Category: News

Scientific discoveries and technological advancements have always been a double-edged sword. Nuclear fission gave us a powerful source of clean energy and as well as the most destructive weapons humanity has ever seen. The internet gave us unparalleled access to the entire library of human knowledge and also unparalleled exploitation and porn. Social media has connected people around the world in ways previous generations barely dreamed of and also resulted in a toxic online culture that threatens to shred the fabric of society.

Now, after several dozen movies imagining the best and worst-case scenarios, we’re at that fork in the road with Artificial Intelligence. The sudden leap in AI tech hitting the mainstream has us all wondering what comes next. But for all the AI fear and uncertainty, there are some pretty incredible, humanity-boosting ways it is being used that may signal some hope for that future.

For instance, AI is allowing facial expressions to control computers. Case in point: a project inspired by quadriplegic video game streamer Lance Carr, whose rare form of muscular dystrophy only allows him to control his face and head movements. Carr had been using a head-tracking mouse (an expensive piece of accessibility equipment controlled by head movement) for gaming, but after his house caught fire during a livestream on Twitch in 2021, he lost everything.

“Video games are my link to the world,” Carr explained in a video describing the project. “But I had to stop gaming because this house burnt down along with my adaptive equipment.”

Carr got connected with some folks at Google to co-design Project Gameface, a fittingly-named tool that allows users to use facial movements as game controls. Linking several different AI models together, the project uses a mesh of 468 points on your face and converts them into telemetry to make mouse movements and clicks. For instance, raising your eyebrows can make the mouse drag or click and opening your mouth can move the cursor.

The best part is that since the project is open source and only requires a webcam for input, it will be widely accessible to people who want or need to use it. And for those who don’t have full use of their limbs, it may be a game-changer as it has been for Carr.

“Muscular dystrophy takes, and this actually added an ability,” he said. “So it’s the first time I’ve gained something in a physical sense.” He shared that the technology is so precise that he’s able to write his name in cursive using only his face through a webcam.

Watch:

Though Google says it’s still in development, they have made it available for preview through GitHub for people who want to give it a spin and help contribute to its improvement.

The potential dangers of AI may be making people nervous, but let’s be sure not to throw the baby out with the bathwater. In the hands of people who are focused on helping humanity progress wisely and responsibly, AI can be a powerful, life-changing tool that makes people’s lives better.

As Lance Carr said, “My hope is to definitely give this technology to everybody who could use it,” the gamer added. “I just want to make a lot of people’s lives better and easier.”

Here’s to those using ever-advancing technology for good.

One of the most anticipated pop records of the summer is finally on the way. This upcoming Pride Month, Kim Petras will finally drop her debut album, Feed The Beast.

Today (May 23), Petras took to Instagram to share the album’s cover art. On the cover, Petras is seen topless, with her hands covering her breasts. In the background is a mysterious figure, who has a chain wrapped around the Grammy Award winner.

Additionally, Petras has also revealed the album’s tracklist. On the album is her Alice Deejay-sampling Nicki Minaj collaboration, “Alone,” as well as her chart-topping Sam Smith duet, “Unholy.” Fans can also expect a collaboration with Banks.

In an interview with Vice this past February, Petras revealed that she had been working on the album for three years.

“It’s been a transition from being an independent artist to being at a major label now,” she said. “And obviously, life has changed quite a bit since then. I have a wonderful team that really wants me to make my best work. So I’m just excited about people hearing this music – I listen to my own music all the time, it’s so lame, but it’s gonna be really really fun.”

You can see the cover art and tracklist below.

1. “Feed The Beast”
2. “Alone” Feat. Nicki Minaj
3. “King Of Hearts”
4. “Thousand Pieces”
5. “UhOh”
6. “Revelations”
7. “Bait” Feat. Banks
8. “Sex Talk”
9. “Hit It From The Back”
10. “Claws”
11. “Minute”
12. “Coconuts”
13. “Castle In The Sky”
14. “Brrr”
15. “Unholy” Feat. Sam Smith

Feed The Beast is out 6/23 via Republic. Find more information here.

James Cromwell made a surprise appearance in the penultimate episode of Succession, and in those few short minutes, Cromwell effortlessly delivered a powerhouse performance that easily stood toe-to-toe with Kieran Culkin‘s Emmy-worthy breakdown. Heck, it fueled it.

While Cromwell’s presence this season has been practically non-existent, he has appeared more frequently in the past as Ewan Roy, the environmentalist brother of Brian Cox’s Logan Roy. (Ewan is also the grandfather of Greg, who he’s basically disinherited.) It’s that familial connection that brought Ewan back into the fold as he shoved off the protests of the Roy siblings and took the podium at Logan’s funeral to deliver a barn-burner of a speech.

Ewan’s eulogy was so powerful that it reduced the previously confident Roman Roy to a weeping mess who couldn’t even say the first line of his own eulogy before falling apart in front of the entire cathedral. It was a knockout performance by Cromwell, who has immediately capitalized on the buzz to pressure studios to meet the demands of the writers’ strike.

“I got to a give a brilliant speech recently, which not only explicated my and my brother’s characters, it illuminated an entire narrative,” Cromwell tweeted. “This is what great writers do. And they need to be compensated in accordance with their contribution. At the very least, they need to be able to provide for themselves and their families.”

“In this era of corporate greed and union busting, management seems to hold all the cards,” the veteran actor wrote. “Except for the most important ones: Unity; Solidarity; Fraternity. All of us win when the writers win. And we will win. Union! Strike!”

Of course, Cromwell is no stranger to activism. Last year, he super-glued his hand to a Starbucks counter to protest the “greedy” company for allegedly over-charging customers for vegan milk. While Cromwell has yet to adhere himself to any surfaces for the writers’ strike, one can only hope that he’ll duct tape himself to Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav. It could happen.

(Via James Cromwell on Twitter)

Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre​ sounds intriguing enough on its own as a title. If you knew nothing else, you might be tempted to check it out, but when one considers that this is a Guy Ritchie movie starring Jason Statham, Aubrey Plaza, Josh Hartnett, and Hugh Grant, then the deal is sealed. Still, it’s mind-blowing to consider how long we have waited for this movie. Anticipation has been riding high since 2021 with a full-on trailer surfacing, and then… nothing.

Finally, the movie arrived in theaters as of March 2023, and audiences could finally see all the fuss about red-carpet force Aubrey Plaza slapping tush with Jason Statham. When can you finally stream the film at home, though?

The film is currently available to watch On Demand and on a pay-per-view basis via Amazon Prime Video, Roku, and the like. However, no updates have materialized as of yet on whether the movie will land in any streaming service libraries. Obviously, it will likely soar up the streaming charts once this happens, but understandably, Lionsgate will want to recoup some dollars via PPV, especially after such a long delay before hitting theaters.

Whatever the case, the wait will be worth it to see Statham star as a character who is actually named Orson Fortune. He is tasked with halting the sale of potentially devastating arms technology before it can do said devastating. Also, Aubrey Plaza and Hugh Grant in the same movie is undoubtedly worth the price of admission.

The Houston Rockets enter this offseason with a lot of cap space (north of $60 million), a new head coach in Ime Udoka, and a need to take some strides forward after three straight seasons near the bottom of the NBA standings.

For months, James Harden returning to Houston has been a topic of conversation, with reports of there being very real interest from both sides in a reunion. Still, Houston needs a lot more than just Harden to vault into the West playoff picture, and they’ll need to add talent throughout the roster to do so. Luckily, they have lots of money to make a splash, but as for who could end up being the recipient of all that money, The Athletic’s Kelly Iko has a long list of names they’re considering.

Former franchise player and current 76ers guard James Harden is the top target for Houston in free agency, according to league sources, representing the veteran leadership and elite point guard needed to establish structure and offensive cohesion. Outside of Harden, other high-ranking targets for Houston include Brook Lopez, Dillon Brooks and restricted free agents Cam Johnson and Austin Reaves, league sources said. They also said acquiring a veteran point guard is Houston’s primary objective, meaning even if a move for Harden didn’t materialize, names like Mike Conley, Jordan Clarkson, Donte DiVincenzo and even former Rockets player Chris Paul could be considered should they become available.

That is a lot of names at just about every possible position, so good luck figuring out what Houston’s actual plan is other than “bring in some better players.” You have bigs, 3-and-D wings, point guards, defensive specialists, and scoring guards all on the list, which makes sense because Houston could use literally everything to make their roster better.

Personally, I don’t think that initial list casts a wide enough net, so here are some other free agents and potential free agents they may just consider:

Kyrie Irving
Khris Middleton
D’Angelo Russell
Kevin Love
Nikola Vucevic
Draymond Green
Fred VanVleet
Kristaps Porzingis
Russell Westbrook
Harrison Barnes
Jerami Grant
Caris LeVert
Gary Trent Jr.
Will Barton
Christian Wood (actually, probably not Christian Wood)
Kyle Kuzma
Josh Hart
Kelly Oubre Jr.
Josh Richardson
Dwight Powell
Talen Horton-Tucker
Jae Crowder
Dario Saric
Jakob Poeltl
Mason Plumlee
Seth Curry
Bruce Brown
Danilo Gallinari
Joe Ingles
Lonnie Walker IV
Rudy Gay
Coby White
Jaxson Hayes
Hamidou Diallo
Kendrick Nunn
Rui Hachimura
Cory Joseph
Torrey Craig
Cam Reddish
Jeff Green
Danuel House Jr.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker
Georges Niang
George Hill
Alex Len
Justise Winslow
Terence Davis
Matisse Thybulle
Max Strus
Jalen McDaniels
Naz Reid
Gabe Vincent
Shake Milton
PJ Washington
Grant Williams
Robin Lopez
Blake Griffin
Bismack Biyombo
Markieff Morris
Austin Rivers
Wesley Matthews
DeAndre Jordan
Dennis Schröder
T.J. Warren
JaMychal Green
Jevon Carter
Dennis Smith Jr.
Damion Lee
Thomas Bryant
Yuta Watanabe
Josh Okogie
Troy Brown Jr.

Just to name a few.

Stevie Nicks shared a handwritten, heart-wrenching note to Christine McVie upon news of the longtime Fleetwood Mac member’s death at 79 years old on November 30. Nicks called McVie her “best friend in the whole world since the first day of 1975,” so of course, she continues to honor her.

Nicks performed at State Farm Arena in Atlanta on Tuesday night, May 22, and took time out of her set to acknowledge Taylor Swift’s role in helping her grieve McVie.

“Thank you to Taylor Swift for doing [inaudible] for me, and that is writing a song called ‘You’re On Your Own, Kid,’” Nicks told a screaming crowd (as captured by fan videos). “That is the sadness of how I feel. As long as Chris was even on the other side of the world — we didn’t have to talk on the phone. We really weren’t phone buddies. […] And then we’d go back to Fleetwood Mac, and we’d walk in, and it would just be like, ‘Hey, little sister, how are you?’”

She continued, “It was like never a minute had passed. Never an argument in our entire 47 years. Never. So, when it was the two of us, the two of us were on our own, kids. We always were. And now, I’m having to learn to be on my own, kid, by myself. You help me to do that. So, thank you. Thank you. I love you.”

“You’re On Your Own, Kid” received the coveted fifth-track position on the tracklist of Swift’s Midnights from last October. Swift is currently on her own The Eras Tour, and she performed “You’re On Your Own, Kid” as one of her surprise songs at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on April 14 (as chronicled by Billboard).

In early April, McVie’s reported cause of death was revealed to be “an ischaemic stroke” following a “metastatic malignancy of unknown primary origin” diagnosis.

Summer is practically in full swing, as May comes to a close this week. The pop world is taking notice, dropping some dance-ready hits — perfect for getting out and just letting every worry go. If you’re not in a hot girl summer type of mood, there’s also some romantic inclusions that were released this week.

Continue scrolling for Uproxx’s Best New Pop roundup.

Bad Bunny — “Where She Goes”

Following Bad Bunny’s public outings with rumored girlfriend Kendall Jenner, many fans had wondered if “Where She Goes” would be about her. Thankfully, it doesn’t seem like it, as he finds himself reflecting on a brief connection with a past lover.

Kesha — “Hate Me Harder”

“If hating me helps you love yourself / Do your worst, baby, gimme hell / Hate me harder / Hate me harder / There’s nothing left that I haven’t heard / And I can take it, so make it hurt / Hate me harder / Hate me harder,” Kesha sings on one of the Rick Rubin-produced standout tracks from her new album, Gag Order.

Lewis Capaldi — “Haven’t You Ever Been In Love Before”

Over the past few years, Lewis Capaldi has been embracing writing love songs, with his latest being another example. “I never expected to be bombarded with beautiful couples sharing exceptional moments together. But it is nice to see some stuff that isn’t doom and gloom. And even though it does make me feel doom and gloom looking at it, I think it’s nice to celebrate being in love,” Capaldi previously said.

Lana Del Rey — “Say Yes To Heaven”

Years after Lana Del Rey’s demo of “Say Yes To Heaven” was a niche fan favorite from her vault, a TikTok resurgence of popularity prompted her to give it an official release. The dreamy track finds her hoping that a love interest will accept her as she is.

Conan Gray — “Never Ending Song”

Conan Gray is jumpstarting his new era with “Never Ending Song.” Produced by the legendary Max Martin, the song builds upon ‘80s-inspired synths to pull listeners in with a brilliant instrumental.

Chappell Roan — “Red Wine Supernova”

“I needed a campy gay girl song that captured the magic of having feelings for another girl. I packed the song with fun raunchy lyrics that make it feel like a night out flirting with the girl across the bar!” Roan said about “Red Wine Supernova.”

Zara Larsson — “End Of Time”

“I love the melodies,” Larsson told Uproxx about her new single. “I love that it feels big, but it feels like a classic song. And in a way, it’s danceable, it’s pop, and it’s just like a very existential love song about wanting to love somebody until the very end of time.”

Anne-Marie, Shania Twain — “Unhealthy”

Anne-Marie recruited the legendary Shania Twain to collaborate on her “Unhealthy” song, simply through an Instagram DM. The result works wonderfully, as the duo detail a toxic-but-addictive relationship. “All my friends, they say that you’re bad for me,” Anne-Marie sings.

Kelly Clarkson — “Favorite Kind Of High”

Ahead of Kelly Clarkson’s new album, the pop star has given fans another preview with “Favorite Kind Of High.” It finds her, after a public divorce dispute, taking in all the new feelings that falling for someone new brings.

Kylie Minogue — “Padam Padam”

Kylie Minogue’s “Padam Padam” has been inescapable on Twitter, as fans have turned the tune’s title into various memes to pay tribute to the pop queen — who, of course, returned with another hit in the making.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Yesterday (May 22), HBO’s upcoming series The Idol premiered at Cannes. Attendees got to view the first two of the upcoming six episodes of the Sam Levinson and The Weeknd-helmed series, which is set to premiere next month.

While anticipation is high for the series — which is said to tell the story of a pop star named Jocelyn (Lily Rose Depp) who falls in love with a cult leader named Tedros (Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye) — the show appears to have been panned by critics. We’ll spare some of the more graphic details, but we’ve included portions of some of the reviews below.

Rolling Stone, who published an exposé about the show’s allegedly harsh production conditions, said that The Idol was even more scandalous than they imagined.

“The double-dose the festival screened felt nasty, brutish, much longer than it is, and way, way worse than you’d have anticipated,” read the review.

Variety described The Idol as a “sordid male fantasy” and said the show’s script “seems calculated to fool audiences into thinking they’re observing how Hollywood operates, when so much of it amounts to tawdry clichés lifted from Sidney Sheldon novels and softcore porn.”

The Hollywood Reporter called The Idol “an HBO series that’s more regressive than transgressive.”

Following the Cannes screening, the series has debuted with a 20 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

The Idol premieres on 6/4 on HBO and will be available to stream on Max.

You might have read The Color Purple at some point in your life, but you’ve never seen an on-screen musical based on the stage production that was based on the original novel before, right? Well, soon you will be able to do just that! The latest adaptation of the Alice Walker tale comes from an A-list team of producers including Steven Spielberg, Quincy Jones, Scott Sanders, and Oprah Winfrey, so it is sure to be a certified classic. Black Is King director Blitz Bazawule directed the latest version, which will head to theaters this holiday season.

Even if you know the story, the latest adaptation is expected to be a captivating new take on the beloved novel. Singer Fantasia is stepping back into the role of Cellie, which she played on Broadway in 2007, for another heart-wrenching tale of sisterhood, strength, and some powerful songs. Here is what we know so far.

Plot

Based on the novel of the same name, The Color Purple tells the coming-of-age story of a young African-American woman named Celie Harris in the American South during the early 20th century. After being separated from her sister, Celie is forced to make her own way in the world. This adaptation will include songs from the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, which ran from 2005 to 2008, then returned in 2015 until 2017.

Cast

The star-studded cast includes Fantasia Barrino as Celie Harris, while young Celie will be played by Phylicia Mpasi. Celie’s sister Nettie is played by singer Ciara, while her younger counterpart will be portrayed by Halle Bailey. Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks, Colman Domingo, H.E.R., Corey Hawkins, David Alan Grier, and Jon Batiste also round out the cast.

Release Date

The movie will hit theaters on Christmas Day, December 25th, 2023.

Trailer

Check out the trailer below:

If you had a spare $100,000 burning a hole in your pocket, how would you spend on it? Maybe you’d take a vacation, or pay off your credit card debt, or bid on this Taylor Swift handwritten chai cookie recipe on eBay (this is what I would do). I know one thing you wouldn’t do with that $100,000: spend it on some chapstick — unless you’re Marjorie Taylor Greene.

“During GOP conference today, House Rs did about a 15-min fundraising auction for chapstick used by Speaker McCarthy. The winner: Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), whose winning bid was $100,000, her Spox confirms to me,” Politico reporter Olivia Beavers tweeted. The median household salary in Taylor Greene’s home state of Georgia is $65,030, but this was a real once-in-a-lifetime opportunity (to own someone else’s secondhand lip grease).

It’s not like Republicans have anything better to do, with their time or money.

President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy could not reach an agreement Monday on how to raise the U.S. government’s $31.4 trillion debt ceiling with just 10 days before a possible default that could sink the U.S. economy, but vowed to keep talking.

“They doing this insane chapstick shit while the country teeters on default. Wild,” Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) tweeted about the auction, while Rep. Jennifer McClellan (D-VA) added, “MAGA Republicans are paying $100,000 for Speaker McCarthy’s chapstick while holding Social Security checks and retirement benefits hostage unless we cut food benefits for seniors, Medicaid funding, and childcare/preschool for low-income Americans.”

Others agreed about the GOP’s priorities.