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Culture Feature

What Are NFTs?

A simple guide to NFTs: the new future of art and investing

Art Installation N°1 by Carlos Marcial. Rhett Dashwood / YouTube

If you're keeping tabs on the art and tech worlds, you've probably been hearing whispers about "NFTs" for the past month. Just over the past week they've entered the mainstream lexicon.

Twitter founder Jack Dorsey made the news for selling his first ever tweet. The app has been teasing paid subscription models and newsletter-like features, but tweets for sale is "the next frontier."

The 2006 tweet went up for auction as an NFT, and the current bid is $2.5 Million. But what does it mean to own that? Why would anyone want to? And what even is an NFT?

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More Than 840 Words Added to Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Whether They Belong There or Not, Though, Is Your Opinion

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Language is always evolving — we find new slang words every day and sometimes it can be hard to keep up.

Luckily Merriam-Webster wants to make it easier for us to look up what some of these words mean — the dictionary just added 840 new words to their database.

"Hangry," "TL;DR" and "bougie" have all made this list and until now, wouldn't have been considered reputable language. "Bougie" has been used numerous times in pop culture now and featured front and center in Migos' song "Bad and Boujee" — Merriam-Webster defines the word as "a disparaging substitute for bourgeois."

A bunch of other abbreviated and colloquial terms have been added as well — your SO probably thinks it's "adorbs" that you have a "fav marg" to order at happy hour. Speaking of food and drinks, maybe you'd like a "flight" of beer and a "mocktail" to have with your favorite "hophead" over a bowl of "zoodles."

The dictionary has also added more technological terms such as "haptics," which is the science of touch, "biohacking" and "fintech." Foreign words also include "iftar," a sundown meal to break Ramadan daily fasting, "mise en place," a word that refers to the positioning of ingredients before cooking in French and "gochujang," a Korean chili paste.

On a more serious note, the word "Latinx" has also been added to the dictionary — a more gender-neutral term than calling someone Latino or Latina. There's been some controversy against this term as many people don't see the need for a gender neutral term while others think it's time to update a gendered language.

"Generation Z" has also made the cut as it's the umbrella term for those born in the early 2000s or around that time. "Food bank," "tent city" and "self-harm" fall under the category of social issues and happenings.

Whenever Merriam-Webster comes out with new words, there are always people that'll dismiss it as going too far or tainting something that's already been established. Many don't see the need to reinvent the wheel or are scared of change.

However you might feel, language and grammar are always changing and will always change — there's really nothing you can do about it. "Instagramming" and "bingeable" shows are a part of history now and history must be documented.

So, "TL;DR:" Get with the times.

Amber Wang is a freelancer for Popdust and various other sites. She is also a student at NYU, a photographer and intern at the Stonewall Inn National Monument.

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Giolì & Assia Released Their Debut Album Istantanee

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We are excited to present EDM duo Giolì & Assia who've recently released their debut album Istantanee; featuring 10 tracks of Italian electronica. The Young Italian DJs and artists, living for music started their career as duo on April 2016 with their first single "Stay Closer". The rising stars have gone on to create their new album singles such as 'Starry Nights', 'Far Away Roads', 'Borderline', 'Paradise To Share' & 'How Can I'. They've already surpassed 1,000,000 collective streams on Spotify, and have booked festival gigs through summer!

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Fashion and Technology Merge with the new LG SIGNATURE line at Bloomingdale’s and Lord & Taylor

LG's new SIGNATURE line matches style to convenience with their smart home appliances

When you envision window displays at iconic retailers like Bloomingdale's and Lord & Taylor, you probably don't picture appliances sharing the spotlight with high-end fashion. Well, the new LG SIGNATURE brand is teaming up with luxury retailers like Bloomingdale's and Lord & Taylor in order to help make that vision into a reality.

LG recently launched its new LG SIGNATURE line of premium appliances and is joining efforts with iconic luxury retailers to transform the typical appliance shopping experience to one that is backed by luxury and delight. This October, Bloomingdale's pulled back the curtain to their windows at their New York flagship store on 59th and Lexington, where nearly 100,000 people walk by each day. The grand, far-reaching glass windows feature mannequins in the latest fall fashion posed with appliances and pink back lights.

LG signatureLG SIGNATURE line at Bloomingdale's

The pink lit windows reveal the crossover of three elements: technology, luxury, and charity. On first glance, the windows look like a typical department store display with mannequins in winter garb, but when you see the appliances they're leaning against, you realize they're making a statement far beyond fashion. Bloomingdale's understands that its shoppers seek and appreciate premium, top-of-the-line products, and that level of luxury should be translated to home appliances as well. Beyond the mannequins and the cutting-edge appliances, Bloomingdale's continues to honor its commitments to Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, supporting the Breast Cancer Research Association, The Carey Foundation in conjunction with The Tutu Project, and The Marisa Acocella Marchetto Foundation.

Each window display features a stunning LG SIGNATURE home appliance, all of which have connected-app capability using LG's SmartThinQ® and the polished, minimalist design you'd see in a futuristic Hollywood movie. The LG SIGNATURE line features appliances from an air purifier that could be mistaken for a robot, to a refrigerator with an automatic opening door. The entire Bloomingdale's display consisted of the following LG SIGNATURE products: LG SIGNATURE InstaView™ Door-in-Door® Refrigerator, LG SIGNATURE Double Oven Range, LG SIGNATURE HDR Smart TV, LG SIGNATURE Washer/Dryer Combo, and LG SIGNATURE Air Purifier.

LG SIGNATURE line at Bloomingdale's

As another part of the LG SIGNATURE retail footprint, Lord & Taylor unveiled four custom windows inspired by the sleek design of the LG SIGNATURE brand, built to convey a minimal and simplistic installation that puts the spotlight on the artistry of each appliance. The Lord & Taylor Fifth Avenue flagship location, a historic landmarked building in New York City, is heralded for visual window curations that draw tourists and residents alike to see the latest in art and fashion, making the collaboration a natural fit.

And these products are certainly stylish: the Instaview Door-in-Door Refrigerator has a mirrored glass panel that brightens with two knocks, as well as a foot sensor door that opens with one quick swipe of the foot - perfect when your hands are full with groceries or while preparing a meal. The Double Oven Range has the look and feel of a professional oven, but is a standalone piece. It heats from the back so that whether you're baking cookies or preparing steak, the temperature is more evenly dispersed from top to bottom, when compared to a traditional oven. The TV is so mind-blowingly thin that it looks like it's part of the wall, boasting a panel as thick as two stacked credit cards. The Washer/Dryer Combo has the capacity to be synced with an app on your smartphone so that you can set a timer and control the settings remotely. The air purifier is an all-in-one air filter and humidifier, which displays air quality through a simple color ring (green is good, red is bad), and uses a combination of atomized and UV LED treated water to disperse the right amount of moisture into a room.

LG SIGNATURE line at Bloomingdale's

With the LG SIGNATURE Collection, LG has found a way to seamlessly combine forward-thinking form and futuristic function. Besides the beautiful aesthetic of the products, what makes the LG SIGNATURE line stand out is its state-of-the-art smart technology. The SmartThinQ® technology merges the necessity of home appliances with the upscale functionality of high-tech. Not only has LG SIGNATURE found a way to make chores easier, but by integrating the tech with an app on your phone, you're now able to maintain your home from virtually anywhere. With tech like that, one can only assume that the shopping experience would also be an exceptional experience.

The home should not only be a place of comfort, but a setting for appliances that make life more convenient and enjoyable. Appliances are an investment, one of the most expensive after a home or a car. So why shouldn't the experience be treated as such? LG recognizes that appliances are a necessity, and the shopping experience should be an enjoyable one. Pairing connected home appliances with sleek, modern fashion, LG SIGNATURE high-end retailers are revolutionizing the way we view smart technology in the home and is daring to propel us into the future.

To learn more about each of the LG SIGNATURE products, please visit: www.LGSIGNATURE.com

LG SIGNATURE line at Bloomingdale's

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Everyone is ready for the new VW bus to hit the market

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Everyone is ready for the new VW bus to hit the market

Our throwback generation is behind this nostalgic comeback.

"Our goal is clear: we want to make the fully electric, fully connected car a bestseller around the world. The iconic car of the electric age must be a Volkswagen."

I audibly gasped when I saw that Volkswagen is finally bringing back the VW micro bus. My love for Volkswagen goes way back and I could be bias, as my first car was a little red bug. On the contrary, back when I was looking for my first car, I was dead set on getting a vintage bug from the seventies, but when my mom refused to trust me with a stick shift, I had to choose between the new model that was about to come out and the generation of VW Beatle that was already on the market. I rolled my eyes at the futuristic design of the 2011 model. Futuristic is everything I don't think of when I think Volkswagen, but the company has a different vision. They hope to be the leaders in electric cars and that starts with the new micro bus model and though it also has that same futuristic look, I'm very into it this time around.

New VW Bus on the move. (Business Insider)

The new model reportedly has a lot of innovative features that lend themselves to the spirit of the old micro bus but are well-adapted for a modern consumer. For one, the front seats will have a feature where they can swivel backward to face the back seats. This feature definitely highlights the VW bus' history of being used for gatherings, camping, hang outs, and more. The center console will also be able to slide along a track making it easier for everyone to have access to controlling the music in the car as there seems to be an attachment for music devices to be plugged in. Another great feature are the expansive windows. If you look at promo photos of the new model, you'll notice there is a lot of window, providing you with a great 360 view of your surroundings so like tradition, VW bus owners will want to take this car on road trips to beautiful places.

Other cool features include the steering wheel which appears to be a touch screen that pops out of the dashboard and seems to be customizable in height. The front of the bus will also replace the need for a trunk leaving more room in the actual bus. Most importantly, the bus will be totally electric which will make environmentally conscious consumers very happy. While many are pumped for it's release there is a mixed reaction to consumers on Twitter.


One negative reaction to the new VW bus


One claims VW is their savior.

The buzz is predominately positive exclaiming that it's a cool idea and that we're excited to see this classic model reimagined; however, some express concern with Volkswagen's past attempts with electronics and also the lack of electronic car charging stations in existence. Some even scoff at Volkswagen as a company because of its Nazi origins though the company is clearly no longer owner by Hitler or his followers. Ultimately, I put that far out release date of 2022 on my calendar and I'm excited to hear more about the model.

Check out their promo here.

Follow Volkswagen on Twitter | Instagram | Facebook for more news on the ID Buzz Bus.

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