Most popular posts of 2020: Red-headed hottie identified, presidential porn parody and more

This was a quiet year for Tech-media-tainment. In fact, I posted the fewest articles of any full year since I started blogging more than 12 years ago.
Maybe I’ll ramp things up next year. We’ll see.
What follows are the top 10 most-viewed stories on Tech-media-tainment in 2020:

1. 2020 presidential race gets its first porn parody (May 3, 2020)
2. Meet Iuliia Ciari, the stunning redhead behind a host of online ads (May 17, 2020)
3. Top 20 celebrities predicted to die in 2020 (Jan. 1, 2020)
4. The most controversial U.S. magazine covers of 2019 (Dec. 26, 2019)
5. When clickbait articles tout photos from North Korea, they’re lying (April 12, 2020)
6. CES 2021: Will it happen? And if so, how different will it be? (May 23, 2020)
7. CES 2021 considering Covid-19 screenings for attendees (June 23, 2020)
8. Lying clickbait remains healthy during Covid-19 pandemic (May 25, 2020)
9. Celebrities at CES 2020: Alicia Keys, Shay Mitchell, Terry Crews and more (Jan. 12, 2020)
10. Amazon Prime Video unleashes wave after wave of post-apocalyptic movies (Feb. 16, 2020)

Photo: Russian model Iuliia Ciari.

2021 tech industry predictions: Pent-up horniness boosts dating apps, big M&A deals forecast

Tech pundits had many of their predictions for 2020 thrown out the window because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The health crisis was a black swan event that made their forecasts mostly irrelevant.
Now that vaccines are reaching the market, governments might finally get the Covid-19 pandemic under control in the new year.
So, what are prognosticators seeing for 2021?
What follows is a sampling of predictions that will be proven right or wrong in the year ahead.

Dating apps have big moment post-pandemic

Readers of the Verge offered their predictions for the consumer internet and social networks in 2020.
Some people forecast a surge in usage of dating apps as the world opens following Covid-19 vaccinations.
“Many of you predict that when the Covid-19 vaccines have been widely distributed, the Earth will experience a period of prolonged horniness unlike anything that has been seen in generations,” Casey Newton wrote. “Tinder, Grindr, and all the rest are poised to thrive as a result.”

2021 IPOs: WordPress, TikTok, ‘Pokemon Go’ parents

2020 was a big year for initial public offerings. IPOs this year included Airbnb, DoorDash, Palantir Technologies, Snowflake, Unity Software and Warner Music Group.
Potential IPO candidates for 2021 include Didi, the “Uber of China”; ByteDance, owner of social media network TikTok; and Chinese drone maker DJI Innovations, MKM Partners said in a report. Others include Automattic, WordPress operator, website developer and e-commerce enabler; Niantic, the mobile video game developer known for “Pokemon Go”; and Roblox, online game platform and game creation system, MKM said.
Kiplinger included Roblox on its “13 Hot Upcoming IPOs to Watch For in 2021.” The list also features female-focused online dating service Bumble, pet supplies retailer Petco, game developers platform AppLovin, and stock-trading service Robinhood.

Microsoft, Cisco, Oracle make big acquisitions

The Information predicted several major tech acquisitions in 2021.
Writers Nick Wingfield and Kevin McLaughlin predicted that Microsoft will buy MongoDB. They said the acquisition would give Microsoft a way to beef up its online database offerings to better compete with Amazon Web Services.
They predicted Cisco will buy Smartsheet to make a move into the collaboration software category.
They also think Oracle will make a bid for Dropbox or Box, both file-sharing services, in the year ahead.
Elsewhere, Wedbush Securities analyst Daniel Ives said he thinks Microsoft will “make a major software acquisition” to expand its product footprint in the cloud computing war against Amazon.com.

U.S. tech firm buys Nokia

Research firm CCS Insight made several interesting predictions for the year ahead.
For one, it expects the Covid-19 pandemic to quicken the adoption of robots and automation beyond manufacturing and logistics.
CCS Insight also predicted that “a major U.S. tech company buys Nokia in 2021.” It said Microsoft is one potential suitor, according to Nokiamob.net.

Apple acquires a movie studio

Wedbush’s Ives predicts that Apple will buy a movie studio to bulk up the content on its Apple TV+ video streaming service. He included the 2021 prediction as part of his “Christmas wish list” for Apple. News reports say Apple recently passed on a deal to buy MGM.
“Apple finally rips the Band-Aid off and makes a major studio acquisition to change the course of its content efforts around Apple TV+ and its aggressive streaming ambitions,” Ives said. “We believe Sony Pictures, Lionsgate, and A24 remain the top candidates if (Apple CEO Tim) Cook & Co. go down that path.”

Evolutionary year ahead for augmented reality

ABI Research predicts that 2021 will be a “boon year” for the augmented reality market.
The enterprise market will continue to drive the AR market with remote expertise and remote training applications, ABI said.
The consumer AR market will grow thanks to smartphone and tablet software applications. But the predicted AR smart glasses market is still just getting started.
“2021 will be an important one for AR consumer hardware,” said Eric Abbruzzese, AR/VR research director at ABI Research. “nReal will ship its first headsets to consumers, while Mad Gaze will also look to expand. Also, Facebook is expected to roll out its AR smart glasses out of its Reality Labs initiative; Google may join as well after the acquisition of North, and with pressure from Facebook and others. Although expectations for a dedicated AR product launch are targeting 2022 for the company, Apple is a wild card.”
Mike Boland, an analyst with ARtillery Intelligence, says spatial computing has “transitioned to an adolescent period of its lifecycle.”
Consumer AR glasses will make progress in 2021, but they will be evolutionary, not revolutionary, developments, he said. The focus of AR glasses remains on the enterprise market, which doesn’t mind pricey, bulky hardware as long as it improves productivity and efficiency.
Boland expects Apple to announce its rumored smart glasses in 2022.

Photo: Dating apps illustration by Norma Dorothy via Creative Commons.

Christmas music playlist 2020

Every year, many new Christmas albums and singles get released. But you’d never know about it from traditional radio broadcasts, which play the same songs on repeat.
This year has seen new Christmas music from Meghan Trainor, Carrie Underwood, Goo Goo Dolls, Dolly Parton and more.
I haven’t done a Christmas music list since 2014, so here’s what I’ve been listening to this season:

“Dear Santa” (2014) by Mr Little Jeans
“Santa’s Coming For Us” (2017) by Sia
“Candy Cane Lane” (2017) by Sia
“Make You Mine This Season” (2020) by Tegan and Sara
“Christmas Is Here” (2018) by Kaskade ft. Late Night Alumni
“Last Christmas” (2020) by Meghan Trainor
“Wonderful Christmastime” (2012) by The Shins
“Christmas Without You” (2020) by Ava Max
“The Christmas Song” (2020) by Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello
“Make It To Christmas” (2019) by Alessia Cara
“You Make It Feel Like Christmas” (2018) by Gwen Stefani ft. Blake Shelton
“Here This Christmas” (2020) by Gwen Stefani
“Christmas Tree Farm” (2019) by Taylor Swift
“Santa Tell Me” (2014) by Ariana Grande
“One December Night” (2015) by Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo
“Naughty or Nice” (2011) by Cash Cash
“I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day” (2017) by Echosmith

Photo: Cover of Meghan Trainor Christmas album “A Very Trainor Christmas.”

2020 magazine covers in review

Here is a roundup of my stories on memorable magazine covers and magazine trends in 2020.

The most controversial U.S. magazine covers of 2020 (Dec. 19, 2020)

The most controversial foreign magazine covers of 2020 (Dec. 18, 2020)

The wackiest Donald Trump magazine covers of 2020 (Dec. 17, 2020)

Naked celebrities on magazine covers in 2020 (Dec. 13, 2020)

Notable new magazines in 2020: Reveal, Sweet July, Beach Happy (Dec. 13, 2020)

Magazines that printed their final issues in 2020 (Dec. 12, 2020)

Related reading:

2019 magazine covers in review (Dec. 26, 2019)

Photos:
Top: Collage of the late Playboy magazine;
Bottom: Cover of Critic Te Arohi magazine, issue one 2020, from University of Otago in New Zealand. (See articles by Stuff and Newshub.)

The most controversial U.S. magazine covers of 2020

The top news story of 2020 was the Covid-19 pandemic, hands down. So, when it came time to select a person or persons of the year, Time magazine picked frontline health-care workers; vaccine developers or Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, right?
No. For some crazy reason, the editors of Time chose President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. The two haven’t done anything yet and won’t take office until Jan. 20, 2021. That’s next year, of course.
Social media blew up in disbelief. Critics savaged Time magazine for its bald-faced political choice. (See articles by Mediaite, Fox News, the Hill, the Star, the Blaze and the Morning Call.)
Therefore, the Dec. 21 issue of Time is Tech-media-tainment’s pick for most controversial U.S. magazine cover of 2020.
What follows are some other controversial magazines covers in the U.S. this year.

Singer Harry Styles sparked conversations about male gender identity when he posed for the cover of Vogue magazine while wearing a dress. His appearance in the December issue made history as Styles became the magazine’s first-ever solo male cover star.
Conservative commentator Candace Owens said Styles’ attire reflected “the steady feminization of our men.” At the end of her commentary, she declared, “Bring back manly men.”
(See articles by NBC News, Metro, Today and the Independent.)

Rapper Cardi B received backlash for cultural appropriation and disrespect when she posed as Hindu goddess Durga for the November cover of Footwear News.
(See articles by Us, E Online, ET Online and Cosmopolitan.)

People criticized Vogue magazine’s August cover story on gymnast Simone Biles for dimly lit photos that seemed to emphasize her blackness. They said Vogue should have used a black photographer instead of Annie Leibovitz.
(See articles by HuffPost, PetaPixel, B&T, Daily Dot and Insider.)

The Vanity Fair magazine July cover photo of black actress Viola Davis by black photographer Dario Calmese also received scorn. Some in the black community felt the photo was too dark and evoked the famous Civil War “Scourged Back” photograph. (See article by The Root.)

The Boston Globe removed its Sunday magazine from the June 7 issue because the cover illustration “bore an unintentional but close resemblance to the way George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis.” The image for the cover story “Burnout Nation” was meant to depict the stress many people feel during the Covid-19 pandemic. The illustration showed a large ball pinning a person down by the neck.
(See article by Universal Hub and Twitter post by Dan Kennedy.)

Singer and actress Selena Gomez was accused of “blackfishing” in her cover photo for the spring 2020 issue of Interview magazine.
(See articles by PopBuzz and International Business Times.)

The June cover of Entertainment Weekly sparked criticism in the LGBTQ+ community. The cover illustration for its Pride Month issue included some controversial celebrities, namely RuPaul and Ellen DeGeneres.
RuPaul raised the ire of progressives for leasing the mineral rights on his Wyoming ranch and selling water to oil companies for fracking.
Meanwhile, DeGeneres is in the doghouse after disclosures of the toxic work environment on her talk show.
(See articles by In The Know and Aol.)

Mpls. St. Paul Magazine earned criticism for featuring disgraced radio personality Garrison Keillor on its January cover. Minnesota Public Radio ended its nearly 50-year relationship with Keillor over accusations of sexual harassment.
(See articles by Media Research Center, Star Tribune and City Pages.)

And finally, the Reno-Tahoe International Airport pulled a women’s lifestyle magazine from its advertising racks in January after it ran a glossy cover story about the Mustang Ranch brothel. A group that protests the legal sex industry in Nevada played a role in the removal of the Bliss Life magazine issue.
(See articles by Reno Gazette Journal and the Associated Press.)

The most controversial foreign magazine covers of 2020

In 2020, the most controversial magazine covers outside of the U.S. offended sensitive readers with depictions of race, cultural stereotypes and treatment of the mentally ill.
What follows is a summary of the foreign magazine covers that sparked the most criticism this year.

Vogue Portugal pulled one of the covers for its July issue after it caused an outcry online.
The cover showed a naked woman sitting in a psychiatric hospital bathtub while two caregivers stand by, one of them pouring water over her head. Critics said it perpetuated an inaccurate and negative stereotype of psychiatric care. Others said it glamorized mental illness.
(See articles by CNN, BBC and Yahoo.)

French right-wing magazine Valeurs Actuelles was criticized across the political spectrum in France for depicting a black socialist member of parliament, Danièle Obono, as a slave. The illustration on the cover of the August issue showed her with an iron collar around her neck.
(See articles by BBC, the Guardian, New York Times and CNN.)

A Brussels-based magazine caused controversy in September with its cover showing famous Belgians with their skin darkened to look black. The publication, Le Vif, was trying to condemn the lack of people of African descent in positions of power. Instead, it sparked accusations of promoting “blackface.”
(See article by Euronews.)

Czech magazine Reflex caused a stir with a cover in June. It showed WWII Nazi Germany leader Adolf Hitler with darkened skin and an afro and wearing a golden chain necklace. The picture was accompanied by the slogan “Black Lives Matter.”
(See article by Spunik.)

Dutch weekly Elsevier Weekblad branded Spaniards and Italians as “lazy” on its May 30 cover. The cover illustration depicted two blonde-haired Dutch people in suits at work juxtaposed with man with a mustache drinking wine and a woman in a bikini relaxing. The magazine was critical of northern Europe having to finance southern Europe.
(See article by the Majorca Daily Bulletin.)

A Turkish government-aligned news magazine triggered a debate in Turkey with its cover story that suggested the time has come for the redeclaration of the Islamic caliphate in the country. It featured a red caliphate flag from the Ottoman Empire on the cover. The magazine, Gercek Hayat, is owned by the pro-government Yeni Safak media group.
(See article by Middle East Eye.)

No review of controversial international magazine covers would be complete without at least one from French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. Turkey condemned the Oct. 28 issue of the magazine for its cover depiction of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The cover illustration depicted Erdogan in his underwear holding a drink and lifting the skirt of a woman wearing an Islamic dress to ogle her bare bottom.
(See articles by New York Post, the Associated Press and DPA International.)

The Economist stirred up controversy with a Jan. 25 cover story on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi titled “Intolerant India.”
(See articles by Newslaundry, ScoopWhoop and The Nation.)

Spanish gossip magazine Caras was slammed for describing the 16-year-old heir to the Dutch throne as “plus size” on its July 22 cover. Princess Amalia was pictured on the cover with her mother, Queen Maxima of the Netherlands. Social media users and media outlets said the use of the term was “dangerous.” “disrespectful” and “shameful.”
(See articles by the Daily Mail, Evening Standard and Independent.)

Finally, the cover of the April magazine for the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan drew criticism for turning the logo of the postponed 2020 Tokyo Olympics into a coronavirus.
(See articles by WNEP and Creative Bloq.)

The wackiest Donald Trump magazine covers of 2020

The news media is going to miss President Donald Trump.
After stable, boring Joe Biden takes over, magazine covers will get noticeably duller.
With Trump, artists had a great time portraying the buffoonish antics of our mentally challenged president.
What follows is a sampling of some magazine covers this year featuring the loser, one-term commander in chief.

Related resources:

Gallery of Donald Trump magazine covers.

Will CES 2021 tech show be for couch potatoes?

I plan to attend the CES 2021 virtual trade show next month from my office PC for a “lean-in” experience. But it sounds like the organizers also are developing a “lean-back” experience, like watching a TV show about CES from your couch.
This is the first virtual show for CES, which was forced to cancel its annual in-person show in Las Vegas because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
On Tuesday, the Consumer Technology Association, which owns and runs CES, held a press briefing to provide more details on the virtual show, which is scheduled for Jan. 11-14.
The trade group expects more than 1,000 companies to participate in the online conference and exhibition. At the physical CES 2020, more than 4,400 companies exhibited.
The Consumer Technology Association made “a major investment in the seven figures” to build the digital platform for CES 2021, Chief Executive Gary Shapiro said. The online venue, developed with technology partner Microsoft, will allow for collaboration, engagement and connections, he said. That means discovering interesting companies, scheduling online visits with exhibitors, putting together meetings with attendees and other forms of interaction.
CES 2021 will feature more than 100 hours of programming for online attendees, including press conferences, keynote speeches and panel discussions.
The reimagined CES will center around a broadcast anchor booth. It will be staffed by Justine Ezarik, the tech and video game personality behind iJustine; Rich DeMuro, tech reporter for KTLA 5 news in Los Angeles; Naomi Kyle, actress, host and producer; and Brian Tong, tech host and content creator.
“The all-digital CES will be a true broadcast experience,” said Jean Foster, senior vice president of marketing and communications for CTA. “We’re going to be bringing in business leaders and industry experts directly to you in your home or in your office.”
The anchors will broadcast live during the show. They will discuss product announcements, trends and news at CES as well as conduct interviews.
“When you log on to the CES digital venue, you’re going to see the anchor desk,” Foster said. “We will cover what’s coming up in the day ahead. We’ll recap some of the major announcements that have taken place, any product launches, any news. We’re going to have interviews and discussions on critical tech issues. And of course, we’re going to bring you analysis and highlights from our CES keynotes.”
Exhibitors for CES 2021 include tech firms such as Canon, Hisense, Intel, Lenovo, LG Electronics, Panasonic, Philips, Sony, Samsung Electronics, TCL and Voxx. Non-traditional exhibitors at the show will include Bridgestone, Caterpillar, Indy Autonomous Challenge, John Deere, L’Oréal and Procter & Gamble.
The Consumer Technology Association is planning a hybrid show for CES 2022. There will be a physical show in Las Vegas with a major online component, Shapiro said.

Naked celebrities on magazine covers in 2020

There’s nothing like a naked celebrity on a magazine cover to grab people’s attention.
This year, a plethora of models, actresses and singers flashed some skin for art and to sell magazines.
Model Kaia Gerber, 19, wore only thigh-high boots for the September cover of Vogue Japan. (See articles by Us and DesignTaxi.)
Actress Zoe Kravitz wore only a seashell necklace for the February cover of Elle magazine. (See article by Inquisitr.)
Singer and actress Lady Gaga posed naked to portray a cyborg for the spring 2020 cover of Paper magazine. (See articles by Page Six, the Sun, Huffington Post and Paper.)
Brazilian actress Claudia Raia stripped naked for the February cover of GQ Portugal.
Model Irina Shayk posed nude for the November cover of Vogue CS, the Czechoslovakian edition of the high-fashion magazine. She covered her modesty with two decorative tiles. (See article by the Daily Mail.)
Model Rachel Cook posed topless for WTVR magazine, though her nipples were censored.
Actress Chloe Sevigny scored two magazine covers where she posed naked while about nine-months pregnant. They included the May cover of The Cut and the relaunch of Playgirl magazine. (See articles by the Daily Mail and People.)
Quite a few models and celebrities covered their bare breasts with their hands for magazine covers this year.
Model Kendall Jenner posed topless, cupping her breasts, and looking like a hunting trophy for the cover of Garage magazine. (See articles by CNN, Hyperbae, Artnews and Maxim.) She also was topless on the cover of Chaos SixtyNine’s Chanel issue. (See article by the Daily Mail.)
Singer Miley Cyrus went shirtless for the January 2021 cover of Rolling Stone magazine. (See articles by the Daily Mail and Harper’s Bazaar.)
Singer Tinashe went topless for Ladygunn magazine. (See article by Inquisitr.)
Model Natalie Roser posed topless for the cover of digital magazine The Series. (See article by Inquisitr.)
Model Abigail Ratchford covered her bare breasts on the fall 2020 cover of Ellements magazine. (See article by Inquisitr.)
And finally, model and activist Anja Rubik posed naked for the December cover of Vogue Poland.

Notable new magazines in 2020: Reveal, Sweet July, Beach Happy

Celebrity-branded lifestyle magazines continued to be a hot trend this year.
Meredith Magazines launched three new titles in the category in 2020.
In January, it released the premiere issue of Reveal magazine featuring Drew and Jonathan Scott from the HGTV series “The Property Brothers.” (See articles by PRNewswire, the Daily Mail and AdAge.)
Also in January, Meredith debuted Rachael Ray in Season magazine. The magazine is a rebrand of an earlier magazine by the Food Network chef. (See article by Digiday.)
In April, Meredith launched Sweet July featuring actress, TV host, restaurateur, author and Instagram influencer Ayesha Curry. (See articles by AdAge, People and Folio.)
Despite travel restrictions resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic, a couple of travel magazines launched this year.
The 30A Company debuted Beach Happy magazine in July. (See article by Mr. Magazine and Facebook post.)
Fifty Grande, a travel magazine focused solely on the U.S., premiered early this year. (See article by Mr. Magazine.)
Elsewhere, Bloomberg Media in July launched Bloomberg Green, a new quarterly print magazine focused on climate change solutions. (See article by Folio.)
Dennis Publishing started a weekly news magazine for kids in the U.S. in March called The Week Junior. (See article by Digiday.)