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Adventures in motion pixels: the latest curiosities on YouTube



To prove that the filmmaker Tim Burton has truly become a genre unto himself, a spoof trailer has appeared online for a Burtonised version of the screwball 1989 comedy Weekend at Bernie's. The clip features reenactments of some of the most famous scenes in the original film, in which a pair of losers try to pretend their murdered employer is still alive. What If Tim Burton Had Made Weekend at Bernie's? claims to star Burton's wife and frequent leading lady Helena Bonham Carter and a score by his long-time colleague Danny Elfman. It also features the lookalike of another Burton regular as a ghoulish dandy with a silly hat and circular glasses, playing Bernie - now who might that be?

The daddy of all internet memes almost went extinct last week, as a blunder at YouTube HQ briefly put an end to RickRolling. That's when cunning web pranksters replace an expected piece of content - a link or image perhaps - with a video of the 1980s singer Rick Astley's mega chart hit, Never Gonna Give You Up. When YouTube briefly pulled the clip, which has now been linked to some 30 million times, Twitter and message boards were awash with messages lamenting the death of RickRolling. But Astley was resurrected soon after and a YouTube spokesman revealed that the video was mistakenly suspended, possibly after being wrongly flagged as unacceptable content or spam. Now there's a relief.

The sport of tennis is not usually associated with rock 'n' roll, but the Ivy League indie band Vampire Weekend may be on course to change that with their wacky new clip, which has already been viewed hundreds of thousands of times on YouTube. The video for their new single, Giving Up the Gun, sees a female tennis player taking on a star-studded list of adversaries, including Jake Gyllenhaal and the Jonas Brothers' Joe Jonas. The bizarre clip, which feels part Gap advert and part Clockwork Orange, also features the Wu-Tang Clan heavyweight RZA acting as umpire and an appearance by the rapper Lil Jon. It's possibly the strangest mismatch of celebrities since Jamie Foxx's Blame It video - which also co-starred Gyllenhaal.

Jigra
Director: Vasan Bala
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
Rated: 3.5/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
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'My Son'

Director: Christian Carion

Starring: James McAvoy, Claire Foy, Tom Cullen, Gary Lewis

Rating: 2/5

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What are NFTs?

Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.

You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”

However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.

This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”

This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.

The specs

Engine: 1.5-litre turbo

Power: 181hp

Torque: 230Nm

Transmission: 6-speed automatic

Starting price: Dh79,000

On sale: Now

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Tips on buying property during a pandemic

Islay Robinson, group chief executive of mortgage broker Enness Global, offers his advice on buying property in today's market.

While many have been quick to call a market collapse, this simply isn’t what we’re seeing on the ground. Many pockets of the global property market, including London and the UAE, continue to be compelling locations to invest in real estate.

While an air of uncertainty remains, the outlook is far better than anyone could have predicted. However, it is still important to consider the wider threat posed by Covid-19 when buying bricks and mortar. 

Anything with outside space, gardens and private entrances is a must and these property features will see your investment keep its value should the pandemic drag on. In contrast, flats and particularly high-rise developments are falling in popularity and investors should avoid them at all costs.

Attractive investment property can be hard to find amid strong demand and heightened buyer activity. When you do find one, be prepared to move hard and fast to secure it. If you have your finances in order, this shouldn’t be an issue.

Lenders continue to lend and rates remain at an all-time low, so utilise this. There is no point in tying up cash when you can keep this liquidity to maximise other opportunities. 

Keep your head and, as always when investing, take the long-term view. External factors such as coronavirus or Brexit will present challenges in the short-term, but the long-term outlook remains strong. 

Finally, keep an eye on your currency. Whenever currency fluctuations favour foreign buyers, you can bet that demand will increase, as they act to secure what is essentially a discounted property.

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Airev
Started: September 2023
Founder: Muhammad Khalid
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: Generative AI
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
 
How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.

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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
Based: Dubai, UAE
 
Sector: Entertainment 
 
Number of staff: 210 
 
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
THE DETAILS

Director: Milan Jhaveri
Producer: Emmay Entertainment and T-Series
Cast: John Abraham, Manoj Bajpayee
Rating: 2/5

What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
 
  • Grade 9 = above an A*
  • Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
  • Grade 7 = grade A
  • Grade 6 = just above a grade B
  • Grade 5 = between grades B and C
  • Grade 4 = grade C
  • Grade 3 = between grades D and E
  • Grade 2 = between grades E and F
  • Grade 1 = between grades F and G
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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TWISTERS

Director: Lee Isaac Chung

Starring: Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Anthony Ramos

Rating: 2.5/5