Friday, August 9, 2013

A Covert Tour of New York With the Free Members of Pussy Riot

The young women climbing into an SUV near Bryant Park introduce themselves as Puck and Headlight. “It’s not fixed, so you can mix them up or choose yourself,” says the one I label Headlight. “Yeah, we don’t care,” says Puck.

Puck and Headlight are part of Pussy Riot, the Russian feminist punk-rock collective that made international headlines last year after five of its members descended on a Moscow church, wearing vibrant balaclavas and lip-synching “Mother of God, get rid of Putin!” The act lasted 40 seconds, but the more absurd spectacle came in its aftermath as three of the performers were tried and found guilty of “hooliganism.” Since then, the women have become celebrated martyrs, championed by Madonna, Yoko Ono, and Björk; credited by the fashion world for the return of riot-grrrl chic; and, now, featured in an HBO documentary, Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer, airing June 10. 

Two of their bandmates, Nadia and Masha, are still serving out terms in prison, and Puck and Headlight are en route to meet with some of Pussy Riot’s supporters. It is the girls’ first time in New York, and, having left their balaclavas behind on this humid Friday afternoon, they are feeling a bit skittish. They won’t reveal their real names, ages, or whether they are in fact the other performers of the “Punk Prayer” who were never identified.

“We cannot say if we were there or not,” says Headlight.

“For security reasons,” says Puck.

Though we all speak Russian, an interpreter named Irina is on hand to assist with translation. Every time the women speak, Irina talks over them in English.

Do they believe the Russian government is still pursuing their arrest? “It’s entirely possible,” says Headlight. “They don’t inform us of their plans.”

“It’s sort of a political game,” says Puck, but something about her answer makes Headlight nervous. The girls whisper among themselves and ask Irina not to translate. “We can only speculate,” Headlight finally says, “but it is clear that we need to proceed with caution.”

Of the two, Headlight is cheerful but slightly more formal; Puck is coquettish, her movements ethereal and light. They forbid any mention of their physical appearance, but after some negotiation, they allow for descriptions of their clothing. Puck wears a navy baby-doll dress and black Keds with white socks. Headlight has on cropped Army-green pants and a white T-shirt bearing the Russian phrase I WILL NOT EAT BUCKWHEAT PORRIDGE, YOU IDIOT, a reference to Vladimir Putin’s alleged mistress, Alina Kabaeva, who has bragged that she maintains her figure by adhering to a strict diet of kasha. I am not allowed to describe their backpacks. “We’re not planning on changing them,” Puck says.

Puck, who has a blue camera suspended from her wrist, snaps a photo of all of us and then directs her lens to the sights outside the car window. When Puck and Headlight approve of something, they describe it as kruto, the Russian word for cool, or “very nice.” The subway, which they took the previous day, is kruto. Their lunch at HBO was “very nice.” The support they’ve received from the West is not only “very nice” but also “important.”

We arrive at a hot-pink recording studio in Chelsea, where the girls greet Simonne Jones, the singer who, along with Peaches, recorded the anthem “Free Pussy Riot.”

Jones tells them about a protest she staged in their honor at the Russian Embassy in Berlin. “Kruto!” says Headlight, and both girls nod approvingly.

Jones wants to know where they see themselves in five years. “Hopefully not behind bars!” says Headlight.

As the girls make their way out of the studio, Jones declares them to be “awesome and very brave.” “I want to kidnap you guys and hang out!” Jones says. “Come to Berlin, okay?”

A quick cigarette break—American Spirits for the girls, Winstons for our translator—and we’re back in the car heading farther downtown. “We like it very much,” Puck says of New York as she gazes out her window again. Headlight had hoped to visit the Statue of Liberty—“because it is a woman and she is fighting for freedom”—but was disappointed to learn that it’s closed for renovations. Puck, a fan of Basquiat, just wants to walk around the streets.

“But the most important thing for us is not to see stuff,” she adds, her tone growing serious, “but to meet with people and establish contacts.” “Yes, we’re not tourists,” says Headlight.

“We’re here on a mission,” says Puck. The exact length of that mission, however, is unclear. “You can’t say when we arrived or when we’re leaving,” Puck warns.

“We’re just here, you’re meeting with us, and that’s it,” says Headlight. “Who knows what happens to us next.”

The SUV pulls over on Lafayette Street, and the girls rush off to their next meeting.

*This article originally appeared in the June 17, 2013 issue of New York Magazine.


View the original article here

Sony's Google TV box gets a refresh, NSZ-GS8 adds voice search ready remote

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Sony's Google TV box gets a refresh, NSZGS8 adds voice search ready remote

Sony has just announced a new Google TV set-top box, the NSZ-GS8. Apparently replacing last year's NSZ-GS7 that lead the charge of second generation ARM-powered Google TV hardware, this one appears to be quite similar. As seen in the picture above (check after the break to see the old remote for comparison) it adds a microphone this time around, necessary to enable the voice search features added to the Google TV platform last fall. We're not seeing any other changes, but we'll let you know if we hear of any differences. In lieu of actual new devices, Google TV fans can at least take heart that Sony is continuing development on the platform -- good to hear after the NSZ-GP9 Blu-ray player that was also announced last year ended up being cancelled prior to its release. Like its predecessor, the NSZ-GS8 carries a sticker price of $199 and should reach stores by early July.

Sony NSZ-GS7 remote:

Sony's Google TV box gets a refresh, NSZGS8 adds voice search ready remote

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Skype co-founder reveals service's origins as WiFi-sharing network

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EDIT SkypeFon

Everyone and their mother knows Skype as a call and chat messenger, but it would've been a completely different beast if its founders' original plans came to fruition."The initial idea was to develop a WiFi-sharing network, and then provide various 'telecom-like' services on top of that, such as TV and telephony," explained founding engineer Jaan Tallinn in a Reddit AMA.

Tallin compared the project to Fon, but he and his co-founders hit a wall: they couldn't offer TV services because they were battling copyright lawsuits as developers of P2P file-sharing site Kazaa. The team also had trouble finding a decent VoIP product to attach to the service and wound up concocting their own technology instead. The new VoIP tech, which was supposed to be named Skyper until the team noticed Skyper.net was already taken, eventually became the focus of the service. It's an interesting look at the birth of the chat messenger we know today. Now if only we could figure out if the government has direct access to Skype's logs, we'd be set.

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ZTE Imperial for US Cellular leaks in official docs, poised for June 17th launch

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ZTE Imperial for US Cellular leaks in official docs, poised for June 17th launch

Now that the mid-range LG Optimus F7 has joined U.S. Cellular's lineup, the carrier's getting ready to welcome another budget-minded smartphone to the clan. We've gotten ahold of internal documents indicating that the ZTE Imperial will arrive on June 17th carrying a 4-inch 480x800 display, and will run Android 4.1 on a 1.2 GHz single-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 4GB of built-in memory and a 2,5000 mAh battery. A 5-megapixel rear-facing shooter and a microSD slot will make an appearance on the hardware as well, along with LTE data, Bluetooth 4.0, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi and GPS. There's no price attached to the handset just yet, but with these specs, you can expect it to be easy on the wallet.ZTE Imperial for US Cellular leaked See all photos 5 Photos

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[Thanks, Anonymous]

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Ask Engadget: can I connect a WiFi reversing camera to my car?

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Ask Engadget can I connect a reversing camera to my car

We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, then here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from William, who wants to make sure his new whip fits into all of the small spaces. If you're looking to ask one of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.


"I've recently bought a new car and would like to install a reversing camera. Is it possible to install one that'll relay to my Android tablet rather than buying a dedicated display? Many thanks!"

Well William, we were originally a little bit skeptical but we did find reports of at least one device that might solve your problem. Valeo produces the Wireless Vue, a WiFi reversing camera that hooks up to smartphones and tablets. So far, so good, right? Well, unfortunately while the product's said to exist, we've not been able to find it available for sale either in the US or Thailand, where William is from. As such, this week's Ask Engadget is a two-pronged encounter. Have any of you wonderful people seen a Valeo Wireless Vue on sale, and if not, is there anything else that can do the job?

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PRISM whistleblower Edward Snowden reveals himself, reasons for leaking surveillance program

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DNP

Only days after the initial leaks and explanations by the US government about the National Security Agency's data surveillance program PRISM, Edward Snowden has revealed himself as the whistleblower. He's employed by defense contractor Booz Allen Hamilton and also worked at the NSA as a "technical assistant" for the CIA. In speaking to The Guardian, he explained his reasons for disclosing the intelligence program: he wanted to "to inform the public as to that which is done in their name and that which is done against them," hoping that they'll use the information to debate the issue.

While the NSA's data-mining tool is reportedly known as Boundless Informant, Snowden has been keeping himself bound to a hotel in Hong Kong during this whole drama. Major internet companies have insisted that the government doesn't receive direct access to their servers and President Obama has stated that "nobody is listening to your phone calls, but the issue remains far from black and white. Snowden claims a "massive surveillance machine" is in the making under the radar -- at this point he's now waiting to see what happens next, assured he's made the the decision that feels right to him. Catch the full interview at the source link.

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