Category Archives: Tech

Microsoft launches ‘Plasma Bot’ to recruit recovered COVID-19 patients to help treat sick ones

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The antibodies in recovered patients’ blood may be an effective novel coronavirus treatment

Microsoft is launching a self-screening tool for people to check whether they qualify to donate their plasma in the hopes of creating a treatment for those with COVID-19, according to a company blog post. The tool is part of the company’s work with a group called the CoVig-19 Plasma Alliance.

When someone is infected with a virus, their immune system produces antibodies to fight it. Once the infected person recovers, they have these antibodies in their blood.

“The sooner recovered COVID-19 patients donate convalescent plasma, the sooner the Alliance may be able to start manufacturing a potential therapy and begin clinical trials,” according to the post. “These trials will determine if this therapy could treat patients who are at risk for serious complications from COVID-19.”
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Apple employees are reportedly using new, unreleased Apple products at home because of the coronavirus

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It apparently takes a worldwide pandemic for Apple to loosen its notoriously secretive approach: The company is letting engineers take home and work on new versions of major Apple products, according to a new Bloomberg report.

The unreleased Apple products they’re taking home reportedly include everything from the next iPhone, expected to arrive this fall, to the next Apple Watch, which could arrive “as early as this year.”

Apple Park — the sprawling new headquarters Apple opened in 2017 — is home to much of Apple’s product engineering and design. But Apple Park, like many other offices around the world, is currently shut down.

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Coronavirus sleuths say they still see a ‘path forward’ after regulatory snag

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Regulators have blocked the Seattle Flu Study’s guerrilla effort to trace the spread of novel coronavirus, citing ethical concerns, but leaders of the effort say they’re working out an alternate path to continue their investigation.

The Seattle Flu Study was set up last year by leaders in the biomedical community — including the Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine, the University of Washington, the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and Seattle Children’s Hospital — to use genetic tools to study how influenza spreads.

When the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus started spreading like wildfire through China and other countries, the team began analyzing the samples they were receiving for evidence of the virus’ genetic fingerprint. And when evidence was found, the results were sent onward to public health authorities for follow-up. At least one patient in Snohomish County was identified as a coronavirus case thanks to the team’s work.

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“The Dark Crystal: Age Of Resistance” Soundtrack Volumnes 1 & 2 Being Released Friday Aug 30

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The Soundtrack Volumes 1 & 2 for The Jim Henson Company’s fantasy adventure series The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance are being released digitally on Friday, August 30 (the same day as the series launch on Netflix), and on CD and vinyl in the coming months, exclusively through Music.Film Recordings.

Volume 1 of the soundtrack features original music by composer Daniel Pemberton, while Volume 2 consists of tracks by Pemberton and by Samuel Sim.

“I approached the music the same way I approached the filming and the puppetry,” explains executive producer and director Louis Leterrier (Now You See Me, The Incredible Hulk). “I wanted somebody to come on this journey that would be willing to take big risks. I wanted something that was almost tribal. I wanted to hear the strings being plucked and the skin wrapped over the drum. At the same time, I wanted somebody who could write beautiful melodies, understood music, and was a lover of beautiful music. I wanted someone who would approach it in a very organic way and who would tell the story through the score. My search led me to Daniel.”

The 10-episode show is a prequel to the groundbreaking 1982 fan favorite The Dark Crystal, and takes place many years before the events of the film. Leading the voice cast in the series will be Kingsman star Taron Egerton, The Witch actress Anya Taylor-Joy and Game of Thrones’ Nathalie Emmanuel, as ‘Gelfling’ heroes Rian, Brea and Deet. Star Wars’ Mark Hamill, Harry Potter’s Helena Bonham-Carter, Tomb Raider star Alicia Vikander and Outlander’s Caitriona Balfe provide additional voice performances in the new fantasy epic. The series was shot in the U.K., and stars an ensemble of fantastical, state-of-the-art creatures brought to life by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop™ and designed by Brian Froud, the original feature’s conceptual designer.
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“gen:LOCK” First Trailer Released

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By Creative Media Times

Fresh off the success of his recent sports drama, Creed II, Michael B. Jordan is back voicing a pilot character in Rooster Teeth’s upcoming American animated web series “gen:LOCK.”

Set in the dystopian future Earth, the sci-fi mecha anime series follows a diverse team of young pilots. Jordan is a Vanguard pilot Julian Chase, the lead character in the series.

Alongside Jordan are Dakota Fanning as his love interest, Maisie Williams as the youngest recruit of the Gen:Lock program, Asia Kate Dillon, Golshifteh Farahani and David Tennant.

gen:LOCK’s first two episodes is set to premiere on Saturday, January 26 on the Rooster Teeth website (RoosterTeeth.com) and is available on iOS, Android, Xbox One, Apple TV. Memberships start at $4.99 per month.

Here’s the official synopsis:

Fifty years in the future, an oppressive authoritarian force threatens to conquer the world. A daring team is recruited to pilot a new form of weaponized neuroscience that powers devastating mecha, but they must be willing to sacrifice everything to save the world.

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“Infinity War”, “Ready Player One” Lead Noms In Visual Effects Society Awards

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By Creative Media Times

Universal

Visual Effects Society has released their list of nominations for the 17th Annual VES Awards and “Avengers: Infinity War” has received the most nominations, leading the pack with six noms.

The “Incredibles 2” meanwhile, emerged as the main contender in the animated categories with five of its town. On the broadcast categories, Netflix’s “Lost in Space” led the list with six nominations.

The VES Awards is a “yearly celebration that recognizes outstanding visual effects artistry and innovation worldwide in film, animation, television, commercials and video games and the VFX supervisors, VFX producers and hands-on-the-keys artists who bring this work to life.”

The winners are set to be revealed on Feb. 5. Here is the full list of nominees for 17th Annual VES Awards.

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature
Avengers: Infinity War
Christopher Robin
Ready Player One
Solo: A Star Wars Story
Welcome to Marwen

Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature
12 Strong
Bird Box
Bohemian Rhapsody
First Man
Outlaw King

Outstanding Visual Effects in an Animated Feature
Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch
Incredibles 2
Isle of Dogs
Ralph Breaks the Internet
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Episode
Altered Carbon; Out of the Past
Krypton; The Phantom Zone
Lost in Space; Danger, Will Robinson
The Terror; Go For Broke
Westworld; The Passenger
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IMAX Earns $1Billion For The First Time

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By Creative Media Times

The IMAX movie format has reached a new milestone, surpassing the $1 billion mark at the global boxoffice in a single calendar year.

This is the first time the company has reached that mark in its 50-year history. This number was powered by a combination of Hollywood blockbusters as well as various local language films from China, Japan, Korea, Russia and India.

Leading the charge were Hollywood tentpoles such as Disney’s “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Black Panther” as well as Universal Pictures’ “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.”

Recently, “Aquaman” has led the global boxoffice for the third weekend and a great part of its success was the 1,227 IMAX screens which played the film worldwide, including 406 screens in the US. Both of these contributed to $16.4 million gross with a week more to go before 2018 comes to a close.

There’s a total of 1,443 IMAX systems as of September 30, 2018, 1,346 of which were in commercial multiplexes.

Here are top 10 films of 2018 on IMAX at the worldwide box office:
1. Avengers: Infinity War
2. Black Panther
3. Jurassic World
4. Mission: Impossible – Fallout
5. Ready Player One
6. Aquaman
7. Venom
8. Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
9. Ant-Man and the Wasp
10.The Meg

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20 Films In Oscars Visual Effects Race

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By Creative Media Times

Credit: Warner Bros.

20 film advanced in this year’s Oscar visual effects shortlist, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced today.

Later this month, the executive committee of the visual effects branch will release the 10 shortlisted films where the nominees will be selected.

The nominees will be announced on Tuesday, January 22, 2019. The 90th Academy Awards is set to take place March 4, 2019.

Here is the list in alphabetical order:

“Ant-Man and the Wasp”
“Aquaman”
“Avengers: Infinity War”
“Black Panther”
“Bumblebee”
“Christopher Robin”
“Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald”
“First Man”
“Incredibles 2”
“Isle of Dogs”
“Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom”
“Mary Poppins Returns”
“Mission: Impossible – Fallout”
“Mortal Engines”
“The Nutcracker and the Four Realms”
“Paddington 2”
“A Quiet Place”
“Ready Player One”
“Solo: A Star Wars Story”
“Welcome to Marwen”

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Satellite Awards 2018 Nominations

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By Creative Media Times

The International Press Academy (IPA) has announced the nominations for the 23rd annual Satellite Awards, which honors outstanding films, performers, tv shows, home video and interactive media.

IPA is a global media association of domestic and foreign entertainment journalists in print, TV, radio, broadcast, and online outlets; including critics, interviewers, reviewers, bloggers, and photographers.

Winners are set to be handed out on February 17, 2019.

Here is a full list of this year’s Satellite Awards nominations.

Motion Picture, Drama (Major)
Black Panther – Walt Disney
First Man – Universal
Hereditary – A24
If Beale Street Could Talk – Annapurna Pictures
Mary Queen of Scots – Focus Features
Widows – Twentieth Century Fox

Motion Picture (Independent)
BlackKklansman – Focus Features
Eighth Grade – A24
First Reformed – A24
Leave No Trace – Bleecker Street Media
Private Life – Netflix
A Private War – Aviron Pictures

Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical (Major, Independent or International)
Crazy Rich Asians – Warner Bros
The Favourite – Fox Searchlight Pictures
Green Book – Universal Pictures
Mary Poppins Returns – Walt Disney
Nico, 1988 – Magnolia Pictures
A Star is Born – Warner Bros

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Comic Book Icon Stan Lee Dies at 95

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By Creative Media times

Legendary comic-book writer, editor, film executive producer, actor, and publisher passed away at the age of 95, various sources are reporting this morning.

An ambulance was reportedly called to his home at the Hollywood Hills this morning and was rushed to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

Stan Lee’s daughter broke the news about her father’s passing to TMZ.

Lee started as an assistant in 1939 at Timely Comics, the earliest comic book arm of American publisher Martin Goodman. The entity would later be known as Marvel Comics in the 1960s.

Throughout this period, together with other great comic book artists Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, he would create iconic comic book characters such as Spider Man, The Fantastic Four, Daredevil, Black Panther, the X-Men, The Incredible Hulk among many others.

Lee received a National Medal of Arts in 2008 and was inducted into the Will Eisner Award Hall of Fame in 1994.

He has also made cameo appearances in every Marvel movie.

Stan Lee is survived by his daughter Joan Celia “J. C.” Lee.

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