A New Addition to the Online Social Experience

A few weeks ago, I was introduced to an idea about our online interactions that is relevant to each one of us, but is something that is so “everyday”, and such a common occurrence in our day-to-day digital experiences, that we don’t consciously acknowledge it. That idea, or theory, is that when we write an e-mail, “like” a photo on Facebook, reply to a Tweet, share a YouTube video, or Re-Blog a writing from WordPress, we’re contributing to a living, growing media ecosystem. We’ve all used the aforementioned media creation tools or at least something similar, but are we ready for another one on our hands? Don’t swear anything off just yet, because Evan Williams and Biz Stone (the guys behind Twitter) announced their new site will open to the public in early 2013.

Medium’s Homepage – Still under construction

Their new site is called Medium, and upon initially reading the description, it comes off very similar to that of WordPress. But Medium is more than that. Williams describes Medium as a “collaborative publishing platform”, and despite its singular title, will feature multimedia content from blogs and texts to photos and videos. Williams believes the future of digital media consumption will come through social networks and platforms, as opposed to individual websites.

What separates Medium from its various social media sharing counterparts such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and the like is that Medium’s homepage will yield the top content across the site at the top of the page, and the less popular content at the bottom of the page. Think of Google’s search result list – Most popular sites at the top, with the less popular sites at the bottom of the site.

Medium still has a few months to finalize the site, but in the meantime, it will be exciting to see if Medium releases a tablet and mobile application to accompany the release of the site. With more and more people contributing to the media ecosystem from mobile and tablet devices, Medium may have a better chance at initially capturing a larger audience.

More Maps: Developer hacks Google maps onto iOS 6 as Apple rumored to be poaching Google Maps folks

Personally, I haven’t had any issues so far with iOS 6 Maps.

The Tracklist Vol. 2

It’s been quite a while since my last post about some good tunes! Days have been busy the past few weeks, and I have been trying to mentally compile the three songs I’d like to write about as I go through the weeks. So, let’s begin.

1. “Intro (Feat. Zola Jesus)” – M83

The first track off M83’s critically acclaimed album of 2011, “Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming” sets the bar high for the remaining 21 tracks of the musically massive (under 80 minutes in length) album. “Intro” features these ambient electronics reminiscent of cuts from Radiohead’s “Kid A”, a haunting voice-over that belongs in the trailer for a documentary about space, and sweeping vocals which rival those of Sigur Ros’ frontman Jonsi Birgisson. I find myself repeatedly beginning the day with “Intro”, for it conjures this mental imagery of the sun rising (or binary sunsets) over some magnificent landscape (Preferably not the Muncie Liquors down the street).

 

2. “Pour Your Love (Feat. Marlene)” – Benga

U.K. Dubstep artist, Benga (born Adegbenga Adejumo) has accomplished so much at the tender age of 25. Known for his minimalistic approach to electronic music, he made a name for himself in the U.K.’s underground dubstep scene before teaming up with fellow U.K. producers, Skream and Artwork to form Magnetic Man. Released earlier this year, “Pour Your Love” combines smooth vocals and subtle   bass for a very laid back tune. “Pour Your Love” is a breath of fresh air for the dubstep scene, which often gets criticism for being overtly aggressive and abrasive to the senses… That doesn’t have to be a bad thing, though…

Side-note: Pretty cool video too.

 

3. “Internet Killed the Video Star” – The Limousines

I couldn’t tell you where I first heard this song. All I know is that I’ve had the chorus stuck in my head for the past year, and have never pursued looking it up online until I heard it again earlier this month. To me, The Limousines will only be known for this song. They’re just one of those bands (Again, to me) that could put out six more albums, and I would never know. “Internet Killed the Video Star” is a successful blend of feel-good pop and nostalgia that I think I could use a little bit more of in my music library. Go ahead and give the song a listen, and I dare you to go about your day without this chorus playing repetitively in the back of your head.

Video Blog #1 – Chapters 3&4 of “Mediactive”

Information Overflow: Still Relevant!

A short reflection on the first few chapters of Dan Gillmor’s “Mediactive”, originally written for ICOM 210: Introduction to Social Media.

The Tracklist Vol.1

My music library has been growing stale and I’ve been forced to search deeper and deeper for tunes to listen to on these 20 minute walks to school (17 minutes, if I’m really moving). I want to  get in the habit of writing about music, and sharing my musical discoveries and current favorites seems like appropriate practice. I think three tunes is a good number as any to start with in this piece.

1. “Get On The Road” – Tired Pony

I first heard this song in the closing credits of the penultimate episode of season 2 of HBO’s “Shameless”. “Get On The Road” is one of those songs you make an instant connection with. You remember exactly where and when you first heard it. The haunting lyrics coupled with such  a mournful delivery makes it a track that’s tough to forget after you hear it. Consisting of members from Snow Patrol, Belle & Sebastian, and R.E.M., Tired Pony’s “Get On The Road” comes from their debut album, “The Place We Ran From” (2010). While I normally don’t get to deep in the country genre, this song has a well-blended combination of folk/rock that make it worth adding to the personal music library.

2. “SW4” – Eric Prydz

Swedish DJ, Eric Prydz, released his debut full-length, “Eric Prydz Presents Pryda”, earlier in May 2012, after complications with former record label, Ministry of Sound. I was able to catch Prydz at this year’s inaugural Wavefront Festival on Montrose Beach, and while he certainly did not disappoint, that’s a story for another time. “SW4” has the right amount of build-up before really laying it on you, with hard-hitting 808s backing fuzzy electronics. “Pryda” was easily one of my favorite dance recordings of 2012, and definitely merits further attention in a separate post.

3. “Any Which Way” – Scissor Sisters

The electronica/funk/dance genre is a genre of music that I could get behind any time of the day, any day of the week. Personally, I’m shocked that it’s taken me this long to discover Scissor Sisters, seeing that they’ve been making music since 2004. Off their 2010 album “Night Work”, “Any Which Way” features a kicking bass line, synth-laden verses, all culminating into one of the catchiest choruses I’ve heard in a long time. Seriously, this chorus will be in your head the rest of the day. It’s far from being a bad thing, though.

That’s all for this installment of “The Tracklist”… Which, may not be the final name of this series. Until next time, though, share what you’ve been listening to so I can add to my collection!