Google Glass

Google Glass is a wearable computer with an optical head-mounted display (OHMD) that is being developed by Google in the Project Glass research and development project,[8] with a mission of producing a mass-market ubiquitous computer.[1] Google Glass displays information in a smartphone-like hands-free format,[9] that can communicate with the Internet via natural language voice commands.[10][11]
While the frames do not currently have lenses fitted to them, Google is considering partnerships with sunglass retailers such as Ray-Ban or Warby Parker, and may also open retail stores to allow customers to try on the device.[1] The Explorer Edition cannot be used by people who wear prescription glasses, but Google has confirmed that Glass will eventually work with frames and lenses that match the wearer's prescription; the glasses will be modular and therefore possibly attachable to normal prescription glasses.[12] On 26 Jan 2014, Google announced that they were adding four prescription frame choices for about $225.00 U.S. It is necessary to remove a small screw in order to move the Google Glass from one frame to another.
Glass is being developed by Google X,[13] which has worked on other futuristic technologies such as driverless cars. The project was announced on Google+ by Project Glass lead Babak Parviz, an electrical engineer who has also worked on putting displays into contact lenses; Steve Lee, a product manager and "geolocation specialist"; and Sebastian Thrun, who developed Udacity as well as worked on the autonomous car project.[14] Google has patented the design of Project Glass.[15][16] Thad Starner, an augmented reality expert, is a technical lead/manager on the project.[17]
A man controls Google Glass using the touchpad built into the side of the device
Touchpad[edit]
A touchpad is located on the side of Google Glass, allowing users to control the device by swiping through a timeline-like interface displayed on the
screen.[18] Sliding backward shows current events, such as weather, and sliding forward shows past events, such as phone calls, photos, circle updates, etc.
Camera[edit]
Google Glass has the ability to take photos and record 720p HD video. While video is recording, the screen stays on.
The Explorer's LCoS display optics use a PBS, a partially reflecting mirror beam splitter, and an astigmatism correcting, collimating reflector formed on the nose end of the optical assembly.[19][20]
Display[edit]
The Explorer version of Google Glass uses a Liquid Crystal on Silicon (LCoS), field-sequential color, LED illuminated display.[21]
The display's LED illumination is first P-polarized and then shines through the in-coupling polarizing beam splitter (PBS) to the LCoS panel. The panel reflects the light and alters it to S-polarization at active pixel sites. The in-coupling PBS then reflects the S-polarized areas of light at 45° through the out-coupling beam splitter to a collimating reflector at the other end. Finally, the out-coupling beam splitter reflects the collimated light another 45° and into the wearer's eye.[19][20]
Technical specifications[edit]
For the developer Explorer units:
Android 4.0.4 and higher[4]
640×360 Himax helloHX7309 LCoS display[21][6]
5-megapixel camera, capable of 720p video recording[7]
Wi-Fi 802.11b/g[7]
Bluetooth[7]
16GB storage (12 GB available)[7]
Texas Instruments OMAP 4430 SoC 1.2Ghz Dual(ARMv7)[6]
682MB RAM [22]
3 axis gyroscope [23]
3 axis accelerometer [23]
3 axis magnetometer (compass)[23]
Ambient light sensing and proximity sensor [23]
Bone conduction audio transducer[7]
Software[edit]

Applications[edit]
Google Glass applications are free applications built by third-party developers. Glass also uses many existing Google applications, such as Google Now, Google Maps, Google+, and Gmail.
Third-party applications announced at South by Southwest (SXSW) include Evernote, Skitch, The New York Times, and Path.[24]
On April 15, 2013, Google released the Mirror API, allowing developers to start making apps for Glass.[25][26] In the terms of service, it is stated that developers may not put ads in their apps or charge fees;[27] a Google representative told The Verge that this might change in the future.[28]
Many developers and companies have built applications for Glass, including news apps, facial recognition, exercise, photo manipulation, translation, and sharing to social networks, such as Facebook and Twitter.[29][30][31]
On May 16, 2013, Google announced the release of seven new apps, including reminders from Evernote, fashion news from Elle, and news alerts from CNN.[32] Following Google's XE7 Glass Explorer Edition update in early July 2013, evidence of a "Glass Boutique", a store that will allow synchronization to Glass of Glassware and APKs, was noted.[33]
Version XE8 made a debut for Google Glass on August 12, 2013. It brings an integrated video player with playback controls, the ability to post an update to Path, and lets users save notes to Evernote. Several other minute improvements include volume controls, improved voice recognition, and several new Google Now cards.
On November 19, 2013, Google unveiled its Glass Development Kit, showcasing a translation app Word Lens, a cooking app AllTheCooks, and an exercise app Strava among others as successful examples.[34][35]
MyGlass[edit]
Google offers a companion Android and iOS app called MyGlass, which allows you to configure and manage your device.[36]
Voice activation[edit]
Other than the touchpad, Google Glass can be controlled using "voice actions". To activate Glass, wearers tilt their heads 30° upward (which can be altered for preference) or tap the touchpad, and say "O.K., Glass." Once Glass is activated, wearers can say an action, such as "Take a picture", "Record a video", "Hangout with [person/Google+ circle]", "Google 'What year was Wikipedia founded?'", "Give me directions to the Eiffel Tower", and "Send a message to John"[37] (many of these commands can be seen in a product video released in February 2013).[38] For search results that are read back to the user, the voice response is relayed using bone conduction through a transducer that sits beside the ear, thereby rendering the sound almost inaudible to other people.[39]
Reception[edit]

Critical reception[edit]


Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy using Google Glass at a meeting of his party
In November 2012, Glass received recognition by Time Magazine as one of the "Best Inventions of the Year 2012", alongside inventions such as the Curiosity Rover.[40]
After a visit to the University of Cambridge by Google's chairman Eric Schmidt in February 2013, Wolfson College professor[41] John Naughton praised the Glass and compared it with the achievements of hardware and networking pioneer Douglas Engelbart. Naughton wrote that Engelbart believed that machines "should do what machines do best, thereby freeing up humans to do what they do best".[42]
Lisa A. Goldstein, a freelance journalist who was born profoundly deaf, tested the product on behalf of people with disabilities and published a review on August 6, 2013. In her review, Goldstein states that Google Glass does not accommodate hearing aids and is not suitable for people who cannot understand speech. Goldstein also explained the limited options for customer support, as telephone contact was her only means of communication.[43]
In December 2013, David Datuna became the first artist to incorporate Google Glass into a contemporary work of art.[44][45] The artwork debuted at a private event at The New World Symphony in Miami Beach, Florida, US and was moved to the Miami Design District for the public debut.[46] Over 1500 people used Google Glass to experience Datuna's American flag from his "Viewpoint of Billions" series.[47]
On February 18, 2014; Google warned the 'Google explorer; edition users by telling them not to be a "glasshole". The term actually means that glass users need to be polite when someone asks them for showing the google glass and telling about it's features. They further added that if the glasses are not allowed at some places, then you should follow those rules and must keep it off. If the explorer user doesn't follow these rules then he/she will be termed as a 'glasshole'.[48]
Privacy concerns[edit]


Steve Mann, inventor of EyeTap, wearing several developments of his device which has been compared with Google Glass[49]
The eyewear's functionality and minimalist appearance have been compared to Steve Mann's EyeTap,[49] also known as "Glass" or "Digital Eye Glass", although Google Glass is a "Generation-1 Glass" compared to EyeTap, which is a "Generation-4 Glass".[50] According to Mann, both devices affect both privacy and secrecy by introducing a two-sided surveillance and sousveillance.[51]
Concerns have been raised by various sources regarding the intrusion of privacy, and the etiquette and ethics of using the device in public and recording people without their permission.[52][53][54] There is controversy that Google Glass would violate privacy rights due to security problems and others.[55][56][57]
Privacy advocates are concerned that people wearing such eyewear may be able to identify strangers in public using facial recognition, or surreptitiously record and broadcast private conversations.[1] Some companies in the U.S. have posted anti-Google Glass signs in their establishments.[58][59] In July 2013, prior to the official release of the product, Stephen Balaban, co-founder of software company Lambda Labs, circumvented Google’s facial recognition app block by building his own, non-Google-approved operating system. Balaban then installed face-scanning Glassware that creates a summary of commonalities shared by the scanned person and the Glass wearer, such as mutual friends and interests.[60] Additionally, Michael DiGiovanni created Winky, a program that allows a Google Glass user to take a photo with a wink of an eye, while Marc Rogers, a principal security researcher at Lookout, discovered that Glass can be hijacked if a user could be tricked into taking a picture of a malicious QR code.[61]
Other concerns have been raised regarding legality of the Glass in a number of countries, particularly in Russia, Ukraine, and other post-USSR countries. In February 2013, a Google+ user noticed legal issues with Glass and posted in the Glass Explorers community about the issues, stating that the device may be illegal to use according to the current legislation in Russia and Ukraine, which prohibits use of spy gadgets that can record video, audio or take photographs in an inconspicuous manner.[62]
Concerns were also raised in regard to the privacy and security of Glass users in the event that the device is stolen or lost, an issue that was raised by a US congressional committee. As part of its response to the governmental committee, Google stated in early July that is working on a locking system and raised awareness of the ability of users to remotely reset Glass from the web interface in the event of loss.[33]
Several facilities have banned the use of Google Glass before its release to the general public, citing concerns over potential privacy-violating capabilities. Other facilities, such as Las Vegas casinos, banned Google Glass, citing their desire to comply with Nevada state law and common gaming regulations which ban the use of recording devices near gambling areas.[63]
Safety considerations[edit]
Concerns have also been raised on operating motor vehicles while wearing the device. On 31 July 2013 it was reported that driving while wearing Google Glass is likely to be banned in the UK, being deemed careless driving, therefore a fixed penalty offense, following a decision by the Department for Transport.[64]
In the US, West Virginia state representative Gary G. Howell introduced an amendment in March 2013 to the state's law against texting while driving that would include bans against "using a wearable computer with head mounted display." In an interview, Howell stated, "The primary thing is a safety concern, it [the glass headset] could project text or video into your field of vision. I think there's a lot of potential for distraction."[65]
In October 2013, a driver in California was ticketed for "driving with monitor visible to driver (Google Glass)" after being pulled over for speeding by a San Diego Police Department officer. The driver was reportedly the first to be ticketed for driving while wearing a Google Glass.[66] While the judge noted that 'Google Glass fell under "the purview and intent" of the ban on driving with a monitor', the case was thrown out of court due to lack of proof the device was on at the time.[67]
In November 2013, a Canadian company, Vandrico, released a study that highlighted the fact that the bone conduction transducer's audibility is improved while wearing foam ear plugs, which could encourage workers to wear hearing protection in loud work environments.[68]
Terms of service[edit]
Under the Google Glass terms of service for the Glass Explorer pre-public release program, it specifically states, "you may not resell, loan, transfer, or give your device to any other person. If you resell, loan, transfer, or give your device to any other person without Google's authorization, Google reserves the right to deactivate the device, and neither you nor the unauthorized person using the device will be entitled to any refund, product support, or product warranty." Wired commented on this policy of a company claiming ownership of its product after it had been sold, saying: "Welcome to the New World, one in which companies are retaining control of their products even after consumers purchase them."[69] Others pointed out that Glass was not for public sale at all, but rather in private testing for selected developers, and that not allowing developers in a closed beta to sell to the public is not the same as banning consumers from reselling a publicly released device.[70]
Healthcare applications[edit]
Several proof of concepts for Google Glass have been proposed in healthcare:
In July 2013, Lucien Engelen commenced research on the usability and impact of Google Glass in the health care field. As of August 2013, Engelen, who is based at Singularity University and in Europe at Radboud University Medical Center,[71] is the first healthcare professional in Europe to participate in the Glass Explorer program.[72] His research on Google Glass (starting August 9, 2013) was conducted in operating rooms, ambulances, a trauma helicopter, general practice, and home care as well as the use in public transportation for visually or physically impaired. Research contained making pictures, videos streaming to other locations dictating operative log, having students watch the procedures and tele-consultation through Hangout. Engelen documented his findings in blogs,[73] videos,[74] pictures, on Twitter,[75] and on Google+.[76] and is still ongoing.
Key findings of his research included:
The quality of pictures and video are usable for healthcare education, reference, and remote consultation.The camera needs to be tilted to different angle[77] for most of the operative procedures
Tele-consultation is possible—depending on the available bandwidth—during operative procedures.[78]
A stabilizer should be added to the video function to prevent choppy transmission when a surgeon looks to screens or colleagues.
Battery life can be easily extended with the use of an external battery.
Controlling the device and/or programs from another device is needed for some features because of sterile environment.
Text-to-speech ("Take a Note" to Evernote) exhibited a correction rate of 60 percent, without the addition of a medical thesaurus.
A protocol or checklist displayed on the screen of Glass can be helpful during procedures.[citation needed]
Dr. Phil Haslam and Dr. Sebastian Mafeld demonstrated the first concepts for Google Glass in the field of interventional radiology. They demonstrated the manner in which the concept of Google Glass could assist a liver biopsy and fistulaplasty, and the pair stated that Google Glass has the potential to improve patient safety, operator comfort, and procedure efficiency in the field of interventional radiology.[79]
In June 2013, surgeon Dr. Rafael Grossmann was the first person to integrate Google Glass into the operating theater, when he wore the device during a PEG (percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy) procedure.[80] In August 2013, Google Glass was also used at Wexner Medical Center at Ohio State University. Surgeon Dr. Christopher Kaeding used Google Glass to consult with a colleague in a distant part of Columbus, Ohio. A group of students at The Ohio State University College of Medicine also observed the operation on their laptop computers. Following the procedure, Kaeding stated, "To be honest, once we got into the surgery, I often forgot the device was there. It just seemed very intuitive and fit seamlessly."[81]
The November 16 2013, in Santiago de Chile, the maxillofacial team led by Dr.gn Antonio Marino conducted the first orthognathic surgery assisted with Google Glass in Latin America, interacting with them and working with simultaneous three-dimensional navigation. The surgical team was interviewed by the ADN radio medium and the LUN newspaper.
In January 2014, Indian Orthopedic Surgeon Selene G. Parekh conducted the foot and ankle surgery using Google Glass in Jaipur, which was broadcast live on Google website via the internet. The surgery was held during a three day annual Indo-US conference attended by a team of experts from the US, and co-organized by Dr Ashish Sharma. Sharma said Google Glass allows looking at an X-Ray or MRI without taking the eye off of the patient, and allows a doctor to communicate with a patient's family or friends during a procedure. "The image which the doctor sees through Google Glass will be broadcast on the internet. It's an amazing technology. Earlier, during surgeries, to show something to another doctor, we had to keep moving and the cameraman had to move as well to take different angles. During this, there are chances of infection. So in this technology, the image seen by the doctor using Google Glass will be seen by everyone throughout the world," he said.[citation needed]
In Australia, during January 2014, Melbourne tech startup Small World Social collaborated with the Australian Breastfeeding Association to create the first hands-free breastfeeding guidance application for new mothers. The application, named Breastfeeding #ThroughGlass allows mothers to nurse their baby while viewing instructions about common breastfeeding issues (latching on, posture etc.) or call a lactation consultant via a secure Google Hangout, who can view the issue through the mother's Google Glass camera. The product is currently being beta trialled in Melbourne. [82]HERO DYD

Katy Perry

Katheryn Elizabeth "Katy" Hudson (born October 25, 1984),[2] better known by her stage name Katy Perry, is an American recording artist, businesswoman, philanthropist, and actress. She was born near Santa Barbara, California and grew up there before moving to Los Angeles. Having had limited exposure to mainstream pop music in her childhood, she pursued a career in gospel music as a teen and released her debut studio album, Katy Hudson (2001). She later recorded a collaborative album with The Matrix and a solo album she worked on with Glen Ballard, the latter of which was never released.
In April 2007, Perry signed a recording contract with Capitol Records. She rose to prominence with the release of her single "I Kissed a Girl" followed by her second album, One of the Boys (2008), which is predominantly pop rock. Perry's third record, Teenage Dream (2010), was preceded by the Billboard Hot 100 chart-topping singles "California Gurls" and "Teenage Dream", and later produced the number-one singles "Firework", "E.T.", and "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)". Teenage Dream became the first album recorded by a female artist in history to produce five number-one hits, and the second album overall after Michael Jackson's Bad (1987). The album features disco, electronic music, funk, and hip hop in addition to pop and rock. In March 2012, she re-released Teenage Dream as Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection, which was preceded by the number-one single "Part of Me". Her fourth album, Prism (2013), was preceded by the number-one single "Roar". The album was originally planned to be "darker" than Perry's previous material, but ultimately became an album influenced by Swedish dance music and focusing heavily on self-empowerment. The album later produced the number-one single "Dark Horse".
Perry has received numerous awards and nominations, including eleven Grammy nominations and Billboard dubbed her as 2012's Woman of the Year. She remains the only artist to spend 69 consecutive weeks in the top ten of the Hot 100.[3][4] Perry is also the third best selling digital singles artist in US according to RIAA.[5] She has ventured into celebrity endorsement and released fragrances Purr, Meow, and Killer Queen. In late July 2011, she made her film debut voicing Smurfette in The Smurfs. Billboard ranked
Perry at number fourteen on their 2011 list of top moneymakers, grossing more than $11 million.[6] In early July 2012, she released her 3D autobiographical documentary film, Katy Perry: Part of Me, which concentrated on her life as a touring artist and the breakdown of her one-year marriage to English actor/comedian Russell Brand. As of November 2013, Perry has sold more than 11 million albums and 81 million singles worldwide and her singles are some of the best-selling worldwide,[7][8] and she currently holds the record for most 5x platinum singles in the United States, with 5 of her singles reaching the achievement.[9]
This article is part of a series on
1984–98: Early life
Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson was born near Santa Barbara, California, to Pentecostal pastors[10] Maurice Keith Hudson and Mary Christine Perry of Keith Hudson Ministries. She has a younger brother named David (known as Hudson) and an older sister named Angela. Keith is of English descent while Mary is of Irish, Portuguese, English, and German descent.[11] Through Mary, she is a half-niece of film director/producer Frank Joseph Perry, Jr.[12]
As a child, Perry attended religious schools and camps. She was incorporated into her parents' ministry and sang in churches between the ages of nine and sixteen.[13][14] She grew up listening to gospel music,[15] as her parents discouraged her from listening to too much "secular music".[14] As a child, some of the only secular artists she was allowed to listen to were Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday, as well as the music of Édith Piaf due to her mother being able to speak French. According to Perry, there was a strange "hall pass" with their music, due to her parents' belief that it was less harmful than most secular music.[16] During her early teens, Perry would rely on her friends to sneak in CDs to listen to and would watch MTV at their houses without her parents' knowledge, which led to her discovery of most popular music.[17]
Perry learned how to dance in a recreation building in Santa Barbara. She was taught by seasoned dancers and began with swing, Lindy Hop, and jitterbug.[18] Perry initially started singing because she was in the middle of a phase where she was "copycatting" her sister Angela. Growing up, she often took cassette tapes Angela practiced with and rehearsed the songs and performed them in front of their parents. They suggested she take vocal coaching. She took the opportunity and began taking lessons at the age of nine and continued until she was sixteen.[19]
1999–2006: Katy Hudson and The Matrix
At 15, Perry's singing in church attracted the attention of rock veterans from Nashville, Tennessee, who brought her there to polish her writing skills.[10] In December 1999, she took her GED after her first semester of her freshman year at Dos Pueblos High School and decided to leave school in the pursuit of a career in music. Perry briefly studied Italian opera at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara.[19] In Nashville, she started recording demos and was taught by country music veterans how to craft songs and play guitar.[14][15] Perry signed to the Christian music label Red Hill Records. She recorded and released her debut album, titled Katy Hudson, on February 8, 2001. Two singles were released from the album; "Trust in Me" in February 2001, and "Search Me" in June 2001.[20] She supported this album with The Strangely Normal Tour, opening for Phil Joel, LaRue, Luna Halo, Earthsuit, and V*Enna.[21] The album was unsuccessful as the label ceased operations in December 2001.[10]
At the age of 17, Perry left her home for Los Angeles, California, where she worked with Glen Ballard on an album for Island Records.[22] Growing up listening to mostly Country Gospel, she had few references when she began recording songs.[14] Asked by the producer with whom she would like to collaborate, Perry had no idea. In September 2002, she went with her mother to a hotel. Inside, she turned on VH1 and first heard about producer Glen Ballard that night when watching him talking about Alanis Morissette that night, prompting her interest in working with Ballard. He produced Morissette's Jagged Little Pill, which had a "huge influence" on her.[10]
She expressed interest in working with Ballard to her initial collaborator, who arranged a meeting for her with Ballard in Los Angeles. Perry presented one of her songs to Ballard, who then helped develop her songwriting over the next few years.[14] In 2003, she briefly performed as "Katheryn Perry" to avoid confusion with actress Kate Hudson before adopting the stage name "Katy Perry".[10] After Perry was subsequently dropped by The Island Def Jam Music Group, she signed to Columbia Records in 2004.[23] The same year, Perry and Kaya Jones provided backing vocals on Mick Jagger's song "Old Habits Die Hard", which won the 2005 Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song.[24]
However, the label was not amenable with her vision and did not give her full creative control. Instead, one of Columbia's ideas was to pair her with the record production team The Matrix, who was working on an album, to serve as its female vocalist. Eighty percent completed, however, Columbia decided not to finish it and dropped her from the label. The album ended up being shelved. Her burgeoning music career led to her being named "The Next Big Thing" in October 2004 by Blender magazine.[2] A solo album she had worked on with Ballard was scheduled for release on August 18, 2005 but was cancelled.[25] Some of her collaborations with Ballard, such as "Box", "Diamonds", and "Long Shot", were posted on her official MySpace page.[10] "Simple", one of the songs she recorded with Ballard, was released on the soundtrack to the 2005 film The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.[26] Kelly Clarkson later used "Long Shot" (which Perry wrote with then-boyfriend Matt Thiessen and Ballard)[27] for her March 2009 album All I Ever Wanted. With no album project ongoing, Perry began recording her own, titled Fingerprints.[28] While waiting to find another label, she worked in an independent A&R company called Taxi Music.[10] In early 2006, she was featured in the end of the video to P.O.D.'s single "Goodbye for Now".[29] Late that November, she played the love interest of her then-boyfriend Gym Class Heroes lead singer Travie McCoy in the band's music video for "Cupid's Chokehold".[30]
2007–09: Breakthrough with One of the Boys
While in the process of being dropped by Columbia in 2006, the company's publicity executive Angelica Cob-Baehler enthusiastically recommended her to Virgin Records chairman Jason Flom. At the time Flom was leading a complete revival in fortunes at the label and looking to crown recent achievements by breaking a global pop act. Despite mixed reactions from fellow Virgin executives, Flom became convinced that Perry could be a breakthrough star and, at the start of 2007, extended discussions with Columbia resulted in her signing to the newly created Capitol Music Group, a merger between Virgin and Capitol. As part of the deal, the label secured the masters to the unfinished album, recorded while at Columbia, that would go on to form a significant part of her album One of the Boys. The Columbia recordings were seen by Flom as being "very strong but lacking an undeniable smash or two that would work both at U.S. pop radio and internationally" and so one of the executive's first actions after completing the signing was to set up a collaboration between Perry and Dr. Luke.[31]


Perry performing in July 2008
The two co-wrote her songs "I Kissed a Girl" and "Hot n Cold". Establishing her image was one of the immediate concerns of her management. A campaign was started with the November 20, 2007 release of the video to "Ur So Gay", aimed at introducing her to the music market. A digital EP led by "Ur So Gay" was later released to create online buzz and press story.[13][32] This was a successful move that brought Perry to the attention of Madonna, who mentioned her on KISS FM and KRQ's JohnJay & Rich morning show in Arizona. On March 10, 2008, she appeared as herself on the ABC Family television series, Wildfire, on the episode "Life's Too Short".[33]
"I Kissed a Girl", was released on May 6, 2008. Her A&R, Chris Anokute, told HitQuarters the song and its controversial theme had met with strong resistance at the label: "People said, 'This is never going to get played on the radio. How do we sell this? How's this going to be played in the bible belt?'" Anokute said that they needed the support of one of the label's radio promoters to convince people to believe in the record; otherwise, she would have likely been dropped again. Capitol's SVP of Promotions, Dennis Reese, saw the vision and helped push the single on national radio. The first station to pick it up and take a chance was The River in Nashville. After playing it for three days they were inundated with enthusiastic calls.[32] Perry also performed backing vocals on the song "Another Night in the Hills" from Gavin Rossdale's solo album Wanderlust, which was released in early June 2008.[34] The following week on June 12, 2008, she appeared as herself on the CBS daytime soap opera The Young and the Restless.[33]


Perry performing at the Life Ball in May 2009 in Vienna, Austria
Perry's second album One of the Boys was released on June 17, 2008, to mixed critical reviews.[35] The album reached number nine on the Billboard 200[36] and has been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.[37] In August 2008, Perry disproved rumors that her parents were opposed to her music and career, stating "They love and support me".[38] She also mentioned that her family was "not at all" surprised with the release of "Ur So Gay".[19] "Hot n Cold" became her second top three single in dozens of countries around the world, including the United States where it reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100, as well as topping the charts in Germany, Canada, and Denmark. After Perry wrapped up her appearance at the Warped Tour, she went on tours in Europe. She later launched her first headlining tour, the Hello Katy Tour, on January 23, 2009. The tour consisted of 89 concerts and took place in North America, Oceania, Europe, and Asia. "I Kissed a Girl" earned her a nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 2009 Grammy Awards.[39] She was nominated in five categories at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards, including Best New Artist and Best Female Video, but lost to Britney Spears.[40] She won Best New Act at the 2008 MTV Europe Music Awards, which she co-hosted,[41] and Best International Female Artist at the 2009 BRIT Awards.[42] On February 9, 2009, both "I Kissed a Girl" and "Hot n Cold" were certified three-time platinum by Recording Industry Association of America for individual digital sales of over three million.[43] The Guinness Book of World Records recognized her in its 2010 version as the "Best Start on the US Digital Chart by a Female Artist," for the singles selling over two million digital copies.[44]
The Matrix's self-titled debut album, which features Perry, was later released via the team's label Let's Hear It during her solo tour. When the release date was scheduled, "I Kissed a Girl" had been charting well. Matrix member Lauren Christy spoke to Perry about the decision, but she wanted to hold the release until the fourth single of One of the Boys had been dispatched. Despite their communication, The Matrix was released on January 27, 2009 onto iTunes.[45]
In June 2009, lawyers acting for Perry opposed the then-recent trademark of Australian fashion designer Katie Perry, who uses her own name to market loungewear. Some media outlets reported this as a lawsuit, which the singer denied.[46] During the summer of 2009, Perry filmed a cameo appearance for Get Him to the Greek. Her scene, in which she kisses her real-life future husband Russell Brand, was cut and does not appear in the film. Discussing the issue with MTV, she hypothesized there may have been some fear that seeing the two make out would have taken viewers out of the experience.[47] On August 4, 2009, she performed as opening act for the band No Doubt on their Summer Tour 2009.[48] The following month, she was featured on a remix of Colorado-based band 3OH!3's song "Starstrukk" (the idea for the collaboration having come after Perry's tour that featured 3OH!3 as the supporting act, the song being released by iTunes on September 8, 2009). In October 2009, MTV Unplugged revealed that Perry was one of the artists to perform for them, and that she would be releasing a live album of the performance, including two new tracks, "Brick by Brick" and a cover of Fountains of Wayne's "Hackensack".[49] The album was released on November 13 and included both a CD and a DVD.[50] On November 28, 2009, the Hello Katy Tour concluded. In December 2009, she was featured on "If We Ever Meet Again", which was released as a single in February 2010, from Timbaland's album Shock Value II.[51]
2010–12: Teenage Dream
On January 26, 2010, Perry starred as a guest host on American Idol.[52] Early that May, she released "California Gurls" featuring rapper Snoop Dogg. It picked atop the Billboard Hot 100 for six consecutive weeks.[53][54] Perry appeared as a guest judge alongside Simon Cowell, Cheryl Cole, and Louis Walsh during the Dublin audition stage of the seventh series of the English television show The X Factor on June 28, 2010.[55] She was one of the many celebrities chosen to fulfill the role of judge whilst Dannii Minogue was on maternity leave. Perry released "Teenage Dream" in July, which also topped the Hot 100. Perry's third studio album, Teenage Dream, was released on August 24, 2010. In October, "Firework" was released as the third single from Teenage Dream. It became the album's third consecutive number one on the Hot 100. As a result, she became the first female in eleven years to have three consecutive number-ones from a single album.[56]


Perry performing during her California Dreams Tour in March 2011
In November 2010, she released her first fragrance, Purr. It is packaged in a cat-shaped bottle, and is available through Nordstrom department stores.[57] In February 2011, a remixed version of "E.T." featuring rapper Kanye West was released as the fourth single from Teenage Dream. It topped the Hot 100 chart for five non-consecutive weeks.[58] On February 20, 2011, a few days after the release of "E.T.", Perry embarked on an extensive world tour in support of Teenage Dream. It was titled the California Dreams Tour and including 124 shows in Europe, Australasia, Asia, North America and South America. It earned over $59 million.[59] With "E.T." at number one on the chart of May 12, 2011, Perry became the first artist to spend 52 consecutive weeks in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100.[3] In June, the album's fifth single, "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)", topped the Hot 100. This allowed her to achieve a record for being the first female to achieve five number one Hot 100 songs from one album, and tying Michael Jackson's record. Additionally, Teenage Dream boasted a record-breaking six number-one songs on Billboard Adult Pop Songs chart.[60] On July 29, 2011, she made her film debut in the 3D family film The Smurfs as Smurfette. The Smurfs earned $557,771,535 worldwide during its theatrical run, though received many negative reviews from critics. The week of September 17, 2011 marked Perry's 69th consecutive week in the Top 10 with single "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)".[4] On September 23, 2011, she performed on the opening day of the 2011 Rock in Rio festival along with Elton John, Claudia Leitte, and Rihanna, which was extended to October 2.[61]
In early October, "The One That Got Away" was released as the sixth and final single from Teenage Dream, peaking at three on the Hot 100. Teenage Dream became the third album in history to produce six top five hit singles.[62] "The One That Got Away" became the album's seventh track to reach the top of the US Hot Dance Club Songs chart, the most by any album and setting a new record in the chart.[63]


Perry promoting her autobiographical documentary film Katy Perry: Part of Me in late June 2012
Perry hosted Saturday Night Live on December 10, 2011 with Robyn serving as the episode's musical guest. Perry's work on the episode received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised her comedic timing and the episode's digital short which featured Perry and Andy Samberg, however some critics noted that Perry's performance in the episode was overshadowed by cast regular Kristen Wiig.[64] Her second fragrance, Meow, was the same month.[65] Also that December, she was elected the Artist of the Year by MTV, for their performance on the charts worldwide and won the record during the year.[66] Also that month, she revealed plans to release a Barbie doll that represents her style.[67][68]
On January 5, 2012, Perry was named the sixth best-selling digital artist in the United States, with sales of 37.6 million units according to Nielsen SoundScan.[69] That month, she became the first artist to have five songs sell over 5 million digital units.[70] Later that month, EA Games recruited her to promote their new expansion pack The Sims 3: Showtime.[71] The California Dreams Tour also concluded on January 22, 2012. In March 2012, Teenage Dream was re-released under the title Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection. It was preceded by the February release of "Part of Me", which became the album's seventh single released and sixth single overall to top the Hot 100.[72] "Wide Awake" was released in May as the second single from Complete Confection, peaking at number two.[73] In June 2012, she revealed plans to launch her own record label, which would be under Capitol Records.[74] In early July 2012, her autobiographical documentary movie Katy Perry: Part of Me was released to theaters under Paramount Pictures.[75][76] It garnered positive critical reviews and grossed $30 million worldwide at the box office.[77][78] Later that month, she became the spokesperson and ambassador for Popchips.[79] That September, Billboard announced that Perry would take home the 2012 "Woman of the Year" Award at their Women in Music event, which took place on November 30, 2012 in New York City.[80]
2013–present: Prism
Perry told Billboard in Fall 2012 about Prism: "I know exactly the record I want to make next. I know the artwork, the coloring and the tone..... I even know what type of tour I'm doing next. I'll be very pleased if the vision I have in my head becomes a reality". However, Perry mentioned that she did not want the album to be a "Teenage Dream 2.0", stating: "That would be silly. It's not of any interest for me to try and outdo myself at every corner. Eventually you just like pop, explode".[81] After taking time off from her professional career following the release of her autobiographical film, she began work on the album in November 2012 and finished in July 2013. Perry reprised her role as Smurfette in The Smurfs 2, which was released in theaters on July 31, 2013.[82] Like its predecessor, it received many negative reviews from critics.[83]
Killer Queen was released as her third fragrance in August 2013 through Coty, Inc.[84] "Roar" made its debut as the lead single from Prism on August 10, 2013.[85] Perry recorded and co-wrote a duet with her boyfriend John Mayer titled "Who You Love" for his album Paradise Valley. The album was released on August 20, 2013.[86] She closed the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards with her first live performance of "Roar" on August 25, 2013 under the Brooklyn Bridge.[87]
Although Perry stated in a June 2012 interview with L'Uomo Vogue that she planned to have "darker elements" in Prism,[88] she revealed to MTV that "there's not really any darkness on the record" during the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards, stating she called the record Prism because she "felt very prismatic" after she "let the light in" through self-reflection and self-help.[89]
On September 4, 2013, Billboard announced that "Roar" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100.[90] On September 30, 2013, she performed the song at the iTunes Festival. She made a musical guest appearance with Bruce Willis on Saturday Night Live on October 12, 2013 where she also performed "Roar".[91]
"Unconditionally" was released as the album's second single on October 16, 2013.[92] The next day, Prism became available for streaming online.[93] Prism was released in Ireland, Italy, Slovakia, and Slovenia on October 18, 2013, and was released worldwide on October 22, 2013.[94] In the United States, it debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart, selling 286,000 copies in its first week.[95] The same day as its worldwide release, Perry performed Prism tracks for the first time at the iHeartRadio Theater in Los Angeles.[96] On November 10, 2013, she performed "Unconditionally" at the 2013 MTV Europe Music Awards.[97] She also opened the American Music Awards of 2013 on November 24, 2013 with a performance of "Unconditionally"[98] and performed the song on the season 10 finale of The X Factor on December 15, 2013.[99] Two days later, "Dark Horse" was released as the album's third single.[100] In early January 2014, Perry became a guest curator of Madonna's Art for Freedom project.[101] She performed "Dark Horse" with Juicy J at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards on January 26, 2014.[102] On January 29, 2014, the song became her ninth number-one single.[103] In early February 2014, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry named Perry the 5th Top Global Recording Artist of 2013, making her the highest-ranking woman to chart on the list.[104]
Perry will begin her third headlining tour, The Prismatic World Tour, on May 7, 2014. It will begin at the Odyssey Arena in Belfast, Northern Ireland and open with Icona Pop. The first leg of the tour will also feature performances in Scotland and England.[105][106] The second leg will take place in the United States and Canada.[107] Capital Cities, Kacey Musgraves, Tegan and Sara, and Becky G[108] will open for Perry in different markets.[109] The third leg of the tour will take place in Oceania in November 2014.[110]
Artistry

Influences
Having grown up listening primarily to gospel music, Perry's first album Katy Hudson focuses on Christian themes. She aspired to be like Amy Grant though "it didn't pan out that way."[111] Perry has been largely influenced by Queen. She was introduced to their song "Killer Queen" by a friend at age 15 and describes it as being the track that made her discover music and want to pursue it as a career. She elaborated, saying "I thought to myself, 'Oh my gosh, this music is incredible. These lyrics speak to me.....' and that's what made me want to be what I am today".[112] She is particularly influenced by the band's frontman, Freddie Mercury, and describes him as her biggest influence musically. She commented "Freddie Mercury was — and remains — my biggest influence. The combination of his sarcastic approach to writing lyrics and his 'I don't give a fuck' attitude really inspired my music".[113] She named her third fragrance Killer Queen after the song in homage. She describes the Beach Boys and their album Pet Sounds as having a considerable influence on her music. She stated that the album is "one of my favourite records and it influenced pretty much all of my songwriting. All of the melody choices that I make are because of Pet Sounds."[114] According to Perry, the Beatles' album The Beatles (or The White Album) and Pet Sounds were "the only things I listened to for probably two years straight." She describes both albums as being "really important" to her.[115]


Madonna (left) and Freddie Mercury (right) both significantly influenced Perry and her music.
Perry is significantly influenced by female singer-songwriters and artists. She is profoundly inspired by Alanis Morissette, in particular her 1995 album Jagged Little Pill — even going on to work with Morissette's collaborator on the album, Glen Ballard, because of that. She said: "Jagged Little Pill was the most perfect female record ever made. There's a song for anyone on that record; I relate to all those songs. They're still so timeless." She lists Morissette and Fiona Apple as her heroes.[16] After moving to Nashville to work on her first album Katy Hudson, she discovered the music of Patti Griffin and Jonatha Brooke and lists their albums Flaming Red and 10 Cent Wings, respectively, as being important to her.[16] Perry lists Carole King, Bonnie Raitt, and Joni Mitchell as influences, and intends to become "more of a Joni Mitchell", releasing folk and acoustic music, in the second half of her career.[116] Madonna has had a significant influence on her music and artistry. Perry's autobiographical documentary Katy Perry: Part of Me was largely influenced by Madonna: Truth or Dare. Perry said: "Madonna is everything to me, and that movie is amazing, because it caught her at a time when she was a bit more vulnerable. I wanted to do that too." She also admires Madonna's ability to reinvent herself, saying "I want to evolve like Madonna."[117]
Throughout her career, Perry has listed multiple artists as having inspired her on various songs and albums. Perry's third album, Teenage Dream, was significantly influenced by the music of ABBA and the Cardigans. She names Robyn as an influence on her fourth record, Prism, and went on to work with Klas Åhlund on the album as a result of his work with Robyn. Aesthetically, she names Gwen Stefani and Björk as influences — she particularly admires the latter's "willingness to always be taking chances".[16]
"Firework" was inspired by a passage in the book On the Road by Jack Kerouac in which Kerouac compares people who are full of life to fireworks that shoot across the sky and make people go "Awww!".[118] Her second concert tour, the California Dreams Tour, was largely influenced by Alice In Wonderland and The Wizard of Oz.[10] She also credits the 1996 movie The Craft for being the influence behind her song "Dark Horse",[119] and Eckhart Tolle's book The Power of Now for influencing "This Moment" from Prism.[120]
Musical style and themes


Perry attending the Logie Awards in early May 2011
Perry's music frequently contains elements of pop, rock, electronic, dance, and disco, though her first album, Katy Hudson, falls within the gospel music genre. Her second album One of the Boys is predominantly pop rock and features themes of heartbreak and teenage adventure – both being common themes in Perry's music. Her third album, Teenage Dream, features notably more electronic and disco influenced songs, while still falling under the pop and rock genres. The album's topics focus on teenage love, partying, self-empowerment, and personal growth. Perry's fourth album, Prism, is significantly influenced by Swedish dance and pop music. The album also includes themes of relationships, self-reflection, and living in the present. Many of her songs focus on life and love between teenagers and adolescents; W described many of her hits as being "odes to adolescent lust wrapped up in irresistible hook-laden melodies".[121] Self-empowerment has been noted as a common theme within Perry's music. The Boston Globe described her as being "committed to making you feel good about yourself and the world at large."[122] Her willingness to tackle darker themes in her songwriting is something that critics have pointed out differentiates her from other pop singers: "It's tough subject matter for an international pop star, and surprisingly frank for anyone in the public eye, but it's one of the things that distances Perry from many other pop stars, and the delicacy with which it's handled is remarkably refreshing."[123] Kristen Wiig for Interview said that "as easy, breezy, and infectious as Perry's songs can be, beneath the surface lurks a sea of mixed emotions, jumbled motives, and contradictory impulses complicated enough to fill a Carole King record."[115]
Perry self-identifies as a "singer/songwriter masquerading as a pop star"[124] and maintains that honest songwriting is very important to her. She said: "I feel like my secret magic trick that separates me from a lot of my peers is the bravery to be vulnerable and truthful and honest. I think you become more relatable when you're vulnerable."[125] The Los Angeles Times commented that her music reveals "in confident, just-vague-enough terms snapshots of Perry's emotional life."[126] She has been reported as writing with wit and frequently using humor, usually in the form of wordplay and double entendres, in her songwriting. In her article, Kristen Wiig said "Perry's songs are fun, upbeat, and frothy..... but they're also shot through with a razor-sharp wit. She has little time for longing or dwelling or vulnerability for its own sake..... Instead, she prefers to play—with hooks, with words, with her own sexuality—so much so that it's easy to get lost ricocheting amongst all of the puns and double entendres."[115] She has been noted for her "slightly satiric Perry humor"[127] while Rolling Stone stated that "Perry has always done a great job of letting us know she's in on the joke of pop stardom."[128] She describes some of her music as "tongue-in-cheek".[121] Some critics have expressed that this could hinder her task of being viewed as a serious songwriter, with the Chicago Tribune commenting that "being taken seriously may be Perry’s greatest challenge yet."[129]
"When I am in between records, sometimes I doubt myself. I'll be like: Did I just get lucky, or did I mass-manipulate the world into thinking that seven songs were worth a number-one position? And then I go back into the studio and I start writing, and the true essential oil of who I am comes bubbling back up and reminds me that it's always been inside of me, that nobody can take this away no matter what comment anyone makes. It's going to be there because it's what I was born with and it's what I've worked on my whole life."
— Perry on her confidence as a songwriter[130]
Perry's ability to relate to her audience through her music has been noted by journalists; the New York Times labeled Perry "pound for pound..... the most potent pop star of the day—her hits are relatable with just a hint of experimentation"[121] while the Los Angeles Times said that "to judge Perry as inauthentic or unoriginal would be wrong" and that "uncanny familiarity is her greatest achievement."[131] Her ability to write catchy, memorable hooks and display her personality through her music has been praised, and she considers lyrics to be the most important part of writing a song.[16] Billboard stated that her "ingenious pop hooks and zillion-dollar drum tracks are stamped with Perry's knack for a memorable line and frothy, gum-snapping persona"[132] and that "for all the pomp and watermelon costumes, Perry is primarily a smart and personal pop songwriter."[133] Though Perry has expressed her love of idioms and metaphors, her use of such has been criticized — with some critics pointing out the frequent use of clichés in her lyrics.[126] Aside from writing her own music, Perry has written songs recorded by other singers, including Ashley Tisdale ("Time's Up")[134] Selena Gomez & the Scene ("Rock God" and "That's More Like It"),[135][136] Jessie James ("Bullet" and "Girl Next Door"),[137] Kelly Clarkson ("Long Shot" and "I Do Not Hook Up"),[138] Lesley Roy ("Slow Goodbye"),[139] and Britney Spears ("Passenger").[140]
Perry's voice has been described as "breathy" and "airy",[141] and she has been praised for being capable of hitting falsetto "with hardly an effort."[142] Her vocals have been reviewed as both strong and weak on different occasions; The Guardian commented that her "powerful voice is hard-edged"[143] and The Independent stated that there is "no sugar-coating necessary on her powerful voice",[144] while other reviewers have described it as "flat" and "grating".[145] She has been described as "an able but not outstanding vocalist."[146] Her voice has been observed as being stronger in an acoustic setting, with one review of MTV Unplugged stating that "her voice is surprisingly strong when you peel away the electro-style (over?-) production."[147] In Rolling Stone's review of Teenage Dream, Perry's vocals were considered "processed staccato blips",[148] while a review of Prism commented that Perry "has a decent voice" and "generally doesn't lean on digital enhancement".[149] Her voice has been compared to that of Alanis Morissette, one of Perry's biggest influences, with one review stating that both artists share a "perky voice shifting octaves mid-syllable".[150] In a review of One of the Boys, NME remarked that "Perry's problem is often her voice: yes she has a good range, but somewhere along the line someone convinced her she was like, well, a ballsy rock chick, and now she explodes across this album like Xena Warrior Princess on fire",[151] though The Telegraph commented positively on her "rock chick voice" in a later review.[152]
Public image
Perry is noted for being a sex symbol. AskMen described her as having "emerged as the front-and-center all-American sex symbol in pop music",[153] while GQ labelled her a "full-on male fantasy" and added that with her song "I Kissed a Girl" she "somehow made ChapStick sexy".[154] Elle described her body "as though sketched by a teenage boy".[155] She placed at number one on the Maxim Hot 100 in 2010, with readers voting her the "hottest woman on Earth",[156] and was named FHM Australia's "sexiest woman of 2011".[157] Men's Health readers voted her the "sexiest woman of 2013".[158] Perry commented on her body in an interview with Harper's Bazaar, saying "I don't have a Kate Moss body, but I'm very proud and happy with mine."[159]


Perry's trademark spinning peppermint swirl dress
She is noted for her unconventional style of dress.[18] It is often humorous, bright in color, reminiscent of different decades and often includes food-related themes, such as fruit and candy,[160] an example being her trademark spinning peppermint swirl dress.[161] Vogue described her as "never exactly one to shy away from the outrageous or the extreme in any realm, be it the red carpet or her daily wardrobe",[162] while Glamour named her the "queen of quirk".[163] In an early February 2009 interview with Seventeen, she described her fashion style as "a bit of a concoction of different things" and stated "I love a good sense of humor in clothes".[18] Speaking on her "ability to slip from party girl to polish", as described by Harper's Bazaar, Perry said: "I have multipersonality disorder—in a very good way, of course—when it comes to my fashion choices."[159] Perry lists Gwen Stefani, Shirley Manson, Chloë Sevigny, Daphne Guinness, Natalie Portman, and the fictional character Lolita as her style icons.[121][164]
In October 2008, a photo of her posing with a switchblade was criticized. The picture was defended as only an effort to give her a "sexy, harder edge".[165] In September 2010, Perry filmed an appearance on Sesame Street, singing "Hot N Cold" alongside puppet character Elmo, but after complaints were made from parents who criticized her outfit for being too revealing the performance was axed from the show.[166] Shortly afterwards, Perry appeared on Saturday Night Live and starred in a skit mocking the controversy.[167]
Perry is an LGBT rights activist. In an interview with Do Something in November 2008, Perry stated "I am a gay activist and I say that proudly..... I've always been a very open-minded person, but I definitely believe in equality." She confirmed that she voted no on Proposition 8, an amendment that would legally define marriage as a union solely between a man and a woman in California.[168] In June 2012, Perry expressed her hope for change in people's attitudes towards LGBT people, saying in an interview: "hopefully, we will look back at this moment and think like we do now concerning [other] civil rights issues. We'll just shake our heads in disbelief, saying, 'Thank God we've evolved.' That would be my prayer for the future."[169] Through Twitter and by performing at his rallies, Perry supported President Barack Obama in his run for re-election in November 2012 due to his stance on same-sex marriage[170] and believing in "equal rights for all".[171] In August 2013, Perry criticized Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott over his opposition towards gay marriage in a radio interview, and urged voters to speak out against his position on the issue.[172]
Perry's presence on social media is significantly large; she is the most followed person on social networking site Twitter and, in late January 2014, she became the first person to gain 50 million followers on the site.[173] She also has over 63 million "likes" on Facebook. Forbes commended Perry on her social media usage, saying "Perry makes excellent use of Twitter, talking to her fans and sharing funny photos and videos in a way that makes them all feel like Perry is their best buddy."[174] Perry expressed that she feels she has "learned how to tame that social media dragon", while Keith Caulfield of Billboard stated that she is "the rare celebrity who seems to have enormous popularity but genuine ground-level interaction with her adoring KatyCats."[175]
Philanthropy



Perry attending the UNICEF Snowflake Ball in late November 2012
During the Warped Tour in December 2008, Perry had a cast made of her breasts to raise money for the Keep A Breast Foundation.[176] She dedicated the music video to her October 2010 single "Firework" to the It Gets Better Project.[177] During her California Dreams Tour, Perry raised over $150,000 for the Tickets-For-Charity fundraiser. The money was divided between three charities: the Children's Health Fund (CHF), Generosity Water, and Humane Society of the United States.[178] EMI donated a signed album by Perry herself for an auction for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Auckland. The auction closed on May 31, 2011.[179] In February 2012, Perry donated the proceeds from her single "Part of Me" to the charity MusiCares, which helps musicians in times of need.[180] On October 13, 2012, she performed her song "Firework" with an autistic fan at Comedy Central's Night of Too Many Stars.[181] In early December 2012, Perry was awarded the Trevor Hero Award by The Trevor Project for her work and activism for LGBT youth.[182] In early April 2013, she worked with UNICEF and traveled to Madagascar to assist children with education and nutrition.[183] Later that month, she appeared in a video clip for the "Chime For Change" campaign that aims to spread female empowerment.[184] On October 23, 2013, she hosted and performed at the We Can Survive concert along with her friends Bonnie McKee, Kacey Musgraves, Sara Bareilles, Ellie Goulding, and duo Tegan and Sara at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, California. The concert's profits went towards Young Survival Coalition, an organization aiding breast cancer in young women.[185] On December 3, 2013, Perry was officially named a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, "with a special focus on engaging young people in the agency's work to improve the lives of the world's most vulnerable children and adolescents". In an official press release, UNICEF said "We are delighted that she is joining us as UNICEF's newest Goodwill Ambassador and lending her remarkable voice to amplify the voices of children and young people around the world".[186] A portion of the money generated from tickets on the second leg (June — October 2014) of her Prismatic World Tour will go to UNICEF,[187] Autism Speaks, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, and Susan G. Komen for the Cure.[188]
Personal life

Religious beliefs and spirituality
Having been raised by two Pentecostal pastors, Perry confirmed in Katy Perry: Part of Me that she still keeps a religious connection with God, although is less devout than her parents. She described her relationship with God as "one-on-one".[10] Perry follows Transcendental Meditation. In an October 2013 interview with Elle, she said that she tries to practise the technique as often as she can.[155] Later that month with W Magazine, Perry said: "I try and keep my connection with G-O-D or with a power that's bigger than me. It's important - otherwise, you don't have any kind of accountability" and that "for me, accountability works".[121] In an early December 2013 interview with Toronto Star, she mentioned her views on God changed as she got older, saying "My God has changed over the years. Absolutely. I believe there's this 'bigger than me' thing that's looking after me. I don't believe in like God as a really old guy with a beard on a gold throne" and that "I don't believe in heaven or hell as a destination. In fact, the terms of what I believe are still up for debate because I'm still on a journey and I don't even know if I'm going to get to my destination".[189] During an interview with Claire Hoffman from Marie Claire, Perry said the following week "I'm not Buddhist, I'm not Hindu, I'm not Christian, but I still feel like I have a deep connection with God."[125]
Relationships
Perry has previously dated musician Justin York,[190] singer Matt Thiessen, late actor Johnny Lewis,[191] and rapper Travie McCoy. Her relationship with McCoy lasted from November 2006 to December 2008.[192]
She first met Russell Brand during the summer of 2009 when she filmed a cameo appearance for his film Get Him to the Greek.[193] The two began dating after meeting again in September 2009 at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards.[194] The couple became engaged on New Year's Eve 2009 while vacationing in Rajasthan, India.[195] They privately married on October 23, 2010, in a traditional Hindu ceremony near the Ranthambhore tiger sanctuary in Rajasthan.[196] Brand ended the marriage 14 months later, citing irreconcilable differences, filing for divorce on December 30, 2011. Their marriage was dissolved in July 2012.[197] Katy Perry: Part of Me revealed that their conflicting career schedules and him wanting children before she was ready led to the end of the marriage.[10] In June 2013, she revealed in an interview with Vogue that Brand did not like the idea of her "being the boss" of things and never spoke to her again after sending a text message that he was divorcing her.[130] She also mentioned in a late September 2013 interview with Billboard that she was initially so distraught over the divorce that she contemplated suicide.[198]
She began an on-off relationship with John Mayer in August 2012.[199] In a January 2014 interview with GQ, Perry addressed their relationship, saying "I'm just having a wonderful experience with a wonderful guy. There's no rush."[154] The couple reportedly broke up in late February 2014.[200]
Politics
Perry has frequently expressed her support for United States President Barack Obama. She supported Obama during his campaign for re-election in November 2012.[170] She performed at three rallies for him, in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Wisconsin, singing a rendition of "Let's Stay Together" as well as a selection of her own songs. During one of the performances, she wore a dress made to replicate a voting ballot, with Obama's box filled in.[201] On Twitter, she encouraged her followers to vote for Obama.[202] After Obama was re-elected, Perry tweeted her congratulations to him, saying "The people have the power! Proud to stand by you for 4 more years."[203] She has also mentioned her support of universal health care, saying "the fact that America doesn't have free health care drives me fucking absolutely crazy, and is so wrong."[204] After the shooting of a mall in Columbia, Maryland, which killed two people, Perry tweeted her condolences to the victims and their families, as well as calling for an end to gun violence. She tweeted: "Scared to go to school? Scared to go to the mall? Scared to go to the movies? Me too. When will there be ACTUAL change? How many more?!
HERO DYD

Samsung

HERO DYD

Slavi Trifonov

 
Stanislav Todorov Trifonov (Bulgarian: Станислав Тодоров Трифонов) (born 18 October 1966), known as Slavi Trifonov (Bulgarian: Слави Трифонов), is a Bulgarian showman, actor, singer, viola and tambourine player, born in Pleven (Bulgarian: Плевен). Trifonov is mainly active in the folk music and chalga genres, but he has experimented with other genres such as pop-rock and punk as a part of Ku-ku Band (Bulgarian: Ку-Ку Бенд).
He is the host of Slavi's Show, bTV's late-night talk show. It is styled after the standard U.S. late-night talk shows; nevertheless, many topics and elements in the show's setup are aimed at providing a specific Bulgarian flavor.
The main scriptwriters of Slavi's Show are Ivailo Vulchev, Ivo Siromahov, Toshko Iordanov, Dragomir Petrov, and Kalinka Todorova.
Trifonov is a professionally trained violist. In the early 1990s, together with several of his classmates at NATFIZ, he created Ku-Ku. In 1996, as a cast member of Kanaleto, he took an active role in the protests that eventually led to the fall of the socialist government. He is both loved and hated in his home country. His current show is one of the most watched, although he is often criticized for his controversial humor. The concept of "Slavi's Show" has changed significantly over the years. Originally, it was based on the classic formula: for half of the show, he performed a type of "one-man show" (though not exactly; Trifonov was often accompanied by other actors and his Ku-Ku Band), and in the other half, Trifonov introduced a guest. At one point, the show became an arena for political debates before some important elections. Later on, Trifonov and his team changed the concept and made the show more music-focused. He held a contest
called "I sing in KuKu Band" in order to choose a singer for the band. Every phase of the contest was aired. The contestants had to deal with difficult singing tasks. Finally, because of the growing popularity of the contestants, Trifonov decided to continue the contest, turning it into a show. He chose the five most popular contestants (Lora, Liubena, Nadia, Svetlio, and Vlado) and let them compete for the grand prize: the winner would have the chance to record an album and have his or her own show. Meanwhile, Trifonov participated in the competition Eurovision - Bulgaria. There, he triggered a major scandal by stating that the winner was known in advance and the competition was not fair.
Trifonov has had a long-running feud with Ivan Kostov, which started because Trifonov thought that Kostov — who at the time was Bulgaria's prime minister — was the one who took Hushove off the air.
In 2005, Trifonov steered his show in a different direction. This time, the famous comedians Krasi Radkov, Liubomir Neikov, and Viktor Kalev riveted the attention of thousаnds of viewers. Later, Nikolay Stanoev joined the team of actors after being picked by Trifonov himself after another contest, but left the show. In 2006, Liubomir Neikov left Slavi's Show and joined Komitzite, and in his place, Slavi Trifonov hired a new comedian actress: Maia Bezhanska, who later also left the show.
In his show he has hosted numerous amount of debates, tournaments, shows, and contests. In 2006, Trifonov started a new reality show, "Dance with Me," and in 2008 he recorded the song "My Love" (featured on the Bulgarian edition of Ruslana's international album Wild Energy). Also, Slavi did a show called "Smart and Beautiful" (Umna i Krasiva); the winner was a Ukrainian girl.HERO DYD

Google Glass

Samsung continue to dominate the global smartphone market and also to expand its position among tablets in recent months. Korean giant plans to enter another attractive niche as already developing their own glasses of new generation. That device is designed as a competitor to Google Glass and expect its release to officially implement the exhibition IFA 2014 in Berlin in September inform DigitalTrends.

Particulars of the specifications are not known, but it will connect with our smartphones and tablets, allowing you to make calls, receive notifications, send messages, play music and take pictures. The first smart glasses Samsung developed codenamed Galaxy Glass and have built-in speakers, and a clear lens in one side, and the widget of Google. O t company are of the opinion that this niche market has great potential to become a billion dollar business, and naturally want to join it as soon as possible.

Samsung plans soon to represent the second generation of its clock Galaxy Gear, which is expected at a special event in March or April. The device will offer a completely new design and will probably oborudavno flexible displays based on OLED technology. So
the company hopes will remove the biggest drawbacks of its predecessor, to draw our attention to the second generation of Galaxy Gear.HERO DYD

Istanbul

On a windswept afternoon in mid-December, the writer Orhan Pamuk stood in a leafy square around the corner from Istanbul University, absorbed in a 40-year-old memory. He walked past parked motorcycles, sturdy oaks and a stone fountain, browsing through secondhand books in front of cluttered shops occupying the bottom floors of a quadrangle of pale yellow buildings. Sahaflar Carsisi, Istanbul’s used-book bazaar, has been a magnet for literary types since the Byzantine era.

In the early 1970s, Mr. Pamuk, then an architecture student and aspiring painter with a love for Western literature, would drive from his home across the Golden Horn to shop for Turkish translations of Thomas Mann, André Gide and other European authors. “My father was nice in giving me money, and I would come here on Saturday mornings in his car and fill the trunk with books,” the Nobel Laureate remembered, standing beside a bust of Ybrahim Muteferrika, who printed one of the first books in Turkey — an Arabic-Turkish language dictionary — in 1732.

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Mr. Pamuk was born in Istanbul in 1952 and has lived in the city for most of his life. Monique Jaques for The New York Times
“Nobody else would be here on Saturdays. I’d be haggling, talking, chatting. I would know every clerk, but it’s all changed now,” he said, referring to the somewhat touristy atmosphere and the disappearance of characters he’d come to know, such as a manuscript seller who doubled as a Sufi preacher. These days, he said, “I come only once a year.”

Mr. Pamuk was born about three and a half miles from the market, in the prosperous Nisantasi neighborhood in 1952, the son of a businessman who frittered away much of his fortune through a series of bad investments. Mr. Pamuk grew up surrounded by relatives and servants, but quarrels between his mother and father, and the ever-present sense of a family unraveling, cast his youth into uncertainty and periodic sadness.

For most of the six decades since, Mr. Pamuk has lived in Istanbul, both in Nisantasi and nearby Cihangir, alongside the Bosporus. His work is as grounded in the city as Dickens’s was in London and Naguib Mahfouz’s was in Cairo. Novels such as “The Museum of Innocence” and “The Black Book” and the autobiographical “Istanbul: Memories and the City” evoke both
a magical city and a melancholy one, reeling from the loss of empire, torn by the clash between secularism and political Islam and seduced by the West. Most of Mr. Pamuk’s characters are members of the secular elite, whose love affairs, feuds and obsessions play out in the cafes and bedrooms of a few neighborhoods.

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Leafing through a book at Sahaflar Carsisi, a used-book bazaar in Istanbul. In the early 1970s, Mr. Pamuk would fill the trunk of his father's car with books from the bazaar. Ayman Oghanna for The New York Times
“I did my first foreign travel in 1959, when I went to Geneva for the summer with my father, and I didn’t leave Istanbul again until 1982,” Mr. Pamuk told me. “I belong to this city.”

Last fall, I emailed Mr. Pamuk and asked him if he would take me on a tour of the neighborhoods that shaped his upbringing and his development as a writer. After many visits, I wanted to get beyond the tourist sights and observe the city as he sees it — a place of epic history and deep personal associations. Mr. Pamuk readily agreed, and two months later I met him at his apartment in the affluent Cihangir quarter, overlooking the Cihangir Mosque, a 16th-century monolith flanked by minarets, and, beyond it, the Bosporus, the strait that forms the boundary between Europe and Asia.


It seemed appropriate that I was visiting Mr. Pamuk during the off-season, given his focus in books like “Snow” and “Istanbul” on winter, grayness and melancholy. The air was crisp, the light was muted, and although the sun occasionally burst through the clouds, the city seemed largely drained of color. “I have always preferred the winter to the summer in Istanbul,” Mr. Pamuk wrote in “Istanbul.” “I love the early evenings when autumn is slipping into winter, when the leafless trees are trembling in the north wind, and people in black coats and jackets are rushing home through the darkening streets.” From the balcony of his apartment, he looked approvingly at the sun shining weakly through the cloud cover and pronounced it an optimal day for a walk. “If this was a hugely sunny day I would be upset,” he said. “I like the black and white city as I wrote in ‘Istanbul.’ ”

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A cafe in the affluent Cihangir quarter, where Mr. Pamuk has an apartment. Ayman Oghanna for The New York Times
I had caught up with him during the last stages of polishing his new novel, “A Strangeness in My Mind,” to be published in English in 2015, chronicling the life of an Istanbul street vendor from the 1970s to the present. He told me that he was grateful for a break. “I am an obsessive about my work, but I love it,” he said. He put on a trench coat and pulled a black baseball cap over his brow, a halfhearted effort to render himself a little less recognizable.

In 2005, Mr. Pamuk responded to an interviewer’s question about a crackdown on freedom of expression in Turkey by asserting that “a million Armenians and 30,000 Kurds were killed in this country and I’m the only one who dares to talk about it.” The offhand remark, published in a Swiss newspaper, resulted in death threats, vilification in the Turkish press and charges by an Istanbul public prosecutor of the “public denigration of Turkish identity.” Mr. Pamuk was forced to flee the country for nearly a year — his longest time out of Turkey. The charges were abandoned in January 2006 amid an international outcry, and the threats have subsided. Though Mr. Pamuk sometimes travels with bodyguards, especially during his nocturnal rambles, he now feels relatively safe.

On this cloudy afternoon we followed a zigzag route that roughly paralleled the Bosporus and took us through the heart of Cihangir, once a predominantly Greek neighborhood. In the 1960s, when Mr. Pamuk was a student at the elite Robert College prep school farther up the Bosporus, rising nationalistic fervor over a looming conflict in Cyprus came to a climax in the government’s eviction of the neighborhood’s Greek population. Deprived of its commercial class, Cihangir became the city’s red-light district.

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A woman and young girl pass a hamam, or bath house, in Cihangir. Ayman Oghanna for The New York Times
“I wrote an early novel here in the 1970s, in my grandfather’s apartment,” Mr. Pamuk said. “Every night, I used to wake up to women and their bodyguards — their macho protectors — and their clients, bargaining, throwing belts out the window.”

Cihangir is now a trendy neighborhood of artists and writers, elegant cafes, antiquarian shops and sky-high rents.

One engine of Cihangir’s revitalization is Mr. Pamuk’s own creation: the Museum of Innocence, which opened in 2012 in a burgundy building on a steep road leading down to the curving Golden Horn, which connects the Bosporus to the Sea of Marmara. The museum is a meticulously rendered time capsule of 1970s Istanbul, and a tribute to the power of obsession. It was inspired by Mr. Pamuk’s 2008 novel “The Museum of Innocence,” about an affluent Istanbul businessman, Kemal Basmaci, who falls in love with a poor shopgirl, Fusun, and becomes so consumed that he assembles a collection of every trace of contact with her.

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A vendor sells roasted chestnuts in the Karakoy area. Mr. Pamuk's memories of the area include getting his first bike there. Ayman Oghanna for The New York Times
Mr. Pamuk found the building himself, designed the exhibits and assembled his character’s fictional collection from flea markets and his own family heirlooms. Glass cases on the walls in darkened rooms are arranged chapter by chapter, filled with these supposed tokens of his character’s mostly unrequited love: crystal bottles of cologne, porcelain dogs, Istanbul postcards and 4,213 of Fusun’s cigarette butts, each one encased behind its own tiny window. “I didn’t publish a novel for years, but I have excuses,” Mr. Pamuk told me. “I did a museum in between.”

Karakoy Square, farther down the hill, is a waterfront plaza radiating outward into avenues lined with modern and Ottoman-era office buildings, food bazaars and appliance shops. Street vendors sell pomegranate juice and simit, the wheel-like bread otherwise known as a Turkish bagel.


Tucked off one steep avenue is an alley of government-sanctioned brothels guarded by the police. The Karakoy area conjures vivid memories for Mr. Pamuk of his childhood. He pointed out a row of bicycle shops, where his father bought him his first two-wheeler. A bit farther on is a passageway leading to the Tunel, one of the world’s oldest subterranean transit lines. The two-stop subway, built by French engineers, began in 1875 and still links Karakoy Square with the embassy district in the central Beyoglu district. In its early incarnation the train consisted of a steam engine that pulled two wooden cars, with separate compartments for men and women. “The empire fell apart, and there was no other subway line in Turkey for 120 more years,” said Mr. Pamuk, who loved riding the trains with his parents as a child.

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A casual lunch area, one of Mr. Pamuk's favorite places, in Karakoy. Ayman Oghanna for The New York Times
We stopped for lunch in the shadow of the Galata Bridge, a double-decker concrete-and-steel span, opened in 1994, with walkways, three lanes of traffic in each direction and tram tracks. Plastic tables and chairs stood haphazardly on a muddy patch near the water, flanked by portable grills selling fish fillets on baguettes, garnished with paprika, chile powder and chopped vegetables. A stray dog, his ear tagged as proof of his government-issued rabies shot, lay in the dirt. “He’s a local monument,” said Mr. Pamuk, who was bitten by a street dog during an evening walk 13 years ago and had to undergo a painful series of rabies shots.

Across the inlet, in stunning contrast to the scruffy surroundings, rose the silver dome of Hagia Sophia, wreathed in limestone and sandstone minarets. Built as a Greek Orthodox basilica and opened in A.D. 537 and converted into a mosque after the 1453 Islamic conquest of Constantinople, it was secularized by Kemal Ataturk, modern Turkey’s founder, and turned into a museum in 1935.

“I had little interest in Byzantium as a child,” Mr. Pamuk wrote in “Istanbul.” “I associated the word with spooky, bearded, black-robed Greek Orthodox priests, with the aqueducts that still ran through the city, with Hagia Sophia and the red-brick walls of old churches.” Legal disputes have kept this patch of waterfront property, where we were eating lunch, in limbo, resulting in a rare zone of neglect in the heart of the city. It’s one of Mr. Pamuk’s favorite places. “All my childhood was like this, but will it be like this in 20 years? No way,” he told me, as we savored the maritime smells. He is all but certain that the rapid gentrification of surrounding neighborhoods will eventually overtake this forgotten field.

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A vendor selling simit, the wheel-like bread otherwise known as a Turkish bagel. Ayman Oghanna for The New York Times
We continued across the Galata Bridge, the historic epicenter of Istanbul, stopping midway to admire the scene: tourist boats and pleasure craft floated down the Golden Horn, past the mosques of Sultan Ahmet on one side and the steep hills of Cihangir on the other. “This was originally a wooden bridge, and when I was growing up you had to pay to cross it,” he said, “but you could also hire row boats. I remember my mother taking me across by boat in the 1950s.”

Half a mile down the Golden Horn a new bridge has just opened, a sleek white span that partly blocks views of some of Istanbul’s grandest mosques. Like Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s aborted plan to raze Gezi Park in Taksim Square and put up a shopping mall in the style of an Ottoman military barracks, the bridge project has divided the city largely along socioeconomic lines: The city’s liberal elite has strongly backed the preservation of its Ottoman-era core, while the mostly poorer Islamists have tended to welcome this sweeping away of the past.

A century ago, “all the boats that came from the Sea of Marmara, from the Mediterranean, ended up here,” Mr. Pamuk told me. As he relates in “Istanbul,” Gustave Flaubert arrived here in October 1850 for a six-month stay, stricken with a case of syphilis picked up in Beirut. He still managed to frequent the city’s brothels and wrote about the “cemetery whores” who serviced soldiers by night. Another celebrated visitor of that era, the French writer and politician Alphonse de Lamartine, “described boys on the bridge shouting to the tourists, ‘Sir, give me a penny,’ ” Mr. Pamuk went on. “Tourists would throw the money into the sea, and they would jump from the bridge and dive in and the money would be theirs.”

Launch media viewerVefa Bozacisi, one of Mr. Pamuk's favorite places. Founded in 1876, the shop specializes in boza, a fermented wheat drink. Ayman Oghanna for The New York Times
On the south side of the Golden Horn, we pushed past crowds in the Baharat spice bazaar, and emerged on a busy street in the Eminonu neighborhood. In his childhood, Mr. Pamuk was fascinated by stories about the Ottoman sultans and pashas who ruled from this quarter of Istanbul, the site of rebellions, coups and secret jails where fearsome punishments were meted out. “One place in Eminonu was especially constructed for what was known as the Hook,” Mr. Pamuk wrote in “Istanbul.” “Wearing nothing but the suit in which he emerged from his mother’s womb, the condemned was winched up with pulleys, skewered with a sharp hook, and, as the cord was released, left to drop.”

RECENT COMMENTS

MR 7 hours ago
Istanbul's antiquity and location give it a cosmic quality that cannot be experienced without visiting and which is not to be missed. This...
Yasser Tariq 8 hours ago
Wonderful stroll. I had been fortunate enough to be taken on an identical excursion by one of Istanbul's favourite painters. Every nook and...
Dennis 8 hours ago
" “This was originally a wooden bridge, and when I was growing up you had to pay to cross it,” he said, “but you could also hire row boats....
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Within these few square blocks, the Ottoman rulers commissioned grandiose palaces and other buildings that proclaimed the durability of their empire. “The whole bureaucracy was here,” he said, pointing out the Sirkeci train station, a classic example of European Orientalist architecture, with colored tiles, Moorish-style archways and twin clock towers, which opened in 1890 and served as the final destination of the fabled Orient Express. The age of grandiosity didn’t last long. When Vladimir Nabokov alighted here in 1919, he found “a city in ruins,” Mr. Pamuk said. “There was no physical destruction, but this place used to get the riches of all the Middle East and the Balkans, and then it all vanished, and it was reduced to poverty.”

In “Istanbul,” Mr. Pamuk captured the melancholy, or huzun, that infused the metropolis during his boyhood, when it was still suffering a long decline after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. He described “the old Bosporus ferries moored to deserted stations in the middle of winter ... the old booksellers who lurch from one financial crisis to the next and then wait shivering all day for a customer to return.”


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The autobiography, published in 2001, brought Mr. Pamuk’s life story up to his decision to become a writer in 1973 and captured a very different time in the city’s history. “The city was poor, it wasn’t Europe, and I wanted to be a writer, and I wondered, ‘Can I be happy and live in this city and realize my ambition?’ These were the dilemmas I was facing,” he told me. “When I published it the younger generation told me, ‘Our Istanbul is not that black and white, we are happier here.’ They didn’t want to know about the melancholy, my kind of dirty history of the city.”

Not far away was another symbol of Ottoman hubris: the monumental central post office, opened in 1909, shortly after a military cabal of Young Turks seized power. “Now it’s just a local branch,” he said with an ironic laugh, sizing up the arched entryway and the cavernous, nearly empty atrium. It has deep associations for Mr. Pamuk. In 1973, at 21, he had just dropped out of architecture school to devote himself to writing. Afflicted by self-doubt and parental skepticism, he decided to test his abilities by entering a short story in a local magazine competition. The tale was a historical romance set in 15th-century Anatolia, the vast hinterland east of Istanbul. His friends frantically typed sections of the story, and Mr. Pamuk raced to this post office and handed the manuscript to a woman behind the counter just hours before the deadline. “The next day I received a note from her, telling me, ‘You paid me too little,’ ” he said, gazing at the main, gazebo-like kiosk beneath the atrium’s soaring central dome, where the moment played out. “But she’d understood that I was ambitious, submitting a literary work, and she paid the postage on her own.” One month later he learned that he had won the contest. “So I love this place just because of that,” he said.

Beyazit Square, a windswept plaza behind the book bazaar, abuts Istanbul University, formerly the Ottoman Ministry of Defense compound: a sprawling campus of brick-and-stone buildings and newer, slapdash structures behind a monumental entrance gate. The plaza seethed with protests, riots and army killings during the 1960s and 1970s. Mr. Pamuk was enrolled at the journalism school during one of the most turbulent periods, but while his friends were risking their lives facing down soldiers, he spent most days reading at home in Nisantasi. “I was an ambitious, brainy guy, and university seemed like a waste of time to me.”


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A few steps away we ducked into Vefa Bozacisi, another of his favorite places. Founded in 1876, the shop, a cozy establishment with leather banquettes and antique mirrors, specializes in boza, a fermented wheat drink that originated in southern Russia. Mixed with water and sugar and sprinkled with cinnamon, the creamy, butterscotch-colored concoction is served in glasses that were lined up by the dozens on polished wooden counters. Beside shelves of pomegranate vinegar, a case reverently displayed the shop’s most valuable heirloom: a silver boza cup used here in 1927 by Kemal Ataturk.

We entered the grounds of the Fatih Mosque, built on the orders of Fatih Sultan Mehmed, the conqueror of Constantinople, starting in 1463. It was rebuilt in 1771 after an earthquake destroyed it.

In a marble courtyard beside the massive pink sandstone mosque, considered one of the most graceful in the Islamic world, a wall poster caught Mr. Pamuk’s eye. It demanded freedom for Salih Mirzabeyogluna, a radical Islamist and author of incendiary political tracts, who was sentenced to 12 years in prison on a terrorism conviction. Mr. Pamuk — fascinated and disturbed by the rise of political Islam in Turkey and the Middle East — based one of his most memorable characters, the terrorist leader Blue in his novel “Snow,” partly upon Mr. Mirzabeyogluna. Blue is an ambiguous figure: a charismatic intellectual who espouses a violent message, while avoiding direct entanglements in acts of terror. The cases of Mirzabeyogluna and Blue were similar, Mr. Pamuk said. “Some Islamists kill, but he didn’t, but he’s been locked up for a very long time.”


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He seemed to tense up slightly as we left the mosque and wandered into one of Istanbul’s hard-core Sunni neighborhoods. “We could be in a different country,” he said in a soft voice. Salafist men with long beards and skullcaps sat on benches in tidy plazas; women in black abayas walked with their children down a cobblestone street past a madrassa, an Islamic school.

The sun had begun to set on this wintry afternoon, bathing the Golden Horn in shadow. We stood in the terraced garden of a mosque, gazing over the landmarks of Istanbul — the red roofs of Cihangir, the 13th-century Galata Tower, one of the few surviving traces of Byzantium. We had been walking for more than four hours, across half a dozen neighborhoods, peeling away Istanbul’s tourist-friendly facade to expose the complex fabric beneath it.

“That’s the beauty of living here,” Mr. Pamuk told me. Then we descended along steep cobblestone alleys leading to the Ataturk Bridge, beginning the long journey home.

Joshua Hammer is a frequent contributor to Travel. His next book, “Taking Timbuktu,” will be published by Simon & Schuster in 2015.

DETAILS

Vefa Bozacisi (Katip Celebi Caddesi 104/1, Sultanahmet; 90-212-519-4922; vefa.com.tr/english) is a cafe tucked in the shadow of the Fatih mosque that specializes in boza by the glass. Boza, which is made of millet, semolina, water and sugar, was first brewed in medieval times in Anatolia and southern Russia. The tangy drink contains just a fraction of the alcoholic content of beer. The shop opened in 1876 and was patronized in its heyday by Kemal Ataturk, whose silver chalice is prominently displayed. Available to go are bottles of home-produced lemon sauce, pomegranate sauce and balsamic vinegar.

The Museum of Innocence (Cukurcuma Caddesi, Dalgic Cikmazi 2, Beyoglu; 90-212-252-9738; masumiyetmuzesi.org)  occupies a four story, wine-red building in a lively neighborhood of antiques shops and flea markets high above the Bosporus. Featuring 83 display cases crammed with items drawn from Orhan Pamuk’s novel “The Museum of Innocence,” the museum offers free entry to anyone who brings a copy of the book (the ticket is printed on the last pages). For those who come empty handed, admission is 25 Turkish lira, or about $11.50 at 2.2 lira to the dollar.HERO DYD