I think a new media that isn't invented yet is the completing the Personal Area Network or PAN. We all have with several devices with us everyday and all of the time. Unfortunately, even if all of those devices are made from the same manufactures that run compatible software the data sharing is minimal compared to what it could be. The cloud is great for syncing devices that are connected to them Internet and bluetooth is great for devices in close proximity. I envision network that relies on both. For instance imagine a watch that relies on you smartphone for an Internet connection for the latest weather and and stock updates and text messages. It can be a standalone device or serve as a second screen for a phone. Or maybe just an input device? Someone's glasses could serve as a heads up display and smart phone would just be a CPU and portal to the Internet.
That portal could be a portal to your whole digital world, at home and work. You could get alerts to where your kids are. Who's at the door even though of half a world away. How about your car sending a message letting your family know your stuck in traffic with out you prompting it to. You can already manage a lot of systems such as your car's ignition and climate remotely, you can turn on lights and appliances from your cell phone. It's just a matter of having all of these networks talk to each other and work with each other.
Note.... This is a new media, not just a new technology. It would be highly interactive with your friends and family and change the way we interact with technology and each other.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Wiki So Far
So far this semester I've been working to on keeping the BNM wiki current with modern trends on how New Media is changing the music and entertainment industry. YouTube reachs out to indie labels.. I'm on it... iTunes match, the cloud and Spotify are all changing the way we consume media, so I'm writing about it. I'm generally focusing on the Entertainment and Music facets of New Media and mostly just the content so if anyone wants to link images or edit my grammar and spelling (or even content) please do. Wiki is a collaborative venture and we all have to help each other out.
P2P
When record companies forced CD’s on to retailers because of their much higher profit margin than cassettes and vinyl, they had no idea they opened pandoras box (no pun intended). As the internet proliferated into homes across America and soon the world, it changed the way we interacted with information and each other. Soon programs such as Napster and lime wire were along to make file sharing as easy as searching and clicking. Hence P2P, or peer-2-peer. The idea of paying for music and other media became obsolete. The spread of Broadband just made that easier and furthered that stereotype.
There have been push backs from legislatures and record companies Record Companies. The Napsters of the world have gone legit and, those business models have failed. The traditional record business is collapsing and the age of free media is upon us, record companies are picking up the scraps. Those scraps are pretty big ones, ranging far into the billions of dollars a year. iTunes and Amazon responsible for a large part of trying to sway consumers back to paying for media.
But whether we like it or not, P2P is like the age old battle of armor v. weapon. There will always be a one-upping of sorts. Right now, Torrents are the tools most of us use to freely share content online. What makes them unique is they rely on users, seeders snatchers and leachers to proliferate the data. Whatever that data may be. It is a network as powerful as an individuals computer or millions of computers working together. Popular websites such as thepiratebay.org are only responsible for hosting information and of where to get the file and managing its distribution. The reliance on those websites are minimal compared to that of limewire and napster, which often required some sort of a central database.
All those websites are currently being targeted by the RIAA and other legal bodies but P2Pers will just switch services to private trackers that operate elsewhere. Afterall, there are many dark corners of the internet.
There have been push backs from legislatures and record companies Record Companies. The Napsters of the world have gone legit and, those business models have failed. The traditional record business is collapsing and the age of free media is upon us, record companies are picking up the scraps. Those scraps are pretty big ones, ranging far into the billions of dollars a year. iTunes and Amazon responsible for a large part of trying to sway consumers back to paying for media.
But whether we like it or not, P2P is like the age old battle of armor v. weapon. There will always be a one-upping of sorts. Right now, Torrents are the tools most of us use to freely share content online. What makes them unique is they rely on users, seeders snatchers and leachers to proliferate the data. Whatever that data may be. It is a network as powerful as an individuals computer or millions of computers working together. Popular websites such as thepiratebay.org are only responsible for hosting information and of where to get the file and managing its distribution. The reliance on those websites are minimal compared to that of limewire and napster, which often required some sort of a central database.
All those websites are currently being targeted by the RIAA and other legal bodies but P2Pers will just switch services to private trackers that operate elsewhere. Afterall, there are many dark corners of the internet.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Privacy
Everything you put online enters into the public domain regardless or our privacy settings or intentions. You don't even have to post said information online. Im not just talking about photos from last weekend your friend posted. There are probably hundreds of databases with our names, addresses, phone numbers and other pertinent information that is exposed to the Internet. Signup for a rewards card? Insurance quote? All this information is kept securely in servers behind firewalls, some of which are less secure than others. The sad truth is that it means that anyone who really wants to access the data can.
So, what doesn't that mean for you? Well it simply means you need to become digitally conscious of where your information is and what if any large security breaches affect you. Many of them that affect consumers make the news so pay attention. You can take preventive steps such as using a separate email and password for less reputable and secure sites. But best protection of all is to check your credit annually and sign up for an identity monitoring service. Im not saying you have to stay up late at night worrying about being a digital detective, but you should have some concern. Google your name every now and then. If there is information you don't want around that your didn't authorize call up the host. Bug them, threaten them with legal action until they take it down. All and all be responsible and be in control!
So, what doesn't that mean for you? Well it simply means you need to become digitally conscious of where your information is and what if any large security breaches affect you. Many of them that affect consumers make the news so pay attention. You can take preventive steps such as using a separate email and password for less reputable and secure sites. But best protection of all is to check your credit annually and sign up for an identity monitoring service. Im not saying you have to stay up late at night worrying about being a digital detective, but you should have some concern. Google your name every now and then. If there is information you don't want around that your didn't authorize call up the host. Bug them, threaten them with legal action until they take it down. All and all be responsible and be in control!
Advice
My advice to Baruch would be simple. Embrace technology and embrace those that do so. From students and professors to the outside companies Baruch does business with, they should encourage us all to integrate new media in our everyday academic life. Discussions on Blackboard shouldn't be limited to online classes. They shouldn't even be taking place on Blackboard. Facebook serves as a great way for many people to participate in a conversation and share ideas. We already demonstrated how twitter and blogging can be integrated in education. Well, now its time to make it happen.
Its not enough to just encourage this. You need to provide students with the tools to do so. There are laptops available for loan, many desktops for student use but that simply doesn't go far enough. Regardless of the platform, Mac OSX, iOS, Windows, Android, or even an open source platform every student and faculty member needs to be empowered with a device that is compatible with each others and shares similar formats. They can get the ball rolling by using free cloud services such of Google Docs.
While these devices aren't cheap they can certainly be purchased at a cheaper rate in bulk and paid off in our technology fee over time. For instance, if every student got a 16GB iPad 2 for $350.00 (assuming bulk education discount) that can be paid off in just under 4 semesters of our technology fee. The remains fees would go to creating an infrastructure to maintain these devices. Once everyone is on a similar platform, sharing and collaborating would become near effortless. The library could be replaced (rather complimented) by a digital library and interactive textbooks would bring learning into the 21st Century,
Its not enough to just encourage this. You need to provide students with the tools to do so. There are laptops available for loan, many desktops for student use but that simply doesn't go far enough. Regardless of the platform, Mac OSX, iOS, Windows, Android, or even an open source platform every student and faculty member needs to be empowered with a device that is compatible with each others and shares similar formats. They can get the ball rolling by using free cloud services such of Google Docs.
While these devices aren't cheap they can certainly be purchased at a cheaper rate in bulk and paid off in our technology fee over time. For instance, if every student got a 16GB iPad 2 for $350.00 (assuming bulk education discount) that can be paid off in just under 4 semesters of our technology fee. The remains fees would go to creating an infrastructure to maintain these devices. Once everyone is on a similar platform, sharing and collaborating would become near effortless. The library could be replaced (rather complimented) by a digital library and interactive textbooks would bring learning into the 21st Century,
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
About My Term Research Paper
I went into this project thinking that it would just be a regurgitation of thinks I knew about technology and new media. After all, my generation developed as new media was in its infancy so I though I was an expert. The same thing goes for the music industry. Im a Music Industry major so I’ve taken my fair share of classes about the music business. I chose this topic because these I’m devoting my life to peruse a career in them. I’ve always been interested in the music business and read what ever crosses my path regarding the topic. Turns out that I knew a lot less than I thought I did on both subject matters.
I was in contact with a lot of industry people getting insight on how they utilize social media. I spent countless hours on Google Scholar, looking for reports and books to explain exactly just what is going.
This paper really opened up my eyes to a lot of the inner workings of the music industry and the developing entanglement with new media. New Media continues to develop and change the way we consume music just as it changes how artists music. It shouldn’t be a shock to anyone that a majority of musicians struggle financially. Reading this paper will give you the historical perspective to understand why. The ultimate goal of the paper which is to provide a current snapshot of music industry today will show you how media is fighting back against those circumstance. Enjoy & Thank You for reading!
I was in contact with a lot of industry people getting insight on how they utilize social media. I spent countless hours on Google Scholar, looking for reports and books to explain exactly just what is going.
This paper really opened up my eyes to a lot of the inner workings of the music industry and the developing entanglement with new media. New Media continues to develop and change the way we consume music just as it changes how artists music. It shouldn’t be a shock to anyone that a majority of musicians struggle financially. Reading this paper will give you the historical perspective to understand why. The ultimate goal of the paper which is to provide a current snapshot of music industry today will show you how media is fighting back against those circumstance. Enjoy & Thank You for reading!
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Creativity and New Media
Like promised I made a petition using new media online that has potential to make a real impact... But only if you sign it http://wh.gov/TM7 
Creativity and New Media
I created on online petition on change.org that address an issue I am concerned about. Natural Gas Fracking. You can read about that and sign it. When I get enough signatures I will forward to state/ federal legislatures. As well, once my account gets approved I will start a similar petition on We The People. A website The White House created that allows citizens to gather support for ideas. If 16,000 people sign that petition in a certain period of time a committee is created to study that idea. DEMOCRACY IN ACTION!
Creativity
New media fosters creativity by bringing people together with technology and allowing any idea no matter how unheard of or ridiculous ridiculous to come to fruition. New Media has the potential to bring people together with other people as well as an idea. With new media websites such as kickstarter a person with just an idea can post it, ask for funding to develop it and develop a network to make it happen. For instance,the concept of mashups requires technology that wasn't readily available to the public just a couple years ago. Many DJ's separate instrumental tracks from vocals just using frequency filters. If someone had the idea to do so using software that used advanced programing rather than just frequency range filters, they could post the idea on kickstarter, get funding, create an organization and network and get it done. Now even though that's not how the software in the article came about. It is an example of how collaboration through new media fosters creativity
All in all new media fosters creativity because it connects people with ideas. Web apps such as Google's office suite, Google Docs, allows multiple users to collaborate on documents and other projects. By hosting and working in the cloud, ideas can pour in from almost and unlimited number of sources around the globe. Currently, the most popular cloud services are focusing on personal music libraries and document sharing/ hosting. That doesn’t meant that one day, these services won’t expand to other areas. For instance a cloud based GarageBand that allows musicians to create tracks in real time from locations scattered around the globe.
All in all new media fosters creativity because it connects people with ideas. Web apps such as Google's office suite, Google Docs, allows multiple users to collaborate on documents and other projects. By hosting and working in the cloud, ideas can pour in from almost and unlimited number of sources around the globe. Currently, the most popular cloud services are focusing on personal music libraries and document sharing/ hosting. That doesn’t meant that one day, these services won’t expand to other areas. For instance a cloud based GarageBand that allows musicians to create tracks in real time from locations scattered around the globe.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Modeling Reality with Virtual Worlds
Virtual Worlds developed from life simulation games such as ‘The Sim’s’ (that was popular in the late 1990’s early 2000’s) into a Multi-Billion Dollar Industry. Even in the face of one of the worst world recessions in history! There impact is not only limited to letting people virtually experience things never imaginable before like (teleportation, being a rockstar, etc) through avatars in virtual worlds that exists in cyberspace on website like Second Life.
I for one see these virtual worlds as a waste of time but the technology has not been incorporated in my interests or needs yet. I think spending ones free time and money living a virtual life that is relatively intangible is a waste of time and resources. But for some these places can foster creativity. They are environments where people can make and exchange digital goods and content. Albeit these aren’t tangible they can still be considered creative on the digital plane.
On the other hand, these virtual worlds have a lot of potential to have a positive impact in the world. For instance, look at the case where autistic people used virtual worlds as a therapeutic tool to learn social skills in a safe environment. This is just one example of how this technology can help the handicap. Imagine a bedridden person being able to attend a concert or family function.
They also have the potential to replace current communication media like video chats and streaming concerts Streaming Concerts or at least integrate them as a popular feature. The problem with this scenario, is these virtual worlds essentially become a glorified GUI, and what I would see as a waste of time/ energy if I were considering it for a corporations conferencing needs such as when it was integrated in to a Congressional meeting These worlds will be what you make them. Like I said i think they’re a waste of time, but others can most certainly find these virtual realities real solutions to real problems.
I for one see these virtual worlds as a waste of time but the technology has not been incorporated in my interests or needs yet. I think spending ones free time and money living a virtual life that is relatively intangible is a waste of time and resources. But for some these places can foster creativity. They are environments where people can make and exchange digital goods and content. Albeit these aren’t tangible they can still be considered creative on the digital plane.
On the other hand, these virtual worlds have a lot of potential to have a positive impact in the world. For instance, look at the case where autistic people used virtual worlds as a therapeutic tool to learn social skills in a safe environment. This is just one example of how this technology can help the handicap. Imagine a bedridden person being able to attend a concert or family function.
They also have the potential to replace current communication media like video chats and streaming concerts Streaming Concerts or at least integrate them as a popular feature. The problem with this scenario, is these virtual worlds essentially become a glorified GUI, and what I would see as a waste of time/ energy if I were considering it for a corporations conferencing needs such as when it was integrated in to a Congressional meeting These worlds will be what you make them. Like I said i think they’re a waste of time, but others can most certainly find these virtual realities real solutions to real problems.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Twitter can't really be compared to any other kind of discussion because we are engaging in a completely different kind of discussion. It's great for sharing quick ideas and getting quick feedback but there is a lot lost in 140 characters that wouldn't be in an unlimited amount that we find in blackboard. But because of it's interface the ideas are free flowing, in real time and have the illusion of immersion.
Blackboard on the other hand provides users with unlimited amount of text to share but has a rather poor interface that doesn't make it easy to ideas rapidly send media easily. These all pale in comparison to in class discussion... But only if it's done correctly and makes use of the new media mentioned and everyone contributes (which is easier to do online)
Blackboard on the other hand provides users with unlimited amount of text to share but has a rather poor interface that doesn't make it easy to ideas rapidly send media easily. These all pale in comparison to in class discussion... But only if it's done correctly and makes use of the new media mentioned and everyone contributes (which is easier to do online)
Social Networking Sites
There are many different portals to harness social media and many of these have developed their own niches. Even Facebook which was previously seen as social networking central a few years ago has had other serves like Twitter and LinkedIn carve out a niche of their own. In fact many other social networking sites have developed the scope of their product based on concepts first introduced throughout Facebook like status updates, social connected music sharing etc.
Twitter Is essentially Facebook limited to it's status update functionality. People like the simplicity and it's being utilized for different things every day like customer service and marketing. LinkedIn has put up a wall between work and play only focusing on business customers. Something like a mashup between monster.com and Facebook it allows professionals and those looking for a job to network and make new connections.. Although a lot of those services are fee based and that could drive people away especially as new technologies develop that lure customers away. Friendster and myspace were some of the first social networking sites and but since they lost market share to Facebook they have actually abandoned the social communication platform that Facebook built off of to build it's success and focused on creating niche sites (myspace- music; Friendster- games) based on Facebook's advances in those fields.
Google + on the other hand is going for Facebook's throat and challenging their bread and butter, and getting back to basics. Facebook has become bloated with apps, timelines, news feeds, groups, etc.... And every year they pack on more. Google + , seems to want to have all of these features as well, (as it is open to developers) but it does it in a much cleaner and simpler way. The biggest feature they have is circles.. Similar to how Facebook allows you to sort friends, googles circles does the same thing but in a simpler and more intuitive manner.
Twitter Is essentially Facebook limited to it's status update functionality. People like the simplicity and it's being utilized for different things every day like customer service and marketing. LinkedIn has put up a wall between work and play only focusing on business customers. Something like a mashup between monster.com and Facebook it allows professionals and those looking for a job to network and make new connections.. Although a lot of those services are fee based and that could drive people away especially as new technologies develop that lure customers away. Friendster and myspace were some of the first social networking sites and but since they lost market share to Facebook they have actually abandoned the social communication platform that Facebook built off of to build it's success and focused on creating niche sites (myspace- music; Friendster- games) based on Facebook's advances in those fields.
Google + on the other hand is going for Facebook's throat and challenging their bread and butter, and getting back to basics. Facebook has become bloated with apps, timelines, news feeds, groups, etc.... And every year they pack on more. Google + , seems to want to have all of these features as well, (as it is open to developers) but it does it in a much cleaner and simpler way. The biggest feature they have is circles.. Similar to how Facebook allows you to sort friends, googles circles does the same thing but in a simpler and more intuitive manner.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Social Networking
There are many different ways that Social Networks can be used outside of its intended purpose to connect people with other people. Corporations are creating pages on Facebook for themselves and products. Politicians are requesting their constituents and commenting on their photos. Many can even argue President Obama would not have gotten as much support if he had not utilized social networking.
This doesn’t present so much of a dark side as a creepy side, but than again thats what the Privacy Settings are for. The dark side of social networking is that it essentially a giant database of everyone that can include a deep profile of you digital life, that can be accessed by law enforcement and other entities without proper cause or even our knowledge. But we adapt. We need to choose what goes online and what stays in the real world.
This doesn’t present so much of a dark side as a creepy side, but than again thats what the Privacy Settings are for. The dark side of social networking is that it essentially a giant database of everyone that can include a deep profile of you digital life, that can be accessed by law enforcement and other entities without proper cause or even our knowledge. But we adapt. We need to choose what goes online and what stays in the real world.
Monday, September 26, 2011
I think the difference between blogs and wikis are the public perception of them. Wikis are used more as a source of information and used as a basis for collaboration. Blogs on the other hand have the feeling of a personalized forum. This is changing, with the introduction of community blogs such the one that read about that was responsible for shutting down the crack house in Brooklyn. Although, that website has more of the feel of a forum. Like I said my perception of blogs is more of a personal forum. Like many things in web2.0, definitions are constantly changing.
Wikis on the other hand are just breaking ground as collaborative forum in places that aren’t wikipedia. In the article ‘Up from the grassroots,’ 'Up from the grassroots' it explores how wikis can be purposed in the workplace and education. Look no further than this class for an example. Imagine if it was applied in other classes. The downside of wikis is that it’s not just write and post. A little technical know-how is required but it’s very basic and I’m sure software and plugin’s will be along to make that easier. As well, they aren’t as customizable and visually appealing as blogs can be, but some can argue that makes the information stand out.
Wikis on the other hand are just breaking ground as collaborative forum in places that aren’t wikipedia. In the article ‘Up from the grassroots,’ 'Up from the grassroots' it explores how wikis can be purposed in the workplace and education. Look no further than this class for an example. Imagine if it was applied in other classes. The downside of wikis is that it’s not just write and post. A little technical know-how is required but it’s very basic and I’m sure software and plugin’s will be along to make that easier. As well, they aren’t as customizable and visually appealing as blogs can be, but some can argue that makes the information stand out.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
my project
Like I said before, I love music. I'm a musician as well as I'm a Music Business Major. For my term project I'm going to be discussing how New Media impacts the Music Industry. Everything from production to distribution. I hope to interview a couple of people in the business along with some background readings and articles I've sourced online. I'm not sure what the final scope of it is yet, I'll know more after I hear back from some industry people I've emailed.
Describe New Media
To go a little more in depth with the “What Is New Media?” post, lets look at the specifics of old media and what kind of technologies are changing the landscape of information and entertainment. One of the best ways to distinguish old media from new media is simple. You can touch it. CD’s , DVD’s, Paper, even Blu-Rays are obsolete. If you can’t view it on your computer, download it, stream it, or there’s not an app for that ITS OLD. Not to say the music industry hasn’t evolved by using iTunes and other online portals, or the Film industry hasn’t adopted using Netfix but the days of physical media are nearing an end. Netflix the mail-order DVD rental company that gained massive popularity due to DVDs is in the process of phasing them out.
I’ll even go as far as far as saying that innovative strategies using new media such as the one seen here by the start-up. The Printed Blog, is old media... Their model of printing out user selected blogs and delivering the in local geographical area in major metro areas is a great idea. Its certainly is more appealing than reading a national syndicate, but its still is old media. I can’t click respond and fire off a comment saying how I feel about an issue. I have to go on a digital device to do that. Like I said, If you can touch it, it’s old (excluding tablets of course)!
I’ll even go as far as far as saying that innovative strategies using new media such as the one seen here by the start-up. The Printed Blog, is old media... Their model of printing out user selected blogs and delivering the in local geographical area in major metro areas is a great idea. Its certainly is more appealing than reading a national syndicate, but its still is old media. I can’t click respond and fire off a comment saying how I feel about an issue. I have to go on a digital device to do that. Like I said, If you can touch it, it’s old (excluding tablets of course)!
What is New Media?
New media, is the term to describe the technologies that change the way we interact with the world and each other. It impacts everything from education, personal communication and entertainment, corporate restructuring, and even revolutions.
New media relies on the Internet, one may even say that the Internet is New Media. The internet is both the conduit and host. For example, look cloud computing, your facebook page, google apps, etc., all of the data is stored in server farms in remote locations and accessed instantly at the click of the mouse. For example look at this New York Times article Who Needs TV? I'm Watching on a Laptop. We see people using popular sites like hulu and network websites to stream programming that was once only available via TV or download. In these cases, the content is hosted elsewhere and accessed through your computer. It doesn’t take up much disk space, just bandwidth.
These tools are helping us enhance our previous concept of media, now know as old media. The New York Times online has interactive articles with a multitude of multimedia features such as guided tours you just can’t get from the print version. Our utilization of multiple screens changes the way we think about traditional media. If I’m streaming TV and want to know more about a topic, I can google it on the spot. If I want to share a video or song with all my friends I can post it on facebook, sendspace or soundcloud.
New Media is here, but what we call new media today may be old media tomorrow. It is not a static term and will develop as the technology does.
New media relies on the Internet, one may even say that the Internet is New Media. The internet is both the conduit and host. For example, look cloud computing, your facebook page, google apps, etc., all of the data is stored in server farms in remote locations and accessed instantly at the click of the mouse. For example look at this New York Times article Who Needs TV? I'm Watching on a Laptop. We see people using popular sites like hulu and network websites to stream programming that was once only available via TV or download. In these cases, the content is hosted elsewhere and accessed through your computer. It doesn’t take up much disk space, just bandwidth.
These tools are helping us enhance our previous concept of media, now know as old media. The New York Times online has interactive articles with a multitude of multimedia features such as guided tours you just can’t get from the print version. Our utilization of multiple screens changes the way we think about traditional media. If I’m streaming TV and want to know more about a topic, I can google it on the spot. If I want to share a video or song with all my friends I can post it on facebook, sendspace or soundcloud.
New Media is here, but what we call new media today may be old media tomorrow. It is not a static term and will develop as the technology does.
Monday, September 5, 2011
First Post
Let's keep this informal. I do work a night time security guard so I'll probably be posting here at extreme hours of the day, hence the 4am. Not much is coming to mind at the moment other than the fact I get off work in an hour and a half!
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