Thursday 29 April 2010

Gaming Charts

Whilst researching for my essay, I've managed to find a website with charts of official sales figures for games consoles in 2010.

According to http://www.vgchartz.com/, in 2010 the 360 ranks 3rd in amount of units sold of the three main consoles. Nintendo's DS and Wii are clearly leading the way.

But, the 360 recently tipped the 40 million units sold mark, meaning it has sold nearly 6 million more than PlayStation 3 since release, but around 30 million less than Nintendo Wii.

http://www.devicemag.com/2010/04/26/microsofts-xbox-360-sold-40-million-units-so-far/

2006 - July 1 2005 – June 30 2006: 5.0 million units
2007 - July 1 2006 – June 30 2007: 6.6 million units
2008 - July 1 2007 – June 30 2008: 8.7 million units
2009 - July 1 2008 – June 30 2009: 11.2 million units
2010 - July 1 2009 – March 31 2010: 8.8 million units

Troubles!

I've currently got 3 out of my 5 technologies sorted in my essay and have already surpassed the 1,500 word limit... I think I'm going to need to cut down on the history of the technology itself, and concentrate on their impact and importance to me, as I think that's what's more important in this essay... and hopefully next time I post here all will be finished and ready!

Wednesday 28 April 2010

What Facebook Is For...

It's suprising how true this is of some people on Facebook!

Can Avatar beat DVD?

With the release of James Cameron's blockbuster Avatar, sales of BluRay discs have seen a massive boost.

"Since its launch on Monday, Blu-ray copies of Avatar have been flying off the shelves. It looks set to smash all sales records for the new format, as it did in the US, where it sold a phenomenal 2.7 million copies in just four days.

Its release comes as some retailers, including HMV, are seeing Blu-ray sales outstrip DVDs for the first time."

Experts are stating that we may be at the tipping point which will see BluRay really take off in the UK.

http://news.scotsman.com/features/Avatar-Are-we-ready-for.6258347.jp

"But is Blu-ray ready to have its day, or is this just another play from an industry frantically trying to keep people paying for its product? Is the format truly revolutionary, or is it just the MiniDisc of movies?"

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/can-avatar-send-the-bluray-technology-into-a-new-dimension-1955127.html

Personally I believe that BluRay is destined to take place as the dominant format, but there are factors that still need to be dealt with. The cost of films on BluRay upon release is usually around £20 at the present day, whilst DVDs are usually around half the price. Also, a BluRay player requires a HD TV. I think that most households only own one main HD TV today, meaning that these films would only be able to be viewed in one place.
Sony's PlayStation 3 console is the first games unit to be compatible with BluRay discs, and still, this has not really given the format a dramatic boost. PlayStation 3 consoles are more expensive than their rivals Xbox 360, which just play DVDs discs.
Technology is always being advanced and bettered. The next step ahead is high definition, which I think will have a firm dominance in households quite soon, in the form of BluRay.

Digital Switcharoo

In the last decade, the switch from analogue transmissions to digital have been set into motion. Wales recently became the first nation in the UK to be fully digital, with the last of the analogue TV signals now switched off. The biggest change to TV since colour was introduced over 40 years ago is under way and the UK is expected to be fully converted by 2012.

http://business.scotsman.com/business/Digital-switchover-is-on-the.6234004.jp

Monday 26 April 2010

TV Developments

I've also decided to look into the future developments of television, as this has been a hot subject this year, with the introduction of 3DTV and Internet TV.

I noticed that Sky3D had been added to my Sky channels a couple of weeks ago, even though 3D TVs were not available in the UK a this point. But I've just discovered that 3D TVs officially went on sale last Friday (April 23rd) in the UK!

http://topnews.co.uk/23670-3d-tv-makes-debut-sale-uk-friday

"Samsung officially released its 40-inch 3D set at selected John Lewis, Curry's and Comet stores. The set is priced at £1,799. The release of the Samsung 3D TV is followed by the release of Panasonic’s 3D TV model slated to be launched in the following week.
It has been reported that Sony and LG will also be launching their 3D TV’s in the coming months."

But it has also been stated that only the film Monsters Vs Aliens is available on 3D BluRay at present and we'll have to wait at least another year before Sky's 3D channel is fully launched.

To make the move from 2D to 3D won't be cheap though, as customers will have to already own or purchase a Sky HD box and purchase an 3D HD TV (ugh!). The first line of these TVs cost nearly £2,000. Oh, and you'll need to buy the silly glasses.

I've been to 3D cinema showings before, and to be honest I've not been impressed. The overall effect is very underwhelming, granted the technology is still in an early phase. I would much rather see technology such as this pushed further!:



Also launched this year is Sony's new range of Bravia Internet TVs.

http://www.sony.co.uk/hub/1237477937903/sony-internet-tv?campaignId=12003038&s_kwcid=sony%20internet%20tv5275876481

"From YouTube™ and Facebook™, over movies on demand with LOVEFiLM to Catch-up TV services, BRAVIA Internet Video and BRAVIA Internet Widgets put you in control of the best of the web."

Personally, I've been waiting for a development such as this for a long time and can't wait to have this technology available to me. I think this is a great development and I can't imagine what else can possibly be introduced and achieved with television technology next!


Advert for Sony's Bravia Internet TVs.

The Future of Charging...

Today I found an online article which suggests that in the near future, iPods, phones and laptop batteries could be charged by simply walking and jogging.

"The researchers think that with in four or five years, we will be able to recharge a cell phone or laptop battery after even a short walk, if piezoelectric nano wires are woven into a cotton shirt or placed in a shoe heel."

Scientists have already developed a gadget powered by piezoelectric materials, by packing 20,000 nano wires into three square centimeters. These materials create a small electrical charge when pushed or pulled, meaning electricity is generated with every step.

http://living.oneindia.in/men/gadgets-gizmos/2010/run-charge-ipod-260410.html


... a friend also pointed this out to me:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfPJeDssBOM

But I'm not convinced as yet!

Sunday 25 April 2010

The iPod

Since I've chosen to talk about Apple's iPod in my essay, I've been gathering some research together. I've started off by looking at YouTube and found videos of Steve Jobs introducing the iPod for the first iPod ever, and a line of advertisements for this first model.





This is the iPod timeline from the original iPod to the recent iPad. You can see the changes in screen size, overall size, colour and shape all through its development. The first I owned myself was a 4th generation iPod, and this is the one I still use today. I've been using this iPod for 5 years and it's always been reliable! I also haven't reached it's 20GB capacity with my ever growing music collection as yet. This iPod was largely the same as the previous generations, except the four buttons moved down to a clickable, touch sensitive wheel. These were available in 20GB and 40GB sizes, USB anf FireWire were both integrated fully.

I will continue to research into iPod, other Apple technology and other MP3 players whilst writing my essay.

Facebook in Numbers

While using Facebook I stumbled across a page which shows the statistics of the site. A lot of facts and figures about the number of users, the frequency of their visits, activities and more are shown. This shows officially the ever growing popularity of Facebook and the amount and methods people use and access the site.

http://www.facebook.com/press/info.php?statistics

More than 400 million active users
50% of our active users log on to Facebook in any given day
Average user has 130 friends
People spend over 500 billion minutes per month on Facebook

There are more than 100 million active users currently accessing Facebook through their mobile devices.
People that use Facebook on their mobile devices are twice more active on Facebook than non-mobile users.

Saturday 24 April 2010

The Essay

Phew! With nearly a week to go, I've just past the half way point of my essay. With the history and my thoughts on 3 of my chosen technologies completed, all seems to be going well.

In the essay I have looked into the history of five technologies and explained the importance they hold in my life. The five that I have chosen include The Internet, social networking websites – particularly Facebook, iPods, the Xbox 360 and television.

Thursday 22 April 2010

Electric Dreams 2

Today I got round to watching the episode of BBC's Electric Dreams based on the technology of the 90s. I decided to take notes as I watched and try and make notes of things that may be useful for my essay.

1990
Televisions were finally becoming cheaper, and many households had more than one. There were only 4 channels available in Britain.
Fax machines were brought into the home after being well established in business.
The gaming industry sees a massive take off. (The industry now rivals Hollywood in popularity).

1991
SEGA and Nintendo are the main competitors in the gaming industry. SEGA's Sonic the Hedgehog and Nintendo's Super Mario are both their own company's main weapons.
Handheld consoles are being introduced. (Gameboys, Gamegear (£200 in today's money)). Nintendo's most popular game is Tetris. 8,000 Britons own handheld consoles.

1992
Britons sign up for Satellite TV in their thousands. But at this time, it offers only and extra 5 channels.
Pagers look set to be the future of communication.
Video game violence raises concern over its effect on youths. Age ratings on games introduced soon after.

1993/4
Digital mobile phones introduced. (Motoral 3200 costs £1,400 in today's money).
Consumer digital cameras introduced. They hold around 8 images and have a resolution of half a mega pixel. (£740 in today's money).

1995
Portable technology develops. Laptops and mobiles become more sophiscated technology.
Cheaper home PCs.

1996
Sony launches the PlayStation advertising it as an adult lifestyle accessory. It outsold SEGA and Nintendo though it cost £500 in today's money.

1997
6 million Britons get online. (An estimated 45 million are today).
The Internet has around 1.5 million websites.

I very much enjoyed being able to look back on some of the technology I remember and grew up with. It was great to see the origins of some of the most widespread and popular gadgets of the modern day (mobiles, consoles, computers).

http://www.bbc.co.uk/electricdreams

Wednesday 21 April 2010

Mobile Updates

Social networking sites now offer the option to update your status and communicate with friends via mobile technology, e.g. phones. I've been using this application for Facebook for some time, and really enjoy being able to communicate with friends using Facebook wherever I am. This means I'm sometimes able to save money on text messaging.

With my BlackBerry phone, I am able to browse the internet via a wifi connection and access Facebook. The application also offers the option to send a text message to update my status.


http://www.facebook.com/mobile/?ref=pf&_fb_noscript=1

In the last few years, I feel as if I'm "connected" whatever I'm doing or whenever I am. With Facebook, The Internet and Wifi so freely available, and the technology always in my pocket, I am always able to access sites and information whenever I want to.
I feel that these are great developments in technology and am excited to see what is available to us in the next few years. Apple's iPhone is top of the game at the moment, combining all these things and many more applications all in one.

Twitterrr

The latest of the social networking and blogging craze is Twitter. The site is loved by Internet users, celebrities and businesses. The site offers users the ability to post short, snappy statutes/blogs ("tweets") to share information, talk to friends or just tell the world what's on your mind.

Some users admit to posting several or more times daily, which has led to questions about the addictive nature of social networking sites, as can be read here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8459311.stm

Celebrities including Stephen Fry have much praise for the site:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7851383.stm

I haven't used twitter myself, as twitter seems very one-dimensional (based solely around "tweets"). I opt for Facebook, where you can post status updates, but also have instant messaging, email and picture/video uploading and sharing.

Facebook Safety

Facebook are set to launch drastic new safety measures after coming under scrutiny. These measures include a 24-hour police hotline, awareness campaigns and abuse reporting systems.

I think things like this really show how these sites have grown into something that reaches from The Internet and into people's lives and society.

Bye Bye Bebo...

After researching a bit into Facebook and other social networking sites, I came across news that social networking site Bebo is due to be sold off or closed.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/apr/20/bebo-uk-losses

Social networking websites have grown and grown in popularity since 2000. Facebook and MySpace have been top choices for Internet users for some years, but AOL's Bebo has also been a favourite for the teen generation. In the last two years though, with the growing popularity of MySpace and, mainly, Facebook, the site has seen a dramatic loss of visits.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/apr/11/online-bebo-social-networking

The Guardian lists Facebook, Youtube and Google as the top 3 to satisfy the world's need to socialise, share, stream and search. But could this all change within the next decade?

Tuesday 20 April 2010

To do...

I've now got my essay in full swing and am decided on my 5 things to base it around. I've tried to choose technology and media that have become a part of my everyday life and that I have a keen interest in.

1. The Internet

As with the majority of people in the present day, the Internet has become a major part of my daily life. For work, leisure and communication, the Internet has it all. I may also go into the technologies I use to access the internet, eg. desktop computer, laptop, BlackBerry phone, Xbox 360.

2. Facebook

Facebook has also become a major thing for me. It's a great way to keep in contact with friends, arrange events, listen to music and play games. The only downside is how addictive it can become!

3. iPod

I take my iPod with me wherever I go. It's great to be able to have my entire music collection with me wherever I travel to keep me entertained. I remember having to take a pack of CDs around with me 5 years ago...

4. XBox 360

I have owned various console for around the past 14 years, including Sega Master System, Megadrive (I+II), PlayStation, PlaySation 2, and Xbox 360) and also some handheld consoles (Gameboy Colour, Gameboy Advance (+SP), PSP). The Xbox 360 is my current console of choice and I think it really symbolises how far the world of gaming has come. With online play, an internet browser, Facebook and Sky TV, the Xbox offers a lot more than gaming.

5. Television

Television is a hugely important part of life today. It has always offered entertainment and information, but has been adapted through the years to offer much more.


I also missed the 90s episode of Electric Dreams. So will have to catch up tomorrow using iPlayer (something else I debated about including in my essay!)

Thursday 15 April 2010

Electric Dreams

After today's lecture on technology and media, I stumbled upon a programme called 'Electric Dreams' on the BBC. The programme explores how the technological revolution of the 70s, 80s and 90s has changed Britain's homes and our lives.

Tonight's episode explored the technology of the 80s and very interesting. It was good to see the Amstrad, Sinclair and Commodore technologies mentioned in today's lecture being used and in action. It was great to see the format transitions of this era, such as records to CDs and Betamax to VHS.

It also brought home the fact that we take technology for granted so much in the modern day. As recently as 15-20 ago, modern technology was still in its early stages, difficult to use and expensive. Nowadays wide range of technology and information is freely and easily available to us.

I will be watching tomorrow's 90s episode with great interest to see and remember the technology I grew up with!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/electricdreams

Animation Lecture

The second half of today's lecture centred around the key points in the history of animation. Including early cave paintings and pottery suggesting and portraying movement, to early 1900s toys and games (thaumtropes, zoetropes). These toys quite sophisticated technology for their time and was the first time that animation and the persistence of vision were properly explored and experimented with.

We also saw short films from early filmakers such as J. Stuart Blackton's 1906 film 'Humorous Phases of Funny Faces'. This film features Blackton drawing funny faces onto a blackboard and bringing them to life.

We then looked at the work of John Lasseter and Pixar on films such as Luxo Jr. and Toy Story. Lasseter is a well known figure in the world of animation and is both the Chief Creative Officer at Pixar and the Principal Creative Advisor at Walt Disney Imagineering. I found this very interesting as I'm a fan of all Pixar works.

After the talk about early parlour toys such as zoetropes, I remembered the Pixar zoetrope I'd seen on the Toy Story DVD. This zoetrope actually uses sculptures rather than drawings, and the illusion of movement is created using a strobe light rather than slit holes.



This zoetrope was inspired by a similar model made by Studio Ghibli, which I couldn't find a video of :(

Media Lecture

The Information Revolution

Today's lecture was about the growth and development of interactive and electronic media and the modern internet.

We learned how the concepts and ideas behind these technologies have existed much longer than the technologies themselves, e.g. interactive TV, GUI (graphic user interface) and the computer mouse. The computer mouse was picked up by Apple Computers when they developed GUI.

The internet started as a US military system called ARPAnet (Advanced Research Project Agency Network). By the late 1970s, consumers had a wide choice of computer systems from various companies who were developing the technology, which eventually made computers affordable. These companies included Sinclair, IBM, Commodore, Atari and Acorn.

In the 1980s, technologies such as overhead and slide projectors and film and data projectors were still required. But this decade saw the start of a revolution that would see the development of gaming, image manipulation, sound and word processing technologies. By this time, computer technology was more developed, more wide spread and more affordable. Due mainly to companies such as Amstrad and Apple.

In the 90s, advanced technologies such as large data storage, Wi-Fi and multimedia arrived. This means computers were able to do much more than before. Large data storage formats such as DVDs allowed the integration of text, still images, audio and video, all of which the user could interact with.

The World Wide Web was then launched in 1992. Using a dial-up line connected to a modem, people were able to search a vast amount of information using a basic browser.

By early 2000, the internet as we know it today began to emerge. Including play back and streaming video clips, TV movies and Broadband.

As we move forward into the future, developers are pushing the boundaries of technology. 30-40 years ago, we could never have imagined exactly what technology would be available today. Who knows what will be developed in the next decade or two.

Wednesday 7 April 2010

Formats of the Beast...

As I'm thinking of including music in my essay piece - particularly Heavy Metal and Iron Maiden - I decided to take a look at the variety of formats music is released in the modern day. I chose to look at Iron Maiden's "Flight 666" release for examples of this.

CD (Compact Disc): CDs have been commercially available since October 1982. In 2010, they remain the standard physical storage medium for audio.

LP (Long Playing) record album: They were first introduced in 1948, and served as a primary release format for recorded music until the compact disc began to significantly displace them by beginning of 1988. As of 2006, a renewed interest in vinyl has occurred and the demand for the medium has been on a steady increase yearly in niche markets. The long-playing record is an analog format.

DVD (Digital Versatile Disc): An optical disc storage media format, and was invented and developed by Sony, and Philips in 1995. It's main uses are video and data storage. DVDs are of the same dimensions as CDs, but store more than six times as much data.

BluRay Disc: An optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the standard DVD format. Its main uses are for storing high-definition video, PlayStation 3 video games and other data. During the format war over high-definition optical discs, Blu-ray competed with the HD DVD format. Toshiba, the main company supporting HD DVD, conceded in February 2008, and the format war ended. Blu-ray Disc was developed by the Blu-ray Disc Association and of June 2009, more than 1,500 Blu-ray disc titles are available in Australia and the United Kingdom, with 2,500 in Japan, the United States and Canada.


Personally, I own and collect CDs, DVDs and LPs (mostly due to collecting Maiden), but have not "progressed" from DVD to BluRay as yet due to the price of BluRay players and the discs themselves. There also seems to be no sign of BluRay replacing DVD completely as yet as DVDs are still popular, released and widely available.

When I'm writing about music and what part it has to play in my life in my essay, I will talk about the different formats in my collections and how and when they were introduced in the music industry's history and how bands like Iron Maiden (who have been active for 30 years) have kept up with the new and evolving formats.

Finn-ger.

The article about the robotic arm reminded me of a story from a while back in which a Finnish computer programmer had his lost finger replaced with a USB drive!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/5005118/Computer-programmer-from-Finland-has-lost-finger-replaced-with-USB-drive.html

I'm not sure it's something I'd consider myself haha... I'd get a little squeamish over it... But it's a fun idea and it'd be great to see other people doing similar things with other tools... maybe one for each finger... hmm...

I, Robot...

I've always had an interest in robotic technology so wanted to look at and post a few more!

This is interesting. A robot ascending a cable whilst being powered remotely via a laser.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8344670.stm

Also fascinating, a robot arm that can not only touch, but 'feel'.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8313037.stm

... and I love this Japanese little 'entertainer' robot!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8329860.stm

Wondering how much gets spent on the 'fun' robots compared to the useful ones... haha.

Mad Technology!

Just having a browse through the news section on the BBC site and came across this story about a new towel-folding robot!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8607538.stm

I'm sure it's a great breakthrough in robotics... but, I'm not impressed! It's a bit on the slow side...


This little guy on the other hand is a lot more fun!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8383992.stm

Tuesday 6 April 2010

Day Out In Wolvo...

Due to work commitments, I could not visit Wolverhampton Gallery before the 'Life' interactive exhibit ended. But me and my girlfriend decided to visit the gallery during the Easter break anyway.

This exhibit is a small space enclosed by prison doors. You can only view the piece by looking through panels and holes in the doors. Inside are glass 'tears' suspended in the centre of the doors which are coated blood red. I very much liked the idea of art exhibited in this way.


This sculpture is made completely from hangers! I love the idea of creating something out of a strange media or things that wouldn't usually be considered.


These pieces are part of the room where you're encouraged to touch and feel the exhibits. I don't like the look and the feel of the untreated felt material the horse is made from at all! Feels very strange.

The mouth piece is in reference to the work of Francis Bacon and definately reflects his strange and warped work.



Next week I plan to visit Birmingham again. So I will try and find something worth checking out before then too!


Photos: Alice Durose (http://www.blogger.com/profile/06646507037014349279)