“Did the projector bulb burn out or something?” was my very first reaction to hearing a score by Maurice Jarre, the composer behind some of the finest movie music ever, who died on March 29th.
Sigur Ros – A Take Away Show
A rare clip of Sigur Ros playing acoustically
A rare clip of Sigur Ros playing acoustically in a Parisian café — courtesy of La Blogotheque:
Sigur Ros – Við spilum endalaust – A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.
NIN | JA
New Beginnings for Old Friends
Being in a band is a bit of an emotional tightrope walk.
Trying to make any art can be difficult. It’s hard enough to write one good song on your own — let alone to do it with a group of people, each with a different aesthetic.
And let’s face it: Most musicians tend to possess, kindly put, an independent streak and so — almost inevitably — there is a residue left by the day in/day out friction from collaborating on any body of work. If you’re lucky, that creative process is followed by rehearsing, recording, and touring. Sprinkle on top of that whatever “personal demons” existed beforehand and you’ll see that, for all the clichés of a band being like a dysfunctional family, it’s inevitable that there is some truth to it.
Is it really any wonder that so many bands quickly lose their balance and fall off the wire?
[Read more…]
The Kids Are Alright
Awesome Synth Medley Of 80’s Hits — played by three guys who weren’t born until the 1990’s
Awesome Synth Medley Of 80’s Hits — played by three guys who weren’t born until the 1990’s:
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpbAe2HyzqA
Some Thoughts on the iPhone 3.0 Announcement
Some much needed and long overdue changes arrive — but the real story is in “the hooks”!
Apple’s iPhone 3.0 operating system unveils some much needed — and long overdue — changes to the platform. Now, I know that “cut and paste”, MMS, and turn-by-turn directions for the GPS were features greeted by sighs of relief from the user community (as was Apple’s approach to “push notification” and Stereo Bluetooth!).
But to me, the big story is that Apple has staked out a new future for the platform with a whole new level of software/hardware interoperability (and also with a change in the development payment model itself). My guess is that this will accelerate the number of “Whoa — that’s Awesome!” experiences for it’s users which, in the final analysis, is probably the best predictor for any gadget’s continued success.
What’s New?
Three elements in particular stand out: First, Apple announced an API upgrade, opening a thousand new “hooks” for programmers and developers to use within their applications. A hook is, simply put, something that allows programmers to “hook their program or device into” some deeper functionality. Hooks open up the inner workings of the iPhone to developers, enabling truly creative combinations of programs and usages that wring the most functionality out the device.
Apple has also enabled “peer-to-peer access” to these APIs, opening the door for software and hardware developers alike to tie into the iPhone. On the software side, Apple is pumping up the Gaming development community with multi-player capabilities that use this connection. Programmers are also being given new ways to monetize their content once the App has already been purchased (subscriptions, in-app purchases of additional features, etc.).
However, it’s the hardware side is where I expect the most interesting stuff to emerge in the months ahead. By allowing applications to control external hardware via the 30-pin connector, Bluetooth, or over an local network, you will be able to connect your iPhone to everything from a home stereo to an insulin testing kit. Put another way, you’ll be able to use the iPhone itself as a “dongle” to enable deeper functionality in a whole host of devices, seemingly limited only by a designer’s imagination and a company’s willingness to embed the iPhone control architecture. In essence, the iPhone/iPod touch will become a visual interface and wireless connector for many more electronic devices in the future, establishing itself as the premier mobile computing, content, and control platform.
The Result? A Whole New Breed of Applications
Taken together, the API and the iPhone’s new openness add up to a sum greater than its parts. Apps will be able to share your shopping lists with family members at the touch of a button….or send Contact information to a colleague with a minimum of fuss. Fling your Last.FM favorites over to a friend’s iPhone when they ask you “What are you listening to these days?”.
What if I were a Developer who wanted to create a super “Virtual Coaching App” for runners? What kinds of stuff could be put in there?:
- Purchase and download customized Training Plans (or Playlists of Music) from the Web;
- Wirelessly connect to a scale or a blood pressure cuff to track vital statistics over time;
- Plot out a run using Google’s Maps;
- Turn-by-turn voice directions while running;
- Link up to a heart rate monitor and Nike iPod+ shoe sensor simultaneously to track performance;
- Automatically call out distance and pace (or changes in pace if you’re doing interval training);
- Automatically download the workout information for later review and planning;
- Change the song something more energetic if you’re “lagging” a bit;
- Data sent over the cellular phone network to a coach who could instant message/voice chat their tips or observations in real-time;
- Real-time alerts of where your fellow runners are.
You get the idea!
Let’s face it — there’s nothing like new functionality tied to a big stack of money to get coders burning the midnight oil, right? Apple is now facing some heady competition in the Palm Pre, Windows Mobile, and the Google Android platforms (all developing “application stores”). By supercharging the Developer community, Apple has a chance to extend an existing lead over its rivals.
The Other Shoe
Apple was cagey in not discussing hardware, only the upgrades to the iPhone software. I expect that the OS announcement will function as the first in a “one-two punch”; the second would be some hardware announcements (iPhone 3.0, third-party devices, etc.) following sometime in June. If Apple can come up with compelling new hardware and applications to further take advantage of the interconnectivity, the future could be very bright indeed for the platform!
UPDATE:
I guess the guys at WIRED magazine agree that it’s going to be all about the dongleware once the developers get going!
