Bananas, bikes, blast off.
Today on Up To Speed: The biggest headlines in this week’s rundown.
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Performance artist eats banana worth $120,000.
Ever gotten hungry at an art opening? At the Art Basel show in Miami Beach last Saturday, a group of gallery goers watched in awe as David Datuna removed a duck-taped banana from the gallery wall and took a bite out of it. The banana, a conceptual work created by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, was valued at $120,000. David was escorted from the show by security and the banana was replaced within 15 minutes. The Miami Beach gallery does not plan on pressing charges, as the value of the work lies in its certificate of authenticity and the stunt has garnered media attention around the world.
Verizon Media and Rakuten introduce cash back rewards for Yahoo shoppers.
With the holiday shopping season in full swing, Verizon Media and Rakuten are giving Yahoo users the opportunity to earn cash back rewards through Yahoo Shopping and Yahoo Mail. Shoppers will be eligible for the cash back rewards on their purchases from over 50 of the biggest names in online retail. “At Verizon Media, we’re closing the loop between content and commerce, and providing engaging journeys for our users to help them discover the things they love,” said Guru Gowrappan, Verizon Media CEO. Read more about the new partnership with Rakuten.
Google Maps’ new Motorcycle Mode helps riders in India.
Google Maps users in India are getting a new option when they pull up the app for navigation: Motorcycle Mode. Countries and urban areas that have a high population density tend to have a higher population of people who ride motorcycles, and now Google Maps is helping them find the best route possible. So far, Motorcycle Mode is only available in parts of India, but may expand to other countries soon.
NASA gives first glimpse of ‘most powerful rocket ever built.’
Say hello to Artemis, what NASA is calling the most powerful rocket ever built. This week, NASA unveiled their new space launch system, which will carry a team of astronauts to the moon by 2024. NASA made the announcement following a successful test of the rocket’s hydrogen fuel tank. Read more and watch a video about the Artemis project.
