#17talks

J BALVIN COVERS COLOMBIAN BOCAS MAGAZINE

Balvin's Scores another Cover Shoot. Highlighting the latest in a seemingly neverending slew of accolades and magazine covers for your perusal, Colombian artist J Balvin took to Instagram recently to share his most recent series of shots for BOCAS Magazine. Speaking to the publication on a range of topics as a part of their December 2020 issue, the revered reggaeton artist sports a slew of on-brand bold and colourful looks from the likes of Dior Men under Kim Jones’ tenure. On his earliest music memories: “I was always eloquent and with a lot of energy all the time, I was a very expressive child. I remember that there was a flute in school, I liked it very much, and I also listened to a lot of music. My dad was always listening to salsa; I received that from my childhood and it greatly influenced me to like music.” On getting signed: “First I was signed by EMI, and I hated record companies because, of course, I was made by pulse. I said: “They’re not going to tell me what to do, or how I’m going to dress, or what song I’m going to sing,” and to this day they don’t tell me what song I should release, they don’t even dare to tell me “we think this can be the single,” but I think you earn that is with facts. Fortunately, there was a large business worldwide and Universal bought EMI and I fell within the Universal group by default.”    

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J BALVIN COVERS COLOMBIAN BOCAS MAGAZINE

iPhone 12 Users Report Issues With Short Battery Life

Many iPhone 12 owners in the U.S. seem to be dissatisfied with the device’s battery life claiming it drains too quickly. According to sources, one iPhone 12 user posted on Apple‘s Support Community that his/her iPhone 12 Pro’s battery was too short, even when leaving it in standby mode — about four percent per hour. Another iPhone 12 Pro user told the Apple community that he was experiencing the same issue, even after shutting off 5G and all his background apps, noting that switching the device to low-power mode didn’t help much. Many users have been trying to pinpoint exactly what the cause of drainage is, and one user seems to have gotten pretty close to answering that: he compared his phone’s battery life when the device was without a SIM card to when his device had one installed. He reported that removing the SIM dramatically stopped the draining. So far, some sources have speculated that the issue is being caused by a new iOS bug.  

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iPhone 12 Users Report Issues With Short Battery Life

EA Is Being Sued for Altering Difficulties Forcing Microtransactions in 'FIFA 21'

EA and its approach to monetizing games via microtransactions have long been a heated topic of debate between gamers and regulators alike, but now three players are finally taking the massive developer and publisher to court over the scripting in FIFA 21. The suit is being brought against EA by Pranko Lozano, Jason Zajnoc and Daniel Williams, who claim that the company has employed “deceptive practices” through specific mechanics known as Dynamic Difficulty Adjustment and Adaptive Difficulty. These two features manage and change difficulties at certain intervals, which the three argue is used to influence players into buying more Ultimate Team booster packs and cards to unlock better players in order to progress through the game. “This [triggers] a self-perpetuating cycle,” the filing claims, “leading them to purchase additional player packs in hopes of receiving better players and being more competitive.” EA has responded to the claim by saying that it is a misrepresentation of its business model, but a judgment against the publisher could have massive repercussions for the industry at large. Many other franchises such as 2K Games’ NBA2K series also incorporates similar mechanics, so players invested in these titles should definitely be on the lookout for the impending lawsuit’s ultimate decision.

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EA Is Being Sued for Altering Difficulties Forcing Microtransactions in 'FIFA 21'

Moncler Has Unexpectedly Acquired Stone Island

United by their “beyond fashion, beyond luxury” philosophy, Stone Island has unexpectedly joined Moncler. The deal is reported to be a €1.15 billion EUR (approximately $1.39 billion USD) cash sale for 100 percent of Stone Island’s shares paid in cash to be incorporated into Moncler in development of a new shared vision of luxury. Together embracing experientiality, inclusivity, while fostering a sense of belonging to a community that mixes the diverse meanings and worlds of art, culture, music and sport. With the partnership, the Italian names will look to strengthen their ability to interpret evolving cultural codes for new generations while continuing to reinforce their position in an emerging segment of luxury. Remo Ruffini, Chairman and CEO of Moncler S.p.A. and Carlo Rivetti, Chairman and CEO of Stone Island are looking to strengthen the competitiveness of Moncler and Stone Island while respecting the identity and autonomy of accelerating the development of both companies. Aside from sharing its knowledge and experience of capturing the important growth potential in particular of the Americas and Asian markets as well as the Direct to Consumer channel, Moncler will be introducing Stone Island to its culture of sustainability that has made it an Industry Leader of the Textile, Apparel & Luxury Goods sector in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices World and Europe for the second consecutive year. Both brands will be consolidating their technical product know-how, entrepreneurial, managerial and creative cultures in a shared outlook of Ruffini and Rivetti’s vision of the future.  

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Moncler Has Unexpectedly Acquired Stone Island

Supreme x The North Face FW20 Faux Fur Collection

Following its team-up with Antihero, Supreme has returned to reveal its latest collaboration with frequent collaborator, The North Face. Accompanying this week’s Fall/Winter 2020 Week 16 Drop, the collaboration is centered around a faux fur range made exclusively for Supreme. This time around the duo has put together a cold-weather ready range comprised of three styles that come in furry and fuzzy red, green and black color options. Leading the collaboration is a take on the signature Nuptse Jacket outfitted with 700-Fill down insulation and Windwall lining to combat the testing winter season in bold fashion. Matching the jacket is a Backpack that continues the faux fur construction of the collaboration with a durable 840D ballistic nylon boot and a convenient everyday carry Waist Bag. All styles come marked with the usual “THE NORTH FACE” and “SUPREME” branding found on their previous collaborations. The Supreme x The North Face FW20 Faux Fur Collection will see a global release via the streetwear imprint’s website December 10 in the United States and December 12 in Japan.

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Supreme x The North Face FW20 Faux Fur Collection

APPLE & NIKE ARE PAYING BIG MONEY TO ERODE THE UYGHUR FORCED LABOR PREVENTION ACT

Apple and Nike are among the business groups and major companies working to weaken a bill that would ban imported goods made with forced labor in China’s Xinjiang region. According to congressional staff members, these companies have been publicly condemning forced labor while privately trying to water down bills. And lobbying records show vast spending on weakening the legislation. The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act and Uyghur Forced Labor Disclosure Act aim to crackdown on human rights abuses in mass detention camps in China's Xinjiang region. The bills would ban the use of products tied to the forced labor and would force companies to report their ties to the Xinjiang region to the Securities and Exchange Commission. Both bills have passed through the U.S. House of Representatives and have the bipartisan support to pass in the Senate. However, the progressive bills have become the target of multinational companies including Apple, Nike, and Coca-Cola whose supply chains would be affected by a crackdown on slavery in Xinjiang. According to the New York Times, Coca-Cola claims it "strictly prohibits any type of forced labor" in its supply chain. And Nike said it wasn't lobbying against the bill, but rather having "constructive discussions" with congressional staff about how to eliminate forced labor. Meanwhile, Patagonia actively exited the Xinjiang region earlier this year following concerns about human rights abuses.   1/N@Apple @tim_cook , @Nike, @CocaCola are lobbying against The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act.Brands like @ZARA @mujiusa support China’s #Uyghur genocide via using XJ cotton.I create new satire Ad against them. Get for free and expose them: https://t.co/2M8wbPGlPr pic.twitter.com/DPN9fKmpTs — 巴丢草 Badiucao (@badiucao) December 3, 2020   The UN estimates that there are at least one million Uyghur Muslims held in more than 85 mass detention camps in the Xinjiang region, where they are forced into labor and so-called re-education programs. If these companies truly had nothing to hide, they would leave the bills alone.

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APPLE & NIKE ARE PAYING BIG MONEY TO ERODE THE UYGHUR FORCED LABOR PREVENTION ACT

Nike's New Air Force 1/1 Is Completely Customizable

Many a sneaker aficionado will tell you that there’s nothing quite like a pair of Nike‘s white-on-white Air Force 1 Lows. Apart from being the Swoosh’s quintessential basketball-turned-casual sneaker, white Air Force 1s — especially the low-cut versions — have long been an apt canvas for customization, and now Nike Sportswear is leaning into that DIY ethos with a new model dubbed the Air Force 1/1. Though it may appear to be a simple white AF1 with black seams at first glance, the 1/1 features a completely interchangeable upper. The black lines are not seams: they’re the Velcro base layer that holds each piece to the upper showing through. The 1/1 also comes with a full set of bright orange Swooshes, tongue badges, heel pieces and laces, enabling the wearer to ramp up the color fully, slightly or even put forth a mismatched look if they so choose. To enable this customizable build, a few differences from the standard Air Force 1 construction are necessitated, namely Swooshes that stop towards the collar instead of rising into the heel piece and a textured patch atop the nylon tongue. Simple white midsoles and outsoles round off the look. The Nike Air Force 1/1 is available in select sizes at retailers like Lust Mexico now. It’s also set to release via Nike SNKRS Japan on December 18, and will likely arrive in the US later in December as well. The MSRP is set at $2,899 MXN (approximately $147 USD).

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Nike's New Air Force 1/1 Is Completely Customizable