End of an era

Sony will be discontinuing to manufacture the handheld tape recorders in 2013, but they still plan on selling boomboxes with CD/tape deck combos.  Convert that media now before it's too late.

How to Play DVDs on Windows 8

With the launch of Windows 8, you may have noticed you are no longer able to play DVDs. This is because Microsoft chose to remove free DVD playback from Windows due to licensing costs. Therefore, if you wish to play a DVD you must first upgrade to Windows 8 Pro using the Windows 8 Pro Pack. Once you are using Windows 8 Pro, install the Windows Media Center Pack. After installing the feature pack, you will be able to play DVDs in the Windows 8 Media Center. Other options for how to play DVDs on Windows 8 include installing a third-party DVD player or using a licensed DVD player.

Learn more at http://www.howtogeek.com/127774/how-to-play-dvds-on-windows-8/

Enjoy!

It goes "ding" when there's stuff.

Well, somewhat. Actually, it lights up. I'm referring to the blink(1), which technically is just an LED you plug into a USB port. But that's the beauty of it. When does it light up? Whenever you want it to. If you know how to make a program track it, you can make a blink(1) respond to it. To start they have a few demo applications, picking a color for it, making it flash to music, but it also includes a program that just tells a blink(1) "light up like this" as well as code for using it in Java and C. Already included is a program that will light up whenever a phrase is matched on Twitter, and the concept could be easily applied to something else, both with full programs and with little scripts. The blink(1) is available for preorder from ThingM here.

A Paper USB Drive

 

Well I think it's safe to say that this is the craziest, most out-of-the-world idea that I've ever seen.....so naturally I must blog about it. Intel has recently developed 'Intellipaper' which is a paper USB drive. The storage device is literally composed of only two things: paper and a silicon chip. Acting as a normal USB drive, Intel believes that people will eventually start attaching these to business cards, pamphlets, tickets, etc. Its seems that the possibilities for this kind of technology are endless. Maybe one day we will even have these hanging from our Student Multimedia Design Center posters instead of QR codes, who knows!

You can read more about the paper drive here: Intellipaper

Enlighten Me

We illuminate our lives every day with a variety of things: the sun, new knowledge, friendships, laughter, and, of course, light bulbs! No matter where you go, fluorescent and halogen bulbs glare down at you from the ceilings and the walls. Scientists have spent many years devising energy-efficient bulbs that are environment-friendly, and the search for a truly unique and viable light bulb is ever continuing.
               

Phil Bosua has invented such a light bulb, named “LIFX.” These LED light bulbs can be programmed for any color, dimmed as need, and come with a variety of effects. The fascinating thing about these bulbs is that they are controlled directly from your smart phone. External controllers are unnecessary, as LIFX simplifies things to make all of the features accessible in the palm of your hand. LIFX can also be programmed to match the beat of music being played in the room, and is a useful addition for anyone trying to turn any boring old room into a party just waiting to happen!

These bulbs have a life expectancy of about 40,000 hours, and can last for up to 25 years with average use. They are not on the market as of yet, but the project has received ten times the funding that it requires to get off the ground (http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/limemouse/lifx-the-light-bulb-reinvented). Predicted prices are $69 for one, $119 for two, $196 for four, $294 for six, $392 for eight and $490 for 10. Below are two links: the first of which is an article describing the product, and the second is the product’s website at which you can pre-order some of these fantastic new glowing orbs!

http://www.geekologie.com/2012/09/lifx-the-color-changable-wi-fi-enabled-2.php
http://www.lifx.co/

Tips for fixing PowerPoint "nightmares"

Here are some ways to avoid PowerPoint "nightmares" that could happen. Many of these problems arise when people are trying to use PowerPoint created on their own computer on another one. We've had audio issues before (#6). Some of these tips are good to know such as the formatting text around the image issue.

Photoshop CS6 Retina Support

When Apple introduced the new MacBook Pro with retina display last summer, they also promised a Photoshop that would be retina compatible to follow within the next couple months. However, we did not see a retina compatible Photoshop this fall. But there seems to be good news... the latest Adobe video shows a new MacBook Pro running Photoshop CS6. This video is advertising Adobe's Create Now Live event which is scheduled for December 11, 2012. We will just have to wait and see if the promised retina compatible Photoshop CS6 will be included in this announcement.

Here is Adobe's video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NaTV3FlCxQ