TikTok, the social-video company owned by Chinese internet giant ByteDance, pledged to donate $250 million in funds to support COVID-19 relief efforts as well as $125 million worth of advertising credits on the platform. It’s the latest example of a big tech company looking to demonstrate that it’s a good corporate citizen amid the unprecedented Link......

The other truly distinctive performance is a total reworking of Pete Seeger's "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?", which turns the familiar folk song into a chilly abstraction. In some ways, it reminds your ear more of Frisell's own short "Curiosity", which precedes it—a moody chamber miniature. "How Many Miles" is warmer Frisell original with a melancholy melody for the unison of Haden's voice and Roberts' cello. "Honest Man", also by the leader, floats similarly on a simple two-note motif.The question with some of these short songs without lyrics is whether they really fill you up. To some extent, they come off more like palate cleansers, filling out the meal gently before something else distinctive arrives from the menu. Bill Frisell's uniquely genre-less music sometimes takes this risk—not filled with long or daring improvisation, not featuring highly expressive performance elements, balancing mood, and charming simplicity, it can feel vanilla. Without almost any of the distinct African-American elements of jazz and the "twang" of country music, it can seem to lack bite or tang. Harmony makes up for that with a handful of gems and a dose of gentle weirdness, of course. But it might seem slightly ironic that the guitarist's latest is also his debut on Blue Note Records, the swing ingest of all "jazz" record labels. In the new century, of course, "Blue Note" may be more likely to stand for certain major label ease. At his best, Frisell's music isn't easy but a sublime gentleness that blossoms into bright colors. That happens a few times here, and it is best when it does. Keep Reading......

MADRID — Cecilia Roth starrer “Alice,” Ana Piterbarg’s “La Habitación Blanca,” Brazil’s sure-to-be controversial “Princesa,” and Mexico’s “Intersex” look like potential standouts in the just-announced movie project pitching platform MAFF Online by Filmarket Hub, part of the biggest push by far into a virtual marketplace made by any festival in the Spanish-speaking world. Launched by Link......

Many are wondering where to buy an iPad, so we've tracked down the best iPad, Pro, Air and Mini deals still available.......

Even if it was almost 30 years ago in 1992, Wilson Cruz will never forget his first audition for a television series. “They wanted three white boys to play choir boys in this series that Tobey Maguire was starring in,” Cruz say on today’s episode of “The Big Ticket,” Variety and iHeart’s weekly podcast. “It Link......

Strand Releasing has acquired all North American rights to British-Cambodian filmmaker Hong Khaou’s “Monsoon,” a drama headlined by “Crazy Rich Asians” star Henry Golding and Parker Sawyers. Sold by Protagonist Pictures, “Monsoon” had its world premiere at Karlovy Vary last year and stars Golding as Kit, a young British man of Vietnamese decent who returns Link......

E-sports and gaming company FaZe Clan today announced an exclusive partnership with e-commerce and culture platform Ntwrk. Ntwrk, known for its limited-edition product drops from LeBron James, Billie Eilish, 88rising and others, led the latest round of funding for FaZe Clan, and has secured the global direct-to-consumer product rights for the company. The collaboration will Link......

When Universal’s “Trolls World Tour” lands on home entertainment platforms on Friday, it’ll mark the first major studio movie to skip its planned traditional theatrical release since the coronavirus outbreak forced cinemas to close. The unprecedented move, going against perennial protocol in exhibition, has many in the entertainment industry wondering: is the bold bet a Link......

* * *This article originally published on 25 January 2017.Keep Reading......

The Redmi Band was set to be a great new affordable fitness tracker, but it's only going to be available in China for now.......

The NBA season has been suspended, but ESPN and the league have figured out a different way to present live basketball to fans. The Disney-owned sports-media giant sad it would present a tournament built out of a game of Horse and present it on its flagship cable network as well as its streaming mobile app Link......

Meeting IDs are no longer visible in the app's title bar, making it harder for mischief-makers to find and join them.......