Google announced on April 8th 2015, that it's new subscription video service will be ready by the end of this year. While the new service does not as yet have a name, YouTube Music Key, which is by invite only, has been in beta since November of 2014. The new service is expected to be ad free with the ability of allowing users to store videos offline on their mobile devices. It will have a price of around $10 per month.
Under the terms of its new partnership agreement, YouTube video creators will be able to put their videos behind a pay wall which would only allow paid subscribers to view them. Google will continue to keep 45% of the subscription revenue, while allocating the rest to its partners according to how much time viewers spend on their channels. Those video creators who choose not to monetize their videos will have all of their videos set to private.
Google's new offering may also include some lower priced subscriptions for specific categories, such as music and children's programming. These services would be offered for $7.99 a month. YouTube views this move toward subscription services as a way to offer fans more choices to enjoy the content that they love.
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
Norway To Shut Off Its FM Radio
On April 19th 2015, officials in Norway announced that the country would be officially shutting down its FM bandwidth in 2017. According to Norway's Minister of Culture, The transition to Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB), will begin on January 11th of 2017, with full compliance by December 13th of that year.
Thorhild Widvey, Norway's Minister of Culture was stated as saying that the switch is being made in order to save some $25 million dollars that is currently being spent to maintain and broadcast radio in analog. Widvey believes that Digital Audio Broadcasting will also give their listeners access to more diverse and pluralistic radio content, while improving sound quality and functionality.
Norway's Digital Audio Broadcasting has been available there since 1995. An updated version of DAB called DAB+ was made available in Norway in 2007. Digital Audio Broadcasting currently offers 22 national channels, while FM only offers five. Radio Broadcasters making the switch will be able to choose whether they want to broadcast as DAB or DAB+. Several other European and Southeast Asian countries are considering the move to Digital Audio Broadcasting. Canada has also approved DAB but there is no timeline for implication in any of the aforementioned countries.
The US has opted to use an HD radio format that will be made possible by a company named Ibiquity. The standard was approved thirteen years ago and some radio stations are already broadcasting both a regular transmission and an HD transmission, until such time as our FM bandwidth is shut down. New radios needed to hear the new broadcast were made available at the end of 2013.
Thorhild Widvey, Norway's Minister of Culture was stated as saying that the switch is being made in order to save some $25 million dollars that is currently being spent to maintain and broadcast radio in analog. Widvey believes that Digital Audio Broadcasting will also give their listeners access to more diverse and pluralistic radio content, while improving sound quality and functionality.
Norway's Digital Audio Broadcasting has been available there since 1995. An updated version of DAB called DAB+ was made available in Norway in 2007. Digital Audio Broadcasting currently offers 22 national channels, while FM only offers five. Radio Broadcasters making the switch will be able to choose whether they want to broadcast as DAB or DAB+. Several other European and Southeast Asian countries are considering the move to Digital Audio Broadcasting. Canada has also approved DAB but there is no timeline for implication in any of the aforementioned countries.
The US has opted to use an HD radio format that will be made possible by a company named Ibiquity. The standard was approved thirteen years ago and some radio stations are already broadcasting both a regular transmission and an HD transmission, until such time as our FM bandwidth is shut down. New radios needed to hear the new broadcast were made available at the end of 2013.
Wednesday, April 15, 2015
Mars Might Have Water
On April 13th 2015, scientists at the Mullard Space Science Laboratory announced that Mars might have water. According to University College of London's Prof. Andrew Coates, the evidence so far has been water on Mars exists, but only as permafrost. He goes on to say, that new data has revealed that there is water on Mars right now.
The latest findings suggest that the surface of Mars is damp with a liquid brine. This brine, or perchlorate is a kind of salt that lowers the freezing point of water. When this perchlorate is mixed with water, it can exist down to a temperature of around -70C. It is believed that during the day the conditions are right for moisture in the Martian air to be absorbed by the salty soil, and that the resultant liquid water may pool or even puddle at night.
Co investigator on the Curiosity Rover, Bo Madsen says that the Martian soil is very porous, and what is being witnessed on Mars is the water seeping down through the soil. He says that because of this, other salts may also dissolve into that water, making it difficult for life to take hold. Other factors, such as cosmic radiation may also serve to prohibit the emergence of life. However, researchers make note that there are microbes on the Earth known as extremophiles, which exhibit the ability to thrive in the harshest of environmental conditions.
With this new discovery, there is still the possibility that some type of organism may yet be found living in the cold, desolate, irradiated conditions that exists on Mars. This may just be the first, small step in the discovery of life on Mars.
The latest findings suggest that the surface of Mars is damp with a liquid brine. This brine, or perchlorate is a kind of salt that lowers the freezing point of water. When this perchlorate is mixed with water, it can exist down to a temperature of around -70C. It is believed that during the day the conditions are right for moisture in the Martian air to be absorbed by the salty soil, and that the resultant liquid water may pool or even puddle at night.
Co investigator on the Curiosity Rover, Bo Madsen says that the Martian soil is very porous, and what is being witnessed on Mars is the water seeping down through the soil. He says that because of this, other salts may also dissolve into that water, making it difficult for life to take hold. Other factors, such as cosmic radiation may also serve to prohibit the emergence of life. However, researchers make note that there are microbes on the Earth known as extremophiles, which exhibit the ability to thrive in the harshest of environmental conditions.
With this new discovery, there is still the possibility that some type of organism may yet be found living in the cold, desolate, irradiated conditions that exists on Mars. This may just be the first, small step in the discovery of life on Mars.
Wednesday, April 8, 2015
Scientists Discover Single Partcle Entanglement
On March 24th 2015, scientists at Griffith University's Center for Quantum Dynamics in Australia and the University of Tokyo in Japan announced that they had detected the quantum entanglement of a single particle. Quantum entanglement occurs when two or more particles are connected over a vast distance. Measuring the quantum state of one of the particles reveals the quantum state of the other.
In the Griffith University/University of Tokyo experiment, a single photon was split between the two labs. Homodyne detectors, (instruments that can measure wave and wave like properties), were used to show that a change in the measurement in one lab really did cause a change of what was measured in the other. The two teams were effectively able to verify the wave form collapse and entanglement of a single photon.
What this means is that the actual photon was only ever in one of the two labs, but the wave function of the photon was detected as having been in both labs. Measuring for the particles location caused its wave function to collapse, and the photon to commit to its whereabouts. The homodyne detectors enabled the scientists to make different measurements at each locations to reveal its wave function.
Entanglement of a single particle helps somewhat to explain why a particle can appear or seem to be in more than one place at a time. It is believed that this discovery may one day be used in quantum communications and quantum computation applications.
In the Griffith University/University of Tokyo experiment, a single photon was split between the two labs. Homodyne detectors, (instruments that can measure wave and wave like properties), were used to show that a change in the measurement in one lab really did cause a change of what was measured in the other. The two teams were effectively able to verify the wave form collapse and entanglement of a single photon.
What this means is that the actual photon was only ever in one of the two labs, but the wave function of the photon was detected as having been in both labs. Measuring for the particles location caused its wave function to collapse, and the photon to commit to its whereabouts. The homodyne detectors enabled the scientists to make different measurements at each locations to reveal its wave function.
Entanglement of a single particle helps somewhat to explain why a particle can appear or seem to be in more than one place at a time. It is believed that this discovery may one day be used in quantum communications and quantum computation applications.
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
Mysterious Dust Cloud Orbiting Mars
On March 18th 2015, NASA announced that its MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution) spacecraft which is currently orbiting Mars, had discovered a cloud of dust orbiting the red planet. The dust cloud was discovered at an altitude of between 93 to 190 miles above the surface of Mars.
The cloud was detected using the MAVEN spacecraft's Langmuir Probe and Waves instrument and was found to be denser at lower altitudes. While scientists are at a loss to explain just how the cloud of dust managed to reach altitude, some are suggesting that the dust may have come from one of Mars' two moons, Phobos or Deimos. There appears to be more of the dust on the day side, which faces the sun than on the night side of Mars.
Other possible suggestions for the mysterious cloud, are that the dust may be the result of the solar winds, or the dust could possibly be the result of meteor showers or passing comets. Scientists have ruled out debris from comet Siding Spring, which passed near Mars on October 19th 2014, which is a month after spacecraft MAVEN arrived at the planet, which was on September 21st 2014. And, MAVEN had observed the dust cloud upon its arrival.
The NASA spacecraft MAVEN also observed an aurora unlike any seen before on Mars. Mars doesn't have an electromagnetic field like we have on Earth, so auroras on the planet are usually seen above patches of the surface that do have a magnet field. However, for five days in December 2014, MAVEN observed a dim aurora spread across the northern hemisphere. NASA says that the lights appeared at about the time a storm of charged particles from the Sun was passing by.
The cloud was detected using the MAVEN spacecraft's Langmuir Probe and Waves instrument and was found to be denser at lower altitudes. While scientists are at a loss to explain just how the cloud of dust managed to reach altitude, some are suggesting that the dust may have come from one of Mars' two moons, Phobos or Deimos. There appears to be more of the dust on the day side, which faces the sun than on the night side of Mars.
Other possible suggestions for the mysterious cloud, are that the dust may be the result of the solar winds, or the dust could possibly be the result of meteor showers or passing comets. Scientists have ruled out debris from comet Siding Spring, which passed near Mars on October 19th 2014, which is a month after spacecraft MAVEN arrived at the planet, which was on September 21st 2014. And, MAVEN had observed the dust cloud upon its arrival.
The NASA spacecraft MAVEN also observed an aurora unlike any seen before on Mars. Mars doesn't have an electromagnetic field like we have on Earth, so auroras on the planet are usually seen above patches of the surface that do have a magnet field. However, for five days in December 2014, MAVEN observed a dim aurora spread across the northern hemisphere. NASA says that the lights appeared at about the time a storm of charged particles from the Sun was passing by.
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
Music Streaming Services Edge Out CDs In 2014
On March 19th 2015, it was announced that music streaming services had earned more revenue than CDs in 2014. The news is a reflection of new figures released by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America). The figures also show that digital downloads are also in decline, while sales for vinyl are on the rise.
Revenue from streaming services such as Pandora, Spotify, YouTube, and Vevo reached $1.87 billion dollars in 2014, while CD sales accounted for $1.85 billion dollars. The margin is small but may be evidence that streaming services could at some point become the music industry's top revenue gainer.
Over all physical sales were still strong. Physical sales were responsible for 32% of the market while streaming only accounted for 27%. The RIAA maintains that over all music industry revenues remained flat in 2014. In light of that fact, what do to the streaming numbers mean? While some may say that this is clear evidence that music fans prefer not to own their own copy of their favorite releases, the resurgence of vinyl would suggest otherwise.
Even with its modest gains in the last several years, the fact that people are returning to the vinyl format says a lot about the long form presentation's ability to provide the consumer with something that they physically own. Also, while steaming has managed to over take CDs, it has yet to undo digital downloads, even though sales of downloads are in decline. The biggest problem that streaming services face, is how much they are willing to pay recording artists whose content they depend on heavily.
If artists continue to feel that streaming is devaluing their music, their will continue to be more of them pulling their music from those services. Right now, everybody want to get in on what looks like a good thing. But, without the music of recording artists, the whole thing will not happen. It is possible, however, that this is just a shakeout period as new technologies begin to reach more and more people, and the newness of said technologies begins to wear off. If in time this turns out to be the case, then what we may one day find, is a balance between virtual and physical platforms.
Revenue from streaming services such as Pandora, Spotify, YouTube, and Vevo reached $1.87 billion dollars in 2014, while CD sales accounted for $1.85 billion dollars. The margin is small but may be evidence that streaming services could at some point become the music industry's top revenue gainer.
Over all physical sales were still strong. Physical sales were responsible for 32% of the market while streaming only accounted for 27%. The RIAA maintains that over all music industry revenues remained flat in 2014. In light of that fact, what do to the streaming numbers mean? While some may say that this is clear evidence that music fans prefer not to own their own copy of their favorite releases, the resurgence of vinyl would suggest otherwise.
Even with its modest gains in the last several years, the fact that people are returning to the vinyl format says a lot about the long form presentation's ability to provide the consumer with something that they physically own. Also, while steaming has managed to over take CDs, it has yet to undo digital downloads, even though sales of downloads are in decline. The biggest problem that streaming services face, is how much they are willing to pay recording artists whose content they depend on heavily.
If artists continue to feel that streaming is devaluing their music, their will continue to be more of them pulling their music from those services. Right now, everybody want to get in on what looks like a good thing. But, without the music of recording artists, the whole thing will not happen. It is possible, however, that this is just a shakeout period as new technologies begin to reach more and more people, and the newness of said technologies begins to wear off. If in time this turns out to be the case, then what we may one day find, is a balance between virtual and physical platforms.
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
Mysterious Lights on Dwarf Planet, Ceres
On February 19th 2015, The NASA Dawn spacecraft took photos of two bright spots on the dwarf planet Ceres, in the asteroid belt. The photos, which were taken at a distance of 29,000 miles, revealed a second spot of light in addition to a first spot which was observed in photos taken at a distance of 238,000 miles on January 16th 2015.
Both bright spots appear to lie within the boundaries of a crater. Scientist aren't sure what these bright spots are. One theory is that since the lights seem to disappear as they rotate into darkness, that it's likely that they are areas of salt. It is also being suggested that the lights could be lava or the result of some kind of volcanic activity.
The Dawn spacecraft entered orbit around Ceres on March 6th, 2015 at 16 percent of the distance between the Earth and the Moon. The space craft is 310 million miles from the Earth. The Dawn spacecraft was launched in September of 2007 with a mission to investigate the two most massive bodies in the asteroid belt, Vesta and Ceres. It explored the asteroid Vesta between 2011 and 2012.
The Dawn spacecraft is due to pass into a black out period when it passed behind the sun. Scientist at NASA expect the the spacecraft to transmit even clearer photos by mid to late April 2015, when it becomes visible again. If all goes well the Dawn spacecraft should reach its science mapping orbit by December 2015 and complete its primary mission by June 2016.
Both bright spots appear to lie within the boundaries of a crater. Scientist aren't sure what these bright spots are. One theory is that since the lights seem to disappear as they rotate into darkness, that it's likely that they are areas of salt. It is also being suggested that the lights could be lava or the result of some kind of volcanic activity.
The Dawn spacecraft entered orbit around Ceres on March 6th, 2015 at 16 percent of the distance between the Earth and the Moon. The space craft is 310 million miles from the Earth. The Dawn spacecraft was launched in September of 2007 with a mission to investigate the two most massive bodies in the asteroid belt, Vesta and Ceres. It explored the asteroid Vesta between 2011 and 2012.
The Dawn spacecraft is due to pass into a black out period when it passed behind the sun. Scientist at NASA expect the the spacecraft to transmit even clearer photos by mid to late April 2015, when it becomes visible again. If all goes well the Dawn spacecraft should reach its science mapping orbit by December 2015 and complete its primary mission by June 2016.
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