P2P Networks

The music industry received expected but dismal news this week as new reports emerged that global music sales have fallen by 1.5 billion USD over the past year. The music industry has continued to watch their sales fall and a great deal of this fact can be blamed on piracy because with internet music available for free everywhere a great deal of people pass by legal websites to ‘purchase’ music for nothing.

Piracy has been a problem for the music industry because the record labels did not take immediate action to protect themselves waiting too long to start enforcing piracy laws at which point they became the enemy instead of the wronged party.

As a result, many people who would normally be considered law abiding citizens do not think twice about downloading music files and it is hard for the music industry to enforce the laws putting them in a position that is hard to overcome.

With this thought in mind it is hard to believe that the global music industry will ever start to recover because even with plenty of legal ways to purchase music millions of people are still choosing the free outlets.

This mini-documentary from Sony is an inspiring feature on one of the masterminds behind the hit PlayStation game Little Big Planet 2.

Despite several set backs and an astonishing number of ‘near death experiences’, John pursued his ambition and created real opportunities for himself through making contacts and sharing his innovations online. It’s an inspiring story about how the right mix of determination and creativity can get you where you want to be in life. Most definitely worth a watch.

This documentary feature on the creation of LittleBigPlanet™ for the Sony PlayStation truly symbolises what Sony is all about. ‘make.believe‘ is Sony’s brand proposition reflecting the power of its creativity, its ability to turn ideas into reality and the belief that anything that can be imagined, can be made into a reality. LittleBigPlanet is a real life example of this concept with regard to how a group of designers fuelled by a passion for gaming managed to come together and work with Sony to turn their imagination into one the biggest hit games over the last few years.

It’s truly inspiring as a bit of a gamer myself to see that a group of gamers from different backgrounds were able to turn their passion from a hobby into a full time career. I have to admit this was also one of my dreams when I was around eleven or twelve to become a games designer. Unfortunately though, after a summer of playing around with C++ trying to make a simple pinball game, I gave up this dream indefinitely and went back to simply playing games. LittleBigPlanet™ does look like a brilliant great game though and I particularly like the fact that levels can be made and shared by the community. I think that will the closest I will get to becoming a games designer for now, but that will do for me.

create a sackboy

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Partage propulse par ebuzzing

The Dell Inspiron Duo laptop is a versatile piece of beautifully crafted machinery, ideal for both Work and Play. Its innovative flip-hinge design allows the Inspiron Duo to switch seamlessly from laptop to tablet, ideal for the best of both worlds on the go.

To support this innovative marvel, Dell have launched their Work and Play application on the Dell UK Facebook page giving you the chance to win your own Inspiron Duo laptop. Users just have to go to the Facebook page and pick out their favourite tracks for Work and Play situations to enter the competition.

This can be done in three easy steps:

1. Browse the most popular tracks for work and play picked by other users taking part
2. Search and select your own favourite work and play tracks
3. Submit your entry for a chance to win. That simple.

At the moment when it comes to work tracks, I am currently hooked on the classic Smiths album ‘The Queen Is Dead’:

1. “The Queen Is Dead”
2. “Frankly, Mr Shankly”
3. “I Know It’s Over”
4. “Never Had No One Ever”
5. “Cemetry Gates”
6. “Bigmouth Strikes Again”
7. “The Boy with the Thorn in His Side”
8. “Vicar in a Tutu”
9. “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out”
10. “Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others”

This seminal album has the ability to keep me going for hours when needed. Big fan of the subtle humour and vivid imagery Morrissey creates throughout the rather sombre album. When it comes to play however, MGMT’s ‘Oracular Spectacular’ is at the top of my list thanks to the easy going summer feel the album gives. Can’t resist cranking up the volume when this album is on after work.

Having now picked my work and play tracks (or albums), I’ll keep my fingers crossed that my entry will be picked in the Work Play Win prize draw. I’m rather keen to test the innovative flip-hinge design for myself and to see how the Inspiron Duo performs in both functions.

The closing date for the competition is 21st of April 2011. Eligible contributors must be 18 or over and UK residents to be in with a chance of winning 1 of 2 Dell Inspiron Duos. There are also 10 runner up prizes of We7 premium memberships (3 month), just for sharing your favourite work and play tracks on Facebook.

For more information on this great competition, visit the Facebook page to find out more.

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Macbook Pro Thunderbolt Technology

As Intel launches the new Thunderbolt technology the web is ablaze given the fact that it offers transfer speeds that are almost twice as fast as what you can expect to see from the USB 3.0. Unfortunately, even those who use the new Apple Macbook Pro computers will not get to see the true power of the Thunderbolt due to the fact that Intel chose to use copper wiring over the faster and more powerful fibre optic cables. Still, considering what is on the market at the moment the Thunderbolt should help the Apple MacBook reach new heights.

The internet is already abuzz about the technology due to the fact that users will need to purchase special adaptors in order to get their older (and by older less than a year counts) devices to plug into the new sockets that come with the Thunderbolt. At the same time, Firewire and USB are going to be challenged given the fact that Apple is expected to slowly start confirming to the Thunderbolt’s single connector. However, other technology giants are commenting on the web that the cost is going to keep many PC manufacturers from making the switch given most of their profits come from budget notebooks.

Skype iPhone

Skype took a bite out of its competitors by releasing a new app for the iPhone that allows its customers to make long distance phone calls on both 3G and Wifi connections.  The app is also available on the iPod Touch.

Those who own any of these devices can now make Skype to Skype video phone calls, which should take the shine off Apple’s announcement six months ago that consumers can call mobile to mobile via video.

The technology behind video mobile calling has been hanging around the marketplace since 2003 but most people have not really taken advantage of it with only tech savvy consumers using the technology to stay in touch.

However, Skype claims that their goal is to bring the technology to the forefront of the public eye and make mobile video calling the new wave of the future, which of course is a lot more promising now that the majority of the mobile market owns smartphones with the capability to support mobile video calling.

In fact, the general manager of Skype, Neil Stevens, stated that at the moment video calling makes up about 40% of all Skype transactions.

The UK’s local business search engine Yell has recently launched a nationwide treasure hunt competition giving you the chance of winning £10,000 worth of big prizes. All you need to do is use the Yell App (for Android or iPhone) or Yell.com to help you in the search for one of ten Golden Tickets concealed in local independent record stores across the UK.

The Golden Tickets are hidden in vinyl copies of the dance classic Pulse & Thunder, a vintage piece of 90s dance music history by Day V Lately who also recently featured in the promotional advert for Yell below.

In order to put together a hit-list of your local independent music stores, all you need to do is use the Yell App (for Android or iPhone) or Yell.com to locate potential locations near you. Once you have decided which record stores to hit, you will then need to make your way to the vinyl section and look out for a copy of Pulse & Thunder. If you find Day V Lately’s Pulse & Thunder, you just have to take a picture of yourself holding the record sleeve to be in with a chance of winning.

*picture*

During my search for record shops around Manchester using the Yell iPhone App, I came across the legendary Vinyl Exchange located in the heart of Manchester’s Northern Quarter. It’s a great little place which has grown considerably since last time I was there. The Yell App was extremely quick and user friendly, and provided with a decent list of music stores to target.

There is £10,000 worth of prizes including a 55” Sony 3D TV, a surround sound system, decks, mixing lessons, to mention just a few. So I think there is ample reason to get involved and reconnect with your local music stores.

For more information on the competition, check out Yell’s Facebook page – facebook.com/yell

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iPhone 4 review

The iPhone 4 was met with great excitement from the general public and tech savvy reviewers due to the fact that by now iPhone is clearly one of the leading mobile smartphone brands.  However, despite the great deal of excitement surrounding the high resolution screen, slim dimensions, and HD recording there were still a few flaws (notably the fact that one’s hand can block the cellular signal).

Regardless of this, six months after its release the iPhone4 is still one of the most coveted mobiles on the market and for good reason because it did manage to upgrade the previous model and trump the market at its release.

At first, iPhone3 users will notice that the mobile is smaller at only 115.2mm x 58.6mm x 9.3mm even though it is the same weight.  Made of stainless steel with a glass industrial design, the mobile is supposed to be ten times stronger than the previous model and is only available in black this time around.

With ports for headphones, a 3.5mm in/out, and of course the power outlet.  Most impressive outside of the camera overload, is the stunning 326 per inch pixel display sporting a 960 x 640 resolution which pretty much tops the entire mobile market in clarity.

The Radisson hotel group are running yet another online competition with a range of prizes for those winners who take part in their quiz. In terms of prize possibilities there is a weekly draw for a weekend stay for two people at one of their Radisson Blu hotels across Hamburg, Madrid, Berlin, Milan and Helsinki. In addition to this, there are also on the spot gift cards that can be used around the world. The quiz is not the most challenging, so I imagine most of you will be in with a good chance.

Here is a lovely scenic shot below of the Christmas themed quiz.

To enter the competition you have to take part in the Radisson Blue Quiz and answer three questions correctly on travel, Christmas or Radisson Blu hotels and you are then in with a chance of winning the prize draw or a Radisson Blu gift voucher. You are free to keep testing your trivia knowledge even if you are not successful after the first initial tries. In addition to the draw, you get to spin the wheel of luck for an on the spot prize of a gift voucher up to the value of 100 Euros. There are a couple of conditions to keep in mind though. The two main ones are that in order to enter you must be at least 18 years of age and living in the European Union.

Hamburg is a place that I have been wanting to revisit for quite a while now. If I could pick a city to visit out of the ones available in the prize, it would have to be the hip city in the north of Germany. Hamburg is really a beautiful city surrounded by water and a number of parks spread everywhere. It also has beautiful architecture, a vibrant coffee culture and a growing alternative scene. I have been there twice now over the last couple of years in hostels, so I wouldn’t mind staying in a bit of luxury next time if I win the prize draw. Whilst Hamburg is getting more and more affluent over the years, I think now is still a good time whilst it is still accessible to most  people. The city also has a growing film festival known as the Hamburg International Short Film Festival (IKFF) which I would love to catch in 2011.

Has anyone been to this festival before?

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Social Networking Sites

Believe it or not, in the early 2000’s the closest thing that internet browsers had to a social network were websites that touted message boards and discussion forums.  Back in those far off days, the ability to talk to other fans, bands, gamers, enthusiasts, and others with similar interests from across the globe seemed pretty innovative.

However, the internet outgrew message boards and Myspace sprung up allowing users to step out of message boards and start to connect with each other on a more personal virtual level.  Although at first Myspace was simply a place to network to listen to new music and independent bands, it quickly grew to include just about everyone.

Yet, there was still not a true meeting place for those who simply wanted to get online and connect to friends and meet new friends, which is how Facebook was born.  Although Facebook was a little stunted at first given it was limited to only four East coast US schools, over the course of a year it quickly took off jumping from university to university until it opened its doors to the public and the social network dam burst.

Following suit Twitter popped up for those who wanted to get even more social exposure than Facebook could provide and business networks such as LinkedIN became the new rage.  Now, it is hard to imagine a world without social networking as the trend has changed the way that advertisers, people, friends, and even family members connect with each other.  In a world where distance often disproved the theory of six degrees of separation, the internet has made the popular philosophy a true way of life.

Phones are becoming more and more obsolete

Using phones to call from abroad is becoming more and more unnecessary

I have been away from home now for over five years. During this time I have been in a variety of places ranging from the North of England, the South of France and now Eastern Germany. Keeping in touch with family and friends whilst I have been away has always been important to me because I hate losing touch with people. Whilst researching for internet deals recently I came across a number of telephone providers offering deals for international calls. And these ‘deals’ were not fantastic or cheap. It made me wonder why, with all the teleconferencing technology and free conference call services available over the internet do people still pay extra for international calls? Admittedly old school telephone such as the one above are more romantic and have more character. But in terms of practicality, using internet call services abroad has helped me keep in touch and save money for more travelling.