Over on O'Reilly's Emerging Telephony blog, 3D audio developer Keith Weiner describes what happened when select Second Life players got hold of his positional audio technology: They used it to perform live music for each other. I've been involved in developing this technology for almost 10 years. I know intimately its architecture and components. I worked through the process of...

Grant Richter of modular synthesizer manufacturer Wiard has called for the module-buying public to become less conservative about the kind of front panel material used. "If the public could change their perception of how a synthesizer module must be constructed, we could have a renaisance unlike anything in the past. The single most expensive component in a synthesizer is the...

Via Tim O'Reilly's blog I come across San Francisco Chronicle publisher Phil Bronstein, predicting layoffs and saying the news business "is broken, and no one knows how to fix it... And if any other paper says they do, they're lying." Meanwhile, according to a Zogby Poll I find in the Financial Times, "Newspaper editors are overwhelmingly optimistic about their businesses,...

YouTube has just launched its new TestTube site, which allows you to test out beta features that haven't been fully deployed. One of these new features is "Replace Audio", allowing you to sub out the audio track of your YouTube video with a licensed track. Here's how to do it:...

Most synthesizer module circuits have much of their real estate occupied by a few common functions: Power supply regulation and decoupling components Input buffers, using op-amps, perhaps with AC coupling components Output buffers, using op-amps Signal converters: dozens of kinds of voltage-controlled resistor-ish functions (for example, using transconductance amplifiers, diode or transistor configurations, vactrols, etc.), and voltage to current converters...

So CS3 is official, and the first thing anyone familiar with Photoshop is going to notice is that the interface has changed with this version. Our own Deke McClelland, of Photoshop One-on-One fame, has graciously stopped by with some interface wisdom to help you get your bearings. For the full Deke experience, be sure to pick up your copy of...

In case you hadn't heard, Starbucks launched its own record label about 10 days ago; it will be an extension of their Hear Music brand. The first artist they've announced signing is Paul McCartney (for a one album deal distributed both through Starbucks and through regular retail channels). This move towards creating their own label wasn't particularly a surprise to...

The Linux Audio Conference is in full swing until March 25th in Berlin. If you can't make it, you can view the streams during the program. As in previous years, the streams will be archived and made available after the conference.  There are also several IRC channels devoted to the conference (copied from their page) #lac2007 for general chitchat about...

One of the brilliant things about a TiVo is that it watches all that TV for me that I intended to watch but never got around to sitting down to view. (Some people call this the "TiNo" phenomenon.) It's very comforting to know that my PVR took the time to record those shows because it demonstrates what excellent intentions I...

The description in the press release for this gadget was so bizarre that I immediately requested photos. Can you guess what it is? Hint: The SRS button "creates a wide and full sound stage with deep rich bass and adds a definition control for realistic clarity and significantly enhanced sound quality." Hint 2: Here's another photo, showing accessories:...