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Art - Ancient History - Civil Liberties - Cosmos - Environment - Games - Globalization - Humour - Literature - Media - Misc - Modern History - Natural World - New Age - Nostalgia - Peak Oil - Philosophy - Pop Culture - Prehistoric - Sci/Tech - September 11th - Society - War on Terror - Weird - Unusual Products
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 Next Gen Console Wars
- [Games] January 5, 2007 at 12:05:00 PM, 18 Comments So, the supposed 'war' of the next gen consoles is well under way. Personally, I've never been a brand fanboy. I love videogames and have always owned all of the major consoles. But this time around I may well become a one-console-man. And here's why: (matthias) |
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 Project Opus
- [Pop Culture] 11 November 2007 2:35:00 PM, 0 Comments The Internet has undoubtedly changed how we see, use and want our music, and there lies the problem. The all seeing Cyclops of the music industry doesn't want evolution and it is desperately trying to hold on to it's business model in the wake of the internet and failing to respond to it's own customers demands. Of course, the other aspect is if you are an artist. Let us say you are a new act with a Debut album signed to a major label. A major label will probably spend around £250,000 in advances, recording and marketing costs. For every CD sold at £15, 17.5% will be taken in VAT leaving £12.37. The retailer takes 30% of this price for their share, leaving £8.66. The distributor takes around 30% of this price for their share, leaving £6.06. If the band receives a royalty of 15% of PPD (published dealer price) this would leave them with 91pence for every CD sold. The artist would have to sell around 275,000 CDs before the original £250,000 is recouped. As an artist you are therefore in debt before you have even started. So, what about the internet. Enter Project Opus. Project Opus is an on-line music community designed to support artists, fans and local music. It is a single point of contact for discovery of new music. The site has two goals: 1. make it incredibly easy for bands to self-publish music, find their audience and then get paid for the sale and licensing of their music, and 2. make it incredibly easy for fans to find music they love and support the artists that make it. Project Opus offers easy exposure to a bigger market of the internet, to get your music out there, test the water and maybe make a little money without any upfront hosting or membership costs. Tracks can be given away as a promotional item or sold. From a user standpoint, it is a good place to find new music which is free of the shackles of DRM but also to know that for $1, 50 cents goes to the artist, a fair slice between Project Opus and the artist. Project Opus may or may not be the future but what it does offer is offer a viable alternative powered by fans and artists rather than greedy, market monopoly fuelled folks in suits who don't care about either the artist or their customers. It is time to stop being fleeced by the so called music industry and see what the internet can do for music, fans and artists alike. Fuel the evolution. (Dragon)  The Steve Show
- [Alternative - Indie] 09 April 2007 6:28:00 AM, 0 Comments Some time ago I introduced you to the wonders of the Ricky Gervais podcast. That was good but you ended up having to pay for it and it just became more of the same. Meanwhile, Gervais' star status went global and it was easy to think of Gervais as this comedy genius. But his standups were decidedly ordinary and I thought for a while, is Steve Merchant (co-writer, co-director and now co-actor) the funny one. Well, Merchant has a show on BBC Radio 6 in which he plays music that you probably haven't heard of. I've already picked up on wonders like "Animals that Swim" and "Bill Callahan", who knows, maybe The Sun Machine will feature in a future show. But the thing is, while also introducing you to great music it's also a really good laugh. Merchant and his co-presenters (mainly his mates) give off a really good vibe and produce comedy that is rare in this day and age... comedy that's funny. And while playing great music as well. Seems ideal for this site really, doesn't it? (nimnimnumnim)  OS Alt
- [Misc] 28 March 2007 5:23:00 PM, 3 Comments When we buy a PC we naturally want it to be able to do our bidding, be it word processing, photo editing, media playing, music creation and so on. But software often costs a fortune. The alternative (other than software piracy, which I'm sure none of you would ever dream of!) is Open Source free software. OS software is getting better and better these days, often providing acceptable alternatives to commercial products. Some of the OS alternatives actually surpass the commercial stuff (although admittedly most doesn't). And while it was once the preserve of Open Source Operating Systems such as Linux, most OS software now works under Windows or Mac too. But wouldn't it be smashing if you could use that webnet thingy to type in the name of some commercial software you like and be presented with an OS alternative? Well, happy days, guess what OS Alt does?? Indeed, it finds OS alternatives to commercial software. Great for Linux users and for Windows users who don't wish to break the law by succumbing to the temptations of piracy. (matthias)  Willard Wiggan
- [Art] 29 January 2007 7:12:00 AM, 0 Comments Scientists have been looking at the world in micro form for many decades but art has always been within the realm of the naked eye where it can be easily viewed and commented upon. Willard has chosen not to sculpt items which can be seen easily with the naked eye but has taken art down to a micro size level enabling him to contain his work within the eye of a needle. Willard is in his own way challenging what we perceive as art and more importantly makes us open our eyes to the possibilities of our creativity, which doesn't always have to remain in the constraints of the art establishment. (Dragon)  Ana Maria Pacheco
- [Art] 06 January 2007 12:59:00 PM, 0 Comments Pacheco is a sculptor, painter and printmaker from Brazil who produces some formidable and disturbing work. While the website can reproduce this work you simply don't get the emotionals you get when you see this work in the flesh. One such example is "Dark Night of the Soul", a massive sculpture which filled the hall in which I saw it. Figures are dotted around displaying varying emotions but the work is dominated by four huge shroud-clad men around a naked corpse which is tied to a stake with several arrows fired into the body. As you walk through this sculpture with these men towering over you, you can't help but feel the fear and oppression in the air. Then as you move around you see other figures which are shocked, mournful and inqusitive and realise that they are mirrors of the other spectators in the room. Her work is of figures who have closed up their bodies. Very rarely are arms away from the bodies or chins away from chests and the heads, particularly the eyes, are oversized but this simply adds to the power of her work. A unique artist with a unique style. If you get a chance, see her work. (nimnimnumnim) |
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