Tag: Tech

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Fashion

STILL, NOPE!

WHY? 

There is no fun in posting the pictures. What was once sharing experiences has turned into narcissism and greed. A digital feel good pill for those desiring “Z Level” fame. Perhaps it is because I had a life and travelled before the platform existed. Showing  “I am living a great fake life” borders on insane. Carefully curated pictures demonstrating fake joy reminds of the 1970’s sitcom “Brady Bunch”. During my college days people like this were called “MGM”. Meaning, they were fake.

My problem, I hate curating perfect experiences.  I am a what you see is what you get character, loving faults. On Instagram being yourself means a filter, photoshop, and rehearsing.

Pills 

Instagram has become a place of Prozac Reality. I cringe at some of poses and postings. The extremes people will do to get attention. A space to give those with no talent, appeal, experience, a chance to find popularity. The past two weeks, there were 3 Instagram Influencer scandals. I looked over the accounts of the three “None Appealing Fame Seekers”.

Lost on me!  If I saw any of them on the street I would not look twice. How and why they have thousands of followers escapes me. Most certainly a click farm service in Thailand has their credit card details. Just Saying! Sadly, one of the above Influencer scandal will involve jail time for “Glaming it Up” with a fake credit card. 

Still have not returned to the site, I check it, like a few pictures by friends.   During a campaign I asked my friends to like an images. But for most I am happy to stay off. Life is too short trying to be a full time Carol Brady. Sharing was once fun but evolved into silly, tragic, exhausting, and horrific.

Black and Paper stopped placing content on Instagram. This article was triggered by the site of an “Influencer” who photoshops pictures menus 8 kilos.

Categories
Technology

Affordable Listening

Skullcandy Ink’d Wireless Bluetooth Headphones

The first thing you notice about these Skullcandy Ink’d wireless Bluetooth headphones is how light they are. Initially this can give the impression of them being cheap and disposable. But you will soon find that the opposite is true and the design grows on you. They are a flexible collar-style fit and extremely comfortable. What’s more, after a short while you barely feel that you are wearing them. This makes it easy to go about your daily duties, at work or jogging in the park, with ease. The slim low-profile design means not attracting attention. They easily blend in to whatever you are wearing.  

As for the quality, Skullcandy’s Ink’d is a consistently decent sound quality that compliments its already comfortable design fit. For one, it avoids the treble and bass push you get from many contemporary headphones so has a balanced decent clarity sound in the midrange. The drawback on reduction in bass means these aren’t going to be the greatest headphones for every type of music. However, it still competes well against other neckband-style Bluetooth headphones on offer. 

It also functions as a headset for making and receiving cellphone calls with an instant pause on the music as notification. The integrated remote is on the left side of the neckband and the controls are large and easy to operate by touch. When fully charged, the battery life is somewhere around seven hours which is pretty good. Perhaps the only drawback is that it’s missing extra features like magnetized buds and there’s also no way to adjust the cord lengths. Overall though, better than it looks and definitely competitive in its price range. 

By Steven Yates

Categories
Fashion Feature

Items from Press Days 2019

Press Days is an event when media, agents, and designers come together to discuss the latest looks and trends in fashion and lifestyle.  Sustainability and colourful branding are coming to retailers soon.   

What stood out from the crowd?

Gitti nail polish, the new eco-friendly beauty brand looks to break out.  Stay tuned for the interview with the founder.

Frau Frieda is a bag brand making the case for German luxury craftsmanship. 

Skullcandy’s new earbuds peaked my curiosity.  The new ear devices are fast charging with long battery life.

Moose Knuckles sheering outerwear makes wearer statements.

  • Mini
  • Skullcandy
  • EOS
  • Converse 
  • Funktion Schnitt
  • Gitti
  • Cocktails from Apero
  • RRD
  • Titian
  • i’vr Isabel Vollrath
  • Armani Exchange
  • Frau Frieda
  • Rebekka Ruétz
  • Moose Knuckles
  • Superga
  • Melitta 

I produced these images using a Canon Camera. 

Categories
Technology

Lamenting DESIGNS

What happened to mobile phone designs? New smartphone designs are the same.  They completely lack style. If you have seen one, you have seen them all.  I am looking forward when a tech brand breaks the current monotony. 

Categories
Fashion

Apple TV+

Apple has entered the content business in the form of a new streaming service. Apple’s TV+ is the Cupertino’s answer to household name “Netflix”.  No one can accuse the tech giant of being cheap. With an open check book, Tim Cook went to Hollywood to get the biggest names in show business. Spielberg, Oprah, Jennifer Anniston, J.J. Abrams to name a few were onstage introducing new shows.

Better late than never but there are many entrenched players.  HBO/AT&T has a head-start while super content owner Disney has brand titles to insure a competitive advantage for its soon to be launched service. What type of content chances will the service take? Getting the attention of Millennial Apple users may prove difficult. These viewers tune into edgier programs by YouTubers.  Let’s face facts, Apple is not the same tech juggernaut it was 3 years ago. Sales of iPhones have slowed. Currently, there are no buzz worthy products in the pipeline. 

Money Does Not Always Buy The Best

The film business has been luring deep pockets investors with stars in their eyes for decades. Many came in with enthusiasm, many left humbled. Kennedy patriarch and father of a President, Joseph, at RKO Radio Pictures sold his interest in the always unstable studio in the early 1930’s. Insurance giant Transamerica became the parent company of United Artists only to sell after the “Heaven’s Gate” crash. Coca Cola’s tumultuous seven year ownership of Columbia Pictures resulted in “Ishtar”. Matsushita’s foray with Universal made a case study of corporate culture clashes leading up to the “Waterworld” nightmare. Apple’s advantage is its relationships to talent but it could take time to generate a program on the cultural level of “Game of Thrones”.

My concern, could Apple loose its creative edge to focus on a business segment that can be fickle. Merging, talent, software, and hardware is not an easy feat.  Sony has been trying for 30 years with little to show. 

Success in a crowded field will be built around the company’s $250 billion in the bank.   This could be good or bad.  Time will tell. 

Categories
Fashion

The Geek In Me

Drones bring out the geek in me.  As a kid who played with toy airplanes, drones are the high tech evolution.  During IFA 2018 while on my to an appointment I happen to pass the DJI Drone stand.   I stopped to get a video.

Categories
Fashion

From the 1970’s still going!

“They Don’t Make Them Like They Used To!”In this case, the expression has merit.As Spring rolls around, juicy time has come. Normally, three times a week I mix fruits and vegetables. What brand of blender am I using? A Modern USA connivence dated from 1975 made by Hamilton Beach. This is not an endorsement, but admiration for durability. 

  • High Tech 70’s
  • Made in USA 


I find the kitchenware device amazing.After over 40 years packed in the closet, the blender still works as if taken from store self yesterday. I purchased a number of blenders over the years. The motors burned out or some other problem. All ended up in the heap. The one fault with this counter top appliance, the blender gasket was replaced because of lost.
My diet ritual from April to August consists of mango, carrot, avocado, pineapple,  bananas, and peaches. There have been no problems blending ingredients. Equipped with 14 speeds able to mix at high to low levels, the liquid consistency is fine. Three medal blades quickly minced all. The glass blender jar holds 5 cups, enough for my daily intake. The leftovers get placed in the refrigerator.

  • 14 speeds 


Like the 1970’s American TV Comedies, the Hamilton Beach Blender is loud. Thankfully for my neighbors, I blend after 10am.  I do not know what the energy consumption and cost expense.


Hamilton Beach continues to manufacture appliances, not in America but in China.


A low-tech item from a generation ago, still going strong.

Categories
Technology

A review of the SX 740 HS Powershot

I used the Canon Powershot SX 740 HS camera during Pitti Uomo in Florence and in Milan for Menswear Week.  I found it hand and practical for my needs because the best feature was I could slip it into my pocket on the run.  There are many other features to this solid point and shoot including, a zoom lens and top video recording quality.  It is made for being on the go.

I am not a photographer.  I appreciate their work.  It is an art form and skill set I value.   

Stay Tuned, I will have more after Milan Fashion Week.

Categories
Feature

Our Anniversary

Life is Good

It has been over one year. We quit Instagram to the chagrin of many. Why? Insanity? Lack of followers? How would we survive in an age when so many believe in oversharing? Many thought this action was insane. Amazing how fast time flies. We are still here and doing ok, Instagram Free. 

I can appreciate the amount of time many “influencers” spend on one picture, the interaction with their fans, self esteem based on comments and likes.

However, Black and Paper decided not become a slave to the algorithm system that manipulates insecurities for a smidgen of fame. The joy of sharing overshadowed by digital narcissism. The quest for quick popularity moving as fas as a stroll on a screen. Thriving to show a life not lived, but more about projecting a fantasy in constant branding mode. I wonder how many selfies can a person post? How many selfies can a person see in day? If one scrolls fifty pictures, is the first image recalled?

One Year On! 

After one year, speaking to many professional media people about influencing and influencers there are still questions, many have doubts about how it works or if it works. But fear of missing out drives them. Opinions seem split where the Instagram Hype will go? Some say, “the bubble will pop.” While others firmly believe it will stay and evolve. The verdict is still out.

On a level I recognize the merit of the medium. For the impressionable, for certain products, these consumers look to influencers. Hyper consumption, buy today, wear 7 times, then throw away to buy new, this is the market for influencing, quantity over quality.

Black and Paper philosophy is “buy something that will last”. Have we considered returning to Instagram? No! Imagine spending 1 hour for a post, only 35 likes. We jumped off the merry go round and never looked back. 

Categories
Technology

Small but GREAT

A Good Camera 

As a person who is not a photographer but I take pictures at many events like fashion weeks, film festivals, and trade shows. I attended Pitti Uomo and Milan Fashion Week Men recently. Two events where I needed to make a lot of images and videos.

I wanted an SLR camera with many capabilities: external mic, able to shoot in all lighting conditions. Imagine my surprise seeing a point and shoot in the mail.

For YouTube

I got the SX740 HS point and shoot from Canon for a test. At first I was not sure if the camera would fit my needs. I wanted to send it back. To my surprise, the little image maker device worked well, easy to use, and convenient. 4K video feature is excellent, fantastic picture quality. I would say any YouTubber content producer would be happy to have this as their main production camera. It captures details. The flip 3.0” LCD screen is good for selfie lovers. I placed the camera on a tripod, then flipped up the screen for one man production.

The sound quality was my biggest concern because of the loud background noises. Normally I use an external microphone during interviews and commentaries. I made my first video commentary from Pitti Uomo using the Canon SX740 HS The sound quality was fine, good for YouTube and other social media channels.

I liked the portable aspect of the camera. I just popped the camera in and out of my jacket pocket at a moments notice. As I said, I am far from a professional photographer. My strategy for taking pictures, point a shoot, hope I get the right light and composition. I was not afraid to play with the camera control dial. I switched form one setting to another, experimenting with speed and opening.

Shooting in close quarter, I did not use the 40x optical zoom but not as much as I would have liked. I shot a few model on the runway pics without problems.

I did not use the built in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth features that enable connection to mobile devices. I do not carry a smartphone.

Overall 

Canon has built a powerful camera in a small package. I am not just saying that. Check out other reviews as well.