Can Europe create the next Google?

LONDON, ENGLAND — Europe is making major strides to eliminate barriers that have held back the region from developing tech firms that can compete on the scale of global giants Alphabet Inc’s Google, Amazon.com Inc or Tencent Holdings Inc , a report published on Thursday shows.

The region has thriving tech hubs in major cities, with record new funding, experienced entrepreneurs, a growing base of technical talent and an improving regulatory climate, according to a study by European venture firm Atomico.

While even the largest European tech ventures remain a fraction of the size of the biggest U.S. and Asian rivals, global music streaming leader Spotify of Sweden marks the rising ambition of European entrepreneurs. Spotify is gearing up for a stock market flotation next year that could value it at upward of $20 billion.

“The probability that the next industry-defining company could come from Europe – and become one of the world’s most valuable companies – has never been higher,” said Tom Wehmeier, Atomico’s head of research, who authored the report.

Top venture capitalists and entrepreneurs in the region told Reuters they are increasingly confident that the next world-class companies could emerge from Europe in fields including artificial intelligence, video gaming, music and messaging.


“What we still need to develop is entrepreneurs who have the drive to take it all the way – I think we are starting to see that now,” said Bernard Liautaud, managing partner at venture fund Balderton Capital, who sold his software company Business Objects to SAP for $6.8 billion a decade ago.

The Atomico report is being published in conjunction with the annual Nordic technology start-up festival taking place in Helsinki this week and set to draw some 20,000 participants.

Stronger fundamentals

Capital invested in European tech companies is on track to reach a record this year, with $19.1 billion in funding projected through the end of 2017 – up 33 percent over 2016, according to investment tracking firm Dealroom.co.

The median size of European venture funds nearly tripled to around 58 million euros (£51.1 million) in 2017 compared with five years ago, according to Invest Europe’s European Data Cooperative on fundraising investment activity.

Beyond the availability of funding, Europe has a range of technical talent available to work more cheaply than in Silicon Valley, enabling start-ups to get going with far less funding.

With a pool of professional developers now numbering 5.5 million, European tech employment outpaces the comparable 4.4 million employed in the United States, according to data from Stack Overflow, a site popular with programmers.

London remains the top European city in terms of numbers of professional developers, but Germany, as a country, overtook Britain in the past year with 837,398 developers compared with 813,500, the report states, using Stack Overflow statistics.

While median salaries for software engineers are rising in top European cities Berlin, London, Paris and Barcelona, they are one-third to one-half the average cost of salaries in the San Francisco Bay Area, which is more than $129,000, based on Glassdoor recruiting data.

Pushing up against the limits

Big hurdles remain. A survey of 1,000 founders by authors of the report found European entrepreneurs were worried by Brexit, with concerns, especially in Britain, over hiring, investment and heightened uncertainty in the business climate.

Although Europe has deep engineering talent, many big startups focus on business model innovation in areas such as media, retail and gaming rather than on breakthrough technology developments that can usher in new industries, critics say.

Regulatory frameworks in Europe put the brakes on development on promising technologies such as cryptocurrencies, “flying taxis” and gene editing, while autonomous vehicles and drones face fewer obstacles, the report says.

A separate study by Index Ventures, also to be published on Thursday, found that employees at fast-growing tech start-ups in Europe tend to receive only half the stock option stakes that are a primary route to riches for their U.S. rivals. Yet their options are taxed twice as much.

The Index report said employees in successful, later-stage European tech start-ups receive around 10 percent of capital, compared with 20 percent ownership in Silicon Valley firms.

“There is quite a gap today between stock option practices in Europe and those in Silicon Valley,” Index Ventures partner Martin Mignot said in an interview. “There are other issues where Europe is behind, but we think stock options should be at the top of the agenda.”

Another factor holding back Europe is that regional stock markets encourage firms to go public prematurely, Liataud said.

“Europe has markets for average companies. In the U.S., going public is hard. You have to be really, really good. You have to be $100 million, minimum, in revenue,” the French entrepreneur-turned-investor said. “Nasdaq and the New York Stock Exchange have not lowered their standards.”

source: interaksyon.com

NBC News fires ‘Today’ co-host Matt Lauer for sexual misconduct

NEW YORK | NBC News fired Matt Lauer, the popular host of its “Today” morning show, on Wednesday after a female colleague accused him of inappropriate sexual behavior, the network said, making him the latest rich and powerful man to be felled by such accusations.

His termination sent shockwaves through U.S. morning television, where Lauer has been a fixture since becoming a “Today” anchor in 1997 and went on to become one of NBC’s highest-paid personalities, earning $20 million a year.

The married 59-year-old news star was the latest public figure to be embroiled in accusations of sexual misconduct that have recently struck down high-profile men in entertainment, politics and media.

Just hours later, U.S. radio host Garrison Keillor said he had been fired by Minnesota Public Radio over an accusation of inappropriate behavior.

The complaint made by an unnamed female colleague on Monday night was a “clear violation” by Lauer of the company’s standards, NBC News chairman Andrew Lack said in a statement.

“While it is the first complaint about his behavior in the over twenty years he’s been at NBC News, we were also presented with reason to believe this may not have been an isolated incident,” Lack said.

The network issued a second statement in response to a report in the Hollywood trade publication Variety that said several women had complained to the network about Lauer’s behavior.

“We can say unequivocally, that, prior to Monday night, current NBC News management was never made aware of any complaints about Matt Lauer’s conduct,” an NBC spokeswoman said.

Lauer’s agent Ken Lindner did not respond to requests for comment.

The news was announced by “Today” co-anchors Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb at the start of the talk show, a staple of U.S. morning television for more than six decades that, NBC says, averages more than 4 million viewers.

“We just learned this moments ago just this morning,” Guthrie said, visibly shaken. “As I‘m sure you can imagine we are devastated.”

Lack’s statement did not say who made the accusation, but promised that NBC News would cover Lauer’s firing in “as transparent a manner as we can.”

The woman had met with New York Times reporters on Monday before meeting with NBC’s human resources and legal departments that evening to share her allegation, the Times reported, saying that she said she was not ready then to publicly identify herself.

Her Washington-based lawyer, Ari Wilkenfeld, said the meeting with NBC officials lasted several hours.

“In fewer than 35 hours, NBC investigated and removed Mr. Lauer,” Wilkenfeld wrote in a statement. “Our impression at this point is that NBC acted quickly, as all companies should, when confronted with credible allegations of sexual misconduct in the workplace.”

The complaint said the sexual misconduct occurred while Lauer and the female colleague were covering the 2014 Sochi winter Olympics in Russia and continued after the Games, NBC News reporter Stephanie Gosk said on air.

An NBC representative did not respond to a request for more details.

Comcast Corp, the largest U.S. cable television company, owns NBCUniversal. Its shares rose 2.4 percent to $37.13.

“Today” earned $509 million in advertising revenue last year, more than any of its competitors, New York-based analysts Kantar Media said.

Lauer joined “Today” in 1994 and has interviewed presidents George Bush and Barack Obama and broadcast from seven Olympic Games. He had been due to join his co-hosts for the nationally-televised lighting of the giant Christmas tree at New York City’s Rockefeller Center on Wednesday night.

According to Fortune Magazine, he signed a two-year deal in 2016 that would pay him $20 million per year.

U.S. President Donald Trump responded with messages on Twitter calling for some of Lauer’s colleagues to be fired too, and adding to his recent attacks against U.S. news outlets for their reporting on his administration.

“Wow,” Trump wrote about Lauer. “But when will the top executives at NBC & Comcast be fired for putting out so much Fake News.”

During the 2016 presidential campaign, then-Republican candidate Trump was accused by 13 women who publicly said that in the past he had physically touched them inappropriately in some way, the Washington Post reported. Trump denied the accusations.

source: interaksyon.com

Facebook to expand AI to help prevent suicide

SAN FRANCISCO — Facebook Inc. will expand its pattern recognition software to other countries after successful tests in the U.S. to detect users with suicidal intent, the world’s largest social media network said on Monday.

Facebook began testing the software in the United States in March, when the company started scanning the text of Facebook posts and comments for phrases that could be signals of an impending suicide.

Facebook has not disclosed many technical details of the program, but the company said its software searches for certain phrases that could be clues, such as the questions “Are you ok?” and “Can I help?”

If the software detects a potential suicide, it alerts a team of Facebook workers who specialize in handling such reports. The system suggests resources to the user or to friends of the person such as a telephone help line. Facebook workers sometimes call local authorities to intervene.

Guy Rosen, Facebook’s vice president for product management, said the company was beginning to roll out the software outside the United States because the tests have been successful. During the past month, he said, first responders checked on people more than 100 times after Facebook software detected suicidal intent.

Facebook said it tries to have specialist employees available at any hour to call authorities in local languages.

“Speed really matters. We have to get help to people in real time,” Rosen said.

Last year, when Facebook launched live video broadcasting, videos proliferated of violent acts including suicides and murders, presenting a threat to the company’s image. In May Facebook said it would hire 3,000 more people to monitor videos and other content.

Rosen did not name the countries where Facebook was deploying the software, but he said it would eventually be used worldwide except in the European Union due to sensitivities, which he declined to discuss.

Other tech firms also try to prevent suicides. Google’s search engine displays the phone number for a suicide hot line in response to certain searches.

Facebook knows lots about its 2.1 billion users – data that it uses for targeted advertising – but in general the company has not been known previously to systematically scan conversations for patterns of harmful behavior.

One exception is its efforts to spot suspicious conversations between children and adult sexual predators. Facebook sometimes contacts authorities when its automated screens pick up inappropriate language.

But it may be more difficult for tech firms to justify scanning conversations in other situations, said Ryan Calo, a University of Washington law professor who writes about tech.

“Once you open the door, you might wonder what other kinds of things we would be looking for,” Calo said.

Rosen declined to say if Facebook was considering pattern recognition software in other areas, such as non-sex crimes.

source: interaksyon.com

MORE TO COME? | SWIFT warns banks on cyber heists as hack sophistication grows

SWIFT, the global messaging system used to move trillions of dollars each day, warned banks on Wednesday that the threat of digital heists is on the rise as hackers use increasingly sophisticated tools and techniques to launch new attacks.

Brussels-based SWIFT has been urging banks to bolster security of computers used to transfer money since Bangladesh Bank lost $81 million in a February 2016 cyber heist that targeted central bank computers used to move funds. The new warning provided detail on some new techniques being used by the hackers.

“Adversaries have advanced their knowledge,” SWIFT said in a 16-page report co-written with BAE Systems Plc’s cyber security division. “No system can be assumed to be totally infallible, or immune to attack.”

SWIFT has declined to disclose the number of attacks, identify victims or say how much money has been stolen. Still, details on some cases have become public.

Taiwan’s Central News Agency last month reported that Far Eastern International Bank lost $500,000 in a cyber heist. BAE later said that attack was launched by a North Korean hacking group known as Lazarus, which many cyber-security firms believe was behind the Bangladesh case.

Nepal’s NIC Asia Bank lost $580,000 in a cyber heist, two Nepali officials told Reuters earlier this month.

The new report described an attack on an unidentified bank. Hackers spent several months inside the network of one customer, preparing for the eventual attack by stealing user credentials and monitoring the bank’s operations using software that recorded computer keystrokes and screenshots, the report said.

When they launched the attack in the middle of the night, the hackers installed additional malware that let them modify messaging software so they could bypass protocols for confirming the identity of the computer’s operator, according to the report.

The hackers then ordered payments sent to banks in other countries by copying pre-formatted payment requests into the messaging software, according to the report.

After the hackers ended the three-hour operation, they sought to hide their tracks by deleting records of their activity. They also tried to distract the bank’s security team by infecting dozens of other computers with ransomware that locked documents with an encryption key, the report said.

While SWIFT did not say how much money was taken, it said the bank quickly identified the fraudulent payments and arranged for the stolen funds to be frozen.

source: interaksyon.com

PLDT Home supports Rachel Peters as she competes for Miss Universe crown

Bb. Pilipinas-Universe 2017 and PLDT Home ambassador Rachel Peters is all set to represent the country in the biggest, most prestigious beauty pageant in the world, the 66th Miss Universe Pageant.

The coronation night happens on Nov. 26, Sunday in the U.S. at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas, Nevada (Monday morning, Philippine time) with no less than our very own Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach as one of the judges.

Bb-Pilipinas Charities Foundation, Inc. and PLDT Home have been partnering for four years now in support of outstanding and inspiring women who make an impact on the international stage like the Miss Universe pageant.

Both Rachel Peters and Pia Wurtzbach are ambassadors for PLDT Home, as well as the crowned queens before them –- Bb. Pilipinas-Universe 2014 MJ Lastimosa and Bb. Pilipinas-Universe 2016 Maxine Medina.

Rachel says, “I am motivated and focused on my goal to bring pride for the Philippines. The stories and journeys of the previous queens have inspired me. I think the best way to honor their legacy is to give it my best, and that’s what I intend to do.”

source: interaksyon.com

In terror-wary NYC, security tight for Thanksgiving parade

NEW YORK — Sand-filled sanitation trucks and police sharpshooters will mix with glittering floats and giant balloons at a Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade that comes in a year of terrible mass shootings and not even a month after a deadly truck attack in lower Manhattan.

New York City's mayor and police brass have repeatedly stressed that layers of security, along with hundreds of officers, will be in place for one of the nation's biggest outdoor holiday gatherings, and that visitors should not be deterred.

"We had a couple of tough months as a nation," Police Commissioner James O'Neill said. "We won't ever accept such acts of hate and cowardice as inevitable in our society."

A posting last year in an English-language magazine of the Islamic State group, which took credit for the Oct. 31 truck attack that killed eight people, mentioned the Thanksgiving parade as "an excellent target." Authorities say there is no confirmation of a credible threat.

"I want to assure the people that we swore to protect that anytime something happens anywhere in the world, the NYPD works with our law enforcement partners and studies it and we learn from it and it informs our decision making going forward," O'Neill said.

This year's security plan includes dozens of city sanitation trucks, which weigh about 16 tons empty and up to twice that with sand, that will be lined up as imposing barriers to traffic at every cross street along the 2 ½-mile parade route stretching from Central Park to Macy's flagship store on 34th Street.

In addition, officers with assault weapons and portable radiation detectors will walk among the crowds, and sharpshooters on rooftops will scan building windows and balconies for anything unusual.

New York officials are also asking the tens of thousands of spectators to be alert for anything suspicious.

"There will be a cop on every block," said NYPD Chief of Patrol Terence Monahan. "Go to that cop and say something."

The 91st annual parade begins at 9 a.m. and will be broadcast live on NBC. Smokey Robinson, Jimmy Fallon, The Roots, Flo Rida and Wyclef Jean will be among the stars celebrating, along with performances from the casts of Broadway's "Anastasia," ''Dear Evan Hansen" and "SpongeBob SquarePants."

New balloons added this year include Dr. Seuss' Grinch, Olaf from the smash movie "Frozen," and a puppy called Chase from Nickelodeon's "Paw Patrol."

Beyond the pageantry, police say they have been working on security for the parade since the moment last year's parade ended. It's a plan that got renewed attention after a terror attack in lower Manhattan Oct. 31, when a man in a rented truck barreled onto a crowded bike path near the World Trade Center, killing eight people.

Authorities said the 29-year-old suspect operated from a playbook put out by the Islamic State group. Sayfullo Saipov, an Uzbek immigrant, was charged with federal terrorism offenses that could qualify him for the death penalty.

According to a criminal complaint, he made statements about his allegiance to the Islamic State group.
The first major event since the attack — the New York marathon, which drew tens of thousands of spectators and 50,000 runners from around the world — went off with no problems.

"We said right away New York's response is to remain strong and resilient," Mayor Bill de Blasio said. "We do not back down in the face of terror threats. The city is filled with resolve."

source: philstar.com

AC/DC founder Malcolm Young dead at 64

Malcolm Young, who founded the Australian rock band AC/DC along with his brother Angus, has died at age 64 after suffering from dementia for several years, the band said on its Facebook page on Saturday.

Malcolm Young was a songwriter, backing vocalist and rhythm guitarist for AC/DC, a hard rock and heavy metal band that was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2003. Their hits included “Highway to Hell” from 1979 and “Back in Black” and “You Shook Me All Night Long” from 1980.

“Malcolm, along with Angus, was the founder and creator of AC/DC. With enormous dedication and commitment he was the driving force behind the band,” the band posted on Facebook without saying where he died.

Malcolm is survived by his wife O‘Linda, children Cara and Ross, three grandchildren, a sister and a brother, the band said. He “passed away peacefully with his family by his bedside,” the band said.

George Young, another brother to Malcolm and Angus, died on Oct. 23 at age 70. George Young had served as producer to AC/DC and guitarist for the band Easybeats.

source: interaksyon.com

China dominates list of world’s top supercomputers

WASHINGTON — Once again, China dominated a new list of the world’s fastest supercomputers, not only taking the top two seats, but also pulling ahead of the United States in the sheer number of systems being used.

According to a biannual ranking of the world’s 500 fastest supercomputers, called the Top500 published Monday, China’s Sunway TaihuLight maintains the lead as the No. 1 system for the fourth time, with a performance of 93.01 petaflops.

China’s Tianhe-2, or Milky Way-2, is still the No. 2 system at 33.86 petaflops. Intel chip-based Tianhe-2 had topped the list for three years until it was displaced in November 2015 by TaihuLight, which was built by entirely using processors designed and made in China.

The No. 3 is Switzerland’s Piz Daint, which is also the most powerful supercomputer in Europe. A new system in Japan, called Gyoukou, is the No. 4, pushing Titan, the top U.S system, to the No. 5.

“For the second time in a row there is no system from the U.S. under the TOP3,” Top500 said in a statement.

And that’s not all. The 50th edition of Top500 ranking also shows that China has overtaken the United States in the total number of ranked systems by a margin of 202 to 144. Just six months ago, the United States. led with 169 systems, and China with 159.

“It is the largest number of supercomputers China has ever claimed on the TOP500 ranking, with the U.S. presence shrinking to its lowest level since the list’s inception 25 years ago,” Top500 said.

“China now clearly shows a substantially larger number of installations than the United States.”

China has also overtaken the United States in aggregate performance as well. The Asian country now claims 35.3 percent of the TOP500 flops, with the United States at second place with 29.8 percent.

When it comes to companies making these systems, the U.S.-based Hewlett-Packard Enterprise has the lead in the number of installed supercomputers at 123, which represents nearly a quarter of all TOP500 systems.

China’s Lenovo followed HPE with 81 systems, down from 88 systems on the June list, and another Chinese company called Inspur jumped to the third position with 56 systems, up from the sixth place and 20 systems only six month ago.

Liu Jun, Inspur’s high performance computing (HPC) general manager, told Xinhua said China and its research institutes and companies have invested a lot in supporting HPC research, development and innovation.

“So China has improved greatly in its HPC competitiveness and performance,” he said. “In addition, the United States and Europe may have a more prolonged update cycle for their supercomputers.”

Liu cautioned that China’s overtaking of the United States in the total number of ranked systems didn’t make too much sense.

“We should be soberly aware that core technologies of the mainstream products on the HPC market, such as CPU and GPU, are now still being dominated and controlled by U.S. companies,” Liu said.

“China still lags far behind when compared with the U.S. and Europe and requires continuous efforts for further development,” Liu said.

Experts also predicted that Summit, a system currently being developed by the U.S. Department of Energy, could dethrone China’s TaihuLight next year, when it comes to run with an expected performance of 200 petaflops.

Other systems in the top 10 included Sequoia, Trinity and Cori of the United States, as well as Oakforest-PACS and K computer of Japan.

Top500 said this is the first time that each of the top 10 supercomputers delivered more than 10 petaflops.
There are also 181 systems with performance higher than a petaflop — up from 138 six months ago, according to the list.

Taking a broader look, the combined performance of all 500 systems has grown to 845 petaflops, compared to 749 petaflops on the June list and 672 petaflops one year ago.

“Even though aggregate performance grew by nearly 100 petaflops, the relative increase is well below the list’s long-term historical trend,” the list said.

And the entry point in the latest rankings moved up to 548 teraflops, compared to 432 teraflops in June.

“The 548-teraflop system was in position 370 in the previous TOP500 list,” it said. “The turnover is in line with what has been observed over the last four years, but is much lower than previous levels.”

The Top500 list is considered one of the most authoritative rankings of the world’s supercomputers. It is compiled on the basis of the machines’ performance on the Linpack benchmark by experts from the United States and Germany.

source: interaksyon.com

‘UNDER THE STARS’: Bench’s 30th anniversary show promises heavenly bodies shining on the runway

To shamelessly paraphrase the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer tagline, the Bench 30th anniversary show promises to have “more stars than there are in heaven.”

The lifestyle empire founded by Ben Chan will hold another spectacle on Saturday, November 18, at the Mall of Asia Arena, entitled “Under The Stars: The Bench 30th Anniversary Show.”

Bench First Couple, Lucy Torres-Gomez and Richard Gomez, leads a bevy of heavenly bodies that include today’s most famous names in showbiz, sports and social media. On a side note, I wish to see the still-gorgeous Joanne Zapanta, the original Bench Girl, to strut alongside Richard in an ultimate throwback and tribute presentation.

“It will be bigger and better,” assured Chan during a special press preview at the Ibiza Beach Club at Bonifacio Global City in Taguig.

The event also offered a peek into the newest denim and underwear designs, reinforced by Joey Samson’s androgynous touch, and the introduction of the latest Bench Bodies.

Maxine Medina, Miss Universe 2016 Top 6 and a budding actress, joined Kapamilya stars Bianca King, Beauty Gonzales, Marco Gumabao and Albie Casiño, as well as Kapuso mainstays Sanya Lopez, Addy Raj, David Licauco, Bruno Santos, Kiko Estrada and Kim Domingo. Mark Mugen, mixed-martial arts athlete, also flaunted his killer abs.

For an international flair, Austrian model/sports science student Ivo Buchta, Italian-American and physical education student Trevor Signorino, and math genius Pietro Boselli will scorch the runway.

Not to be outdone, some of our world-class beauties will flaunt the Filipina brand of sexiness. From the Miss Universe roster are Ara Arida and MJ Lastimosa. From Miss World are Gwen Ruais, Queenie Rehman, Valerie Weigman and Hillary Parungao.

Also in the beauty brigade are Miss International 2013 Bea Rose Santiago; Miss Supranational Top 25 2016 Joanna Eden; and reigning Miss Eco-Philippines Cynthia Thomalla.

In a grand homecoming, WinWyn Marquez, the newly crowned Reina HispanoAmericana will take the catwalk. Incidentally, she might share the spotlight with her cousin, the statuesque Michelle Dee, daughter of Melanie Marquez.

Meanwhile, the public is left guessing whether Miss World 2013 Megan Young, Miss Globe 2015 Ann Colis, and Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach—who have all been part of Bench campaigns—will make surprise appearances.

Kylie Verzosa, Miss International 2016, is signed with Bayo.

But, save the screams for tinseltown’s hottest properties. The heartthrobs who will be at the show are Daniel Padilla, Enrique Gil, Derrick Monasterio, Ken Chan, Rocco Nacino, Iñigo Pascual, Diego Loyzaga, and Ruru Madrid. Richard Gutierrez will show up but no Piolo Pascual. And Tom Rodriguez will be around but no Dennis Trillo.

The sweethearts, meanwhile, include Kathryn Bernardo, Julia Barretto, Julia Montes, Ashley Ortega, Coleen Garcia and Gabbi Garcia. There’s Lovi Poe but no Marian Rivera. And there’s Maine Mendoza sans partner Alden Richards, who is signed with Boardwalk. James Reid and Nadine Lustre are now endorsing Folded & Hung.

At the Naked Truth show in 2014, Geena Rocero, the famous Filipino transwoman/activist/model, was a welcome inclusion that advanced the cause of the LGBTQI community.

If there’s a cause that Bench might want to advocate this year, it should consider the campaign against sexual assault simmering in Hollywood for a few weeks now. Filipino-Italian model, Ambra Batillana Gutierrez, is the best representation.

Ambra, a runner-up at the Century Tuna Superbods in 2016, was the only accuser who immediately reported to the police right after her assault by producer Harvey Weinstein in 2015, even snaring a taped confession by Weinstein with the help of the New York Police Department.

Even so, with political agenda or not, the show is expected to be extravagant, decadent and theatrical. Top-notch stylist Noel Manapat will collaborate with still-unnamed designers to jazz up the Bench clothing and underwear staples. And with Robby Carmona at the helm, it will be a high-energy display of clothes, music, and performances.

To score much-coveted tickets, purchase Bench merchandise from Php600 (general admission) to Php2,300 (lower-box invitation). But the items must include one Bench Body Underwear or one pair of OJ Denim.

source: interaksyon.com

Millennials can now have their Polaroid moment

You maybe grew up with one of your Dad’s lying around. You maybe saw your first one in a Madonna movie (Desperately Seeking Susan), or Christopher Nolan’s Memento, or even Stranger Things 2.

We’re talking about the Polaroid, Edwin Land’s innovative self-developing film and camera that first hit the market in the blow-dried, Star Wars year of 1977. Yes, it went off the market finally in 2008, and decades of digital cameras and effects have seemingly pushed aside its quirky allure. But in our social media age, a gazillion Instagrammers have seemingly developed a crush on its imperfect, insta-photo appeal: that white-cornered photo look that not even a bunch of digital filters can replicate.

And now, the Polaroid is back, thanks to The Impossible Project, a company that purchased all of Polaroid Corporation’s film stock and technology when it went bankrupt in ‘08, and has since rebranded itself as Polaroid Originals. It’s an eerily familiar simulation of the original Polaroid experience. That boxy symbol of all things cool and retro-filmy was launched anew in September 2017 as the Polaroid OneStep 2.

Available in white or graphite i-Type models, the new OneStep looks a lot like the classic Polaroid Land Camera 1000, but there are some changes: no longer a slave to chromium batteries, the OneStep 2 comes with a microUSB charger (boasting a 60-day battery life). There’s also an exposure slider and self-timer, a flash (on or off) and an orange LED showing your charge levels. It’s basically the same Polaroid camera as before: an easy-to-use point-and-shoot with a big red button, high-quality zero-to-infinity lens and powerful flash. Sold exclusively at Bratpack stores for now (retailing about P8,900), the Polaroid OneStep 2 also comes with a variety of film options: color and B&W are available for i-Type and vintage 600 type cameras; SX-70 vintage cameras (the more professional line); and vintage Spectra cameras. (A cool development: in addition to offering film that fits even your old Polaroid cameras, the company also offers a refurbishing service to get them up and running.)

As an experiment, Polaroid Originals handed out new cameras to photographer Patrick Diokno, chef and photographer Nicco Santos and lifestyle blogger Ida Anduyan; the results, exhibited at The Gallery in Greenbelt 5, were as unpredictably artsy as their youthful snappers. The B&W shots remind us of the gritty days of Andy Warhol’s Interview magazine, while the color shots have that worn, retro feel we tend to reach for when we hit the “Nashville” filter on Instagram.

Based in the Netherlands and locally in Hong Kong, Polaroid Originals brought its reps James Lao and Cirry Poon to demonstrate some of the functions over lunch at Greenbelt 5’s John & Yoko. Cirry showed how the OneStep spits out a black photo that self-develops in about 10-15 minutes (an improvement over the 30 minutes back in your Dad’s day). Newbies were interested to note that you place the undeveloped photo facedown, so that the chemicals embedded in its reverse side have time to seep into the frame area and — voila! — your image appears. James, formally from the fashion industry, gamely pointed out that with the OneStep 2, you can actually do double exposures: that’s right, by shutting off the camera right after clicking the red button, then turning it back on a few seconds later, you’re ready for a second exposure. But be wary: Polaroid film ain’t cheap, and each shot should be very carefully considered, because there’s no “Delete” button. Just sayin’.

I asked blogger Ida whether she’d tried doing selfies with the OneStep. Not so easy, she admits; there’s no reverse mirror to see what you’re shooting, so it’s best to let a friend take your Polaroid selfie moment. Also, we’re very used to big camera screens showing us what we’re shooting; the OneStep has an old-fashioned eyepiece that you have to look through carefully to frame your shot. (Things in retro land take time, after all.)

For those millennials and Gen-Zs looking for a nostalgia fix, who knows? The unique nature of the Polaroid experience could open up new ways of seeing the world — without filters.

source:  philstar.com