Star Trails
Title links to a series of very nice star photographs! Also check out this photo!
This page shows photographs that document the movement of the sun during the course of a year.
Thanks Jackie
Freon-Free AC
Three teenagers have come with an idea that would eliminate the use of Freon in automobile air-conditioning systems by relying on the Peltier effect. With their invention, Tyler Lyon, Daniel Winegar and Chad Thornley won the first-ever ‘Ricoh Sustainable Development Award’ in May. Their device taps into the car’s electrical system, using fans to blow hot air through five Peltier chips and then releasing cold air.
(Via Treehugger)
Excellent. Don’t just be the future, create the future.
Radio
Eliot Spitzer, the New York attorney general, is close to a settlement with one of the world’s largest record companies to resolve accusations that it used improper tactics to influence radio programmers to play its songs, people involved in the discussions said last night.
The agreement between Mr. Spitzer and the record company, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, one of four music conglomerates under investigation, is expected to be announced on Monday, these people said. They cautioned, however, that the talks were continuing and could still break down. The settlement is expected to establish a blueprint for agreements that Mr. Spitzer will probably seek with the other three major record companies, which have all received subpoenas.
Oops. Did you believe that a radio station plays music that the Program Director selects on some set of personal preferences? Or maybe even music that the DJ is allowed to select? That would be so 1970s, my friends…
Long Now Foundation CD
This record has grown out of the Long Now Foundation’s project – the Clock of the Long Now. This is an idea to create a working clock which will mark time for ten thousand years – not really because we need more clocks in the world, but because we need more encouragement to start contemplating the possibility of a distant human future. The Clock of the Long Now is an icon to long-term thinking. When we started thinking about The Clock, we naturally wondered what kind of sound it could make to announce the passage of time. I had nurtured an interest in bells for many years, and this seemed like a good alibi for taking it a bit deeper.
All profits from the sale of this record will be donated to the Long Now Foundation. The first prototype of the Clock is working and on permanent display at the Science Museum in London. This CD has fifteen tracks and a total playing time of 75 mins 43 seconds.
Brian Eno writing about the CD Bell Studies for The Clock of The Long Now
ListeningLounge PR
That’s what I am talking about! This week-end we have already sold tracks to individuals in Great Britain, India, and Australia. This is the way to distribute music.
Folks, I would like to try an experiment: normally one hires a PR firm when launching a product or a music album or a store, but I was wondering whether you all would help me with a different approach. Maybe you could write a letter, postcard or email to the editor or music critic or tech writer of any newspaper, web site, and radio or TV station that comes to your mind. Please tell them about our ListeningLounge and how different it is from other download stores on the web! This is a home-grown site – from us to you – and what better way than to try to publicize it with your help!!!
Here is a list of LL features:
— You can listen to the entire track before making a selection
— You get a choice of 4 different LAME encoded mp3 files (128, 192, 256 and 320) as well as AIFF (full CD Quality)
— The music you buy remains accessible to you via the ListeningLounge’s My Music Library, in case you need to download it again…
— All artists and music were selected by me. All music in the LL will always be instrumental music.
— We don’t use copy protection (DRM) on the music, which means the music plays in any device and you can burn backups on CD.
— Most of the music offered is only available from our ListeningLounge, and you won’t find it in stores or on the radio.
— Cover art PDF are available for most albums. Download and print!
— In addition to the regular albums we offer Works in Progress, Live recordings, as well as Loops and Parts for musicians (e.g. just the rhythm guitar or bass or percussion for a song)
— Creativity is encouraged. We use the Creative Commons Sampling Plus license, which allows derivative works, sampling and even commercial use.
