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Virginia Tech on Their Way to Tourney?: The Hokies Should be in March Madness
The under-appreciated Virginia Tech Hokies posted a 23-8 record and finished in fourth place in a very rough Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). The Hokies posted a 10-6 record in conference and showed why they are the most elite team in college basketball that nobody is talking about.
Seth Greenberg
Is there a coach who gets more out of his players than Seth Greenberg? Despite injuries to key players every season, Greenberg has his team compete at the highest level in the toughest conference in college basketball. Perhaps the only coach who has his players giving as much effort is Brent “Buzz” Williams of Marquette University. Both Williams and Greenberg should be dancing their way to the NCAA Tournament and March Madness this season.
Greenberg has helped Junior Guard Malcolm Delaney blossom into a star. If Delaney played for a perennial power such as Duke or North Carolina, he would be mentioned as a player of the year candidate. Delaney is a star and has excelled under the watchful eye of Greenberg.
To go along with Delaney, Greenberg has Junior Forward Jeff Allen and Junior Guard Dorenzo Hudson showcasing their talents on a regular basis. The threesome of Delaney, Allen and Hudson can lead the Virginia Tech Hokies to a strong performance against any team in the country.
The Virginia Tech Team
Besides the “Big Three” of Delaney, Allen and Hudson, this Hokie team is well-balanced and always put the needs of the team above their own statistical glory. Players such as Terrell Bell, J.T. Thompson, Victor Davila and Erick Green have the Hokies poised to make a run.
In recent seasons, the Virginia Tech Hokies has been overlooked and disrespected by the NCAA Selection Committee. This season, if there is justice, the Hokies will take their well-deserved position in the field of 65.
Joe Lunardi
Joe Lunardi is the NCAA Bracketology guru from ESPN. As of Saturday night at 7:30 pm, Lunardi has the Hokies as one of the final four teams to make it in the tournament. Fans will soon see if the committee agrees.
Selection Sunday
Tomorrow night at 6pm, the world of sports will turn to the CBS and ESPN and see if their postseason dreams will become a reality of a disappointing nightmare. Whether the Virginia Tech Hokies make it or not is still up for debate. However, if there is any justice and/or objectivity within the selection committee, Seth Greenberg and his never-say-die Hokies will make a run in this year NCAA Tournament.…
Mabel Oliver
Microsoft Kin Smartphones Hit the Market Yhis Spring
This month, Microsoft unveiled its new Kin smartphones, aimed at the younger, social-media savvy market. The hardware is made by Sharp, and should go on sale through the Verizon service provider starting in May. Here is a rundown of the Kin One and Kin Two specs.
Built for Social Networking
Both phones have a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, although the keyboard on the Kin Two is wider and more convenient for two-handed texting. The Kin Two may be more useful for the Facebook or Myspace user, who tends to require more words for posts and comments. The Kin One keyboard is built for quick texters and would be more popular for Twitter users, who can type quick and easy sentences with one hand.
The camera on the Kin Two is an 8 megapixel with built-in flash and HD video. Quick uploads to Facebook or Twitpic are easy with this unit. On the Kin One is a 5 megapixel with SD video capabilities. Both cameras work great in low light, and each cameras offers touch-screen editing and uploading.
Facebook, Twitter, Myspace and other popular social networking apps are instantly available when the phones are unlocked. A unique features of these two Windows Phones is the ability to share interesting news from one network to another. This function, labeled “Kin-Spot” allows users to click and drag news items from Twitter into Facebook, and vice versa, for instantaneous updating.
Not a Practical Business Phone
Microsoft explicitly markets the Kin One and Kin Two as “an experience for the social generation.” Therefore, neither phone is as practical or useful in business as the more popular smart phones, such as Apple iPhone or Motorola Droid. Although features like calendar, mail, and weather are built into the Kin phones, it requires a few extra screen taps to get to these functions. The iPhone and Droid have these applications readily available on the main screen.
According to a recent study by Pew Internet, three quarters of US teens aged 12-17 use cellphones, and half of them text on a daily basis, some sending more than 100 texts per day. This social teenage market is Kin’s Target, which is why the Kin Studio feature – which syncs up many of the internet’s most popular social media tools and docs in one easy-to-use timeline – is available almost immediately when the Kin is powered on.
Kin Release Dates
Originally advertised to be released in late April, the dates were pushed further into the Spring for some last-minute software updates. Verizon is now projected to release the Kin in late May, just in time for kids to pick up these new phones for summer vacation.…
Video Has Not Killed the Radio Star
This past Tuesday, April 5th, Death Cab For Cutie performed the first ever live music video for their new single “You Are A Tourist.” According to mtv.com, the video was directed by Tim Nackashi, who is known for his epic directing of Ok Go’s treadmill video, and was choreographed and scripted, but only shot ONCE…live for the entire world to see on the bands website. This is truly an amazing feat, as some of the dancing and all of the playing was surely a challenge for everyone involved. Nevertheless, this amazing band pulled it off, successfully pushing the envelope in the music industry.
Perhaps the most impressive feat related to the video was the band flawless playing and emotion. It takes the viewer a moment to process what they’re seeing. The product is NOT one that took many takes and hours and hours of editing to create a glimpse into how the members function as a band. Instead, it is a live representation of the band’s natural emotion, cooperation, and love for music. Death Cab has truly offered an opportunistic idea for bands trying to prove themselves…after all, when we watch a music video, we are typically given a manufactured performance.
Hopefully the new trend will catch on, and bands will begin offering live, authentic performances as their music videos. If not, Death Cab has surely (yet again) made their mark in the music business. To see the video, go here.
Sources:
mtv.com
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How to Make Your Own Music Video
Have you ever wondered how you can make a music video without spending a large amount of money? One simple and inexpensive way is by using the Windows Movie Maker program.
To start, you must make sure all picture, video and audio files you plan to use in your video are uploaded onto your computer’s hard drive. When you open the program you should already have started a new project. Beneath the “Import” label on the left you will find links. Click on the link with the media type you wish to import for this particular project. Once all files are imported you must drag them into your timeline section. The program automatically places them into the category timeline, which they belong. You can rearrange the clips by dragging them across the timeline and placing them where you want them to be. Whether you’re using photos or video footage there are many different transitions and effects you can use in your video. You can add the fade in/fade out effect and you can even speed up a particular clip. To add these features you can click on the “Transitions” and “Effects” links on the left, and drag the selected features into your timeline (as you did your media files), placing them on (for effects) and between (for transitions) the picture/video clips. Effects can also be used on audio. You can shorten your audio (by dragging the audio clip to the left of the screen), and even create a fade out effect. All you have to do is right-click on the audio clip and choose an option from the pop-up tab. Another feature you can use is the “Titles and Credits” feature. With this feature you can add credits and titles at the beginning or end of your film, as well as on selected clips. You can even experiment with the animation, and find fun ways to display your titles/credits.
Once you are finished with your project you can save it, but it will be saved as a Windows Movie Maker file, which restricts you from viewing, uploading and sharing your video on different media programs and websites. To change this format you must click on “File” then “Publish Movie,” select the folder where you would like your movie to be saved, select the format for your movie and hit publish. Your movie should be ready to view and share within minutes!
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How Digital Killed the Radio and Video Stars
I have been a professional music producer and songwriter for about 10 years now. To some heavyweight music business moguls my very opinion might not mean a thing considering my infancy to such a high-profile, multi-billion dollar industry. But I must say, given the material results proven against the music industry as far as plummeting record sales, and numerous reports of heavy pirating, this business is fighting for its life as many musicians and artists are turning to the the independent route to market their products.
One thing that has particularly stood out to me are these "360 deals" now being offered by all of the major labels still breathing. These 360 deals require artists to now sign their record deals with the addition of granting the record companies percentages of ALL outside ventures and/or deals you may acquire outside of your contract such as: movies, commercials, endorsements, etc. Now I know some of you may be thinking that this sounds familiar as artists have been taken for money and financially "raped" for years by their execs but this was never a required holding in standard industry practices.
Digital sales are up as actual in-store purchases are becoming less and less common. But even the digital world of sales faces a huge battle of their own when it comes to piracy. Piracy is nothing new to the entertainment industry in general, ranging from software to video games and movies. Back in 2001, the famous battle of the P2P file-sharing network Napster, against the music industry shocked the world. Eventually, both parties settled and became friends allowing Napster to run legally, splitting monetary profits with the record companies. Now, though that battle was settled, it seemed like thousands of P2P file-sharing networks were created overnight. In fact, so many forms of piracy were now created that it became impossible to track and fight every "lawbreaker". This to me, is the main reason for seeing the music industry fall from it's grace of happy and devout followers and record buyers.
Though, there is still a huge market for touring and other ways of making money in the industry, the main source of income has always been record sales. The industry has been forced to forget about it's roots and join the race of evolution and technology. If you still feel artists and musicians alike should be supported, by all means, we need you. Continue buying albums and supporting your favorite artists but don't force us into having to sell our souls and give up both our monetary rights and personal integrity for your gain!
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AA and AAA Battery Charger Guide: Introduction to the Best Chargers for NiMH Rechargeable Batteries
From LED flashlights to GPS units to home blood pressure monitors, the humble AA and AAA batteries still rule. Making full use of these versatile batteries (and going green) means using rechargeable NiMH batteries, and using the right chargers for them.
Timer Chargers
Timer chargers are the cheap chargers often bundled with rechargeable batteries in supermarkets.
They do work, but can overcharge batteries and shorten their lifespan. They are reasonably safe if the batteries are drained before charging, but will overcharge already-charged batteries.
The Energizer Rechargeable Battery FAQ states:
“Using the batteries to end of life prior to charging is recommended when a timer based charger is used. A smart charger monitors the cell condition during charge and prevents overcharging and subsequent negative impact on battery cycle life.”
The longer the charge time, the safer. The “fast” 15 minute or 1 hour chargers should be avoided as these can overheat the batteries, further reducing their lifespan.
How to identify timer chargers
- Fixed number of hours to charge batteries (can be 15 minutes, 1 hour, 4 hours, 12 hours).
- Cannot charge one battery alone, must charge 2 or 4 at a time.
- Need to be switched off or unplugged from the wall socket (to reset the timer) before the next set of batteries can be charged.
Smart Chargers
Topping-up batteries before they are fully discharged is useful
- Fully discharging a battery (to less than 1 volt) can reduce its lifespan.
- Unused NiMH batteries can lose some of their charge after a few months (self discharge).
- Charged and discharged batteries are often mixed up in the same drawer.
“Smart” or “intelligent” chargers allow topping-up and avoid overcharging by accurately monitoring the voltage of the batteries.
They also often have advanced features such as
- Safe full-discharge of batteries (discharge until 1 volt).
- Reconditioning overcharged batteries (multiple charge/discharge cycles, this can take a few days).
- Measuring the actual charge capacity of a battery (this can take a few hours or days).
How to identify smart chargers
- Will be prominently labeled as such by the manufacturer.
- Can charge any combination of batteries, including just one (independent charging circuit).
- Often displays battery’s charge state (empty, 1/3, 2/3, charged) on the front panel.
Power Source
For international travel, auto-switch chargers that can run off both 110 volts AC and 230 volts AC are essential.
For use with solar panels, the battery charger should have a 12 volt cigarette lighter plug, or a 5 volt USB plug (depends on the solar panel).
Battery Charger Brands
Maha (PowerEx) and La Crosse Technology are known for their smart chargers.
More well-known consumer brands such as Sony and Eveready also sell smart chargers. Care should be taken as their smart chargers can look similar to their timer chargers.
Investing in a Good Charger
Considering that a NiMH AA battery costs a few dollars, and that it could last 500 to 1000 charges with proper use; a smart charger could easily pay for itself in a few years.
Timer chargers should be avoided. Shortening the lifespan of batteries doesn’t just waste money, it also isn’t environmentally friendly.…
The Sony Walkman Bean MP3 Player Review
Hey wouldn't you like to have a bean as an MP3 player? Well now you can with the Sony Walkman Bean MP3 player, it makes carrying around a bean fashionable and practical.
No smelly oders or weird looks today, just 100% music on the go in your magic Sony walkman bean.
The Sony Walkman Bean MP3 player is amazingly compact in size and doesn't weigh much of anything. You can easily carry it around for hours and forget that it's just sitting there in your hands.
And within seconds of taking the Sony Walkman Bean MP3 player out of the box I was able to hook it up to my computer and load it with music.
The Sony Walkman Bean MP3 player comes with 1 GB built in flash memory, it supports MP3 and wave files and one of the neatest features is that the USB wire is hidden and attached within the bean. So you always have it with you.
The Sony Walkman Bean MP3 layer has a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, and on average you're supposed to get about 50 hours of play time before you need to recharge it.
The Sony Walkman Bean player comes with a green display menu that shows you what's on track number you're on and has a fully featured many that makes it easy to sort your music by artist, album, or group.
There is an FM tuner on the Sony Walkman Bean MP3 player which allows you to listen to local radio stations and was amazed by the sound quality that is produced by the bean. It also has basic features like repeat songs as well as shuffle.
The Sony walkman Bean mp3 player also allows you to set the time and date making it easy to use it as your own personal clock while on the go.
The buttons are very easy to find in the dark on the Sony Walkman Bean Mp3 player and don't have any trouble switching to and from songs.
You can also lock the Sony Walkman Bean MP3 player so that if a button gets hit on accident it doesn't just randomly change your song.
The Sony Walkman Bean Bean MP3 player comes with sonic stage software that makes it easy for you to navigate and find your music to launch your MP3 player will also allow you to convert CDs so that you can put your favorite albums on your MP3 player.
Like all MP3 players it comes with a standard set of headphones that are very comfortable and look like they were bought from dollar tree, so if you plan to listen to a lot of music; you'll want to find a better set of headphones.
I highly recommend the Sony Walkman Bean MP3 player. It's a wonderful new novelty item will walk around with and start conversations. It holds a good amount of music as very compact in size.
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No-Risk Ways to Combat Sleep Deprivation: Talk Radio to a New Mattress
Sleep deprivation is one of the biggest problems facing individuals and even the country today. According to http://www.cdc.gov/sleep/, more than 25% of all Americans occasionally do not get enough sleep, and 10% suffer from insomnia.
I'm not a doctor, but I do know from experience what it means to suffer from sleep deprivation. Sleep deprivation means a day of irritability, forgetfulness, lethargy and inability to focus. Sleep deprivation means not having enough energy for your kids. Sleep deprivation can cause you to turn to coffee or other artificial energy enhancers, further compounding the problem as they can also lead to sleep deprivation.
Sleep deprivation is a vicious cycle. You don't sleep deeply and/or you don't sleep enough. You toss and turn and then it becomes even harder to sleep.
Through the years, I've learned certain techniques and behaviors to combat sleep deprivation. Some of these may be conventional sleep deprivation fighting techniques, but others are ones that I discovered after years of combating it.
Get a better mattress. The number one reason for sleep deprivation and the easiest way to combat sleep deprivation is to get a better and more comfortable mattress. After almost five years of suffering with it, my wife and I went shopping for a new mattress and it's made a lot of difference. My advice is to shop at a bedding store, with mattress experts who can really educate you as to the pros and cons of the mattress itself and why some carry different price tags than others. Think about it. A mattress is where you will hopefully spend a THIRD of your life! Do not skimp and buy the highest quality mattress available! This doesn't necessarily mean a mattress that is the most expensive, but a mattress that feels the most comfortable and has a reputation for lasting and being durable.
Limit your caffeine intake and avoid caffeine after 3:00PM. Caffeine will stay in your system for quite a while and it's important to get it completely out before falling asleep. Next to getting a better mattress, limiting your caffeine is probably the second most important thing you can do.
Don't force yourself to sleep. If you aren't tired, do not stress out about and lie on your mattress in a dark room staring at the ceiling. Instead, do something that will relax you. Many will advise you to not watch television, but in my experience, a funny, lighthearted show can really help me to zone out.
I'll put this tactfully, but if you are married or have a significant other next to you, the, uh, occasional "happy ending" can help zone you out and combat sleep deprivation (and perhaps deprivation of other things as well!). Whatever is keeping you up and stressed will soon be forgotten!
Avoid alcohol. Alcohol turns into sugar in your bloodstream and will keep you awake, or at least keep your body fighting off the sugar all night. Not as bad as caffeine, perhaps, but still an issue.
Talk radio. The mindless blather coming from stations, like WFAN sports talk in New York, can help block out more important issues. What is sports talk for, after all, but escapism? And many opposing fans would claim that the New York sports they talk all day is the leading cure for sleep deprivation!
Music. Maybe not the Foo Fighters, but put on a Fleetwood Mac or Alicia Keys CD and it can be soothing. I'm not sure Stevie Nicks or Alicia Keys would like to be recommended as a sleep deprivation cure, but my job is to report my experiences here.…
The Best Indie Music Videos
As evidenced by the swelling list of indie music video websites like HostBaby and Pitchfork, the democratization of audio-video recording technology is well underway. But as in digital book publishing, does access to global distribution automatically provide a return on investment with indie artists sales, and more importantly, a growing loyal fan (customer) base? Of course, the short answer is "no." However, in reality, there are winners and losers; and as in most things, the cream somehow always manages to rise to the top. Yet it's not necessarily the best musicians, songwriters or vocalists that cut through the din.
Due to audiovisual technology's growing sophistication, indie artists are required to not only master their art or craft, if you will, they must become experts in full-suite programs like Digital Performer or for Apple users, Logic, using plug-ins, synths, samplers, creating and syncing video files, and mastering an endless array of other effects-producing software. Couple that with maneuvering through the hectic world of business, marketing, production, distribution, accounting and event organizing and what may seem like at first, simply an entertaining music video on MUZU.tv, is in fact, the culmination of an entire industry vertical, typically accomplished by a handful of impoverished artists seeking affirmation of a vision. Trust me; it's not about the money.
And I don't really want to paint such a bleak picture but the reality is, on top of all this, to hit the bar, some synths, no matter the best available from the likes of Native Instrument's Komplete Bundles, there is no substitute for a desired sound one can only capture from say, a real kick drum or tom with expert mic selection-placement in a studio environment, never mind, the intimacy of a $3500 Neumann U 87 large condenser mic for a pop vocal track. And have I mentioned gain staging yet? There is no substitute for a quality compressor/limiter.
So really, the days of a mediocre music video tumbling into a well of good fortune and splashing the charts with a half-baked production, if ever there were, are gone. Even though the every-band's access has been improved dramatically via affordable home studio software and low-cost, high quality analog-digital interfaces, the necessary steps to successful audiovisual production remain the same. Knowing which of those steps should be exported or completed in-house is critical to producing a quality music video. And in the end, the finished product must speak for itself–no excuses.
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My Top 5 Country Music Videos
Not only do I love listening to music, but I also love watching music videos. With my wide of music interests, I have picked 5 of my favorite county music videos, each from a different artist.
- "I Can't Sleep" by singer Clay Walker. Directed by Trey Fajoy, this video is a classic. Clay Walker trails through the video searching and determined to find the woman whom is the reason he "Can't Sleep" and at the end of the video when he finds her, instead of having a happy ending, she ends up with another man. The video is shot in Mexico and provides beautiful scenery, good lyrics, and a great screen play.
- "The Thunder Rolls" by singer Garth Brooks. On May 12, 1991 when this video produced by Bud Shaetzle it caused quite a controversy. This video is about an abusive husband who is cheating on his wife, and the wife comes back to kill him. Even though this video was banned from TNN and CMT it still won the video of the year award.
- "Don't Take The Girl" sang by Tim McGraw and directed by Sherman Halsey is one of the most popular music videos of all time. It is a great montage of boy and girls relationship through the stages of life, with a dramatic heart breaking ending that will bring tears to your eyes.
- "Save A Horse Ride A Cowboy" sang by the musical duo Big and Rich, this video was a huge transition in country music, and lead country music to a place it had never been. This brought a whole new crowd of followers to country music and music video director David Hogan really created a dynamic video.
- "American Soldier". This video sang by Toby Keith, and directed by Paul Rachmen. This video is so impactful and really hits to home for people who are affected by the war on terrorism. This video shows the life of an American Soldier through powerful prideful lyrics.
All of these videos are very theatrical and have underlying stories that you have to watch the videos and really listen to the words of the songs to follow. They aren't just an artist and a camera. Even though some are controversial, the meanings in all of these videos are bold and also powerful, than many people are able to relate to.
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