Latest news with #Felt
New Statesman
06-08-2025
- Science
- New Statesman
My fearful obedience to the sun
My favourite band is Felt. During the Eighties, when they were active, I followed them obsessively. At one gig – Manchester University Students' Union, I think – they came on stage and launched into an ethereal four-minute number with half-sung, half-spoken lyrics and a jangly melody. After the applause had died down people started calling out requests. Someone behind me shouted 'I Worship the Sun'. Retuning his guitar and without looking up, the mononymous lead singer, Lawrence, replied: 'We just played that.' In his short poem 'Water', Philip Larkin describes how he would make H2O an essential element of sacredness, were he 'called in/To construct a religion'. It's a good shout. Water is naturally occurring, has an alluring transparency, is mystifyingly tasteless and odourless but supremely quenching, and is essential to life – as well as having the capacity to take life away without too much trouble. Science has also recognised its properties – as an arbiter of all kinds of neutrality, as a baseline for many calibrations, and as a substance that demonstrates absolute flatness. And I like Larkin's notion that the authorities might entrust such a project to a poet, rather than a minister from the Department for Culture, or, God forbid, someone from the Church. On balance, however, I think I'm with Lawrence on this matter; the sun has far better credentials as an object of veneration and a potential deity. Its attributes are obvious, and the long list of civilisations that have offered prayers in its direction confirms as much. My own sun-worship would be a kind of fearful obedience. I once got sunstroke as a kid, and the queasiness seems to live on in my bones, ready to rise into nausea if I go out in hot weather without a hat. In my teens I got badly sunburned during a long walk in the hills, and was painted with calamine lotion until I looked like a tribesman in one of those dodgy old encyclopaedias of exploration and colonialism. My wife, with her Italian complexion, does like the sun, and it likes her right back. It leads to some divisions of opinion and practice: I always want to walk on the shady side of the street, and she always wants to head south. Last month, steering towards warmth and brightness, we drove from the Latitude Festival in Suffolk to St Ives in Cornwall, one of the longest journeys possible in terms of the UK's cardinal compass points, and pretty much following the course of the sun during its daily transit. It's 12 years now since I walked the north coast of the South West Coast Path, busking my way from cove to cove by giving readings every night, staying with complete strangers, then describing the experience in the prose book Walking Away. It was nature writing, I guess, and a surprise bestseller, despite the moaning and complaining that led one reviewer to describe me as the Eeyore of hiking. Not long afterwards, I got a message to say Raynor Winn had written a memoir called The Salt Path, recounting her journey along the same route at a similar time, during which her husband, Moth, occasionally enjoyed the benefits of being mistaken for me. I gave it my blessing – if that's what was being sought – because the couple sounded down on their luck. Millions of sales, a clutch of literary prizes and several years later, I got an email from a production company, seeking a similar blessing and sending pages of a script for The Salt Path movie. Once again I was the running gag, but this time Moth is confused with the poet laureate, because it's funnier if the person he is mistaken for holds that office. When I pointed out to the producer that I wasn't the poet laureate when I made the trek, she said, 'It's not real.' To which I replied, 'But I am.' I'm mulling this over as I walk across Porthkidney Sands, following in the footsteps of a couple who apparently followed mine, standing in the shadow of a tale which began in the shadow of my own tale, and thinking about The Salt Path controversy, which is now a bigger story than the story itself. The sun is unrelenting and I'm feeling woozy and disorientated, plodding along with nowhere to shelter, wondering if I'm poetry or prose, a person or a character, fact or fiction. Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe [See also: How Britain lost the status game] Related
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
This startup just raised $15 million to create custom maps with AI for monitoring wildfire and flood risks
California startup Felt has raised $15 million to develop its AI-driven geospatial mapping platform. Users can create custom maps and dashboards with AI by instructing it with prompts. Felt's platform has been adopted by insurers, emergency responders, and energy companies. California-based startup Felt has secured $15 million for its platform that lets customers build custom geospatial maps with generative AI. The startup, launched in 2021, has designed a software tool that turns users' location data points into a map visualization tailored to their business or individual needs, such as monitoring assets for maintenance or project planning. "Cities and businesses rely on maps to run their business," Felt cofounder and CEO, Sam Hashemi, told Business Insider. Traditionally, businesses have used geographic information systems, which combine maps and data points — like how many cars use a certain road — to help them make decisions. "We're building a modern version of this business mapping software," said Hashemi. Felt has pivoted to an AI-first platform where users type in a few natural language prompts to generate any application they need, such as maps, charts, and dashboards. The startup has a wide range of use cases and customers, from NGOs to insurers and emergency responders. "There are so many industries, from agriculture to construction to decarbonization, that use our platform," Hashemi said. Over half of its customers are in the energy and climate sector, he added, pointing to the likes of sustainable cement company Brimstone, which is using Felt to help build a more sustainable concrete analysis tool. Felt's dashboards can also track metrics like deforestation, air quality, and flood risk. The startup's tech has been used to monitor and detect wildfires, a crisis that has alarmed insurers and utility companies and encouraged them to adopt more high-tech mitigation solutions. Northern Arizona State University has used Felt to build a fire-prevention tool, which can help foresters monitor tree health and mitigate forest fires. The startup makes money by charging an annual subscription fee, which varies depending on the customer's tier. There is also a free-for-use model for individuals. Smaller teams are charged a team rate, and larger enterprises can access Felt's in-house team and expertise. Despite Felt's close work with climate-adjacent sectors, an industry that's been in the crosshairs of the Trump administration's anti-ESG rhetoric, Hashemi found the fundraising process pretty smooth. The funding round, shared exclusively with BI, was led by climate and energy investment fund Energize Capital, with participation from Bain Capital Ventures and Footwork VC. Previously, the startup raised $15 million in Series A funding, plus a $4.5 million seed when it launched. "If you spent any time with maps, and thinking about how your physical information can be digitized, it's very complex," said Juan Muldoon, partner at Energize Capital. "They make this process much simpler. That's what drew us to them," He added that "in the energy transition, every provider, even if it's a utility, is leveraging geospatial data in their business," making it a viable tool for the industry. With the fresh funding, the Felt team plans to double down on its AI platform and expand its team. Read the original article on Business Insider Sign in to access your portfolio
Business Insider
15-07-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
This startup just raised $15 million to create custom maps with AI for monitoring wildfire and flood risks
California-based startup Felt has secured $15 million for its platform that lets customers build custom geospatial maps with generative AI. The startup, launched in 2021, has designed a software tool that turns users' location data points into a map visualization tailored to their business or individual needs, such as monitoring assets for maintenance or project planning. "Cities and businesses rely on maps to run their business," Felt cofounder and CEO, Sam Hashemi, told Business Insider. Traditionally, businesses have used geographic information systems, which combine maps and data points — like how many cars use a certain road — to help them make decisions. "We're building a modern version of this business mapping software," said Hashemi. Felt has pivoted to an AI-first platform where users type in a few natural language prompts to generate any application they need, such as maps, charts, and dashboards. The startup has a wide range of use cases and customers, from NGOs to insurers and emergency responders. "There are so many industries, from agriculture to construction to decarbonization, that use our platform," Hashemi said. Over half of its customers are in the energy and climate sector, he added, pointing to the likes of sustainable cement company Brimstone, which is using Felt to help build a more sustainable concrete analysis tool. Felt's dashboards can also track metrics like deforestation, air quality, and flood risk. The startup's tech has been used to monitor and detect wildfires, a crisis that has alarmed insurers and utility companies and encouraged them to adopt more high-tech mitigation solutions. Northern Arizona State University has used Felt to build a fire-prevention tool, which can help foresters monitor tree health and mitigate forest fires. The startup makes money by charging an annual subscription fee, which varies depending on the customer's tier. There is also a free-for-use model for individuals. Smaller teams are charged a team rate, and larger enterprises can access Felt's in-house team and expertise. Despite Felt's close work with climate-adjacent sectors, an industry that's been in the crosshairs of the Trump administration's anti-ESG rhetoric, Hashemi found the fundraising process pretty smooth. The funding round, shared exclusively with BI, was led by climate and energy investment fund Energize Capital, with participation from Bain Capital Ventures and Footwork VC. Previously, the startup raised $15 million in Series A funding, plus a $4.5 million seed when it launched. "If you spent any time with maps, and thinking about how your physical information can be digitized, it's very complex," said Juan Muldoon, partner at Energize Capital. "They make this process much simpler. That's what drew us to them," He added that "in the energy transition, every provider, even if it's a utility, is leveraging geospatial data in their business," making it a viable tool for the industry. With the fresh funding, the Felt team plans to double down on its AI platform and expand its team.
The Guardian
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Street-Level Superstar: A Year With Lawrence by Will Hodgkinson audiobook review – indie pop's ultimate underdog
When the music journalist Will Hodgkinson proposed writing a book on Lawrence, ex-frontman of the post-punk band Felt and latterly of Go-Kart Mozart (recently re-christened Mozart Estate), he was told there would be conditions. Lawrence – who goes by his first name only – said he couldn't speak to any old bandmates. Furthermore, there could be no anecdotes or use of the word 'just'. Asked what is wrong with 'just', Lawrence tells him: 'I just don't like it.' A simultaneously entertaining and melancholic account of an overlooked musician, Street-Level Superstar depicts the sixtysomething Lawrence as a pallid eccentric who passes his time walking around London, who lives on liquorice and milky tea and is fearful of cheese – 'We know that in nature if something smells, it is dangerous to eat.' We learn that Lawrence hasn't had a girlfriend for years. Reflecting on sex, he says: 'I was a two-minute wonder. They're not missing much.' Yet there is a reason why Hodgkinson, who is also our narrator, chose to spend time trudging the streets with this oddball figure. It's because he is convinced of Lawrence's musical genius – as is Lawrence himself – even if the rest of the world appears immune. And while Hodgkinson can't resist mining his intractability for laughs, his book is underpinned by empathy and a laudable lack of judgment. Most music biographies follow familiar trajectories of failure followed by triumph and redemption. But this is a rare tale of a promising career undermined by bad luck, self-sabotage and the fruitless quest for a hit. The audiobook also includes a wonderfully warm Q&A between author and subject, where Lawrence reflects on his fantasy as a youth that he was living in the film of his life. Available via Nine Eight Books, 10hr 44 min Romantic ComedyCurtis Sittenfeld, Penguin Audio, 9hr 5minSally, a divorced comedy writer practised in skewering celebrities, catches the eye of a pop star who is known for only dating models. Read by Kristen Sieh. Sign up to Inside Saturday The only way to get a look behind the scenes of the Saturday magazine. Sign up to get the inside story from our top writers as well as all the must-read articles and columns, delivered to your inbox every weekend. after newsletter promotion The Dry SeasonMelissa Febos, Canongate, 9hr 59minThe Girlhood author reads her memoir in which she swears off relationships and documents a year of sexual abstinence.
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Yahoo
Owner ‘heartbroken' after crash causes extensive damage to NE Portland gym
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A local gym is in shambles after a driver crashed through a stretch of Northeast Portland early Sunday morning, police said. At 3:45 a.m., officers responded to reports of a crash at Northeast 14th Avenue and East Burnside. Man shot in jaw in NE Portland Plaid Pantry parking lot Arriving at the scene, police said they found a Chevy Cobalt had damaged multiple businesses, including Whole Body Fitness, a personal training gym. Further, officials said they had to extricate the driver from the car and take him to a hospital. Tiffany Felt, the owner of Whole Body Fitness, told KOIN 6 News she was in complete shock after seeing the destruction for the first time, 'I'm feeling a little numb right now,' she said. Pieces of the car were scattered around the gym, including a part of the trunk behind a desk, a muffler by the weights and motor oil splattered across the walls and ceiling. 'Here this is a place that people come to sort of check out and work and improve themselves,' Felt said. 'All of that is, you know, compromised at the moment.' Driver dies after crash throws him from vehicle in Forest Grove Mason Biggers, who lives near the area, also heard the crash. 'When I looked out, there was a car halfway sticking in the building,' he recalled. 'I was glad it was super late in the evening and it wasn't through the day. I know that this Whole Body Fitness has people in there working out at any time.' Felt now faces a lot of work to get her business back up and running. 'I love this place. It's fun. We've been having a good time, growing it and building it,' she said. 'I'm a little heartbroken. Honestly. Truly.' Police say the driver, a 23-year-old man, is expected to survive. He has also not been charged at this time. They add they are investigating to determine if alcohol and speed were factors in the crash. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
