On July 16th 2014, a scientist at Russia's Scientific Research Center of the Arctic reported that a huge cater had been discovered in Siberia on the Yamal Peninsula. According to Andrei Plekhanov, a senior researcher, the crater is 66 meters wide, but an asteroid strike has already been rule out as a probable cause.
Plekhanov says that the crater appeared to be made up of 80% ice and there were no traces of an explosion. It has a depth of 70 meters with an icy lake at the bottom. Plekhanov believes that rising temperatures in the region may have created a build up of pressure that forced ice upward through the ground.
Some have speculated that the cause was everything from a missile strike to extraterrestrials, as the Yamal Peninsula is known as, "the end of the world." The crater itself has been nicknamed, "the Yamal black hole."
On July 29th 2014, a local Russian newspaper reported that two more craters have also been discovered. The second crater has a diameter of 15 meters and is on the Yamal Peninsula, as is the first. The third crater is on the Taymyr Peninsula, east of Yamal. The hole of the third crater has a perfectly formed cone, with a diameter of 4 meters and an estimated depth of 60 to 100 meters.
No radiation levels have been detected at either site. Researchers have offered several theories as to how the craters and the resulting holes were made, but hesitate to say for certain just how. The consensus is that more study is needed in order to arrive at a firm conclusion.
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
Wednesday, July 23, 2014
Mars Rover Discovers Its First Meteorite
On July 15th 2014, NASA announced that the Mars Curiosity Rover had taken pictures of a metallic meteorite. The rock, which was discovered on May 25 2014, was in two pieces, and was dubbed, Lebanon and Lebanon B. The piece named Lebanon is 7 feet wide and made of iron.
Lebanon B is a much smaller piece that lies just several feet away from the larger Lebanon. Another piece of meteorite was also found a little further from Lebanon that is said to be about 7 feet wide as well, and its image is believed to be part of a group of unreleased photos.
NASA says that all of the Mars rovers have discovered iron meteorites. They are as yet unable to give a reason for why they have found so many more iron meteorites on Mars than have been found on Earth. A look at the photos reveal that Lebanon shows very little signs of degradation. NASA feels that this is due to Mars' thin atmosphere and very few other mechanisms of erosion.
While this discovery may or may not seem very exciting, it does add to a growing list of Martian peculiarities.
Lebanon B is a much smaller piece that lies just several feet away from the larger Lebanon. Another piece of meteorite was also found a little further from Lebanon that is said to be about 7 feet wide as well, and its image is believed to be part of a group of unreleased photos.
NASA says that all of the Mars rovers have discovered iron meteorites. They are as yet unable to give a reason for why they have found so many more iron meteorites on Mars than have been found on Earth. A look at the photos reveal that Lebanon shows very little signs of degradation. NASA feels that this is due to Mars' thin atmosphere and very few other mechanisms of erosion.
While this discovery may or may not seem very exciting, it does add to a growing list of Martian peculiarities.
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
iTunes Reverts to 30 Second Previews
On July 10th 2014, Apple released iTunes 11.3. This update improves Apple TV and brings new features for DVD and Blu Ray users. Along with this update came reports from users that Apple had rolled back song preview lengths from 90 seconds to 30 seconds for some new and popular releases.
The song selection for the shortened previews appear to be random. This move does not appear to be a part of the iTunes 11.3 release. It is however being speculated that this could be related to some kind of licensing issue.
Apple introduced the 90 second song preview in 2010 after growing requests for more listening time, especially with regard to songs that play for at least 2 mins and 30 seconds. No official announcement has been given as to what is going on, why it is happening, or if it is a permanent change.
Stayed tuned.
The song selection for the shortened previews appear to be random. This move does not appear to be a part of the iTunes 11.3 release. It is however being speculated that this could be related to some kind of licensing issue.
Apple introduced the 90 second song preview in 2010 after growing requests for more listening time, especially with regard to songs that play for at least 2 mins and 30 seconds. No official announcement has been given as to what is going on, why it is happening, or if it is a permanent change.
Stayed tuned.
Wednesday, July 9, 2014
Taylor's Op Ed Piece
On July 7th 2014, the Wall Street Journal featured an opinion piece written by Taylor Swift. In it the self professed optimist claimed that that she didn't understand why people are saying that the music industry is dying when it's "just coming alive."
Many bloggers had at least one negative comment to make about her story. Most of those comments dealt with what they claimed was either a lapse of memory or a hole in her perception. There seemed to be some disagreement with her notions of how the music industry is changing.
Taylor feels that artists need to have a love affair with their fans, and she believes that one day artists will be signed to record deals because they have fans. She believes that social media will create a new way for those who seek to become recording artists to bring their musical vision to the public.
Swift sites the fact that album sales are down, but that it's only because artists are not surprising their fans. That fans are now only willing to pay for albums that touch their heart. And, that piracy is the real cause for the slump in overall music sales that continue to dog the industry.
I found her perspective very interesting. Many of the articles I read were also kind to her, in her observations. Those who disagreed with her were concerned that success has obstructed her view of those who have yet to sell millions. In many instances, streaming is being labeled as the culprit that is sucking the life out of album and singles sales.
I agree with Ms Swift when she says that music should not be free. But I think that what we are talking about is the commodity of recorded and packaged for sale music, that should not be free. I would add that it's only been the total conversion to an all digital format that has left sellers of music at a lost as to how to keep those who would steal music from doing so.
Meanwhile, the reality TV machine continues to destroy the meaning of what it means to be an artist, choosing instead to emphasize the idea of being a star, as the end all be all objective that industry hopefuls should seek. Both audience and contestants continue to be exploited for fun and profit.
Major recording companies are now down to just three. Not much incentive is left to present anything that is truly fresh and/or new with so little competition. A handful of producers produce the performers of all three companies. The result is a sameness that leaves most music consumers flat and unwilling to purchase a product that is so unremarkable.
Whether you consider Taylor Swift to be an artist or a star, she has made her mark. She has been a good soldier, and should her popularity begin to wain, I feel confident that there will be more than a few other opportunities for her to pursue.
Many bloggers had at least one negative comment to make about her story. Most of those comments dealt with what they claimed was either a lapse of memory or a hole in her perception. There seemed to be some disagreement with her notions of how the music industry is changing.
Taylor feels that artists need to have a love affair with their fans, and she believes that one day artists will be signed to record deals because they have fans. She believes that social media will create a new way for those who seek to become recording artists to bring their musical vision to the public.
Swift sites the fact that album sales are down, but that it's only because artists are not surprising their fans. That fans are now only willing to pay for albums that touch their heart. And, that piracy is the real cause for the slump in overall music sales that continue to dog the industry.
I found her perspective very interesting. Many of the articles I read were also kind to her, in her observations. Those who disagreed with her were concerned that success has obstructed her view of those who have yet to sell millions. In many instances, streaming is being labeled as the culprit that is sucking the life out of album and singles sales.
I agree with Ms Swift when she says that music should not be free. But I think that what we are talking about is the commodity of recorded and packaged for sale music, that should not be free. I would add that it's only been the total conversion to an all digital format that has left sellers of music at a lost as to how to keep those who would steal music from doing so.
Meanwhile, the reality TV machine continues to destroy the meaning of what it means to be an artist, choosing instead to emphasize the idea of being a star, as the end all be all objective that industry hopefuls should seek. Both audience and contestants continue to be exploited for fun and profit.
Major recording companies are now down to just three. Not much incentive is left to present anything that is truly fresh and/or new with so little competition. A handful of producers produce the performers of all three companies. The result is a sameness that leaves most music consumers flat and unwilling to purchase a product that is so unremarkable.
Whether you consider Taylor Swift to be an artist or a star, she has made her mark. She has been a good soldier, and should her popularity begin to wain, I feel confident that there will be more than a few other opportunities for her to pursue.
Wednesday, July 2, 2014
Share Of Ear
According to a study done by Edison Research called, "Share Of Ear," terrestrial radio is still very popular. The results of the study were announced in June 2014 and revealed that AM/FM radio still maintains 52.1% of listening done by music fans and consumers. 20.3% of all listening was considered to be of the, "owned," variety, (CDs, cassettes, vinyl, or mp3s).
The study was done by asking 2,000 respondents, age 13 and older to keep a 24 hr listening diary of an assigned day. Diaries were completed both online and by mail. The study found that the break down for other forms of listening were as follows: streaming services, (Spotify, Pandora, iTunes Radio) made up 11%, satellite radio, (SirusXM) made up 7.7%, TV music channels, (Music Choice) made up 5.2%, podcasts made up 1.7%, and the category of other, (audio books) made up 1.5%.
Edison did the study as a response to requests from all corners of the audio industry and investment community for, "total share of everything, " figures, which up until the study, did not exist. The study not only pointed out that radio makes up for half of all listening that is done in a household, but it also revealed that the average American spends 4 to 5 hours a day consuming audio.
Proponents of streaming may find the numbers hard to fathom, given the increase in the use of tablets, smartphones, and other mobile devices. However, in my opinion, the growth in overall internet usage is being attributed as on the rise, due to the vast amount of media attention that is being given to new and emerging technologies. More focus should be placed on the consumers ability to actually purchase and/or adopt these technologies. Not everyone is "wired," at this point in time. It is still much cheaper and easier to listen to the radio.
When real purchasing power is returned to the, "mainstream," consumer, it will then be in their hands. Only then will it truly be possible to know whether changes in technology will create a change in listening habits.
The study was done by asking 2,000 respondents, age 13 and older to keep a 24 hr listening diary of an assigned day. Diaries were completed both online and by mail. The study found that the break down for other forms of listening were as follows: streaming services, (Spotify, Pandora, iTunes Radio) made up 11%, satellite radio, (SirusXM) made up 7.7%, TV music channels, (Music Choice) made up 5.2%, podcasts made up 1.7%, and the category of other, (audio books) made up 1.5%.
Edison did the study as a response to requests from all corners of the audio industry and investment community for, "total share of everything, " figures, which up until the study, did not exist. The study not only pointed out that radio makes up for half of all listening that is done in a household, but it also revealed that the average American spends 4 to 5 hours a day consuming audio.
Proponents of streaming may find the numbers hard to fathom, given the increase in the use of tablets, smartphones, and other mobile devices. However, in my opinion, the growth in overall internet usage is being attributed as on the rise, due to the vast amount of media attention that is being given to new and emerging technologies. More focus should be placed on the consumers ability to actually purchase and/or adopt these technologies. Not everyone is "wired," at this point in time. It is still much cheaper and easier to listen to the radio.
When real purchasing power is returned to the, "mainstream," consumer, it will then be in their hands. Only then will it truly be possible to know whether changes in technology will create a change in listening habits.
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