Black Cloud Over Heathrow

Watch this short video on Troika's new animated artwork at Heathrow airport... http://creativity-online.com/work/view?seed=zA1RggwJ

Which Cables Were Cut

The Flag and SeeWe4 cables that are down cutting off much of the communication to the Middle East...

http://www.telegeography.com/cu/article.php?article_id=21528&email=html

January 2008 SCN Article

Why you need a good lawyer in this business...

http://systemscontractor.com/articles/publish/article_1838.shtml

January 2008 Live Sound International Article

A rant on the state of the state of architects and their acoustical training...

http://www.emmaco.com/pressreleases.html

CCTV Cameras that Talk Back

Connected to a NOC with speakers...

http://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/content/news/story.aspx?brand=ENOnline&category=News&tBrand=ENOnline&tCategory=News&itemid=NOED30%20Jan%202008%2016%3A25%3A01%3A180

FCC Auction Update

Round 12- Now at $8.6 billion

http://www.telegeography.com/cu/article.php?article_id=21508

White Space Testing to Resume

Hope they get it right this time...

http://www.prosoundnews.com/publish/news/FCC_Resumes_White_Space_Testing_Invites_Industry.shtml

In Flight Cell Phone Use

The current "state of the state" of airplane cell access:

http://www.itbusinessedge.com/blogs/cip/?p=271

Only in LA

The world's epicenter for Rock and Roll during the 1970's is going to be torn down...

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Also the home to Mad Man Muntz's sales of 4 track car radio sales (precursor to the 8 track) back in the 1960's.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-tower30jan30,0,7750494.story

AMX Netlinx and Medialon Partnership Announced

.

MEDIALON recently partnered with AMX, worldwide leader in advanced control and automation technology for commercial and residential markets. A key component of this relationship is a new plug-in developed by AMX that enables Medialon's Manager Software to interface with any AMX NetLinx Control System.

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The new AMX-MEDIALON interface will enable facility and/or event staff to centrally control individual devices via the AMX Control System and/or initiate show control sequences using Medialon's Manager Software. This capability, which is not possible with any other single or combined solution available today, addresses customer requests to streamline the number of interfaces required to operate these two disparate systems.
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"Cruise ships, theme parks, casinos and museums often require two control systems - one for sequenced events during a show, the other for real-time control. With this partnership, Medialon and AMX are providing one, seamless interface for our respective systems that will make our technologies more convenient to use,"
said Alex Caru, MEDIALON CEO.
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"Ultimately, we believe MEDIALON and AMX will become the de facto standard for these multi-use facilities. When combined, our solution is the most powerful and robust available for applications needing timelines, accurate synchronization, logical operations, database links, digital media control and wide network deployment," added Alex.
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"Our mission at AMX is to simplify human interaction with technology"
said Michael Peveler, AMX vice president of corporate development.
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"By partnering with Medialon, we are not only simplifying system integration for our dealers, but we are also simplifying the user experience, which is a very compelling value proposition for the live entertainment industry."

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The AMX - MEDIALON Plug-In will be available for download on AMX.com within 90 days.
To know more, visit AMX page on our website : http://www.medialon.com/resources/technical_partners_amx.htm

Tuesday Morning Laugh

Video of some clowns going around CES turning off displays at the exhibits....

(Scroll down to the bottom of the page)

http://gizmodo.com/tag/ces-2008/

FCC Spectrum Bidding Update

1099 separate licenses are being bid on... here's the current amounts (but not the bidder's names)...

http://broadcastengineering.com/RF/analog_spectrum_bidding_begins_0128/

Cisco Revamps Data Center Server Line

Available 2nd Quarter with a new operating system...

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120148544199621249.html?mod=loomia&loomia_si=t0:a16:g2:r5:c0.0502999

Holographic Image of Nessie on the Water

Reminds me of Fantasmic...

p://actionfigureinsider.com/ottertorials/2008/01/26/legend-of-the-water-hologram/

How USC Busted the MPAA for Lying About Movie Downloads

Fight on!

http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9858416-7.html?tag=newsmap

What is AT&T Thinking?

Great editorial on AT&T wanting to "filter" internet content...

http://www.slate.com/id/2182152

MBL's $350,000 Home Stereo System

In case you were wondering, no the interconnect cables are not included...

NEWS RELEASE 12/28/07

Unveiling Our Statement Loudspeaker, the $199,000 101X-Treme

First shown in prototype form at the 2007 Las Vegas CES, MBL of Germany has been hard at work fine-tuning what can only be described as our most ambitious effort to date — the 101X-Treme.

Building a loudspeaker to significantly better our 101E Radialstrahler was hardly an easy task. And by using that world-class loudspeaker’s three pulsating spheres (for bass, midrange, and high frequencies) as a starting point, MBL’s engineers and craftspeople created this massive yet sculpturally beautiful four-tower speaker system.

The main tower holds a pair of mirror-imaged omnidirectional Radialstrahler driver arrays, supported by an armature of acrylic, steel, and wood, while the lacquered woofer columns house a quartet each of proprietary 12-inch bass drivers.

The entire array weighs in at 3600 pounds, and each 101X-Treme system requires 30 days to fabricate and calibrate, and undergoes a series of rigorous tests before final release.
Demanding massive amounts of amplifier power, the 101X-Treme System requires bi-amplification by four MBL 9011 Reference Series monoblock power amplifiers ($39,000 each), which deliver 480-watts of continuous power and 5,000-watts of peak power.

Completing the system are MBL’s equally state-of-the-art 6010D preamplifier ($21,650) and unparalleled digital playback gear, the 1621A CD transport ($21,850) and the recently upgraded 1611F Digital-to-Analog converter ($22,500).

But reading about the 101X-Treme Reference System is one thing. Experiencing it is something else again. When it comes to recreating a musical event, any musical event—the 101X-Treme brings home the unbridled power of full symphony orchestra, the visceral wallop of a live rock or hip-hop concert, as well as the intimacy of a jazz trio or the delicacy of a solo flute. To call it extraordinary is an understatement.

Price: $199,000 per pair.

MPAA Out of Control?

Remember a few years back when they went after college students saying they stole 44% of all movies?

http://chronicle.com/wiredcampus/article/2687/movie-industry-admits-error-in-study-on-campus-piracy?utm_source=at&utm_medium=en

Another Weird Audio Tweak

I haven't received an email from Peter Belt or Enid Lumley lately....

http://www.walkeraudio.com/talisman.htm

Liquid Metal Speaker Cables

Just when you thought the high end audio water was safe....

(Not to be confused with the company Liquid Metals, on which we lost a pile of money some years back).

http://soundmindaudio.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=25&Itemid=1

Metric System Police in Action

This one's bizarre.... the fine in London for selling tomatoes in pounds and ounces (instead of kilos) is apparently $130,000.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120097109796805629.html?mod=hps_us_pageone

Bandwidth Auction Starts Thursday

Required reading for anyone serious about this industry...

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/22/business/22spectrum.html?_r=1&ref=technology&oref=slogin

TC Swallows Gibson Guitar

Another American icon sold off (sorry, merged but now managed in Denmark)...


Anaheim, CA (January 22, 2008)--Henry Juszkiewicz, chairman and CEO of Gibson Guitar, and Anders Fauerskov, CEO of TC Group, announced that they are planning to merge. The announcement was made at the NAMM Show.

"This merger will revolutionize the music industry for many years to come," said Henry Juszkiewicz, chairman and CEO of Gibson Guitar. "The synergy between the two companies will allow us an enormous advantage in the development of new audio technologies and brings together two of the world's most powerful brands."

"The opportunities ahead are very exciting for us," said Anders Fauerskov, chief executive officer of TC Group. "This merger will create exciting new opportunities for all employees within TC Group and Gibson, and in particular, fantastic new tools for our markets and customers. This partnership will allow us to expand our leadership position in the marketplace."

The announcement marks a preliminary agreement between the two companies. Under the terms of the new acquisition, Fauerskov will remain based in Europe, and serve as chief operating officer of the new combined Gibson Guitar Corp. The two companies expect to finalize the deal by the end of February 2008. Terms of the deal are not disclosed.

TC Group, headquartered in Risskov, Denmark, is a holding company of five individual companies consisting of Tannoy Group, Lab.gruppen, TC Electronic Group, TC-Helicon and TC Applied Technologies. Founded in 1894 in Kalamazoo, MI, and headquartered in Nashville since 1984, Gibson Guitar Corp.'s family of brands now includes Epiphone, Dobro, Maestro, Kramer, Steinberger, Tobias, Echoplex, Electar, Flatiron, Gibson Baldwin Music Education, Slingerland, Valley Arts, Oberheim, Sunshine Piano, Take Anywhere Technology, Baldwin, J&C Fischer, Chickering, Hamilton and Wurlitzer.

HBO Joins to the Download March

I guess the folks in Green Bay have something to be happy about today...

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120088406665704159.html?mod=hps_us_whats_news

Frisbee Founder Dies

Local legend leaves us...

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/01/17/obit.knerr.ap/index.html

WSJ Home Entertainment Review

The speaker cable controversy continues....

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120044692027492991.html?mod=loomia&loomia_si=t0:a16:g2:r2:c0.0740545

Vampira Leaves Us

Fans of Plan 9 From Outer Space will shed a tear today. Vampira has left us after 85 years. She had a 19" waist in her prime. Elvira's "Mistress of the Dark" copied her act and made millions.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/TV/01/15/obit.nurmi.ap/index.html

Apple Introduces Time Capsule

Wireless network and a hard disk integrated to back up your data. 500 G and 1 TB models, available in February. Good pricing, $499 for the big guy.

EMI's New Owners Start the Staff Cuts

Pretty harsh. They're offing 2,000 of their 6,000 employees just to start.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120024950028086765.html?mod=hps_us_whats_news

Matsushita finally becomes Panasonic

A formal name change, about 30 years late...

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2008/01/10/ap4515106.html?partner=alerts

Mitsubishi Announces Laser TVs

Not LCD, not plasma, not DLP, not organic, but flat panel.... no prices, no delivery dates yet.

http://www.breitbart.tv/?p=26404

Important CES Update

And you thought CES was a complete waste of time...


Today at CES, Taser International introduced the Taser MPH -- the first combination hand-held music player and Taser.

The player, which has a 1-GB capacity that can hold about 150 songs, is embedded in a holster that slips on your belt. Feel the need to zap someone and you can unholster the Taser, use the built-in laser pointer to aim, and blam -- a couple of darts carrying 50,000 volts hits your victim.

Sony Folds on Copy Protection

Think of the years wasted... Hopefully they'll cut off payments to the RIAA while they're at it...

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2008/01/08/ap4504570.html?partner=alerts

Beatles Finally Sell Out

A little sad....

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/article3123969.ece

40 Years Ago Today

David Gilmour joined Pink Floyd, making them (temporarily) a five piece band.

Man's Mastery of Zero

Interesting documentary on PBS regarding Absolute Zero... sponsored in part by the Acoustical Society of America.


http://www.absolutezerocampaign.org/index.htm

Panasonic Introduces Wireless HD at CES

Important, worth reading:

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2008/01/06/ap4499150.html?partner=alerts

Warner Bros Goes Blu-ray

Thanks guys for looking out for the consumer....


Blu-ray: Sony, Fox, Time Warner, Disney, MGM

HD DVD: Paramount/Dreamworks (for a mere $150 million), Universal



http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/homeentertainment/la-fi-blue5jan05,1,1604243.story