Category: Technology

The Continued Convergence of Music & Tech: Laptop Orchestras

Kelli Richards June 6, 2013

Remember lugging that giant trumpet case to and from school just so you could be a part of the school band? Half the time you forgot to bring it and the times you remembered, your arm was sore by the time you entered the school’s doors. Or maybe you just regret never having had the musical instrument experience at all. Well here is your opportunity to combine some of the skill sets you already possess to be part of an orchestra. But instead of the use of a traditional instrument, a laptop is all that is needed to become a part of a unique ensemble.

Schools are actually forming bands where student-manned laptop computers are the primary instruments. The most visible schools to be adapting to this modern orchestra are Stanford and Princeton. Students can take a seminar where the expectation is to make music with their laptop. Students are instructed to design their own software instrument, a “meta instrument,” using code.

To learn more about the technical process involved, watch the video below from the Stanford Laptop Orchestra:

My question is this: If laptop orchestras are the future of music classes, what effect will it have on traditional instrument learning and playing? Studies show that playing an instrument positively improves cognitive functions, enhances hand-eye coordination, sharpens concentration, and relieves stress. Of course, there are huge opportunities there for underserved populations who may not have the financial resources to outfit all of their schools with instruments – but could, perhaps, afford or acquire one or two laptops to be shared…

In the end, however, it comes down to this: Can making synthesized sounds from computers really compensate for traditional instruments? That is the question we have to ask.

Outside of bringing music and instruments into places that might not otherwise be able to participate, maybe the real question is: Should it?

Until next time,

Kelli Richards, CEO of The All Access Group, LLC

Can Google Give Spotify the Smackdown?

Kelli Richards June 3, 2013

Google has set its sights on releasing a music service to take on popular options such as Spotify, Pandora and Rhapsody. Their recently announced streaming music service — Google Play All Access — is poised to make quite a splash in the market.

What is It?

Google Play All Access has launched. In a hypebot.com interview with Paul Joyce, product manager of Google Play Music, said the approach is to play to Google’s strengths — the cloud infrastructure: cloud computing, streaming and storage. It draws upon the massive music library that Google has assembled and adds to individual users’ collections. The combined collections are uploaded to Google Play, which gives Google even more audio data to use for their service.

A few other standout features include “Listen Now,” which works similar to Pandora in picking out new songs that are inline with the listener’s music interests. It also deletes songs that you don’t want to and it’s both web-based and mobile-based, according to CNN.

Google’s ISP Takeover

This is hardly the first time Google has broken into an existing market in a big way. Google Fiber, the high-speed Internet and television service, has created a stir in the Internet service provider industry. In many areas of the country, ISPs had previously had virtual monopolies on services and weren’t exactly rushing to incorporate new technology.

A basic Internet package runs about $35 per month, notes cleartvbundle.com. But it doesn’t quite compare to where Google Fiber is going. ISPs and cable companies in the three cities that Google Fiber is rolling out in, Kansas City, Provo and Austin are scrambling to stay competitive considering Google offers a free Internet option as well at a price close to many ISPs standard plans.

Google Play All Access Versus Spotify

So the real question is, how well does Google Play All Access stand up against Spotify, which is one of the leaders in the streaming music market? Google made sure to have an application available for Android users, but it did not create one specifically for the iOS market. However, according to Wired, a third party developer is making it available through iOS with the gMusic app.

Spotify wins out in the pricing, since you don’t actually have to pay anything to use the basic service on computers. Google is $9.99 per month, which matches Spotify for mobile access. Spotify’s radio option falls short compared to Google’s, due to the fact that you can alter the Google Listen Now list to exclude songs you don’t want.

Google also looks better than Spotify with a clean UI. Features such as Drive based storage of 20,000 songs and MP3 incorporation into lists helps to consolidate music collections. Spotify wins out with its desktop client, as Google only has a browser based option.

It certainly can’t hurt to try both. Each offer a one month free trial.

Written by Sean Norris for Kelli Richards, CEO of the All Access Group, LLC

Sean Norris

A tweeting fiend and music lover, Sean goes to concerts and tweets up-to-date reports on the hour, every hour.

Alice through the Looking Glass (The Corning Glass, that is…)

Kelli Richards May 29, 2013

In the near distant future, all of the surfaces in your house are made of high-tech glass. Instead of following a recipe on your tablet, your glass countertops now become the display. Does this make your spine tingle? Does it feel uber-tech, light years away? Like something only Steve Jobs or Captain Kirk would have access to? Nope, it’s coming to your doorstep.

Let’s paint a picture of an average Joe (or Joanne)’s day… It’s dinnertime. While trying to make the meal, the recipe on your tablet is too small to see and the stand you have propped it up on keeps falling over. Your hands are caked in food and the phone rings. Your son sits across the counter from you, nagging you about needing help with homework. Everyone and everything around you demands your attention. Imagine an innovation that could help you manage all of those tasks.

When the phone rings, your counter lights up and with one touch of your food-caked knuckle you’re talking to your great aunt Gladys (or the CEO of a major tech firm). Meanwhile, your kid is interacting through the countertop display with his tutor.

This near distant future could be possible with Corning’s technology. Corning’s is now researching ways to improve the glass, and apply it to all types of environments. Each glass display is powered by tablets encased in lightweight, durable glass, which –in this future time- are almost as commonplace as smartphones are today. Each tablet is tailored to its owner, organizing, managing and displaying everything in his or her life.

If we take this vision even further, now imagine the same technology that helped make dinnertime prep simpler, and apply it in hospitals, classrooms, cars and offices. The possibilities are limitless. If we step into a future hospital we will see wall-to-wall, touch-sensitive displays, capturing critical information for the current procedure taking place. The hospital rooms are covered with non-porous, easy to clean glass, making it an ideal product for sterile environments. Patient charts can be easily accessed from sleek, well-organized tablets.

Cars will also be equipped with glass displays. Now, music and essential driving information can be transported from a person’s individual tablet or smart phone, to the dashboard display. In addition to the dashboard, windows and a car’s sunroof will be made of automotive electrochromic glass, offering many possibilities.

Not only will classrooms have wall-to-wall displays, they will also be equipped with desk displays, and activity tables, making learning tangible and interactive. Imagine an office equipped with this same glass. Office meetings can now be interactive and plans can be changed right in front of you on large-scale displays.

Our future with glass is going to change the way we think, create, and organize our lives, and Corning’s is stepping up to the plate to make it happen. What do you think is possible with this futuristic technology? To see the glass in action, watch these three videos made by Corning. In A Day Made Of Glass 2: Unpacked, the narrator describes the technology used and explains what is possible today.

A Day Made of Glass

A Day Made of Glass 2

A Day made of Glass 2: Unpacked

Until next time,

Kelli Richards, CEO of The All Access Group, LLC

Tech Advances for a New Century – Fingerprints as Credit Cards

Kelli Richards May 6, 2013

Imagine going to your local Starbucks and instead of having to rummage through your wallet in the morning, simply pressing your finger to a scanner and walking out. Headache averted. Want to know more? Read on for a 4-minute history and update on Scanning for Payment.

For years various companies have developed innovative, “easy” payment options for purchases at locations ranging from retail stores, to restaurants, to public transportation systems, to small-personal merchants. Businesses life Flock Tag, Square, and others, all feature an accessible, simple ability to allow the fast swipe of a card for payment or – bringing access to individuals and businesses who never accepted credit cards for payment before this due to the clunky technology and equipment. Now it’s as easy as a 1” “square” and an app on your SmartPhone. Yes, commerce has definitely come to the masses.

Square sends its user a card reader which plugs into the head phone dock on smart phones, allowing for users, usually small business owners, the ability to charge sales to cards. Square offers two payment options, either a rate fee per transaction or a flat $275 monthly charge.

Breeze Cards are re-loadable magnetized cards used in the Rail system in Atlanta, Georgia. The cards differ from Subway passes in cities like New York, in that they are reusable; by simply swiping your Breeze card at a kiosk you are able to add rides to the card, which is then swiped upon entering and leaving the “Marta”- subway. This is a huge win for green ecology, all but eliminating the waste of use and use-up passes for other systems, like New York.

The Flock Tag is a step further in this brave new world. It is a “customer loyalty program,” originated in Ann Arbor, Michigan, which aims to replace all promotion cards at local stores that keep count of purchases – basically it works like this: Buy 10 smoothies and get your 11th free. To make it even easier, it combines all stores into one loyalty card. The card is simply swiped after you pay and works with its corresponding phone application to track purchases and promotions. What do ALL of these various cards have in common? They all represent new “revolutionary” forms of payment, and promotion, aimed at simplifying the payment process for consumers worldwide.

While all these cards are revolutionary in their own rights, engineering students at The School of Mines and Technology in Rapid City, a small university in South Dakota, may be in the process of outdoing them all with their implementation of fingerprint scanners as payment.

And while there are privacy issues with this sort of technology, what could be more convenient than paying for your purchases by swiping your finger?

To good to be true? It keeps getting better. If this type of finger payment elicits memories from movies in which someone steals your finger, and you can’t cancel a finger like you can a credit card, the engineers in Rapid City are implementing a live hemoglobin check in the scanner, so only “live” fingers can be used as payment. Gross, maybe? Effective and thought provoking? You bet.

Until next time,

Kelli Richards, CEO of The All Access Group, LLC

Twitter Music

Kelli Richards April 29, 2013

As all of us know, there are countless online music apps and platforms circulating the web, from Spotify, to Pandora, to Soundcloud, to Last.fm – all offering “unique” variations on the music listening experience. Let’s have a quick overview and then I’ll make a few valuable points.

Spotify works with Facebook to allow friends to share music in real time, as they listen.
Pandora lets users pick a genre, or artist, or song and create a playlist accordingly.
Soundcloud targets the artists themselves, allowing recording and sharing, which in turn, appeals to listeners looking for the next great musician or fans seeking sneak peeks of new songs.
Last.fm basically provides an encyclopedia-like amount of information about artists with biographies to similar musicians and popular tracks.

So it comes as no surprise, and it was only a matter of time before Twitter released its own online music player, cleverly named, “Twitter #Music.”

So what does #Music have to offer, and is it even worth using when compared to all the other listener options?

Lets check out the app.

Twitter organizes its music selection into four categories: Popular, which they describe as “new music trending on Twitter;” Emerging, “hidden talent found in the Tweets;” Suggested, “artists you might like;” and #NowPlaying, “tweeted by people you follow.”

The Popular music section is basically Twitter’s version of the iTunes top 100, or the Billboard top 100, except it illustrates the top 40 songs played on Twitter. Is less actually more? The ‘Emerging’ category promises to expose new, up and coming, talented musical groups –probably Indie-Rock bands; ‘Suggested’ is exactly what it sounds like –Twitter analyzes your tweets and follows and provides you with music accordingly (not bad for music discovery purposes); and ‘#Nowplaying’ is pretty self-explanatory.

While the idea of Twitter joining the music sharing industry is a pretty obvious decision, and the categories they break the music down into seems legitimate, and are integrated into Twitter pretty logically, it still is difficult to imagine #music making any real impact in the music sharing space, despite its already massive audience. The sad news is that Twitter has failed to offer any “new” advantages to using its application.

Popular music can be found anywhere. There are far more credible sources for “emerging” talent on sites like Pitchfork.com, or even through Spotify – and “Suggested” tracks has already been mastered by Pandora. However, possibly the biggest flaw in #music is the fact that I could really care less about what people I’m following are listening to. Facebook and Spotify work so well together because they only share information among friends, or at least acquaintances. Twitter is different in that it is a totally different type of social networking. Yes I follow my friends, but I also follow people for news, for sports analysis, for tech advances, or because they may just tweet hilarious, absurd and interesting thoughts.

But that does not mean that I am interested in what Anderson Cooper, Snookie, LeBron James, or what @crapmydadsays is listening to? Not really.

Until next time,

Kelli Richards, CEO of The All Access Group, LLC

Leap Motion, Welcome to the Future

Kelli Richards April 15, 2013

Developers at Leap Motion may be in the process of creating the most revolutionary tool to hit computers in decades: the ability to control your computer using just your hands and simple finger movements. The Leap Motion device is a flash drive size gadget that connects to either your Mac or PC and instantly allows you to manipulate the three-dimensional model on your screen.

Inspired by the idea that it takes 10 seconds to mold clay in real life but 30 minutes using a computer, Leap Motion wanted a way to make “molding virtual clay as easy as molding clay in the real world.” And it seems that with the use of infrared LED’s and several cameras’ the Leap Motion controller has succeeded in revolutionizing the way people will interact with their computers; creating a virtual space above the cigarette sized device, tracking your movements in real time, accurate to 1/100th of a millimeter. What makes this invention so impressive is that the use of this virtual 3D space, allows the user to physically manipulate content rather than simply communicate with it in the form of gestures. (Swiping your hand to the left to change pages, or pinch your fingers to zoom in.)

Wired has declared that Leap Motion is, “the best gesture-control system we’ve ever tested;” and The Verge called the device, “the next big thing in computing.” But how will Leap Motion change the way you use your computer? Imagine surfing the Internet without the use of a mouse- clicking, scrolling, zooming in and out, and rotating images using only your hands. Editing excel sheets could be done with out tediously selecting and dragging data with a mouse and keyboard shortcuts, but instead by simply grabbing and dragging items with yours hands. Envision artists creating, drawing, molding, onscreen images in the most natural way possible- again, with their hands. Imagine doctors manipulating 3-Dimensional images of the human body to help patients pinpoint ailments; or surgeons practicing procedures in controlled environments.

Leap Motion’s cofounder David Holz believes that touch screen tablets are so incredibly popular because of their intuitive nature (in comparison to mice and keyboards), but such technology is limited. Holz has stated, “the fact is that you can’t really do anything with a tablet, with tap and swipe, but it feels natural… We have that same natural experience but we have more power.” And at a price of $69.99, the Leap Motion controller is reasonably priced, setting the stage for it to enter the homes of masses, revolutionizing our entire computing experience soon rather than later.

While currently the Leap Motion controller may be a computer gamer’s dream toy, allowing users to fire guns in a similar motion used by Clint Eastwood in Gran Torino, Leap Motion has declared, “The possibilities are endless, really. Art. Healthcare. Engineering. Gaming. If you can imagine it, we’re pretty confident there’s a remarkable member of our developer community who’s already making it a reality… We know, it sounds too good to be true. But that’s what we specialize in around here.”

You can watch the Leap Motion device in action here: Introducing the Leap Motion

Until next time,

Kelli Richards, CEO of The All Access Group, LLC

“Indoor” Google Maps

Kelli Richards April 1, 2013

As revolutionary as Google Maps was, bringing instant, step by step directions straight to peoples smart phones; Google is in the process of once again releasing possibly the most game-changing technology to the maps industry since the invent of the sextant: indoor maps.

But before we explore the technology, its uses, and how it will change your day-to-day life, lets discuss the changes of the map-making industry, and how it grew with the development of new technology. The cartography industry grew in large part due to the intellectual expansion in Ancient Greece, and philosopher’s creation of basic mathematics, as well as geometry and calculus.

Surveyors used these new techniques to physically measure, plot, and illustrate landscapes by hand, without the use of some of today’s most fundamental tools. Map making became exponentially more accurate following the invention of the devices like the compass, sextant, and theodolite. The compass, of course providing the map maker with the essential cardinal directions; the sextant is a navigational instrument used to determine elevation above the horizon, in other words a sextant allows you to calculate a “line of position,” a path, along the surface of the earth. When used with other triangulation devices, individuals are able to determine latitude and longitude; and a theodolite is used to measure horizontal and vertical angles in relation to specific sites, allowing for greater measurements in surveying.

These devices, as well as countless others, allowed for greater world exploration and more accurate cartography of both “new” and inhabited lands. And while map making is dramatically different today in relation to ancient cartography in that the technology used is far more developed, the basic concepts remain. But in a time period in which rain forests are being destroyed, giving way for more urban living, where buildings scrape the sky, and people drive everywhere in their various automobiles- the need to efficiently maneuver around is incredibly vital.

Yes, we have had accurate maps for centuries now, but we still lack written, easily accessible indoor maps. And the “You are here” displays in malls don’t count, as they draw more of a parallel with mouse mazes than real usable maps. Rather, imagine being able to look up directions to a doctor’s office, classroom, or meeting location days before your actual appointment. Or running late to a job interview and being able to find the fastest step-by-step directions to places within a building. Google is currently making maneuvering around buildings far easier with their creation of indoor Google maps software.

This software, which is available on both iPhones and Android devices provides the user with a floor plan of the building they are in, allowing the users to figure out where they are, and orient themselves with their environment- even showing you what floor your on. Indoor Google maps will appear right through the Google maps app, allowing you to plan your entire trip from the comfort of your home to the room of your final destination. Talk about better than door-to-door service.

Until next time,

Kelli Richards, CEO of The All Access Group, LLC

Google: Street View or Street Fight?

Kelli Richards March 25, 2013

The two-year investigation into Google’s “Street View” privacy violations from 2006 to 2010 culminated a few weeks ago, with a $7 million fine and Google’s promise to educate both their employees and the general public about protecting private data. The case, brought by 38 US states, against Google alleged that the internet giant collected private information including passwords, email addresses, and medical and financial records, when Google cars scoured roads across the nation, accumulating images for the Street View aspect of Google maps.

While the $7 million fine is pocket change for a company worth upwards of $200 billion, this settlement is significant, as Google is once again associated with privacy violations, hurting their public image. Previous privacy violations included the sharing of personal information and internet search queries of users to third parties; Google cookies working with Viacom to keep records of videos watched on Nick and NickJr.com; using security settings on Safari to track online activities of iPhone owners; and, automatically connecting all Gmail users in Google Buzz, making data public without permission.

So this lawsuit against Google for the collection of private data is just the most recent of numerous privacy infringements that are directly associated with the revolutionary business that is Google and certainly won’t be the last. The Google Glass Project, which I have already discussed, comes to mind immediately regarding the potential of privacy infractions that could be brought about by Google’s game changing technology. Google Glass offers a combination of wearable computing system, and introduces augmented reality (virtual reality which aims to duplicate real world environments on computers) for the first time in the form of glasses.

Hardware like this, which allows users to take videos of everything they are seeing and hearing with a simple tilt of the head or voice command already raises privacy concerns before taking into account the development of huge amounts of software, which you can be sure will be invented, in the not so distant future.

Google’s mission to, “organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful,” has made the company a trailblazer, whose growth is only paralelled by the cyber laws, which its growth has created and in turn, broken.

Following the mantra, “better to seek forgiveness than permission,” Google has spearheaded the seeming exponential growth of the Internet (and its market dominance,) acting first and asking questions later. But what has made the privacy violations associated with Street View, and most likely Google Glass, so scary is its ambiguity.

The idea of a random car patrolling the streets, or an arbitrary person with glasses, having access to personal data ranging from medical forms to passwords is extremely worrisome. However, this is the life of an innovator, one pushing the limits – socially, economically, judicially and technologically, and Google is definitely one of the biggest innovators in recent memory.

So while Google Street Views’ privacy infringement is just the most recent of Google’s privacy violations, it is simply the result of Silicon Valley’s redefinition of both worldwide communication, the accessibility of information and the expansion of knowledge. For now, Google’s promise to educate its employees and its users on how to protect personal data, seems to be a step in the right direction, in protecting users’ private information.

Until next time,
Kelli Richards, CEO of The All Access Group, LLC

From Rotary Phones to ??? – The Every Changing Market of Communications

Kelli Richards March 18, 2013

Snapping “selfies” (self-taken pictures) on the beach while drinking margarita’s and uploading them to social sites might be a good way to share the moment with friends, but the potential for bosses and professional colleagues to see the less-than-scandalous, but inappropriate-for-your-brand pictures is always lurking close behind. Snapchat, a currently trending app, has found a way for you to avoid awkward looks at the office, but still let your friends in on how your weekend getaway was spent.

Snapchat is for picture and video messaging only. For instance, it’s an easy and fun way to let your friends know what they missed out on when they turned down your concert tickets with a simple video message. You can control how many seconds the message is viewed (the limit is 10 seconds), and who sees it. Users can also add captions to their pictures and videos. Send a video of your baby’s first steps to your whole family in an instant, just remember to save the video (or picture) before you send it, because once it is sent, it is gone forever. Snapchat permanently deletes all of the pictures and videos that you send and receive after you’ve viewed them.

With the digital age exploding, communication is an ever-evolving market right now. It seems like a lifetime from rotary phones to smartphones, and the changes are coming at a faster and faster pace.

Some other apps changing the instant communication landscape are WhatsApp and Voxer. With these apps you can send a text message, voice clip, or video snippet with just a touch of a finger on your smartphone. The best part? They’re practically free.

WhatsApp costs $0.99 to download, but sending and receiving text messages and videos is free. After a simple download, users can enter their phone number, which the app software adopts as a username. WhatsApp syncs the contacts stored on the device and adds people –who also have the app. Once the app is set up, you can send unlimited texts, pictures, and videos. Another perk of this app is that you can use it internationally. Have a friend in England? Don’t worry, you can still send them pictures of your cat (Milo, in my case) or steamy mug of morning java. The app also makes chatting with a group easy; just add a subject line and people to the group to start messaging.

Similar to WhatsApp, Voxer also allows its users to text and send pictures, in addition to sending voices messages. Voxer yanks on your inner child’s desire to play because it is, in essence, a glorified walkie-talkie. The focal facet of this app is its push-to-talk feature. Want to remind your husband to pick up the kids from school? Send a verbal message in seconds.

There will always be a demand for a faster and better means of communicating. Who knows, one day soon we might even remember to go old school and communicate face to face. The invaluable power of a REAL connection, in real-time. Mind blowing, right?

What do you think will be next for communication technology?

Until next time,
Kelli Richards, CEO of the All Access Group, LLC

Has the Tablet Industry Finally Caught up to Apple? Just ask Microsoft.

Kelli Richards March 5, 2013

Less than a year ago, on June 18, 2012, Microsoft announced their series of tablets known as Microsoft Surface. Microsoft declared Surface to be: “A feat of engineering and a work of art… With casing made from ultra-light and highly durable magnesium, Surface will change the way you work and play. Run Office apps, watch movies in dazzling HD, catch up with friends and family. Do it all on one beautifully and thoughtfully designed device.”

The “tablet” is built with an integrated kick stand designed to prop up the device at an angle similar to open laptops, making viewing movies, listening to music, and the overall use of the device more preferable. Microsoft also offers a “touch cover,” (very similar to the iPad Smart Case) which clicks into the base of the tablet, doubling as a protective case and a touch sensitive keyboard. With the use of both the built-in kick stand, and the “touch cover,” Microsoft Surface looks more like a small laptop than a tablet, resulting in Microsoft describing the device as “a laptop in tablet form.” But ultimately, the real measure of success is the answer to this question: How does this laptop-tablet compare to the leader in the tablet industry: the iPad?

Let’s look at the user experience tech issues first. Microsoft’s Surface is longer and narrower in comparison to the iPad, however it is much thicker. 4.1mm thicker in fact, and it is 254 grams heavier than the iPad. In addition to Surface’s beefier external design, it falls short in comparison to iPad’s useable storage. Its battery life is also less than half of the iPad. The Surface retail price is around $500 and the Pro version is $900+/-, while the iPad ranges from $330 to $930 (the price increases with storage capacity and the usage of cellular data). However Microsoft’s Surface separates itself from the iPad in raw processing power, having the same Intel Core i5 processor found in Apple’s MacBook Air, which brings us back to the notion that the Surface represents the union of laptop and tablet.

Comparing Microsoft’s Surface series to either the Apple’s iPad or its laptops is simply unfair, as the Surface fits neither mold. But what Microsoft has indeed done is create a new piece of hardware, with a noticeable niche in the laptop-tablet hybrid field; one that may alter both industries in the near future.

It is these types of revolutionary inventions that foster competition and discourage stagnation. Just as blackberry and the iPhone competed for the smartphone heavyweight battle, resulting in ever expanding advancements, this new tiniest laptop (yet bulky tablet), may lead to unimaginable advancements in the new industry it has created.

We will need to watch closely to see if Microsoft’s “tablets” will challenge Apple in areas far beyond those of tablet sales.

Until next time,
Kelli Richards, CEO of the All Access Group, LLC

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Category: Technology

The Continued Convergence of Music & Tech: Laptop Orchestras