TwentyFortyOne Blog » technology

LOCAL COMPANY MAKES N.Y.T. TECH BLOG

Brian Baldwin — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 22:40:38 +0000

A local software company, Jive Software, is making big news in the tech industry. To be honest, I only really know of these guys because I play soccer with 3 dudes who work there, but from what I hear it’s a pretty rad company. Well done fellas!

Live Streaming 360 Degree Video NAB 2009

Brian Baldwin — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 00:00:42 +0000

The TV, film and video industry is one of the most technologically competitive markets out there, so it’s no surprise that the 2009 NAB Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center has been the talk of the tech blogosphere lately. I was lucky enough to get the chance to go to LV for the 2007 SEMA Auto Show (similar in proportion, only it’s for the auto industry instead of the TV, film and video). There is nothing like being in a convention center the size of Boeing (…not really…) that is fill with more lights than Tokyo, and more gadgets than Fry’s! It’s a tech heads dream. NAB has become the industry standard location for product launches, updates and fresh ideas.

Most media hardware and software companies believe that the evolution of video is resolution and speed, which is why I think that the SE Portland based company, Immersive Media is doing something right! Not only do they have a camera that shoots 360 degrees x 360 degrees, they’ve also figured out a way to stream the data LIVE(!!1!) from anywhere! I truly feel that their hardware/software is an industry revolution, not evolution (as keynote speech as that sounds…).

The video above and the photos below are examples of the media streaming from a camera setup in Texas and at the NAB Show, and how the viewer would navigate through the video stream. This technology has ENDLESS applications, and will only continue to explore the possibilities.

My iPwn – This Ones For The Haters

Brian Baldwin — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 21:20:21 +0000

I, as many are, am extremely loyal to the Apple brand. And I, as many were, was skeptical of the iPhone when it first came out. This is coming from a first gen iPod owner (which still works!) so you know it came with good reason. Now before the Apple faithful start chyming in, let me explain myself a little before the barrage starts.

Companies had been getting away with making shitty cell phones for ages before the iPhone dropped. I mean, we’re talking TERRIBLE phones! And it’s not that the technology didn’t exist, it’s just that they knew that they’d be able to continually update their hardware and release new “cutting edge” replacements to their predecessors with welcome praise from the marketplace. Queue the iPhone. Entirely touch screen, swipe – pinch – multi touch, 8 gigz of storage, full web browser(!)…. After seeing the iphone first hand at MacWorld in San Francisco, I thought, “There is no way that that little device is going to survive a SINGLE drop!” So after seeing it and reading about it, I still doubted it.

Because I believe in the Apple brand and product I knew I’d eventually get one, but I wanted to make sure that the suckers got swindled first before I jumped on. And boy did they! To think that the first people to buy an iPhone paid $600 for a devise that wouldn’t even let you create your own ringtones….? However, once the price came down and hacks came out I fell faster than a dress on prom night!

I’ve decided to post pictures of my iPhone to show the haters that there are virtually no excuses left as to why iPhones are a bad idea. This phone has been dropped, kicked, scratched, crunched, submerged, and cracked, and still works! Aside from 3G being a punter of a network, the reign of iPwn’s will live long and strong!

P.S. This is what my phone sounds like when it vibrates…. It sounds like a hooptie with a sub in the trunk, and every time the bass hits the license plate rattles. I have no idea what’s causing it, but I think it might be because the casing is super loose?….

Send me pics of your iPhone’s battle wounds and I’ll post an homage blog with all the pics in there!

UPDATE: So I just opened my camera to take a pic of my puppy all passed out on the floor when I noticed that my camera was somehow in ‘disco’ mode… I can’t say for sure, but I think I might posses the ‘closest-to-busted-without-being-broken’ iPhone around! Make me a case study Apple!

UPDATE: NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! It finally happened…. *Cue “Taps”* My iphone finally bit the dust, but I must say it went in peace. After a regular day of use and abuse I set it down on my desk after sending a text, and then…. *robot power down noise* It just went blank. I think a proper viking burial is in order, it’s the least I can do for it after all that it’s done for me!

This clip is exactly how I felt when it happened…

UPDATE: Great news, I replace my old iPhone 1 with an iPhone 4!…. Then this happened before I could get the free case.

No matter, it still works so no big deal, right? Well, then this happened…

So now my awesome iPhone 4 looks more like “John Connor / Skynet” Edition. I’ll get it figured out one of these days.

Light meets music meets video

Brian Baldwin — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 20:33:31 +0000

I’ve really got to hand it to these guys. they made light-sensitive audio that can not only change the volume but the pitch as well. Above that, the audio drives the video screens which act as volume displays! Ridiculous. This is the ultimate fusion of performance and art.

The video is a little long and takes a while to get into the good stuff, but wait it out. It’s worth it!

Intel In(sui)side

Brian Baldwin — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 20:57:18 +0000

For the past two days I have been doing some on-site work at Intel out in Hillsboro. Don’t get your hopes up, I’m not working on the next Blue Man Group ad (or anything exciting like that). Anyway, when I found out that I was going to be working out there I got all excited about the idea of being inside the belly of the worlds largest chipset manufacturer in the world. I mean come on people! INTEL, RIGHT?!

Immediately after I walked in I realized why I’m not an engineer. Take the movies Office Space and The Matrix, and you’ve got Intel. It’s no wonder all of the work that comes out of here is stale, just look at the work conditions! I’ve also noticed that there are three types of conversations: 1) Conference calls; 2) Discussions about the meeting you were just in/headed to; 3) Uber Geek Speak.

The uniform:
20 year old Nike’s
Lee Jeans
Brown woven leather belt
Faded polo shirt
Indiglo watch
White socks

In hindsight though, I don’t really know what I expected. Just the thought of working at a place like “Intel” to me sounded kinda geek sheik, and Tron. I thought there’d be things like segways roaming the halls, GPS badges that tell you where you are, android assistants, and guys doing the robot in the lobby wearing clean suits. The one tree in the forest here though is the free coffee and soda… However that’s kind of the life blood of any LAN party, so it comes as no surprise.

Oh yeah, and this morning I almost destroyed my computer… The red square is where it was when the coffee spilled! I shouted the F word and snatched it up faster than Kit pinching the last dip… Sorry Kit…

UPDATE.
I just went to the cafeteria to get lunch and walked passed a table of hyper-nerds playing Uno! HAHAHAHAHA, this place is all-time! It’s like summer camp for geeks, only they get paid to be here!

First Post

Brian Baldwin — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 22:08:11 +0000

Ok so I’m a little late to the blog party, but in my opinion it’s fashionable. So to be fair, I’m just going to get right into what blogs are for…. RANTING.

I just got this fairly new looking D-Link router from my fiance’s parents, and I’m stoked! Oh how quick the excitement wears off… Originally I thought it was a Linksys router, which would have been great because I’ve been looking for a cheap replacement for my existing D-Link. I don’t have much experience with this whole router biz, but for me if it isn’t an Airport, I don’t deal with it. But for some time now I’ve been rollin with this shitty D-Link that was gifted to me, so I don’t complain.

When I got home last night expectations were high for my soon-to-be tits wi-fi connection, so I wanted to jump right in and set it up. Quick fix, right? It’s just a router, right? Before I knew it I had invested over an hour trying to get all of the “permissions” and “MAC addresses” right just so I could click “Connect” and watch my bars light up… Not so lucky.

In closing, I’ve heard some not-so-encouraging things about D-Link routers in general, so I think from now on I’ll just do my part to avoid them all together. So if someone wants to trade a Linksys or Airport for one, BRING IT!

P.S. Major thanks to my dear friend Ben Diggles for getting me all set with wordpress! Who knew that with iChat, and an afternoon of patience, I too could have a blog?..