Appholes

Apple has made some people very upset, and no, this time it's not for faulty hardware.

They ordered police to search a journalist's house because he had "stolen" a new iPhone prototype.

The kickers?

a. an Apple developer left it at a bar while drinking.

b. they already had the phone back when police raided the house.

Police seized most of Jason Chen's computer equipment that he uses to run Gizmodo, a tech blog site that focuses mostly on Apple technology. Jon Stewart even tore Apple a new one for the whole situation.

If anything, the designer should be held accountable for the loss of the device and Apple shouldn't be going after a blogger for something they posted. Someone screwed up, information got out, get over it. Apple, don't farther tarnish your name by going after an innocent guy.

Links:

http://gizmodo.com/5520471/the-tale-of-apples-next-iphone?skyline=true&s=i

http://gizmodo.com/5524843/police-seize-jason-chens-computers

http://gizmodo.com/5525388/the-investigation-into-that-missing-iphone-[updated]

South Park and censorship

South Park has recently come under fire for their recent 200th episode. However, it wasn't really critics or the usual attackers, but a Muslim group based in New York who allegedly threatened harm on Trey and Matt for using the likeness of Muhammad in the show.

RevolutionMuslim created a slideshow of the two creators of the show as well as others who have used religious figures in media. Behind it was a sermon that threatened death to those who have defamed Muhammad.

The first part of the 200th special used the name of the prophet many times, but never showed his likeness. There was always a censor bar covering his body. Then RevolutionMuslim spoke up and protested the episode.

Comedy Central did not take this lightly. For part 2, they bleeped out every instance of the prophet's name. Comedy Central was very careful as to what they were going to include and what needed to get out. The episode aired once at 10PM and hasn't been shown again. The midnight showing was also cut off, as well as usage on South Park Studios.

Matt and Trey allegedly gave Comedy Central the uncut episode without any bleeps and Comedy Central bleeped out the use of the word. However, there was one part of bleeps that are questionable.

At the end of almost every episode, the boys and related characters usually have a message that they learned from the episode. In this particular one, 3 of those messages were bleeped out. They were apparently about intimidation and fear. I'm still not sure if this is all a ruse by South Park's creators, or if Comedy Central really was worried about the possible rammefications of airing the uncut episode.

Sources:

http://www.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/TV/04/21/south.park.islamic.reaction/index.html

http://marquee.blogs.cnn.com/2010/04/22/stone-parker-respond-to-south-park-controversy/

iPad: initial reactions

At about 9:30 in the morning on saturday, I heard someone knock at the door of my parents house. I was stopping in before going to work to grab some food and chit-chat. That knocking was UPS, and they had a neat device for the family.

My brother and I carefully opened the packaging and turned it on for the first time, and wow, it was pretty awesome. My dad had ordered the iPad for the family to use, but mostly for my brother to do minimal computing such as typing papers and surfing the web. He's been using an older iBook for about 2 years. We got the 16GB Wi-Fi model, and my 11 year old brother actually financed the whole thing with only some of his savings money from my dad helping him sell his previous computer and some other stuff...quite the young businessman I have to say.

How I digress, onward!

What I like:

1. The screen - It's wicked sharp and clear. Star Trek came installed on it and it looks almost real life.
2. Touch/accelerometer - The screen can go in any orientation with a simple shake, it's slightly more elegant than it's iPod and iPhone brothers. The games that are currently out use an on-screen controller to operate. It's a little hard to get used to but once you do, it's a lot of fun.
3. Music - it looks like iTunes rather than an iPod, much easier to use and search.
4. ergonomics - This is big. You can sit in a chair with the iPad in your lap in the horizontal orientation and easily type on it. You do have to look at it, but everything on the screen is visible all at once.

The Bads:

1. No flash - This means pretty much no streaming video, or online games as of right now.
2. Internet Woes - The internet on some secured networks can be wonky sometimes. It works great on mass networks like BSCunplugged, but struggles connecting to WPA Personal networks.
3. Low res apps look like crap, but that should be fixed soon.
4. No printer capability...yet.

As with any new device, it has it's issues. Overall, I think it's pretty cool. I really can't chalk it up to more than a big iTouch, it just doesn't offer enough new features. We'll see what Apple comes up with for the next generation.

Google Chrome

I've been a longtime user of both Safari and Firefox to access the web on my computer. However, the other day, one of my friends asked me if I had ever tried Google's new browser called Chrome. I decided that I'd give it a download and install it on my computer.

I liked Safari pretty much right off the bat after I had used Firefox for quite a long time. it offered a cool pane of top visited sites and seemed to be very customizable. Pages loaded decently fast and it was never a problem to find a plugin. However, it wasn't very compatible with many services, struggled with video, and crashed quite frequently when multiple windows were open.

Firefox was pretty decent, but I never really liked the style of what was going on. It offered some cool features, and worked very well with streaming any kind of video. I started having a few crashing problems and it would freeze up from time to time, so I didn't use it as my main browser.

Chrome offers many of these things. You can customize the theme of the browser and the layout of every single little piece. It's very fast and launches quicker than any other program on my computer. When an individual tab freezes, it will only close that tab rather than the whole program. So far, I don't have a single complaint, other than the fact that Netflix doesn't work on it. This is why I keep Firefox around. Chrome also offers the top site pane and a customizable dashboard.

All in all, Chrome was a good choice. It works well and looks cool. Anyone else out there using Chrome?

Learning Adobe After Effects

My advanced video editing class had the opportunity for a guest speaker with real world experience to come to our class and talk to us about how he got to where he is today. His name is Jack Hamilton, and he worked on the graphics for Scrabble from last year. His presentation talked a lot about how a workflow is created and Adobe's program called After Effects.

I had been curious about After Effects, but never really had the opportunity to get the program. The chance arose when I got a copy of CS3 Production Premium through my work. I had played around with it, but I had no idea as to how to manipulate everything and work the program correctly.

At the end of his discussion, he provided us to some resources to start learning the program. Videocopilot offers basic and advanced tutorials for every person to learn After Effects. It's also free for the basic training and a good chunk of the advanced. More techniques are covered in DVD's that they sell. I started with the basics and was able to pick up on a lot of features right away. I started watching the videos at 8pm or so, when I decided to shut down the program it was just a few minutes shy of 5am. I was blown away with everything the program has had to offer.

I'm really glad that there was a good tutorial out there for AE. It always seemed like it was a cool program that could accomplish a lot of cool things. I've had to lay back on the videos in the interest of schoolwork, but I plan to watch and learn more as I have the time.

311 Day Streaming Coverage

As September rolled around and I was back in school, I was already anxiously awaiting spring break. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy school, but spring break fell on an interesting date this year.

Every 2 years, the band 311 plays a live show on March 11(or 3/11). The set usually lasts 5 plus hours and is an awesome experience. My roommate when in 2008 when it was in New Orleans and said it was one of the most shocking experiences he had been through. Once I heard this, I started to plan to go. Then it was announced that it was going to be in Vegas.

At first, we were excited. Neither of us had been to Vegas before, and now we would have the opportunity to see 311 there. then we looked at what it would cost, and how limited our options were. I made an effort to save up for the trip, but with my current bills I wasn't able to save enough in time. We decided that we we're going to have all of our close friends over next Thursday to just kick it and listen to 311 all day. As I was looking at the website, something popped out at me.

This year, for the first year, they're offering live concert coverage streamed in HD. It cost $11.99, and if you pre-ordered, you could watch the concert over and over again for up to a month later. I ordered it right away, and secured a projector not moments later. I've decide that I'm setting up my living room with as many speakers and as big a screen as possible, in order to best simulate the experience.

I may not be there, but thanks to this opportunity I'm still able to see the show. I also now have the chance to hang out with all of my other friends that couldn't afford the trip. I do know 4people that went to the show, and I bet they will have a great time. I envy that they're in Vegas for the experience, but I know we're going to have a great time here as well. There will be plenty of fun times with good friends next Thursday in Bridgewater, but I know I won't have to deal with any "floor-ies" in my house, thankfully.

311 Day - 2010

Netflix as an educational tool?

At the beginning of the semester, I wasn't too surprised with a teacher recommending the internet service Netflix to get the movies that we would be studying in class. I've had my problems with viewing video on blackboard, it often doesn't work for me. That teacher also felt that uploading them all the time might be kind of a hassle, so she also promised to keep copies in the library. So far, Netflix has worked out.

For those who don't know, Netflix is a mailorder rental service. However, they also offer some movies that will play instantly. Last night I was able to show my sister Forrest Gump for the first time, after much criticism for never seeing it. I've seen half of the films online for that particular class and I'm able to pause, fast forward, and even seek throughout the timeline of the movie. If I decide that I want to take a break from my current Don't Be a Menace to South Central..." and watch The Office, I can come back to the prior at any time uninterrupted.

I've also used it for my video editing class, or at least the ones I find on instant play. We read articles in the class that reference some movies that I've never seen, so it's nice to see that and make the connection with what the author was trying to convey.

Not everything is on instant play, but the turnaround for the mail service is only about a day. I can go on and add movies to my queue and they'll send them to me. When I'm finished, I can send it back, and they send me another one on my list. I can modify that list at any time on the website and rate movies that i've seen, as well as post comments. I only pay $8.99 a month for unlimited instant play, and 1 DVD out at a time. However, I can have an unlimited amount of DVD's every month. I mostly use the instant play just because it's so easy, but a lot of times I have to resort to getting the DVD's. But like I said, there is a very short turnaround when exchanging.

Maybe someday Bridgewater can realize that things are moving in a media direction, and a lot of classes that are currently offered use the study of films and TV shows as part of their lessons. It would be pretty cool to see some kind of deal made where students here could get the service for a discount, or it could be more integrated into academic life.

MTV...another lawsuit?

UNICO, a predominant American-Italian organization, is considering suing MTV for the use of the term "guido" in Jersey Shore.

The use of words like ‘Guidos’ and ‘Guidettes’ is racial stereotyping in the worst possible sense and they are portraying young Italian Americans in the worst possible light." -UNICO President Andre Dimino

I know that many people have had this same problem. I've known that term to be derogatory for awhile and was surprised to see it on the show. The whole show itself is based around the idea of the "guido" - A tan, buff, Italian male, and the female companion "guidette". The show depicts them going out and partying almost all the time, starting problems with one another, and showing a generally poor attitude. Physical contact and verbal disagreements get extra coverage with plenty of footage to give the viewer the best angle of the situation. It's these characteristics that attract viewers to the show every week - the mystery of what the show has to offer each week.

I can't blame UNICO for being upset. MTV should have realized the repercussions from their actions. There was a scandal with one of the girls on the show, Snooki, about midway through the season. She was punched in the face by a drunk guy at the bar, and MTV decided to air the footage in teasers for the new episode. They were soon scrutinized for showing violence against women, and instead of showing the footage on the next week's show, only the audio was played over black. A disclaimer was offered to fight violence against women at the end of the episode. The footage was very graphic and caused a lot of emotional trauma for Snooki.

MTV has promoted the derogatory use of the term "guido", and now they have to pay the penalty. They need to learn that scandal, while it can make for interesting TV and can attract viewers, can have repercussions as well.

Source:

Radar Online

Facebook's facelift

As all of you probably saw yesterday or today, your beloved facebook is no longer the same. Well now that facebook has turned the ripe old age of 6, creator Mark Zuckerberg has given it some changes yet again.

Facebook is on a mission to make things easier for the common user. I've personally seen a diverse age population on Facebook. Not only are business professionals now using it, but so are grandmas to stay in contact. Facebook adapted to this change accordingly.

Their applications are now easier to see and examine. Notifications pop up in the top left hand corner rather than the bottom right. Messaging and requests are located right next to that. There is also no "Home" or "Profile button. All you have to do now is click on the "Facebook" in the top right to go home, and click on your picture to view your profile.

Now I've only had the new Facebook for just about 20 minutes. I logged in and saw the change, and thought there would be a large uproar. So far, people seem pretty positive. i know not a lot of people are receptive to change, but I think this is something that can work for the website well.

CNN Link

Morality at the movies

I'm currently taking a seminar course entitle Morality at the movies. I was intrigued when I saw the syllabus and saw a lot of movies that we would be watching, but wondered how many popular films would be involved in a philosophy class.

Our first film was Gone Baby Gone. I hadn't seen the movie before the class but I had heard rave reviews. The topic at hand that we were told to watch out for was who would be inherently right, and that was what we based our discussions on.

This topic got me to thinking a lot about what movies have to offer in the way of real world advice, and how they use narrative to tell a story. The writer of this particular story wanted the viewer to be enthralled and used almost every single character in the rehash of the events of the film. At the end, I was personally left wondering how those people were able to lie with such a straight face.

But once again, these people are just actors. They are simply playing a part. I thought it was odd that I was thinking that way and relating these characters to real people. I think people can use the movies to tell a story and show a lesson to some, or even just get people's minds cranking and talking to one and another about it.

I've seen films used before as educational tools, but never in a philosophy class. The idea behind the whole lesson was that there was no "right" answer to a dilemma. that really got my wheels turning about every single aspect of Gone Baby Gone.

iPad: Revolutionizing a market or creating one?

My dad had been hearing about an Apple made tablet for awhile, that had the power of an actual computer. My ten year old brother had wanted a simple computer for surfing the web and the occasional document...basically all a technologically savvy little guy could ask for. Then it was announced today.

It honestly blew my mind. It's a 10.1" tablet computer that has a viewing dock and a keyboard dock. It's hard drive capacity varies from 16-64GB of battery saving SSD. It weighs a scant 1.5 pounds and offers 10 hours of use and a month(!) of standby.

But here's where it goes further. Not only does it offer wifi on the "base model", it has 3G capability for only $130 more. For unlimited date it's only $30 a month with no contract.

On the downside, it's untested and there will be shortages when it is initially released.

What does this mean for the world? Apple is at it again with their revolutionizing of markets. Now they go at the ultra portable. The netbook has been pretty popular, but nothing super spectacular has come from it. This is a tablet, but the price is similar to that of far less optioned netbooks. If I was in the market for a knockaround computer for surfing and doing everyday stuff(aka netbook), I'd be waiting the 60 days for this to come out. It also offers cell network capability, with no contract. People will be able to use these anywhere, and I can bet that it will soon become a mainstay within people's personal technology habits.

The masses will be able to receive their updates anywhere and actually accomplish basic tasks on a large screen, something that you can't do without a phone. I bet a lot of businessmen that travel will be all over this device.

As Jobs put it, "Our most advanced technology in a magical & revolutionary device at an unbelievable price."

I'll buy it, literally and metaphorically. This is once again going to change the way people go about their internet and technologically based lives. I know my little brother can't wait the 60 days for it to be released.

Engadget

Apple Video