Robot Musicians

For all of my fellow music majors here, it seems we have some competition. At the Georgia Tech center for music Technology, PhD Ryan Nikolaidis has designed a robot that can not only read and play music (in this case, the marimba), but can also improvise and play accordingly with an entire band. This technology has been talked about and experimented with for quite some time, but will this idea of robots composing and making music actually catch on? Here's the vid:

NBA Star, Dwight Howard, Charged Big Bucks for Blog

According to Dwight, he has had an incredible number of fouls called on him. The referees are relentless. The series against Charlotte was the last straw, and he apparently just had to let it all out- by blogging. Thanks to Dwight, the NBA is reaping the profit from the massive $35,000 fine.



What do you think? A little too much?



http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/Dwight-Howard-has-to-pay-35-000-just-for-blogg?urn=nba,237611

Dead man defeats incumbent

Have you ever heard of a dead person as mayor? Last month in Tracy City, Tennessee one of the candidates, Carl Robin Geary, running for Mayor passed away from a heart attack. His name was left on the ballot when election time came around. Even though everyone in town had heard of his death he still managed to win the election. He beat out incumbent Barbara Brock. Apparently the town was not pleased with her as mayor.

It just so happens that I have family from Tracy City, Tennessee, and I was in town the weekend that Geary passed away. The news traveled fast, but I did not realize that he would still be on the ballot, or better yet win the election.

Read the article

Android Update...Maybe?

I'm not sure if this post will gain much popularity as there are probably many more avid iPhone users than those who have phones that are Android supported. Since the came in, it was promised that HTC Hero and Eric users would be able to update their phones at least to Android 2.0 (as both still use Android 1.5). Although the guaranteed release time is June, customers are beginning to get impatient because 2.1 versions have been leaked that seems to work fine. HTC stated that the update could "very possibly" be released in a few weeks... That was over a month ago. And, there have been talks that Android 2.2 has been developed.

So, Will the Droid Ever See 2.2? Other Updates?

Avatar to be rereleased in theaters

James Cameron is finding every way possible to make money from the Avatar craze. The 3D film is planned to be rerelease in August with an additional 6 minutes of footage. He believes that there was still a demand for it on the big screen. Cameron says:

We were sold out of our Imax performances right up to the moment until they were contractually obligated to switch to “Alice in Wonderland,” so we know we left money on the table there. And the 3-D really helped “Avatar” right up until the moment that it hurt it. And it hurt it at the moment “Alice” and then “How to Train Your Dragon” and “Clash of the Titans” came in and sucked up all the 3-D screens. We went from declining 8% a week to declining 50%. Clearly, it wasn’t market forces directly; it was the availability of theaters. So we’re going to wait until there’s a time to come back in, inject the new footage into the mix and see if we can interest people in the “Avatar” experience in theaters.

He is anticipating the unique audience that is interested in Avatar will want to return and enjoy this experience again. With the DVD being released earlier this week, do you think that their will still be a significant amount of people wanting to pay the ticket price to experience Pandora once more on the big screen? Will you be one of them? If you don't want to pay to see a movie on the big screen that you already have in your dvd collection, don't you fret, you will still have the full 3D theater experiences for the two Avatar sequels in works.

South Park

So if you haven't heard already, South Park creators Matt Parker and Trey Stone have stirred up controversy with Muslim extremists. For their 200th episode they depicted the prophet Muhammad in a bear suit and altered his voice to be really high and soft. After this episode a radical Muslim named Zachary Adam Chesser posted a warning to the South Park creators on "RevolutionMuslim.com" that they will probably end up like Theo van Gogh, a Dutch filmmaker who was murdered in 2004 after making a film about the oppression of Muslim women. Following this threat, the next episode of South Park was censored by Comedy Central, against Matt and Trey's wishes. Comedy Central censored Muhammad's voice and other characters' voices when they talked about Muhammad. They also put a censor bar over Muhammad as they had in previous episodes. Yes, this was not the first time Muhammad appeared on South Park. The even censored a characters show ending speech that wasn't even about Muhammad. "RevolutionMuslim.com" has not released any more statements yet; but it might be too late to take anything back. The interesting thing about this is that Zachary Chesser lives in Centreville, VA.

With this being the case, should Matt Parker and Trey Stone still be allowed to cross lines and make fun of sacred people, in the name of free speech? Or should they not be allowed to make fun of sacred people, especially those of Islam? Who knows, hopefully all of this will blow over and Matt Parker and Trey Stone can continue to poke fun at events going on in our world without having the threat of being killed.

Here is what Matt and Trey had to say

In the 14 years we've been doing South Park we have never done a show that we couldn't stand behind. We delivered our version of the show to Comedy Central and they made a determination to alter the episode. It wasn't some meta-joke on our part. Comedy Central added the bleeps. In fact, Kyle's customary final speech was about intimidation and fear. It didn't mention Muhammad at all but it got bleeped too. We'll be back next week with a whole new show about something completely different and we'll see what happens to it.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/04/23/road-radicalism-man-south-park-threats/

And if you want to watch episodes 200 and 201, you can watch it here. It's hilarious.

http://www.southparkstudios.com/guide/

NFL Draft 2010

Today's the big day! For some people, today might have little significance. It's just another Thursday. But for some, like myself, who consider football to be a second religion, today is the NFL draft. After a record breaking audience watching the 2010 Super Bowl, NFL football is bigger than ever. It'll be on television tonight at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN and going on until April 24. For anyone else out there who is a big football fan, where will your favorite College football player go, and who will your favorite NFL team recruit? What it looks like right now, after looking at several "mock drafts" is that the #1 draft pick unanimously will be Oklahoma University's QB Sam Bradford to the St. Louis Rams. I can't wait to see what the NFL has in store for some of my favorite college football players.

Universities Ban iPad

Universities such as Princeton and George Washington have banned the iPad from their campuses. The iPad is rejected by the networks at these schools, because they are using up so much bandwidth. Specialists are anticipating Apple will take fix this issue, but would it be the end of the iPad if they don't? A huge part of the target audience for this product is college students since they can hold texts books or be used to take notes, but would it really be useful if you couldn't utilize the wifi capabilities? They are assuming it won't harm sales, but what do you think?

Australian Olympic Swimmer Comes Out!

Olympian Daniel Kowalski has announced that he is gay!

After winning four Olympic swimming medals for Australia, he finally decided that he was ”tired of living a lie.”

Kowalski was inspired by the coming out of rugby league player Ian Roberts, Olympic gold-medal winner diver Matthew Mitcham and international rugby champ Garth Thomas.

Do you think that this sudden outbreak of these men in the spotlight feeling compelled to tell the public about their personal lives is damaging not only their reputation, but the Olympics as well? Is society used to this type of thing or would we all rather have these men keep their intimate secrets to themselves?

Coupons Offering More Than Just Discounts

There are apparently news kinds of coupons - coupons that are packed with customer information - that are being used now. These coupons look like regular coupons that you just print right off your computer, but their bar codes can contain insane amounts of information such as identifying information, internet address, facebook info., and even search terms about how the customer was able to find the coupon. These types of coupons let retailers figure out which ads are working the best, what shoppers pay attention to, and what they ignore. Not in all cases, but in some, the coupons can identify an exact person - not just an anonymous shopper. How do you feel about these coupons? Do you feel like this is kind of an invasion of privacy?

Betting on movies?

A new form of "trading future contracts" that many are calling merely another form of gambling. More information on this cleverly disguised link.

What Apple's Lala Acquisition May Mean for iTunes

So we all agree Apple is taking over the world right? The only question is what will they do next. Well after recently purchasing online music serivce Lala, perhaps we have been given a clue. Lala currently allows users to buy the rights to stream a song for 10 cents..."forever." For around 89 cents, users can download the song AND utilize unlimited streaming. Perhaps we will see an integration of Lala and iTunes.

Considering that the internet is becoming more and more available on the go, would a model like this be successful? Also, does sound quality have ANY role in the future of music distribution?

http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2009/12/apple-to-fold-lala-into-itunes-transform-into-web-service.ars

iPad delayed international release

To keep you all updated on the ipad…

Ever since its initial revealing, the new iPad is a frequent topic in the media lately. Recently it has been announced that Apple is delaying their international release of the product which was originally set for April 24th. The international release as been delayed until the end of May now due to the success of the U.S. sales since its release on April 3^rd. Also, in this recent update, Apple announced that later this month the iPad will be able to use AT&T wireless network as appose to the original iPads which are only able to utilize a normal Wi-Fi.

Apple recognizes that the delayed release is upsetting but the silver lining that they are focusing on is that it is so successful and in such high demand that they are FORCED to delay it making the product appear more desirable. While they are saying that it has done so well in the U.S. I have yet to see one out and about…anyone else?

http://scitech.blogs.cnn.com/2010/04/14/apple-delays-ipads-international-release/?hpt=T2

Nobel Peace Prize Winner to speak at Vanderbilt

Elie Wiesel, author of more than 50 books, a Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Prize Winner will speak tonight at Vanderbilt at 7:00pm.

Tickets are free.

Here is a link to more information:

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20100412/NEWS01/100412021/Nobel+Peace+Prize+winner+Wiesel+speaks+at+Vanderbilt+tonight

Chinese Attempts to Control the Internet

Since the beginning of China's existence as a communist nation, there has been a strict system in place to regulate all forms of media. The government has long been censoring all forms of print distributed to the public as a means of controlling public opinion, but the censorship has not stopped there. In more recent years, a vast network of computers was created to filter the information that Chinese citizens consume over the internet. Content such as information on government officials and anti-communist literature are restricted and kept from the people. The government also uses this system to publish their own material on the internet and influence the public's opinion of the communist system. This manipulation of the internet brings about many questions for a world which relies to heavily on it. Does one have the right to censor the internet? Should governments have a say in what their people view on the internet? Can one completely censor the internet?

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/08/world/asia/08censor.html?ref=technology

FCC's Attempts Toward Net Neutrality

Yesterday, April 6, 2010, the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit threw out the FCC’s attempt to police broadband traffic. The FCC was told they did not have the authority under the current law to pass rules telling Internet providers how to manage their networks.

Though many large internet content companies want the government to assure “net neutrality” (which is the centerpiece of President Obama’s technology plan) despite the bandwidth the content consumes, Broadband providers are fighting against this act. As net neutrality would put federal regulations on Web pricing and traffic management, Broadband providers are worried they would no longer be able to make a return on the money they’re investing in their networks, causing a necessary cut on capital spending and jobs.

While the FCC was thwarted yesterday, already they are back at work trying to figure out how they can put their regulations on the internet. One possible move the FCC could pull out would be to classify broadband networks as common carriers under Title 2 of the Communications Act, allowing the federal government to control pricing. This, however, would basically be a self-contradiction by the FCC who just deregulated Internet lines in 2002. The FCC is probably hoping Congress will get involved and change the laws that are keeping the FCC from Internet regulation; however, seeing as it is an election year, this is unlikely.

So it seems the FCC is back to the drawing board, whether they try to change their current National Broadband Plan so it complies better with current laws, use Title 2 to regulate the Internet, or try to convince Congress to pass new legislation allowing them more authority over the Internet, it does seem apparent that current Internet distribution is coming to a change in the next couple of years here.

See full article here.

Teen's Mom Harasses on Facebook?

First of all, let me say that I don't exactly see this article as news worthy but nevertheless...

So apparently a 16 year old's mom made new postings, had conversations and changed the password on her son's Facebook page. Her reasoning for this was because she didn't approve of the posts her son had already made. According to her, she wasn't doing anything wrong because he left his page logged on on her computer.

The son believed that the things his mother was saying were slanderous and personal. He, clearly offended, decided to file a harassment complaint at the courthouse.

Am I the only one who finds this whole thing a little ridiculous?

If interested...
http://www.comcast.net/articles/news-general/20100407/US.Family.Facebook.Flap/

Glee Strikes a Chord with Theater Geeks Everywhere

Fox's latest hit television comedy series, Glee, has gained an unbelievable amount of attention. Self-proclaimed "Gleeks" have crowded around television sets once a week (and then over and over again on TiVo) to watch what crazy thing the McKinley High glee club will do next and what song Mercedes will belt out. Even celebrities are getting in on the action - Josh Groban and Kristin Chenoweth have both guest starred. So what is so special about this show? Is it the clever advertising - Fox premiered the first episode a few months before releasing the rest of the season, the over-the-top characters, or the fact that a Broadway/Pop mix show has finally captured a prime time spot? What do you like about it?

As a former theater kid myself, I love it for the theater aspect and because I have met those type of characters in my life. I've listened to Lea Michele since she was in Spring Awakening on Broadway, and I've loved every movie Jane Lynch has been in (which is just about all of them).

However, the advertising aspect cannot be undermined. First Fox blew everyone away with the pilot and then made us all wait for the rest of the season, and now they've created a nation-wide search for the next Glee cast member. It was an online audition where anyone could make a video and the top 500 fan favorites were picked. From there, 50 got to go to Cincinnatti and audition to be in the top 10. This process received the talents of several Belmont students, and one even made it as an alternate to the top 10. I think it was a brilliant idea for Fox, because even while Glee is not yet airing (April 13th can't come fast enough), it's gaining attention and recognition right at the time it's about to come back.

So what do you think? Will you be watching April 13th, or will you be doing homework and making fun of all the Glee-ful Facebook status updates? I know I'll be there watching and quoting with the best of them!

-Maddie Roberts

YouTube as Vehicle to Fame for Young Kids

Parents now are using YouTube to broadcast videos of their kids, hoping to obtain fame and recognition.
Successful example: Justin Bieber

Saving Newspapers

Within the past month or so we have talked a great deal about the newspaper industry (specifically chapter 3 in our books). As college students, we as a whole are in the very lowest percentage of people that read the newspaper. Many experts today theorize a movement towards online news sources and the loss of the newspaper print form. Last year Jacek Utko made his speech for TED on saving the newspaper industry simply through design. It's hard to imagine that just sprucing up the design of a newspaper can improve sales by 100% percent. However, Utko has already accomplished this in multiple countries. Watch the talk and share your opinion on applying this theory to some of the major newspapers in the U.S.

http://www.ted.com/talks/jacek_utko_asks_can_design_save_the_newspaper.html