#17talks

Louis Vuitton x NIGO’s Second Collaboration Arrives Online

After teasing the release late last week, Louis Vuitton & NIGO’s second collaborative offering recently arrived online via the Louis Vuitton store and is now available for purchase. Serving as a celebration of the Japanese designer’s heritage while simultaneously exploring the duo’s cultural roots; the pre-spring 2022 collection delivers a slew of expectedly elevated wares ranging from apparel to jewellery, footwear, and accessories with signature detailings such as the house monogram, duck motif, and iconography featured throughout. Check out some shots of what’s on offer below and shop your favourites via the Louis Vuitton website now.

The World's First USB-C iPhone Is Currently Going for $100,000 USD on eBay

Despite ever-increasing demand from fans, Apple has yet to create an iPhone with a USB-C charging port, and so robotics engineer Ken Pillonel decided to just build his own, and the final product is now worth at least $100,000 USD. Posting the entire modification process up on YouTube, the master’s degree student showcased exactly how he went about swapping the usual proprietary Apple Lightning port with a universal USB-C port instead, giving you a full breakdown of the phone’s internals and how you can make one yourself. After completing the build and having it featured all across the Internet, Pillonel listed the USB-C iPhone X for auction over on eBay. While he started by just asking for $1 USD, it’s now sitting at a whopping $100,100 USD with six more days to go. Despite the incredible price tag, there are still a few conditions attached to purchasing the device. Pillonel says that you’ll have to promise not to open it or use it as a daily phone, though he never provided why that is the case aside from saying that it’s still a prototype and suggesting that it may break easily. If you’re interested in bidding for the special iPhone X yourself, you can head over to its eBay listing.

Video: Drake – Knife Talk ft. 21 Savage & Project Pat

Netflix To Make iOS Games Available on Apple's App Store

Netflix has recently begun offering mobile games on Android. As the rollout for its games begins, iOS players are wondering when Netflix will bring them to the Apple platform. Apple’s policies are notoriously tedious for gaming services and it is no different for Netflix to try to enter into the App Store. In a recent newsletter, Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman said has claimed that he has seen the code for these games that indicate that Netflix is planning on releasing mobile games “individually” for iOS on the Apple App Store. Though that’s the case, it seems as though the streaming giant’s own app will only serve as a gaming gateway. Gurman confirmed that iOS users will not be able to download or play on the Netflix app itself. The main Netflix app still offers the full game catalog, however, when launching the app, the game will take users to a separate page. Netflix is sure to make compromises in order to bring their games to Apple’s platform. Apple requires all games that want to be on the App Store to go through an individual screening process. As Netflix finds itself more reliant on the App Store for their games to be accessible to iOS users, the rivalry between both companies becomes more evident. The two are direct competitors across video streaming and now gaming. It is uncertain whether or not Apple will consider making concessions to allow Netflix to launch their games on the iOS store.

Rihanna's Fenty Beauty Is Giving Riot Games a Makeover

Rihanna's Fenty Beauty is now an official partner of Riot Games, the developer behind League of Legends. According to a press release, Fenty Beauty will "curate beauty looks across Riot Games and content, aiming to highlight the multifaceted and diverse beauty landscape that celebrates beauty in all of its forms — including animation." The partnership officially kicks off with the premiere of Arcane — the Netflix series based on League of Legends — on November 6 at 10 p.m. EST. It's not entirely clear how the partnership will manifest in the show, though its trailer shows several characters wearing makeup such as gold eyeliner and smoky eyeshadow. Ostensibly, Fenty Beauty helped develop these looks. Fenty Beauty's step into gaming opens the door for a virtually endless number of team-ups. Given that makeup often serves as a character-defining feature, the brand could play a hugely important role in bringing the look of video game avatars to the next level. The partnership also opens to door for Fenty Beauty NFTs, which could take the shape of digital makeup "skins" that players can purchase and subsequently use for their characters in specific games. Fenty Beauty might even venture into makeup collections inspired by Riot Games titles (a League of Legends eyeshadow palette, perhaps?). This isn't the first time a beauty brand has partnered with gaming company. In 2020, Gillette Venus launched a campaign titled "My Skin. My Way" on Animal Crossing: New Horizons. The razor purveyor offered a series of downloadable avatar customization options including stretch marks, tattoos, freckles, and acne. Similarly, MAC Cosmetics worked with EA Games to release 12 makeup looks for the Sims 4. Fenty Beauty x Riot Games is cool and all, but Rihanna: when are we getting new music?!

Ronnie Fieg Teases a “Daytona” New Balance 990v3

Ronnie Fieg posted a gallery of photos giving his followers a behind-the-scenes look at Kith’s Fall/Winter 2021 collection, but it was a sneaker that was on the Kith founder’s feet in slides 3 and 9 that caught the attention of most sneakerheads. While Fieg rocked a pair of “Genesis” Kith x New Balance 990v3s in the first image, he was photographed wearing a pair of unreleased “Daytona” 990v3s in the others. This prompted several of his followers to make note of the shoe in the comments and has people thinking (read: hoping) that they will be released at some point in the near future. The “Daytona” colorway was initially used on a pair of New Balance 1600s in 2013, which dropped on Black Friday and were inspired by Fieg family holidays in Daytona Beach, Florida. The color scheme quickly became one of Fieg and Kith’s most popular, as it dropped during the era of solid, contrasting toe boxes. New Balance is currently bringing back various older 990 models in the run-up to the v6 dropping next year, and has already collaborated with the likes of Bodega, Joe FreshGoods, Kith, and Levi’s on the 990v3. Adding another pair by Ronnie Fieg to the list would make sense, though it’s also just as likely that this pair is one of many samples that Fieg has in his collection. Take a look at the sneaker above and stay tuned for more information as we get it.

Summer Walker's 'Still Over It' Projected to Hold Biggest Debut by R&B Female Artist Since Beyoncé's 'Lemonade'

Summer Walker‘s sophomore effort Still Over It is set to open at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. According to HITS Daily Double, the 20-track record is projected to earn 185,000 to 210,000 in equivalent album sales in its first week, including 9,000 to 12,000 in album sales and around 225 million to 250 million on-demand audio streams. If forecasts are correct, Still Over It will not only earn Walker her first No. 1 but will also hold the record for the largest debut by a female R&B artist since Beyoncé’s Lemonade in 2016. Still Over It featyres guest appearances from the likes of Cardi B on “Bitter,” JT From City Girls on “Ex For A Reason,” SZA on “No Love,” Ari Lennox on “Unloyal,” Lil Durk on “Toxic,” Pharrell and the Neptunes on “Dat Right There,” Omarion on “Screwin” and Ciara on “Ciara’s Prayer.” In a message to Apple Music, Walker wrote, “Take this opportunity to learn from my mistakes. You don’t have to guess if something is love. Love is shown through actions. Stop making excuses for people who don’t show up for you. Don’t ignore the red flags. And don’t think you have to stay somewhere ’cause you can’t find better—you can and you will. Don’t settle for less—you don’t deserve it and neither does your family.”

Supreme x Tiffany & Co. Fall 2021 Collaboration

Following the drop of its JUNYA WATANABE COMME des GARÇONS MAN team-up, Supreme is continuing its major collaboration series, returning with the highly-anticipated collaborative range with Tiffany & Co. for Fall 2021. Teased late last week, the now fully unveiled “Return to Tiffany®” collection is inspired by pieces originally launched in the 1960s. The collaboration is comprised of a Heart Tag Pendant, Oval Tag Pearl Necklace, Star Bracelet, Heart Tag Stud Earrings, Heart Knife Key Ring, Oval Tag Keyring and accompanying T-shirt. The main design of the “Return to Tiffany®” collection features “PLEASE RETURN TO” arched at the top with Supreme’s box logo branding directly below, underscored by text celebrating both brands’ “NEW YORK” roots and “925” marking Tiffany’s silver alloy. Each jewelry piece is crafted of sterling silver in-line with Tiffany & Co. releases, and the Oval Tag Pearl Necklace features freshwater cultured pearls. While the accompanying T-shirt is a take on Supreme’s classic box logo design in Tiffany blue with “Supreme” in contrast white and Tiffany & Co.’s signature branding on the back. The Supreme x Tiffany & Co. Fall 2021 collaboration will see a global release, available via the streetwear imprint’s website on November 11, 11 a.m. EDT in the United States and November 13, 11 a.m. JST in Japan.  

Here Are Mark Zuckerberg's Ambitious Plans for Building Out the Metaverse

Meta, the newly-named parent company of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Oculus, has unveiled its plans for the next stage of the internet. CEO Mark Zuckerberg said during his keynote presentation at Facebook’s Connect conference on Thursday that the company now considers itself to be “metaverse-first” and detailed its ambitious plans for building out the metaverse — a social, 3D virtual space where people from around the world can connect. “As we move beyond what’s possible today, beyond the constraints of screens, beyond the limits of distance and physics, and towards a future where everyone can be present with each other, create new opportunities and experience new things,” he explained. “It is a future that is beyond any one company and that will be made by all of us.” So what exactly is Facebook’s roadmap for creating the metaverse and what are the company’s next steps? Facebook plans to spend $10 billion USD on developing tech for its metaverse expansion Facebook said in its third-quarter earnings report that it expects to spend about $10 billion USD investing in its metaverse expansion and is committed to increasing investments over the next several years. As part of this expansion, Facebook said that it would be separating the financial results of the Facebook Reality Labs (FRL) — its virtual and augmented reality research and development arm — beginning in Q4. Under the new structure, Facebook will release the revenue and operating profit of its apps, including Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp, in one report and updates on FRL in a second report. Facebook referred to the metaverse as ‘the next evolution’ of social technology The company explained in a press release that its plans for the metaverse will feel like a “hybrid” of today’s social experiences that can “sometimes be expanded into three dimensions or projected into the physical world.” “It will let you share immersive experiences with other people even when you can’t be together — and do things together you couldn’t do in the physical world,” the company said. “We are at the beginning of the next chapter for the internet.” Zuckerberg wrote in a letter that the next social platform that the company creates will be “even more immersive.” “The defining quality of the metaverse will be a feeling of presence,” he explained. “In the metaverse, you’ll be able to do almost anything you can imagine — get together with friends and family, work, learn, play, shop, create — as well as completely new experiences that don’t really fit how we think about computers or phones today.” He continued: “In this future, you will be able to teleport instantly as a hologram to be at the office without a commute, at a concert with friends, or in your parents’ living room to catch up.” Many physical things might soon become holograms  In his letter, Zuckerberg detailed that creating a space where possibilities are endless would mean that some objects no longer need to be physical. “Think about how many physical things you have today that could just be holograms in the future,” he said. “Your TV, your perfect work setup with multiple monitors, your board games and more — instead of physical things assembled in factories, they’ll be holograms designed by creators around the world.” Interacting with these virtual items requires new technical infrastructure, like augmented reality glasses, virtual reality experiences or other types of screens, which is part of Facebook’s development strategy. “This isn’t about spending more time on screens; it’s about making the time we already spend better.” In addition, Facebook said it plans to sell its devices “at cost or subsidized” to make them available to more people. “Our hope is that within the next decade, the metaverse will reach a billion people, host hundreds of billions of dollars of digital commerce, and support jobs for millions of creators and developers,” he said. The company is expanding its virtual reality (VR) tech As part of building technical infrastructure to support the metaverse, the company is expanding the capabilities of its Oculus Quest headset as well as introducing a next-generation all-in-one VR hardware called Project Cambria, launching next year. One of these capabilities includes Horizon Home, the company’s “vision for a home base in the metaverse.” Other expansions to the Oculus Quest headset include Horizon World, its universe expansion tool, and Horizon Workroom, its remote work solution. In addition, Facebook Messenger calls will now support VR, games available on the headset will soon become more immersive, there will be enhanced fitness options, new AI capabilities and more. Augmented reality (AR) tech will also be transformed The company is investing in the core technology needed to bring fully-featured AR glasses to market, which includes the expansion of its augmented reality lab, Spark AR.  

A$AP Rocky's LIVE.LOVE.A$AP Has Arrived On Streaming Platforms

Update (October 29, 2021): The wait is finally over, LIVE.LOVE.A$AP has landed on all major streaming platforms. What's your favorite track? Original Story: A$AP Rocky fans, rejoice. A decade since it was first released, LIVE.LOVE.A$AP is finally coming to all major streaming platforms.  It's hard to remember a time when A$AP Rocky wasn't a global household name. In the past decade, the self-confessed "Fashion Killa" has had three major albums under his belt, given fashion enthusiasts the world over 'fit envy time and time again, made Vans hot again, and become one half of everyone's favorite power couple alongside Rihanna.  For many, the Rocky fanfare started in 2011 with the launch of his debut mixtape, LIVE.LOVE.A$AP. Lead with the unforgettable singles "Peso" and "Purple Swag," the project blended stylistic and production elements of New York and Southern hip hop to create a sound that would go on to propel the artist into the mainstream.  I was 14 and heavily into Tumblr when the mixtape dropped, and remember the soundscape being like nothing I'd ever heard being from the UK. Before then, chopped-and-screwed sounds were completely alien to me, so this project kicked open the doors to a whole new genre of music. It was also my first exposure to Schoolboy Q, which naturally led to discovering others like Danny Brown and Joey Badass. In that respect, it really changed the landscape of music for a generation. There is still so much music from the mixtape era that has gone undiscovered by younger fans due to major streaming platforms being the norm. Huge parts of artists' catalogs are stilled locked away on sites like Datpiff or in the depths of Soundcloud, creating a real sense of excitement and discovery when they finally reach Spotify and Apple Music.  The mixtapes rerelease follows Drake's So Far Gone coming to streaming earlier this year, marking a trend in seminal projects from the last decade being reintroduced to a new generation of fans. It's worth noting that Drake's rerelease came ahead of Certified Lover Boy, leaving many to believe this could be a part of Rocky's rollout for All Smiles which is expected to drop before the end of 2021. LIVE.LOVE.A$AP is due to reach streaming platforms on October 29th, in celebrating of its 10th anniverary. In the meantime, let's keep our fingers crossed that Travis Scott's Days Before Rodeo and Owl Pharaoh will be next.

Drake's $2.2 Million Watch? Richard Mille's RM 056 Tourbillon Sapphire

Drake has evidently had a great year, releasing his anticipated Certified Lover Boy album alongside a handful of NOCTA collaborations with Nike, and according to the rapper himself, it's been a year of "easy money." Sporting a Richard Mille watch priced at a humble $2.2 million, Champagne Papi took to Instagram to flex the timepiece on his stories. The watch is a RM 056 Tourbillon Sapphire, which is already an incredibly exclusive piece, with only 10 available worldwide. If you were thinking about copping one, they've all been sold already. Sorry. The intricate movement within the timepiece has been crafted from pure sapphire, as well as a baseplate, bridges, and third wheel also made from the same material. The watch features Richard Mille's innovative craftsmanship and exclusive materials, and is a collector's item. If you're interested in learning more, the full breakdown is available on the website. Humble as ever, Drake actually told us about another watch on his track "You Only Live Twice" with Lil Wayne and Rick Ross, reminding us how much he paid for that one by hitting us with, "two point two for the Rafael Nadal." If you've paid that much for a watch, it is only right you talk about it as much as possible. But Drake's affinity for the not-so-subtle flex doesn't end there. The other day he was spotted leaving The Nice Guy (I mean, of course, that's where he was) in a big black fur coat. Seems appropriate for an October evening in Los Angeles, where temperatures are as low as 20 degrees Celcius (about 65 degrees Fahrenheit). We know Drake loves a lavish lifestyle since he previously purchased a "Grand Vividus" bed from Swedish label Hästens for $395,000, his extensive car line-up that includes both sportscars and vintage collector's pieces, iced-out chain collection, and of course, plenty of other expensive timepieces. "See the watch collection and assume I got time," he said. Clearly, he's living his best life, becoming more extra one day at a time. For us, the year of "easy money" means we definitely will see more of Drake's flexes – whether we want to or not.

BAPE x OVO feat. Future Is Way 2 Extra

Brand: BAPE x OVO Season: Fall/Winter 2021 Buy: Online at OVO's website Release Date: October 30 Hip-hop's reigning dads team up on OVO and BAPE's latest collaboration. Drake's apparel imprint and the Japanese streetwear giant have recruited Future to star in an accompanying campaign, a series of images that see the Atlanta rapper take over an opulent mansion. For FW21, the two brands go over the top with graphics, prints, and branding. Hoodies and sweatpants arrive in camo, overlaid with a repeating print of OVO's owl logo, topped off with BAPE's toothy shark. Other unsubtle pieces include BAPE shark balaclavas, long-sleeved tees reading "APE SHALL NEVER KILL OWL," and a shirt bearing a glittery version of the wide-eyed bird. The collection is garnering mixed reactions on social media. On OVO's Instagram, fans seem to be enthusiastic about Future's starring role in the campaign. "Seeing Hendrix in OVO has officially made my year," a top comment reads. On BAPE's page, though, onlookers had an entirely different reaction. "Imma buy this just to Resale to one of these drake fan boys," one user wrote, followed by a comment simply reading "DONDA." Beyond the latest BAPE x OVO, Drake has been up to some equally extra antics recently. Most recently, the Lover Boy was spotted in wearing a $2.2 million Richard Mille RM 056 Tourbillon Sapphire, a watch cut from blocks of solid sapphire. He paired the rare timepiece with a full-length fur coat, a confusing flex considering Los Angeles' mild weather. Earlier this month, The Boy threw an extravagant, Narcos-themed birthday party — which he attended wearing a Canadian tuxedo, complete with a bolo tie, cowboy hat, and ostrich boots.