New musical productions are increasingly making use of technology to embark their listeners into an interactive listening experience. Following the release of Bluebrain’s location aware album-app in 2011, several other musicians and groups have shown their interests for more interactive songs. The album-app by Björk that allow users to experience the songs through a game is another good illustration of this new trend.
Among the many producers who are setting the pace in this new era of music and technology, the “Appsongs” from Jorge Dexter stands out. Without going into the design of the app interface (which is great by the way), the idea of this ‘n’ project itself is just amazing. The listener gets to recombine the components and build the songs they are listening to in real-time. According to the app’s creator, there can be as much as 10^27 possible versions of the same song and the listener gets to decide what version he/she wants: “These songs are not solid, but liquid. They are half alive: always the same and always different”.
Which such innovations going on in this industry, do producers really have a choice but to go with the flow? What will the future of the musical industry look like? Are the days of static entertainment fading away? Food for thought.
The app is available for free on Android and iOS. Have a taste of the app by watching this video:
Is it just me? Or does it seem like new technology is being horded at some undisclosed location and being metered out, one miraculous discovery at a time, just so we don’t become jaded regarding things of this nature?
For the first time ever the FDA has approved a retinal implant for adults with a genetic eye disease called retinitis pigmentosa, or RP. The disease causes damage to the light-sensitive cells that line the retina causing severe partial blindness. The Argus II Retinal Prosthesis System, is the result of a 10-year project funded through private and federal dollars.
A Wi-Fi-like electronic chip is implanted in the eye. The patient is then outfitted with a pair of glasses with a miniature video camera mounted on it that sends images to a smartphone-sized computer, which processes the images and sends that information back to the glasses. The eye chip then picks up the electrical signal and transmits it to the optic nerve. The brain grabs the signal, then processes it as patterns of light which enables the patient to “see” an outline mapped image of objects.
It’s not 20-20 vision of course, but researchers have high hopes for more advanced usage.
“I would say [in] five to 10 years, we’ll be able to connect video cameras directly to the brain, which will provide superb vision,” says Dr. Robert Cykiert, an opthamologist and eye surgeon at NYU Langone Medical Center.
Of course there will be risks involved, but the benefits outweigh the risks when the outcome is partial sight from total blindness.
“I’ve actually gotten many emails and phone calls from patients around the country who have asked me about this.” says Dr. Cykiert.
For those of us who depend on Google Reader for news, this is both a shock and a surprise. Google has announced that beginning in July, Google Reader will be no more.
From the Reader’s Blog;
We have just announced on the Official Google Blog that we will soon retire Google Reader (the actual date is July 1, 2013). We know Reader has a devoted following who will be very sad to see it go. We’re sad too.
There are two simple reasons for this: usage of Google Reader has declined, and as a company we’re pouring all of our energy into fewer products. We think that kind of focus will make for a better user experience.
To ensure a smooth transition, we’re providing a three-month sunset period so you have sufficient time to find an alternative feed-reading solution. If you want to retain your Reader data, including subscriptions, you can do so through Google Takeout.
Thank you again for using Reader as your RSS platform.
With Adobe® Creative Cloud™, a simple monthly membership gives you the entire collection of CS6 tools and more. Love print? Interested in websites and iPad apps? Ready to edit video? You can do it all. Plus, Creative Cloud members automatically get access to new products and exclusive updates as soon as they’re released. And, with cloud storage and the ability to sync to any device, your files are always right where you need them. Creative Cloud is available for individuals or teams.
What a whirlwind! The Social Media craze has turned this world (and me) into a gotta-get-it now circus. Whether you’re using social media for your job or your own personal entertainment, it has gotten crazy ridiculous.
Personally, I use it for news, sports and entertainment, and that’s just on my phone! (SideNote: remember the T.V. show “Mayberry, RFD” or “Green Acres” when the townspeople had to climb a Telephone Pole to call others? Ok, I’m not that old but I grew up watching those shows.)
It seems like yesterday when the internet was just starting up. Well, in a flash, (1978 to be precise) the “Bulletin Board System” was formalized. Later in the same year, Jim Ellis and Tom Truscott created the “Usenet” which allowed users to post news articles on the computer. Remember Dial-Up? Remember AOL’s “You’ve Got Mail?” That was founded in 1997 and the Birth of Instant Messaging had begun. Who knew that this was the beginning of something huge, something tremendous, something extremely LUCRATIVE!
Friendster became the Pioneer of social networking and soon after, MySpace took on the mantle as the newest sensation. Since then, we’ve grown into LinkedIn and Tribe.net but the GrandDaddy of them all is the multi-billion dollar operation called “Facebook”. Ch-Ching Mr. Zuckerburg whose net worth is over $14 BILLION! Not bad for a 28-year old Harvard dropout.
I have to admit, I’m not on Facebook. Heck, I just started using Twitter – yet another huge social networking conglomerate – this January. Funny thing about that is I just posted my 1,000th Tweet. ( Notice I just started THIS January). And I LOVE IT! OMG, I’m on this Twitter thing Tweeting like a Canary!
I’m like my daughter on here and by the way, she asked me once why I was joining Twitter. She said, “Twitter is for Young people”. No, I wasn’t offended. I actually laughed it off because she doesn’t understand that we adults use these forums, whether Twitter, Facebook, Skype, Instagram, etc. for more purposes than the youngsters will ever understand. Businesses are using all of these entities daily. You can post your resumes’, conduct business meetings, collect data and Share with co-workers and your company. This thing has become a multi-faceted Norm.
Technology is some kind of amazing isn’t it? I enjoy getting information from all across this great country of ours from people that I don’t even know, sources I had never considered pulling from and opinions I’ve never considered. The forum that I use, Twitter, has become a wonderful outlet. But, disclaimer to All who use these social networking outlets: Be careful. Think Before You Hit “Send” and above All…Have FUN!
It’s User Friendly but could become User Hazardous if in the Wrong Hands.
Mr. Gibbs went on Andrea Mitchell Reports today and was asked a question about the coming Sequester. Mitchell stated that both the President and Congress agreed to the sequester, but that the sequester was supposed to be about cuts, not new revenues.
Gibbs answered that anybody that’s watched President Obama for the last five years, know that his approach to fixing the present fiscal crisis is through a balanced approach. Mr. Gibbs then suggest that if you do a google search for “balance approach” and “the White House,” that such a search would “break the google.”
Well we took Robert up on that suggestion and he was wrong. The google is still alive.
Here’s what we found doing an image search for “balanced approach and the white house.”
BARCELONA, Spain–After months of leaked pics and rumors, Samsung’s Galaxy Note 8 is now officially a corporeal thing of reality. It’s an 8-inch tablet that thanks to its size is ready to compete directly with the 7.9-inch iPad Mini. How successful it is at doing that will depend heavily on price.
The Mini currently starts at $329, a price that’s considered expensive for a tablet of its size. Despite its high asking price, though, the Mini has proven a consistently brisk seller. Samsung has yet to announce a price for the Galaxy Note 8, but if it wants to see it launch successfully, that’s a detail the company will have to get right.
However, given Samsung’s premium tablet pricing history, it’s doubtful the Note 8 will cost any less than the Mini, especially in international markets where it will double as an extremely large phone.
Read on for my first impressions of the device and look for it in the second quarter of 2013.
A comfy feeling
The Note 8 definitely feels different than a typical 7-inch tablet; it’s noticeably wider, of course, but still feels comfortable in my hands. It’s a simple, elegant design with really smooth edges and corners. The Note 8 feels to be made of the same stuff as the Note 10.1, with a bit more metal thrown in for durability sake. It’s also fairly thin, and at only 0.74 pound, it’s only slightly heavier than the iPad Mini.
From left sit three bottom bezel buttons: a menu key, home key, and the back key. Samsung has also added the ability to use the S-Pen with the three buttons, something that was missing on the Note 2.
(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)
The 5-megapixel back camera is located directly in the top middle of the back, which probably lowers the chance an unwanted finger will enter the frame with taking a picture.The front camera, however, sits off to the top-right corner on the front. On the bottom edge are two speaker grills, a Micro-USB port, and a slot for the S-Pen.
On the right edge sits a SIM card slot (more on that later) and a microSD card slot under it. On the left edge is an IR blaster, supporting Peel’s Smart Remote software, along with a volume rocker and power/sleep button.
(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)
The S-Pen of course returns with its pressure sensitivity in tow. Writing on the tablet with it felt a lot less cumbersome compared with on the 10.1-inch Note, but it wasn’t quite as conducive to writing as the Note 2 is.
New and refined options
The Galaxy Note 8 will ship with Android 4.1.2 (Jelly Bean), with Samsung’s ever-present TouchWiz UI over it. While in most international markets the Note 8 will include 3G (HSPA+ 21) capability, in the U.S. it’ll strictly be a Wi-fi-only tablet. It’s actually not uncommon to see tablets with phone capabilities in international markets. While the Asus PadFone line has seen success in Asia, Asus has no plans to release it in the U.S. The 3G version will have support for the GLONASS satellite navigation system.
Samsung’s Note series, in its latest, 8-inch form.
(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)
If you’re at all familiar with the Galaxy Note 10.1, the Note 8’s software suite won’t surprise you. S Note makes a return and there’s some new functionality with Flipboard where hovering the S-Pen over tiles delivers headline previews. Samsung claims it also has a one-year Android exclusive with Awesome Note, a feature-rich list-making app.
While the Note 10.1 only supported dual-screen functionality with six different apps, Samsung has now increases support to many more. Also, its “reading mode” feature optimizes the display’s contrast to be more appropriate for e-book reading.
(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)
The sharp, colorful 8-inch screen measured 1,280×800 pixels with a 189 ppi, and Samsung’s TouchWiz UI makes yet another tablet appearance. Swiping felt responsive whether when using the S-Pen or my fingers, and apps seemed to load without much delay.
Hardware features
The Note 8 houses an unidentified 1.6GHz quad-core A9 and 2GB of RAM. Tablet mainstays like 802.11 a/b/g/n (2.4GHz and 5GHz) Wi-Fi support, Bluetooth 4.0, and GPS are included as well as a gyroscope, accelerometer, and a digital compass. The tablet will come in both 16GB and 32GB varieties.
First thoughts
I’m going to be honest: without a price, it’s difficult to have a strong, concrete opinion of the Note 8. While it’ll be offered as a phablet internationally, in the states it’ll be in full-on Wi-Fi tablet mode. As an 8-inch tablet, it’ll compete directly with the 7.9-inch iPad Mini. If I can stifle the cynical part of my brain for a minute, I’d say the success of the Mini can be directly attributed to its size, weight, and app offerings. Samsung seems to have delivered on the former two with the Note 8, but is unfortunately still reliant on the Google Play store for the latter. While the store continues to improve its offerings every day, it’s still nowhere near as compelling as Apple’s App Store.
Samsung has yet to announce a price, and the company isn’t in the habit of aggressively pricing its premium tablets, and that likely won’t change anytime soon. With an SD card slot, a home button, and native Jelly Bean support, the Note 8 offers a compelling package. Also, its S-Pen stylus offers a level of functionality the iPad can’t match, and those looking for a highly functional electronic daily planner will want to give it a serious look. Just don’t expect the same level of app support you’d find on the iPad Mini.
Look for the Note 8 to launch worldwide sometime in the second quarter of 2013 with CNET’s full review of the device.
Dell’s Project Ophelia is an Android-powered 3-inch dongle that slots into the HDMI port of any TV or monitor, giving you PC functions anywhere without carrying a laptop.
BARCELONA, Spain–The days of carrying a bulky laptop around with you might be over if Dell has any say in the matter. Project Ophelia is an Android-powered device that plugs into any TV or monitor, giving access to local files, desktop remote access and any of the apps, movies and TV shows in the Google Play store. Better yet, it’s as small as a USB flash drive and will cost less than $100.
The idea is simple: rather than take your laptop everywhere with you, you can simply plug the dongle into the HDMI port of whatever screen you find. You’ll be presented with the same Android interface you’ll see on tablets. If you’ve got the right set of tools installed, you can use it exactly as you would use your laptop.
You’ll need to connect a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard to navigate around Android. Install office tools like QuickOffice Pro — using the built-in Wi-Fi — and you’ll be able to get on with your work. Ophelia has 8GB of internal storage for your files, but you can expand that with the microSD card slot, although Dell wasn’t able to confirm at the time of writing whether you can install apps to an external card.
PocketCloud’s Remote Desktop service lets you access your home or work PC from Android or iOS devices. David Nagy from PocketCloud showed me an example of the software in action, and explained that with PocketCloud on Ophelia, you’ll be able to use this little gadget to access and use your normal PC as though you were sat in front of it, even allowing you to download and upload files.
It’s fully Google-accredited, too, so you’ll have access to the hundreds of thousands of apps available on the Google Play store. Want to take a break from work? Fire up Netflix and enjoy the Full HD output. Ophelia will hopefully be compatible with touchscreens too, so you’ll be able to enjoy the vast array of touch-based games.
To look at, Project Ophelia is completely unremarkable. It’s roughly the same size and looks basically the same as a regular USB flash drive or wireless dongle. It’s what’s inside that makes it special. It’s essentially packing the same components you’d find stuffed inside a tablet. A 1.6GHz dual-core Cortex A9 processor powers the Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean software, which I found to be reasonably responsive on the 55-inch LG TV I used it with.
Clicking between the home screens was fairly swift, with only a minimum of delay when opening menus. It should have plenty of power for essential work, but I’d like to see Dell offer more potent components down the line for those of us with more-demanding needs.
As well as allowing people to effectively carry their whole computers round in a 3-inch dongle, its low price could make it an attractive option in schools, who are looking to equip students with personal computers. David Angwin, Marketing Director for Dell Wyse — the branch of Dell responsible for Ophelia — explained that its low power requirements means it could run off solar panels, offering education services in developing countries where the electricity supply is often poor.
Project Ophelia is due to become available later in the year (it will also be given a proper name) and will be “sub $100.” Exactly how much less remains to be seen. If you’re tired of lugging a heavy laptop around and look forward to the day you can get on with work on any screen you come across, you’d be right to be excited about Ophelia.
It is being built by Volkswagen and will be introduced at the Geneva Motor Show in a few weeks. The car, called the Volkswagen XL1 sports a futuristic design using aerodynamics to maximize efficiency. Built using the Hybrid technology, the car – weighing half of a midsize US car – will travel 261 miles on one gallon of gas.
Everything you care about most is on the new Start screen. Tiles on the Start screen are connected to people, apps, folders, photos, or websites, and are alive with the latest info, so you’re up to date at a glance.
Mouse, keyboard—and now touch
Windows 8 is perfect for PCs with only a mouse and keyboard, those with touchscreens, and those with both. Whatever kind of PC you have, you’ll discover fast and fluid ways to switch between apps, move things around, and go smoothly from one place to another.
New PCs
There are amazing new PCs of all kinds, including sleek and lightweight tablets, convertibles, and laptops.
Apps from the Windows Store
Windows 8 comes with a new store for apps, the Windows Store. Open the Store right from your Start screen to browse and download apps for cooking, photos, sports, news, and a lot more—many of them free.
Millions of streaming songs
Windows 8 also includes the Xbox Music app, which gives you access to a whole world of music.
Your Windows, everywhere
Sign in with your Microsoft account to any of your PCs running Windows 8 and you’ll immediately see your own background, display preferences, and settings.
The familiar made better
The desktop
The desktop that you’re used to—with its taskbar, folders, and icons—is still here and better than ever, with a new taskbar and streamlined file management.
Security
Stay up to date and more secure with Windows Defender, Windows Firewall, and Windows Update.
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Speed
Windows 8 starts up faster, switches between apps faster, and uses power more efficiently than Windows 7.
Why download Windows 8?
It goes where you go
Your pictures, files, and settings are easily synced through the cloud, so you can get to what you need almost anywhere.
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It plays as hard as it works
Windows 8 gives you the power to quickly browse, watch movies, play games, polish your resume, and pull together a killer presentation—all on a single PC.
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You keep all your files
If your PC is running Windows 7, your files, apps, and settings will easily transfer to Windows 8.
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You keep familiar programs
Programs that run on Windows 7 will run on Windows 8.
Meet Windows RT
Exclusively on new PCs
In addition to Windows 8, there’s a version of Windows called Windows RT that runs on some tablets and PCs. These lightweight PCs have fantastic battery life, and are a great option for doing stuff on the go. You can’t install Windows RT on your current PC. You can only get it by buying a Windows RT PC.
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Includes a special version of Office
Windows RT comes with Microsoft Office Home & Student 2013 RT. This version of Office is optimized for touchscreens and automatically updates so you always have the latest version.
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Exclusively runs Windows Store apps
Windows RT only runs apps that you download from the Windows Store, and also has great built-in apps like Mail, People, Messaging, Photos, SkyDrive, Music, and Video, so you can stay in touch and have fun.
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