On September 20th 2017, the Recording Industry Association of America announced in its mid year report that more than 30.4 million Americans now get their music through a streaming subscription service. That number is up 20.2 million since the first half of 2016. An estimate of overall retail recorded music sales was up 17% in the first half of 2017, to the tune of $4 billion dollars. While this reflects a growth trend that started in 2016, the report makes it clear that it is still below the levels seen in 1999.
Digital revenue accounted for $3.2 billion which was 84% of the industry's total value, and represented an increase of 21% over the first half of 2016. 62% of this years $4 billion revenue increase came as the result of streaming which amounted to $2.5 billion. Digital downloads sales represented 19% of total revenue but continued to decline, selling $757 million which was down 24% from 2016.
Sales from physical media, which include CDs, represented 16% of the total revenue pie. This was down but only by 1% no doubt due to the increase in the interest in vinyl. Paid subscription services on their own managed to pull in $1.7 billion and provided the music industry with 43% of it total revenues. Ad based on demand streaming was up 34% with sales of $273 million.
Wednesday, September 27, 2017
Wednesday, September 20, 2017
Apple Introduces The iPhone X With Face ID
On September 12th 2017, at its annual product event, Apple announced the release of the new Apple Watch series 3, the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, and the much talked about iPhone X (pronounced iPhone 10). The big news is that the iPhone X is all screen. This allows the iPhone X to remain the same size as an iPhone 8. The larger 5.8 inch screen features a "super retina" display and also offers "Face ID," to unlock a users phone.
Apple's Face ID works by using a set of light projectors to illuminate your face and infrared sensors that scan your face. These technologies in combination are what Apple is calling its, "True Depth Sensor." To set up Face ID a user takes several photos of their face from different angles. This is done so that the infrared scanner can build a 3D representation of your face. 30,000 dots of IR light are used to capture the complexity of a human face.
Face ID will only be found on the iPhone X and will not only be used to unlock a users phone but also to authorize payments. The iPhone X will come in two colors, gray and silver. The cost of a new iPhone X will depend on which memory storage capacity you choose. The 64GB configuration sells for $999, while the 256GB model will be sold for $1,149. Apple will start taking preorders on October 27 2017, with shipping of iPhone X's to start on November 3rd.
Apple's Face ID works by using a set of light projectors to illuminate your face and infrared sensors that scan your face. These technologies in combination are what Apple is calling its, "True Depth Sensor." To set up Face ID a user takes several photos of their face from different angles. This is done so that the infrared scanner can build a 3D representation of your face. 30,000 dots of IR light are used to capture the complexity of a human face.
Face ID will only be found on the iPhone X and will not only be used to unlock a users phone but also to authorize payments. The iPhone X will come in two colors, gray and silver. The cost of a new iPhone X will depend on which memory storage capacity you choose. The 64GB configuration sells for $999, while the 256GB model will be sold for $1,149. Apple will start taking preorders on October 27 2017, with shipping of iPhone X's to start on November 3rd.
Wednesday, September 13, 2017
Cassini Probe Goes End Of Mission
On September 15th 2017, NASA's Cassini Spacecraft will end its mission to explore the planet Saturn. With its fuel supply depleted, NASA has decided not to allow the spacecraft to drift endlessly through space, but to depose of Cassini in a a more proper, complete, and fitting way. NASA instead has sent Cassini on a months long death spiral called, "The Grad Finale," before crashing the spacecraft into the atmosphere of Saturn.
Cassini was a $3.2 billion mission which was launched on October 15th 1997. It was a joint mission between NASA, the European Space Agency, and The Italian Space Agency. Its purpose was to explore the planet Saturn and its moons. It carried with it the Huygens Probe. Cassini reached Saturn on June 30th 2004. On January 14th 2005, Huygens successfully landed on Saturn's moon, Titan. Cassini has spent the last 13 years making an array of scientific discoveries.
During its mission, Cassini discovered geysers of water vapor coming from the south pole of Saturn's moon Enceladus. This caused researchers to conclude that the moon possessed an ocean of liquid water beneath its icy surface, and that that ocean may contain life. On Titan, Cassini discovered lakes of liquid hydrocarbons, most notably (methane). While temperatures on Titan are extremely cold, some scientists believe that microbial life may exist there as well.
Mission controllers at Jet Propulsion Laboratories (JPL) have been maneuvering Cassini into position for the "Grand Finale," since April 2017. They've been using close flybys of Saturn's moon Titan, in order to use it gravity to alter Cassini's trajectory. This has caused Cassini to dive between Saturn's rings. After 22 of these orbits, at 6:31 am ET on September 15th 2017, Cassini will interface with Saturn's atmosphere where the probe will finish its mission as it disintegrates.
Cassini was a $3.2 billion mission which was launched on October 15th 1997. It was a joint mission between NASA, the European Space Agency, and The Italian Space Agency. Its purpose was to explore the planet Saturn and its moons. It carried with it the Huygens Probe. Cassini reached Saturn on June 30th 2004. On January 14th 2005, Huygens successfully landed on Saturn's moon, Titan. Cassini has spent the last 13 years making an array of scientific discoveries.
During its mission, Cassini discovered geysers of water vapor coming from the south pole of Saturn's moon Enceladus. This caused researchers to conclude that the moon possessed an ocean of liquid water beneath its icy surface, and that that ocean may contain life. On Titan, Cassini discovered lakes of liquid hydrocarbons, most notably (methane). While temperatures on Titan are extremely cold, some scientists believe that microbial life may exist there as well.
Mission controllers at Jet Propulsion Laboratories (JPL) have been maneuvering Cassini into position for the "Grand Finale," since April 2017. They've been using close flybys of Saturn's moon Titan, in order to use it gravity to alter Cassini's trajectory. This has caused Cassini to dive between Saturn's rings. After 22 of these orbits, at 6:31 am ET on September 15th 2017, Cassini will interface with Saturn's atmosphere where the probe will finish its mission as it disintegrates.
Wednesday, September 6, 2017
Amazon Now Owns Whole Foods
On August 23rd 2017, the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) announced that it would end its investigation into the acquisition of Whole Foods by Amazon. With this action, the FTC cleared the way for Amazon's $13 billion purchase of the grocery store chain to become official. Whole foods shareholders voted to approve the sale earlier on that day. The take over of Whole foods is expected to give Amazon a foothold in the $700 billion U S grocery market.
Tuesday, August 29, 2017
Asteroid To Pass Near The Earth
On September 1st 2017, a massive asteroid will make a close pass near the Earth. According to NASA's Center for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS), the asteroid, which has been named Florence, is the largest object to pass by the Earth in nearly a century and the largest since NASA began keeping track of such objects. The CENOS says that there is no danger that Florence will impact the Earth as it passes at a distance of 4.4 million miles.
Florence, named after Florence Nightingale, is huge. Its size has been measured at 2.7 miles across and is what NASA is calling a "world ender." Australian astronomer, Schette "Bobby" Bus, was the first to spot the asteroid in 1981, at Australia's Siding Springs Observatory. Using the Spitzer Space Telescope, NASA has determined that Florence came close to the earth in 1890 and has projected that it won't return again until 2500.
Florence, named after Florence Nightingale, is huge. Its size has been measured at 2.7 miles across and is what NASA is calling a "world ender." Australian astronomer, Schette "Bobby" Bus, was the first to spot the asteroid in 1981, at Australia's Siding Springs Observatory. Using the Spitzer Space Telescope, NASA has determined that Florence came close to the earth in 1890 and has projected that it won't return again until 2500.
Wednesday, August 23, 2017
More Water On The Moon
On July 24th 2017, scientists posted a paper in the Journal Nature, that reported that there is evidence of water within the Moon's interior. A team of researchers from Brown University used satellite data retrieved from India's Moon Mineralogy Mapper on board its orbiting Chandrayaan-1 probe, to make their analysis. Measuring reflected sunlight at visible and near visible wavelengths, the Moon Mineralogy Mapper mapped large pryoclastic deposits on the moon's surface.
Pyroclastic deposits are the result of volcanic activity. In 2008, moon rocks from the Apollo missions were examined and determined to be of volcanic origin. These rocks contained glass beads which held traces of water locked inside. Ralph Milliken of Brown University's Environmental and Planetary Sciences Department, and lead researcher, says that at that time no one was certain whether that finding meant that there was an abundance of water beneath the Moon's surface.
However, Milliken went on to say that, "By looking at the orbital data, we can examine the large pyroclastic deposits on the moon that were never sampled by the Apollo or Luna missions. The fact that nearly all of them exhibit signatures of water suggests that the Apollo samples are not anomalous, so it may be that the bulk interior of the moon is wet."
Pyroclastic deposits are the result of volcanic activity. In 2008, moon rocks from the Apollo missions were examined and determined to be of volcanic origin. These rocks contained glass beads which held traces of water locked inside. Ralph Milliken of Brown University's Environmental and Planetary Sciences Department, and lead researcher, says that at that time no one was certain whether that finding meant that there was an abundance of water beneath the Moon's surface.
However, Milliken went on to say that, "By looking at the orbital data, we can examine the large pyroclastic deposits on the moon that were never sampled by the Apollo or Luna missions. The fact that nearly all of them exhibit signatures of water suggests that the Apollo samples are not anomalous, so it may be that the bulk interior of the moon is wet."
Wednesday, August 16, 2017
The Total Solar Eclipse
On August 21st 2017, the continental United States will experience a total solar eclipse. Eclipses occur all the time, in fact the last partial solar eclipse over the U S took place in June of 2011. The last time a total eclipse occurred crossing over the U S, from coast to coast, was in 1918.This particular total eclipse is generating a lot of excitement and expectation, because millions of people will be able to view it as it passes over 10 states.
Everyone in the contiguous U S will be able to view at least a partial eclipse. People who live in a 70 mile wide zone called the "path of totality," will be able to watch the moon totally block out the sun for a period of up to 2 minutes and 40 seconds. The "path of totality," stretches across 10 states that include Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Nebraska, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina.
Eclipse watching experts are warning those wishing to view the eclipse to not look directly into the sun. Doing so will cause irreparable damage to your retina, or optic nerve. NASA is urging those planning to view the eclipse to purchase a pair of total eclipse viewing glasses. They say that you should make sure that the glasses are ISO certified for safety. If you don't have or are unable to purchase a pair of glasses, you can still do so by the projection method.
Simply take a piece of paper and a piece of cardboard. Make a pin hole in the center of the paper. With you back to the sun, hold the paper so the sun light shines through the hole and onto the cardboard while you adjust the distance between the paper and the cardboard, until the eclipse is clearly visible.
Everyone in the contiguous U S will be able to view at least a partial eclipse. People who live in a 70 mile wide zone called the "path of totality," will be able to watch the moon totally block out the sun for a period of up to 2 minutes and 40 seconds. The "path of totality," stretches across 10 states that include Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Nebraska, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina.
Eclipse watching experts are warning those wishing to view the eclipse to not look directly into the sun. Doing so will cause irreparable damage to your retina, or optic nerve. NASA is urging those planning to view the eclipse to purchase a pair of total eclipse viewing glasses. They say that you should make sure that the glasses are ISO certified for safety. If you don't have or are unable to purchase a pair of glasses, you can still do so by the projection method.
Simply take a piece of paper and a piece of cardboard. Make a pin hole in the center of the paper. With you back to the sun, hold the paper so the sun light shines through the hole and onto the cardboard while you adjust the distance between the paper and the cardboard, until the eclipse is clearly visible.
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