Japanese Pop Fans Duped by Computerized Star "Aimi Eguchi"

[Amerigo Vespucci]

(Video @ URL below)

(Newser) – Japanese all-girl pop group AKB48 caused quite a stir among fans when it featured a mysterious seventh member named Aimi Eguchi in a candy commercial. For good reason: It turns out she's not actually human, reports Singularity Hub. Though Eguchi has a profile page on the band website like the other girls—which details her age, hometown, and hobbies—she is nothing more than a computerized composite of the group's six living and breathing members. Click for more on the story, including the convoluted voting that determines band members, or to read about Japan’s other non-breathing pop star, Hatsune Miku.

http://www.newser.com/story/121794/akb-48-japanese-pop-group-new-member-aimi-euguchi-is-computer-simulation.html

[Gabi Hayes]

1. ever read this?

nothing new under the sun

Virtual Light is the first book in the bridge trilogy, followed by Idoru, then All Tomorrow's Parties

I liked VL the best

[Amerigo Vespucci]

2. No, I haven't...

...I will have to check it out.

And now I know where the Velvet Underground got one of its song titles ("All Tomorrow's Parties")...

:toast: