And so it is...

Well, I haven't posted in a while, and I'm not sure what will become of this blog now that Intro to Professional Writing is over... However, that doesn't mean that this blog hasn't inspired me. In fact, yesterday, I went out and purchased a brand-new, multimedia-enhanced desktop computer that is, indeed, Windows Vista ready. It even came with a free Vista upgrade rebate. It's pretty fantastic to think that an assignment for a class could be so inspiring, and this is living proof of its possibility. So regardless of whatever happens with this blog, it has made me a more-informed person and for that I'll be always grateful.

Photoooshop!

There's a new version of photoshop coming out--you know what that means! A whole new round of artists and photoshoppers and enthusiasts and amateurs making the Internet sparkling. Personally, I prefer using Microsoft Photodraw, but over the past week, I've been working with Photoshop and I love it. I'm excited for the new version, and I intend to upgrade to make my multimedia packages all the better. Photoshop--multimedia journalism's best friend, ish. But only if you deal with images!

Free Photoshop CS3 Beta Available Tomorrow [ from PC World ]

"Playing" Journalist

Yahoo will now be allowing the general public to submit photos and videos from world events they've seen. It's odd because I thought this was already the case--I've seen amateur photos/videos all over the mainstream media since 9/11, especially in the Madrid bombings (which I mentioned previously). However, I'm all for making it more accessible and mainstream. Journalists can't be everywhere, it's just like that. But everyday people are. It only makes sense that they contribute to the news.

It seems like the news is being covered more and more thoroughly each day. Big Brother, anyone?

Yahoo! Lets You Play Journalist [ From Techtree.com ]

To quote the great Bob Cole... It's PULL-IT-ZER!

You know the times are a-changing when the Pulitzers are now going to allow solely online submissions for certain categories. In a way, it's sad for the print world. A bastion of print-only prejudice is starting to crumble. I'm sure old-school newspaper men and women are sighing and longing for times long ago before this mass that is the Internet erupted. My grandfather was a newspaper man; he died long before the Internet became mainstream, but in a way, I can feel his disapproval at the diminishing print world. He was a great writer; even posthumously, he has inspired me so. I nearly went to Bowdoin for college because he took classes there and got so tremendously far. However, I would have to take him on in this field. I'm all for online news and I think it adds to the essence of expediency. Though the romance of the antiquated typewriter and flip-pad is alluring, I'll keep my keyboard and PocketPC. I love the old ways, but I'm embracing their modern cousins just as readily.

Pulitzer Rules Will Allow More Multimedia Material in Entries [ From Editor and Publisher online ]

Oh, fair YouTube...

Adding on to the previous post's video revolution, network broadcast television is starting to take a hit from online viewing. Is it a step closer to the end, or a step closer to a conglomeration of the two? Who knows. Between YouTube and streaming online episodes (which are all good and great until the episode stops suddenly and has to load :-P ) and other similar services, people are starting to watch television differently...

...online.

Online video 'eroding TV viewing' [ From the BBC online ]

You knew it was coming, you just knew it!!!

Peanut butter + jelly.

Lucy + Ethel.

This + That.

Obviously, the next logical dynamic duo...

Mobile phones + television.

We all knew it was only a matter of time, and now, it's a visible blip on the horizon. The implications are immense--no longer will primetime be confined to living rooms, no longer will working mothers miss out on "Oprah" or "Live with Regis and Kelly", no longer will anyone ever have to miss an episode of "Desperate Housewives" (though like many ABC shows, they are broadcast online the day after the original airing). The concept brings an interesting twist to journalism, as well--if there's a hostage situation on the first floor of a building on the corner of 8th and Madison and you're working in an office on the 32nd floor, why not tune in to see what's going on? The news will no longer be restricted to the home or the internet. Now, it's unlimited. Granted, yes, radio has had similar capabilities for eighty+ years; but this advancement brings voice and vision to the world of remote broadcasts.

I've said it before and I'll say it again; I'm excited! I like the prospects, and though I've never been cell-phone savvy (only to call home from college did I get a cell plan at all), I would definitely go out and get one of these.

Ericsson: Mobile TV will reach masses [ from The Seattle Post Intelligencer ]

"Right"(wing) from Wrong(?)...

In this post at The American Thinker, Steve Gilbert criticizes ABCNews, jailed weblogger Josh Wolf and journalists all at the same time. He insinuates that journalists and bloggers are obsessively leftwing and criticizes the idea of journalists wanting to keep their sources in confidentiality.

Sigh...

'08 can't come soon enough.

ABC News and the freedom to mislead [ from The American Thinker ]

WiFiRiffic?

I remember a few years ago being dazzled by Starbucks' and Panera's wireless internet access for customers. Now, though, it's fairly commonplace. We even have a wireless network in our house (though except for when I'm home on breaks, we rarely use it). Now, there's several pushes by large technology corporations to make widespread "hotspots" of wireless connectivity. Who knows if it'll work or not. I really don't know. I think it sounds like a good idea, but it does open up potential problems (such as connectivity theft, hackers and the like). If it's working in Portland and San Francisco, I don't see why it can't work around here either. But I'd rather the companies work out the issues before a widespread release.

Microsoft's Municipal Wi-Fi Push [ from BusinessWeek.com ]

Pulling the plug has never been THIS satisfying before!

This is just a quick post, but I'm excited for the day when this can happen. Though I wonder, what would happen if it was humid outside or if you walked into the room sopping wet? Hrm... Electricity and its funny little nuances...

Lab report: Pull the plug for a positive charge [ From TheHerald.co.uk ]

Cellular Journalism

The first time that I can readily remember cell phones playing a pivotal role in journalism was during the July 2005 London subway bombings. I remember sitting in my room, preparing to drive my sister to my aunt's house for babysitting, watching MSNBC and seeing images and low-quality video shot with cell phone cameras. Reports, personal accounts and media were flying into the studio at an alarming rate--most from citizens whose texting/photography skills were right on par with their survival instincts. In a way, it was morbidly fascinating. The fact that just four years earlier, the technology had not yet fully developed, leaving most audio-visual memories of the 9/11 terrorist attacks to standard news crews, is mind boggling. Where in those short four years did journalism turn from a challenging profession into a lurid hobby?

Singaporean beats Guinness World Record for fastest texting [ from Pocket-lint.co.uk ]

In Memoriam...

Keeping with the theme of multimedia journalism, it is only fitting to stop and reflect for a moment on the work of Ed Bradley. Working for CBS's "60 Minutes" for the past twenty-five years, Bradley brought more than his fair share of stories to a national audience. Though my parents raised me as a diehard ABC viewer, I've started to branch out to other channels in the past two years and I've found "60 Minutes" to be one of my favorite newsmagazines. One of the most memorable stories by Bradley that comes to mind is a recent one in which he interviewed the Duke lacrosse team with a sort of calm inquisition that seeped deeper into the minds of the players than they seemed to expect. Bradley's tranquility was matched only by his fascination and perception; his persona was visible in every story he reported and made for many memorable clips. To say that he will be sorely missed is an understatement if I ever heard one.

Ed Bradley of '60 Minutes' dies of leukemia [ From CNN.com ]

Wikip-uh, oh.

So Wikipedia, the preferred online stepping stone (and unfortunately for some, sole research tool) for many has been targeted by malicious virus propagation techniques. Luckily, Wikipedia is right on the ball and patrols edited pages fiendishly. Personally, I'm just hoping that this isn't the beginning of the end for Wikipedia--I personally love its informality. If I hear a term I don't know anything about, I'll quickly look it up on there and have a better grasp of what it is. If I'm working on a paper or project and I have no idea where to begin, I'll start there and follow the bountiful collection of links provided on most pages to get me started. It's invaluable, and I only hope these virus creators don't render it valueless.

Virus creators target Wikipedia (from the BBC News Technology section)

Surprise, surprise!

Okay, so we all knew it was just a matter of time until Google took on the mass that is Wikipedia. So this is of little surprise. It's actually kinda cool--I thought I knew e-mail, and then came along G-mail. I thought I knew how to search my desktop, then came along Google Desktop. And don't even get me started on Google's Picasa. I'm excited for Windows Vista; I'm ecstatically chewing my fingernails in anticipation of a potential Google operating system.

I'm really interested to see Google wikis in motion. Maybe I'm being a bit pretentious, but the phrase "Web 3.0..." just keeps echoing in my head. Google's shown innovation before; can they make that +1.0 leap? I think so. We'll see.

Google acquires wiki startup [from CNN.com's technology section]

Leave it to China...

So the Chinese government wants bloggers to be identified by name.

...

I <3 the First Amendment and all of its little protections in the big scope of life.

In all seriousness, though, it's frightening. In a place like China, where we all hear of the restrictions and horrors of speaking out, it's just not what they need. I remember reading about how Google was "fitted" before being used in China, where certain queries and searches and websites were pre-blocked. Now, the government is moving on to the next target--free thinkers. It's both scary and fascinating (though mostly scary).

China ponders giving blogs a name [from CNN.com's Technology section]

Just for fun!

I was perusing YouTube and I found this and it's just too darned cool not to post! I love the song "The Kraken" from the second Pirates of the Caribbean movie, and this YouTuber managed to figure out the entire song without sheet music. Then, he taped himself playing it. It's impressive! Though it is in the wrong key and it's got a few mistaken notes, it's still pretty amazing. Kudos!

Pulitzer's Rules : Accuracy, Accuracy, Tilda!

This article was so interesting for me. As an avid French reader/writer/student, I'm so used to anally checking and double-checking my accent marks. Perhaps even obsessively. I've seen them used in the French press (take a spin by http://www.lemonde.fr for a glimpse, it's the site of Le Monde, a large French paper). Now, though, they're working their way into the American press too. I really do <3 this melting pot we have!

With diverse readers, papers add accents [from chron.com]

Gotta love the irony... "Internet Killed the Video Star".

A wide, open Vista

I know, I know. I've talked about the new Windows Vista before. I'm actually really excited about it now that I've done my research. I don't know what it is that draws me to new programs and systems, but I'm fairly certain it has to do a bit with packaging. And from what I've seen on Wikipedia and a slew of blogs, Vista is a pretty little thing. So pretty in fact that I'm considering saving up for a new desktop next year (I love my laptop, but I want to be able to do more without worrying about it melting). The menus and desktop designs are designed to take advantage of breathtaking graphics and integrate well with the user. Sure, a few of the features are looking a bit on the Mac side, but they are looking nice. And though the new software doesn't sound all that revolutionary (an upgraded Windows Movie Maker? desktop widgets that Google already has for free with its Google Desktop program?), I think that altogether, it's going to be nice and streamlined. And efficiency is wonderful in my book.

Mmm. Isn't it nice that aesthetics can also be so efficient?

The Official Windows Vista Site [from Microsoft.com]

P.S. - I'm on the lookout for bits and pieces about multimedia JOURNALISM wherever I go, I just haven't seen many lately. But have no fear, I know that multimedia wouldn't be possible without technology and that's why I'm not afraid to explore that a bit in here.

Blu-ray sounds O-kay.

I haven't really looked into the future of at-home movies but it sounds to me like this Blu-ray business means, well, business. Twice the capacity of a normal DVD--that's a huge amount of space. Hopefully, that huge amount of space will be fully utilized to bring the crispest, most vibrant movies to their most amazing glory. Anyone else really, really excited for "Lawrence of Arabia" or "Pirates of the Caribbean" in even more ridiculous detail? I know I am. My only one concern is the hardware. The article listed it well above the $700+ range. When I bought my DVD/VHS player at Best Buy (it's a combo player), it was just shy of $100. I'm frugal. But it works, and if it's not broken, why fix it with such a pretty pricetag? We'll see. If Blu-ray really is the revolution and it the revolution is really that amazing... I'll just have to give in. I suppose.

Oh, indulgence.

"Click" here for first 50GB Blu-ray Disc [from ReutersUK.com]

Slicing up the 'Apple' pie

When you think of "downloading music legally", it seems like the first name that comes to mind is iTunes. Apple's had an enormous influence with the integration of their iPods and accompanying iTunes software, so enormous that a lot of people skip trekking out to the local music store and instead buy an album right through the iTunes store.

Now, though, it looks like Best Buy, Real and Sandisk are jumping in on the action. Who knows what it'll mean for Apple--perhaps it will quash the competition, perhaps it'll be taken down. Personally, I doubt that last bit. Apple seems to have a nice slice of the American music pie; I doubt that it'll settle being the leftovers.

BestBuy, Real and SanDisk come together to sell music online [from DailyTech.com]

Argh, mateys!

I've still got some mixed feelings about the new version of Windows that will be coming out (frankly, I'm still holding out hope for a Google operating system), but from what I've heard so far, it sounds decent to say the least. Another new feature--expanded piracy features that prohibit unlicensed versions of the software from functioning properly. Shiver me timbers, Jack Sparrow, but that sounds a bit like a challenge to all the hackers out there! Hopefully, though, Microsoft will follow through and step up both the anti-piracy and the anti-virus software. Windows is great, but it needs to get closer to Fort Knox in terms of security. I'm sure I'm not the only person who has lost countless multimedia files to virus-driven crashes!

Microsoft warns software pirates [from CNN.com's technology section]

Multicultural Multimedia

I thought this article was rather interesting. Berlin is hosting its annual book fair, at which many authors from various nationalities will be present. The hot topic is electronic publishing (of course) and interestingly enough, Google's recent woes with scanning pages from books and making them searchable. According to the article, a new system (one can only assume from its placement next to the Google bit that it is a Google-based project) is being implemented to show the copyright information of books with scanned pages. A Digital Market Place is also being showcased for software producers. The boldest part of the article is Stephan Fuessel assertion : "The book is increasingly becoming obsolete in this sector."

I think Gutenberg just turned over in his grave. Again.

Many faces of India in focus at world's biggest book fair [from the Khaleej Times Online]

Next!

I guess it's just one of the perks of working with electronic multimeda--sometimes, things do not always work on the first go-around. I think it's particularly interesting how closely this recall is following in the footsteps of the August Dell battery recall. It makes me wonder, perhaps there really is a rather high price for portability?

More laptop batteries recalled [from Newsday.com's business section]

The Inherent Face, or rather, Screen of Multimedia

This is interesting, though entirely expected. It's yet another example of technology creeping in and taking over and engraining itself, and it might just be me but I seem to get a negative tone in the story. It kind of makes me wonder what it was like during the early years of widely-available daily newspapers--did the early Americans have a similar seemingly negative stigma about reading all of the latest news in their living rooms?

Researchers: Homes have more TVs than people [from CNN.com's technology section]

As Clear As...

Black and white!

Welcome!

Welcome to Alex Seise's MultiMedian! This blog has been created for Professor Pearson's Intro to Professional Writing course at The College of New Jersey.

Updates about multimedia journalism are soon to come, as are as many insights into this always changing world as humanly possible.

Stay tuned for more,
-Alex