the arrow in the middle) in the Best Buy mobile app. The deal won't show up on a web browser, so without the app, you'll just be seeing the not-as-fun $36 discount that Best Buy currently has tacked onto the original $299.99. Drops go live at 11 a.m. ET and last only until the limited supply has been claimed, so don't hesitate to head to the Best Buy app and check out.

SEE ALSO: The Shark FlexStyle is still better than the Dyson Airwrap

We first saw the FlexStyle featured in Best Buy Drops on the Tuesday after Black Friday weekend in Nov. 2023. That time, it was going for $199.99 — though we barely had time to spread the good news before inventory tanked within 20 minutes of dropping. We had hoped for a repeat of that deal this time around, but $50 off is still a pretty rare discount for this styler, and we don't expect it to last until the official 6 p.m. cutoff for Drops.

The FlexStyle featured here comes with four attachments: two 1.25-inch auto-wrap curlers, an oval brush, a paddle brush, and a styling concentrator, all of which can be swapped onto the wand base with a quick twist and click. The same bundle is going for $279.99 at Shark's website.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Treat yourself to luxe locks with $100 off the Dyson Airstrait at Best Buy

Mashable - Fri, 02/09/2024 - 18:02

GET $100 OFF: Best Buy Plus and Total members can save up to $120 on select hair care tools, including $100 off the Dyson Airstrait straightener.

Opens in a new window Credit: Dyson Dyson Airstrait straightener $399.99 at Best Buy (save $100 with Best Buy Plus or Total membership) Get Deal

Gone are the days (think Radio Shack!) when Best Buy catered solely to tech enthusiasts and gamers. Now, thanks to Dyson's impact on the vacuum cleaner and hair care markets, Best Buy has expanded its offerings to include high-end hair tools, rivaling Sephora and Ulta during the holiday season.

SEE ALSO: The new Dyson Airstrait is finally available for purchase

With a Best Buy Plus ($49.99 per year) or Total ($179.99 per year) membership, you can get an exclusive $100 discount on the Dyson Airstrait straightener, making it more affordable and accessible to get a salon-worthy style at home.

The Dyson Airstraight straightener is known for its advanced high-pressure airflow technology, so you can style your hair without frying it. Go from wet to dry to BAM, sleek and shiny within minutes (depending on your hair length), all without sacrificing the health and integrity of your hair.

It has an LCD screen that displays the airflow and temperature settings, a lock feature, and an auto-pause function (to save energy). And, with hundreds of positive reviews, it's clear that this straightener delivers on its promises.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Apple Vision Pro, more of the Dune Sandworm Bucket, Miley Cyrus's OfficeMax fashion and other top stories — U Need to Know This

Mashable - Fri, 02/09/2024 - 17:05

From the Apple Vision Pro to Dating on Bumble, host Josh Burstein takes us on a comedic journey through the week's top stories.

Categories: IT General, Technology

'Turning Red' review: Imagine if Pixar made 'Pen15'

Mashable - Fri, 02/09/2024 - 17:05

Becoming a woman can be a messy process. For many, puberty hits hard, transforming our bodies into strange creatures we no longer recognize. Our limbs stretch; our curves swell. A natural musk blooms from our skin. We grow hair in places where there was no hair before. And our emotions attack in a wild rush. For Meilin "Mei" Lee, the heroine of the latest Disney/Pixar movie, Turning Red, all of this is true, also, she turns into a giant red panda. This cuddly cute shape-shift is a metaphor for puberty that's bold, bonkers, and totally brilliant — while being a boatload of fun. 

Co-written and directed by Domee Shi, Turning Red is set in 2002 Toronto, where 13-year-old Mei (Rosalie Chiang) is a straight-A student with a bit of a double life. With her Chinese-Canadian family, she is a devoted daughter, volunteering at their temple, helping with dinner, and ever-poised and polite. With her friends, she's a headstrong goofball who loves karaoke, boy bands, and imagining her crushes as mermen. With these dueling identities, Shi and co-writer Julia Cho set the child that Mei is to her parents against the young woman she's becoming. When the pressure to be perfect for her mom and her friends becomes too much, Mei transforms into a towering, fluffy red panda. 

Turning Red brings back to the poppy fun of the 2000s

Steeped in 2000s nostalgia, this transformation is less traumatizing and more terrific, making Mei as cute and appealing as her Tamagochi virtual pet. With flip-phones and old-school emojis, she and her friends find the fun to be had in her panda. But to her mother, this "gross red monster" is a shameful secret that must be hidden, suppressed, and banished with the blood moon. As the moon approaches, so does the concert date for Mei and her friends' favorite boy band, 4 Town. And so comes a showdown full of panda action, mother-daughter drama, and deliciously catchy pop music (written by Billie Eilish and Finneas). 

Credit: Disney / Pixar Kids and grown-ups will love Turning Red

Panda aside, Mei's journey to young womanhood is similar to those seen in cringe-comedies like Eighth Grade, Pen15, and Bob's Burgers' Tina Belcher plot lines. All possess a deep empathy for the harried heroine, who is flustered, awkward, and frantically horny. Their fumbles and foibles make us laugh not at them, but at ourselves way back then. Turning Red is less cringe-inducing than its thematic sisters, thanks to the '00s pop-optimism, vivid color palette, and Pixar's kid-friendly polish. Whether Mei is feeling insecure about her body, fighting with her mother, or fantasizing about a cute boy, the vibe is more romp than recoil. This is a genius move by Shi. Because while parents (and child-free grown-ups) will relish the nostalgia for the '00s in aesthetic and perhaps personal naivete, actual kids won't feel the crushing weight of all that cringe. That comes later, be it through age, wisdom, or therapy (or all three).

Kids won't put together what Mei's mom (an apoplectic Sandra Oh) means when she asks if daughter's "red peony has bloomed." The central metaphor will go over their heads, as will the reason Mei's mom reacts so intensely when she discovers a notebook swamped in steamy doodles. To youngsters, this will be a bouncy story about a girl fighting for her right to grow up, find her own identity, and rock out with her best friends. More importantly, they'll get to see a group of girls who don't fit the typical Disney/Pixar heroine mold not only be heroes but also be loved just as they are. 

Credit: Disney / Pixar Mei breaks the mold of Disney heroines

Forget the flawless and poised princesses of Disney past, who get ball gowns and sea creature serenades in their quests for romance. Mei is not crushing on princes, but those pretty boys of elementary school, who'd toss their long floppy bangs with no idea how it made our hearts skip a beat. (Shi re-creating exactly this move in slo-mo is dead-on and divine.) 

Mei doesn't make pretty smiles or flirty lip bites when she swoons. Her face contorts in a way typically denied Disney's female characters. It's a face that's not cute but is crucial to expressing that juvenile pang of lust that's so abrupt and confounding that your face basically short-circuits. Even in these moments, Mei's got her girls, each of whom is a familiar yet distinct brand of 8th-grade awkward. Always a booster, Miriam (Ava Morse) is enthusiastic but a bit oblivious. Priya (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) is steadily chill, but will give in for a dance break. Abby (Hyein Park) is a girly girl who loves pink, flowers, and fluffy friends, but also will punch you in the face with a moment's notice. Just like the red panda, they break the mold on what being a girl means in a Disney movie. They do it with verve and style — and we love them for all of it. 

SEE ALSO: 'Turning Red''s creators on how the coming of age Pixar film captures teen angst A coming-of-age tale that shows maturity in the Disney/Pixar brand

I could go on and on about the joys of Turning Red, from the visual gags of bunny slippers crushed under big panda feet to the concert merch that becomes a pivotal prop. There's the rollicking pace that makes the movie feel like a roller coaster, full of swerves and thrills. The soundtrack is both throwback and self-aware, nudging at the message while gently parodying boy band jams while being an undeniable bop. The wealth of '00s details will amuse kids but will pitch grown-ups full-bodied back into the era of choker necklaces, flannel fashion, and emo kids. The jubilant animation builds a world familiar yet fresh, perfect for a perplexed giant red panda running amuck. Led by Chiang, the voice cast is sensational, bringing to life characters who get to be cranky, frantic, caring, and occasionally "kind of a perv." But the most remarkable thing about this movie is how it marks a maturity for Disney animation. 

Credit: Disney / Pixar

For decades, Disney sold little girls polished princess fantasies to sell toys. But in that, they also sold an idea of girlhood that was woefully limiting. Here, the fantasy has an element of body horror but is treated with a jocular touch that makes Turning Red an absolute blast. In giving us a protagonist who is confident, kooky, but also a mess, Disney and Pixar gave kids a role model who rejects convention and is better for it — and better for us. 

Full of fun, humor, and heart, Turning Red is a coming-of-age comedy that's as exhilarating as it is groundbreaking family entertainment.

Turning Red is returning to theaters for a special engagement on Feb. 9.

UPDATE: Feb. 2, 2024, 12:34 p.m. EST "Turning Red" was reviewed for its release in 2022. This review has been republished to celebrate its theatrical debut.

Categories: IT General, Technology

'The Taste of Things' review: The year's most sensuous romance

Mashable - Fri, 02/09/2024 - 16:57

An unassuming culinary drama on the surface, Trân Anh Hùng's The Taste of Things is a rhapsodic romance and one of the year's most scintillating films. The tale of a renowned French gourmet chef and his diligent head cook, the movie's central will-they-won't-they dynamic will have you leaning forward in anticipation — just as much as the exquisite dishes cooked by the leading duo will leave your palate moist and your belly rumbling.

Cheered on the festival circuit, it's a film in which food is the language of love, and love in turn is a silent conversation between middle-aged professionals who are experts at their craft. The Taste of Things comes wrapped in some of the most gorgeous and thoughtful filmmaking this side of Babette's Feast — a fellow contender for the greatest food movie ever made — with fine-tuned, lived-in performances that intrigue as much as they endear. 

SEE ALSO: 11 films you'll want to see out of NYFF 2023 What is The Taste of Things about? Credit: IFC Films

Set in the French countryside in the late 19th century, The Taste of Things follows famous gastronome Dodin Bouffant (Benoît Magimel) and his live-in cook, Eugénie (Juliette Binoche), who cooks both for him and with him, depending on the occasion. The actors, who were once married in real life, put on a clinic of passionate performance, deepening each scene and interaction far beyond your ordinary romantic drama. 

The film has a sense of idealism in its depiction of spaces, like the sprawling kitchen in Dodin's mansion. It's warm and rustic, and as Dodin prepares to entertain his fancy guests, he and Eugénie begin preparing for a feast with the help of Eugénie's assistant, Violet (Galatéa Bellugi), and Violet's curious young niece, Pauline (Bonnie Chagneau-Ravoire), a novice in the kitchen. 

The scene features no score, except for the scraping of utensils and the simmering of various meats in pots and pans as the quartet works in harmony, breaking the meditative silence only on occasion so that Dodin can test the knowledge and taste of preteen newcomer Pauline.

SEE ALSO: The 30 best romantic movies on Netflix right now

As the feast continues upstairs, with Dodin engaging a handful of his friends (doctors and other high-society types) in academic banter, Eugénie and her helpers bring each dish to fruition, preparing and presenting them with the utmost care. However, Eugénie is no servant. After the meal, the five men upstairs come down to greet her as an old friend whose presence they miss in the dining room. "I converse with you through the food you eat," she joyfully retorts.

This introduction establishes the parameters of the film's insular fantasy, wherein ideas of class are far from the movie's mind (they appear to be in the characters' rearview), since what's on the tip of the filmmaker's tongue is far more vital. There's an unspoken comfort between Eugénie and Dodin, who have worked together for 20 years. And though it seems like they've been intimate on many occasions, theirs is a relationship built on mutual respect. Dodin studies and invents dishes, reading out recipes that Eugénie cooks to perfection, but their back-and-forth of ideas makes each meal they prepare an intimate collaboration.

Dodin, however, is determined to make Eugénie his wife, and though she feels just as strongly as he does, her professional ambitions (and her contentment) raise the question of whether their situation ought to change — or what might happen if it does. There is also the trouble of Eugénie's health and the fainting spells she keeps to herself, though as far as Dodin knows (and as far as she lets him in), her hesitancy to marry is but a wall at which he might be able to slowly and respectfully chip away.

SEE ALSO: Bon Appétit's Claire Saffitz loses it over gourmet M&M's

There isn't a hint of ugliness in the story's conflict, making it perhaps the ideal romantic escape, at least at first. This film is eventually marred by tragic developments midway through. But what never changes over the course of its 134 minutes is the breathtaking love at its center. Buoyed by so many different, equally cogent themes, the film has entirely different names in various territories, each of which represents a fundamental facet of its drama.

Its U.S. title is The Taste of Things, which rolls off the tongue and speaks to its ethereal nature, created by a dancing camera and scenes awash in golden light. Its title in other territories is The Pot-au-Feu, after a dish of beef and vegetable stew that becomes central to the plot. In France, it’s called La Passion de Dodin Bouffant ("The Passion of Dodin Bouffant,") a tale of one man’s dueling passions, and how they each represent his lust for life. 

The Taste of Things is deceptively simple.

Describing The Taste of Things, or even saying its title out loud, makes it seem captivating and mysterious — almost intellectual in a way, not unlike the various gastronomical conversations and debates Dodin ends up embroiled in with his friends.

"Wine is the intellectual side of a meal," they joke, but there's no snobbery involved. Despite their stature in society and their selectiveness with food, wine and conversation are to be shared. The taste of things — good things, and all things — is a communal experience. Eating, for them, is a ritual, sometimes a ridiculous one (like when they chow down on ortolans with handkerchiefs covering their heads). But taste, for Dodin and Eugénie, is something that can be refined and nurtured, like love itself. It isn't meant to be hoarded. This is illustrated by their consideration of taking Pauline under their wing. There’s nothing sinister beneath anyone’s interactions; the film is incredibly good-natured.  

The characters' only hint of food snobbery and selectiveness arises when they're invited to dine with a fictitious prince of Eurasia. But what they decry more than the meal's quality is its sense of excess without much to show for it. The ostensible plot arises when Dodin offers to cook for the prince, and as he brainstorms his menu, he also inches closer to showing Eugénie how much she means to him. The dish he lands on for the meal is the pot-a-feu, often regarded as representative of French cuisine. It’s the perfect centerpiece for a film so distinctly and stereotypically French in its food and sensuous passions that a joking line in the film even references this symbolic Frenchness. And yet, there's a deeper layer to the presence of the pot-au-feu: the idea of beauty and complexity within something considered simple. As a dish, it's a hearty and even pedestrian staple, but its ingredients, when prepared by a master's hand, can become elevated — which is what Dodin hopes to do. It's symbolic of the film itself, a simple love story on the surface that Hùng turns luminous through his deft touch and his unyielding focus on the silences between people and what they mean. 

Every ingredient of The Taste of Things is cooked to perfection. Credit: IFC Films

The various themes and ideas put forth by the film manifest largely through performance. Binoche's radiant, self-assured conception of Eugénie makes her perpetually watchable, and when she plays off her illness as something mundane, she invites, through her stern independence, an emotional paradox. All you want is to care for her in the few fleeting seconds she lets herself display vulnerability amid Binoche's smiles, which command and delight in equal measure. 

As Dodin, Magimel is the perfect foil to Binoche, juggling excitement and trepidation with a weary anxiety about his job, worn in a perpetually burdened expression. However, his fog of exhaustion and anxiety lifts as soon as Eugénie enters the room. His gaze is one of unmistakable worship and adoration, even two decades on. Like cooking, love for Dodin seems like a never-ending process, constantly refined. In The Taste of Things, there's no boundary between being in love and falling in love, a delicate balance struck by both Binoche and Magimel in each and every scene.

All of this is bound by Hùng's passionate, dreamlike filmmaking, in tandem with cinematographer Jonathan Ricquebourg. The camera practically never stops moving: It floats between characters in lengthy master shots as they cook, moving inward and outward, from close-ups to medium-wide shots and back. Each shot is so magnetic and engaging, you seldom notice that the filmmaker has chosen to avoid cutting for minutes at a time. The frame floats as if on air, like it's being blown by a gentle breeze. Every shot becomes rhythmic in its motion, and editor Mario Battistel ensures that when it does finally cut, the result is completely seamless. It may as well be music.

Each frame is awash in golden light, whether refracted through chandeliers and forming fuzzy halos around Dodin as he's lost in thought, or beaming in through windows in the afternoon, illuminating the kitchen in an ethereal haze — or, at dusk, beating down on an isolated fragment of a room through a corner window, when Dodin is at his lowest.

It's poetry written through light, and through gazes that fill the screen with a quiet exuberance that you can reach out and touch, taste, and smell. No matter what title it goes by, it’s likely to stand the test of time as a landmark cinematic romance — the kind of towering achievement that isn’t just about falling in love, but embodies the experience wholly.

The Taste of Things opens in limited release Feb. 9 2024, before expanding on Feb. 14.

UPDATE: Feb. 2, 2024, 12:09 p.m. EST "The Taste of Things" was reviewed out of the 2023 New York Film Festival. This review is being republished to coincide with its theatrical premiere.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Score the Valentine's Day Echo Pop bundle just in time to celebrate

Mashable - Fri, 02/09/2024 - 16:46

SAVE $21: Today, Feb. 9, you can get the Valentine's Day Echo Pop bundle for 32% off, taking the price down from $63.98 to $42.98. That's $2 less than if you were to buy each item separately.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Valentine's Day Echo Pop Bundle $42.98 at Amazon (save $21) Get Deal

Alexa, I need a last-minute Valentine's Day Gift!

In today's limited-time deal at Amazon, you can score the Valentine's Day Echo Pop bundle for just $42.98. This saves you $21 (or 32%) off the list price of $63.98. The bundle includes the charcoal Echo Pop (2023 release), a festive red silicone sleeve, and a heart-patterned faceplate. While the bundle is only $2 less than buying the items separately, the convenience of a one-click purchase is a bonus.

With the Echo Pop, you can bring the power of your favorite music into any space. While the compact speaker is unassuming and fits the minimalist aesthetic, its helpfulness stands out in the best way. With Alexa voice control, you can switch between Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, Pandora, and Sirius XM, plus control your smart home devices. Meanwhile, the Valentine's Day sleeve and faceplate bring in a pop of vibrant color and joy. Since the accessories are designed specifically for the Echo Pop, you don't have to worry about them getting in the way of your Echo Pop's speaker or ports.

Get the Valentine's Day Echo Pop bundle before Feb. 14 when you order today at Amazon.

Categories: IT General, Technology

If Taylor Swift attends Super Bowl 2024, who will she bring?

Mashable - Fri, 02/09/2024 - 14:33

It's almost time to find out if Taylor Swift will actually cross the international date line from her concert in Tokyo to watch her boyfriend Travis Kelce play in Super Bowl 2024 in Las Vegas.

SEE ALSO: Will Taylor Swift attend the Super Bowl? Tokyo 'Eras Tour' concert will complicate things

And if she does make it, we'll find who she'll take with her. Throughout this football season, she's cheered the Chiefs on with everyone from Antoni Porowski from Queer Eye to fellow pop star Sabrina Carpenter. Before all is revealed during the Big Game on Sunday, here are our best guesses for who her guests will be ranked by their likeliness of attending. (Fellow WAGs don't count.)

Keleigh (and Miles Teller) Credit: Getty Images : CBS Photo Archive / Contributor

Keleigh is everywhere with Swift these days — even at the Golden Globes — and she's the only friend of Swift's who has attended multiple Chiefs games with her, so we reckon she's the most likely date. As a bonus, she always gives fans the behind-the-scenes content they're dying for.

Since it's the Super Bowl, there's a chance her husband actor Miles Teller might come along (even though he's a diehard Philadelphia Eagles fan).

Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds Credit: Getty Images : Kevin Sabitus / Contributor

While Lively and Reynolds have only attended one game with Swift, they are a famously fun-loving couple — and Lively is a longtime staple of Swift's girls' dinners out in NYC.

Sophie Turner Tweet may have been deleted

Turner attended the same game as Lively and Reynolds — the Kansas City Chiefs versus the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey — where Swift brought a plus-six! Sure, the game was local and more of a party than the others, but Turner is also a staple at Swift's girls' nights out, so she could be a likely guest.

Her family

While Swift has yet to bring her mother Andrea or father Scott to the box at a Kansas City Chiefs game, the novelty of the Super Bowl might be something she wants to share with the parents, especially her mom, who inspired her song "The Best Day."

Cara Delevingne Credit: Getty Images : Rob Carr / Staff

Delevingne is a long-time member of Swift's girl squad and joined her at the AFC Championship game where it was determined that the Chiefs would go to the Super Bowl, so maybe the English model and actress is invested.

Haim sisters Credit: Getty Images : Maddie Meyer / Staff

One of the three Haim sisters, Alana, went to the Kansas City Chiefs versus New England Patriots game at Gillette Stadium in Pennsylvania, proving she's willing to travel for the love of the ol' pigskin. But is she willing to go all the way to Vegas? And will she make it a family affair?

Gigi Hadid

Hadid has yet to go to a football game with Swift, but the pop star did wear a red sweater from Hadid's brand at the AFC Championship game. Perhaps she wore it to lure Hadid to Vegas?

Categories: IT General, Technology

'The Regime' trailer sees Kate Winslet ruling a political satire

Mashable - Fri, 02/09/2024 - 12:17

It's one of the British TV shows we're most looking forward to this year and it's got a trailer.

HBO/Sky limited series The Regime sees Kate Winslet in the lead as Elena Vernham, the chancellor of a modern authoritarian regime who has no time for...well, most people. But she's grown quite paranoid in her power. Confiding in soldier Herbert Zubak (Matthias Schoenaerts), Elena may have picked the wrong companion, and her time in the palace feels wildly unstable.

Written by Will Tracy and directed by Stephen Frears and Jessica Hobbs, The Regime looks like one sharply comedic watch.

How to watch: The Regime is streaming March 3 at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and Max in the U.S., and will stream on Sky Atlantic and NOW in April in the UK.

Categories: IT General, Technology

NYT's The Mini crossword answers for February 9

Mashable - Fri, 02/09/2024 - 12:01

The Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times' revered daily crossword. While the crossword is a lengthier experience that requires both knowledge and patience to complete, The Mini is an entirely different vibe.

With only a handful of clues to answer, the daily puzzle doubles as a speed-running test for many who play it.

So, when a tricky clue disrupts a player's flow, it can be frustrating! If you find yourself stumped playing The Mini — much like with Wordle and Connections — we have you covered.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections today: See hints and answers for February 9 SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Here's the answer and hints for February 9

Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Friday, Feb. 9, 2024:

Across"Next song" button
  • The answer is skip.

As two syllables, a Hawaiian dish – as one, a nudge
  • The answer is poke.

Behind
  • The answer is fanny.

___ Star State (Texas)
  • The answer is Lone.

Completely amazes
  • The answer is awes.

DownInitial poker payments
  • The answer is SPF.

Animal whose main diet, eucalyptus leaves, is poisonous to humans
  • The answer is koala.

"No need to remind me!"
  • The answer is iknow.

Tube-shaped pasta
  • The answer is penne.

"Heck ___!"
  • The answer is yes.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Super Bowl 2024 performers: Who's singing the anthems?

Mashable - Fri, 02/09/2024 - 11:54

No, Taylor Swift isn't performing at Super Bowl 2024, but there's a phenomenal pre-game performance lineup nonetheless.

As is tradition, the game kicks off not just with the national anthem but the Black national anthem "Lift Every Voice And Sing" and a rendition of "America the Beautiful." Notably, this year each performer at Super Bowl LVIII will be accompanied by a high-profile ASL signer.

SEE ALSO: What songs will Usher perform at the Super Bowl? Here's our dream setlist.

Acclaimed country singer Reba McEntire is headed to Las Vegas to sing the national anthem. She'll be joined by Daniel Durant, the deaf actor who starred in the Academy Award-winning film CODA.

R&B singer and actress Andra Day will perform "Lift Every Voice And Sing" with Shaheem Sanchez, the actor and choreographer known for his role in The Sound of Metal.

Post Malone rounds out the lineup. The rapper will sing "America the Beautiful" — may worried minds be set at ease, he has a folksy past. Anjel Piñero, a model, actress, and dancer with a TikTok following, will sign with Post Malone.

Super Bowl LVIII airs on Feb. 11 at 6:30 p.m. ET. You can watch the game on CBS or stream it on Paramount+.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Barry Keoghan's 'Hot Ones' has to be one of the most entertaining ones so far

Mashable - Fri, 02/09/2024 - 11:44

Barry Keoghan isn't the the toughest spicy wing eater we've seen (Jenna Ortega, Neil Patrick Harris, Cate Blanchett and Bryan Cranston all managed to stay more deadpan), but he's certainly one of the most entertaining.

In the clip above from First We Feast's Hot Ones, the Saltburn star munches his way through increasingly spicy wings while answering questions on everything from his teenage cinema ban to the acting inspiration he takes from the animal kingdom.

At one point Keoghan also jokingly describes himself as a "model...slash legend," and we're not going to disagree with either of those.

Categories: IT General, Technology

'Shardlake' trailer teases Sean Bean in a Tudor murder mystery

Mashable - Fri, 02/09/2024 - 11:13

Sean Bean as Thomas Cromwell? We're in!

Disney+ has released the trailer for its new historical mystery series Shardlake, based on the first of C. J. Sansom's novel series that spans the reign of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I.

Set in Tudor England during the dissolution of the monasteries, the four-part series follows lawyer Matthew Shardlake (Arthur Hughes), who works for Cromwell (Bean), right hand to the king. Accompanied by his assistant Jack Barak (Anthony Boyle), Shardlake is ordered to investigate a murder of one of the Crown's commissioners in the church of Saint Donatus in the town of Scarnsea. But there are more political moves afoot than it seems. All the while, Shardlake is living with scoliosis and all the social abuse that comes with it during the 16th century.

Written by Stephen Butchard and directed by The Other Boleyn Girl's Justin Chadwick, Shardlake looks like a compact but opulent murder mystery for Tudor enthusiasts.

Shardlake is streaming on Disney+ "soon."

Categories: IT General, Technology
Syndicate content

eXTReMe Tracker