Wayne Bowles

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links for 2010-05-27

Memories of TechTV that was…

Just a short trip down memory lane. I remember the first time I found TechTV, in particular The Screen Savers; which I believe helped to turn me into the technology and social media addict I am today. But being as this is the month that 6 years ago this television network was dissolved, I figured it was  worth a trip down memory lane.

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Cirque Du Soleil: Alegria

Today I had the honor of seeing Cirque Du Soleil’s latest show, which was converted to an arena show.  Alegria the story of a kingdom of birds. I luckily managed to get great seats. Coming from stage crew point of view to be able to sit behind not only the lighting board operator, sound engineer and even the house managaer. And with the seat being center with the center of the stage, needless to say the price was well worth it.

Copyright - Cirque Du Soleil

Copyright - Cirque Du Soleil

 

Alegría is a mood, a state of mind. The themes of the show, whose name means “jubilation” in Spanish, are many. Power and the handing down of power over time, the evolution from ancient monarchies to modern democracies, old age, youth—it is against this backdrop that the characters of Alegría play out their lives. Kings’ fools, minstrels, beggars, old aristocrats and children make up its universe, along with the clowns, who alone are able to resist the passing of time and the social transformations that accompany it.

http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/alegria/show/about.aspx

Copyright 2010 Cirque Du Soleil – Alegria

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Apple Tablet (iPad)

By no doubt you have heard that Apple has finally released there new tablet device now. So some of the rumors have been answered in regards to whether or not Apple is releasing a tablet device.

From first looks at the device it looks like a glorified iPhone/iPod Touch. I’m sorry I just don’t see all that much innovation in it from a consumer point of view. With that being said I understand from a engineer’s perspective its full of innovations, but Apple seriously. If I am going to have to pay $599 for this device, plus a data subscription from AT&T. So in reality it will roughly cost you $2050 not including taxes, fees, etc.

For the price you will have to pay to own this product there are a lot of things that need to be changed for me to want to purchase.

  • Full OS (No modified version of the iPhone/iPod Touch OS).
  • Variety of Cellular Data Service Providers.
  • Integrated microphone/camera.
  • USB port.

In regards to whether or not I would purchase the Apple Tablet as of right now, NO. There are a number of things that would need to be addressed in order for me to purchase a iPad.

General Update

Website

As some of you may have noticed, I have recently decided to update the site to give myself greater flexability with future projects, blogs, etc. I am now currently running WordPress MU 2.8.5.2 with the Arras theme. That is all to report  in regards to website upgrade(s).

Veterans Day

I just wanted to take a moment and thank all the veterans past and present for their selfless service to there country. If it was for the men and women of our Armed Forces we wouldn’t have the freedoms and liberties that most people take advantage of and/or abuse.

Have you thanked a Veteran today???

To view a good video about how one executive is giving back to troops and ther families, which lets be honest more companies need to be more appreciative to: Bellagio honors Military Veterans and their families.

Again thank you to all Veterans and their families past, present and future!

Memorial Day

Just wanted to wish everyone a happy Memorial Day. You may have the day off from work or school but never forget the true reason for Memorial Day. To all those who have severed whether in the past, present or future I want to express my up-most respect and thanks for all you have done.

General Update

Unfortunately as of late I have been neglecting my Blog as well as staying active on the various social networking sites that I belong to.

Blog/Web Presence

For those of you that frequently visit my site will notice a new theme, that I have finally decided on the Neoclassical theme by Chris Pearson. Some of the reasons that I have chosen this theme is first because of its simplicity and minimalism. So it is my hope that the changes and added functionality to the site will create a better user experience.

In other news, so-to-speak I recentley discovered the open-source telephony toolkit Asterisk PBX project.

Work

I have recently started actively looking for a Full-Time job but the way things are now it might take a while to find a job that can make use of my skill-set.  With all that being said the problem that I have to overcome is my constant way of procrastinating everything. Also I had to recently update my CV because the college that I earned my degree from has changed their name from Indiana Business College to Harrison College.  So now I get to take a while to update my CV, LinkedIn profiles, etc.

Are you DTV Ready??

With less than 45 days to the Digital Television transition are you ready for DTV??

WHEN

On Febuary 17th, 2009 @ 12:00am the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) has mandated that all terrestrial full-power television broadcast stations to stop transmitting their programming on the analog infrastructure and begin 100% digital broadcasts.

WHY

Really there is a two pronged approach to why the FCC has mandated the DTV (Digital Television) transition. One is to provide the public better programming options and clearer video quality. The second is to provide the old analog terrestrial RF frequency spectrum to first responders, as well to auction off the unused RF to companies in use in new wireless technologies (i.e. Wireless Internet Access, etc).

HOW

There are three ways that you can ensure that you are ready for the DTV transition on Febuary 17.

  • Subscribe to a paid service such as Satellite or Cable TV service.
  • If you are recieveing transmissions via an antenna (ie. “Rabbit Ears”) you can purchase a DTV Converter box to transcode the digital signal to analog RF for older tvs. (Most DTV boxes run from approximatley $40-70 dollars, the FCC has a DTC coupon program to help offset the cost of purchasing the converter boxes.
  • You can purchase a new television that is DTV ready be sure to look for the specification ATSC.

links for 2008-12-27

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