Technology, Music, and Student Life

Student Life - What? Why?

2009-05-20T14:16:00.004+10:00

Well, I think it is time for a more meaningful post. I have had quite a few random, albeit rather interesting, post thus far - so it is time to get something with a bit of substance out there. After all, is blogging not about the dissemination of ideas amongst like-minded people? It's all well and good to have a few interesting, quirky, cool posts, but now it's time for some intellectually sound discussion of life.

So where to start? I guess the main features of my life at the moment, as with most people, consist of; Uni, Work, Socializing.

But why? Uni has recently seemed to me to be a complete wast of time. As you may know, I am currently in the second year of my Journalism/PR double degree. However I feel like i have learnt almost nothing. What is it all for? I (sometimes) go to classes for my majors, and learn boring information which anyone with some level of educated nouse is already well aware of, and the only subjects in which I actually manage to increase my intellect are Nazi Germany and Alexander the Great - highly interesting topics, granted - but to be honest, the are completely useless. I mean who really cares if Alexander's marriage to Rhoxane was out of love or politics? My tutor apparently.

So then, onto work. At risk of sounding arrogant and self absorbed - I am good at what I do. Very good.

At Optus, I am one of the top salesmen, and now spend more time training others than actually working on the floor. To put it bluntly - I could sell shit to a toilet. And I’m good at teach others how to do the same.

Teaching drums, I get nothing but positive feedback from my students, and, more importantly, their parents. I am teaching at one of the best schools in the country, and have increasing faith shown in me by my head of department.

So why waste time at uni?

I have recently been seriously considering dropping the whole game, and opening my own teaching studio. I already have great credentials in the industry, and would be able to continue working almost full time while running the studio after hours - exactly when school students want lessons. I will never again have a disposable income like I do now (living at home), so why not do something meaningful with it and attempt to set up a business.

It all comes back to two words. Conventions, and Expectations.

I would argue that the reason 50% of students end up going to uni and then dropping out somewhere along the line is due to the fact that they only end up there in the first place because it is expected of them. It is convention to go to uni, and the most common perception people face is that you can only be successful in the modern world if you do so.

Nah. Screw that. Let's try something new!

The ultimate in beach Freak Outs; Forget fake dorsal fins!!!

2009-05-20T13:29:00.009+10:00

Time to take the old 'shark on the beach' prank a bit further! The new shark attack wet-suit from Diddo Custom Wet-suits is enough to freak out even the most seasoned surfer! I have no idea how this fits in with the 'TMLS' concept - but hey, its cool! A bit like students i guess... there we go... a link!! ;D

Check it out here:

"Call it funny, call it a bad prank, but whatever it is called the Diddo custom wetsuits, particularly the one riddled with shark bite marks are sure to garner a significant double take that will have surfers scattering and moms cringing with disgust. Using custom inks and unique printing techniques they’ve created 4 original designs: ‘a rusted iron diving suit evoking the days of Jules Verne, the anatomic musculature suit as a homage to our inner strength, a wet suit which gives the illusion that the wearer has been attacked by a group of hungry sharks and finally a whale shark patterned suit that celebrates the brilliance and originality of our natural water world’.No word on price, but if you’re really interested you can contact them and request a quote."

Above:

Close up shots of the suit show how amazing real the wounds look. Hungry anyone?

Above:

Diddo's 'rusted' design reminds one of some kind of deep-sea-living bionic man! The detail is amazing... how do they make it look so 3D?!?

Source: http://dornob.com/fashion-to-freak-out-friends-fake-shark-attack-wetsuit/ and http://www.gadgetreview.com/2009/05/shark-attack-wet-suit-is-scary-real.html

Mother of all Funk Chords - (and copyright infringements?!)

2009-05-04T08:13:00.007+10:00

Check out this simply amazing video from youtube's Kutiman - a mash up artist who has leaped to fame with his most recent work.

"AN Israeli music video artist has taken the online world by storm with a set of YouTube mashups that rewrite the book on remixing.
Ophir Kutiel, better known as Kutiman, spent three months scouring YouTube for the perfect set of video clips to turn into a highly original music video collection. Avoiding the big-name artists targeted by many remixers, he instead drew on the talents of everyday YouTube users.

The eight-track result – ThruYOU – has since received millions of views and become a massive hit with the wider music and online communities.

But whether his work could ever achieve commercial success is a tangle of questions over copyright.

The clips used in ThruYOU run the gamut from professional artists to bedroom wannabes. All are credited with links to their original YouTube clips.

The clips used in ThruYOU run the gamut from professional artists to bedroom wannabes. All are credited with links to their original YouTube clips."

Source: http://thru-you.com/ & www.news.com.au/technology

I suck.

2009-05-02T08:21:00.002+10:00

So, for someone who is supposed to be writing a blog about technology, I appear to be pretty poor at using it! I cant for the life of me get my camera to work to get this damn Livescribe Pulse review done! Its terrible. I've pulled the whole thing apart, checked it all out, but nada. Zip. Zilch. Nothing!

So lets take a raincheck on the old video reviews, while i get back to some more practical issues.

Keep your eyes peeled, cos I'm actually going to be getting off my fat ass and updating this a little more regularly in the not to distant future! ;)

Livescribe Pulse - Promotional Video

2009-04-10T18:23:00.006+10:00

Well, it is taking a little longer than expected to get the Livescribe Pulse review out, so here are a few promotional videos from the livescribe site - just to get your juices flowing!

Livescribe Pulse - First Look

2009-04-08T13:02:00.005+10:00

Well, I decided it would be better for all if my first post actually had some level of meaningful content - as tempting as it was to meaninglessly ramble for a few pages.

So lets check out a simply amazing new device I picked up yesterday - the 'Livescribe Pulse Digital Pen'. Sounds kinda lame right? - A digital pen? What do I take you all for? Some kind of lame half inspector gadget, half james bond wanna be? Simply put, no. This thing is simply incredible. It will completely revolutionize the way you take notes in almost any situation.

But what is it? What the hell is a digital pen?

Well, simply put, it is a scanner, digital voice recorder, and catalogue creation device all in one. This bad boy enables the user to record in any environment while taking notes. The pen syncronizes the audio recording with the notes you're writing at any given point - for example; you are taking notes in a lecture, and write down 'Weimar Repulic collapse', but miss out a few details. You can go back and listen to the audio recording at that very point, simply by tapping that hand written note with your pen - it will play back to you exactly what was being said at the precise moment you were writing those words.

The pen will also take a digital image of your handwritten notes, to be uploaded and archived on your computer, along with the audio recordings. You can then search your notes for specific words or phrases on the computer - so if you come back 6months later and cant remember what lecture or date the Weimar Republic was covered, you just search for the key words in the desktop software, and it will find where you have written those words in your notes. Pretty neat huh?!?!

But you know what they say, a picture is worth 1000 words, and a video is worth about 30 pictures per second - so check back soon for a full video review of this simply incredible device!

Welcome

2009-04-08T10:34:00.008+10:00

Welcome to the TM&SL blog.

Here, you can experience the daily, weekly, or possibly monthly (if im feeling really lazy!) ramblings of just another Uni Student with too much time, and not enough drive to study!

So what will you find on this blog? Product reviews, news and announcements, rantings and raving, music info and general info related to the life of a stundent - why it rocks, why it suck, and how to make it one million times better!

I am more than happy to take requests for just about anything, but that doesnt necessarily mean i will fullfill them! ;) That said, like most people, i blog for my own interest and to communicate with the world - i would love feedback/suggestions. The only way i EVER find out about cool new stuff is because great people out there like you tell me about it it, so help me out!

Feedback is more than appreciated!