Video Distraction: Secret of the Stars

Symphony of Science - Secret of the Stars by melodysheep

Melodysheep continues his “Symphony of Science” series with “Secret of the Stars”

Video Distraction: The Earth

The Earth - Music by Sketch by Michael Konig

Great Video by Michael Konig for Sketch made entirely from stills taken by various satellites.

Music: The Face of Creation

"The Face of Creation" - Higgs remix by MelodySheep

Video Distraction: Mech Bass

MechBass

Via: Hack A Day

James McVay put together this automated bass player for an engineering honors project at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. Watch it play the Muse song "Hysteria."

Humor: Look at this Instagram

Look at this Instagram (Nickelback Parody)

Music: Our Biggest Challenge

Symphony of Science - Our Biggest Challenge

The latest Symphony of Science video is out, and it's all about climate change and global warming. This latest video, created by musician/producer John D Boswell, the is everything we've come to expect from the series: auto-tuned, quirky, catchy and loaded with great footage and audio of icons from both science and science fiction.

"A musical investigation into the causes and effects of global climate change and our opportunities to use science to offset it. Featuring Bill Nye, David Attenborough, Richard Alley and Isaac Asimov. "Our Biggest Challenge" is the 16th episode of the Symphony of Science series by melodysheep."

Music: Clean The Fan

"Clean The Fan" by Jayme Gutierrez

Music: Song of the Higgs Boson

You may know that the Higgs Boson has been found, and you may even know what that means, but do you know what the Higgs Boson sounds like? Well now you can listen to it in person, thanks to Domenico Vicinanza, who has converted the ATLAS data on the new particle into music. The tune is surprisingly soothing, although it clearly wasn't composed by a musician.

Video Distraction: Gates vs Jobs Rap Battle

Epic Rap Battles of History: Steve Jobs vs Bill Gates

Video Distraction: Chemin Vert

"Chemin Vert" by Giacomo Miceli 

Official video for "Chemin Vert" of electronic musician A Ghost Train. The video was made using panoramic frames from Google Street View from different parts of the world mapped as stereographic projections. If you have a fast computer with a powerful graphic card, make sure to try also the immersive, interactive version.

In this fascinating short video titled, Rome-based artist Giacomo Miceli takes you on a fascinating road trip through a warped version of Earth known as a polargraphic projection, that spans five continents and four seasons using footage extracted from Google Street View. Via Miceli’s website:

Chemin Vert is the result of a slow process of maturation spanning a few years. Different techniques were employed in the beginning, involving long trips on the road across Europe while shooting time lapse videos on the go. Back then the scope of the project was substantially different, concentrating more on the augmentation (as in augmented-reality) of landscapes. At a certain point the accent was moved on the aesthetic qualities of the landscapes themselves and on the immersive factor. In the final version of Chemin Vert the original footage comes from Google Street View, without which this project wouldn’t have been possible.

Video Distraction: Massive Musical Tesla Coils

Last Sunday at the Bay Area Maker Faire, Adam Savage of Mythbusters rocked out out inside a faraday cage to ArcAttack’s massive musical tesla coils.

Crafts: “Digital Enhancement”

“Digital Enhancement” is an antique Symphonion music box that has been converted into a MIDI sequencer (video). The music from its steel music discs are converted by the sequencer into MIDI, which then plays through a synthesizer that is programmed to sound like a Symphonion. “Digital Enhancement” was created by Swiss artist Martin Bircher. We previously wrote about Bircher’s wonderful “Type Case”, a typographer’s case that was converted into an LED display.

“Digital Enhancement” is an interactive sound installation consisting of an electrified Symphonion Brevet No. 28, a synthesizer, an amplifier and four headphones. The Symphonion musical box dates back to the beginning of the last century and its mechanical workings are combined with digital technology to convert it into a MIDI sequencer. The original music, embossed on steel plates, can be played on the synthesizer, which is programmed to mimic the sounds of the Symphonion. In order to operate the sequencer, a hand-cranked dynamo serves as a remote control.

Video Distraction: Dueling Banjos on Tesla Coils

Two Tesla coils perform a rousing rendition of "Dueling Banjos" in this 2010 video by FONentertainment. Be sure to watch past the one minute mark for maximum dueling.

Tech Links: New Rdio

New Rdio is a visually beautiful and dynamic way to play Rdio’s massive catalogue of 15 million songs. New features include the oft requested drag and drop playlist creation, a more personalized Heavy Rotation, and private playlists.

The completely redesigned new Rdio is available on Rdio.com and the Rdio desktop apps to all Web and Unlimited subscribers. Switch on new Rdio from the drop down menu under your name and “Try New Rdio.”

Net: Spotify on the future of streaming music

Spotify on the future of streaming music: 'We want to cannibalize piracy':

Today's the transition day between SXSW Interactive and the start of the much larger and arguably more interesting SXSW Music festival, so it's only fitting that Spotify, Rdio, and turntable.fm all held events and keynotes this morning. But while Rdio launched a total redesign and turntable.fm announced a series of major label deals, Spotify's chief content officer Ken Parks instead held a thoughtful panel called "The Future of Music" with Billboard editorial director Bill Werde and Disturbed singer David Draiman. The contrast was stark: while Rdio is in the middle of a full-on competitive reinvention and turntable.fm is just signing the paperwork that enables its business, Spotify is talking about nothing less than saving the music industry from itself. "We've taken millions of people used to stealing music and gotten them to pay more than their fair share," Parks said in an interview after the panel. "By historical standards, someone spending $120 a year is spending a lot of money on music."

And make no mistake — the total amount of money is enormous. Parks told the room that Spotify now has some 10 million monthly active users, of which some three million pay for premium subscriptions, and that the company has already paid out some $250 million to rightsholders. "By the millions there were dedicated pirates who now don't see a reason to pirate," because of Spotify, he said. "Before Spotify there was no market in places like Sweden."

Of course, the biggest issue for streaming services right now is buy-in from artists unhappy with minuscule per-stream royalty rates estimated to be just a fiftieth of per-download rates, but Parks and Draiman repeatedly called such comparisons "asinine." "What should matter is how many people are being monetized and the rate of that monetization," said Parks, with Draiman saying artists obsessed with per-stream rates are "cutting off their nose to spite their face." Parks was even more blunt after the panel, saying that artists "trying to put the genie back in the bottle" by holding out on streaming services are "on the wrong side of history and technology and progress."

Source: The Verge

News: Hackers Steal Archive of Jackson Tracks

Hackers Allegedly Steal Sony’s Archive Of 50k+ Michael Jackson Tracks:

Hackers reportedly illegally downloaded over Michael Jackson’s entire back catalog, consisting of 50,000 tracks, many never released. Sony purchased the catalog from Jackson’s estate for $250 (£157.51) million last year. W.E.N.N. reports, “The attack was discovered weeks after hackers targeted Sony’s PlayStation Network in April, but was only confirmed by a Sony Music representative on Saturday.The UK’s Daily Star reports, "Record bosses only discovered the theft of 50,000 music files when a worker saw Jackson fans chatting about it on forums."

Source: PaidContent

Music: The Greatest Show on Earth

The latest Symphony of Science masterpiece is a musical celebration of the wonders of biology, particularly evolution and natural selection. “The The "Greatest Show on Earth" is the 13th video in the Symphony of Science videos series. It features David Attenborough, Richard Dawkins, and Bill Nye in video clips from: Richard Dawkins’ “There is grandeur in this view of life” speech, BBC Life, BBC Planet Earth, David Attenborough’s First Life, Charles Darwin and the Tree of Life, and the Bill Nye Evolution episode.

Music: Subway Jam Session

What you are about to watch is a true New York experience. What originally started out as a typical NYC subway ride turned into an awesome performance by two people who have never met before.  Jessica Latshaw and her ukulele encounter a gentleman with bongos on an NYC subway ride and start jamming together. The fellow commuters seem to enjoy it.

Music: Sugar Plum Fairy

Tchaikovsky’s Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy played on a Glass Harp

The Glass Duo, Festiwalu Muzyki Kameralnej and Bazylice Santo Stefano, recorded this video at the Chamber Music Festival in Bologna, Italy in June 2010.

Video Distraction: Hotel Worker Quits in Style

Fed up with the working conditions at the Providence, Rhode Island Renaissance Providence hotel where he worked, Joey tendered his resignation by telling his boss in person that he quit assisted with the accompaniment of the What Cheer? Brigade marching band.

Source: Reddit