The Nook Color

The Nook Color has the same capabilities as the normal Nook, except it has color. The price is $249 and will begin to sell on November 26^th. The Nook is trying to be both an E-Reader and allow its readers to have Applications. A new program is called LendMe. It allows a person to lend a e-book to a friend for up to 14 days. It is also being designed for kids. It has special books specifically for children.

The Nook uses Wi-Fi which allows the reader to go online and purchase books. Though Apps have not been added yet, email and an App store will soon be available. It’s primary focus is on, of course, reading. A person who goes into a Barnes and Noble will be able to view any book they want, just like you would be able to do in with real books.

A person if they wanted, would be able to download millions of books and the Nook offers up to 100 different magazines to chose from. A few new things happening on the Nook Color are having to do more with sharing books and having children read too. It heavily focuses on communicating with other people. A program called LendMe allows people to share books with friend, and they can have the book up to 14 days. Another program is for kids. Children are able to read and listen to their favorite books.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab!

The Samsung Galaxy Tab is the first competitor to the iPad. It is a touch device that performs all the same things an iPad does. The costs of it are $400 when bought with a cell phone provider and $600 without a cell phone contract. The iPad and Galaxy Tab are pretty similar priced. The size is different, it is smaller then the iPad, two inches smaller. With it being smaller, there is a weight difference so it is not that heavy as an iPad. A person is able to hold it in one hand as well. Even though it does not have the Apps that an Android phone does, the people at Samsung went and redid the Apps used for the Tab and now they work just as well. Unfortunately their Apps are not as specific as the ones made for the iPads. There is no third party Apps, so everything you receive are from Google.

The size is two inches smaller. People may think this is a good thing because they can hold it in one hand and the weight is dramatically different. However the screen is smaller and the reviewer said that it is almost half the screen on the iPad.

The Samsung Tab only allows around 6 ½ hours of playing time. He explained that he made the screen the brightest and played video on it and that it only lasted half on the iPad’s battery life, which is closer to 11 hours. He seemed to be liking the Galaxy Tab since it’s cost was different and the fact that it had cameras and flash capability.

Explaining a Cell Phone to a 12 Year Old

A cell phone these days is much more then a way to call with other people. We can text message, email, send pictures and download things right to our phones. The phones we have now are called 3G, or 3^rd generation phones.

They have more power then phones three years ago had. They also have to the power to be high-speed and the connections we get are much more fast. Certain phones have more capability such as Smartphones or Blackberry’s which allow you to have your emails or messages come on the same wireless device.

They way our signal from our phones is able to reach someone on the other side of the country or the other side of the room are by the electromagnetic radio waves which allow us to communicate wirelessly. These radio waves are received and go their separate ways by radio towers that are located in plenty of

areas. When you receive a call, it comes from the nearest tower.

The Main Impact of the Telecom Act.

The main impact of the Telecommunication Acts are computers, mass media and information industries have grown tremendously in their industries. It was supposed to allow competition and continue technology changes, which would help the prices go down but unfortunately that did not happen and phone companies are becoming like monopolies.

In addition, it was also intended to help smooth out ownership laws and restrictions which would have allowed free markets to do well. Cable providers are offering competitive rates, which do not allow other smaller companies to gain any business. The Supreme Court let cable companies out of an agreement so they can allow other providers the ability to gain access to their network. We will have to watch out for the Telecom Act and hope that it does not raise inflation.

The 4 models of PR

The four models of public relations are best summed up using Grunig’s model. The first is the press agentry and journalism, which simply is telling the public everything. This is an example of one -way communication. The second model is public information and journalism, which sends out the information through different media channels. This is another example of one-way communication but does not really count for communication since the people do not know if they received the information. The third model is two way asymmetric which is actually the most common model used today. People send out information and then doe research to see if the public understands. The forth model is two way symmetric; people gain the most benefit using this model. It involves researching the public to see what is most important to people and how they get their information.

Key Elements for Successful Public Relations

The key elements to public relations are preparation, implementation and impact. People in public relations need to be aware of public attitudes. They need to do their research on the people they are working for. By knowing what a person is going to do is doing and what they are thinking is difficult but it is possible if a person does the research in order to know what their client needs. Working in public relations, you also need to have a strategy of how you are going to work with this person. By taking on smaller tasks and managing your time well, it will reach you higher goal. By making a timeline and deadlines so you can get other work done. In addition, by giving press releases and presentations at special events will help media communications. And third public relations need to be aware of what they are doing or saying is impacting the public.

Functions of Public Relations

There are many specialties of PR. One is publicity relations where press conferences and news releases are formed, another is community relations where groups in a community work together with key interests in mind so they can influence on different policies and attitudes. Government relations are when there is need of assistance or influencing state, local or federal governments involving different activities they may be facing. Then there are special events that involve planning and managing internal and external events like open houses or tours. When informing staff about personal policies or practices and other issues that involves health and welfare of labor force, that is called employee relations. And then there is lobbying. This is when a person works with specific legislators and their aides to influence the contents or actions that the committee does.

Mashable.com!

Mashable.com was a very cool social media marketing website. It offers plenty of articles having to do with social media. Their articles range from Facebook’s new email accounts to their own contests. I liked that it offered different types of articles too, one article had to do with marketing social media that was not on the Internet. It gave descriptions and examples of marketing, along with pictures to show you what they were talking about. One example was a food truck, which had a advertisement saying to find them on Facebook and “Like” them. The website also gave you a list of the popular articles that day. And of course you were able to sign on to Facebook and “Like” certain articles, this of course is the best marketing that social media has to offer because they don’t have to do much anymore except to have it be on Facebook because then you advertise for them.

Surfing the Inter-NED

On November 1, 2010 Ned Sublette came to our Real World class and told his about his life. This man had done almost everything in the media world. He’s written books, recorded a song or two and a bunch of albums, he’s even set up his own record label in Havana, Cuba. The record label was originally supposed to be a film production studio but it ended up being in music, which defiantly sits to his style of life. Along with doing a lot in the music business he was his own radio boss as a radio producer for his own segment. As we quickly learned he loved Cuban music, it was more his passion then anything else. He wanted to experience the deepest Afro-African Music, which translated into Cuban Salsa. He had plenty of issues when it came to Cuban laws; one of the biggest issues was getting around them, which fortunately he was able to do. He also created this website called Ned’s List which people sign up for and sends articles and public appearances. It allows his voice to be heard without outselling himself.

We learned one of his books was about his childhood and growing up in a white supremacy area of Louisiana. It mostly focused on New Orleans, having written it a year before Hurricane Katrina hit. Then calling it “The Year Before the Flood, A Story of New Orleans.” He had some major issues in Cuba when his inventory company in Cuba basically told him he no longer could get his inventory. He explained how in 1997 there was music that was sold back to companies because the public was not buying bad music. When someone asked how he ended up where he is, he told us timing is everything and you have to be aware and on top of your stuff or you may lose it. He also told his media never disappears it just gets repurposed. In radio, as I previously mentioned he worked for National Public Radio where he was able to do his segments on what he wanted, which was music history. This out of everything was most important because he found his voice on live television, which empowered him to do plenty more. I have joined “Ned’s List” and enjoy reading what he writes and articles he sends my way

Books are an obsolete medium???!!!!

Books will never be obsolete, maybe they will become less popular but they will always be around. I argue this with great intension. I can understand why people believe this since new technology makes it possible to have hundreds of books at one time in one place but I still do not think that books will disappear, at least not for a few hundred years or something. I can not imagine being a child and having my Mom or Dad read a book to me on the iPad, it just does not have that nice feeling to it. I understand having electric textbooks, students would not have to carry them around but what happens if you want to highlight something and be able to flip back to a page easily, you would be difficult to do that with a Kindle or iPad. The cost of some books is expensive and I am not saying how nice it would be to get a book for half the price of a hard case novel, but I simply do not like that reading is becoming more technological. I like the idea of a book being a book and a machine being a machine. Imagine reading a book outside on the beach, it may get a little wet but they pages will dry but what happens when your Kindle gets wet? It dies and is gone. I do not agree with the technology I do think it is pretty cool but I just do not know how the world could live without books.

How do conglomerates affect print publishing? Are there positives and negatives?

Conglomerates affect print publishing because now there is more of it. By allowing a large company they have more power over what they publish and have the rights to them. In the past four or five years big companies have taken over smaller companies and have focused on different ideas such as sports, home improvement and lifestyle. It’s positive because people have been able to get what they need without any problem. It creates more money for these companies because they are doing different things and gaining interest from different groups of people. The negative aspects have to do with other companies. They also have to power to be able to put it on television or the Internet since they know that they have viewers who would follow them. With bigger companies comes bigger staff so they are able to make more things happen and get things done quicker. Smaller companies may not be able to handle the competition from these large companies. In addition these other companies may be able to put personal opinions in their print while these larger companies may not like that and cut it out.

New Trends and Main Issues

What are the main trends in book publishing?

The main trends recently have to be E-Publishing. Allowing the reader to get their book electronically, either on their iPhone and iPod or on their Kindle. These electric books have made plenty of money for book publishers. People do not have to wait in line to order a book; they can simply download it right on to their devices in a fast and quick way. In addition, online bookstores can “remember” what you purchased and recommend other books the reader may like.

What are the main copyright issues for print media?

There are plenty of copyright issues for print media. There is such a thing called intellectual property, which means a person owns the right to their creative work that has not been published. People do not like the idea that someone is borrowing their idea or story and making money out of it. J.K. Rowling had this problem when someone claimed that she had stolen her idea, but as we know Rowling had though up Harry Potter on her own. A person must get permission in order to use a picture or an idea that is clearly someone else’s.

Online Privacy and Security Practices and My Plan for Making Myself Safer Online

I consider myself to be very safe on the Internet. Scams are probably the biggest security problem we encounter and people should know that they aren’t going to get a free iPad for answer one question. Giving our names, emails, phone numbers and even credit card numbers is how people usually get into trouble. Places such as cafes or airports, anywhere where a person can access the Internet for free is a big place for people to spread infection among computers or devises. By opening up emails from an unknown sender can also expose your computer to a virus or Spyware. There are programs that can remember all that we write in like our credit card numbers and passwords that can get into our personal accounts and cause damage.

A few simple ways to stop this is to install virus protection software on your computer. Just make sure if you download it from an Internet source that it is not going to give you a virus and always be aware of who you are downloading it from. For my personal benefit I have already downloaded an anti-virus software that makes sure all the websites I go onto are safe and checked for bugs. But half of the problem is if I don’t continue to update it, something may break through. I try to make sure that I trust the website I am using and websites like Facebook have been helping people stay safe.

Questions about the Interent

1. List the major types of content on the Web?

There is plenty of different content on the Internet these days. One is the electric publishing that many magazines and newspapers are doing. They are posting their articles or pictures online. Some are even making a person pay a fee for different articles. Entertainment is another, where we can view our favorite shows and movies online. Plenty of online games are also a big part of the Internet content. The game World of Warcraft is big example that allows gamers to sign up online and play. The obvious answer to content on the Internet is search engines. We use Google’s search engine to fine videos on YouTube or articles on the New York Times.

2. What makes a good Web page design?

A good Web page design must have good background graphics so it’s attractive for the person to view it. In addition, the title of a Web page makes all the difference, a person is not going to create a small and unclear title, they want their customer to be able to see it. People posting content on their website may also make their articles or blogs smaller so a person doesn’t get overwhelmed with information. Framing is a big practice for people who are designing a website. With interactive programs it expands what we are used to so its new and exciting.

3. Who are the leading makers of computer software and hardware?

As anyone could have guessed it Apple is a major leader of computer hardware and software. Along with Apple, there is also IBM and Microsoft. Apple has great computers but where would we be if there were no such thing as Microsoft Word? There is also Dell and Hewlett-Packard among these companies. Not only do they make our computers but many of them make the software that we use too. MSN also known as Microsoft Network is used as a major email network. A big software company is Cisco Systems has recently become a big network equipment manufacture.

4. What is the difference between a content provider and an Internet service?

Internet service allows users to connect to the Internet and provide different communications such as email. A few companies that are big in Internet services are AT&T, Comcast and TimeWarner. They lease the connections to phone companies and allow customers their own personal service. Content providers are what you see on the website. It is what makes up the information and graphics most companies have graphic design departments that make up their own content. The main difference between the two is the Internet service gives you with the power to go onto the Internet while the content provider shows you information once you are already on the Internet.

5. Who runs the Internet?

I think anyone who has an influence runs the Internet. In recent years and with Facebook and other community sites it has helped people from around the world interact and rule the Internet. Professionals like to think they run the Internet because of the new advertisements they set use up with but I think people who going a the same website everyday and talk about it in their daily lives makes the Internet what it is. As new websites pop up like bloggers there are different communities on the Internet such as gamers or people interested in pop culture, either way we the public own the Internet.

What are the good things that advertising does for you and society?

A few good things that advertising does are it tries to connect people. On almost any website there is an advertisement that says, “Email to a friend.” By emailing or sending the post to different person we are communicating but also spreading the advertisement. New and easy ways that advertisements have been getting to college students and adults alike are sending text messages or emails about a special sale or hours for their favorite bar. By doing this it makes the consumer feel special, that they only know about it and that is more personal. Certain companies such as American Express make the promise to make things more personal. They promise in their marketing campaign to allow you to have special points. They do this by research and it shows what a person buys. For example, say you are a shopper who buys clothes every week, after a certain period of time maybe you will receive a savings from your rewards to will go specifically towards clothes.
I think also advertising new product can be good. It lets people know about something new. I think in some cases advertising can help bring a community together. For example, there are new commercials that Dove has done that show real women, not size zero models that are Photoshopped. These are real people who are insecure just like any young girl. It allows women and girls who are watching think that they are beautiful in their skin. By showing the good aspects of different products, it can do a lot for our society.


Check this clip out about Dove's Natural Beauty advertisement.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ah3kAlb5xvY

What Target Market Do I fit Into??

There are a few target markets that I fit into. One is the college student market, ranging from ages 18 to 24. In the book it says the groups favorite books are Harry Potter and the DaVinci Code, our favorite magazines are People and Cosmopolitan and that we would rather be on a social networking site then any website. If my case, I can answer that I read and do all of these things. Things that have to do with pop culture I read about and therefore will pick up a People. Advertisers will know that I am going to read that magazine so they will put in advertisements like energy drinks or discounts from Target. For certain magazines there is going to be specific advertisements and for television shows, for example Grey’s Anatomy, also have specfic commercials made for the demographic that is viewing it.
The second target market that I fall into is I am a girl. Obviously that determines what products I use. Products like Dove, which is focused more on women is specifically gets advertisements again in People or Cosmopolitan. In addition, not only being a girl, but a young adult so I do not want to see an advertisement about wrinkle cream when I am not at the age to be dealing with that. I may see advertisements for makeup or skin care, specifically for younger women. Another target market is where I live. I live in New York, so the products I see are going to be different then a person living in the Mid-West somewhere. Advertisers can easily put people into target markets to get their product sold.

Advertising Websites

Adweek.com has a cool vibe to it so I immediately checked it out. It makes advertising look hip. With simple things like writing an article about the new movie The Social Network and how it relates to advertising. The author, Barbara Lippet doesn’t like that the actual advertisements on Facebook are only tiny ads on the side, but she makes the point that those advertisements is what makes the most money. Websites like MySpace is dying out because consumers don’t want a lot of adverting text flashing at them all the time. Advertisement now gain more popularity when a person “Likes” a feature. I also like that the highlight fun and smart advertisement commercials. Many other articles like “Gap’s New Logo: a social media experiment” are very smart, it gets you thinking. The website is very trendy and cool, it has a way of being complex but not intimidating. I will defiantly be going back.

I looked up Advertising Age and at first I didn’t really like it. It was not as in your face as Adweek.com was, which I was expecting. However after clicking around I started to like it a little better. It actually has different categories that led to different websites such as Creativity, Ad Age China, Jobs, Ad Age Insights and Ad Age on Campus I stumbled on to the Creativity website which highlighted Google Slam, a new demo Google is testing out. It is advertising at it’s best. It is viewer friendly and shows how easy Google is to use. People vote on two videos, using Google’s new fun technology and then the viewer gets to vote which one was the best. Google Slam is a demo version of what may come out soon, so look out. I enjoyed an article written by Nat Ives about a style magazine that was geared towards affordable clothes. The article, People Stylewatch is Ad Age’s Magazine of the Year tells people how the editors of the magazine find affordable clothes to what celebrities are wearing. It says that the reason why they are able to be on top is because they understand the consumer and that’s the most important part. The website had some good points but it just didn’t reel me in like others.

I checked out mediabistro.com and found it was not as well developed as I thought the other two were. What it lacked in development it gained in what it showed. It had different articles on different topics, and a place where people who freelance can advertise their work. Along with that it had a place where there were a lot of job listings. They had plenty of articles but I was able to view someone them without signing up, which I did not feel comfortable doing. The articles had different topics ranging from advertising such as Behind the Swoosh, The Making of Nike’s Greatest Commercials, it had a background of Nike’s commercial making history and how they branded their sneakers and along with it Michael Jordan. Then they had a few articles such as 10 Tips For Pitching Multimedia Content. I found this article interesting, it said that a person does not do just one job anymore. A person needs different multimedia skills in order to succeed in this upcoming workplace. Their articles are great but it seems that their website is lacking when a viewer can’t see a few articles.

Mad Men Meets Adverting for Lincoln

AMC created this Emmy award winning show, Mad Men about men who work at an adverting company. John Slattery, an actor who portrays one of these men is the new spokesman for Lincoln cars. In this case it’s real life portraying art. I am a big fan of Mad Men, which is probably the reason why I chose this blog to review. And that’s why it’s a smart adverting move to make a popular actor on this popular show start to endorse this car. Now John Slattery plays one of the main adverting partners on Mad Men who is trying to gain companies so he can sell their advertisement so it’s rather ironic that he is the one being paid to sell this product. Mr. Slattery is not the only one who is now doing advertisements for products his co-stars Jon Hamm and Christina Hendricks are also doing different advertisements. For both television and advertisement companies, working with television actors on popular shows are certainly going to create great business.
Mad Men is known for being pristine and glamorous, it brings back a time when life was simply and gorgeous, all the women have their hair done and wear these gorgeous clothes and men wore handsome suits with their hair slicked back. And for Lincoln Cars to ask one of these actors to sell their cars is genius. It reminds people of good times but with new-sophisticated style, which John Slattery is an example of. This is not the first time a television actor has been asked to sell a product and will most certainly not be the last, because this is a dream for both the show and the advertising company. Each get something out of this deal so who knows who will be next.



http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/30/lincoln-meets-mad-men-in-new-campaign/

If the conventional network TV model is dying out, what do you think should replace it?

If the conventional TV model means watching shows on television then I would say that it is dying out. Most people may not be able to watch shows at the primetimes of 8:00 or 9:00 p.m. They are busy so they catch it on their DVR or online at websites like Hulu.com and Fancast.com. Companies such as NBC and Fox are starting to realize the new age of things and stand behind Hulu, allowing their shows to be viewed without a problem. The Internet may one day, for all we know, kill the television, not the networks or the people working for these networks but the actually machine. We will simply be watching it on our computer, cell phone or iPod. Even now when we watch something on Hulu a commercial only last 30 seconds or a minute, each commercial break, that certainly beats the five minutes of commercial times we normally get.

The textbook keeps referring to the Big Three, CBS, NBC and ABC. Except now there are the Big Five, Time Warner, Viacom/CBS, Disney, NBC Universal and Fox. Because there are more channels and more things that people want to watch is the reason we have all of these companies. So either these companies will expand or a few will buy the others out and it’s only a matter of time before one or two of them becomes a big monopoly. The world of technology is obviously changing so it should not come to a surprise that the world of television is also changing.

How does the history of popular music help us understand where music is going as a business? As Artistic statement and Politics?

Popular music obviously sells. We hear the same song on one radio station and hear it at the same time, on a different station, then we hear it again twenty minutes later. What we can learn from the history is what people like. By making a song and putting it on MySpace or YouTube, we generate business for that company because we are listening to it constantly. When we are watching television and that song comes on the show as a background song, we want to keep watching it to see what happens. And with new shows like American Idol we hear the popular songs being sung by new people then go and buy their songs. It seems by simply promoting a song that we see and hear constantly, we make it popular. Now many artists like the Beatles have made their first few albums all about love and a good record but then they realize that they have become popular and sing about what is important to them. Young girls everywhere, listening to them, believe what they are saying. It is easy for us to believe a popular artist because we love them and fortunately artist like Jay-Z or Radiohead actually sing about things that matters to them. By doing this they are able to have their own statement without singing about trying to ask a girl to dance with them. They actually sing about things that matter. When it comes to Politics I think people will believe what their favorite artist will sing about or discuss. We need to make up our own minds.

What copyright challenges are raised by Internet music technologies?

The challenges with copyrights have really been affecting the way we listen to music. Record companies probably hate the fact that we can share and download music off the Internet. Even radio stations have had to pay a fee in order to use songs. With the new age of digital music plenty of new artists are recording their music of their computers. It is simple for a new artist to make a new sound or beat on their computer, completely crossing out using a producer. But people who sample the music and then get a new song by using multiple songs together are really suffering. A great young and new artist named Dangermouse or now GirlTalk mixed the Beatles “White Album” with Jay-Z’s “Black Album” and called it the “Gray Album.” Because of copyrights he cannot distribute it, which would have been a major hit if people like you and me would have been able to buy it.

The Internet and all of its resources have many problems stopping artists to come up with a new beat. iTunes has stepped up with this challenge. They protect the label and copyright by making sure that when you purchase a song it only plays on their specific network. However companies have pulled out of iTunes because they thin they’re getting ripped off. The main challenge to all of this is how do record companies protect their song and artist without losing to much money? There will be plenty of new challenges as new technology comes out.

What has led the segmentation of rock into sub-genres since the 1960s?

I think the idea of sub-genres in rock comes from the person who sang it and then messed with the beat to form a new song. The different genres such as Gospel, Blues and Bluegrass all come from other musical backgrounds. Gospel comes from white and black church hymns, Blues comes from old slave from the South that have specific chords and Bluegrass has a background from the South and Irish and Scottish instruments. The hybrids of the songs, which take traditional music and change it into something new is how many different genres got started. Take Elvis’s “Hound Dog” as an example, which was originally by Big Mama Thornton, he used more Rock instruments rather then Blues.

Then R&B came around with people like Ray Charles introducing a new sound made up from Blues and Gospel songs. Even the Rolling Stones began playing music, which was considered the Blues. Then even Rock began to have different genres like Top 40, heavy metal, and punk rock. People who were once classified as Rock like Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan and the Beatles wanted to expand their music, making it matter of what they were singing about therefore making their own set of music. These different artists along with Led Zeppelin, Michael Jackson and Chuck Berry expanded the different Rock genres we have today. Because of those people and groups we now have music like alternative, techno and rap. Many of the new genres we have now are from people rebelling and telling the world how it is, which thankfully has paved the wave for plenty of new and amazing artists.

Would new regulations be justified to break up larger radio groups and make radio more local?

I think new regulations would be a way to help local radio stations stay in business. Many radio groups such as Clear Channel, Cumulus Broadcasting and Citadel Communications own a very large portion of radio ownership. With the 1996 Telecommunications Act which deregulated the ownership of radio stations. Now these big companies, who want national coverage, take over smaller radio stations.
I think these companies only really care about the money and adverting side of things. They do not think about the community at large. When they broadcast for example starting out in New York, where there is more diversity and culture versus Nashville, where all people may want to listen to is country, they lose revenue in their own business while taking business away from local advertisers. But they seem not to care, as long as the stations are being played national and so are their commercials. Radio stations that are O & O’s, people who own and operate their station, know their audience better then a big company. Because those stations are local, they would know what their community wants. I think it would completely fine for radio to be owned locally. There would be less monopolies in the radio industry and would give back to communities. By having companies like Clear Channel, radio stations who are owned by them lose the culture and diversity from a local radio station.

How does the History of Radio help us to understand audio media in different forms?

The history of radio suggests that Internet radio, and other audio media are likely to develop as commercial forms by having advertisements that would be targeted at their market. A podcast with country music may advertise something to do with where it is coming from, but someone else in the country or abroad may hear that. As a result, the advertisements would be going to a target market that may not have heard from their local radio stations. The commercials get a world market using the Internet radio versus a radio station where only people in, for example, New York can hear.

When it comes to political forms companies such as BBC have probably gotten greater use out of podcasts or Internet radios because people are able to listen to different opinions. BBC has had trouble competing with other United Kingdom stations so this may be a way for them to get more coverage around the world. And when it comes to artistic forms, the history of the radio can defiantly teach people about the present form of audio media. When it comes to the radio, the DJs and producers make up the playlists but people online can send out their podcasts and have it be reached wherever.

The Web is Dead? Long Live the Internet?

Both sides to this article are very compelling. Chris Anderson and Michael Wolff do the job of saying their direct opinions. Anderson says that we are the ones to blame. We spend all day on the Internet but not the World Wide Web. The web has become in some cases overwhelming, an overload of information thrown at your face. However with new technology such as the iPod and iPad you are able to control what you view therefore making things less complicated and getting what you want. As Anderson put it, “Fast beats flexible.”(pg 5) He explains it as capitalism, people wanting control, someone creating an idea and then others coming up to a similar plan. However we want things to actually work. So in examples like Google, Facebook and Apple, they have become monopolies because no one can really compete with them. We could get music free but it would take too long so we buy songs for $1.29 on iTunes. It is more convenient this way. Anderson writes that when it comes to affecting the way new media is today we see it clearly. For example, with our iPod Apps to Twitter APIs they have a connection that is fast and easily controlled, which is just what we want. Anderson puts his argument clearly in his past paragraph, “It moved from your desktop to your pocket, the nature of the Net changed.”

Reading Michael Wolff’s article he clearly did not feel the same way. Instead of putting the blame on us, he pushes it towards to companies controlling the Web. Wolff says that the Web is dead because traditional media has the sense that people using the Web can use whatever they like but with newer concepts it is an all or nothing motto. He does not like the last idea. With some changes and support, the Web does not have to fade out. He blames these ideas on the people and websites that are started new media, Google, Mark Zuckerberg and Steve Jobs. Google has stopped people from looking at different websites such as Amazon or Yahoo. Each of these websites offer different things, Google however offers all of it, at the same time. Wolff compares Google to Rome for the overall power it has. Facebook was once a small website that only people with email addresses could be accepted into. Mark Zuckerberg created Facebook so it was a closed system, and that is what people have been drawn into. However by the time most people were finding out about it, anyone could join. Wolff states, “Facebook became a parallel world to the Web.” Facebook has allowed not only games and applications but also advertisements so people did not have to leave Facebook when they were online. Then there was Steve Jobs. Wolff brings up the fact that Jobs not only has two successful media businesses, iTunes and Pixar but also is known for his traditional media as well. The Apple Company “controls the look and feel and experience” (pg. 11) but also has the power from delivery of the product onto specific devises. As a result they control everything that goes on with other parties and always gets their cut from profits. Basically Wolff states that these companies have specifically designed and produced the experiences that last on customers. He says that before new media, people in the technology world did not understand media and traditional media did not concern itself with technology. We see a very different outcome now. Instead of these opposing sides, they have come together and produced a new relationship.

Examples of Convergence in Media Industries

Technology keeps changing so and as a result so do jobs. People going into the work force will be forced to move with the changing technologies. In almost any industry of media, convergence has been heard of.

For Films, in the past, they were edited by using analog now all editing is done digitally via a computer. In addition we have seen industries come from tapes to DVD to Blue-Ray in a few years. For video games there were arcades but now you cannot only play them at home. Gaming has come along way with their interactive movies too along with having improved sound and images. Game industries have allowed them on your phone so companies can by sync together.

Cable industries have come a long way. Cable and Satellite providers now offer not only channels but direct service to the internet. What is interesting to see is how media industries have come together in different ways so the customer has the most technology that the possibly can get. When is comes to print media, Kindles and iPads have taken over books. We can read our textbooks for school online. Newspapers and magazines have had to put articles on their websites, which is how most people read the “paper” these days.

Broadcasting video or audio has changed quite a lot as well. HD television has helped changed television and film into clearer pictures. Satellite radio is a new concept from 2004 that people have used. And when it comes to broadcasting television we have the new technology of TiVo and DVR systems. Along with online television like Hulu and Fancast which offer viewing from TV with limited commercials. Convergence of our technology has only started within these industries, it is just a matter of time when other industries are affected as well.

Convergence And What It Means To Me

The technology we use was not around five or ten years ago and it is crazy to think of life without a cell phone or an iPod. What did people used to do before these new technologies? In my daily life, technology has intertwined with me. Text messaging was new to me, I only got the service in the past two years, and people would look at me funny if I did not have it. Now I cannot imagine life without it. My cell phone has many different tools on it, the calendar, alarm clock and calculator I use daily. Recently I have gotten the iPod touch. Steve Jobs is a smart guy along with all the geniuses at Apple. Not only does my iPod play music but also I have a new calendar, Wireless Internet when I can pick up a signal and applications that I am obsessed with.

With all of this I am sure in a matter of years many written calendars will go out of date and maybe alarm clocks will have a loss. We have already seen the convergence in the iPod touch with now the iPad. I never liked the idea of all of that, until I owned one. I just want to mention something about career convergence too. Because, like I have said before, certain technology has not existed in the past, the job market is moving too. Younger generations are able to do things faster and more effective because they have now been growing up with having a cell phone, using different computer technologies, Facebook and of course the Internet at their fingertips.

Because of all this new technology and behavior, careers are changing. Jobs that I want and hope to get were not around when I first started college, which will most defiantly give me nice advantage. But all of us soon searching for a job better watch out, a job we want and may get might be changing as the technology changes.

New Technology!

A new prototype that a graduate student Chris Harrison has been designing would bring the "touch" world to a new level. He is designing a new technology called Skinput. It is basically turing a person's palm and arm into a computer. Image being able to tap two fingers together and make a phone call or use your finger to move an image on your palm. It would reinvent the way we look at technology. It's like something out of a movie.

It's been testing for the past 8 months and Microsoft has signed on to help. They've been thinking it would give them a major lead when it comes to futuristic touch technology. Dan Morris, a Microsoft researcher says that they have been working on it and depending on how fast they are that it would not be out for another two years to seven years. Harrison says that it would be like the iPod touch but on your self. It will move with your arm, pick up vibrations. And they have already tested it on people in Seattle.

Personally I think this technology is amazing. It apparently from this CNN report, it isn't the only prototype that is coming to surface. It is moving past the computer age and onto something more profound.

There is a video on CNN check it out. http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/04/19/microsoft.skinput/index.html

iPad Review

So for my blog I thought it would be smart to review the iPad now that it has actually come out. I looked up some reviews ranging from the New York Times to “nerd reviews.” The main thing that everyone is saying that for a person on the go who wants to e-mail, read a book, surf the internet and play some games, then this is for you. You can get some many applications. Just in the past few days over a million apps have been bought, that’s pretty amazing.


However imagine trying to create a presentation on this thing, it would be quite difficult. In addition, the problem of that it doesn’t have Adobe Flash player sucks. There are plenty of websites that use that and like the iPod and iPhone a person using the iPad can’t use it. What is amusing is how many blogs have created an uproar over the iPad, people saying of how a laptop is better and what the iPad doesn’t have.


My overall review is if you want a fun big person toy then this would be great. However I would prefer to have a keyboard along with the monitor. Do I like the idea of the iPad? Yes Would I ever buy one? Maybe I think it all depends on what else is going to be created but of course we will all find a reason to why we hate that thing. I guess we will just have to wait and see.

Free Music??

So today I listened to a few different podcasts from the website, onthemedia.org. Each was good and explained a lot. Lets first discuss "Facing the (Free) Music." It discussed the music industry of 10 years ago and how music was the first to fall towards new technology including Napster. Rick Karr, the host was discussing Napster with a former employee of the Recording Industry Association of America. She discussed how record companies sat around a table all together and looked up their artist's hits on Napster and found everyone. It had mixed reviews from the industries, people were amazed but also freaked that their music was on Napster. After the women said that she also admitted that companies had wanted to join efforts with Napster but unfortunately couldn't find common ground and never made a deal. Karr said it was a lost opportunity.

Karr then talked with Tim Quirk who has been wanting to make a internet service, that was not illegal but featured some of the same things that Napster did back in the day. He then discussed what Europe has for their people. It is called Spotify. It's like a internet radio that you can request the songs that come on. It's all free, until you want to put it on a device then you have to pay 10 Euros for a month, which is a lot cheaper then America. This is something I wish we had. But then again, we have Pandora and Youtube and can make playlists on Youtube the way we want.

I don't understand why industries can't just find a better way to get in touch with people and find something that everyone likes. Can't they make it so the people and industries are happy? It doesn't look likely.

The second podcast that was featured was about Girl Talk. If you don't know who or what Girl Talk is then you should learn. He takes different aspects of top 40 pop songs and makes them into something new. In the podcast they discuss whether or not he is breaking any anti-copyrighting. I don't think he is. He is taking little aspects of different songs and making it into his own style and music. For now when it comes to labels, they are just learning to sit back and see what happens, that is why they're probably not doing anything. It makes their specific songs into new stuff and gets promotion for their songs.

I think things are going to change in the next 10 years just like they did in the past 10 years. I'm sure the i-Pod will have some competition sooner or later, probably from it's own company. COncerts, downloading and copywriting music are all going to change.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jrd7sO9G2yQ&feature=channel

3D Technology. Love it or Hate it?

3D is what Hollywood and the rest of the world is talking about ever since "Avatar" came out. Things are changing all around us. If people didn't know there are now at least three different televisions that you can purchase that can offer 3 dimensional viewings. Many critics agree that this is the new technology for movie watching.

The podcast by Lenard Lopate which featured Lawrence Cormack and Phul McNally. McNally works at Dreamworks Animation and Cormack is an Associate Professor of Psychology at University of Texas. Throughout this podcast they discussed 3D technology and how it effects the brain and eye movement. But they also discussed 3D sickness that people sometimes have after watching a movie. I was shocked to find out how they created the 3D films was with two cameras and then in post - production they worked with the computer graphics. They discussed the cameras directors are using and how live action cameras are different but amazingly they are getting smaller and smaller, so small they could be hand held. A very difficult task that filmmakers had to deal with was projecting and capturing the system. They also discussed of how people get sick during a 3D movie because of motion sickness. And the fact that people's eye's are moving back and forth, is what causes some pick to feel sick during a movie. There was a caller that called in and he made a smart comment about the glasses and how they are kind of like sunglasses. The men did a fine job explaining that the movie is actually very light and in post-production they make it that way and for the future they are finding ways to make it better.

Then they discussed what made 3D technology so famous and popular, "Avatar." The fact that people kept going to see it over and over, not for the story but for the atmosphere of the movie, is what the men said. They said that viewers were submegered into the story and they loved that they were in the movie. I think thats why so many people like 3D, they like the action on the screen. The fact that the person or object in front of them is somewhat real and you are sent into the movie.

I like the ideas of 3D movies for most movies, including action and horror movies. It would be so much fun to sit in a war movie and see the reality of the setting. The viewer can feel apart of the action instead of feeling like they are just watching it happen. Though the whole 3D technology is brilliant and very futuristic, I would not want to see certain movies in 3D. In the magazine, Entertainment Weekly, director Judd Apatow commented saying that in his movies, featuring nudity sometimes, no one would want to see someone's stuff in 3D.

My question to the people making these movies is why can't you make a 3D movie and a 2D movie? My point is to instead of forcing viewers to sit through a movie that they may not want to see in 3D, why not have the best of both situation?s

The New iPAD

The iPAD is the newest technology that is going to come out April 3rd. Many people are excited about it basically because it can do everything an iPod touch can. You can type, send e-mails, look at pictures, and read books. People have been comparing it to the Kindle which can only read books. People like it because of its sleek and modern design. My question is will it work? The iPod had plenty of problems when it first came out. For example, the battery on most iPods did not last very long and it would freeze sometimes. I would wait to get one.

This is a huge example of convergence technology not only because it is the iPod but bigger but because it has all of the gadgets of a computer. The fact that it is basically a computer but its a touch screen. People have not seen anything like this before. he sheer fact that a person can type, read a book or magazine, and look a pictures in one device clearly shows how much of a developed and technological world this has become. At the beginning of this decade, people never imagined something like this. And now not only is it real but we can take it home and use it in our daily lives. It makes me think what else will happen in the next ten years. The iPad will not only change our present lives but also the future as well.

Many people will probably say the iPad is stupid or pointless which is what people thought about the iPod touch and people that the iPod was weird and dumb when it first came out. But look around, go to schools, look on the subways and buses almost everyone you see has an iPod. I think it might take time for the iPad to mainstream but it took time for the iPod and the iPod touch to mainstream as well. We will not know how it activates until April 3rd.

Iran Social Media

For Iran social media has helped greatly when it comes to getting their word out. The people believe that their government rigged a presidential election which as a result caused a major uprising on the people’s part they were in disbelief that their government would do such a thing. People against this were taken to jail for their beliefs against the government and newscasters trying to get the story were thrown out of the country and the visa were not renewed. And the Iranian government got what they wanted because newscasters weren’t able to tell us what happened therefore restricting out social media. Their people like China are being forced to keep a restricted view of what is happening in their own government. It would be like if CNN and BBC didn’t exist. That is a scary thought. However some Iranians are getting information from their own satellite televisions. I found very interesting that the man interviewing asked the interviewee about how Twitter is being used to discuss what is happening with Iran but the interviewee said that Twitter is being used only to for Iranians to discuss with each other what is happening, not with the rest of the world. He also said how newscasters aren’t allowed to leave their hotel room to get coverage. In addition the man said of how he wasn’t nervous about doing the interview but that word was getting around. He says this on a podcast that is on the Internet, of course it is going to get around.

China Censorship

From the first podcast I was surprised to hear that the only way people could be able to go on websites like Twitter, Facebook and Youtube were if their country’s firewall was able to shut down. I can’t image having riots and having a government where the officals giver speech to say how bad it is. People who blog aren’t even allowed to say what they want to say without worrying that it may be censored or get a warning. What I think is interesting is the people who have never ventured to other countries don’t know the difference between what is happening to them and the rest of the world. In addition, in the podcast Wall Space, the women being interviewed, Rebecca Mackinnon made a point to compare China and the Soviet Union about how things aren’t just about politics it was about the people not having fun but the people in China are having fun but their freedom is being restricted. She makes a valid point that this censorships can spread to the West but it’s only to protect children. I don’t see how censoring the internet can help a country. In America President Obama used Twitter and Facebook to get young voters to vote. Our government wouldn’t censor things except maybe for government websites. A government shouldn’t have to censor social networking sites. It is like they are scared for the people of their nation to have their own thoughts and views. I think it is smart to tell people about this because maybe it will help China change their politics and their views.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOmqq_n1-aQ

New Media Helps Haiti Relief

Due to the horrific fact that Haiti was completely shattered by an earthquake on January 12 the world of New Media has outstretched a hand to help. There have been many ways that New Media has helped Haiti. For one our own cell phones have been used to donate money. By simply sending text messages to one another’s phones, phone companies would donate a certain amount to a charity specifically to help Haiti relief. 

Along with our cell phones, Facebook has been getting involved as well. Twitter, along with Facebook has also been helpful. People writing on their statuses of how to donate or current topics about Haiti have made relief more affected. Even with online websites the media in general has helped us stay on top of Haiti relief.

 Local news stations and newspapers have specifically told people where they can donate or how to get involved. One thing that was recently done was by actor George Clooney, he organized a Haiti relief telethon that would have viewers watching from at least ten different television networks all with the same number to donate to Haiti. We just have to hope that our donations will be put to good used so it can try to help Haiti get back what they lost.