EvanGilmore.com

Making free phone calls comes to Gmail

2010-08-30T11:44:00.000-04:00

I'm a big fan of Google Voice, Google's free phone and voice-mail management service. This is in part because I have a "Google phone", so the applications and hardware come seamlessly integrated. I haven't once made use of my Verizon-provided voice-mail service, I've used Google Voice since the day I got my Droid, enjoying automatically transcribed voice-mail messages that I can skim through just as I would my email inbox, rather than the cumbersome dialing, entering my pin, pressing "1" to "hear my new messages..." and so on. All in all, I think that it is a much more elegant process. I also enjoy the call-forwarding that Google Voice provides. I have my custom phone number that is provided by Google Voice, which I give out to people, then based on who's calling, when they're calling, and other variables of my choosing, I have my incoming calls routed to my cell, work line, or both (or sometimes straight to voicemail).

Google's latest addition to their Voice-related product line is "calling from Gmail," the ability to dial a US or Canadian number right from your Gmail inbox. You then use your mic and speakers on your computer to talk with the person on the other end of the line, all for free. This is basically providing a service akin to VOIP, such as Skype. But this is not merely a new service that Google is providing. This is a step towards unification - consolidating our modes of communication, so that the lines between cellphone, computer, email, IM, chat, and VOIP, all begin to be blurred. Google's strategy is to provide convenience of existing means of communication, not fragmentation of it. I learned this first-hand last night: I was on my computer, logged into Gmail, my phone was in the other room and I needed to make a call. With one click, I had the person "on the phone," hands-free. The call quality was very good, much better than my cell's speakerphone function. It was terrifically easy and convenient, and I'll definitely use it again.

So what's next? Well, this Google calling feature already supports video calling too, so I believe we will be seeing mobile video calling integration as soon as the hardware supports it - something to rival Apple's Facetime feature. I also believe that Google has a lot more work to do on the interface. Currently, Google calling only exists as a small text link within Gmail. A dedicated widget, frame, or desktop app is necessary to make this stand out to users as something really unique and popular. Raising awareness will be key for this service to take off. It will also be interesting to see how this integrates with Google's Fall social networking debut. We will wait and see.

Thoughts on the Apple iPad

2010-01-28T14:02:00.002-05:00

I am a PC. We have a grand total of nine of them in the house, actually. One of them is running Windows Media Center as the brain behind our home theater. Me and my wife's phone both run Android, and I refuse to run Quicktime, iTunes, or Safari on any of my computers. Personally, I wouldn't want it any other way. I consider myself to be the complete opposite of an Apple fanboy. In fact, you may say I'm a PC fanboy. That being said, I think that Apple makes absolutely fantastic products, and they really know what they're doing.

So despite a lot of the negative feedback, I think the new Apple iPad has a good shot at being a success. I can completely understand Apple's reason for developing it, and I can fully see the market segment that it targets. The challenge is that it's a new market, and the people in it don't realize that they...are. I think Apple's goal with this thing is to truly change the way we interact with computers and the internet; the mouse and keyboard have stuck around for too long, I wholeheartedly agree. As things move into "the cloud", all we will need is a web browser. No disk drives, no storage media, no peripherals, just a way to connect to the rest of the world directly using the tools that we already use most - our fingers.

Personally, I've decided I like the product. I believe it will be difficult for many people to also do so until they actually get their hands on it, which won't be for a few months.

But in the meantime, I say to Jobs and the gang, "Good work, Apple. I see what you did there."

The web is only five thousand days old. What will happen in the next five thousand days?

2009-10-09T11:11:00.009-04:00

The internet has developed at a remarkable pace in a short amount of time. Kevin Kelly presents a stunningly insightful look at the future of web, cloud, and social computing, as well as how it will affect our lives in the days to come. Short video, definitely worth a look.

I want to got to there.

2009-10-01T20:26:00.003-04:00

In addition to my desire to someday experience a sensory deprivation tank first hand, I have also yet to visit an anechoic chamber. An anechoic chamber is a facility that is void of any reverberant properties - there's no echo. The largest one in the world (unless the government has some secret one at area 51 or somewhere) is located at Edwards Air Force Base in California.

Gizmodo's feature editor Wilson Rothman recently visited an anechoic chamber built by Microsoft, of all people. From what I understand from others who HAVE experienced being in an anechoic chamber, the sensation is always surreal and disorienting, and gives you an idea of just how much we take our...ears...for granted. Link to his writeup about his visit is below.

Microsoft's Anechoic Chamber: The Place Where Sound Goes To Die (gizmodo)

Microsoft working on iTablet killer?

2009-09-30T07:48:00.010-04:00

Amid all the recent buzz about the upcoming Apple Tablet, Microsoft has leaked some impressive images of a tablet/notepad style device dubbed the Microsoft Courier. The notable surprise here is the use of dual screens, making it more of a book-style device, and the inclusion of a stylus. It is also unclear whether it will run an existing OS such as Windows 7 or use a proprietary OS built just for the device. Either way, it looks pretty snazzy, I'll take one!

Courier Tablet Runs Windows 7, Hardware By Microsoft (gizmodo)

Leaked Courier Video Shows How We'll Actually Use It (gizmodo)

Cheap stuff

2009-09-27T22:33:00.003-04:00

Occasionally people ask me to help them find a good deal on...whatever (usually tech related), and I'm happy to do so. There are a few websites that I keep an eye on, which in turn keep their eyes on other websites, and it gets pretty crazy from there. But I figured there had to be a more streamlined way about the whole thing, so I put together my own Google Reader feed for all to enjoy. If you are looking for the latest deal on a new computer, gps, digital camera, or tv, along with some really unusual stuff from time to time, you should definitely check it out. You can get to it at www.evangilmore.com/deals. I'll also try to put a permanent link up here soon. Enjoy!

Also, I thought this was funny:

Where'd everybody go?

2009-09-27T14:55:00.004-04:00

Is anyone still listening? If so, I am surprised. It has been like, four months or something like that. At any rate, a lot has happened in recent days, so I thought I would share some of it with you, casual reader. In June I was hired on at Taylor University, working with the Media Services department. It's a really swell position, helping with various tech needs on campus, as well as running sound, lights and general a/v setups on campus. It's a small department, only four people if you include myself, but the people are great, the school is great, and our new town is great. It has been a very pleasant time of transition for our little family, as we've settled into a new house, and my son celebrated his first birthday here amid many friends and family. Amid all these new joys in our life, you'll have to forgive me for not keeping up with this site. But hopefully i'll be able to keep up with things more regularly. We will just have to wait and see!

-Evan

Enough with all the cables! Why do I still have to plug in my cell phone charger?

2009-06-13T07:18:00.003-04:00

In 1899, Nikola Tesla managed to wirelessly transmit 100 million volts of power over a distance of 26 miles where it lit up a bank of 200 light bulbs and an electric motor. So...why haven't we figured this out yet on a large scale?

John Behrens and the guys from Omega Recoil have done a lot of work with Tesla coils, mainly for the performance aspect, but they have been able to (on a small scale) recreate some of Tesla's pioneering work with wireless electricity. They had a pretty good presentation at Maker Faire recently, and you can watch it online at the link below:

http://fora.tv/2009/05/30/Electricity_Theater_with_Omega_Recoil#

New facebook URL

2009-06-13T00:35:00.002-04:00

Well, Facebook is now granting vanity URLs on a first-come first-served basis (get yours at facebook.com/username). I just got mine for my personal profile at facebook.com/evangilmore. One for the EvanGilmore.com fan page will be forthcoming...soon.

The Essential Guide to FREE software

2009-06-11T22:48:00.004-04:00

I've put together a list HERE of essential software that I use and recommend for everyday tasks. I will keep this updated regularly, and you can also access it from the 'tech tips' menu above. Enjoy!

Wha' Happened?

2009-06-10T01:12:00.001-04:00

Ack! Sorry it's been so long between posts! Really! I've been busy with a lot of things, like being lazy about my blog, but hopefully I can set that right with some informative and amusing posts in the not so distant future. Not the least of which will be my thoughts on Windows 7 (or the release candidate at least).

I've only been knocking around with it a few days, but so far, I've been completely thrilled and amazed by what I've seen. Let's just say that Microsoft has more than made amends for the PR nightmare that was Windows Vista...but more on that later.

Looking into Microsoft's crystal ball...

2009-04-21T19:43:00.005-04:00

I've been reading and thinking a lot lately about where we're all going on this technology ride here in the twenty-first century. And in this same vein, Microsoft recently made public several videos they created, referred to as the "Future Vision" series. Depicting a near perfect integration of technology in daily (dare we say, utopian?) life, the vision is supposed to be a snapshot of life in the year 2019. Even though several of the technologies in the video are already available, the remaining concepts have yet to see the light of day. Although it's difficult to imagine the entire vision being reality in just ten years, there are some very valid elements of the clip that we may see very soon. Perhaps surprisingly soon.

(Higher resolution video available here or here.)

Weekend Project: Do it yourself wall-hanging PC

2009-04-06T15:03:00.003-04:00

Inspired by a recent Lifehacker post featuring Justin Griswold's blog at Glowview.com, I recently decided to resurrect my old laptop as a DIY digital picture frame/wall-mounted computer. I was not using the laptop for anything else at the time, and it would be a perfect place to keep the family calendar, view helpful info such as the weather forecast and TV listings, make a quick grocery list, even playback music, and when not in use it would serve as a perfect hi-def digital picture frame, all working wirelessly over our home network. The computer I was about to play operation on was a seven year old Sager notebook computer with no battery, no built-in wi-fi, and only USB 1.0 ports to work with.

In spite of this, it was the perfect candidate for this project. The first step was to carefully dismantle the LCD display housing, being careful not to damage any of the wires in the process.

After removing the screen's case, I decided i wasn't going to completely gut the rest of the computer, leaving the motherboard, hard drive, and other guts in the case. However, this would require a bigger frame than I had planned on. I decided to go with a 16x20x2.5 shadowbox. It was deep enough to house the computer, while providing enough room around the notebook for ventilation. I also needed a custom mat for the frame, as the LCD screen was only 12x9 inches. After I picked up the custom cut mat and shadowbox frame from Michael's (the only shadowbox I could find was silver, so I had to paint it black), I carefully attached the screen to the mat using gaffer's tape. The screen's power supply cable was not long enough for this arrangement, so I did have to extend the attached power wires. As for the rest of the computer, I attached it with wire to a thin plank of balsa wood, which I screwed into the frame (click picture below for larger view).

The final result looked significantly better than I thought it would turn out!

I attached an external USB hub into which I plugged the network adapter, receiver for the wireless mouse, keyboard, and media remote. The computer is running WinXP with ObjectDock, Yahoo widgets, and Rainlendar on the desktop, providing easy access to the most commonly used tasks (click picture below for screenshot).

All in all, it proved to be a thoroughly worthwhile undertaking, but credit goes to Lifehacker and Justin Griswold for the inspiration.

Turn an old laptop into a wall mounted computer (glowview.com via Lifehacker)

Official Microsoft Screensaver for April Fools'

2009-03-31T10:12:00.003-04:00

Originally published a few years ago by Microsoft developers as a reference to the famous "Blue Screen of Death" (the error screen dreaded by Windows users), it has now been updated with references to Windows Vista as well. The screensaver simulates the error messages occasionally seen by Windows users, as well as images of the computer during reboot, while displaying accurate system information obtained from your machine, making it all the more eerie! As they say on the site, "Use Bluescreen to amaze your friends and scare your enemies!

BlueScreen Screen Saver v3.2 (via Microsoft Technet)

Latest Microsoft ad is most effective one yet

2009-03-27T11:13:00.006-04:00

Microsoft's new focus in their ad campaign is to show that Macs are overpriced when compared to their PC counterparts with comparable specs. They got several volunteers (off of Craigslist, reportedly) to find a laptop under $1000. They were also allowed to keep whichever one they chose. As there are hardly any options for an Apple laptop under $1000, they all picked a PC. Watch the ad below and decide for yourself if you think it's effective. I think it speaks volumes to people in today's tight economy.

Microsoft's best anti-Apple ad yet (via boing boing gadgets)

Outrageous audiophile product roundup

2009-03-27T09:37:00.005-04:00

Audio and hi-fi equipment marketed specifically towards audiophiles has often proven to be a source of great amusement, with everything from magical crystals that improve the quality of CDs, to replacement power cables that cost over $100,000 (the same cable can typically be bought at Wal-Mart for under $10). The good folks at Gizmodo put this gallery together a while back to highlight some of the most outrageous and laughable examples that exist on the web.

Outrageous Audiophiles' Gallery (via gizmodo)

Google plans an awkwardly-timed surprise.

2009-03-26T23:37:00.004-04:00

Google has announced the release of a new Gmail-related product, but isn't quite ready to say what it is. It released some shady details in a press-release that was pre-dated for April 1st. Knowing Google's reputation for April Fool's Day shenanigans, one can't help but wonder if this isn't just another in a long history of clever Google Gags.

Google Plans Fifth Birthday Present for Gmail Users (via pcworld.com)

Hear an MP3 file encoded 600 times!

2009-03-24T15:45:00.002-04:00

I'm not sure who took the time to actually do this, but the results are quite revealing. Consider this the digital music version of the telephone game - an MP3 file, compressed and encoded, then compressed and encoded again, 600 times! Not for the faint of heart, but certainly gives you an idea of what's really going on behind the scenes of an MP3 codec.

MP3 file encoded 600 times (via reddit.com)

Snippage puts bits of the web on your desktop

2009-03-23T14:14:00.003-04:00

If you've ever wanted to take just a tiny clipping of a website and save it to refer to often, then Snippage might be exactly what you are looking for. Using the Adobe Air Platform (which you'll need to download and install first) Snippage allows you to highlight any section of a given webpage and capture it on your desktop. It is tremendously useful for tracking the weather, viewing TV listings, saving a favorite web comic, or even tracking the latest woot! offering. Definitely a handy tool. Official link below.

Snippage

Free do-it-yourself Pro Tools Keyboard

2009-03-21T16:43:00.004-04:00

Not all of us have money to burn these days, especially if you are a recording engineer. With thanks to hispasonic.com, you can now turn your existing keyboard on your rig into a custom Pro Tools keyboard without having to lay down upwards of $100 for an official one. You will either need some adhesive paper or regular paper and glue to use the stickers (link is below). There is both a color and a grayscale version included on the PDF file. For free, I don't think that they look half bad!

Pro Tools custom keyboard stickers (via hispasonic.com)

Let your words stand out, in bracelet form

2009-03-16T22:47:00.007-04:00

In an effort to help parents find a unique way to communicate with their kids about drugs, the Sound Advice Project is a new website that allows you to record a message for your child or loved one, have the waveform of the recording visualized, and converted into wearable art - namely, a bracelet. A potentially cool idea that could be used for more than just preventing drug abuse, in my opinion.

The Sound Advice Project (via boing boing gadgets blog)

(P.S. Happy Saint Patrick's Day, and Happy Birthday, Joe!)

Download YouTube videos without any third-party software

2009-03-15T20:13:00.005-04:00

A happy side-effect of YouTube's push to host higher resolution videos is the hidden ability to download most videos as MP4 files. Using simple Javascript code, you can download the videos in most browsers just by using the link below. Simply click and drag the link below to your bookmarks bar (in Internet Explorer, right-click on the link and select "Add to favorites..."), and next time you're on a YouTube page, simply click the link. It doesn't get much more simple than that.

Get YouTube video

Google adds offline access to Google Calendar!

2009-03-14T18:37:00.006-04:00

After incorporating offline access to their increasingly popular (and free) Gmail service, Google has now added the very useful offline feature to Google Calendar as well. You now can have access to all your appointments and information even when you're not connected to the internet. A great help for those with laptops, notebooks, netbooks, etc. More info at the link:

View Google Calendar Offline (via Official Gmail blog)

Happy Pi Day! and some random music videos...

2009-03-14T01:26:00.006-04:00

It's 3.14 - Pi day, and coincidentally, Albert Einstein's birthday. Happy birthday, Al. To celebrate this happy occasion, I'd encourage you to check out the incredibly funky music of Myspace artist 'Kutiman'. He has taken some random videos of musicians performing on YouTube, edited, sampled, mixed and remixed them together to form some funkalicious-ly amazing works of viral art. One of the videos is below, the rest are available at his website: www.thru-you.com

Save space in Google Chrome with nameless bookmarks

2009-03-12T18:19:00.004-04:00

This tip can apply to other browsers as well, but I find it works especially well in Google Chrome, taking advantage of the streamlined design. My bookmark bar is constantly filling up with new links, and I'm not a huge fan of folders, so I had to do something to make them fit. Fortunately, Chrome allows you to add a bookmark with no name:

This leaves just the site icon on your bar, and a very tidy browsing experience.

Give your Windows XP computer a facelift with a secret theme!

2009-02-18T12:41:00.004-05:00

Any Windows user who is faced with Windows XP on a daily basis knows how easy it is to get tired of the out-of-the-box blue, silver, and green Windows themes. There are several programs that can mask or shell your OS to look however you would like, but the downside of these programs is that they use up valuable system resources on your machine (as opposed to using the three built-in Windows themes). Well a forgotten theme known as "Royale Noir" has been floating around the internet for a while now, supposedly the work of the Windows design team, but it never was released because it looked too much like the soon to be released Windows Vista theme. I think it looks terrific, and I'm happy to not install any third party software to give my XP machine a new look. Below is a link to instructions on how to run the theme.

Royale Noir: secret XP theme uncovered (istartedsomething.com)

All your PC building fears are put to rest

2009-02-12T08:00:00.003-05:00

For those of you who have considered building your own PC to save some hard-earned money, but have been too nervous to actually take the plunge. The good fellas over at lifehacker.com have put together a terrific resource for those of you who are interested. I have done it multiple times myself, and I've never met anyone who said, "it was such a waste of time to build that computer..." Link below.

The First-Timer's Guide to Building a Computer from Scratch (lifehacker.com)

No DTV coupon hassles to report yet

2009-02-11T08:00:00.001-05:00

A couple weeks ago I requested one of the $40 government coupons (see link below), despite the news that the government was out of money for the program. Our TV in the living room has a built in digital tuner, but our other one doesn't, and since we don't have cable or anything, I thought I'd give it a shot, and see what happens. Well, lo and behold, my government gift-card-looking coupon showed up a week later just fine. Best Buy gave me no hassle about it, and my rabbit ears are working great. Now if only they'd hurry up with my tax refund...

DTV switchover coupons and official information (dtv2009.gov)

The Autotune epidemic continues...

2009-02-10T08:00:00.002-05:00

With more and more artists using Autotune in its most extreme form - creating robotic vocals that hardly sound human - TIME magazine explains the whole issue and controversy for those who may be unfamiliar with the software and its use in poopular music today. Link below.

Auto-Tune: Why Pop Music Sounds Perfect (TIME.com)

Circuit City selling everything but the kitchen sinks...really.

2009-02-07T20:22:00.004-05:00

In my continuing attempt to de-clutter my home this week, I decided that I needed some new storage containers for cables, gadgets, papers and other too-valuable-to-get-rid-off doodads. Not wanting to spend $10 for the cheap rubbermaid containers available at Wal-Mart, I stopped by Circuit City, where they are selling all the store fixtures, shelves, and furniture. As soon as I saw that their shopping baskets were $3 each, I knew I had found my solution. After I proudly forked over the three Washingtons in my pocket, I headed towards the exit with my receipt and my empty basket. As I approached the soon to be unemployed high school kid who was watching the door, I knew this might be a bit awkward. Unsure of what I purchased, since my basket was empty, he did ask to see my receipt. He looked it over thoroughly, highlighted it, sharpied it, and handed it back to me, saying "Have a good day!" immediately followed by the inevitable, "May I take your basket for you?" "No, I actually just bought this." I replied. Confused at how this was possible, he just stared at me for a whole 4.5 seconds. After he finally realized what was going on, I was on my merry way. There were plenty of baskets (as well as shopping carts and hand trucks) still for sale when I left, but supplies will vary from store to store, I'm sure.

Gmail finally cuts the cord

2009-02-01T10:05:00.007-05:00

Google labs, together with Gmail, Google's free web based email service, has launched a revolutionary new way to use the site. Using Google "Gears" (a technology developed a few months ago by Google labs, and recently integrated into their new web browser - Google Chrome), you can now use Gmail offline. The resulting user experience is that it operates like users of software-based email clients (e.g. Microsoft Outlook) are familiar with. This is a terrific solution for the mobile computer user who needs to refer to their email on the go, but don't have an internet connection, and don't want to use a cumbersome software-based email client. I've been using it for a few days and I am loving it. Full video to explain the idea is below.

New in Labs: Offline Gmail (Official Google Blog via mashable.com)

Finally...real guitars enter the gaming scene

2009-01-11T10:48:00.006-05:00

Guitar Hero and Rock band are terrific games that have helped tie the music industry back into the video game scene, but as any musician will tell you, they don't have the slightest to do with playing a real guitar. Well who do you think would come to the rescue on this one? That's right, Disney. Video and link below.

The Holy Grail of Music Gaming (wired.com)

Analog TV going bye-bye, are you ready?

2009-01-11T10:35:00.003-05:00

Unless you've been living under a rock for the past 5 years, you are likely aware that the switch to digital TV signals are coming in about a month. Despite all the fear and dread surrounding the issue, it actually will be a good thing - more channels, and not having to "adjust the picture" all the time if you use an antenna now. On the lighter side of things, here's a good mock PSA I found to explain the whole situation more clearly.

New Electric Toy Museum is full of lo-fi nostalgic goodness

2008-12-01T08:00:00.001-05:00

I remember playing with a speak and spell when I was little. Although, I think it was my sister's, not mine. It was fascinating to me that you could spell words on this machine, and it would actually speak them back to you. Holy cow. With all the fancy pants music technology we have these days, there certainly are a lot of musicians turning to lo-fi sources for innovative sounds, samples, and rhythms that you might not hear too often, at least with any musical pretext. Time to introduce the Electric Toy Museum soundbank from UVISoundSource.com. Compatible with the free UVIWorkstation or MOTU's MachFive 2, the Electric Toy Museum collection captures the essence of all the lo-fi toys you remember so well, all eager to be integrated into your next project. Trippy video and link below.

New! "Electric Toy Museum" (uvisoundsource.com)

New Micro interface, not to be confused with existing Micro interface

2008-11-28T08:00:00.001-05:00

The new Mbox micro clone from M-Audio is now available on Digidesign's website. An obvious little brother to the Mbox micro (even down to the color), the interface was announced at the annual NAMM conference earlier this year. It does not seem evident (or likely) at this point whether or not the dongle-interface will be compatible with Pro Tools M-Powered, which runs on nearly all of M-Audio's other interfaces. It's admittedly difficult at this point to see the use for the interface if the converters and headphone amp are not any better than the ones built into your computer already.

M-Audio Micro USB Audio Interface (digidesign.com via protoolerblog.com)

New Autotune EFX - T-Pain and Cher are only a preset away

2008-11-25T08:00:00.000-05:00

Antares Audio Technologies, the maker of the industry-standard pitch correction software Autotune, is attempting to make its product available to even more musicians than before with the new budget priced Autotune EFX. Priced at under $100, the software is designed for two main uses: basic no-frills pitch correction, and T-Pain/Cher style vocal effects. With very simple presets for both applications of the plugin, there is no longer any tweaking or calibrating involved when using EFX. It's either on or off, with only a few minor options available to the user. With the increasing use of Autotune as a special effect, rather than a legit vocal editing/processing tool, I can't say that I didn't see this coming.

Antares AutotuneEFX (antarestech.com via harmony-central.com)

V-Machine + tight budgets = happy VST users?

2008-11-24T08:00:00.000-05:00

Virtual instrument users and MIDI fanatics alike have long been aware of Muse Research's Receptor series of mobile VI modules. Used to run you software-based synths and instruments in a mobile rig rather than tied down to your computer setup, it has been a clever (albeit not cheap) solution for some time. The Receptor has been the only game in town for this concept as of late...until now. SM Pro Audio has begun shipping its V-Machine, which was announced at Musikmesse in Germany earlier this year. The specs aren't quite as beefy as the MUSE line, but at $599, the price tag is considerably more attractive to musicians who are just getting into this kind of thing.

SM Pro Audio V-Machine (smproaudio.com via musicradar.com)

Little box from Verismo Networks does pretty much everything...

2008-11-18T22:39:00.008-05:00

...well, at least when it comes to internet video stuff. With more and more people watching TV and movies on their computer rather than on the traditional boob-tube, there is also an increase in the number of formats people are using to watch these videos on their desktop or laptop. Many use the ever-popular iTunes to purchase and download music and videos, while many videos are downloadable directly from the web or networks such as BitTorrent. Website and flash-based video such as hulu, YouTube, and most of the major TV networks is also steadily growing. With all these options, the cry in the wilderness has been for a media player that would play all of the above formats on your traditional TV. Well, if Verismo lives up to the claims on their website (www.vunow.com), they've come up with a device that does all that, and PLENTY more. Let's just hope it doesn't go the way of SanDisk's failed attempt at TakeTV a year or two ago.

New VuNow player from Verismo Networks (vunow.com via marketwatch.com)

New iPod microphone from Blue

2008-11-11T08:00:00.000-05:00

Blue Microphones, recognized by their unique microphone designs, such as the Bottle, the Blueberry, and others, has announced a new on-the-go recording tool for the iPod, called the Mikey. Compatible with all of the current iPod models (except for the iPhone and iPod Touch), the Mikey features a pair of stereo condenser microphones and a built in speaker, the first of its kind for iPod recording. Based on the reputation of Blue microphones, and the fact that the Mikey features two condenser mics, the sound quality on this unit should be quite good. We'll have to wait and see though, the release date is set for early 2009.

Mikey is stereo condenser mic for iPod (musicradar.com)

"Hard Day's Night" mystery chord...solved!

2008-11-09T08:58:00.003-05:00

For a while, Beatles fans have speculated over what exactly the opening chord to "Hard Day's Night" was, and how it was played. Well it was not a musician, but a mathemetician at Dalhousie University that has figured it out using a combination of notes from the Beatles and George Martin, and a Fourier Transform to analyze the frequencies. It may sound simple, but apparently it took a grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada to make it happen. Links below.

PDF of "Mathematics, Physics and A Hard Day's Night" (mscs.dal.ca via NoiseAddicts.com)

GForce/GMedia announces M-Tron Pro

2008-10-27T22:13:00.004-04:00

The Mellotron has a well established place in the history of 20th century electronic music, making appearances in songs by The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and countless others. While there are several software emulations out there of this classic instrument, the definitive one for the past few years has been M-Tron by GForce. Today, GForce announced the latest iteration of this virtual instrument, M-Tron Pro. Boasting several long awaited enhancements and numerous additional patches, many of them remastered at London's Abbey Road studios, this new plugin is a very welcome upgrade to a classic VI. Current M-Tron owners will be eligible for an upgrade, full details on GForce's website (link below).

M-Audio and GForce launch M-Tron Pro (from gforcesoftware.com via KVR Audio)

Metallica's new album apparently sounds better on LP or Guitar Hero III than on the CD

2008-10-21T10:08:00.007-04:00

With the release of Metallica's newest album in September, there have been mixed reviews from Metallica fans regarding the quality of the album's production. The most common complaints have been due to the overall quality of the mix, over-compression, and digital distortion. What is interesting though, is that some of these negative elements are not present in versions of the album other than the CD-release. The versions of the band's songs that were released on vinyl and the video game, Guitar Hero III, do not have the overly compressed characteristics that are found on the CD version. The album's mastering engineer for the CD release, Ted Jensen, along with the band's mix engineer, Rick Rubin, are both criticized for being responsible for the album's sound. Ian Shepherd, a mastering engineer who had no involvement with the album's production, has posted a more in-depth look at why the album's different releases sound the way they do. See below for more info.

Audio Engineer: Metallica's Latest Album Sounds Better on Vinyl (Ian Shepherd's blog via gizmodo.com)

New guitar from Ovation all but cures writer's block

2008-10-15T19:29:00.005-04:00

If you are a songwriter and a guitarist you know that inspiration can strike at any moment. But what are you supposed to do when that happens? Interrupt the flow of your creative juices in order to find pen and paper? Ovation has made serious efforts to address that problem with the new Ovation iDea Guitar. This is the first guitar of its kind that is able to record what you play through the built in recorder and mp3 player, so you can save song ideas on the fly. The recording unit is built right into the preamp module, and also features a small built-in microphone to record vocals for the aspiring singer/songwriter type. All this is intended simply as a tool for "scratch" recording, and not as a professional recording device. The quality of the recorded tracks is not really good enough for your first solo album, but it will help you write the songs that get you there. Ovation claims that backing tracks can also be loaded onto the unit for live playback, but I'm a bit skeptical as to how well the mp3 playback will sound live. The guitar is scheduled to ship late this fall, hopefully in time for Christmas.

Ovation idea guitar (ovationidea.com)

New MacBook and MacBook Pro announced

2008-10-15T07:13:00.009-04:00

Well, they have gone and done it again. Apple announced the latest redesign in their lineup of portable computers yesterday, the 13" MacBook and the 15" MacBook Pro. Made from a new manufacturing process that reduces costs and is more environment-friendly, they also feature new graphics chips from NVIDIA, a streamlined multi-touch trackpad, and an array of improved specs. Although the rumors of an $800 model did not pan out, the new MacBooks have nearly all the specs that the previous MacBook Pro models had, for $700 less. I would say that it is better than a poke in the iBall...er...I mean...eyeball. Video and links are below.

MacBook 2008 Announcement Roundup (gizmodo.com)

Pro Tools on David Letterman

2008-10-04T21:10:00.007-04:00

For all the Digiphiles out there, here's another one that's been floating around for some time. Warning though, you may only fully appreciate the humor of this clip if you are an avid Pro tools user. Enjoy.

Pro Tools on David Letterman (youtube.com)

Digidesign Announces Pro Tools 8

2008-10-02T23:30:00.003-04:00

For years, the name Pro Tools has been synonymous with recording studio technology, and an industry standard for studios the world over. Recently though, Digidesign's Pro Tools software has been given a run for its money with the numerous other software titles available for both home and professional recording studios. With all these other programs seemingly offering more bells and whistles, why should engineers stick with Pro Tools when there are other competing titles out there? Well, as of today at the AES convention in San Francisco, Digidesign announced big news for Pro Tools users: Pro Tools 8. Among the many improvements are: more stock plug-ins and virtual instruments, significantly improved MIDI and scoring components, added vocal & take editing (playlist) tools, "Elastic Pitch", and increased track count for Pro Tools LE users straight out of the box. It's about time! Read more and watch videos on Digi's website.

Pro Tools 8 (digidesign.com)

UPDATE (10/03/08) -

Scott Church has uploaded a video on Vimeo.com showing more of the ins and outs of the new Pro Tools 8 user interface:

Scott Church's overview of Pro Tools 8 (vimeo.com)

Acoustic Treatment: Form finally meets function

2008-09-30T23:59:00.000-04:00

It's a fact. Your sound system, home theater, studio monitors, whatever, are only as good as the room you are listening in. Bad acoustics can completely ruin your listening experience by introducing reverb, flutter echo, and problem frequencies. Up until recently, the only solutions were a limited selection of professional studio foam and panels designed to mitigate the damage caused by bad acoustics. Although these work extremely well, the aesthetic results of covering your walls with purple or gray foam often leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to the visual aspect of your space. Auralex Acoustics, based out of Indianapolis, Indiana, has finally come out with a thoroughly acceptable solution to this dillema: Auralex SonicPrint. These panels of 2x2, 2x3, and 2x4 feet are constructed from the same materials that go into the acoustic panels used for years by churches, theaters, studios, and others. But these panels can be custom designed with any of your own digital images, artwork, logos, or whatever you'd like. You can even choose from their extensive library of stock images, too. Finally, there is acoustic treatment that is customizable, so that everyone can find something that fits their own personality and style! Why didn't anyone think of this sooner?

Auralex SonicPrint (auralex.com)

Van Halen Jumps the gun

2008-09-24T21:21:00.001-04:00

This one has been floating around the web for a few months now. It's a clip from Van Halen's '07 tour in Greensboro, North Carolina. To sum the video up, they sound...awful. The reason why they sound so awful has been debated among fans. The initial impression is that Eddie's guitar is ridiculously out of tune, and in that case, their guitar tech is likely out of a job. However, the more likely scenario that I have heard is that the sampling rate on the synthesizer (or whatever they're using to play the classic synth intro) has been incorrectly set by the keyboard tech, causing it to sound higher in pitch than it should. You can compare it with other live recordings of them playing Jump on different occasions, as well as the album version. Watch the clip (if you can stand it), and you decide what's causing the painful mess for yourself.

Van Halen live at Greenboro (youtube.com)

Personal Note: It's a boy!

2008-09-22T23:06:00.000-04:00

Sorry about the hiccup there, folks. On September 12th, My wife and I welcomed our first child into the world, a boy - Elliot Hunter Gilmore. He's just super, and cute like there's no tomorrow! Pic is below. But never fear, new updates will continue this week.

Beta testing of Google Audio Indexing begins

2008-09-09T23:41:00.000-04:00

You can search for pretty much anything on the Web. And most people do so with the help of Google. But what about when you want to search for things other than text on a website? Say...audio...perhaps? Well, the mad scientists at Google Labs, the experimental, beta side of Google, have done it again. They are trying out new methods for indexing audio from videos on the web. Right now, they seem to be focusing on the timely issue of the election, but soon this technology will expand to all videos on the web, YouTube, and elsewhere. It's a tricky business, trying to archive audio on the internet as meaningful words and key phrases. But if anyone can pull it off, it's the crazies out in Mountain View, California. It'll be interesting to see how this technology spreads in the future.

Google Audio Indexing (labs.google.com)

The lowdown on online music guides

2008-09-06T09:42:00.000-04:00

Judging by the way things are going, Wikipedia is soon to join the ranks of Kleenex, Xerox, Coke and Google as a generic term. More and more people use Wikipedia on a daily basis, not for any scholarly resource, but just for self-education. In a similar manner, more and more websites are referring to themselves as "Wikis" - websites devoted to specific topics, whether it be tv shows, movies, or music. The confusing issue here, is that Wikipedia already covers all those topics as well, so why do we need more websites? Let's look at a few specific websites and see what they have to offer.

soundunwound.com

Soundunwound.com is a brand new website from amazon.com intended to provide information on bands, solo artists, and their albums. It does a good job at bringing together different people who worked on an album, and what they contributed (i.e. producer, engineer, etc.), but I'd still like to see more. This has some potential, but other than the ability to buy music directly from Amazon.com on the site, this site has little to offer that Wikipedia itself doesn't.

rateyourmusic.com

An old favorite of mine, rateyourmusic.com has become more of an online community than an encyclopaedic hub of music information. However, I have yet to find a website that has a more thorough collection of all of an artist's works. Look your favorite up here, and I'm sure you'll discover something new.

wikimusicguide.com and music.wikia.com
These two sites I put together, because they present similar offerings to the casual viewer. Both are among the many sites that try to emulate Wikipedia's format. To problem with this idea is that Wikipedia's success is not in its web format, but rather in its reader base. The more people that view, read, contribute to, and correct Wikipedia's (or and of the other Wiki site's) articles, the more accurate and comprehensive it becomes. This is the key to Wikipedia's success, and the reason it is still my first pick when I need to remember what the name of so-and-so's third album was.

Honorable mention: tinymixtapes.com

Doesn't really fit into the categories discussed here, but still a very cool site. Check it out. Lots of independant artists and upcoming acts.

Do you believe in life after...Autotune?

2008-09-05T08:20:00.000-04:00

The use of pitch correcting software in music production is nothing new. And the increasing use of it as more of a special effect then a transparent editing tool is heard in several popular artists' music (hip hop/R&B artist T-Pain being one of the larger culprits at the moment, Cher's 1998 hit "Believe" being one of the first songs to feature the effect). The most commonly used software for pitch correction and vocal effects is Autotune by Antares Audio Technologies. Another leading pitch editor is Melodyne from German Musical software developer Celemony, and their resident mad-scientist of sorts, Peter Neubäcker. Earlier this year, Peter unveiled the next big thing for vocal editing, a technology called Direct Note Access or DNA. For years up until now, pitch correction on vocal or instrumental tracks could only be applied on monophonic tracks, or tracks with a single line of melody rather than multiple notes such as in complex harmonies. In other words, you could work with a recording of a single voice or instrument, but not multiple notes or voices that had been recorded on the same track (so a flute but not a piano, or a single human voice but not a guitar). With this DNA technology set to be introduced in the next version of the Melodyne software, this will change everything. For a demonstration of exactly what I'm talking about, check out the video below.

Direct Note Access (celemony.com)

Free tickets to the 125th AES Convention!

2008-09-04T14:03:00.000-04:00

On October 3rd through the 5th, the 125th Convention of the AES (Audio and Engineering Society) is going to be held in beautiful San Francisco, California. Similar to NAMM, but open to the public, the convention will feature a ton of informative seminars and workshops, as well as all the leading pro-audio manufacturers. Unfortunately the event can be very pricey, even if you're already a member. But if you're like me at all, you prefer just checking out all the booths and manufacturers anyway. Three-day tickets to just the exhibit hall normally cost upwards of $60, but AES gave Sweetwater permission to give out passes...completely for free! If you're going to be in the San Francisco area and would like to attend, all you have to do is fill out the form on the website.

Free Exhibit Hall tickets to the 125th AES convention (sweetwater.com)

The Moog guitar: can you feel it?

2008-09-03T23:19:00.000-04:00

The late Bob Moog is best known for his significant work on synthesizers, theremins, and electronic music throughout the 20th century, and he has left an impressive footprint in the field of music technology as a whole. MoogMusic has continued his legacy with not only their latest product offering, but yet another truly remarkable and groundbreaking new instrument unlike anything we've seen from them before. It is the simply named, Moog Guitar. I could go into all the details of just how it works, but I'll just give you the short version. Using the same electromagnetic principles by which a traditional guitar pickup captures the energy of the guitar strings, the Moog Guitar sends the energy to the strings, creating a form of "infinite sustain" among other crazy tones. I got the chance to play one myself a few weeks ago, and I gotta tell you, it is incredible. Here's Phil Keaggy showing it off, so you can hear it for yourself:

The Moog Guitar (moogmusic.com)

Free TapeOp magazine subscription

2008-09-03T09:12:00.001-04:00

This is another one of those "why don't more people know about this?" kind of things. One of the best recording technology magazines in the industry, TapeOp, allows you to sign up for a print subscription, for free. Completely free, and it goes straight to your mailbox every month. In a market where most recording publications are over saturated with "Best studio mics for under $100" type articles, and the ever present "Top ten tips on how to mic a drum kit" feature, TapeOp presents an extremely low-hype, tell it like it is, grassroots style of writing that provides a fresh perspective on work in the studio. On top of their free mag, they have a good chunk of resources and links online for the armchair recording engineer. Altogether, a very worthwhile read.

Free TapeOp magazine subscription (tapeop.com)

Britney Spears' microphone feed (don't say I didn't warn you)

2008-09-03T08:56:00.000-04:00

Everyone knows that most teen-idol pop stars lip sync at their concerts. Most of them get away with it, and most people don't seem to care (except for the odd Ashley Simpson debacle). Well, even though they are lip-syncing, they still have a mic, right? Thanks to an unknown FOH audio engineer, we get to hear what one such pop star really sounds like, singing and trying to dance, while the audience is treated to her auto-tuned, overly processed vocal track. It's pretty bad, so don't say I didn't warn you.

Britney Spears live microphone in HBO Special (youtube.com)

A home for your headphones

2008-09-01T20:53:00.000-04:00

So you've got a really nice pair of headphones. What do you do with them when you don't have them on your head? Put them in a drawer? Not any more! A clever bloke put up some instructions on how to construct a very handsome headphone holder for your desk, using spare parts and hardware from IKEA (all available on their website). Pictures and instructions are linked below:

"A quality headphone stand for cheap" (ikeahacker.blogspot.com)

Link to original post

For those of you looking for an even cheaper solution, Raxxess makes some quality headphone holders for your equipment rack:

HH-1 and HH-2 from Raxxess (sweetwater.com)

Make your PC run more...good

2008-09-01T20:20:00.001-04:00

If you are using Microsoft Windows, and you are primarily using your computer for working with audio (or possibly video), then you obviously want to get the best system performance possible out of your machine. Windows has a reputation for not being the best operating system on the block on which to run a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation), but with a few tricks, it can improve its game by a substantial amount. PC "optimization guides" have been around for quite a while, some with very shady advice, but the PC gurus at Sweetwater have put together some lists of proven tweaks that you can perform on your system:

Windows Optimization guide for Windows XP and Windows Vista (sweetwater.com)

(Sorry, but if if you're running Windows Media Center edition, you may have other problems to worry about...)

Software Recommendations

2000-01-01T00:00:00.027-05:00

I'm frequently asked for advice on what software to get for different applications, and also what software I use personally. In light of this, I've compiled my own "Essential Toolkit" of software that I would recommend to just about anyone. And to top it all off, all of these are FREE!

Antivirus

AVG antivirus (free) - AVG has been providing free antivirus software for a while, and has established a respectable name for themselves when it comes to fighting viruses and malware.

Panda Cloud Antivirus (free) - Although it is still in beta, Cloud Antivirus has the potential to change the way we think of software. It runs light on your system, because all the databases and processing are performed on their servers, rather than your CPU.

PDF files

(Although Adobe provides Adobe Reader for free, many people complain about how it runs very slow on their system, and you cannot use the free version to author PDF documents. So I recommend the following software.)

FoxIt PDF viewer (free) - A reliable, lightweight PDF viewer that does the job very well. Works well on systems with limited resources.

CutePDF (free) - A dead-simple PDF writer. It installs itself as a PDF printer, so you can "print" anything on your computer as a PDF file. Works great.

Media Playback

VLC Media Player (free) - I can't say enough about VLC media player. It's fantastic. This mild-mannered video and music player will handle nearly any type of media that you throw at it, without bogging down your system like Windows Media Player and iTunes have been known to do from time to time.

Web Browser

Google Chrome (free) - As of writing this, Google Chrome has outperformed all the other leading browsers (Firefox, Safari, IE, Opera) in terms of overall speed. It also features an intuitive yet strikingly simple user interface.

Productivity

Open Office (free)- While Microsoft Office is the most commonly used productivity suite on the market, it can be too expensive for most users. OpenOffice.org provides an alternative suite of all the same applications, and is nearly 100% compatible with all Microsoft Office files. Well worth the download.

Stay tuned, I'll be updating the list with more to come...

About Evan Gilmore

2000-01-01T00:00:00.024-05:00

I've spent a good chunk of my life involved with technology in one form or another, specializing in audio and multimedia computing. As tech becomes more and more a part of our daily lives, I hope that I can help with some tips and ideas as well as discuss many of the new advances that will make things easier when it comes to daily living in this digital age!

My background is primarily in broadcast production and audio engineering, with a focus on multimedia technology in general. In my spare time (ha!) I do freelance voice over work for...well...just about anything, really. If you would like to contact me for any non-website related purpose, feel free to check out my LinkedIn page via the link below.

- Evan Gilmore

Contact Evan

2000-01-01T00:00:00.013-05:00

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