#Amazon Echo Studio

[cutthecrapwireless]

Check out our in-depth Amazon Echo Studio Review

Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (4.5/5)

The Amazon Echo Studio stands out as a premium smart speaker designed for those who value high-quality sound and smart home integration. Packed with advanced audio technology, including Dolby Atmos and 3D audio support, it seeks to deliver an immersive listening experience while offering the convenience of Alexa voice control. This detailed review will explore every facet of the Echo Studio to help you decide if it’s the right smart speaker for your home.

[ofmdrecaps]

11/25-26/2024 Daily OFMD Recap

TLDR: Happy Belated Birthday Kristian!; Taika Waititi; Rachel House & David Fane; Joel Fry; Samson Kayo; Samba Schutte; Vico Ortiz; Anapela Polata'ivao; Guz Khan; Nat Torres; Damien Gerard; Fan Spotlight; Our Flag Means Fanfiction; Never Left Podcast; OFMD Spin the Bottle; Love Notes;

Also delayed due to Tumblr Blip, sorry all! I have some other great news though! The absolute sweetheart @lowrahh has volunteered to join my team to help get Alt Text added to the recaps! She's on the opposite side of the world so we may have some time syncing differences, but she's been helping me the last few days and it's been amazing! Thank you so much @lowrahh! Alrighty, on to the recap!

== Happy (Belated) Birthday Kristian! ==

Happy belated birthday to our dear Wee John-- Kristian Nairn! (11/25/2024) And guess what, he's on Bluesky now!

Source: Kristian Nairn's Instagram

Also, coming soon, is a new track by Kristian and MikeT! - Echo!

Source: Elliptical Sun Instagram

= Taika Waititi =

More interviews with Taika about Interior Chinatown! Silly things like "if you had an entrance song, what would it be?"

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A post shared by Nicki Sun (@nickisun)

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A post shared by GOLD HOUSE (@goldhouseco)

Source: Interior Chinatown Hulu

= Rachel House & David Fane =

Rachel House, our Mary Reed, and our beloved Fang, David Fane were out at the Moana 2 Premiere in Australia! Moana 2 comes out in the US the 27th! Check it out if you can!

Source: ABC Pacific

Just some quick pics of our cast <3

Source: For Your Ref Pod

And David just being adorable.

Source: Awhimai Frasier Instagram

Source: Pere Yonce Instagram

And some silly interview questions at the premiere!

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A post shared by FLAVA (@flavaradio)

Source: Flavaradio

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A post shared by K-Zone (@kzonemag)

Source: Kzonemag

= Joel Fry =

Our dear Frenchie is joining Ncuti Gatwa in the Doctor Who Christmas Special this year!

Source: Adopt Our Crew Bsky

= Samson Kayo =

Samson is going to be in the new Voltron cast along with several other amazing stars!

Source: Amazon MGM Studios and AdoptOurCrew Bsky. and Samson's instagram

= Vico Ortiz =

Our ever busy Jim Jimenez, Vico Ortiz is joining "Reckless Spirits", a short comedy film! There's a crowdfunding effort for getting it going! Any gifts made today through EOD on Thursday, November 28 will be DOUBLED by a match (up to $7,500). Wanna learn more or support it? Check out: https://bit.ly/reckless-giving

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A post shared by vee hua 華婷婷 [fka vivian] (@hellomynameisvee)

Source: Hello My Name is Vee's IG

Some love from a fan of one of Vico's voice acting works!

Source: Vico's Bsky

I believe this has been share before but Vico is out sharing things they've been tagged in so let's post it again! The audio version of Blood City Rollers by V.P. Anderson, Tatiana Hill, and featuring voicework by Vico! Check it out here!

Source: Vico's Bsky

= Samba Schutte =

One of the short films Samba starred in - Best Life - has been nominated for the LA Independent Film Channel Festival for 2024!

Source: Valerie and Chaney IG

= Anapela Polataivao =

In case you haven't cried today, here's Rachel House, sending love to Auntie! (Anapela Polata'ivao)

In other Tinā news, it'll be heading to the 2025 Palm Springs International Film Festival in the World Cinema Now section at select locations between Jan 4-10! To get tickets, visit the Palm Springs Site!

Source: Tinā the Film Instagram

= Guz Khan =

Guz is sending out some love to these bakers!

Source: Guz Khans IG stories

And here's Guz showing off in his sweet ride.

Source: Guz Khan's Threads

= Nat Torres =

Nat Torres, writer extraordinaire, always bringing a smile to our faces <3

Source: Nat's Instagram

= Damien Gerard =

As always, our Father Teach, aka Damien Gerard, one of the coolest cat dads on the web, loves to keep us busy with cat content!

== Fan Spotlight ==

= Our Flag Means Fanfiction =

New mini-episode of Our Flag Means Fanfiction is up! This time covering The "HighSchool Jukebox" Fics by @oatmilktruther! Read by BabyKraken! Check it out here!

Source: Our Flag Means Fanfiction Spotify.

= Never Left Podcast =

A new episode of Never Left is out on your favorite Podcast Platforms! This part 2 of the Flags set-- you can check it out on their linktr.ee!

Source: Never Left Podcast Instagram

= Seven_Sugars Spin the Bottle =

For those of you on Bluesky and Twitter, you may have seen this very fun post by Ashley (aka Seven_Sugars). It's a gif of our cast and a spinning bottle! You just screenshot the gif and it tells you who you get! (I got Lucius which is 100% awesome by me, call me Pete because I love that man). Wanna try it out? Visit Ashley's Bsky!

Source: Seven Sugars Bsky

== Love Notes ==

Hey lovelies! There's definitely been some reminders lately that this time of year isn't the best time for everyone. Remember to be kind to yourself and don't beat yourself up too much ok? Sometimes you do everything right. Sometimes you do your best, you bust your ass, and then shit goes horribly wrong the last second. Whether it's a draft on something fan related, or getting to work on time, or preparing a candid talk with someone or being careful driving on ice, and someone else hitting you from behind. Whatever it is-- life sometimes just does not cooperate with your expectations.

To top it off, that can be very hard if you've already been dealing with so much. It really can. It can seem like.. NOTHING goes right, and like everything is frustrating, and when your cup is already full of nonsense it just starts overflowing.

You know what the good news is? Your cup will slowly drain over time the kinder you are to yourself. Rest helps it drain, love helps it drain, comfort helps it drain so you can have more room for the next thing that happens. Right now it feels like too much because your body and your mind need a break, and you deserve a break. Winter time is normally meant for human beings and animals to hibernate! To recover with the seasons! But now we work all the time, and it can burn us out real fast. Take care of yourselves, take breaks, and if shit goes wrong, keep taking breaks, if you can, until it doesn't feel so hard anymore <3 I hope you all rest this week and have some self-care time off if you have it-- and if you don't, please be safe out there. Thinking of you.

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[hoshiko2000]

So with production for Good Omens Season 3 officially halted, it does look like cancellation may be on the horizon. Because yeah, I really don't think Amazon would 'pause' production on a show this lucrative if there wasn't serious discussions currently going on about 'if' and 'how' it should continue. A production shuffle-up - ie. Neil Gaiman getting booted and new staff being put in charge - is certainly a possibility. But it is important to remember that this will still be a show that is written by him and very intrinsically linked to his brand. And whether fans or studios will still have an appetite for it considering this fact is something that has to be seriously considered.

Basically, what I'm trying to say is that as disappointing as it would be, cancelling Good Omens season 3 may be the hard but right decision. And, frankly, if season 2 is anything to go by, we may not be missing out on too much to be honest.

But on a serious note, I do want to use this news as an opportunity to share my own thoughts on the situation, which I will do under the cut (and as is probably obvious, there are trigger warnings for references to SA).

Despite Neil Gaiman's works being a massive part of my content here on this tumblr - and yes, that is something I am very aware of- I've not posted about the sexual assault allegations up until now for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I'm a working adult in my 30s; tumblr is very much a place I come to chill, I'm far too old (and frankly, tired) to get involved in discourse or heated fandom debates (not that those are the correct terms to use to refer to rape allegations but you catch my drift). But the other reason is that these revelations have honestly devasted me, in a way that I'm still processing and doesn't feel like an exaggeration to describe as grief, a feeling I'm sure is echoed by many other people.

Neil Gaiman's works have been a massive part of my adult life, and while I know it sounds like a cliche, they have gotten me through some incredibly difficult times. Coming to terms with the fact that such beautiful, thoughtful, empathetic novels and series have been written by a rapist has been incredibly difficult.

What has also been incredibly difficult to come to terms with is the fact that the incredible queer representation that has drawn so many of us to his television works in recent years was, in hindsight, indisputably a grooming tactic. And yes, grooming is the right word.

The grooming of communities is not something that is often discussed but is absolutely a thing. Predators groom victims to gain access to them, and they groom the people around both the victim and themselves to make it seem unbelievable when the victim later comes forward. And this can happen parasocially too. In the case of Neil Gaiman, he groomed his fanbase by constructing a calculated image as vocal a LGBT ally, drawing in queer fans and creating a smokescreen of apparent empathy and kindness to cast doubt on the future allegations he likely knew would inevitably catch up with him.

I really want to stress - particularly for younger fans - that no one is stupid or somehow culpable for having been fooled by Gaiman, for having supported his works previously, and for continuing to support his works now. I myself have no intention to leave the fandoms I am already a part of, and I genuinely do not believe anyone is under any sort of pressure or obligation to do so. The separation of the art from the artist is a very tricky subject and not something that can ever be done entirely. And if I'm honest I'm not really sure how to navigate this myself, or what this is going to mean for me in the future.

But to get back to the subject of my blog, yes I am planning to continue reposting content related to Good Omens and Dead Boy Detectives. However the latter differs drastically in that the series was not actually written by Neil Gaiman and is effectively an author-approved spin-off of one of his works. Good Omens on the other hand I have more complicated feelings towards, and at this point I am not sure how I feel about future series being made, with or without Gaiman's involvement.

I'm sorry if this post is a rambling mess, it has taken me a lot of time to build up to being able to share my thoughts, and while there is a lot more I could say I will stop here. But on a closing note, let's just be kind to each other. This situation is awful, lets not make it any worse. Give space for the victims, give space for the fans, and give space to people to continue to enjoy fandom spaces without making assumptions about where they stand on these allegations. It is a hard time, but things will get better, and these fandom spaces will continue to be a positive place for people to exist online. Lets keep it that way.

[rachelillustrates]

My top 7 Faerie stories/worlds atm 🦋

**Note, I am super dupes aware that I haven't read/watched everything, so please feel free to reblog/comment with recommendations!**

Faerie is the pulse of my heart, and my mind/spirit/etc. spends a LOT of time thinking about it, SO here's the most resonant of depictions of the realm/faeries themselves in my current opinion (and why).

(And not in any particular order:)

Elfhame, @hollyblack 's "Folk of the Air" series and all related books

Arda, Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" and all related adaptations

"Suitor Armor" by @thepurpah

Studio Ghibli's take on spirits in Japanese folklore

Brian and Wendy Froud's take on Faerie

"Fraggle Rock"

"Tock the Gnome," by myself!

Thoughts:

(Art by Rovina Cai, from "How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories")

I feel very much that Holly Black gets the lushness and richness of Faerie, plus the trickery of it, and that level of dangerous beauty - what attracts humanity to it, etc. How everything is in extremes, too, but also how parts of it echo the human experience - both in terms of courts, but also in terms of the heart, and the emotional impact of intense circumstances and intense feelings.

I am, admittedly, not all caught up yet since I haven't read her earlier works, but of course I recommend starting with "The Cruel Prince" and reading forward from there (the more recent "Stolen Heir Duology" having an extra special place in my esteem)!

(Also special shoutout to the fact that there are Nisse - Gnomes! - in the recent books, AND that her take on Redcaps is absolutely Orcish 💚)

(Also also, cw: Changelings. They can be a triggering/upsetting subject, considering how our concept of them as humans seems to have come about. She does make pretty heavy use of them, but not in the ways that one might expect, and always from a very emotionally-centered space - not a humans-abusing-potential-fae space.)

So, Tolkien - yes, I am including the world of his works in this because even though he considered them religious and specifically-denominational, he took SO MUCH inspiration from folklore and faerie tales (do not even get me started on what got edited out of "The Silmarillion" istg) that Arda is not wholly Christian, from my Faerie-worshiping queer-ass faerie perspective thankyouverymuch. Not to mention what is being done in fandom with the faerie-races, especially the Dwarves and the Hobbits, AND what recent adaptations are opening up with the Orcs!! Obviously, his take on Faerie is a much more literally-grounded reality - they exist in the Earth-based world (as if Faerie has bled into what we expect Earth to be), they have magic (at least the Elves and Dwarves do) but it's both somehow super ethereal and super physical at once. And divinely connected, since the biggest magic in Middle-earth (or any part of Arda) comes from the lesser Gods - the Valar, and the Maiar who serve under them as well as from Big Sky Daddy Eru, but we're not talking about him right now. So that, to me, really speaks to the spiritual nature of Faerie too - which is always always always personally interesting to me, and Jrrt's take on the fae was absolutely foundational in my budding concept of them, before I even really thought about who they are in a conscious way.

I don't know where to recommend starting, since I got into the world through the Jackson films, first, and I wouldn't change my experience for anything because it's given me SO much. But in fandom, shoutout to the works of @conkers-thecosy (read her fics here!) as well as "A Long List of Happy Endings" by vicious_summer and "The Mushroom Mine" series by @chrononautintraining for Dwarf Stuff - and "Splint" by HelenaMarkos for Orc Stuff. Plus, as much as I know it's divisive, "Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" is - again - doing wonders about the Orcs AND doing very well by the Dwarves too, in my opinion, showing them as a fully realized and thriving people (though Dwarf women should still have beards, Amazon!! And there seems to be some confusion around how the name of Durin functions...)!! Available to stream on Prime, here.

"Suitor Armor" takes place in a world that appears very similar to medieval Earth, and as such the worldbuilding itself doesn't feel very specifically Faerie - yet. However, with the main character having significant ties to the fae, and with the story still having space to explore their culture once the tale takes the characters there, I have faith that we are gonna see more of this take on Faerie specifically soon. In the meantime, what we have seen so far - how faerie magic works, how they relate to each other, etc. - rings true for me, and is lovely to behold, especially in the face of the tragedy around their circumstances in the Big Plot.

Free to read here (and coming to bookshelves in 2025!!).

As for Studio Ghibli - Miyazaki's take on the spirits of Japanese folklore - which are absolutely Faerie - was SO formative for me growing up. I don't have anything else to say about that except that he's right!!

I recommend "Princess Mononoke," "Spirited Away" and "My Neighbor Totoro," particularly. All available to stream on Max right now (but buying physical media is better, and they're very likely available to rent other places, too).

Brian and Wendy Froud's work has, of course, also been absolutely formative for me - especially when I started getting into Faerie properly. Their work doesn't require much commentary either - they're just correct 💗 Nothing I've experienced has ever contradicted what I've read in their books, and I feel like their work really, really gets the energy of the fae and the liminality of their existence. And that there is kindness, and light, as well as danger.

I recommend "Trolls" and "Faeries' Tales," to start with, and of course the quintessential "Faeries" by Brian Froud and Alan Lee, which started it all.

(Also, considering what's below, special honorary shoutout to their work on "The Dark Crystal." Definite overlap there and absolutely counts.)

Obviously there's some crossover with The Muppets here, considering they come from the same studio, BUT if we're looking at just "Fraggle Rock" on its own - absolutely. Though a very different take than those mentioned above, if you're looking for the whimsy and delight at the heart of the fae, the Fraggles have it.

Both the original series and the reboot are currently available to stream on AppleTV.

Okay, and my own! What I'm doing with the world of "Tock the Gnome" is a little bit different - again, we're looking at a realm that isn't free from some of the physical bounds we find on Earth - but in its vast history there is Faerie at its purest, and the characters are on a Big Quest that will be instrumental in restoring the realm to what one would expect of Faerieland (all wrapped up in a body-positive, sapphic-presenting queer romance, btw). My focus is on Gnomes and Orcs, in particular, since the fact that they're also fae is a big part of my message. Recognizing that, as well as recognizing the importance of connectedness between people and the balance of that and personal sovereignty, and how damage to those things might impact the whole of a magical realm.

All pages available to read for free here, across several platforms (with print issues available here).

🦋💗🦋👏👏

[lol-jackles]

What do you think of Jensen's acting dry spell? Do you think he actually has a hard time getting a job right now, or is something else going on? There's no news of any projects with Amazon either, more than a year after signing the acting and producing deal now.

Besides Hollywood contraction that will see half the number of scripted shows and therefore less jobs, unemployment has always been the lifestyle of actors, which is why celebrities have side hustles like cookbooks, wine labels, clothing labels, and hosting podcasts (remind you of certain SPN extras?)

During this downsizing era, big-name actors are a bit desperate and are willing to take lower paying supporting roles just to keep their face out there, further crowding out aspiring and lesser-name actors from getting jobs.

I'm sure most of you are old enough to remember when television used to help talents break into film.  But when streaming came along, it became the reverse.  I've talked about that a few times here about film stars taking jobs away from working tv actors.   I finally got around to watching Marvel’s Echo and Killers of the Flower Moon in the same week.  Both were about Native American communities (Osage and Choctaw) and almost all the actors were recycled hired in both projects.  This brings my next point; a very small group of working actors dominates the tv medium and this has been the case for decades because studios want a certain “known quantity” that is a combination of work ethic with recognition and upward-spiraling visibility.  Jared appears to be well on his way to being part of that small group of working actors that can work both as a lead actor and as a supporting actor in between projects (like Nathan Fillion's supporting gig in Modern Family between his lead role in Castle and The Rookie).  Jensen doesn't appear to have broken into that small group.  

[blogger360ncislarules]

Nearly 70 years ago, Edward R. Murrow famously defined television as being much more than merely wires and lights in a box: “This instrument can teach it can illuminate; yes, and even it can inspire,” he said in a famous 1958 address to the Radio-Television News Directors of Association.

The spirit of Murrow’s vision for the medium was reflected in the conversation held this week at Bel Air Church, which hosted a dinner and screening event for an episode of the Amazon Prime Video series “House of David.” The Biblical-themed series revolves around the story of David and Goliath and the fall of King Saul hails from indie studio the Wonder Project and Amazon MGM Studios.

“House of David” bowed Feb. 17 on Prime Video. The show to date has garnered an audience of more than 22 million viewers, which validates Prime Video’s push to add more shows that directly touch on faith and spirituality issues. The goal is to help expand the boundaries of faith-related programs beyond the traditional stereotype that such shows are G-rated treacle. “House of David” mixes sword-and-sandal costume drama with considerable action and a large cast of supporting characters.

“It was a tremendous reminder that this is indeed something that’s important to a lot of people,” said Brooke Zaugg, executive director of the nonprofit Faith and Media Initiative that advocates for more nuanced portrayals of people of faith in TV and film.

The screening was introduced by Martyn Ford — the towering actor who plays Goliath. Wonder Project founder Jon Erwin, who is the creator, writer and director of “House of David,” greeted the crowd of a few hundred people who gathered March 24 in the church’s sanctuary. Erwin, who could not attend because he was on location shooting, explained his overarching goal with “House of David” and other properties in development at Wonder Project.

“House of David,” which runs eight episodes, is deeply rooted in Bible stories. But it is first and foremost meant to entertain a general audience, and hopefully encourage some viewers to dive deeper into Biblical texts.

“The whole point is to make an entertaining TV series — but it’s not Scripture,” Erwin told the crowd via video. “What we do is like a gigantic billboard pointing to the Bible.” The fact that such a show can reach a broad global audience via platforms such as Prime Video is significant. “It really is a profound moment in our industry,” Erwin said.

After the screening of Episode 1, the leader of Bel Air Church, the Rev. Dr. Drew Sams, gave the glory to Erwin and Co. “I think that was the best sermon that’s ever been preached in this sanctuary,” Sams said of the episode. “And I preach more in this sanctuary than anybody else.”

Pastor Chad Veach and Rabbi Steve Leder, of Los Angeles’ Wilshire Boulevard Temple, echoed Sams’ praise of the show’s handling of the Biblical material. Lines from Scripture are used to great effect but not to the distraction of the narrative. For Veach, it’s a refeshing experience. “Because so much of Scripture has been cheapened in storytelling and becomes a caricature of the actual power of God’s word,” he said.

Traci Blackwell, head of targeted content for Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios, reaffirmed that “House of David” has been embraced by a large and global audience. At a time of great disruption and division, stories that revolve around themes of morality, ethics, equality, human rights and freedoms are more vital than ever, she argued.

“I just think the culture needs this,” Blackwell told the crowd. “We need this, particularly during this time, I think people are looking for hopeful stories. I think they’re looking for stories about God in a way that they don’t feel preached to but understood and seen. And this is a really big attempt on our part to see them, so I just think it’s incredibly important that we tell these stories.”

Blackwell and other panelists agreed that engaging storytelling is key to helping an increasingly secular culture in the U.S. have greater understanding of modern spirituality and faith practices. Blackwell was unapologetic about being on a “mission” to help viewers understand the teachings of Christianity outside of the context of today’s messy partisan politics.

“I personally feel like for the last few years, our faith practice has been a bit co-opted by particularly by politics. The messaging about who God is, who Jesus is and what he stands for is getting really twisted, and messaging about him being a God of love is getting twisted,” Blackwell said. “Part of why I feel like it’s important to do these stories is to reset and remind people who God really truly is and what he’s about. And he’s a God of love, and he’s a God who loves everybody.”

To accomplish that larger goal, however, “House of David” has to connect with viewers as entertainment. It can’t be seen as homework.

“At the end of the day, we need them to do well. This is a business right here. We have to deliver results,” Blackwell said. “I’m on a whole other plane. I need to deliver results, for sure, but I am here to change lives, and I’m here to save them.”

[kylesvariouslistsandstuff]

Wanted to expand a bit on FLOW's historic win at the Oscars earlier this month, and go into how the early 2022 Oscar ceremony for the films of 2021 seemed to kick off this effect concerning both the Oscars and Disney that's been - in some way or another - reverberating through feature animation.

March 2022: The Oscars ceremony happens. Five films are competing for best animated feature of 2021, three of them from Disney (RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON, LUCA, and ENCANTO), one of them an adult docudrama (FLEE), and the last one an innovative CGI picture from Sony (THE MITCHELLS VS. THE MACHINES). The Oscar goes to Disney yet again for ENCANTO, and three actresses who portrayed Disney princesses in live-action remakes presented the nominees in an insulting manner, which prompted A LOT of backlash from the animation industry. It was probably as intense as it was because animation production was one of the few things in the movie industry that could continue going during the early years of the pandemic, thus those movies more or less saved Hollywood's ass during such a period... And that's the thanks they get?

Spring 2022: Disney CEO Bob Chapek initially expresses support for Florida's anti-LGBTQ+ laws, but protest from Disney staffers across all divisions prompts Chapek to roll that back. A lesbian kiss is also re-inserted into LIGHTYEAR, after nearly being taken out of the film.

June 2022: The first Pixar film to hit theaters since the start of the pandemic, LIGHTYEAR, opens solidly but later has terrible legs and bombs at the box office. The film also garners controversy from right-wing outlets over one of the characters, Alisha, being a lesbian.

August 2022: Following the merger of Warner Bros. and Discovery, into Warner Bros. Discovery, new CEO David Zaslav wants to move away from streaming and focus more on theatrical releases. As a result, he and his administration shelve BATGIRL and the animated prequel SCOOB! HOLIDAY HAUNT. What could've been small theatrical releases are now tax write-offs, and can never be legally released. This move sets forth a series of bad precedents for both animation and the entire film industry. He also offloads a few productions that could be released by other distributors, one of them is BATMAN: CAPED CRUSADER, an animated series in the vein of BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES, which Amazon releases instead. Another is a Looney Tunes film called THE DAY THE EARTH BLEW UP.

November 2022: Walt Disney Animation Studios' STRANGE WORLD is released. Backed by an unappealing marketing campaign and killed by unenthusiastic audience response, in addition to right-wing blow-ups over two gay characters in it - Ethan Clade and Diazo, the film is a massive financial flop. Within a week of its release, Bob Chapek is ousted as Disney CEO, and returning is previous CEO Bob Iger. Upon return, Iger echoes David Zaslav, announcing a heavier push for theatrical product over Disney+, as it seems the streaming bubble has burst. This of course would come to affect things later on down the line.

March 2023: The 95th Academy Awards ceremony occurs. This is the first time a Disney-released film doesn't win in four years, the award goes to GUILLERMO DEL TORO'S PINOCCHIO, which was released by Netflix. This is also the first time a stop-motion production has gotten the award in seven years, and the second film ever to get it. It's a Mexican co-production as well, so it's a first for a Mexican film or from any territory (outsourcing not included) that isn't the US, the UK, or Japan.

June 2023: Pixar's ELEMENTAL, the studio's first original film to see a theatrical release since ONWARD, opens softly. This reflects the state of more original/untested animated movies at the box office in a post-outbreak/post-streaming world. However, strong word of mouth carries the film - directed by Peter Sohn, based on his experiences with his immigrant family - past $150m domestically and nearly $500m worldwide. By all means, it's a fairly successful movie given the climate it was released in. Iger and Disney heads seem to consider it a success, too... For now... The press goes from calling it a flop to a "comeback", "underdog" story...

At the end of the month, a film called NIMONA is released on Netflix. This film was originally set to be distributed by Disney, and produced by Blue Sky Studios, whom the company acquired when purchasing 21st Century Fox film/TV assets from the Murdochs. Disney had previously shut down Blue Sky in February 2021, and offloaded NIMONA to another studio to pick up. The film, which features a queer relationship between major characters Ballister Boldheart and Ambrosius Goldenloin in addition to being a transgender allegory (the original webcomic was written by Nate Stevenson, a trans person), is released to great praise.

October 2023: GFM Animation picks up THE DAY THE EARTH BLEW UP: A LOONEY TUNES MOVIE, and intends to partner with a distributor that will give the film a theatrical release. A first for a 2D Looney Tunes movie that isn't a clipshow of previously-released short films (such as A LOONEY LOONEY LOONEY BUGS BUNNY MOVIE).

November 2023: Walt Disney Animation Studios' WISH, featuring a black woman protagonist and positioned as a company centennial picture, is released to poor reviews and equally poor box office. At Warner Bros., the live-action/animated Looney Tunes hybrid COYOTE VS. ACME - which was originally going to be a streaming movie until being bumped up to theatrical release - is to be shelved and turned into a tax write-off, a la BATGIRL and SCOOB! HOLIDAY HAUNT. This is met with much backlash from industry professionals to filmmakers to even politicians. Warner Bros. Discovery ultimately don't write the film off, and put it up for sale thereafter... But to no buyers for a while...

December 2023: Around this time, Bob Iger begins to evaluate what's going wrong with some of Disney's recent releases at the box office. He singles out THE MARVELS, an MCU film that crushed terribly in a year where other superhero films - including MCU entry ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA and four Warner Bros./DC movies - missed the mark. He heavily implied that director Nia DeCosta, a black woman with a solid filmography behind her, was to blame for the film's misfortunes. Iger interestingly did not single out Peyton Reed for QUANTUMANIA's collapse at the box office, nor the other superhero movies directed by white men that flopped that year and more recently. He then makes it clear that the big films going forward will focus less on "messaging", and more on "entertainment". This essentially means not offending conservative/right-wing/MAGA audiences and equally bigoted people around the world.

February 2024: Disney announces that the MOANA series intended for Disney+ had been converted in a feature film, a development that happened at the very last minute. The film was revealed to be WDAS' Thanksgiving 2024 release. It becomes a crunch production, as it's moved from the Vancouver-based unit where it was being made to Burbank.

March 2024: The 96th Academy Awards ceremony occurs. Disney loses yet again, the Hayao Miyazaki film THE BOY AND THE HERON takes home the prize, from distributor GKIDS. Up for nomination was NIMONA, the aforementioned Disney release that got away. Around this time, Pixar CCO Pete Docter begins having interviews in the lead-up to INSIDE OUT 2's release, about the state of Pixar, unusually announcing that more "autobiographical" stories like Domee Shi's TURNING RED and Peter Sohn's ELEMENTAL won't be made going forward at Pixar. ELEMENTAL is now considered a flop by Disney bean counters, as are the three films that went straight to Disney+ during the early years of the pandemic. What's not known at the time is that Docter had become co-director on INSIDE OUT 2, helping director Kelsey Mann redo sections of the film and other things affected by the previous year's writer-actor's strikes. All of that, in order to get the film to the finish line. One of the major changes made to the movie is in the removal of Riley's crush on Val, for fear of right-wing backlash.

June 2024: Pixar's INSIDE OUT 2 is released to solid reception and becomes the highest grossing animated film of all-time.

July 2024: Following the expiration of The Animation Guild's Collective Bargaining Agreement, the animation industry begins to protest, which hints at a strike happening.

August 2024: Ketchup Entertainment picks up North American theatrical distribution rights for THE DAY THE EARTH BLEW UP.

November 2024: MOANA 2 is released to largely passing reviews, but makes over $1b at the worldwide box office.

December 2024: It's revealed that Disney executives forced Pixar to remove a transgender storyline from the studio's original Disney+ series WIN OR LOSE, and it's made clear by this point that the company will fully capitulate to President Trump and his supporters.

January 2025: Chinese animated action sequel NE ZHA 2 becomes the highest grossing animated film of all-time within weeks, 95% of that gross coming just from China. A historic turning point in animation box office...

March 2025: The 97th Academy Awards ceremony occurs. Disney loses for a third time in a row, to the independent low-budget Latvian film FLOW. Disney cancels the Disney+ TIANA animated series, suspiciously after the end of Black History Month, and continues to have box office flops, like a CAPTAIN AMERICA sequel and a remake of the enterprise's first animated feature - SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS. The company further lays down and takes it from MAGA-world, despite internal backlash, and despite rejections of anti-LGBTQIA+ measures from their own shareholders. Ketchup Entertainment releases THE DAY THE EARTH BLEW UP theatrically in North America, and within a week of release, circles to buy COYOTE VS. ACME from Warner Bros.... And did it, on the 31st.

Quite a rise in other animation despite all the corporate fuckery going on, and quite the downfall King Disney are having, eh?

[danikamariewrites]

EVERYTHING I SAY IS MY THEORY AND OPINION NONE OF IT IS FACT!!!

First, this show would be labeled as a Hulu original and I’m not sure which studio would back it. The Hulu Original team is very very small so I’m hoping they bring more than just that team in. Obviously they have Sarah and that other guy (his name is escaping me) so I’m sure they’re fine.

Disney owned 60% of Hulu up until yesterday. They’re buying it in full for like 8 billion which to me is fucking wild since everyone in Hollywood is struggling rn. I thought they were supposed to be selling not buying but that’s above me.

Second, Disney has been saying for years now that they want adult content and buying Fox was supposed to help them with that. I’m not sure they’re ready to make that leap yet. Audiences are so unsure of their usual content like animated movies and marvel. I’m looking forward to Wish but I’m not sure it will live up to be the ‘100 years story’ it’s supposed to be. And if it doesn’t that’s going to be a huge slap in the face and it should be a wake up call.

The only adult content Disney has been actively pushing is the Simpsons. It’s on the D+ banner all the time and it streams on Hulu. Honestly the Simpsons isn’t even that adult I’ve been watching it since I was a kid. Yes it has the inappropriate jokes and stuff but if kids are watching it it’s not that adult. And they have a section in the universal theme park soo…

Ever since Disney bought 20th Century Fox and rebranded it to just 20th Century Studios they have been sticking those movies and shows on Hulu. It would not surprise me if there was never a proper release for 20th Century in theaters again. Unless it’s a big name movie, but even that one with Ana De Armas and Ben Affleck went straight to streaming.

That being said, my theory is that now Disney has full control of Hulu that’s going to be the home for everything Fox/20th Century no matter what. And that Disney will treat it like a black label streaming service if you know what I mean. Like all their stuff they consider not for kids and TV-MA will live there.

I feel like my theory is right given that the trailer for Echo came out today and it’s going to stream on both platforms bc of how violent it is. That’s a good thing to me bc that story needs to be violent and we need the Netflix era marvel vibe back.

But back to ACOTAR, if a studio backs it it’ll probably be 20th Century. And Ik ppl are saying HBO would be a better home for this type of content. I think they can absolutely give ACOTAR a big ass budget bc that’s Disney money. They just have to spend it right.

Streamers like Amazon for example have produced good fantasy/sci-fi stuff with good vfx. I Never thought they could produce The Boys until it came out and the Lord of the rings spin-off.

I think it’s about how they spend the money and what they can give to vfx. Bc of that, Make-up, and costuming will make or break them in the overall visual aspect.

If done right this show can be their game of thrones, and it should be! This is a huge get for them! But that’s my theory, I’m sorry this was so long lol

[axneha]

Amazon deal of the day: Last chance to snag the Kindle Colorsoft at its best price ever

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[blogifixscreens]

Best Smart Speakers of 2025: Which One Should You Buy?

Check out this article to find out some of the best speakers that you can get this year from Google, Sonos and many more!

Buy Now:-

1. Sonos Era 300 - https://amzn.to/41xboYU 2. Amazon Echo Studio (5th Gen) - https://amzn.to/3Fb9nKD 3. Google Nest Hub Max 2 - https://amzn.to/3QNxlOr 4. Apple HomePod (2nd Gen) - https://amzn.to/3Xylwzr 5. Bose Smart Speaker 700 - https://amzn.to/43uRRuP

https://blog.ifixscreens.com/best-smart-speakers/

[andrely]

Today's Amazon deals: Electronics

Kindle Paper white 16GB: 16 % off currently at $134.99

Beats Solo 4: 50% off currently at $99.99

Beats Studio Pro: 49% off currently at $179.99

Amazon echo show 4: 22% off currently at $69.99

Amazon Fire HD 10 Tablet: 32% off currently at $94.99

there are also some laptops and monitors on sale if anyone is interested reach and and I'll make a post about them lol. I'm just trying to do something other than stare at my ceiling atp.

[aaronmaurer]

TV I Liked in 2024

Every year I reflect on the pop culture I enjoyed and put it in some sort of order.

2024 was a year of some great TV and plenty of “mid” TV (you know: perfectly serviceable/proficient, often with a great cast or significant A-Lister attached, but at the end of the day, not really doing much of anything except existing). I recognize that things hit differently for people (i.e. Shogun didn’t really transcend being just a handsome TV product for me beyond a couple excellent performances, although I see its cultural value), but I ultimately found a lot of what I watched to be mostly white noise (or is that TV static?). So the things that stood out shone all the brighter.

14. Echo (Disney+)

2024 may have been a (much needed) reset year for Marvel Studios, but its live-action television offerings are both solid. Echo spins off from Hawkeye by taking the title character back to her roots in Oklahoma as she grapples with her past traumas and Native heritage. Centering a deaf, female POC amputee, the show offers powerful representation, and despite some apparent behind-the-scenes retooling that compressed its initial episode order (mostly felt in occasional rushed stretches toward the end) it works quite well as a character piece and extension of the more “street-level” Marvel world.

13. Girls5eva: Season 3 (Netflix)

The too-short third (and sadly, now final) season of this resurrected comedic masterpiece (after its prior Peacock cancellation) finds the Girls on tour, in just about all the worst places you could imagine to try and mount a buzzy comeback. The goofball energy and mile-a-minute joke pace remain intact, producing a strong and fitting—if premature—send-off.

12. The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: Season 2 (Amazon Prime)

The second season of Amazon’s LOTR without LOTR series probably won’t convert any skeptics, as it is nowhere near as compelling as the first outing overall, sadly. An intriguing premiere gives way to a kind of listless, murky middle (the episode lengths are unnecessarily lengthy); that said, the final 2 installments really stick the landing. It remains one of the most utterly gorgeous productions on television.

11. Conan O’Brien Must Go: Season 1 (Max)

Conan O’Brien’s welcome return to TV screens this year may only have lasted an initial 4 episodes, but he hasn’t missed a beat as his zany and irreverent brand of humor – plus genuine curiosity – pay comedic dividends in this new travel show. Not terribly different in form than his prior Conan Without Borders travel specials, Must Go does involve a conceit of Conan surprising local fans in the countries he visits which adds another level of local flavor and (relative) authenticity to the proceedings.

10. The Diplomat: Season 2 (Netflix)

Coming off a stellar cliffhanger, the second season of this terrific Keri Russell-starrer offers plenty more political intrigue and, well, diplomacy. The show manages to walk a fine line of making a somewhat dry subject engaging and compelling without tipping over into melodrama or implausibility, thanks to both its smart scripts and strong performances.

9. Agatha All Along (Disney+)

Essentially a spin-off sequel to WandaVision, Agatha All Along isn’t quite as singular but still offers a lot of fun genre riffs and compelling performances as Kathryn Hahn’s Agatha Harkness and her makeshift coven journey down the Witches’ Road.

8. Disclaimer* (AppleTV+)

There is no shortage of limited series based on novels kicking around various streaming services these days, and most of them are content to be the equivalent of breezy beach reads with handsome casts and heightened melodrama. Leave it to writer/director Alfonso Cuarón (Children of Men, Gravity, Roma) to simultaneously elevate and comment on the genre with his adaptation of Reneé Knight’s novel of the same. What initially appears to be another cleanly appointed domestic drama full of titillating buried secrets gradually reveals itself to be much more, touching on perspective, revisionism, power dynamics, trust and trauma. Cuaron’s use of long shots remains unparalleled and his employ of varied filmmaking techniques throughout the series instills appropriate tension and intrigue before all the dominoes fall.

7. The Bear: Season 3 (Hulu)

While not The Bear’s strongest outing thus far (perhaps inevitable in that it’s essentially half a season with no real resolution to any arcs), Season 3 still manages to display artistry and humanism that stand apart from the rest of the television landscape. High points include the Malickian visual poetry of the premiere and the Tina-centric flashback “Napkins,” and when those are among your apexes it seems unreasonable to complain about anything.

6. True Detective: Night Country (HBO)

I didn’t follow HBO’s anthology series past its original incarnation, but an infusion of fresh creative talent with Issa López taking the reins make Night Country worth a visit. This tale finds Jodie Foster and Kali Reis as policewomen forming an uneasy alliance to investigate a bewildering (supernatural?) occurrence at an Alaskan research station and its possible ties to the murder of a native female activist. The efficient 6-part series doesn’t overstay its welcome and offers plenty of indelibly haunting images and dream logic appropriate to a setting without daylight.

5. What We Do In The Shadows: Season 6 (FX)

For its final outing, WWDITS continues its unimpeachable streak as one of the most consistently hilarious and outrageous comedies on TV. An appropriately meta and self-referential series finale cements its status as an all-timer.

4. Bad Monkey: Season 1 (AppleTV+)

I’ve never read any Carl Hiaasen so I can’t say whether or not this adaptation of his novel is faithful. I can say I found Bill Lawrence’s production to be an enjoyably dark comedic adventure buoyed by another of his signature great casts, led by Vince Vaughn in his most winning performance in years. Reminiscent of something from Elmore Leonard in the best way.

3. Shrinking: Season 2 (AppleTV+)

I quite liked the first season of Shrinking — it made my list last year — but Season 2 is a gift: warm, engaging and deeply moving. Harrison Ford remains an unexpected comic delight, Jessica Williams continues to be a great hang and co-creator Brett Goldstein shines in a powerful new role, but it is Jason Segal who provides the heartbeat of the show as his strong comedic chops deftly make way for a deep well of dramatic vulnerability.

2. A Man On The Inside: Season 1 (Netflix)

I shouldn’t have doubted a new collaboration between The Good Place creator Michael Schur and star Ted Danson, but initial descriptions of A Man On The Inside (widower goes undercover at a retirement community to try and solve a theft) sounded a little too gimmicky for my taste. I’m so glad I decided to give it a shot anyway because I was treated to one of the most beautifully humane and touching shows of the year. Danson excels in another standout performance and the supporting cast, especially the seniors, are uniformly terrific.

1. Ripley (Netflix)

Steven Zaillian’s adaptation of The Talented Mr. Ripley may initially sound redundant, what with the highly-regarded Anthony Minghella film in existence, yet it quickly establishes its own hypnotic rhythms. My favorite series of the year features stunningly composed black and white cinematography that both alienates and enthralls. There’s a queasy thrill in watching Andrew Scott’s opportunistic sociopath commit his crimes; you almost root for him to succeed, yet does that make you accomplice to deceit, theft & murder? The Caravaggio references are icing on the cake. While a limited series for now, there is hope that perhaps Zaillian and Scott might return for future adaptations of other Ripley novels, a prospect I am fully in favor of.

[techuniversesblogs]

أفضل أنواع السبيكرات: دليل شامل لتجربة صوتية مثالية

في عالم الصوتيات، تعتبر السبيكرات من أهم الأجهزة التي تعزز تجربة الاستماع سواء للموسيقى، الأفلام، أو الألعاب. ومع وجود العديد من الخيارات في السوق، يصبح من الصعب اختيار النوع المثالي الذي يلبي احتياجاتك. في هذا المقال، سنستعرض أفضل أنواع السبيكرات بناءً على الاستخدامات المختلفة، ونقدم نصائح لمساعدتك في اختيار الأفضل.

1. سبيكرات البلوتوث المحمولة: الصوت في كل مكان

لماذا تختارها؟

سبيكرات البلوتوث المحمولة مثالية لمن يبحثون عن المرونة والسهولة في الاستخدام، سواء كنت في المنزل، الحديقة، أو أثناء السفر. أفضل الخيارات:

JBL Charge 5

صوت قوي وواضح.

بطارية تدوم حتى 20 ساعة.

مقاومة للماء بتقنية IP67.

Ultimate Ears BOOM 3

تصميم جذاب ومتين.

صوت 360 درجة لتجربة استماع متكاملة.

مقاومة للصدمات والماء.

2. السبيكرات المنزلية: الجودة الفائقة

لماذا تختارها؟

تتميز السبيكرات المنزلية بالأداء الصوتي القوي والمناسب لغرف المعيشة والمسرح المنزلي. أفضل الخيارات:

Sonos One (Gen 2)

صوت غني وواضح.

متوافقة مع المساعدات الصوتية مثل Alexa وGoogle Assistant.

تصميم مدمج وأنيق.

Bose Home Speaker 500

صوت ستيريو عالي الجودة.

شاشة صغيرة تعرض الأغاني والمعلومات.

دعم البلوتوث وWi-Fi.

3. سبيكرات المسرح المنزلي: تجربة سينمائية في بيتك

لماذا تختارها؟

إذا كنت من عشاق الأفلام والألعاب، فإن سبيكرات المسرح المنزلي تقدم تجربة صوتية غامرة. أفضل الخيارات:

Klipsch Reference Premiere RP-8000F

صوت نقي ومفصل.

تصميم عصري يناسب جميع الديكورات.

أداء ممتاز في الصوتيات العالية والمنخفضة.

Polk Audio T Series 5.1 System

نظام كامل بسعر معقول.

صوت قوي يناسب الأفلام والموسيقى.

تصميم كلاسيكي وأنيق.

4. سبيكرات الألعاب: لأداء صوتي متفوق

لماذا تختارها؟

سبيكرات الألعاب توفر تجربة صوتية دقيقة تساعدك على تحسين أدائك في الألعاب. أفضل الخيارات:

Logitech G560 LIGHTSYNC

إضاءة RGB تفاعلية متزامنة مع الصوت.

صوت جهير قوي وتجربة محيطية غامرة.

دعم DTS:X لتجربة صوتية ثلاثية الأبعاد.

Razer Nommo Pro

جودة صوت فائقة.

تصميم أنيق ومضغوط.

دعم البلوتوث وتطبيق التحكم عبر الهاتف.

5. سبيكرات الاستوديو: لعشاق الصوت الاحترافي

لماذا تختارها؟

إذا كنت تعمل في مجال الموسيقى أو إنتاج الصوت، فإن سبيكرات الاستوديو توفر دقة صوتية مثالية. أفضل الخيارات:

Yamaha HS8

صوت واضح ومتوازن.

تصميم احترافي يناسب استوديوهات التسجيل.

متوافقة مع معظم أجهزة الصوت الاحترافية.

KRK Rokit 5 G4

مثالية لصناع الموسيقى.

توفر تقنية تحليل الصوت في الوقت الفعلي.

تصميم مميز مع ��ضاءة LED جذابة.

6. سبيكرات ذكية: الصوت المتكامل مع الذكاء الاصطناعي

لماذا تختارها؟

السبيكرات الذكية تجمع بين جودة الصوت والمساعدات الصوتية لتسهيل التحكم في الأجهزة المنزلية. أفضل الخيارات:

Amazon Echo Studio

صوت ثلاثي الأبعاد رائع.

متوافقة مع Alexa للتحكم في المنزل الذكي.

تصميم بسيط يناسب أي مكان.

Google Nest Audio

صوت واضح ومتوازن.

متوافقة مع Google Assistant.

تصميم جذاب ومتوفر بألوان متعددة.

7. عوامل يجب مراعاتها عند اختيار السبيكر المناسب

الاستخدام الأساسي: هل تبحث عن سبيكر للموسيقى، الأفلام، الألعاب، أو العمل الاحترافي؟

حجم السبيكر: كبير للمسارح المنزلية أم محمول للرحلات؟

الاتصال: بلوتوث، Wi-Fi، أو الكابلات السلكية؟

التوافق: مع الأجهزة الذكية أو المساعدات الصوتية.

الميزانية: اختر السبيكر الذي يوفر أفضل قيمة مقابل السعر.

 

اختيار السبيكر المثالي يعتمد على احتياجاتك الشخصية وتفضيلاتك. سواء كنت تبحث عن سبيكر صغير وسهل الحمل أو نظام صوتي متكامل، فإن السوق مليء بالخيارات التقنية  المتميزة والتى يمكن الاضطلاع عليها 

[1upm]

Time flows like glaciers or like rapids. Over moments, over memories.

I feel like so much life has passed me by.

I haven’t fought off sharks in the ocean but I’ve raced down Death Roads. I’ve rafted down the Amazon River. I’ve churned sugar cane with tribespeople. I’ve hiked a pilgrimage on the trail of the Incan Sun Gods, surrounded by ruins and the highest altitude lake in the world.

I've ridden donkeys across the pampas and drank and sang with gauchos by firelight. Gotten trapped in blizzards hiking into the Andes.

I’ve had magic happen to me and around me in Paris, living under a windmill, in secret gardens with Alan Watts’ old friends, in secret bars, at secret performances by the river. I’ve watched a wall of fireworks off rooftops in Hong Kong. I’ve sat for dinner and private piano recitals in Havana with leaders of the Cuban government, and swam in the ocean, sleepless, with the first rays of sunlight, godly.

I’ve driven across America, meeting cowboys and drinking with rickshaw drivers, hiking out of darkness and by starlight from atop mountains and out of canyons. I’ve slept and dreamt at the palace from The Sound of Music, watching performances on the same piano Beethoven's father played, while firewood crackled and echoed.

I’ve danced in ancient cellars, and explored abandoned manors by violet twilight. I’ve been chased by fire-breathing demons in a small Spanish village, lay down with an entire crowd to watch them on high wires.

I’ve had the most popular show in South Korea dedicate an episode to me. I’ve fallen in love in a speakeasy in Seoul, and had old fortune-telling machines tell us about it. I’ve ridden waves just below the surface of The Mediterranean. Hiked with Old World sculptors named after Greek philosophers, slept in the studio of an artist-saint in Vienna, and had him tell me about his secret conversations with Rembrandt, and the meaning of chasing the sun.

I've watched, incredulous, as the creator of the Midnight in Paris soundtrack showed up unannounced and played it for us in a small room — at midnight, near the steps themselves. I’ve pulled into Las Vegas on a Friday night, blinding lights rising out of darkness, surrounded by glamour, covered head to toe in desert dust.

I’ve skated the Rideau Canal at 3am, path freshly cleaned and reflecting every dim lantern light, with old friends and no another soul in sight, just our wide swooping strides, blades crackling against ice. I’ve watched triumphant, arms-raised gold medal finishes front row at the Olympics. I’ve been caught in black sky thunderstorms riding the world’s largest tidal bore, and ducked into active lithium mines in the world’s highest city. I’ve gotten stuck in the Bolivian salt flats and slept in a salt hotel. On another continent I’ve played soccer with locals in the world’s most cavernous former communist salt mines 30 stories underground.

I’ve helped paint old cottages on Lake Como, and partied with Paloma Faith and the xx in a rooftop loft in London. I’ve had Keira Knightley stare into my soul. I’ve controlled the lights on top of the Empire State Building, and stood alone on top of the Eiffel tower. Listened to jazz front row in the living room of a Harlem music legend. I’ve hosted five weddings, and been a Best Man twice. I've been in the right place at the right time to wander euphoric, swarming, celebrating streets the night they became NBA, MLB, and World Cup champions, high-fiving strangers. I've schemed with space hotel architects and TED speakers in a 250 year old victorian mansion on Halloween. I've been caught between coyotes and LA riot police, circled by the spotlight of news copters. I created technology and filed a patent to fix the Internet and try to save the world. I raised a million dollars from the first investors in Twitter, media barons — the ones Succession was based on — and White House deputies.

I’ve eaten enough for 5 people just to reveal an old myth in Provence, with a chef literally out of the pages of Peter Mayle. I was a student council president orchestrated through a battle of the bands. I won a national competition not intended for me by predicting the future of work in the year 2040.

I did pushups to save a groom at a Majorcan estate, and closed the dance floor with fire breathers and belly dancers in Marrakech. I’ve heard thunder echo for a whole minute while walls shook. I’ve arrived at an international airport 45 minutes to departure and made it after racing through traffic from a Studio Ghibli island.

I’ve developed black and white film in dark rooms. I’ve been invited to convince one of North America’s top design studios to recreate the metaverse. I’ve been chased by police during G20 riots and hidden in the attic of a pet shop, while an earthquake happened and the caged birds sensed it before we did. I had a ghost touch me. In sleep paralysis a woman quietly and calmly told to me how the rest of my life will go — and when I moved she became static like a radio. I’ve had movie scripts and short stories appear in my mind, fully-formed. I've seen planes float like boats.

I’ve stood in top secret ephemeral factory hangars to critique full scale clay models of cars 5 years before the world knew they existed, stood in towering noise isolation chambers, and hitched a ride with strangers to get home. I've seen machines taken apart piece by piece like a real-world exploded diagram spread over 50 metres in underground halls where phones weren’t allowed, and walked along cavernous factory floors as fully formed vehicles rolled off.

I’ve found myself presenting to Germany’s leading news anchor, and being served a secret pasta recipe by the godmother of the German news service, and touring the New Yorker's headquarters. I’ve packed rooms at the world’s top journalism conferences and had Google executives spy on me.

I’ve had the founder of Second Life make me tell the story of Canadian engineering rings in the Stanford faculty lounge. I’ve had a world class circus juggler, from a touring circus family, try to teach me in MIT’s infinite corridor, and send pins flying millimeters from either side of my head.

I’ve been threatened with jail by crooked State Troopers. I’ve had absinthe out of an ornate crystal fountain in one of Paris’ oldest bars, just as Hemingway did, while the grandmotherly owners sang La Vie En Rose, waltzing with patrons around us — and then watched a drummer transcend in an old dungeon near Notre Dame.

I've found myself partying elbow to elbow with the President of Microsoft at a personal set by Kaskade at a Chalet in Davos, while being served truffle pasta on the dance floor, with a Prince Harry doppelgänger. I’ve read poems from this blog, on stage, at one of New York City’s most revered open mic music and poetry nights — and danced through the streets of Manhattan for hours as part of a silent disco flash mob pub crawl.

I’ve lost a game of Werewolf to the founder of Wikipedia. I’ve had drinks with 3 of the Five Guys. I’ve played a tennis tournament final on the next court over from Federer. I’ve taken a colour sensitivity test at Renault’s design studios. I’ve danced, unprepared, in front of an amphitheater of people wearing a king’s outfit at a historic Korean folk village. I’ve jogged for 10 minutes with wires attached to my chest and then had to hold my breath for a minute while my heart was scanned — and told it was beautiful.

I tried to convince NBA players to give me money. I’ve acted as a tour guide in 3 cities, including for one of America’s dynastic families — because a stranger invited me to their executive box at an NHL game in another city the next day. I’ve had lightning strike the highway in front of me. I had waves crash around me at dusk at Giant’s Causeway, and listened to Enya float over real Irish cheddar while rain battered the windows in Galway. I’ve seen iconic MC rap battles in chip shops in London and partied in hidden rooms behind a sandwich shop in DC.

I’ve hidden postcards from the universe all over the world.

I’m 35. A New year is almost here.

There is so, so, so much more to see and do.

Heartstrings vibrating, eyes smiling.

[jranimator]

How High-Resolution Audio is Revolutionizing Music

Over the past few decades, technology has dramatically transformed the way we listen to music. From the era of vinyl records and cassette tapes to the rise of MP3s and streaming platforms, the demand for better sound quality has remained constant. With the advent of high-resolution (Hi-Res) audio streaming, music lovers now have access to studio-quality sound at their fingertips. Platforms like Spotify hi res are leading this revolution by delivering audio quality that was once only available to audiophiles or professionals in recording studios.

At the same time, features like tools to guess the song by humming make music discovery easier than ever. Similarly, platforms like wynk music in and labels like Azadi Records support both regional and independent artists, helping listeners find diverse music while enjoying superior audio quality.

In this article, we explore how high-resolution audio is revolutionizing the music industry and discuss how new tools, streaming platforms, and innovation are shaping the way we experience sound.

What is High-Resolution Audio?

High-resolution audio, commonly referred to as Hi-Res audio, refers to audio files that offer better sound quality than traditional compressed formats like MP3. While MP3s typically sacrifice audio quality to reduce file size, Hi-Res audio preserves all the details of the original recording, offering richer and more immersive sound. Platforms like Spotify hi res are enabling listeners to experience music as intended by artists and producers.

Hi-Res audio formats often include FLAC, ALAC, WAV, or DSD files, with bit depths and sample rates that exceed standard CD quality. For example:

CD quality: 16-bit/44.1kHz

Hi-Res audio: 24-bit/96kHz or higher

This enhanced fidelity ensures listeners can hear every instrument, background vocal, and subtle nuance of a recording, which are often lost in compressed audio files.

Why Does High-Resolution Audio Matter?

For true music lovers and audiophiles, sound quality makes a significant difference in their listening experience. Hi-Res audio delivers several benefits, such as:

Unparalleled Clarity Hi-Res audio offers an unmatched level of clarity, allowing listeners to pick up the smallest details in a track. Whether it’s a faint guitar riff, the breath of a vocalist, or the echo of a drumbeat, every element is preserved. Platforms like Spotify hi res are making this level of audio quality accessible to all users.

An Immersive Experience Hi-Res audio creates a three-dimensional soundstage that envelops the listener, delivering an experience that feels like being in a live concert or studio session. This is particularly impactful for genres like classical, jazz, and acoustic music.

Better Audio for Modern Devices As technology improves, smartphones, headphones, and speakers now support Hi-Res audio playback. Whether you are streaming your favorite songs on wynk music in or listening on premium headphones, modern devices can reproduce Hi-Res audio with incredible accuracy.

Platforms That Are Embracing High-Res Audio

The demand for Hi-Res audio has led to its adoption by leading music streaming platforms and services. Here are a few notable examples:

Spotify Hi-Res Spotify hi res offers Hi-Res streaming that ensures users experience crystal-clear audio. With their extensive music library, listeners can now enjoy tracks in superior quality across multiple devices.

Apple Music and Amazon Music HD Both Apple Music and Amazon Music HD have also embraced Hi-Res audio, offering lossless streaming options that cater to audiophiles.

Tidal and Qobuz These platforms have long been pioneers in Hi-Res streaming, providing listeners with FLAC and MQA formats that deliver uncompromising sound quality.

Wynk Music for Regional Fans Wynk music in provides a combination of quality streaming and localized content, enabling users to enjoy regional music in clear, high-quality audio.

Enhancing Music Discovery with AI Tools

While Hi-Res audio enhances the listening experience, music discovery tools are equally important for connecting listeners to the tracks they love. Tools that allow you to guess the song by humming are perfect examples of how AI is transforming the music industry. By simply humming a tune, users can quickly identify songs that would otherwise be lost in memory.

These tools are particularly useful when combined with platforms that support Hi-Res audio, ensuring users don’t just discover new music but also enjoy it in pristine quality.

Empowering Independent Artists with Superior Audio

Independent music has seen a tremendous rise, thanks to platforms like Azadi Records. Supporting underground and independent artists, Azadi Records provides a platform for fresh, unique sounds that challenge mainstream music norms. When these artists release music in Hi-Res formats, it helps their tracks stand out by delivering richer, more authentic audio experiences.

This accessibility to Hi-Res streaming gives independent musicians an opportunity to showcase their work in the best possible quality, allowing listeners to hear the intricacies of their craft.

How High-Res Audio Complements Background Music

Music has become an essential part of our daily routines, whether we’re working, relaxing, or exercising. Curated playlists featuring the perfect back music help users stay focused and productive. High-resolution audio enhances these playlists by ensuring listeners enjoy smooth, distraction-free sound that creates the ideal atmosphere for any activity.

Whether it’s calming instrumentals, upbeat rhythms, or ambient sounds, Hi-Res audio adds depth and warmth to back music, making it more immersive and enjoyable.

The Future of High-Resolution Audio

The future of music streaming lies in high-resolution audio as more listeners demand better quality. Innovations in technology, streaming platforms, and AI tools will continue to push the boundaries of what is possible. Key trends to watch include:

Widespread adoption of lossless audio formats across all platforms.

Integration of AI tools to enhance music discovery, like guess the song by humming.

Support for local and independent artists, driven by platforms like wynk music in and labels like Azadi Records.

Conclusion

High-resolution audio is revolutionizing the way we listen to music, offering unmatched sound quality that brings tracks to life. Platforms like Spotify hi res are at the forefront of this change, making studio-quality sound accessible to listeners worldwide. Combined with tools that allow users to guess the song by humming and platforms like wynk music in supporting regional content, the future of music streaming looks brighter than ever.

As more listeners embrace high-resolution audio, artists will continue to create music that sounds better, feels richer, and resonates deeply with audiences. Whether you’re exploring back music for focus or discovering independent talent through Azadi Records, high-res streaming ensures you enjoy music the way it’s meant to be heard.