iPhones Replace Musical Instruments at University

The University of Michigan is replacing instruments with iPhones in a course titled “Building a Mobile Phone Ensemble.” Taught by scientist and musician Georg Essl, students are learning to “design, build and play instruments on their Apple Inc. smartphones.” iPhone applications like Ocarina allow the phone to produce sounds similar to a flute-like instrument. Building an instrument on an iPhone can transform the phone to produce unique and different sounds. Students program the phone to “play back information it receives from one of its sensors as sound.”

I think it’s awesome that universities are taking a creative initiative giving traditional courses like music class a modern twist. It will appeal to students who are interested in taking a music course but have no musical training. Hopefully the school provides the phones otherwise that would be a very expensive course to take.

I don’t have an iPhone, I’m technologically illiterate, and touch phones weird me out, but I’d be extremely interested to see what these students produce. A public performance is scheduled for December 9, but for now here's a video of a practice performance.



 -Rachel

iPhones Replace Musical Instruments at University

Facebook is Your "Get Out of Jail Free" Card

Your Facebook status can be an alibi to keep your butt out of jail. Rodney Bradford's status proved to be a reliable alibi when he was accused and jailed for robbery. It was the time stamp and location of where the status was updated that proved it was impossible for him to have been at the scene of the crime.

I guess it's cool that something simple like that can keep you from getting wrongly convicted of a crime, but are we losing our right to privacy in the process? I understand that yes if you put something on the internet it is basically out there forever for the world to see and use as it so pleases, but it kind of sucks too.

We use the internet for everything even though we know that it's not really safe to do so. We pay our bills online, check our bank accounts online, shop online, read up on celebrity gossip, and chat with friends on Facebook. It kind of makes you think, what did our grandparents and those before them do without advanced technology? Today, WE ARE our computers, our iPods, and our cell phones. If one breaks we feel like a part of us is missing, but if it keeps me out of jail I guess I can live with that.

-Rachel

Facebook is Your "Get Out of Jail Free" Card

Welcome “worldmode” iPhone!

There has been a lot of buzz concerning Verizon’s attacks on AT&T by creating phones directly in competition of the iPhone and by attacking AT&T’s service.

Well, according to AppleInsider, Apple is in the works of creating a “worldmode” iPhone that will be available to other networks, especially Verizon. Even though Verizon’s Blackberry Storm and Droid (which was just launched last Friday) were created to combat AT&T’s iPhone sales. Verizon has reportedly been in contact with Apple about getting the iPhone. In fact, Verizon is expected to have the phone within the year.

This may have negative effects for Verizon’s Droid sales, because customers may hold off to purchase the iPhone. Furthermore, AT&T may be seeing some losses as customer’s switch to Verizon. They will lose the exclusivity with the iPhone, which will most likely lower their market share.

It will be interesting to see how the two major networks will compete when they both have the iPhone. What incentives will they give to choose their network? Will the prices drop dramatically? I think this is a good thing for us consumers. Verizon and AT&T will have to compete off prices, quality of service, and size/speed of network. Finally! The end of the AT&T’s monopoly with the iPhone!

-Annie H.

Welcome “worldmode” iPhone!