All this hardware and cable clutter
is now much ‘less’ for many |
New York -
Again When Steel Talks found itself at two technology expos. This time we
were in New York in the Jacob Javits Center for the Web 2.0 Expo and the
Interop Expo. As we have said before, technology impacts on every aspect of our
lives whether you choose to participate or not. Anything you do not know, you will
pay for - dearly. So, in this regard, When Steel Talks (WST) simply has no intention
of letting the folks on the WST network fall off the wagon, bring up the rear
or join the “not ready for prime time players steel orchestra.”
What we saw at the Web 2.0 Expo will have
immediate and far reaching impact, with
even greater implications in the future. All of the technologies showcased are available right now,
and being implemented and used by
leading companies and organizations all over the world.
Web 2.0 is based on the principle that less is more - the power of less. The
objective is to provide the user with a greater experience on the web by providing
less clutter and confusion. Web 2.0 is not really a change in codes or
standards, as it is more a change in attitude and approach on how the internet can best
serve the users.
Moreover, with Web 2.0 the user is no longer just
retrieving data and information - he or she is now having an interactive
relationship through the applications executed solely through the computer
browser.
With lots of products and information - there
were a few that stood out for WST, as having potential for the steelpan music
industry and franchises. These were products that we believe will increase your
productivity - enhance your creativity, and/or are capable of protecting your genius.
In addition, and most
importantly they can increase your
earning power and marketability.
LifeSize
LifeSize across the way |
Moving across the exhibit floor checking the different presentations and
products I noticed four people seated, spanning three HD monitors, facing us in one
particular booth that was located about 25 to 30 feet away. I could have sworn
the eyes of the people on the monitor were following us - or so I believed.
“Nah,” I
said to myself, “that can’t be happening.” Then I saw what I believed was
the wave of a hand by one of them, to us. I asked the other WST colleague with me -
“can they
see us?” She said, emphatically “no - that’s just folks on a screen
- (like TV images).” As we were
about to move off, not totally convinced and to make sure there was not a ‘ghost
in the machine,’ I raised two fingers while looking directly at the man in the
middle. To my surprise he raised two fingers. I turned to my colleague and asked
- did you see that? She in turn was still not totally convinced - so I raised three
fingers - and the man raised three fingers and waved for us to come into the booth
area.
LifeSize staff in Texas,
interacting live at Jacob Javits |
Not only could he and his three colleagues see us
- they could hear us and talk
back to us as well, in real time with crystal clear CD audio and HD video. Furthermore, they were interacting with us at the Jacob Javits Center in New
York from their home base in Texas, USA.
Now here is the catch: this was all being done over an internet line with
a very affordable, easy-to-use HD video communication system. No
dedicated, super bandwidth connection necessary, and no ultra expensive video
technology in play. The company’s name is
LifeSize.
Imagine the great Len “Boogsie” Sharpe, champion arranger for the famed Phase
Two Pan Groove conducting an intense panorama practice on a hot Summer night with New
York’s Moods Pan Groove at their Brooklyn panyard. Mr. Sharpe is giving new
music tonight and is viewing and listening to every nuance of the players’
performance. All of a sudden, the master arranger taps the side of the pan, brings the orchestra to a halt, and yells out to a player in the back on a four-pan
- by name - and says “your phrasing is wrong - who showed you that?” The
slightly embarrassed player is relieved when he looks up and sees that Boogsie is
looking at him with a big smile. Everyone laughs and the orchestra begins again. Well,
ordinarily, this would be the normal course of the practice. However there is one
thing different here - Boogsie is not in New York, he is in Phase Two’s pan yard
back in his native Trinidad and Tobago, and conducting Moods Pan Groove’s
panorama practice in their Brooklyn, New York panyard, real time - via LifeSize’s technology.
WST gives this flexible, affordable, easy-to-use HD video communications system
two thumbs up. You will get true HD video quality - 720p30 - at only 1Mbps over
any internet connection. The possibilities for education and income
opportunities for the steelpan community - locally, nationally and
internationally - through this technology,
are mind-boggling.
This ability has been around and used in corporate and industry
environments for years but in a nutshell, the crucial difference - is its
availability in HD, with CD quality audio (so you won’t miss a
thing - think Skype on steroids!) - and in turn these formats’
accessibility, affordability and understandability - for the ordinary
consumer, and more compact business enterprises.
Opera
Thomas Ford of Opera |
One of the other technologies WST found intriguing was the Opera Software booth.
Opera Software develops the Opera
web browser, a high-quality, multi-platform
product for a wide range of platforms, operating systems and embedded Internet
products - including Mac, PC and Linux computers, mobile phones and PDAs, game
consoles, and other devices like the Nintendo Wii, DS, Sony Mylo, and more.
At the booth they were dedicated to showcasing the Opera 10.10 browser for
consumers and mobile devices like smart phones and
BlackBerrys. Opera has been
one of the first companies to totally promote all the aspects of Web 2.0 from its
inception. They believe in a complete and enjoyable experience for the user on
the internet through their browser on any device - and are totally browsers-based. Mr. Thomas Ford of Opera took time
to demonstrate for WST many of the features and details of
Opera.
In addition Mr. Ford said Web 2.0 was both proof and vindication of what
their company had already forecast from its inception - the web itself had now indeed
won out as the platform - with many applications
now being web-based and interactive. In other words, everything is
occurring in your web browser - “one widget across all
platforms” according to Ford.
|
PanOnTheNet via the Opera browser |
I have been using the browser for a few days now. It is excellent. Everything is
moving so much faster than Internet Explorer and Firefox. The frustration look
has left my face. Maybe this was the way the internet experience was really
meant to be. Pages are loading quite quickly. Hopefully, I will still
be happy two weeks from now. Hey, but for the moment, everything is copasetic. The
greatest compliment one can give a browser is that of “I don’t realize it’s there!” Loading pages, looking at videos, surfing doing my work without the browser
getting in the way. Moreover, features on PanOnTheNet seem to be working
within the Opera 10.10 browser with no
problems.
Opera is a free download that everyone can have. Like we said earlier it works
on the Windows, Mac and Linux platforms. WST has not tested Opera on any mobile
devices yet, but as soon as we do, we will let you in on the 411. We are
one
second away from sending the order to our engineers to optimize our site for
Opera. When Steel Talks and Opera 10.10 seem to be a match made in web heaven. Check
it out. You have nothing to lose but your internet woes.
Darby & Darby
Stephen W. Underwood |
One of the other presenters we met at the expo
that impressed us was the law
firm of Darby & Darby,
P.C. They specialize in intellectual property and Technology
Law, with over 110 years in the business. Patents, trademarks and copyrights have all gone through a series of changes and
challenges like no time ever before because of the internet. Regardless on
which side of the fence you sit, the need for proper representation for
creations has never been more important. Representing Darby and Darby were
attorneys Jamie L. Wiegand and Stephen W. Underwood, with several business
offices including one in New York. Let’s face it
- the
rules are changing as we speak because of the advancements in technology. You
must have someone who is up on its [technology] evolution for legal representation and
protection for the fruits of your creativity.
Jive Social Business Software
There were of course lots of social network web applications. Jive presented us
with a full package. What Ning and Facebook are to individuals users -
Jive Social
Business Software (SBS) is to businesses. Very, very powerful stuff.
Imagine steelpan organizations, groups, schools, businesses and associations being
able to collaborate, and learn from each other across the globe at the drop of a
dime with the ability to easily manipulate rich text media - video, audio,
graphics, animations and the like.
It would take much more time and space than we have to get into the details of
the software - it is beyond the directive of this article; but let it suffice to say
that SBS illustrates how business strategies, marketing and planning will
take place in the future. Why? Because you just would not be able to compete with
other businesses that have gone down this road. The power of a collaborative SBS
enabling businesses to strengthen their brands while providing the means to
implement a unified social marketing strategy is awesome. Jive was
conceived with the web in mind: the power of the internet at your fingertips -as
opposed to independent software programs which are machine-based. Moreover it transforms how you work and address the marketplace.
Here are a few things we liked about Jive SBS:
-
You can view and comment on Microsoft
Office documents without ever opening them
-
You can stay connected with your group through Jive Mobile allowing your IPhone
or BlackBerry to interface with the ‘hive’
-
Jive SBS facilitates enterprise collaboration and communication.
There is a vast number of other things that deserve mention and attention,
for example - cloud computing is
here to stay. Microsoft featured its recently-released Windows 7 platform, Sliverlight and Microsoft Expression package.
Riverbed
Riverbed |
Riverbed’s motto is ‘think fast’ -
technologies which speed up performance across the web so that you are essentially
using a WAN (wide area network) to get LAN - (local area network) like performances.
Riverbed demonstrated how
their software
could speed the transfer of files on the internet - up to 30X - to increase
performance across the WAN. This results in millions of dollars saved per year,
a 60–95% cut in bandwidth usage - and significantly reduces IT cost.
WISP-Router
Scott Long, WISP-Router |
WISP-Router, Inc. is responsible for and
supplies base and peripheral hardware which allows for ISP setups - WiFi
access points - within a select contained area, where there would not
ordinarily be internet access. This provides countless possibilities and
solutions for remote locations - in business, education,
entertainment and related applications.
Ironically, it was only this past weekend when there was a clear
demonstration of Web 2.0 in action in its true spirit. Northern Illinois
University (NIU) Steelband gave their Fall concert. It was broadcast via
an interactive platform that, at its simplest level of operation, calls only for
a video camera (camcorder, or even a cell phone!) and an internet connection -
to reach and interact with a global audience in a matter of minutes. And
additionally, via a social widget - the Live Stream Box - Panfolks/viewers from
all over the world were able to share their thoughts and make comments on the
NIU concert in real time.
With Web 2.0 the future is now.
Leave a comment on
WST network
When Steel Talks...
Everyone Listens!!
Get your WST Tee
shirt now!
Click to
order
Follow
When Steel Talks on
|