Education

Apple’s iPhone X lands top spot of YouTube Trending

Posted on by artsnla

Written by Giavanna Foster

Apple’s iPhone X, pronounced as the iPhone 10, has officially made its commercial debut. Today this phone landed the top spot of YouTube Trending. Here’s the scoop:

On September 12, Apple’s iPhone X made its global debut. Today it is listed at #1 on YouTube Trending. In 24 hours, it has received 9,857,302 YouTube views. This viral video is approaching 10 million views. The iPhone X’s design is more advanced, as there is no home button. Its all-new 5.8-inch Super Retina screen is crafted with the most durable glass used in a smartphone.

The iPhone X is water-resistant and dust-resistant. This phone specializes in refinery, as its A11 Bionic chip operates with superhuman intelligence. This chip is capable of performing 600 billion operations per second. The iPhone X’s A11 Bionic chip is 70 percent faster than the A10 Fusion chip. Its refined dual 12-megapixel cameras capture every memory, even in low lighting, with optical image stabilization and high resolution.

Apple’s iPhone X also includes Face ID, which is enabled by the TrueDepth camera. With Face ID, a precise map of your face is created through analyzing 30,000 invisible dots. This feature can also be used for Apple Pay.

Apple’s iPhone X includes other features like Animoji, Portrait Lighting, augmented reality, and wireless charging. The iPhone X cameras are a true standout. See the slideshow below:

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Apple will release the iPhone X on November 3. Pre-ordering starts on October 27. This high-end phone retails at $999 for 64 GB and $1,149 for 256 GB. The iPhone X commercial has 10 million YouTube views. Questions? Click here to read more about Apple’s iPhone X.

Michael Phelps and wife Nicole expecting Baby No. 2

Posted on by artsnla

Written by Giavanna Foster

Michael Phelps and his wife, Nicole, are expecting their second child. Here’s the scoop:

International superstar Michael Phelps is a professional Olympian swimmer. Phelps has won 23 Olympics gold medals and 11 American Swimmer of the Year awards. Phelps joins Aaron Rodgers and Stephen Curry in the list of Associated Press Athlete of the Year winners. He founded the Michael Phelps Foundation, which raises awareness about living a healthy lifestyle while encouraging kids to participate in the sport of swimming. He received the Legend Award at this year’s Kids Choice Sports Awards. Click here to watch his speech.

In June 2016, Michael and Nicole Phelps became a married couple. On May 5, 2016, they welcomed their first child named Boomer Robert Phelps. Nicole Johnson-Phelps is a model and former Miss California USA winner. Also, she graduated from USC with a Bachelor’s degree in communications with a focus on sports and entertainment.

Access Hollywood reports that Michael Phelps’ mother knew that Nicole Johnson was the one for him. Now, 15-month-old Boomer will have a younger sibling. On Tuesday, the couple announced that they are expecting a second child with this Instagram post:

ARTSNLA congratulates Michael and Nicole Phelps on the news of their second child. Do you think Baby No. 2 will be a boy or a girl? See our Twitter poll:

Google celebrates the 44th anniversary of hip hop

Posted on by artsnla

Written by Giavanna Foster

Google is celebrating the 44th anniversary of hip hop. Google’s interactive doodle informs readers of hip hop’s educational origins. Here’s the scoop:

Google’s doodle recognizes August 11, 1973 as the birth of hip hop. Hip hop icon Fab 5 Freddy, a former host of “Yo! MTV Raps”, narrates the story of hip hop’s origins. DJ Kool Herc made history in New York’s Bronx area with his inventive technique, known as the break. When Herc was 18, he threw a back to school party on 1520 Sedgwick Avenue. He extended the instrumental break of James Brown’s records with two turntables so that people could dance longer. This style became widely recognized as break dancing.

Hip hop rebelled against several norms, including the rising popularity of disco. Many felt that disco music overshadowed the depth of blues and soul music. Soul singer James Brown moved the audience with his groundbreaking music. Through hip hop, the connection to relatable and authentic musical storytelling was restored. James Brown’s drummer, Clyde Stubblefield, heavily influenced the development of hip hop with his evocative rhythms.

In the late 1970s, “M.C.” was used to describe the master of ceremonies in hip hop. The master of ceremonies spoke rhymes while the beat played to engage the audience. This tradition gained global popularity. MC Lyte, MC Jin, MC Magic, and MC Hammer are some of today’s internationally recognized hip hop masters of ceremonies.

“Pump ’em, stump ’em Make your body jump up. / When your life is gonna blow up moving, improving, that’s what we’re doing, nothing negative get in cause your mind will be ruined / Aim for the top and go straight up in nothing will stop you when you gaining momentum,” MC Hammer raps.

Hip hop is creatively expressed through spoken word, improvisation, technique, and technicality. Hip hop’s global impact is reflected through music, dance, art, and fashion. Even today, hip hop has an international reach. Sampling, a popular hip hop technique, recycles older beats. The Beastie Boys and Dr. Dre have used this technique. Sampling helps educate people about the history of hip hop and bring music fans together.

Everyone can access the Google Doodle, which includes a fun tutorial. Now you can mix the interactive turntables with hip hop’s earliest beats, and view the behind-the-scenes pictures as well as the animations. Click here to go to the Google Doodle page.

Stevie Wonder and Benjamin Chavis to headline Conference of Peace

Posted on by artsnla

Written by Giavanna Foster

The city of Minneapolis will serve as the launch pad to a major national leadership conference. Grammy-winning music legend Stevie Wonder and Dr. Benjamin Chavis, former NAACP President, will headline the Conference of Peace. Here’s the scoop:

Stevie Wonder is an icon, philanthropist, singer, multi-instrumentalist, and 25-time Grammy Award winner. Stevie has expressed his concern towards humanitarian issues throughout his career through singing, songwriting, and speaking to global audiences. His music illustrates the light of hope and healing, which resonates with people around the world. Also, Stevie Wonder is a United Nations Messenger of Peace. To watch his 2016 International Day of Peace speech, see the YouTube video (above).

“You can do well in this life… Love your family first, take care of your body and mind, and use your God-given talent to make a difference,” Stevie Wonder said.

Benjamin Chavis is a former NAACP president and celebrated African-American civil rights leader. Also, Chavis is the youngest NAACP Executive Director and CEO. In addition to securing his B.A. in chemistry from the University of North Carolina, Chavis is the founder and CEO of the National African American Leadership Summit. Also, he is the current president and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association.

Stevie Wonder and Benjamin Chavis are joining forces with community leaders to address the issue of violence in communities throughout Minneapolis. The goal of the conference is to educate youth and adults in underserved communities through grassroots methods of leadership and empowerment. This conference also aims to reduce youth and adult violence nationwide.

On June 17, Wonder and Chavis are scheduled to speak with other community leaders converging in the city of Minneapolis. The Conference of Peace will take place at the New Salem Missionary Baptist Church. This two-day conference will begin with a town hall meeting on June 16 at 6pm, followed by a full day of panels and speakers on June 17 from 9:15am to 8pm. The Conference of Peace is open to the public, free of charge.

Keynote speakers Stevie Wonder and Benjamin Chavis are currently scheduled to appear on June 17th. Click here to view the full schedule.

Click here to visit the New Salem Missionary Baptist Church’s website.