Researchers have developed algorithms that accurately depict coily Black hair in computer graphics — a historic advancement for Black characters in media. According to The Guardian, AM Darke, an associate professor in the department of performance, play, and design at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and Theodore Kim, a professor of computer science at the Yale School of Engineering and Applied Science, co-authored the study. Despite increased representation and numerous papers published on computer graphics algorithms over the past 50 years — particularly regarding hair — Kim noted that representations of Black hair have remained relatively unchanged. Due to a lack of appropriate formulas, animators have struggled to accurately depict textures like type 4C hair , characterized by tightly coiled curls. “There’s only one or two hairstyles that people gravitate towards because they find that it’s culturally approved,” Kim said. “The vast diversity of type four hair is then...

Popular streamer IShowSpeed isn’t afraid to turn down lucrative deals. As AFROTECH™ previously told you, IShowSpeed is a dedicated streamer who made various sacrifices to focus on his craft. One of those sacrifices included moving into his father’s home after receiving an ultimatum from his mother: quit streaming or leave her home. “Once I start something, I’m not stopping,” he mentioned on “Club Shay Shay” at the time. The decision has paid off, and the streamer holds no ill feelings toward his mother. In fact, he later bought a home for her after earning his first $1 million at 16. Today, IShowSpeed has 33.8 million subscribers on one of his YouTube channels alone, as well as an additional 27 million followers on Instagram (at the time of this writing). He also just won Streamer of the Year at the Streamer Awards 2024. While it is unclear what his exact earnings are, he confirmed on Complex’s “360 With Speedy (Morman)” that the $10 million net worth that comes up in a Google...

Druski has the content creation game on lock. As previously reported by AFROTECH™, the Maryland native’s foray into comedy dates back to skits he shared on Instagram under the handle druski2funny. According to Forbes, he was known for his humor as the class clown at an early age, though it wasn’t always to the amusement of his teachers and parents. “I think just being a class clown early on that’s what kind of grooved me in my career,” he told Forbes. “Sometimes when you’re young you really don’t know what your purpose is. But thankfully I have good parenting, so now we figured it out in the midst of all the craziness, but they don’t always support being a c lass clown while in school and being young. I had to figure it all out later in life. I came back to it, and I was like ‘All right this is my purpose.'” Before his big break, Druski faced various challenges, leading him to work different jobs — some he was fired from, others he quit. He considered pursuing higher education and...

Levi’s is capitalizing on its feature on Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter.” The clothing company recognized for its denim jeans was a listed track on her country album, which was released on March 29, 2024, by Parkwood Entertainment and Colombia Records and featured artists like Post Malone and Miley Cyrus. While the iron was hot, Levi’s took the opportunity to change its Instagram handle by inserting an additional I, aligned with the spelling of the song on the album, “Levii’s Jeans.” However, Kenny Mitchell, chief marketing officer at Levi Strauss & Co., believed the company could push the brand even further if they partnered with the Houston, TX-born artist. “Once that album came out, it was obviously a moment where we said, ‘Hey, maybe we can start to have some conversations about whether a deeper partnership makes sense,’” Mitchell told The New York Times. Having already planted a seed of familiarity with Beyoncé in the past, as she sported the jeans as a Destiny’s Child member and has...

If you spend any time scrolling through social media apps online, you’ve likely become aware of the viral comedian Druski in the last year or so. The up-and-coming jokester has made waves in recent months, with publications such as Forbes listing him among the top creators of 2023. Complex even ranked him the single funniest person on the internet in June of 2024, beating out other hilarious comedians such as Barstool Sports’ Caleb Pressley, Theo Vonn, and rap icon Vince Staples. According to a write-up in Distractify , Druski has an estimated net worth of over $1 million. Druski has generated this net worth through multiple streams of income, including live shows and tours, viral video creation, partnerships with multiple celebrities, and a wide array of sponsorships and brand deals . So, let’s take a brief look into Druski’s financial portfolio and see if we can understand his recipe for success. Without any further preamble, let’s unpack the journey and success of Druski, the...

Not everyone is an investor. But thanks to platforms like Public and Robinhood , you do not have to have a degree in economics or work at Goldman Sachs to get in on the stock market action. Once reserved for only the most savvy of analysts and the wealthiest of investors, the playing field is far more level — at least in terms of accessibility. However, having access to opportunities and knowing what to do with them are two very different stories. In particular, there is something known as the Fear and Greed Index (developed by CNN) and it directly impacts how successful one can trade traditional stocks or even crypto currencies like Bitcoin. So, if traders are ready to dabble those toes into the stock market, crypto, or both, keep on reading to learn about this critical tool. What Is The Fear And Greed Index? Whether a person is trading crypto or traditional common stocks , the Fear and Greed Index is a trading tool that helps decide when to jump into a commodity, when to hold it...

When you think of “The Cosby Show,” one of its promising actors who comes to mind is Geoffrey Owens. Playing the character of Elvin Tibideaux marked his television debut. The actor made recurring appearances from season two up until its end in season eight in 1992. The Brooklyn native’s path into acting started when he became involved in theater while attending the High School of Performing Arts. Following his gig on “The Cosby Show,” Owens went on to feature in numerous films and shows such as “Law & Order,” “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” and “Blue Bloods.” But within his successful career, what was once an opportunity of a lifetime became a turn in his journey. Once the Bill Cosby scandal hit the media, TV Land was one of the multiple networks to pull reruns of “The Cosby Show” from its schedule. The dent in the actor’s income from the loss of TV royalties pushed him to find a consistent job at the time, so he decided to work at Trader Joe’s. While working in his new...

Throughout the course of his career, Idris Elba has been many things. As AfroTech previously reported, the actor’s most recent title was “Knight.” In 2016, he was named an Officer of the British Empire (OBE) for his “services to drama.” He was granted the OBE in the New Years Honours, so his proper title is “Sir Idris Elba, People Magazine’s 2018 Sexiest Man Alive. ” He’s also been a producer, a director, and an investor in various projects such as a genderless skincare line. He’s inked a book deal with HarperCollins, negotiated a contract with Crunchyroll, and even proposed a way to hold social media trolls accountable for their actions. But before he did all that, he was involved in the cannabis business. And according to Complex, no less of an authority than Dave Chappelle, dropped the proverbial dime on the Internet’s favorite fantasy James Bond casting. As it turns out, Chappelle disclosed Elba’s previous side hustle on the ever-noxious Joe Rogan podcast, wherein the...