Daily Archives: November 28, 2021

Electronic-pop singer-songwriter/producer/rapper/DJ and Youtube sensation VNCCII is leading generation z into the future. THE FUTURE HUMANS 3.0 VODCAST SHOW is the platform where one must get familiar with VNICCII. It is where her unique and exciting creative expression and lead character of the Space A. IPERA story can be witnessed and experienced for all to see. Her views on the fusion of humanity with A.I. as the future are thought provoking and daring to say the least. In this interview VNCCII shares details on her futuristic vodcast, her hopes for humanity, and the creation and inspiration to her latest single i-LIBERATE.

I see the future as a fusion of the physical and the digital.

VNCCII: My VNCCII avatar is the lead character in the Space A. IPERA story. I describe her as a super sentient A.I. super-heroine character. VNCII is a persona that belongs in this imaginary world, and shes the star of the story Im building. My ambition is to be as universal as a Marvel, Star Wars, or Dune franchise. My avatar is an extension of my physical self, not a replacement. When I perform in real life (IRL) shows, Im embodying the extroverted version of myself performing in character.

VNCCII: One-hundred percent! Theres no replacement for organically connecting with other human beings. Performing in the metaverse is just another way of storytelling, with technology. I see the future as a fusion of the physical and the digital augmented, holographic, XR performances-where people are unable to distinguish between in-real-life (IRL) and the virtual.

My ultimate mission is to empower people to become their best selves.

VNCCII: What I love about my show, The Future Humans 3.0, is that it inspires fans and uplifts the speakers that I talk to, as well. I believe theres a new creative renaissance occurring around the Web 3.0, non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and blockchain technology. Its satisfying to receive comments about how my show has inspired them to embrace the metaverse and contemplate their own avatar. I feel, younger fans enjoy watching the VNCCII avatar because shes engaging and inspiring. My ultimate mission is to empower people to become their best selves.

VNCCII: For one member of the community, it might serve as a form of fantasy escapism. To another, my avatar and content might inspire them in real life. Ultimately, my wish for all fans is that my avatar inspires them to transcend their daily lives to do good deeds and live to their full potential. Ive witnessed some members of the community discovering their sense of self through their avatar. That translates into building their inner confidence in real life and allowing themselves to be whom they truly are. Thats why I do what I do.

I envision a world where theres a symbiotic relationship between humans and technology

VNCCII: Such a deep question. The outcome for humanity will be related to our current positive manifestations of the world. The next five years might be turbulent, with disruptive technologies and shifts in paradigms, but ultimately, I envision a world where theres a symbiotic relationship between humans and technology. My hope for society as a whole would be that humans dont lose themselves in the process of societal and technological change, and that we continue to value what makes humans so special: love, creativity, spirituality, and connection. I believe were living through the most exciting time in human history.

VNCCII: i-LIBERATE is a transcendent, liberating dance floor song. The song encourages self-expression and freeing oneself from any societal ties that impede one from being their true, higher self. i-LIBERATE is also an empowering commentary on the fusion between humans and A.I. and questioning that grey area of freedom if both humans and machines merge. Its the first song of my debut album, VNCII And The New Renaissance, out in 2022. The next single off the album is titled, Level Up 2 Nirvana, so stay tuned!

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Exclusive Interview With Multidisciplinary Futurist VNCCII - One EDM

How did you get from plant science to your current role?

I like to be at the cutting edge of things. In the 1980s and early 90s, a lot of groundbreaking stuff was happening in biology, which is why I chose plant science at the University College Cork, because it had a very good molecular genetics department.

My third- and fourth-year project was to find a way to genetically fingerprint plants. It was really interesting stuff. And of course to do a lot of that, I had to get familiar with computers, and thats when I caught the computer bug.

When I later returned to the university to do a PhD my hobby became computers, and I started teaching people in the university how to use them, and then did the same for local companies. What began as a hobby then overtook the PhD project. I ended up setting up a computer company and everything went from there.

A lot of what I do is to observe what is happening in technology, and then I project trends. Another way of looking at it is I foresee the logical conclusion of things. Take the energy industry, for example. Think of where it was with oil, gas and coal up until very recently, and how now its transitioning to renewables. I will study this sea change and project forward, to chart where it's likely to go from there.

Similarly, if you look at the automotive space. Until recently most cars had internal combustion engines but now, electric vehicles are just starting to take hold and things will change quickly from this point.

So its all about charting the future, by drawing on the past and present. That's what it is to be a futurist.

I serve two constituencies: my colleagues in SAP, but also SAPs customers.I serve my colleagues by helping the organisation decide on what kinds of products we need to develop to meet the demand likely to be out there in 5-10 years time.But then I also do a lot of talks as well for third-party conferences, and also for the leadership teams of our big customers at their events.

Yes, it is. Take the Internet of Things (IoT). The uptake of this varies hugely. Imagine a large manufacturer, for example. They might have 100 identical machines in their manufacturing facility. Now, the cost of putting sensors on all of the machines will probably be too high, so they might have sensors on five, and use that data to extrapolate what's going on with the other 95.

Cost is always a big factor in the adoption of technology, yet the cost of IoT tech is dropping all the time, so in five years' time that manufacturer might have sensors on all 100 machines.

But looking at the wider picture, a lot of companies haven't deployed any IoT tech at all, so you also have that aspect of it too. Theres a spectrum of tech deployment across entire sectors.

And of course there is always a geographical aspect to the adoption of technology. Countries in the developing world will not adopt at anything like the pace of those in the developed world.

We're seeing huge changes at the moment, such as the ditigisation of supply chains - mostly kick-started by the pandemic. The thing about such changes is they take time, because it involves multiple stages. But the changes will become more obvious over the coming years, until every aspect of the supply chain is digital.

But digitisation wont happen evenly because a lot will depend on where companies were when Covid kicked in. Some had already embarked on digitising their supply chain, but others hadnt, and are now struggling to keep up. Some have made no start at all, and are in deep trouble.

The companies with the best supply chains will be the ones that survived. Just look at Apple. The reason Tim Cook became CEO of Apple is because he was a supply chain guy and he made their supply chain super efficient.

No, of course not. It's like any tool, it's like a knife. You can use a knife to butter bread, or you can use it to stab people. Its the same with technology. As long as it's used for what it's developed for, then it does good.

In the context of supply chains, if you think back to how things were pre-pandemic, supply chain tech was optimised by lowest cost, which meant supply chains were fragile, because there was no form of backup in place. Inventories were bare minimum.

So then when the supply chain was disrupted, they broke down. The take-home lesson for organisations was that supply chains need to be more resilient.

I've been asked this before and I never know how to answer it, because everyone is fallible. Take Elon Musk. He has achieved some incredible things, but then his attitude to unions is, shall we say, unfortunate. And I feel his stance on cryptocurrencies is cavalier. Thats just one example of a notable person whos fallible. I could give you many.

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5 Minutes with: Tom Raftery, SAP futurist - Supply Chain Digital - The Procurement & Supply Chain Platform

A flying car, a robot to battle loneliness and a portal to citizens of tomorrow are enough to get your head spinning about what the future may hold. A new exhibition in Washington, DC offers that and many more dizzying visions of tomorrow dreamt up by artists, designers, engineers and authors.

Futures, on view through 6 July 2022, marks the formal reopening of the Smithsonians picturesque Arts and Industries Building (AIB). Part hangar, part Victorian mansion, the building had been largely shuttered since 2004 after falling into disrepair despite sitting on prime real estate on the National Mall.

A huge fountain of lights stands in the AIBs central, 108ft rotunda bedecked with Moorish stenciling, where Thomas Edison once premiered his lightbulb. Visitors are invited to share their dreams at the base of Indian-born Suchi Reddys me + you (2021), which spews patterns in soothing shades of blue and green when hearing positive thoughts or red in reaction to swear words. The work, Amazon Web Services first major art commission, evolves using artificial intelligence and depending on the thoughts shared in person or online using an app. In an era dominated by Big Tech, the project was designed to avoid collecting personal identifying data.

Installation view of Futures featuring Suchi Reddys me + you (2021) Photo by Albert Ting, courtesy the Smithsonian Institution

The AIB setting is especially apt for a show largely concerned with how our shared future can be both better, faster and stronger, but also reduce the devastating impact of human waste and pollution on the planet. Its the 19th centurys equivalent of LEED-certified architecture, with natural light filtering through hundreds of skylights and clerestory windows in a Greek cross-shaped 1881 structure capped by an iron truss roof and built with largely local materials, including marble embedded with ancient marine fossils.

Beyond the awe-inspiring creations that dot this temple of innovation, a collection of real-life solutions may be cause for some more humble genuflecting. They come in the form of water sourced from the air (via a Water Harvesting prototype) to combat the global water crisis, cell-cultured food and insect appetisers. Sexy? Perhaps not, but theyre the types of innovations that could become ubiquitous in the coming years.

We have a very tempered but hopeful optimism in our approach in this show and beyond, says AIB curator Ashley Molese. We are optimistic in spite of circumstance, in spite of our time and in spite of the many challenges that feel almost insurmountable. This is very much a living, breathing show that really seeks to demonstrate that kind of resiliency.

Installation view of Futures featuring Soo Sunny Parks Expanded Present outside the Smithsonians Arts and Industries Building Photo by Albert Ting, courtesy the Smithsonian Institution

Australian artist Tega Brain devised a washing machine that uses water filtered through wetlands, a nod to the nearby Chesapeake Bay, one of the largest estuaries in the US. In preparing for the installation, artist and staff learned that local native plants would not survive in the controlled indoor environment because they are very light-sensitive and go dormant. So the tank is filled instead with subtropical grasses, the kind that may ultimately populate the area due to global warming.

Alexandra Genis tackled the problem of food shortages by reproducing flavors found in a strawberry plant. Using a 3D printer, she created replicas of specific flavor molecules that can be grated over food like parmesan over pasta. The candy-coloured shapes made from cocoa butter look like an abstracted Venus of Willendorf, with extra protrusions. Projects like these ask critical questions about how each individual fits in an uncertain future and can make a difference in ensuring humanitys endurance.

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Futuristic dreams rub shoulders with everyday innovations in new Smithsonian show - Art Newspaper

This year marks 60 years since Renault launched the Quatrelle, and though the company has been celebrating all year, a collaboration with design studio TheArsenale to build a flying car concept is arguably its best birthday present to itself yet.

For the launch campaign at the 1961 Paris Motor Show, Renault made 200 of the small family cars available for a test drive by motorists, and more than 60,000 locals gave it a go during the event to confirm to Renault that it was onto a winner. In the decades that followed, the Renault 4/4L went on to sell more than eight million units in over a hundred countries before production stopped in the early 1990s. And you can still see folks driving around in them to this day on the icon's home turf and beyond.

This year's anniversary celebrations kicked off in February with exclusive designs by illustrator Greg, followed by 30 examples being shown off at the Renault Classic and then an appearance at the Cannes International Film Festival. And now the company has given the iconic design a futuristic overhaul with the creation of the Air4 flying concept.

Looking to a time when our highways might well be above us, the design collaboration has essentially plonked a carbon fiber 4L body with funky lighting accents and tinted windows onto an X-frame rocking dual-blade props at the outer points, with each of the electric motors juiced by a 22,000-mAh lithium polymer battery pack for a total capacity of 90,000 mAh.

Mathieu Cesar/TheArsenale

Instead of gaining access to the cabin through side doors, the driver/pilot actually lifts up the hinged shell at the rear and climbs aboard. It's got no wheels, but Renault reports that once in the air the concept tilts forward by 45 degrees or more and is capable of a top horizontal flight speed of 26 meters per second (58 mph or 93.6 km/h) and "offers a maximum vectoral thrust of 380 kg." It's also reported able to fly up to 700 m (~2,300 ft) above the ground, but we can't tell you for how long or even how the pilot controls the concept though we suspect remotely from the ground during flight testing.

Not that such things particularly matter, as the Air4 is destined to remain a conceptual curiosity so Renault doesn't need to worry about stumping up significant cash and resources to take it through prototyping, safety testing and certification. It's a showpiece.

And following its online debut today, it will take up residence at the prestigious Atelier Renault store on the Champs Elyses in Paris for the remainder of the year. Folks across the pond will be able to see it in the flesh from next year in Miami and New York, before a brief stop in Macau, China, on its way home. You can see the Air4 being designed, built and taking to the air in the short video below.

#AIR4, our flying show-car

Source: Renault

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Renault celebrates the past with futuristic flying concept - New Atlas

French officials announced Thursday that Paris will begin testing electric air taxis at a new test site just outside the French capital, with the ultimate goal of creating at least two flight paths for Olympic passengers during the 2024 summer games.

French Minister of Transport Jean-Baptiste Djebbari attended Thursdays inauguration of the new air mobility testing site at at an airfield a few miles northwest of Paris, according to a press release.

Everything is falling into place: partnerships, innovation, test areas, regulations, financing, Djebbari said. All the ingredients for success are there, all that remains is to make it happen.

The first Olympic route would ferry passengers between the Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Le Bourget airports, and a second would link two Parisian suburbs. About 30 manufacturers answered the call to test out various parts of electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, or eVTOLs, and the infrastructure a safe airport for them would require.

Aerospace outfits including Volocopter GmbH, Airbus SE, Vertical Aerospace Group Ltd and Lilium NV are participating in the project. The airfield near Paris has already been adapted to include a landing and take-off area, taxiways, parking stands, warehouse planning and more.

The airport has says its already tested flights with a drone carrying medical supplies like blood bags and health kits, as well as anti-collision and recharging systems.

In September of this year, Bloomberg reported that 65 flying taxi hubswere planned for cities that included London and Los Angeles. A site in England, set to open in 2022, is scheduled to be the first.

Back in September, NASA started officially flight testing an eVTOL aircraft built by California-based Joby Aviation, with the hopes of establishing a new form of city-to-city transportation. Joby is also testing air taxis in Paris on the new Olympic test site.

Will eVTOLs be carrying passengers, medical supplies and cargo through airspaces daily? If theyre good enough for the French government and NASA, continued testing may make air taxis an eco-friendly mode of transport at least for folks who can afford it.

More on airborne transport: This is Cadillacs Wild Flying Car Concept

Care about supporting clean energy adoption? Find out how much money (and planet!) you could save by switching to solar power at UnderstandSolar.com. By signing up through this link, Futurism.com may receive a small commission.

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Paris Will Use Electric Flying Cars to Get Passengers to the Olympics - Futurism

When it comes to buying sportswear, were always advised to go down the lightweight route. Your workout outfit should be as light and fluid as possible this is whats been drilled into our heads, and this is exactly where Omorpho is breaking all the rules.Launched by former Nike executive Stefan Olander, Omorpho is the newest sportswear brand in town, and their latest Gravity Sportswear collection is quite literally turning heads. The collection promises to make the wearer, fitter, faster, and stronger.

Stefan Olander said, Weve always been told that what we wear for sports and fitness should be as lightweight as possible, but the first thing we do to get stronger and fitter is add resistance. So why not build it into what we wear? And this does seem possible. Wondering how? We have one word for youMicroLoad. Omorpho makes sports apparel heavier, rather than lighter. And it does so, by strategically distributing small amounts of weight (in the form of little beads) across a vest, tops, and bottoms, in an attempt to increase and improve your fitness, power, and speed.

The beads are called Gravity Spheres, and are created from polyurethane. In fact, the addition of these bulbous spherescan increase your vertical jump by 9 percent, power by 8 percent, and speed by three percent (proven by studies, of course). And, not to mention, besides the immense functionality of this collection, it also has a lot to offer in terms of aesthetics. All the products are sleek, futuristic, and absolute attention grabbers. And, they make you look like youve just stepped out of Black Panther. Wakanda Forever!

Sports apparel today is optimized for competition, but most people compete for less than 1 percent of the time, Stefan Olander, co-founder of Omorpho, said in a release. Weve created a beautiful and functional collection for the other 99 percent using a completely new approach to deliver better results by adding small amounts of weight that dont restrict movement. And thats the magic of MicroLoad. The naturally distributed weight is light enough to let you move with your usual speed and intensity, while also challenging the active muscles, by placing weight on the parts of your body that are moving.

The premium performance fabrics used to create the Gravity Sportswear collection provide utmost comfort and elasticity during any type of training. The intriguing gravity spheres are placed strategically across the apparel for peak functionality, and to help build strength, speed, and endurance.

Named after the Greek word meaning beautiful, Omorpho attempts to challenge the age-old misconception that lightweight apparel is the key to a better workout. And I do believe it successfully does so with its Gravity Sportswear collection. You can now achieve better fitness results, increase the effectiveness of your training, and challenge your muscles even more intensely by simply changing what you wear!

Designer: Omorpho

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This futuristic sportswear collection with strategically distributed weights is giving us a cool, Wakanda-vibe - Yanko Design - Form Beyond Function

Starward Industries has published a behind-the-scenes Chronicles video forThe Invincible that offers just a bit of gameplay from its upcoming sci-fi novel-to-video game adaptation. Game director Marek Markuszewski and community manager Micha Napora introduce players to the retro-futuristic, Mars-like sights and sounds of Regis III, as well as the games protagonist, Dr. Yasna. Theres a little bit of additional in-engine footage here, too, with some first glimpses atThe Invincible gameplay. The final release will offer a non-linear, cinematic story, and you can watch the behind-the-scenes Chronicles video for The Invincible below for more.

Starward gave us a The Invincible teaser sans any gameplay in an in-engine video last month, but the developer provides more information on The Invincible at its interactive website, including a useful summary of what to expect from the choice-driven narrative:

Regis III in the Lyra constellation. Place of your mission. Your name is Yasna, and you are a scientist with a lot of experience under your belt. That you remember. Everything else is somehow behind a fog. You know you didnt come here alone. The entire crew was with you. They didnt suddenly dissolve into thin air. You have to no, you want to go out and find them. Find out what happened. Your intuition tells you that apart from the answers to your questions, you will discover something more

You wont be completely alone in The Invincible, however, as Starward promises a distant companion in the form of an Astrogator who can only be communicated with over the radio. Yasna will also have access to a probe and her analog equipment, using it all to explore and discover more about the sci-fi world of Regis III.

The Invincible will launch on PC and consoles sometime in 2022, and we can look forward to more gameplay and behind-the-scenes videos in the meantime.

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The Invincible Offers a New Glimpse at Its Retro-Futuristic Gameplay - The Escapist