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November 30, 2008
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November 23, 2008
Korea Tech Preview - Day 2
Day 2 was every bit as good as Day 1, and on the whole I found this excursion very worthwhile. Not a whole lot of IP communications on display here, but where else are you going to come across so many intriguing technologies, innovations, gadgets, etc.? I met quite a few interesting companies and will definitely be following up with some of them.
Here’s a quick recap with some photo highlights, and don’t be surprised to see some of these at your local electronics retailer in 2009.
Lunchtime keytnotes - Burrill & Co. (VC) and LG Electronics
Neolux - e-reader - like Kindle. I thought this was really cool and since it’s read-only, it’s a great way to distribute copyrighted content safely. I can see lots of possibilities here.
Commax - residential video surveillance/greeting systems. All kinds of applications - not only can you watch and talk to that stranger knocking on your door, as well as let him in, but you can monitor anywhere in/around your home where you can put a camera. I can’t help but think of all the Monty Python and the Holy Grail fun scenarios you can have with this — “WHAT is your favorite color?”….
Pavonine - do not adjust your set. It’s a blurry image because it’s 3D! Hah. When you put on the 3D glasses, the TV experience sure changes big time. Not just for watching TV but for gaming. Seems corny, but pretty cool.
Adscalator - strange word, but that’s what they do. Yup. It’s a digital ad display panel at the entry/exit point of an escalator. Not only that - see where I’ve drawn a circle? That’s where Adscalator disinfects the moving handguard we all rest our hands on. How’s that for being virtuous and commercial at the same time?
PlayGuard - my favorite. Ready for this? A round webcam that goes almost anywhere. It’s “smaller than a golf ball”, so you hardly even notice it. The exhibitor was a good sport and modelled one way to use it. For those of us who feel compelled to video everything we do, here’s the solution. It’s brilliant - what extreme sports enthusiast wouldn’t want this and try to become the next star of America’s Funniest Home Videos? Just strap it on your head - or your baby, or your pet, and away you go. I guess. How about a waterproof model for scuba diving? Or a car-mounted cam which becomes your black box in the event of an accident? Tons of possibilities - how could you not want one of these?
Bo Shin - my gracious host. A big thanks to Bo and all the others at KOTRA who provided great hospitality, and more importantly, translation help during my meetings! Without them, my meetings would not have lasted very long. Remember the Seinfeld episode with Frank Costanza when the Koreans were trash talking him? Unlike Frank, I don’t know Korean, so I can only hope they were nice to me during our meetings. 
Technorati tags: Korea Tech Preview 2008, Jon Arnold, & Associates” rel=”tag”>J Arnold & Associates
November 21, 2008
Sony BMG News | Sony BMG has moved
SONY BMG Music Entertainment (UK), and SONY BMG Music Entertainment International have now completed their move from their previous offices in Fulham and Hammersmith respectively into their brand new headquarters at 9 Derry Street, London, W8 5HY.
The new office number is +44 20 7361 8000.
Email addresses remain the same.
November 20, 2008
Dio “Holy Diver” (1983)
Dio
Holy Diver (1983)
Holy Diver (1983)
This classical hard rock work was recorded in so far 1983. By that time Ronnie James Dio (frontman of the same-named band) had a rich music experience. He appeared on five classic studio albums (three with Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow and two with Black Sabbath) released in the late 70’s and early 80’s. “Holy diver” was debut album of Dio’s solo project. It’s possible to compare this album with examination: Dio should demonstrate his possibility to write good music without a guardianship of such rock monsters as Black Sabbath or Rainbow. And he has passed this examination with excellence: “Holy Diver” became classical hard rock album. Everybody who likes hard rock should have this album in the collection. Highly recommended. Reviewed by Alexey Gusev.
Gentle Giant “Octopus” (1972)
Gentle Giant
Octopus (1972)
Octopus (1972)
“Octopus” is my first acquaintance with works of this excellent progressive rock band. I want to say that I’ve liked their extraordinary music just after listening to the title composition. So, “Octopus” is third Gentle Giant’s studio work. Gentle Giant’s music is influenced by symphonic classical music, jazz, medieval chants, and baroque chamber music, and as a whole it is possible to say that their music is similar to Yes, King Crimson, and Jethro Tull. Besides fairly standard rock instruments such as vocal, guitar, bass, keyboard, and drums, Gentle Giant added non-traditional for rock music cello, violin, vibraphone, trumpet, and sax. “Octopus” impressed me with fresh sound, rich composer imagination and, of course, singularity of the performance. I’m sure, this album will make a good impression on every connoisseur of progressive rock. Reviewed by Alexey Gusev.
November 19, 2008
Schwing! Paramore, Vampire Weekend, Lykke Li Rock mtvU Woodie Awards
What’s more indigenous to the college experience than total, abject confusion?
The mtvU Woodie Awards offered that in spades: Who is mumbling listlessly at the podium, Moby? (Yes.) Does this award show exist for any reason besides priapic puns? (Maybe.) What defines “college music” to the greying beast MTV and how did both Kanye and No Age fit through their voters’ siphon? (No clue.) Do any of these artists even go to college? (Some: see Chromeo singer/guitarist David Macklovitch, Columbia University’s fiercest French and Romance Philology Ph. D. candidate.)
Cool Kids
Click to enlarge
But at New York City’s Hammerstein Ballroom last night, the sweatshirt-clad crowd seemed quite happy to celebrate “their” music, whatever it is. Opening act the Cool Kids embraced extracurriculars with their cry, “Time ain’t wasted if you’re wasted!” and slid into a taut version “Delivery Man.” Paramore, currently pursuing studies in how-to-dye-your-hair-red-hot-and-hoot-a-lot, bestowed Best Video Woodie to Motion City Soundtrack for “It Had to Be You.” Atmosphere hazily accepted Performing Woodie via video feed and in-house DJ A-Trak spun golden hip-hop during the commercial breaks.
Swedish popstress Lykke Li danced about in shiny tights for “I’m Good, I’m Gone” and then, in the evening’s great surprise, pulled Q-Tip onstage to duet on A Tribe Called Quest’s “Can I Kick It?” (Q, happily, lingered to punch out “Vibrant Thing.”) Later, former Blink-182 bassist Mark Hoppus introduced the exquisite whininess that is All Time Low.
Then all that studying paid off: Electrofunkers Chromeo won Left Field Woodie. Shrewdly, Macklovitch refrained from asking what that even means, exactly. Then Moby shuffled in briefly, but even he didn’t seem to hear what he said and looked a bit mortified in the process.
In a moment of sincere repose, regal lady-in-red Debbie Harry introduced Santogold, who spliced her three-song set (including an excellent, brassy “Shove It”) with happy chatter about college radio and Obama. Jack’s Mannequin kept up the positive vibes with a Good Woodie win for their Dear Jack Foundation, which raises money and awareness for cancer research — singer Andrew McMahon survived leukemia. Ithaca College’s WICB won College Radio Station of the Year (but why didn’t they get a penis pun, too?).
Lykke Li
Click to enlarge
Woodie of the Year went to Paramore for “That’s What You Get,” whose singer Hayley Williams knows her way around the sophomoric joke: “I’m the first girl in the band to get a Woodie!” This while Vampire Weekend, themselves Columbia grads, watched patiently in shadows from the adjacent stage; their closing set was frisky and heavy with their Afro-pop leanings. Chromeo sat in on “The Kids Don’t Stand a Chance” and “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa,” and fittingly they wrapped with “A-Punk,” singer Ezra Koening’s voice going even higher into the ether than ever thought possible.
All in all, an educational evening.
Santogold / Photo by Jackie Roman
Vampire Weekend’s Evra Koenig with Chromeo / Photo by Jackie Roman
Lykke Li performing with Q-Tip / Photo by Jackie Roman
All Time Low / Photo by Jackie Roman
Mark Hoppus of +44 / Photo by Jackie Roman