Arts and Culture

BeautyTech, BabyTech, Join FitTech, HealthTech at CES 2017 Las Vegas

Published

7 years ago

January 2, 2017

CES 2017 Las Vegas is the continuation of the expansion of the word “tech”. First, it was HeathTech, or tech devices for healthcare. Then there was “FitTech” which refers to tech gadgets for working out and fitness. Now, we have, and for the second year at CES, BeautyTech and Baby Tech. (Zennie62 , Zennie Abraham coverage of CES 2017 is sponsored by The Oakland Post and Sigma Technologies Global. Be sure to subscribe to Zennie62 on YouTube.)

Overall, the establishment of these subsections of “tech” reflect the growing number of startups and gadgets that apply modern micro-computer electronics and programming to help solve problems we face in our everyday lives (like when to take a medication or measuring blood pressure reliably when a doctor is not available) or make some aspect of our daily practices easier to do.

I vividly recall standing at the steps in the Las Vegas Convention Center South Hall two years ago, and marveling at how one section in front of me had grown between that year, 2013, and the previous CES 2012: The HealthTech Area, or technical gadgets with a healthcare focus. Then, in 2014, that area was changed and added fit models riding stationary bikes, and running, and wearing not much at all, and to the objective of getting you to check out the newest in something called FitTech, which others call Wearable Tech. The ruler of the roost was a then seven-year-old company called FitBit.

Now, FitBit is a public company worth $4 billion, and worried about the large and growing number of startups aiming to under-cut its dominance with devices like Skulpt Chisel, which I vlogged about at CES 2016. Much fun was had with the amazing Laura Myren, who explains that it measures body fat and muscle quality. Just the thing for after-gym evaluation of your workout.

Ok, so what’s BeautyTech and BabyTech all about?

Well, while all that’s happening, other entrepreneurs are pivoting toward two related and even more concentrated areas of Wearable Tech: BeautyTech and BabyTech.

As CES itself explains in introducing the Baby Tech Summit, the term focuses on devices “From smart car seats and breast pumps to at-home medical diagnostics tools and cutting-edge cognitive learning wearables.” BabyTech is so new as a niche that a search reveals as the top-most Google result, the blog for the 2016 CES BabyTech Summit. There’s no dominant player in this area – yet.

The same can be said for BeautyTech, which one observer, Arabelle Sicardi, wrote at Racked.com was really about robot makeup artists, but since that advancement has not been introduced yet, we will have to make do with such creations as “Metaverse Nails”. Sicardi explains that Metaverse Nails are “augmented reality, 3-D printed nails that work in conjunction with your phone. In order to get the entire experience, you have to download the corresponding app on either the Apple Store or Google Play. It’s a cool, deeply kawaii app, something you can get lost in for a while lubricated by your own boredom or a lot of weed. Highly stoner-friendly, and perfect for those with the attention span and aesthetic inclinations of an uber-feminine six year old.”

Which Sicardi says she is.

Stay tuned for more on BeautyTech, Baby Tech, and FitTech from Zennie62 at CES 2017, Las Vegas.

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Richmond Preps for Full Weekend of Cinco de Mayo Festivities

Cinco de Mayo festivities in Richmond and San Pablo are some of the bests in Bay, and organizers say that tradition will be alive and well at this weekend’s annual parade and festival. The action kicks off Saturday, May 4, with the 16th Annual Cinco de Mayo Richmond/San Pablo Peace & Unity Parade. The parade of floats, performances, and community organizations starts at 10 a.m. at 24th Street and Barrett Avenue and Richmond and ends at 12:30 p.m. at St. Paul’s Church, 1845 Church Lane in San Pablo.

Published

3 hours ago

May 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Scene from the 2023 Cinco de Mayo parade from Richmond to San Pablo. Photo courtesy The Richmond Standard.

By Mike Kinney

The Richmond Standard

Cinco de Mayo festivities in Richmond and San Pablo are some of the bests in Bay, and organizers say that tradition will be alive and well at this weekend’s annual parade and festival.

The action kicks off Saturday, May 4, with the 16th Annual Cinco de Mayo Richmond/San Pablo Peace & Unity Parade. The parade of floats, performances, and community organizations starts at 10 a.m. at 24th Street and Barrett Avenue and Richmond and ends at 12:30 p.m. at St. Paul’s Church, 1845 Church Lane in San Pablo.

The parade’s Grand Marshall this year will be community organizer Diego Garcia, owner of Leftside Printing.

The festivities continue Sunday with the Cinco de Mayo Festival along 23rd Street, which last year drew over 100,000 people, according to the 23rd Street Merchants Association. This year’s festival will again run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. between the intersections of Rheem Avenue and Clinton Avenue. It will feature two entertainment stages, one sponsored by La Raza 93.3 FM at 23rd and Rheem, and another sponsored by Radio Lazer FM at 23rd and Clinton.

Both events are important for the city and the region’s Latino community.

San Pablo Mayor Genoveva Calloway, who co-chairs the parade alongside John Marquez, president of the Contra Costa Community College District Board of Trustees, says Saturday’s festivities are about bringing the Richmond and San Pablo communities together in unity.

“This truly connects the spectators and people in the parade as one,” Calloway said. “The parade showcases the real communities of Richmond and San Pablo – our nonprofits, schools, horse riders, classic cars and trucks, our local businesses. All of these people represent the heartbeat of our community.”

Rigo Mendoza, vice president of the 23rd Street Merchants Association, said that at its heart, Richmond’s Cinco de Mayo Festival celebrates the date the Mexican army’s victory over France at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862.

But John Marquez started up the popular festival to bring the community together and also to exhibit the community’s businesses and culture to visitors, Mendoza said. The gathering was also a way to promote peace in the community.

Oakland Post

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Art

Mario Van Peebles’ ‘Outlaw Posse’ Screened at Oakland’s Grand Lake Theatre

Published

5 hours ago

May 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Film director Mario Van Peebles, who also stars in “Outlaw Posse,” appeared at a press conference held at RBA Creative on MacArthur Boulevard hosted by the Oakland International Film Festival. Photo By Carla Thomas.

By Carla Thomas

The Oakland International Film Festival hosted a screening of “Outlaw Posse” at the Grand Lake Theatre on Monday. Special guests included director/actor Mario Van Peebles and his co-star, Oakland native Scytorya Rhodes. The film is Peebles’ second western, the first being ‘Posse,’ 13 years ago. Filmmaker Van Peebles shared his passion for independent artistry and producing projects with his son, Mandela, who also starred in the film, along with Whoopi Goldberg and Cedric the Entertainer. Next week, The Post will publish an in-depth interview featuring Peebles’ reflections on his work, future projects, and continuing his father’s legacy and Rhodes on her grandfather, a real-life cowboy.

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Arts and Culture

Kedrick Armstrong: New Music Director for the Oakland Symphony

The Oakland Symphony Announced Kedrick Armstrong as its Next Music Director. In addition to conducting the orchestra’s public concerts, Armstrong will also actively participate in the Oakland Symphony’s many education and community engagement programs, designed to inspire a love of music in people of all ages.

Published

2 weeks ago

April 20, 2024

Oakland Post

Kedrick Armstrong is the new music director for the Oakland Symphony. Photo credit Scott Chernis.

By Post Staff

The Oakland Symphony Announced Kedrick Armstrong as its Next Music Director.
In addition to conducting the orchestra’s public concerts, Armstrong will also actively participate in the Oakland Symphony’s many education and community engagement programs, designed to inspire a love of music in people of all ages.

Armstrong is the successor to previous music director and Conductor Michael Morgan, who passed away in 2021 after a 30-year tenure at the Symphony.

Armstrong will open the Oakland Symphony 2024-2025 season on October 18.

Armstrong, who is 29 and hails from Georgetown, South Carolina, is currently the creative partner and principal conductor of the Knox-Galesburg Symphony.

The Chicago Tribune has praised Armstrong for his ability to “simply let the score speak for itself.” He enjoys a wide range of repertoire, spanning early music to premiering new works, using his joy and curiosity for all music to cultivate understanding and collaboration within diverse communities.
“I am deeply honored and grateful for the opportunity to serve as the new music director of the Oakland Symphony,” Armstrong said. “As a Black conductor, I find it humbling to stand on the shoulders of both Michael Morgan and Calvin Simmons,” the most recent and the first African American music directors of the Symphony, respectively.

Armstrong led three programs at the Symphony between 2022 and early 2024, which showcased his broad knowledge of the classical repertoire and enthusiasm for spotlighting diverse voices.
On his Oakland Symphony subscription debut on Feb. 16, Armstrong led the world premiere of “Here I Stand: Paul Robeson,” an oratorio by Carlos Simon on a libretto by Dan Harder, commissioned by the Oakland Symphony.

Armstrong was selected unanimously by the Oakland Symphony’s board of directors and musicians after an extensive two-year search. “The search committee was overwhelmed by Kedrick’s scholarship and curiosity about all kinds of music, from classical and jazz to gospel and hip-hop,” said. Dr. Mieko Hatano, executive director of the Oakland Symphony. “We are thrilled to have him join us at the Oakland Symphony.”