I am a vinyl fan. You’ve never heard of most of my favourite bands, and if you have, you won’t like them. Modern music leaves me extremely cold. I’m a fan of most styles, but the current production methods (lets bury everything under a million layers of random sounds just because we can, then we’ll get rid of all background sound and make everything pitch-perfect and soulless) are lost on me.
As you can imagine, I came to MP3 rather late. For the longest time I wandered around with a portable CD player in my pocket that skipped if I moved even a step too fast. It ran on batteries that would run out regularly and was, generally, a pain. However, I persevered with it because I’m ahere. The rock, blues, folk and reggae tunes I listen to daily are the soundtrack to my life.
This, then, is how I learned to love portable music (and MP3 is the first truly portable music â€" believe me, I also once carried a tape player). These days I carry an Apple iPod, an ever-ready library of about 60Gb of music at my fingertips, but I have also used (and worn out) several other MP3 players in my time.
MP3 isn’t the best way to listen to music. The sound is too ‘scrunched’ (for want to a technical term) At the moment, it is winning on convenience grounds as its space-efficient, cost-effective, easily copied/transferred to other gadgets and can be obtained in just a few minutes. In addition to that (perhaps worryingly if you are a fan of album music) you can purchase only the particular tracks you want at the time. Vinyl is still the best way to really hear a band. But you can’t play a turntable on the train, you can’t take it on holiday with you and you really don’t want to carry a suitcase filled with vinyl anywhere unless you are some sort of DJ and being paid to do so.
The MP3 is without a doubt the finest development in portable music since the travelling band. But its also really good for alternative music; the mainstream’s brow-beating tactics have rendered a good deal of great music unfashionable, and nobody wants to walk around blasting Celtic Folk or Delta Blues tunes out of a ghetto blaster, do they? Likewise, your favourite band’s foray into soundscapes or clever-dick psychedelia may be awesome, but might not be a hit with the ladies, so to speak, but with MP3, you could be listening to anything and its entirely up to you. Its also good for independent music, bands can cheaply distribute their music (often giving away free songs) which makes starting a band and sharing your music that much simpler. So, to sum up MP3 is a very freeing experience indeed. Just don’t chuck out your turntable!
Friday, 16 January 2015
Amnesty International Creates Anti Spying Program
Amnesty International has announced the creation of a program that can detect the types of spying software frequently employed by governments to monitor activists and dissidents.
The Human rights organization, which partnered with three like-minded groups to develop the program, declared that the new system was very much needed, as standard anti-virus programs frequently miss spying software.
According to Amnesty, many governments employ such spying software to monitor their targets. Some of these programs can hijack webcams, or even listen in to conversation via compromised microphones. The spying programs leave little trace of themselves on the computer and, as a result, are notoriously difficult to uncover.
Marek marczynski, Amnesty’s Head of Military, Security and Police, is quoted on the organization’s website as saying, “Governments are increasingly using dangerous and sophisticated technology that allows them to read activists and journalists’ private emails and remotely turn on their computer’s camera or microphone to secretly record their activities. They use the technology in a cowardly attempt to prevent abuses from being exposed,â€
This new program, named ‘Detekt’, is capable of spotting even remote traces of such harmful software and warning the computer’s owner about it. Developed by four separate Human rights groups, Amnesty, The Electronic Frontier Foundation, Privacy International and Digitale Gesellschaft, Detekt is available completely free of charge.
According to Tanya O’Carroll, who works as a technology adviser at Amnesty, spying software has been discovered on the computers of activists in Tibet, Germany, Bahrain, Syria, Ethiopia, North Korea and Vietnam, amongst others. In fact, the world’s governments spend an estimated £3bn a year on spyware products.
In a worrying trend, such software is becoming increasingly popular with democratically elected governments, “Its easier to name the countries that are not using these spying tools than those that are†O’Carroll told BBC News.
Spread via email attachments, hacked websites, sites designed to distribute malware, or even false internal messaging software, unwanted spyware is a major challenge facing every Internet user today. According to Detekt’s makers, the major difference between general malware and government spyware is that illegal software is generally aimed at proliferating itself, whereas government spyware is principally interested in hiding itself and quietly gathering sensitive information.
Detekt was created by German security researcher Claudio Guarnieri, who asserts that a great many governments around the world are employing spyware to track and monitor people of interest to them. It has even been alleged that computer security firms have even agreed to ignore government spyware from time to time. Guarnieri told BBC News that,
"The real problem is nobody really asked the public whether that's acceptable and some countries are legitimizing their use without considering the consequences and inherent issues."
Amnesty International is presently looking for help to keep the program current, and also to expand it.
To find out more about Amnesty, or to make a donation, visit their official website at http://www.amnesty.org/
The Human rights organization, which partnered with three like-minded groups to develop the program, declared that the new system was very much needed, as standard anti-virus programs frequently miss spying software.
According to Amnesty, many governments employ such spying software to monitor their targets. Some of these programs can hijack webcams, or even listen in to conversation via compromised microphones. The spying programs leave little trace of themselves on the computer and, as a result, are notoriously difficult to uncover.
Marek marczynski, Amnesty’s Head of Military, Security and Police, is quoted on the organization’s website as saying, “Governments are increasingly using dangerous and sophisticated technology that allows them to read activists and journalists’ private emails and remotely turn on their computer’s camera or microphone to secretly record their activities. They use the technology in a cowardly attempt to prevent abuses from being exposed,â€
This new program, named ‘Detekt’, is capable of spotting even remote traces of such harmful software and warning the computer’s owner about it. Developed by four separate Human rights groups, Amnesty, The Electronic Frontier Foundation, Privacy International and Digitale Gesellschaft, Detekt is available completely free of charge.
According to Tanya O’Carroll, who works as a technology adviser at Amnesty, spying software has been discovered on the computers of activists in Tibet, Germany, Bahrain, Syria, Ethiopia, North Korea and Vietnam, amongst others. In fact, the world’s governments spend an estimated £3bn a year on spyware products.
In a worrying trend, such software is becoming increasingly popular with democratically elected governments, “Its easier to name the countries that are not using these spying tools than those that are†O’Carroll told BBC News.
Spread via email attachments, hacked websites, sites designed to distribute malware, or even false internal messaging software, unwanted spyware is a major challenge facing every Internet user today. According to Detekt’s makers, the major difference between general malware and government spyware is that illegal software is generally aimed at proliferating itself, whereas government spyware is principally interested in hiding itself and quietly gathering sensitive information.
Detekt was created by German security researcher Claudio Guarnieri, who asserts that a great many governments around the world are employing spyware to track and monitor people of interest to them. It has even been alleged that computer security firms have even agreed to ignore government spyware from time to time. Guarnieri told BBC News that,
"The real problem is nobody really asked the public whether that's acceptable and some countries are legitimizing their use without considering the consequences and inherent issues."
Amnesty International is presently looking for help to keep the program current, and also to expand it.
To find out more about Amnesty, or to make a donation, visit their official website at http://www.amnesty.org/
Monday, 12 January 2015
Are your earbuds making you deaf? 1964Adel says yes, so it created a solution
With a huge thanks to %link% we're allowed to repost the piece of writing, thankyou yet again
Those tiny earbuds you bring along with you here, there, and everywhere are causing you to go deaf. At least that’s what audio specialist, and in-ear monitor pioneer Stephen D Ambrose would have you believe. To save you from the dangers of the common earbud, Ambrose and his team at 1964|Adel have created an entire new wave of in-ear headphones designed with patented technology to be safer for your eardrums, all of which are making the rounds in a new Kickstarter campaign.
The link between hearing loss and headphone use being drawn here is not a new one. For its part, 1964|Adel singles out a study from an L.A. Times report which cites an increase in hearing loss for U.S. teens in the last 15 years from 30 to 77 percent. The study in question ruled out ear infections and external environmental factors as causes, pointing instead to the higher prevalence of portable audio players, though it stopped short of specifically laying blame. That said, there are plenty of other studies blaming the blasting of headphones as a major contributor to hearing loss.
But Ambrose argues that hearing loss from in-ear headphones and earbuds, specifically, is different due to the way they isolate the eardrum inside the ear canal. In the video below, Ambrose claims it’s not acoustic pressure (i.e. loud noises) that causes hearing loss, but the pounding of air pressure from the moving driver being sealed inside your ear canal, causing “pneumatic pressure†from the movement of the driver itself.
In response, Ambrose and 1964|Adel have proposed a new way to solve the very hearing loss epidemic Ambrose claims to have helped create with his original in-ear monitor design; four ways to be exact, stemming from four different headphone series. The new headphones employ 1964|Adel’s patented RealLoud Technology, which incorporates a “second eardrum†inside the earpiece designed to take the brunt of the air pressure to protect your real eardrum. The company even claims the design makes audio “sound louder,†requiring a lower overall volume level.
Adel in-ear module diagram
The first, and most affordable solution in the arsenal is the new Adel Control, a modular earphone that allows users to adjust features like bass and external noise to taste, tailoring the sound signature. At time of publication, the Control was still available as an Early Bird special for $100, half off the suggested retail price.
Next in line is the Adel Ambient series, which offers 4 multi-driver models, from the entry-level dual-driver Ambient 2, to the Ambient 12 which (you guessed it) is jam-packed with a whopping 12 drivers per side, labeled the “jewel†of the Ambient line. Pricing for the Ambient series starts at $200 for the dual driver set, and goes up to an impressively (relatively) affordable $500 for the 12-driver version, again, priced at half the cost of suggested retail for each. For reference, the quad-driver Westone W40 will run you the same price as the Ambient 12.
Next up are the 1964|Adel U-series, which take the shape of more traditional in-ear monitors, covering the entire ear canal. The U-series starts with a quad-driver pair for $300 â€" down from a suggested $500 retail price â€" and the series goes all the way up to the 8-driver U-series 8, which will run you $720. The latter offers 4 drivers for the bass register alone, with two each for the midrange and treble, to create a massive sound.
Finally, the 1964|Adel A-Series includes both 10-driver, and 12-driver models, priced at $1,000 and $1,200 respectively â€" 40 percent off the claimed MSRP. Like most top-tier in-ear monitors, the A-series are custom tailored to the user’s ears for the ultimate fit and sound, while harboring a RealLoud secondary eardrum for safety.
Not only is 1964|Adel’s new project already funded, but it has already reached its stretch goal of $350,000, which provides an optional inline 3-button mic piece for all of its headphones. All of the new models are slated for release in May of 2015, with the exception of the A-series, which will be available earlier in February.
While we certainly can’t attest to the claim that RealLoud Technology actually makes these headphones safer, they are priced very competitively under the Kickstarter deal. And hey, if they offer competitive sound in their respective genres, what’s the harm in playing it safe, right? If you’re interested in finding out more, or ordering up one of 1964|Adel’s latest designs, you can do so today at its Kickstarter page.
Those tiny earbuds you bring along with you here, there, and everywhere are causing you to go deaf. At least that’s what audio specialist, and in-ear monitor pioneer Stephen D Ambrose would have you believe. To save you from the dangers of the common earbud, Ambrose and his team at 1964|Adel have created an entire new wave of in-ear headphones designed with patented technology to be safer for your eardrums, all of which are making the rounds in a new Kickstarter campaign.
The link between hearing loss and headphone use being drawn here is not a new one. For its part, 1964|Adel singles out a study from an L.A. Times report which cites an increase in hearing loss for U.S. teens in the last 15 years from 30 to 77 percent. The study in question ruled out ear infections and external environmental factors as causes, pointing instead to the higher prevalence of portable audio players, though it stopped short of specifically laying blame. That said, there are plenty of other studies blaming the blasting of headphones as a major contributor to hearing loss.
But Ambrose argues that hearing loss from in-ear headphones and earbuds, specifically, is different due to the way they isolate the eardrum inside the ear canal. In the video below, Ambrose claims it’s not acoustic pressure (i.e. loud noises) that causes hearing loss, but the pounding of air pressure from the moving driver being sealed inside your ear canal, causing “pneumatic pressure†from the movement of the driver itself.
In response, Ambrose and 1964|Adel have proposed a new way to solve the very hearing loss epidemic Ambrose claims to have helped create with his original in-ear monitor design; four ways to be exact, stemming from four different headphone series. The new headphones employ 1964|Adel’s patented RealLoud Technology, which incorporates a “second eardrum†inside the earpiece designed to take the brunt of the air pressure to protect your real eardrum. The company even claims the design makes audio “sound louder,†requiring a lower overall volume level.
Adel in-ear module diagram
The first, and most affordable solution in the arsenal is the new Adel Control, a modular earphone that allows users to adjust features like bass and external noise to taste, tailoring the sound signature. At time of publication, the Control was still available as an Early Bird special for $100, half off the suggested retail price.
Next in line is the Adel Ambient series, which offers 4 multi-driver models, from the entry-level dual-driver Ambient 2, to the Ambient 12 which (you guessed it) is jam-packed with a whopping 12 drivers per side, labeled the “jewel†of the Ambient line. Pricing for the Ambient series starts at $200 for the dual driver set, and goes up to an impressively (relatively) affordable $500 for the 12-driver version, again, priced at half the cost of suggested retail for each. For reference, the quad-driver Westone W40 will run you the same price as the Ambient 12.
Next up are the 1964|Adel U-series, which take the shape of more traditional in-ear monitors, covering the entire ear canal. The U-series starts with a quad-driver pair for $300 â€" down from a suggested $500 retail price â€" and the series goes all the way up to the 8-driver U-series 8, which will run you $720. The latter offers 4 drivers for the bass register alone, with two each for the midrange and treble, to create a massive sound.
Finally, the 1964|Adel A-Series includes both 10-driver, and 12-driver models, priced at $1,000 and $1,200 respectively â€" 40 percent off the claimed MSRP. Like most top-tier in-ear monitors, the A-series are custom tailored to the user’s ears for the ultimate fit and sound, while harboring a RealLoud secondary eardrum for safety.
Not only is 1964|Adel’s new project already funded, but it has already reached its stretch goal of $350,000, which provides an optional inline 3-button mic piece for all of its headphones. All of the new models are slated for release in May of 2015, with the exception of the A-series, which will be available earlier in February.
While we certainly can’t attest to the claim that RealLoud Technology actually makes these headphones safer, they are priced very competitively under the Kickstarter deal. And hey, if they offer competitive sound in their respective genres, what’s the harm in playing it safe, right? If you’re interested in finding out more, or ordering up one of 1964|Adel’s latest designs, you can do so today at its Kickstarter page.
Sunday, 11 January 2015
Former WWE Champ Brian Danielson Apprehends Burglar
A burglary was thwarted last month by professional wrestler Brian Danielson â€" known to WWE fans as Daniel Bryan â€" after he unknowingly interrupted two robbers who were in the process of burglarizing his home in Pheonix, Arizona.
Thinking quickly, the four time World Champion chased down one of the suspects and applied a chokehold, subduing the would-be thief until police could arrive.
"Unfortunately, he wasn't in very good shape so it didn't take much." Said the 33-year-old former WWE Champ, who headlined the company’s 30th annual WrestleMania event last April and successfully defended the WWE Championship at May’s ‘Extreme Rules’ Pay Per View event.
"Its probably not the best thing to do, because you don't know what's gonna happen," Danielson confessed to interviewers. "I just reacted, and that's what most people do."
Upon returning home and disturbing the attempted robbery, Danielson and his wife Brie Bella â€" also a WWE wrestler â€" were mostly concerned for the safety of their dog, Josie.
"Our main concern was for Josie, so we came in, Brie went looking for Josie, I saw the guys running out the back, I chased 'em, I caught one of 'em, and kept him until the police got there," said Brian Danielson, somewhat matter-of-factly, at a press conference held by the couple the next day.
According to Danielson, the suspect was winded by the time the Champ caught up with him "Exhaustion makes cowards of us all, and he was very, very tired, and it literally took zero effort to take him down," he said.
When some reporters teased Danielson that his on-screen wrestling rivals ‘The Authority’ may have been behind the robbery, he joined in with a few tongue-in-cheek comments of his own.
“Who knows, maybe Triple-H (whom Daniel Bryan defeated at WrestleMania XXX) is behind this whole thing?" Brian joked.
Last week it was reported that police in Pheonix had uncovered three further suspects believed to have been involved in the break-in. The three have been linked to multiple burglaries in and around the local area.
Danielson has wrestled for many wrestling companies, including Ring of Honor (ROH), where he held the ROH World Championship and was known as ‘The American Dragon’.
By the way, the dog was fine. In fact, she joined the couple at the press conference (no, really).
Brian Danielson is presently recovering from serious neck surgery and has been inactive in the WWE since June. We wish him a speedy recovery.
Thinking quickly, the four time World Champion chased down one of the suspects and applied a chokehold, subduing the would-be thief until police could arrive.
"Unfortunately, he wasn't in very good shape so it didn't take much." Said the 33-year-old former WWE Champ, who headlined the company’s 30th annual WrestleMania event last April and successfully defended the WWE Championship at May’s ‘Extreme Rules’ Pay Per View event.
"Its probably not the best thing to do, because you don't know what's gonna happen," Danielson confessed to interviewers. "I just reacted, and that's what most people do."
Upon returning home and disturbing the attempted robbery, Danielson and his wife Brie Bella â€" also a WWE wrestler â€" were mostly concerned for the safety of their dog, Josie.
"Our main concern was for Josie, so we came in, Brie went looking for Josie, I saw the guys running out the back, I chased 'em, I caught one of 'em, and kept him until the police got there," said Brian Danielson, somewhat matter-of-factly, at a press conference held by the couple the next day.
According to Danielson, the suspect was winded by the time the Champ caught up with him "Exhaustion makes cowards of us all, and he was very, very tired, and it literally took zero effort to take him down," he said.
When some reporters teased Danielson that his on-screen wrestling rivals ‘The Authority’ may have been behind the robbery, he joined in with a few tongue-in-cheek comments of his own.
“Who knows, maybe Triple-H (whom Daniel Bryan defeated at WrestleMania XXX) is behind this whole thing?" Brian joked.
Last week it was reported that police in Pheonix had uncovered three further suspects believed to have been involved in the break-in. The three have been linked to multiple burglaries in and around the local area.
Danielson has wrestled for many wrestling companies, including Ring of Honor (ROH), where he held the ROH World Championship and was known as ‘The American Dragon’.
By the way, the dog was fine. In fact, she joined the couple at the press conference (no, really).
Brian Danielson is presently recovering from serious neck surgery and has been inactive in the WWE since June. We wish him a speedy recovery.
Saturday, 10 January 2015
Former WWE Champ Brian Danielson Apprehends Burglar
A burglary was thwarted last month by professional wrestler Brian Danielson â€" known to WWE fans as Daniel Bryan â€" after he unknowingly interrupted two robbers who were in the process of burglarizing his home in Pheonix, Arizona.
Thinking quickly, the four time World Champion chased down one of the suspects and applied a chokehold, subduing the would-be thief until police could arrive.
"Unfortunately, he wasn't in very good shape so it didn't take much." Said the 33-year-old former WWE Champ, who headlined the company’s 30th annual WrestleMania event last April and successfully defended the WWE Championship at May’s ‘Extreme Rules’ Pay Per View event.
"Its probably not the best thing to do, because you don't know what's gonna happen," Danielson confessed to interviewers. "I just reacted, and that's what most people do."
Upon returning home and disturbing the attempted robbery, Danielson and his wife Brie Bella â€" also a WWE wrestler â€" were mostly concerned for the safety of their dog, Josie.
"Our main concern was for Josie, so we came in, Brie went looking for Josie, I saw the guys running out the back, I chased 'em, I caught one of 'em, and kept him until the police got there," said Brian Danielson, somewhat matter-of-factly, at a press conference held by the couple the next day.
According to Danielson, the suspect was winded by the time the Champ caught up with him "Exhaustion makes cowards of us all, and he was very, very tired, and it literally took zero effort to take him down," he said.
When some reporters teased Danielson that his on-screen wrestling rivals ‘The Authority’ may have been behind the robbery, he joined in with a few tongue-in-cheek comments of his own.
“Who knows, maybe Triple-H (whom Daniel Bryan defeated at WrestleMania XXX) is behind this whole thing?" Brian joked.
Last week it was reported that police in Pheonix had uncovered three further suspects believed to have been involved in the break-in. The three have been linked to multiple burglaries in and around the local area.
Danielson has wrestled for many wrestling companies, including Ring of Honor (ROH), where he held the ROH World Championship and was known as ‘The American Dragon’.
By the way, the dog was fine. In fact, she joined the couple at the press conference (no, really).
Brian Danielson is presently recovering from serious neck surgery and has been inactive in the WWE since June. We wish him a speedy recovery.
Thinking quickly, the four time World Champion chased down one of the suspects and applied a chokehold, subduing the would-be thief until police could arrive.
"Unfortunately, he wasn't in very good shape so it didn't take much." Said the 33-year-old former WWE Champ, who headlined the company’s 30th annual WrestleMania event last April and successfully defended the WWE Championship at May’s ‘Extreme Rules’ Pay Per View event.
"Its probably not the best thing to do, because you don't know what's gonna happen," Danielson confessed to interviewers. "I just reacted, and that's what most people do."
Upon returning home and disturbing the attempted robbery, Danielson and his wife Brie Bella â€" also a WWE wrestler â€" were mostly concerned for the safety of their dog, Josie.
"Our main concern was for Josie, so we came in, Brie went looking for Josie, I saw the guys running out the back, I chased 'em, I caught one of 'em, and kept him until the police got there," said Brian Danielson, somewhat matter-of-factly, at a press conference held by the couple the next day.
According to Danielson, the suspect was winded by the time the Champ caught up with him "Exhaustion makes cowards of us all, and he was very, very tired, and it literally took zero effort to take him down," he said.
When some reporters teased Danielson that his on-screen wrestling rivals ‘The Authority’ may have been behind the robbery, he joined in with a few tongue-in-cheek comments of his own.
“Who knows, maybe Triple-H (whom Daniel Bryan defeated at WrestleMania XXX) is behind this whole thing?" Brian joked.
Last week it was reported that police in Pheonix had uncovered three further suspects believed to have been involved in the break-in. The three have been linked to multiple burglaries in and around the local area.
Danielson has wrestled for many wrestling companies, including Ring of Honor (ROH), where he held the ROH World Championship and was known as ‘The American Dragon’.
By the way, the dog was fine. In fact, she joined the couple at the press conference (no, really).
Brian Danielson is presently recovering from serious neck surgery and has been inactive in the WWE since June. We wish him a speedy recovery.
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