Apex Legends is a huge hit, to say the least. Finally getting the success developer Respawn deserved after Titanfall 2, the sci-fi battle royale shooter has racked up over 50 million players since its surprise […] The post Octane Joins ‘Apex Legends’ in First Season Battle Pass appeared first on Geek.com.

Locals were mystified after a strange “whirlpool hole” in the sky appeared over UAE and Oman this weekend. Images and videos posted to Twitter and Facebook show a large circular patch in the […] The post Strange ‘Whirlpool Hole’ in the Sky Spotted Over UAE and Oman appeared first on Geek.com.

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - An elderly reputed Connecticut mobster who federal authorities believe is the last surviving person of interest in the largest art heist in history has been released from prison and is criticizing federal government officials. Eighty-two-year-old Robert Gentile also maintained Monday that he knows nothing about the ...

PARIS (AP) - French aviation experts see «clear similarities» between Boeing plane crashes by Ethiopian Airlines and Lion Air.

PARIS (AP) - The French civil aviation investigation bureau BEA has concluded there were «clear similarities» between this month's crash of an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 MAX plane and a Lion Air plane crash last October. The French bureau said Monday that black box data from the Ethiopian Airlines flight ...

PARIS (AP) - French PM announces ban on yellow vest protests on Paris' Champs-Elysees avenue following Saturday's rioting.

MILAN (AP) - Low-cost carrier EasyJet says it is pulling out of talks to form a consortium that aimed to take over struggling Alitalia. EasyJet said in a statement Monday that it was withdrawing from the process, which envisioned a deal with Delta Air Lines and the Italian State Railway ...

Portland-based designer Alia Bright creates interlocking text with bright gradient patterns that combine her background in illustration, fine art, and graphic design. The looping letters are formed from paper and glue, and are created with several different weights and stocks to add a visual texture to the graphic presentation. For Bright, the trick to a successful work is finding the sweet spot where the three-dimensional aspect of the paper highlights the lettering, and vice versa. More

Locals were mystified after strange “whirlpool holes” in the sky appeared over UAE and Oman this weekend. Images and videos posted to Twitter and Facebook show a large circular patch in the sky, […] The post Strange ‘Whirlpool Holes’ in the Sky Spotted Over UAE and Oman appeared first on Geek.com.

Although I like my iPad Air a lot, I haven’t upgraded it since the lightweight tablet first launched in 2013. I just think tablets, unlike smartphones and real computers, are luxury items. But […] The post Apple Updates iPad Air, iPad Mini For First Time in Years appeared first on Geek.com.

Following its successful Crew Dragon mission, SpaceX is ready to work on another major project: the Starship, which will have high-tech heat shields. On Sunday, Elon Musk posted a video of a Starship […] The post SpaceX Conducts Fiery Tests for Starship’s Heat Shields appeared first on Geek.com.

LAKE ELSINORE, Calif. (AP) - Overwhelming crowds forced authorities to shut down viewing of a super bloom of poppies on hills around a small Southern California city. The city of Lake Elsinore closed access to Walker Canyon and canceled shuttle service after a massive traffic jam developed Sunday. The city ...

JACKSON, Wyo. (AP) - Officials say grizzly bears are starting to emerge from hibernation in northwest Wyoming. The Jackson Hole News and Guide reports a state Game and Fish Department warden spotted a bear last Friday near the base of Steamboat Mountain - a week after bears were sighted outside ...

MADISON, Wis. (AP) - The state Department of Tourism's new leader says she wants to launch a new marketing campaign to draw visitors to Wisconsin by plane. Tourism Secretary Sara Meaney said in an interview Monday that she wants to use part of the additional $5 million Gov. Tony Evers ...

Marine biologists were stunned to find that a dead male Cuvier’s beaked whale that washed up in the Philippines had ingested more than 80 pounds of plastic bags. The D’Bone Collector Museum in […] The post Dead Whale Found With More Than 80 Pounds of Plastic Bags in Its Stomach appeared first on Geek.com.

Voice assistants have a gender problem. Whether Siri is reciting a recipe, Alexa is describing the weather, or Cortana is outlining your schedule, artificial intelligence is everyone’s Girl Friday. But that may soon […] The post World’s First Genderless Voice Assistant Needs Your Help appeared first on Geek.com.

Marine biologists were stunned to find that a dead male Cuvier’s beaked whale that washed up in the Philippines had ingested more than 80 pounds of plastic bags. The D’Bone Collector Museum in […] The post Dead Whale Found With More Than 80 Pounds of Plastic Bags In Its Stomach appeared first on Geek.com.

NASA recently detected a massive fireball explosion over the Bering Sea and it’s the second largest of its kind in 30 years. The blast, which occurred when a huge space rock exploded in […] The post NASA Detects Giant Meteor Explosion Over Bering Sea appeared first on Geek.com.

The Simpsons has been on for so long that even I’m running out of jokes/complaints about how long The Simpsons has been on. Just a few weeks ago, after the cathartic thrill of […] The post Finally, a ‘Simpsons’ Esports Episode appeared first on Geek.com.

Art Dubai has played a key role in putting the United Arab Emirates on the map as a global art destination. The 2019 edition of the fair, March 20-23 at Madinat Jumeirah, has sections dedicated to Contemporary and Modern art, plus a new section, Bawwaba, “gateway” in Arabic, featuring very recent and site-spe­cific works.The 12th edition of the fair is presenting a Global Art Forum and day-long symposium consist­ing of master classes, as well as screening a commissioned film series, Art Dubai Portraits. The fair is also offering residencies for international artists.To get a sense of Dubai and this year’s fair, we spoke with Pablo del Val, the fair’s artistic director. Del Val previously headed the ZONA MACO art fair in Mexico City and was the founding director of La Conservera Center of Contemporary Art in Murcia, Spain. He told us about where to get Dubai’s best espresso, the English writer and explorer who captured the local imagination, and the necessity of diversifying from the Eurocentric focus of the art world.How long have you been living in Dubai?I moved from Mexico City to Dubai in October 2015 and spend half the year living in Dubai and half living in London.How has the local art scene evolved in the past decade?What’s striking and unique about the local art scene is that it has, to a certain extent, been constructed from the top down. By this I mean: first came the institutions, then the collectors, then the galler­ies. In the UAE, first came the Sharjah Biennial in 1993, followed by commercial galleries and the international-level Art Dubai in 2007. Then last year, the UAE’s first independently-funded muse­um of Contemporary art opened. Currently, Dubai’s art scene is extremely international. You can see exhibitions in galleries from a range of artists, such as German artist Andre Butzer at Carbon 12 or Brazilian artist Ana Mazzei at Green Art Gallery.Who is a favorite local artist or member of the art scene — work­ing right in Dubai, or simply Emirati — you think more people should know?I can’t say just one, so here’s a handful of people that continue to impress me: the artists Mohammed Kazem, Lamya Gargash, and Shaikha Al Manzrou, and the gal­leries The Third Line, Isabelle van den Eynde Gallery, and Lawrie Shabibi.What are your “must-see, can’t-leave-without-checking-out” rec­ommendations for the city?Some of the typical tourist sites are a must. Why? Because if you go to the top floor of [163-story skyscraper] Burj Khalifa you will get the best understanding of how Dubai is mapped out and how it has grown. And the tallest building in the world is a beauty.What is the most misunderstood thing about Dubai?I think the cliche that’s too often bandied about — that Dubai is artificial — lacks an understanding of the city. Yes, it’s a new city, but it has its own soul and vibe, an almost boundless and optimistic energy, and many different areas and neighborhoods to explore.What would be on your agenda if you had a free morning or after­noon in Dubai?For an altogether different pace, I love to head to the creek and hop on an Abra [a traditional boat made of wood]. Dubai explored by water is such a different experi­ence relative to my usual work routine spent whizzing up and down the city’s arterial roads for meetings. I love the architecture in Old Dubai and often discover incredible modernist buildings that I’ve not seen before.What’s the best place for a morning coffee or tea?Without a doubt: Espresso Lab in Dubai Design District. What restaurants would you rec­ommend, and what makes them unique? La Petite Maison in DIFC [Dubai International Financial Centre] because the quality and service never, ever fall short.Where would you head for the best shopping? Satwa; the sheer volume and variety of fabrics are to die for. Choose some fabric and head to one of the many brilliant tailors there to create the outfit of your dreams!What’s an authentic item you could only buy locally or regionally?Something made with Al Sadu weaving, which is handwoven by Bedouin women in the country’s rural communities.What are the ideal spots to see live music?For live music, the acoustics of the Opera House are world-class and I also like the small music sessions that often crop up during the weekend in d3 [Dubai Design District] and on Alserkal Avenue.Where would you recommend people stay when they visit? Jumeirah Al Naseem is one of my newer favorites. Their Japanese-meets-South American pop-up res­taurant is fun and the food is deli­cious.Do you have a favorite book depicting the city or region, or an author who writes about the city or region in an especially evocative way?Edward Said’s “Orientalism” should be on everyone’s book­shelves, and Wilfred Thesiger’s “Arabian Sands.” There’s a great permanent exhibition of the explorer’s photography in Al Jahili Fort, Al Ain — well worth a visit for those coming to Dubai on an extended trip.What makes Art Dubai unique rel­ative to the swell of art fairs?We envision Art Dubai as a unique gathering place where the energies of the Global South (geographical­ly: Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, Central Asia and South Asia) are represented and will cre­ate new dialogues regarding ways of creating and working that are not present in a world mainly dominated by Eurocentric and North American points of view. We believe that there is life beyond the West, and are interested in addressing the Global South beyond the geographical regions previously mentioned. We will be discussing all these concepts and how minorities of those regions interrelate in the world’s main art centers.Is anything at Art Dubai positioned differently relative to past editions?For this year’s edition, we present things in a different way and intro­duce some new elements: every­thing will feel linked and connect­ed, from the gallery halls to the talks and performances. The new layout this year includes the place­ment of Art Dubai Modern within the Contemporary halls to enable a better contextualization between historical movements and the pres­ent. We have converted the space where Modern used to be — Hall 3 in the Mina hotel — into a kind of ‘think-tank’ that will house Campus Art Dubai’s group show, Art Dubai Residents (dedicated this year to Latin America) and new section, UAE Now, which explores the country’s independent local artist-run platforms.What inspired the addition of Bawwaba?Bawwaba is a new section that features 10 solo presentations, showcasing works created within the last year or conceived specifi­cally for the fair. The artists fea­tured are either from, based in, and/or focused on projects about Latin America, the Middle East, Africa and Central and South Asia, and address themes such as global migration, socioeconomic struc­tures and identity through their practice. These themes are globally relevant and are true to our mis­sion as an art fair of diversity and inclusion.How was OPAVIVARA! selected for the Art Dubai Commissions?This year’s Art Dubai Residents focuses on Latin America. Opavivara is a Brazilian collec­tive from Rio de Janeiro, which develops creative interventions in public spaces to propose new ways of using urban space and provide environments encouraging collec­tive experience. Opavivara was the ideal choice to make an organic connection between the different sections of the fair. Their commis­sioned installation, SOLAROCA, consists of a beach-like environ­ment under the shade of an ‘oca’ (a Brazilian indigenous house) and combines a typical Brazilian beach setting with traditional Middle Eastern elements. The work serves as a backdrop for visitors to min­gle, and invites an intercultural dialogue.This story appears in the Art Dubai Newspaper, March 2019 edition. Subscribe at www.blouinsubscriptions.comhttps://www.blouinartinfo.com/              Founder: Louise Blouin 

Constellations is a light-based audio-visual installation by Joanie Lemercier that explores the great expanse of our universe through the presentation of morphing geometric shapes and bright glowing orbs. The three-dimensional light work is projected onto water, which gives it a rippling, holographic effect, further intensified by an electronic soundscape produced by Paul Jebanasam. “It’s an exploration of the stars, constellations and the vastness of the cosmos, suggesting the beauty of geometry, simple and complex structures of the universe,” explains Lemercier. More

Human athletes won’t be the only spectacles at next summer’s Olympic Games. As part of the aptly named Tokyo 2020 Robot Project, the organizing committee introduced a team of androids designed to assist […] The post Tokyo Introduces Support Robots for 2020 Olympics appeared first on Geek.com.

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court is rejecting an appeal from a Hawaii bed and breakfast that wouldn't rent a room to a lesbian couple. The justices on Monday are leaving in place Hawaiian state court rulings that found the Aloha Bed & Breakfast in Honolulu violated Hawaii's anti-discrimination law ...

Guinness World Records certified a gunmetal disc excavated from the wreck site of a Portuguese Armada ship as the earliest known example of a mariner’s astrolabe. Believed to have been made between 1496 […] The post Earliest Known Mariner’s Astrolabe Earns Guinness World Record appeared first on Geek.com.

Tata Accessories Globales that claims to be the world's largest men's and women's belt factory has plans to rapidly expand its footprint and production capacity to meet the growing demand for accessories' top performing category. High margins and fast turns coupled with minimal display space requirements make this classification an attractive opportunity for brands and retailers, stated an official release.Established in mid-80s, Tata embarked on a major expansion in 2018. «Due to our success over the last few years, we are increasing our facility footprint by 30%, nearly doubling our workforce, and exploding our annual production capacity to 18 million belts,» says Rodrigo Toledo, President of Tata Accessories Globales. Tata's customers include many of the largest retailers and brands in the world, according to the release.Tata is an affiliate of Randa Accessories, one of the world's largest fashion accessory companies. As per the release, Tata has invested heavily in state-of-the-art equipment and new technologies that improve quality, speed up production, and reduce costs to meet increasing demand.«Tata provides our retail and brand partners with a competitive advantage,» states Judy Person, EVP & group president of Randa Accessories. «Equally important, Tata provides our consumers with a great product with an amazing price/value proposition.»The company is providing a solution for North American-based retailers, brands and importers seeking to claim the benefits of nearshoring. Manufacturing in Guatemala takes advantage of the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) incorporating no duty or tariffs when imported into the United States, as per the release.This move provides Tata and Randa Accessories partners with a complete end-to-end supply chain for leather goods, increased speed-to-market, unique access to Mexican, Central, and South American tanneries, and reduces supply chain risk, stated the release.Meredith Travers, senior vice-president of Randa Accessories belt division believes, “Belts mean money. Belts are a high turnover, high margin, small footprint classification. In only one square foot of selling space, a store can present belts in many size, and color combinations. Tata is the fastest, highest quality supplier of belts in the world."Tata customers span the globe and include a powerful portfolio of major retailers, importers and international brands. Guatemala-based Tata provides many advantages. Randa is one of the world's largest accessories companies, spanning 11 countries, with a portfolio of 50 brands and over 100 years of experience.Click on the slideshow for a sneak peek at the belt factory      https://www.blouinartinfo.com/              Founder: Louise Blouin