The Seagate GoFlex Satellite is a simple idea: take a big hard drive with you, wherever you want to go, that doesn’t need any advanced setup, that doesn’t need to be connected to a Wi-Fi network, and can beam your music, videos, photos, and documents to whatever device you happen to have with you–iPad, smartphone, laptop, whatever. And it does exactly that. Congratulations, iPad/smartphone/etc owner: You now have 500GB of extra storage, no matter which device you’re using.

WHAT’S NEW

The Seagate GoFlex Satellite is the first portable hard drive (it uses a 2.5-inch laptop drive, in a 500GB capacity) we’ve seen that’s designed to be used on the go with another portable device. It’s got a battery Seagate says lasts for about five hours (which may be slightly optimistic, but is not egregiously far off), connects via USB (including USB 3.0, if you’re lucky enough to have it), and, most importantly, beams its contents to a mobile device via Wi-Fi. It comes with apps for Android and the iPad that make streaming easier, but it can be used with basically any Wi-Fi enabled device, including laptops and tablets. At the moment, you can connect up to three devices at a time to it.

WHAT’S GOOD

The thing just works. It charges really, surprisingly quickly over USB, then you press the power button on the drive. Look in your available Wi-Fi networks setting on your phone/tablet/laptop, pick “GoFlex Satellite,” then open up the app, and bam: all of your stuff, available anywhere. It spits out a pretty good wireless radius–you’ll probably want to be in the same room with it, but I used it a few times while stuffed in my backpack and it worked just fine. Streaming is very fast, the app is simple and easy to navigate, and streaming video quality was as good as if the file was on the device’s own storage.

If you’re using a device that doesn’t have an app (which are only available for Android and iOS at the moment), don’t fret: you just connect to the GoFlex’s Wi-Fi network as usual, then open up your web browser and go to any address. You’ll be automatically booted to a web interface that just about exactly replicates the app’s. Easy!

I love that it works with just about any device: the company who made my ancient Palm Pre Plus doesn’t even exist anymore, but the phone can stream episodes of Louie from the GoFlex without blinking.

Plus, it’s a nice-looking hard drive, fairly small, and Seagate is my personal favorite hard drive manufacturer–I’ve found their drives to be very reliable, which is about the only thing to like or dislike about a hard drive, normally. Of course, you can connect it via USB to a Mac or Windows machine and it appears as a normal 500GB hard drive.

WHAT’S BAD

It uses a non-standard USB cable, which is something we always frown on. If you lose the cable, you’re basically out of luck. It requires the installation of a teeny bit of software before you can connect it via USB to your Mac (I think because it’s NTFS-formatted, which Mac OS can’t write to)–annoying, but only for a second, and then it worked perfectly.

To use it wirelessly, you do have to log into the GoFlex’s wireless network, which means you can’t do anything else on the internet while you’re connected. Trying to open up a page in your web browser, for example, will just kick you back to Seagate’s GoFlex browser. Oh, and this isn’t really fair, but your device can only stream files that are supported by your device in the first place–if your iPad can’t play .MKVs, you won’t be able to stream them from the GoFlex either. So I ended up converting all my videos.

THE PRICE

$180 from online vendors like Amazon and Newegg. That’s about a $90 or $100 premium over an equivalent drive without the wireless functions or battery. It’s not necessarily cheap, but I wouldn’t say it’s too expensive either, if you want one.

THE VERDICT

I really like the GoFlex. It’s not necessarily an essential purchase, as much of our media lives in the cloud, at Netflix or Hulu or Rdio or Google Docs, but not all of it, not yet. What I especially love about the GoFlex is that it works. Wireless gadgets often have issues–various incompatibilities, all completely inscrutable, because who has any idea how wireless really works? We’ve had issues with these kinds of devices, like the Roku and Eye-Fi, before. But the GoFlex works exactly like it should, and as most of our gadgets (especially those made by Apple) have basically no way to add storage, I could see it being a great help on trips or vacations. If you just need some expandable storage, well, there are cheaper options. But if you’re already thinking about all the uses you might have for 500GB of storage you can access from any device, this is the gadget to get.

Source: www.popsci.com

Established by co-founders Oni Souratha and Mekhi Phifer, ONANONG, which in Thai means “beautiful”, is the vibrant new swimwear collection that blends the carefree attitude of beach culture with city sophistication. Conceived in and based out of Los Angeles, the line is a reflection of that seeming dichotomy in the way the city is the center of the entertainment and music industries even as it maintains the laid back attitude of the land of eternal sunshine.

Along with director Jillian Martin, our team worked to hard to develop a unique approach to the swimwear line, shooting the ladies in their suits casually walking the streets of Los Angeles, rather than at a beach or in a classy pool. Having the girls in the elegant suits, walking the streets of LA helps them stylishly stand out in their environments, however the warm color tones helps maintain an inviting feeling.

Visit Onanon Swimwear’s Website

This song goes out to anyone that’s ever tried to bring you down. Anyone that’s ever stabbed you in the back. Anyone that’s ever bullied or cheated on you. Hey Haters? THIS ONE’S FOR YOU…GO SCREW YOURSELF!!

A letter from Avery:
To me, GSY means being strong. It means standing up for yourself when the world is trying to bring you down. Whether it be a bully trying to mess up your life, someone that broke your heart into a million pieces, a “best friend” that went and stabbed you in the back; whatever the case… I think everyone has someone they want to dedicate this song to. GSY: the three words we all want to say, but are too afraid to say out loud. Well, I’m not afraid. This song, is for all you guys. This is the song you can blast with a big smile on your face, and be reminded: that NOBODY should ever have the power to bring you down, or mess up your life. If we could all have this attitude, so many lives would be saved. It breaks my heart every time I hear another kid has taken their own life, because they were bullied. To everyone that is listening; please don’t let ANYONE ever tell you you’re not good enough. The ultimate Go Screw Yourself of all? That Is when you continue to live your life to the fullest, be who you are, do what you love, despite what anyone else says or thinks. This song is dedicated to anyone that has ever cheated on you, bullied you, or tried to bring you down. This ones for all the haters: GO SCREW YOURSELF – AVERY

We had the pleasure of co-producing with Avery’s manager Aton and Director Chris Grieder for “GSY”.

http://www.stopbullying.gov

Check out more of Avery on:

Official Website

youtube.com/averyofficial
facebook.com/averyofficial
twitter.com/averyofficial

Highly respected digital interface and graphics tablet maker Wacom has gone back to its sketchpad to create a digital drawing solution that feels like its from the future. Yes, tablets are the ‘in’ thing right now, but for an artist there is nothing better than putting a real pen to real
paper. And that is exactly what Wacom has done with its digital (but real) sketch pen and receiver combo, the Inkling.

“Designed for rough concepting and creative brainstorming, Inkling bridges the gap between paper sketching and digital drawing by giving users at the front end of the creative process a way to rough-out ideas with real ink on paper and capture their concepts digitally so that they can be later refined on their computer,” said Wacom in an August 30 press release.

The Inkling comprises a ballpoint pen which can capture up to 1024 levels of sensitivity and a receiver that is clipped to the edge of a notepad.

The Inkling is capable of storing thousands of sketches with layers and can be exported directly into Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Autodesk Sketchbook Pro or saved in JPG, BMP, TIFF, PNG, SVG and PDF formats.

Wacom is not the first to release a paper-to-digital pen, paper-based computing company Livescribe has developed its own range of “smartpens.”

Livescribe’s smartpens are able to capture a digital version of your handwritten notes (when used with a special paper), have an embedded microphone for recording audio and include other smart features.

Wacom’s Inkling is priced at $199 and will be available in mid September.

A video of Inkling in action…

source: http://www.hindustantimes.com/Wacom-moves-to-pen-to-digital-drawing-solution/Article1-740432.aspx

Regular Edition: 3.5/5 stars; Delux Edition: 4/5 stars

by Javier DiFrancisco

Two of Hip-Hop’s titans come together to deliver an unforgettable moment in music history as Jay-Z and former protégé, now equal, Kanye West bring us Watch The Throne. They keep it simple, focusing on hard lyrics amidst soulful Hip-Hop beats, but when they turn the volume up they go H.A.M. This twelve-track LP starts off a little slow, utilizing in ironic fashion a decent amount of auto-tune once laid t rest by the Jiggaman himself with 2009’s classic street anthem “D.O.A. (Death of Auto-tune).” Kanye is of course no stranger to the electronic-manipulated tool made famous by the likes of Peter Frampton and Roger Troutman and resurrected by go-to hook singer, T-Pain. One would think that use of this blasphemous technique would be outlawed in the collaborative process due to Jay-Z’s famous stance on it. However, nothing is off limits when two great artists and visionaries team up with nothing but respect for one another.

The feel of the whole album is exciting, although a bit off key from what one might expect given the high profiles of these great emcees. This is where fans and critics alike need to forget their preconceptions and simply let the spirit of Hip-Hop guide them. Both Jay-Z and Kanye have made it a career and artistic choice to never let outside spectators guide their music choices. Hov is famous for saying, “Dumbed down for my audience, double my dollars,” toning down his lyrical prowess most evident on 1996’s Hip-Hop classic debut, Reasonable Doubt, in order to achieve more mainstream success. However, that has never stopped him from taking chances with his music as he has done time after time with sampling a Broadway musical, Annie, for his propelling classic single, “Hard Knock Life,” or collaborating with Southern legends, UGK, and rising Southern super producer, Timbaland, for pop club anthem classis, “Big Pimpin’,” then with fellow Virginian newcomer production team, The Neptunes, on “I Just Wanna Love Ya (Give It To Me),” and most notably with none other than his now-partner-in-crime, Kanye West, who provided most of the beats for 2001’s classic album, The Blueprint. So it should come as no surprise how different and progressive this new album sounds with the vast musical tastes both legendary artists possess, especially after their most recent efforts with The Blueprint 3 and the classic masterpiece of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.

Kanye has had a similar career taking great chances on his music, most evident with 2008’s experimental album, 808’s and Heartbreak. But the music keeps moving and the movement keeps growing. Throne is a great new chapter in both of these emcee’s ever-expanding careers. It takes off where their last efforts ended as both have continuously influenced each other’s lyrical delivery and imagery. Admittedly, though, it would have been nicer to hear something epic and grotesque given their high status in Hip-Hop and music overall. After hearing earlier this year the street anthem, “H.A.M.,” contrasted by the first single, “Otis,” it was expected that this collaboration would produce something more high-octane, at the very least a new club anthem to show these kings holding down their thrones.

It’s hopeful wishing to ask that the real album would include the tracks “H.A.M.,” “Illest Motherf****r Alive,” and “The Joy.” But unfortunately that’s the industry we have now where these “extra” tracks can only be found on the deluxe version as if they would have no place in the original compilation. Most of the time when this is done, the feel of the album is distorted and we don’t get a complete vision of the story to be told by the artist. Had these records been on the real album, it would have boosted its appeal and flow. Overall though, Throne is a great collaborative effort that leaves a lot of room for the dynamic duo to grow if they decide to continue making albums together.

by Stephanie D’Ercole

Every so often, a band puts out a music video that transcends the regular, run-of-the-mill video, to become a little piece of aural and visual candy. Bringing Drew Barrymore on board to direct, and featuring actors including Chloë Moretz, Tyler Posey and Alia Shawkat, Best Coast’s video for their new hit “Our Deal” proves to pack a lot of punch.

 
With Barrymore’s eclectic inspiration from “West Side Story”, “The Outsiders”, and the 1950s and 70s, the music video integrates everything else, from the fashion to the story line, to create a work of film craftsmanship that comes full circle. The story follows two young rival L.A. gangs, the Day Trotters and the Night Creepers, as they battle for control of turf. Amidst the feud blossoms a star-crossed romance, quite similar to that of Romeo and Juliet, which comes to a close with a creative and unexpected resolution.

The pops of color against the grey, urban backdrop; the use of graffiti and body language in place of spoken word; the unique, timeless, and seamlessly blended wardrobe, styled by Alicia Lombardini; all come together and prove not only does Best Coast create tunes crafted for the big screen, but Barrymore is welcome to sit in the director’s chair anytime. The only shortcoming is just that…. it’s not long enough. Watch it and it will leave you wishing it were a feature-length film as well. But what it lacks in length, it undoubtedly makes up in all other cinematic aspects. We just hope both Best Coast and Ms. Barrymore have some more ideas up their sleeves for the future

If we look at the past history of brand marketing within the Hip-Hop world, particularly as it pertains to artist development, we will notice that homogony doesn’t win any points: it’s contrast that sells. A label can try very hard to sign artist after artist that resembles an already signed, and successfully proven artist on their roster, but audiences don’t like imitations. A label represents a movement, a slice of culture. The very essence of culture is in its dynamics spawned by its shared interests. Hip-Hop is a culture based on four pillars: DJing, MCing, graffiti, and breakdancing. In other words, Hip-Hop is a one-of-a-kind culture that brings together music, poetry, design, and dance in a package deal. Therefore, by just focusing on one aspect of Hip-Hop would make the culture redundant and boring. People need options; they demand them. So when a label tries to sell its brand to the masses it is better if they have a versatile roster of artists and not try to repackage the same one over and over again with a different name.

For an artist who is trying to reinvent himself or define himself for the first time, it is best if he/she goes to a label that will challenge them by first and foremost offering a different environment than they’re used to experiencing. Some great examples of this are socially-conscious Tupac signing with gangster rap phenom Death Row, soulful Kanye West joining bottle-poppin’ Roc-a-Fella, old school Def Jam taking a risk on hardcore gospel poet DMX, Lil Wayne signing both eccentric Nicki Minaj and singer/rapper Drake to blinged-out Young Money, and most recently backpacker Wale joining forces with the infamous Maybach Music Group. Each one of these examples shows a long-standing brand branching out from its normalcy to invest in artists that might have been risky for the marketplace and for their branded music, but ended up enriching the very culture and industry through hit records, sales, and brand loyalty.

Wale is one of the more exciting artists to watch at the moment. He already released his debut under Interscope, Attention Deficit, had a slew of mixtapes hit the streets to wide acclaim, and most recently released the compilation with Rick Ross, Meek Mill, Pill, and the rest of Maybach Music Group entitled Self Made, Vol. 1. His style, sound, and lyrics bring true Hip-Hop fans back to a time when lyricism was everything and the Billboard charts were only secondary. However, due to disappointing record sales, Wale figured he better make a change in order to stay alive in this ever-changing music world. So when Rick Ross reached out to him, who was also trying to redefine his own brand identity as an artist and CEO, Wale surprisingly didn’t even hesitate. He sticks out like a sore thumb in the mix of drug and gang references most notable in Maybach, but he shines all on his own as he takes the top spot next to the Big Boss himself, Rick Ross. Even Wale has been quoted as saying he loves sticking out like a sore thumb. He could have gone to G.O.O.D Music with Kanye, Mos Def, and Common, but then he wouldn’t be recognizable.

Now with his sophomore album ready to drop, Ambition, on Maybach Music Group Wale is set to take his career to new heights. He won’t compromise his art, but that doesn’t mean he won’t change his attitude. As an artist it is imperative to continuously improve one’s craft in order to stay relevant as well as sharp in this game. Branding may be most reliant on consistency in message, but in artist development branding relies on versatility most of all. Audiences will expect certain mainstay messages that have made their favorite artists famous, but they also expect evolution in their artistry. Art is a journey, not a staple product. Quality is in the movement, not the design.