In fact, such a radio does exist, nonetheless it isn’t extensively commercially available. In response to Brandon Gregg, a poster on Quora.com,
“There actually are “WiFi walkie talkies” for people in the security industry. Most are connected to security officer patrol verification systems that track officer movements, check ins, status reports, etc”.
Principally, WiFi, being a communications format, basically isn’t as consistent during a crisis as the good old-fashioned radio or RF format. Actually, Walkie Talkie’s (such as Motorola DP3400 series), are in general useful, reliable, high performance and cost effective. They also work instantly, with no boot up or load time.
A WiFi correspondent would possibly be more costly and possibly not nearly consistent enough. Put basically, there just doesn’t seem to be a market for it right now. Personally, I doubt that there will be one in the foreseeable future, and you never know.
Also, although it isn’t, strictly speaking, a ‘two way radio’, an Android app also exists that performs the same function as the walkie talkie and operates via WiFi. It is called, appropriately enough, ‘WiFi walkie talkie’. To quote the app’s write-up on ‘appszoom.com’,
“WiFi Walkie Talkie is a Push-to-Talk application, which allows you to talk for free over wireless networks. With this application, you can transmit your voice data to all devices that are on the same network, or to any (other) device (if) you know its IP address”.
At any time you’re actually into the idea of owning a WiFi walkie talkie, then this site is selling a smartphone/walkie-talkie hybrid. The Runbo X5 runs on Android, has a chat time of around 6 and 10 hrs and operates a dual core CPU, it is also highly water resilient. we have never reviewed this one, so we can’t say much more than that, however the stats look quite outstanding. It even has 4G.
Largely, you’re almost certainly better off sticking to the regular 2 way radio or radio in your company (or personal) needs. There’s a variety of support and help online for the use of walkie talkies, as well as a variety of comprehensive product reviews (a number of which are contributed by yours truly) which will help you make an knowledgeable and cost effective choice.
WiFi is a technology which is still evolving, but we have all had connectivity troubles with our smart phones, laptops, tablet pc’s and whatnot. The last thing you will want is to suffer exactly the same difficulties when encountering an disaster situation.
Perhaps in the future someone will make a WiFi 2 way radio, but it will only become a viable alternative of the existing versions when it may be proved to be safer and present better service, which are some things that I just do not see occouring. Regretful.
As We all have said on this blog, I’m far from a guru in these things, so if you are feeling like grabbing a second opinion together with your morning coffee, then by all means, do a little research and get back to me on 2wayradionline.co.uk
Wednesday, 29 May 2013
Tuesday, 28 May 2013
While wearing earplugs, does a skeleton headset still operate?
However , there is no explanation why not. The principle parts of your ears are, essentially, aloof from the hearing practice when ‘Bonephones’.
A skeleton headset is a conveyable speaker system manufactured to bypass various responsive portions of the ear so as to reduce the risk of hearing loss. Based on recent reports, any sound over 100 noise may cause hearing problems like tinnitus and short-term deafness, even giving you everlasting harm. Your typical iPod can achieve sounds as high as 115 decibels within the United states, but here within the United kingdom, special programs limits most appliances to about 100db.
Anyway, a skeleton headset (a technology occasionally referred to as ‘Bonephones’) can be the best way to listen to your music safely. Patrick J. Kiger of How Stuff Works.com explains the art behind ‘Bonephones’.
“To understand how bone conduction works, you first have to understand how we hear sounds, which we do in two ways: Sound travels in waves through the air. Normally, sound waves travel through several structures in the ear, before being translated and transmitted through our nervous systems to our brains. First, the waves enter the outer ear, or pinna, which is the big flappy piece of cartilage that helps to focus the sound. From there, the sound goes into the air-filled middle ear, which includes the auditory canal and the eardrum, a flap of skin that vibrates when exposed to the energy from sound waves. On the other side of the eardrum, there are three small bones, the ossicles, which are attached to it. They transmit the vibration to the cochlea, a fluid-filled structure that takes those vibrations and converts them to electrical impulses that are sent along the auditory nerve to the brain. But that’s not the only way our body can process sound. Sound waves can also be transmitted through the bones in your head. When the bones vibrate, the sound reaches the cochlea, just as it would by going through the middle ear and eardrum, and results in the same sort of nerve impulses being transmitted to your brain. This method of sound transmission is called bone conduction”
According to Kiger, the greater composer Beethoven utilized a sort of prototype version of the technique. By attaching a rod both to his piano and to his head, he might ‘hear’ the music he was making, an innovative answer that shares the exact same key principle with bone conduction.
‘Bonephones’ should haven’t any effect at all on whether a user is wearing earplugs or not, because the part of the ear that’s ‘plugged’ is not in reality in use.
My very own private doubts concerned the safety to that user of those new headphones, but Kiger affirms this,
“Deborah Price, a doctor of audiology and vice-chair of the Audiology Foundation of America, told Wired in 2004 that bone conduction is “very safe”
Furthermore, ‘Bonephones’ are specially good for our good for the visually impaired user, who may wish to play music, audiobooks or other content without having to cover their ears.
The technology continues to be fairly novel, but in the meanwhile it appears to be perfectly safe and usually able to match the essential capabilities of a standard pair of earbuds, although queries remain concerning the level of audio class accomplished via this technique.
A skeleton headset is a conveyable speaker system manufactured to bypass various responsive portions of the ear so as to reduce the risk of hearing loss. Based on recent reports, any sound over 100 noise may cause hearing problems like tinnitus and short-term deafness, even giving you everlasting harm. Your typical iPod can achieve sounds as high as 115 decibels within the United states, but here within the United kingdom, special programs limits most appliances to about 100db.
Anyway, a skeleton headset (a technology occasionally referred to as ‘Bonephones’) can be the best way to listen to your music safely. Patrick J. Kiger of How Stuff Works.com explains the art behind ‘Bonephones’.
“To understand how bone conduction works, you first have to understand how we hear sounds, which we do in two ways: Sound travels in waves through the air. Normally, sound waves travel through several structures in the ear, before being translated and transmitted through our nervous systems to our brains. First, the waves enter the outer ear, or pinna, which is the big flappy piece of cartilage that helps to focus the sound. From there, the sound goes into the air-filled middle ear, which includes the auditory canal and the eardrum, a flap of skin that vibrates when exposed to the energy from sound waves. On the other side of the eardrum, there are three small bones, the ossicles, which are attached to it. They transmit the vibration to the cochlea, a fluid-filled structure that takes those vibrations and converts them to electrical impulses that are sent along the auditory nerve to the brain. But that’s not the only way our body can process sound. Sound waves can also be transmitted through the bones in your head. When the bones vibrate, the sound reaches the cochlea, just as it would by going through the middle ear and eardrum, and results in the same sort of nerve impulses being transmitted to your brain. This method of sound transmission is called bone conduction”
According to Kiger, the greater composer Beethoven utilized a sort of prototype version of the technique. By attaching a rod both to his piano and to his head, he might ‘hear’ the music he was making, an innovative answer that shares the exact same key principle with bone conduction.
‘Bonephones’ should haven’t any effect at all on whether a user is wearing earplugs or not, because the part of the ear that’s ‘plugged’ is not in reality in use.
My very own private doubts concerned the safety to that user of those new headphones, but Kiger affirms this,
“Deborah Price, a doctor of audiology and vice-chair of the Audiology Foundation of America, told Wired in 2004 that bone conduction is “very safe”
Furthermore, ‘Bonephones’ are specially good for our good for the visually impaired user, who may wish to play music, audiobooks or other content without having to cover their ears.
The technology continues to be fairly novel, but in the meanwhile it appears to be perfectly safe and usually able to match the essential capabilities of a standard pair of earbuds, although queries remain concerning the level of audio class accomplished via this technique.
Monday, 27 May 2013
Questlove finances his old schools musical
Musician Ahmir Khalib Thompson, often known as Questlove, has offered to assist to fund the once a year musical at his school, the Philadelphia High School for Inventive and Performing Arts (CAPA), it is now discovered this week.
Questlove, who plays drums for this Grammy-award winning Hip Hop band ‘The Roots’ (the crew presently occupying the spot as the house band for US talk show ‘Late Night with Jimmy Fallon’), can be a highly asked for record producer, music journalist and DJ.
The 42-year-old drummer heard that his school was being pushed to cancel their 2013 musical due to budget cuts and opted to ensure that next year’s show wouldn’t suffer an identical destiny.
Thompson it appears that called the school’s principal, Johnny C. Whaley, JR and offered a “sizeable donation” to make sure that the show would go ahead next year.
Because of Questlove’s generosity and the efforts of other donors (like local lawyers Charles Peruto and Abe Kasbo) the school’s annual musical custom is expected to resume in 2014.
Whaley told KYW Newsradio that Thompson has “reached out to our school before and given us goods”, he went on to say that “you have to know that we’re a very close-knit organization, when our alumni see things changing, as long as they have the economic ability to help you, they reach out to us.”
The annual event, that is a necessary showcase both for CAPA as an establishment and for young talent inside the Philadelphia district, costs about $65,000 (approximately £42,000) to provide, but isn’t a part of CAPA’s annual budget. “There’s a certain standard of brilliance we have,” says Whaley of the cost, “We don’t concede when it relates to production”
The previous show had been funded by The Home and School Society, following a contribution from The William Penn Foundation.
CAPA is noted to the fostering of imaginative talent and many of the school’s graduates have gone to successful careers in arts and leisure. Notable alumni include record-breaking RnB vocal set ‘Boyz II Men’, author and ‘Scrubs’ co-producer Angela Nissel and former James Brown and Sting bassist Christian McBride also numerous more.
Questlove met and befriended MC and fellow ‘Roots’ cofounder Tariq Trotter (better known as ‘Black Thought’) whilst both were students at CAPA.
Sources:
http://www.okayplayer.com/news/questlove-saves-capa-high-school-play.html
http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2013/05/06/questlove-steps-up-to-ensure-next-years-capa-musical-will-go-on/
http://articles.philly.com/2013-05-06/news/39044128_1_questlove-capa-the-roots
Questlove, who plays drums for this Grammy-award winning Hip Hop band ‘The Roots’ (the crew presently occupying the spot as the house band for US talk show ‘Late Night with Jimmy Fallon’), can be a highly asked for record producer, music journalist and DJ.
The 42-year-old drummer heard that his school was being pushed to cancel their 2013 musical due to budget cuts and opted to ensure that next year’s show wouldn’t suffer an identical destiny.
Thompson it appears that called the school’s principal, Johnny C. Whaley, JR and offered a “sizeable donation” to make sure that the show would go ahead next year.
Because of Questlove’s generosity and the efforts of other donors (like local lawyers Charles Peruto and Abe Kasbo) the school’s annual musical custom is expected to resume in 2014.
Whaley told KYW Newsradio that Thompson has “reached out to our school before and given us goods”, he went on to say that “you have to know that we’re a very close-knit organization, when our alumni see things changing, as long as they have the economic ability to help you, they reach out to us.”
The annual event, that is a necessary showcase both for CAPA as an establishment and for young talent inside the Philadelphia district, costs about $65,000 (approximately £42,000) to provide, but isn’t a part of CAPA’s annual budget. “There’s a certain standard of brilliance we have,” says Whaley of the cost, “We don’t concede when it relates to production”
The previous show had been funded by The Home and School Society, following a contribution from The William Penn Foundation.
CAPA is noted to the fostering of imaginative talent and many of the school’s graduates have gone to successful careers in arts and leisure. Notable alumni include record-breaking RnB vocal set ‘Boyz II Men’, author and ‘Scrubs’ co-producer Angela Nissel and former James Brown and Sting bassist Christian McBride also numerous more.
Questlove met and befriended MC and fellow ‘Roots’ cofounder Tariq Trotter (better known as ‘Black Thought’) whilst both were students at CAPA.
Sources:
http://www.okayplayer.com/news/questlove-saves-capa-high-school-play.html
http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2013/05/06/questlove-steps-up-to-ensure-next-years-capa-musical-will-go-on/
http://articles.philly.com/2013-05-06/news/39044128_1_questlove-capa-the-roots
Saturday, 18 May 2013
The Motorola gp340, a basic evaluation of this immense walkie talkie
The other week celebrated the 40th anniversary of the world’s 1st cell phone communication. Predictably, it is a Motorola engineer who completed the historic phone call and, much more predictably, the call was made on the Motorola telephone (or, in this instance, prototype telephone). If you are taking one thing away from this introductory part, it needs to be this: Motorola are chief, and when it pertains to comms.
With that in mind, I reviewed the GP340 Portable Radio, the admired in a extensive string of very good Motorola two way radio devices. The following is what I thought about it.
THE SPECS
With up to eleven hours of battery, signal encryption and a selection of VHF or UHF radio bands, the GP340 hits the ground successively and goes from there. A sturdy, somewhat military-esque design gives the GP340 a specialized look and facilitates for significant sturdiness across many environments.
At 137mm high, 57mm wide and weighing just 420 grams, the Gp 340 is also easily transportable, which adds to the general feel of this device as an ‘action’ radio, perhaps better suited than most 2 way radios to more working use.
What is further, you get sixteen channels, as well as a ‘channel scan’ operation.
There’s no screen to be found here, that is maybe a shame, but I query this will influence the radio in any major way, to be frank.
THE PRICE
Anywhere among £230 and £280, depending on wherever you shop. It pays to work a thorough internet search at this point, because there appears to be several deals going on at the moment.
THE PERFORMANCE
The GP340 is certainly more of a team-friendly 2 way radio, particularly if that company transpires to be posted a sizeable distance away. To quote frankly from the Motorola site,
“Streamlining operations with two way radio comms increases efficiency and can outline part of an businesses health and safety procedure which is predominantly vital for those who work alone or remote from the squad”.
This is exceptionally true, as the inclusion of a intense orange ‘emergency button’ as well as an ATEX-approved ‘mandown’ option board competently demonstrates Motorola’s pledge to consumer protection. If you are a company owner and looking to setup a group (particularly one going into a potentially dangerous circumstances) with 2 way radio models, you could do a lot worse than a set of Motorola gp340s.
In addition, the audible ‘low battery’ alerts are helpful and generally unassuming. However, if you use the modifiable power level use, you can make the battery life survive that little longer and save yourself the sound.
The ‘Call Forward’ function is also an conclusive treat, allowing you to, in essence ‘leave a message’ for a user who is otherwise indisposed.
THE VERDICT
This looks like an alternative great radio from Motorola. The numerous, well-designed and considerate protection features on this one are a real plus point, as is the general sturdiness and craftsmanship inherent to almost all Motorola 2 way radios.
The whole impression of this 2 way radio is one of carefulness and attention. Workers can feel that their employer genuinely desires to keep them safe at all times and employers can know that their workforce are always contactable, especially in an crisis.
It lacks the crystal clarity and audio-level adjustment of the Dp 3400, but that’s about the only weakness I can find with it. Even then, the signal is generally clear and passable. This premium level of presentation, along with a pail load of features to aid all from user protection to battery life, is what makes the GP340 a real winner.
With that in mind, I reviewed the GP340 Portable Radio, the admired in a extensive string of very good Motorola two way radio devices. The following is what I thought about it.
THE SPECS
With up to eleven hours of battery, signal encryption and a selection of VHF or UHF radio bands, the GP340 hits the ground successively and goes from there. A sturdy, somewhat military-esque design gives the GP340 a specialized look and facilitates for significant sturdiness across many environments.
At 137mm high, 57mm wide and weighing just 420 grams, the Gp 340 is also easily transportable, which adds to the general feel of this device as an ‘action’ radio, perhaps better suited than most 2 way radios to more working use.
What is further, you get sixteen channels, as well as a ‘channel scan’ operation.
There’s no screen to be found here, that is maybe a shame, but I query this will influence the radio in any major way, to be frank.
THE PRICE
Anywhere among £230 and £280, depending on wherever you shop. It pays to work a thorough internet search at this point, because there appears to be several deals going on at the moment.
THE PERFORMANCE
The GP340 is certainly more of a team-friendly 2 way radio, particularly if that company transpires to be posted a sizeable distance away. To quote frankly from the Motorola site,
“Streamlining operations with two way radio comms increases efficiency and can outline part of an businesses health and safety procedure which is predominantly vital for those who work alone or remote from the squad”.
This is exceptionally true, as the inclusion of a intense orange ‘emergency button’ as well as an ATEX-approved ‘mandown’ option board competently demonstrates Motorola’s pledge to consumer protection. If you are a company owner and looking to setup a group (particularly one going into a potentially dangerous circumstances) with 2 way radio models, you could do a lot worse than a set of Motorola gp340s.
In addition, the audible ‘low battery’ alerts are helpful and generally unassuming. However, if you use the modifiable power level use, you can make the battery life survive that little longer and save yourself the sound.
The ‘Call Forward’ function is also an conclusive treat, allowing you to, in essence ‘leave a message’ for a user who is otherwise indisposed.
THE VERDICT
This looks like an alternative great radio from Motorola. The numerous, well-designed and considerate protection features on this one are a real plus point, as is the general sturdiness and craftsmanship inherent to almost all Motorola 2 way radios.
The whole impression of this 2 way radio is one of carefulness and attention. Workers can feel that their employer genuinely desires to keep them safe at all times and employers can know that their workforce are always contactable, especially in an crisis.
It lacks the crystal clarity and audio-level adjustment of the Dp 3400, but that’s about the only weakness I can find with it. Even then, the signal is generally clear and passable. This premium level of presentation, along with a pail load of features to aid all from user protection to battery life, is what makes the GP340 a real winner.
Thursday, 16 May 2013
What Influence will ebook readers Have on Local libaries?
Usually, I’d say that the impact of eReaders such as Amazon Kindle Fire HD could be minimal in the beginning, but that it could turn into more significant in the future.
Over the short term, the rise of eReaders can probably enhance a library’s lending capacity a thousandfold.
If you’ll allow me to make use of an example from my own life, my girlfriend and I a short time ago talked about buying a pet tortoise. Conversely, we didn’t desire to go in unprepared, so we attended our local library looking for a book that would outline what care a tortoise involves (and what it might cost to provide said care). Sadly, the library didn’t possess the book we sought. We ordered it from a different branch, but 5 tortoise-free weeks afterward, we are still waiting.
If our library would loan us the tortoise book like a digital copy that I could peruse on an Amazon Kindle Fire HD, Apple iPad or Kindle Paperwhite, the whole disorder could easily be prevented. So, on the short term, the potential is positive, as libraries could store less in-demand books digitally and rent them out without difficulty.
Over the long run, however, I’d be worried that ebooks would develop into the norm which paper books would be increasingly used as passé and archaic by the public. This will cause books being pulped in record numbers (backed with the noticeable environmental benefits of a reduced amount of paper being printed) until books eventually became a collectable, elitist thing, which would be pretty awful.
It feels like science fiction and hopefully the more extreme elements of it will not come to pass, but the remainder is maddeningly believable should you study present trends.
However, libraries do tend to become more resource centred these days as well as the library is still an important centre of cultural and historic advice, as well as a much-loved public get-together place. The British library has moved with the times reasonably well, at least up until now.
To some degree, we will always have books; it is just a matter of how many.
To quote American Clergyman Henry Ward Beecher,
“A library isn’t a luxury, but one of the necessities of life”
Personally, the largest threat to Britain’s libraries isn’t the persistent advance of modern tech, however. The largest threat to the holiness of our written word may be the current Government, an establishment which seems to think that we, as a country can’t afford to hold our libraries open (they cost about £1bn a year to run), but can spend £10million on the public funeral that 60% of us believe to be pointless. That is enough to keep 10+ local libraries open, serving their communities and running at optimum efficiency all year round. I don’t mean to jump on my soapbox here, but you’ve got to admit that it’s something of a damning indictment if you’re a follower of the printed word.
If this particular trend continues, we might find ourselves in a similar boat as Scottish philosopher Thomas Carlyle, who, in 1832 wrote,
“What a sad want I’m in of libraries, of books to gather facts from! Why is there not a Majesty’s library in every county town? There’s a Majesty’s jail and gallows in every one.”
Find more about this tablets at this site
Over the short term, the rise of eReaders can probably enhance a library’s lending capacity a thousandfold.
If you’ll allow me to make use of an example from my own life, my girlfriend and I a short time ago talked about buying a pet tortoise. Conversely, we didn’t desire to go in unprepared, so we attended our local library looking for a book that would outline what care a tortoise involves (and what it might cost to provide said care). Sadly, the library didn’t possess the book we sought. We ordered it from a different branch, but 5 tortoise-free weeks afterward, we are still waiting.
If our library would loan us the tortoise book like a digital copy that I could peruse on an Amazon Kindle Fire HD, Apple iPad or Kindle Paperwhite, the whole disorder could easily be prevented. So, on the short term, the potential is positive, as libraries could store less in-demand books digitally and rent them out without difficulty.
Over the long run, however, I’d be worried that ebooks would develop into the norm which paper books would be increasingly used as passé and archaic by the public. This will cause books being pulped in record numbers (backed with the noticeable environmental benefits of a reduced amount of paper being printed) until books eventually became a collectable, elitist thing, which would be pretty awful.
It feels like science fiction and hopefully the more extreme elements of it will not come to pass, but the remainder is maddeningly believable should you study present trends.
However, libraries do tend to become more resource centred these days as well as the library is still an important centre of cultural and historic advice, as well as a much-loved public get-together place. The British library has moved with the times reasonably well, at least up until now.
To some degree, we will always have books; it is just a matter of how many.
To quote American Clergyman Henry Ward Beecher,
“A library isn’t a luxury, but one of the necessities of life”
Personally, the largest threat to Britain’s libraries isn’t the persistent advance of modern tech, however. The largest threat to the holiness of our written word may be the current Government, an establishment which seems to think that we, as a country can’t afford to hold our libraries open (they cost about £1bn a year to run), but can spend £10million on the public funeral that 60% of us believe to be pointless. That is enough to keep 10+ local libraries open, serving their communities and running at optimum efficiency all year round. I don’t mean to jump on my soapbox here, but you’ve got to admit that it’s something of a damning indictment if you’re a follower of the printed word.
If this particular trend continues, we might find ourselves in a similar boat as Scottish philosopher Thomas Carlyle, who, in 1832 wrote,
“What a sad want I’m in of libraries, of books to gather facts from! Why is there not a Majesty’s library in every county town? There’s a Majesty’s jail and gallows in every one.”
Find more about this tablets at this site
Tuesday, 14 May 2013
An Afternoon Wasted
I was going to put in writing about gaming Headsets, in order that if you ever planned on purchasing one, or else you planned to learn more about them, you are able to use this article. I have departed from that vaguely (OK considerably), and here is why.
When I write posts (if you Google me you’ll find that I have written a lot), I regularly use what we writers call a ‘framing device’, which is, a pleasant beginning/end to the piece that lightly eases you into it, regularly via a joke or anecdote. This makes it easier for me to write down (I’m not the most technically savvy bloke on Earth) and easier that you can read. I need you to buy the products, but that doesn’t mean we could’t have a laugh or two, does it?
I had a little think about how to frame a piece of writing about Headsets, and came up with a pretty decent idea. The beauty of writing for the web is that anything you write about can be instantaneously accessed, so I decided that I would frame my Headphones article around ‘The Angry German Kid’ viral video, as an example of the type of folks that shouldn’t buy Headphones. If you have not seen the ‘Angry German Kid’ video, it depicts a youthful German boy attempting to learn the game ‘Unreal Tournament’ and screaming wildly when it does not work. Creating humorous subtitles to accompany the boy’s increasingly deranged ranting is becoming a pastime preferred by identical those who do those ‘Hitler reacts’ videos (in fact, there’s even a crossover of both).
In order to find out more about this video, I searched the usual places, but found nothing other than dodgy translations (and, despite being part German myself, I can not speak a word) and propaganda claiming the boy was sectioned inside a psychiatric organization. Ultimately, after a long and exhaustive hunt, I discovered the facts regarding the Angry German Kid, and much more than I needed for a quick article about Headsets at that.
As it seems, AGK’s real name is Leopold and he is the cause of several comedy ‘characters’, including ‘Der Echte Gangster’ (a parody of white would-be gangsters) ‘Metaler’ (a parody of ‘cookie monster’ heavy metal singers) and ‘Das Comeback’ where he plays an oafish, but well-meaning, moron. It seems that, the boy was deceived by a German television show, who spread his AGK video (itself intended to send up the (then current) debate in Germany regarding whether violent games should be banned or not. Sadly, the kid has resisted making more videos since AGK went viral and he was ruthlessly bullied at school. As it seems, it is possible to quite happily buy any Headphones you wish, without turning into an irate German. And I wasted a complete afternoon finding that out for you. If you wish to see an actual freakout, visit Youtube and type ‘Greatest Freakout Ever’ and no, I do not have time to find out the fairy-tale behind it for you.
When I write posts (if you Google me you’ll find that I have written a lot), I regularly use what we writers call a ‘framing device’, which is, a pleasant beginning/end to the piece that lightly eases you into it, regularly via a joke or anecdote. This makes it easier for me to write down (I’m not the most technically savvy bloke on Earth) and easier that you can read. I need you to buy the products, but that doesn’t mean we could’t have a laugh or two, does it?
I had a little think about how to frame a piece of writing about Headsets, and came up with a pretty decent idea. The beauty of writing for the web is that anything you write about can be instantaneously accessed, so I decided that I would frame my Headphones article around ‘The Angry German Kid’ viral video, as an example of the type of folks that shouldn’t buy Headphones. If you have not seen the ‘Angry German Kid’ video, it depicts a youthful German boy attempting to learn the game ‘Unreal Tournament’ and screaming wildly when it does not work. Creating humorous subtitles to accompany the boy’s increasingly deranged ranting is becoming a pastime preferred by identical those who do those ‘Hitler reacts’ videos (in fact, there’s even a crossover of both).
In order to find out more about this video, I searched the usual places, but found nothing other than dodgy translations (and, despite being part German myself, I can not speak a word) and propaganda claiming the boy was sectioned inside a psychiatric organization. Ultimately, after a long and exhaustive hunt, I discovered the facts regarding the Angry German Kid, and much more than I needed for a quick article about Headsets at that.
As it seems, AGK’s real name is Leopold and he is the cause of several comedy ‘characters’, including ‘Der Echte Gangster’ (a parody of white would-be gangsters) ‘Metaler’ (a parody of ‘cookie monster’ heavy metal singers) and ‘Das Comeback’ where he plays an oafish, but well-meaning, moron. It seems that, the boy was deceived by a German television show, who spread his AGK video (itself intended to send up the (then current) debate in Germany regarding whether violent games should be banned or not. Sadly, the kid has resisted making more videos since AGK went viral and he was ruthlessly bullied at school. As it seems, it is possible to quite happily buy any Headphones you wish, without turning into an irate German. And I wasted a complete afternoon finding that out for you. If you wish to see an actual freakout, visit Youtube and type ‘Greatest Freakout Ever’ and no, I do not have time to find out the fairy-tale behind it for you.
Sunday, 12 May 2013
Ray Harryhausen special effects supremo dies at 92
Legendary Hollywood lighting tricks man Ray Harryhausen passed on to the great beyond in London’s Hammersmith hospital recently. He was ninety two years old.
The animator and business pioneer was renowned for his innovation of new moving picture practice, as well as a parade of iconic and unforgettable display creations.
Harryhausen’s model work and exclusive creature models can be seen in such type of movies as ‘Clash of the Titans’, ‘Jason & The Argonauts’, ‘The Valley of Gwangi’ and his ‘Sinbad’ trilogy, among a great many others.
Tributes from a mixture of motion picture industry specialists have poured in over the past 24 hours.
Oscar-winning ‘Wallace & Gromit’ creator Nick Park called him “my mentor and inspiration since my earliest childhood memories”.
George Lucas and Steven Spielberg both shiningly remarked Harryhausen as an inspiration, while James Cameron, who’s films include Harryhausen-esque creature features like ‘Aliens’ and ‘Terminator’ said science fiction filmmakers has been “standing on the shoulders of a giant” because of Ray’s labor.
Peter Lord, of Aardman Animations, also celebrated that Harryhausen was “a 1-man business and a one-man genre”.
Himself motivated by ‘King Kong’s special effects creator Willis O’Brien, young Harryhausen began experimenting with sculpt making and stop-motion work in the 30′s.
After he enlisted in the U.S Army in 1942, Harryhausen worked on models and artwork for U.S Army magazine ‘Yank’ and served under forthcoming ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ director Frank Capra to make army-instruction films.
After the war, Harryhausen was able to work alongside his hero Willis O’Brien, on what could be his breakthrough movie ‘Mighty Joe Young’.
In 1953, Harryhausen’s solo effort ‘The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms’ (an adaptation of a quick story by Ray’s lifetime friend Ray Bradbury) evolved into a box office victory. Next, the 1955 production of ‘It Came From Beneath the Sea’ marked the first collaboration between Harryhausen and Producer Charles H. Schneer, the person who would succeed with him on his popular movies over the following three decades.
Harryhausen partnered in the course of the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s, building many hugely accepted creatures and fantastic, dream like journey sequences. ‘Clash of the Titans’, released in 1981, is considered by many to become his magnum opus.
In 1992, Harryhausen established a special Oscar for his achievements and contributions to the art of cinema.
In 2002, Harryhausen partnered alongside animators Mark Caballero and Seamus Walsh to finish ‘The Tortoise & The Hare’, a fairy tale short that Ray had started in 1952.
In 2007, he executive-produced a short film based on E.A Poe’s ‘The Pit & The Pendulum’.
In the autobiography, Harryhausen says “Looking back over time I’ve been lucky enough to be involved in so many exciting projects, the best of which I assume did mature and develop into full-length feature movies”.
He donated his entire private collection of models, which consisted of around 20,000 scrupulously hand crafted models, to the National Media Museum in Bradford in 2010. It is here, in addition to inside the imaginations of these he continues to inspire, that Ray Harryhausen’s heritage will live on.
SOURCES:
Ray Harryhausen: An Animated Life (Book) by Ray Harryhausen & Tony Dalton
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-22441567
http://movies.nytimes.com/person/93588/Ray-Harryhausen/biography
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0366063/
What is the Best Pc tablet for an Artiste?
Come on, by now you know what my answer to this will be. I assume, by now, that you know what Yup, that’s right…Hey, waddaya mean you’ve no opinion?. OK, fine. I’ll tell you:
‘An iPad’
Indeed, the Tablet I am recommending isn’t a PC at all.
The theory is that imaginative people depend on the right side of the brain more than the left, while the left brain users are more logical and reality-orientated. If you are a left brainer, you’ve probably already seen the flaws within ths article and have absolutely already dismissed the potential of writing an inspired email to me, because you doubt I will reply but it wouldn’t persuade be a productive use of the time. If you are a right brainer, you’ll be able to expect mostly poverty and woe, but some very cool ideas along the way.
In distinctive right brain fashion (that is to mention ‘a threatening letter written in monkey’s blood’) I’ll now make my case.
Speaking as an imaginative person, a lifelong right brain user (I have even taken the test) I have a much harder time about to grips with Microsoft products than I do with Apple’s equivalents. I’m On good terms with MS Word, but only after years of squabbling, but Adobe Photoshop’s secrets still escape me (and possibly will continue to do so forever). Without exaggeration, the arrival of MAC OS into my life opened the world of pcs to me .
I use my MAC to tape demos of music I’m working on, to draft detailed notes (which comprise sketches and ink paintings) for upcoming stories and even to spice up the colors of my paintings digitally. Without a MAC, I would not have a very good clue the best way to do these things.
There are some superb Tablet pc’s available and We are of course aware that not everyone seems to be as PC illiterate as I am, conversely, I’ve noticed that the majority of my more creative contacts prefer MAC for the same factors I do . Many of my most imaginative friends, including my friend (who’s a professional animator) find MACs to be superior.
So, to sum up, the top Tablet for an artist to purchase is an iPad.
‘An iPad’
Indeed, the Tablet I am recommending isn’t a PC at all.
The theory is that imaginative people depend on the right side of the brain more than the left, while the left brain users are more logical and reality-orientated. If you are a left brainer, you’ve probably already seen the flaws within ths article and have absolutely already dismissed the potential of writing an inspired email to me, because you doubt I will reply but it wouldn’t persuade be a productive use of the time. If you are a right brainer, you’ll be able to expect mostly poverty and woe, but some very cool ideas along the way.
In distinctive right brain fashion (that is to mention ‘a threatening letter written in monkey’s blood’) I’ll now make my case.
Speaking as an imaginative person, a lifelong right brain user (I have even taken the test) I have a much harder time about to grips with Microsoft products than I do with Apple’s equivalents. I’m On good terms with MS Word, but only after years of squabbling, but Adobe Photoshop’s secrets still escape me (and possibly will continue to do so forever). Without exaggeration, the arrival of MAC OS into my life opened the world of pcs to me .
I use my MAC to tape demos of music I’m working on, to draft detailed notes (which comprise sketches and ink paintings) for upcoming stories and even to spice up the colors of my paintings digitally. Without a MAC, I would not have a very good clue the best way to do these things.
There are some superb Tablet pc’s available and We are of course aware that not everyone seems to be as PC illiterate as I am, conversely, I’ve noticed that the majority of my more creative contacts prefer MAC for the same factors I do . Many of my most imaginative friends, including my friend (who’s a professional animator) find MACs to be superior.
So, to sum up, the top Tablet for an artist to purchase is an iPad.
Wednesday, 8 May 2013
Nexus 10 Review
Update – When google released the google nexus 7, they shook the tablet market entirely. They didn’t have any major competition, but the google nexus 10 was dropped into one of the fiercest markets around, so this analysis of the pc tablet was something we required to share.
The bigger brother of the Nexus 7, and aptly named because of the size of the screen, we have the Nexus 10 review.
Introduction
When it comes to anything Google Nexus, the reviewing process is kind of a tough prospect. The temptation to produce a two-word review (“its great”) is almost too tough to resist. However, the saving grace is that the Nexus is so great that you can talk about it pretty much endlessly as well.
Here, then, is a (thoroughly biased) review of one of the best tablets ever produced.
The Specs
The 16GB Nexus (the one we’ll be focussing on) retails at about £400.00 (although its recently dropped in price in many places) and is worth every single penny. From the Android 4.1 ‘Jelly Bean’ operating system to the lightning-fast NVIDIA Tegra 3 Quad Core processor, this device is a joy. If you’re an iPad sceptic, then this would probably be the Android equivalent.
This time around, Google have given the Nexus advanced MIMO WiFi that makes web browsing up to 4x faster than regular WiFi. They’ve also gifted us with a stunning 2560 x 1600 resolution screen and a new graphics processor to match.
The Price
The truth is that £400 is a lot of money for anything. However, with its advanced specs, cool design and trusted model (the 7” Nexus is, for my money, the third best 7” tablet ever created), you can make a case for the Nexus 10 being a bargain. But, having said that, as far as I can see, the price is the main problem with the new Nexus. In straying over to the ‘cheaper side of expensive’ price range, Google have put this new contender in the ring with the all-conquering iPad. Personally, if I were going to break the £400 mark, I’d go for broke (literally in my case) and get the iPad. I think a lot of potential Nexus customers will make the same decision. Also, for those customers who prefer Android to iOS, there still will be plenty of competition from other tablets before a sale is made. Perhaps a few notes off of the asking price would have gone a long way?
The Performance
The Nexus 10 performs wonderfully. At least as fast as the 7 (by my reckoning its faster), this little Godsend really gives you its all. Also, with Google handling Android (and thus the Android store), everything you do on this tablet just feels, I don’t know, smoother. It is a clever and confident machine and you feel clever and confident as you use it.
The screen is perfect for movies/streaming and the touch function is supple and responsive. The whole thing seems to work on reflex more than anything else and when you use the Nexus, you really get a sense of how good an operating system Android actually is. Some lesser tablets can actually stifle the kinetic flow of Android’s basic operation, but the Nexus runs Android like the original composer of a good song in comparison to a legion of bad cover versions.
It is user friendly, charming and fluidic and although the occasional lag does apply, you generally won’t hear a peep out of this one besides what you asked it to do in the first place.
Our Verdict
This is a truly awesome tablet. As the 10” version of the 7” masterpiece, the Nexus does for 10” tablets what the iPad Mini is currently doing for 7” tablets: diversifying the line and adding to the customer’s choice, whilst at the same time offering a superior product.
The price is a bit debilitating and is probably the only downside I can find without nitpicking, but aside from that, what we have here is a damn fine tablet. Damn fine.
Read more: http://www.pctabletpc.co.uk/nexus-10-review.html
The bigger brother of the Nexus 7, and aptly named because of the size of the screen, we have the Nexus 10 review.
Introduction
When it comes to anything Google Nexus, the reviewing process is kind of a tough prospect. The temptation to produce a two-word review (“its great”) is almost too tough to resist. However, the saving grace is that the Nexus is so great that you can talk about it pretty much endlessly as well.
Here, then, is a (thoroughly biased) review of one of the best tablets ever produced.
The Specs
The 16GB Nexus (the one we’ll be focussing on) retails at about £400.00 (although its recently dropped in price in many places) and is worth every single penny. From the Android 4.1 ‘Jelly Bean’ operating system to the lightning-fast NVIDIA Tegra 3 Quad Core processor, this device is a joy. If you’re an iPad sceptic, then this would probably be the Android equivalent.
This time around, Google have given the Nexus advanced MIMO WiFi that makes web browsing up to 4x faster than regular WiFi. They’ve also gifted us with a stunning 2560 x 1600 resolution screen and a new graphics processor to match.
The Price
The truth is that £400 is a lot of money for anything. However, with its advanced specs, cool design and trusted model (the 7” Nexus is, for my money, the third best 7” tablet ever created), you can make a case for the Nexus 10 being a bargain. But, having said that, as far as I can see, the price is the main problem with the new Nexus. In straying over to the ‘cheaper side of expensive’ price range, Google have put this new contender in the ring with the all-conquering iPad. Personally, if I were going to break the £400 mark, I’d go for broke (literally in my case) and get the iPad. I think a lot of potential Nexus customers will make the same decision. Also, for those customers who prefer Android to iOS, there still will be plenty of competition from other tablets before a sale is made. Perhaps a few notes off of the asking price would have gone a long way?
The Performance
The Nexus 10 performs wonderfully. At least as fast as the 7 (by my reckoning its faster), this little Godsend really gives you its all. Also, with Google handling Android (and thus the Android store), everything you do on this tablet just feels, I don’t know, smoother. It is a clever and confident machine and you feel clever and confident as you use it.
The screen is perfect for movies/streaming and the touch function is supple and responsive. The whole thing seems to work on reflex more than anything else and when you use the Nexus, you really get a sense of how good an operating system Android actually is. Some lesser tablets can actually stifle the kinetic flow of Android’s basic operation, but the Nexus runs Android like the original composer of a good song in comparison to a legion of bad cover versions.
It is user friendly, charming and fluidic and although the occasional lag does apply, you generally won’t hear a peep out of this one besides what you asked it to do in the first place.
Our Verdict
This is a truly awesome tablet. As the 10” version of the 7” masterpiece, the Nexus does for 10” tablets what the iPad Mini is currently doing for 7” tablets: diversifying the line and adding to the customer’s choice, whilst at the same time offering a superior product.
The price is a bit debilitating and is probably the only downside I can find without nitpicking, but aside from that, what we have here is a damn fine tablet. Damn fine.
Read more: http://www.pctabletpc.co.uk/nexus-10-review.html
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