Werner Herzog inspirational art, FRIENDSHIP.
Looking for a little inspiration this afternoon, but don't actually want to be uplifted?
Well, then get a boost from the solemn Teutonic prose of legendary filmmaker Werner Herzog via the genius Tumblr project Herzog Inspirationals.
Take comfort and advice from the man for whom getting shot in the gut was NBD as you learn about the humble simplicity of the chicken or the inner life of birds.
Eyes of a chicken.
via Werner Herzog Inspirationals/Tumblr
This article originally appeared on 09.18.17
What's up with the new ‘invisible’ smartphone that’s everywhere on TikTok?
Did a time traveler just get caught?
A woman using her methaphone.
Popular tech influencer CatGpt uploaded a head-scratching video on TikTok May 14 that sparked a wave of curiosity. It featured a woman in line at a boba shop in San Francisco, seemingly engrossed in a smartphone that looked like it was made of clear glass. “Completely clear phone spotted in San Francisco on May 14…?!?” she captioned the video, which garnered nearly 55 million views.
This video received many confused responses, with some claiming the woman was a time traveler who had been caught in the act. Others thought it was a new smartphone that could be more trouble than it's worth. “Losing that would be a NIGHTMARE to find,” one commenter wrote. “I can’t even find my phone now. I’ll never find it when it’s translucent,” another added.
Some people thought it was the long-rumored Nokia Clear Phone that, sadly, isn’t a real thing. Jay got a little closer to what was really happening in the video: “This looks like a social commentary or a walking art exhibit I’m too uncultured to understand,” he wrote, before NIMM nailed it on the head: “Maybe it's like a stimulation thing. Like I need to scroll because I'm addicted but I'm trying to cut down on my scrolling?”
What is a methaphone?
In a follow-up video, AskCatGPT, explained that her video was a promotion for the methaphone, a clear acrylic block that feels just like a smartphone, but has zero functionality. It was developed by Eric Antonow, a friend of the influencer, who aimed to spark a conversation about smartphone addiction. The big question was: "If we're all so addicted to our phones, then could you potentially curb someone's addiction by replacing the feeling of having a phone in your pocket with something that feels exactly the same?"
CatGpt clearly knows why the video of the woman with an invisible phone struck a chord with so many people. “This little piece of acrylic feels like a physical artifact that directly responds to this collective tension we all feel about how our devices, which are meant to make us more connected, are actually having the exact opposite effect,” she explained.
She went on to say that after carrying the methaphone with her for a few weeks, it hasn’t curbed her smartphone use, but, much like her video, it has brought up an important conversation about smartphone addiction and the role that our phones play in our lives.
Are Americans worried about their smartphone use?
It makes sense that the majority of Americans are concerned about their smartphone use. A 2022 Gallup poll found that 58% of adults said they used their smartphone “too much,” a big jump from the 39% who said the same thing in 2015. This isn’t just a problem for younger people. Seventy-four percent of people ages 30 to 49 say they use their phone “too much,” just 7% less than those in the 18 to 29 age bracket.
Antonow was smart to give CatGpt a methaphone to share in her videos because his IndieGogo manufacturing campaign has earned him all the cash it needs to produce 80 of them. But given the popularity of the TikTok video, he should probably make a few more than he initially thought.