Sonisphere: Queen with Adam Lambert!

Anyone planning to be in Europe July 6th - July 8th? Adam Lambert is lending his amazing vocal talent as a temporary front man for Queen at the Sonisephere Festival! Freddie Mercury would be so proud.

If I had the financial means necessary, I would be front row, center at the show. It's going to be insane.

Evolving Musical Tastes

As a child of the late 80s and 90s, I grew up with the pop boybands. New Kids on the Block, Backstreet Boys, NSYNC, 98 Degrees, O-Town, the list goes on and on...

At the time, I absolutely adored these all-male groups. Cute guys who could sing and dance at the same time? Can we say talented?

Now, as a twenty-something with "more grown up" and expansive musical interests, I've come to appreciate bands and singers that not only sing live, but that play their own instruments as well. Yes, dancing is wonderful and those that do it well are talented, but there is a fine line between a musical performer and a musical artist.

Britney Spears

Would I consider Britney Spears an artist? No.

Chris Brown? No.

David Cook? Yes.

Adele? Yes.



There's just something about playing an instrument and/or singing live that gives an artist more credibility as a true entertainer. There are some artists who have amazing vocal abilities and who do not necessarily need to play musical instruments, as long as their voices remain solid and brilliant on stage. For some select artists, their voice alone may be their musical instrument. Other artists benefit from playing guitars or pianos as they interpret the music and engage the audience to "feel" the performance. When they are passionate about the music, we are too.

In today's day and age, musical artisty is severely underappreciated. We tend to applaud the glamorous performances or jaw-dropping choreography more than we do the vocal and instrumental talent. We need to recognize what true musical talent entails and which celebrities have it.

Allison Iraheta



Kris Allen

Computer Security

What is computer security and how can you ensure security of your computer and data contained in it? 


Computer security refers to the protection of individual computers and the information contained on them in an effort to safeguard data from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, destruction, modification, or disruption (Mutula & Wamukoya, 2007, p. 293). Such threats to computer security often come in the form of Malware or disruptive, "hacker" programs including viruses, worms, spyware and "scareware" - all of which cause direct harm to one's computer and, quite possibly, harm to outside computers as the infection spreads through downloads, networks, etc.

Computers have become virtually indispensable in today's world. Business purposes aside, we use our home computers for everything: banking, shopping, scheduling, communicating, filing taxes, playing games, watching movies...the list is never-ending. We have become extremely dependent on computers and their abilities to carry out daily tasks. As a result, we must make every effort possible to protect our computers and the important data they contain.

Several computer analysts argue that computer security should focus on three key areas: confidentiality, integrity, and authentication. Users can take precautions and protect the data on their computers by practicing the following tips:

1. Use anti-virus software: All computer users should install some sort of anti-virus software on their computers (the more popular types include Norton AntiVirus and McAfee). However, individuals should not stop there. They must actively ensure that their anti-virus software is up-to-date and should schedule weekly scans of their hard drives to ensure data protection.
2. Install firewalls: Ensuring that your computer has a firewall established and running will help protect your data from hackers looking to crash your computer or steal your personal information. 
3. Use anti-spyware software: Like computer viruses, spyware poses a tremendous threat to the security of data contained on a computer. Some types of spyware are designed to collect personal information from the unknowing computer user, while others are designed to infiltrate individuals' computers with annoying pop-up advertisements.
4. Download responsibly: Computer users should never download files or media from suspicious websites or unfamiliar senders. This includes email! 
5. Create clever passwords and keep them confidential: Never share your password with another person. Use a unique combination of letters, numbers, and symbols that will be difficult for others to guess. Change your password often and remain aware of email scams that ask you for your secure password to a particular site.

Computer security is a very real issue in today's society that could potentially cripple society if left unmonitored. Adhering to the tips above will help individuals computer users protect the security of their personal data, and ensure that confidential information does not fall into the wrong hands.

For more information regarding computer security, please visit:

FBI - Protect Your Computer

10 Steps to Protecting Your Computer

Also, check out the video below:

Auto-Tune: Why It's Hurting the Music Industry

Before the late 1990s, an average music listener could typically judge a good singer from a bad singer in a matter of minutes. A good singer could hit those far reaching high notes and remain in tune throughout the entire course of the song. A good singer was regarded as an extremely talented and/or well trained vocalist. In contrast, a bad singer would have a cracking or straining voice or remain hopelessly out of tune or off pitch throughout a song.

Now the lines are blurred.

Why?

It all comes down to a single technological invention known commonly as Auto-Tune. Developed in 1996 by Andy Hildebrand, Auto-Tune was once a "trade secret" that producers would utilize in extreme circumstances to correct a few notes here and there, thereby saving time and money by not having to redo studio sessions.

Now, singers and producers virtually abuse Auto-Tune, using it daily to ensure that vocals remain on perfect pitch, rhythm and tone throughout the course of the song. Even more outrageous is the use of Auto-Tune by non-vocalists (i.e. Kim's Zolziak's performance of Tardy for the Party or Kesha's electro-pop remixes).


Can anyone now become a singer? Does vocal talent no longer come in to play? How do we define real musical talent from automated, technically-enhanced "talent?" Is the music industry losing its credibility?

Check out Time's revealing 2009 article Auto-Tune: Why Pop Music Sounds Perfect and let me know what you think!

Auto-Tune

Amazing Collaboration: Queen and Adam Lambert

Aside from Journey's music, Queen's music was the soundtrack of my childhood. I remember my father wearing out their records at every opportunity. Imagine my surprise (and delight!) when I got to see one of my favorite singers, Adam Lambert (who has been compared to Freddie Mercury), perform with Queen on the European Music Awards. A vocal collaboration made in heaven!

Take a look at the performance below. Will they rock you?

Yes. Yes they will.

Digital Literacy

How does digital literacy help a person in society?

For decades, school systems and governmental agencies alike have stressed the importance of literacy to an individual's development and level of functionality within present society. An individual who is illiterate is typically thought of as being at a disadvantage in society. Without the ability to read and/or write, how can a person establish himself/herself in society, maintain a professional career, remain aware of important current events, or seek to foster change or development within existing societal structures?

While traditional literary remains an issue today, an even bigger issue in present society is the notion of digital literacy. Fairly recent technological innovations such as the Internet and the World Wide Web have made digital literacy the new hot topic of discussion. According to Stephen M. Mutula and Justus M. Wamukoya (2007), digital literacy "refers to the ability to use internet-dependent applications and non-internet-dependent applications" (p. 90). Moreover, digital literacy refers to the ability to use and understand technological innovations that are designed to access information and communicate and interact within a virtual environment (Mutula & Wamukoya, 2007, p. 90).

Individuals who are digitally literate are able to search for and retrieve information, socially communicate with others in a Web-based environment, and utilize and understand software applications such as Microsoft Office.

These individuals hold several important advantages over those who are not digitally literate:

1. They are able to access information from all over the world quickly and efficiently. This important attribute enables individuals to become well-informed citizens, who are knowledgable of current affairs and who can communicate about current events.
2. They are able to strengthen their communication skills and advance their levels of social interaction. Individuals who are digitally literate are able to communicate effectively with one another in virtual environments such as forums, email, chatrooms, etc, broadening their worldviews and enhancing their social, cognitive and reasoning skills.
3. They are more marketable in society. Those who are digitally literate are more likely to perform well in the education and job markets. Computers and technology skills are now a prominent part of the learning experience from kindergarten through college. Individuals who learn how to manipulate and work with digital technology from an early age are far more likely to become successful workers in the corporate environment. Most companies require their employees to have some level of computer knowledge, as most occupations require the use of computers and their associated software and hardware components. Companies rely on economic income to sustain their growth and the growth of the nation's economy is firmly linked with the growth of the nation's digitally literacy. The more digitally literate and competitive we are as a nation, the more opportunities we have to foster worldwide corporate partnerships and grow our economy.
4. They develop higher-level thinking and reasoning skills. Those who are familiar with technology and the digital world are more likely to develop higher-level reasoning and problem-solving skills, enabling them to become more effective members of society.

For more information regarding digital literacy, please visit:

Digitalliteracy.gov

ICT Digital Literacy



Work Cited:

Mutula, S. M. & Wamukoya, J. M. (2007). Web information management: A cross-disciplinary textbook. Oxford: Chandos Publishing.

The 2012 Grammys: Highs and Lows

I think that most would agree that the Grammys live broadcast each year is either a HIT or a MISS. Sometimes the show reflects the year's best musical talents and the live performances live up to the hype. Other times, the show seems to cater to a few select musicians (some of whom the audience has never even heard of) and the performances fall horribly flat.

So where did this year's Grammys rate? In my opinion, somewhere between HIT and MISS. Let's agree to call it a HISS, shall we?


The Highs:

• Jennifer Hudson's moving tribute to Whitney Houston
• Adele's powerful rendition of her hit Rolling in the Deep and her sweep of several Grammy awards
• Kelly Clarkson's strong assertion of feminine strength and confidence in What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger

Hudson performing Houston's I Will Always Love You

The Lows:

• Nicki Minaj - from Red Carpet  to Grammy stage. Seriously...what was that debacle?
• Katy Perry's less-than-stellar performance against the backdrop of muscled men and shooting flames
• Lady Gaga's outfit (but I'll get her a bit of a break here because is it even possible to top a dress made entirely of meat, or a human-size egg?)

Hail Lady Gaga?

Nicki Minaj performing - We held our ears, too!

Goodbye, Whitney Houston...

The world lost an amazing voice yesterday. Despite all of her hardship and struggles, Whitney Houston defined the 1980s and 1990s with her strong, soulful, and pure vocal talent. She will forever be missed.

Let's take a second to remember one of her greatest hits, I Will Always Love You from The Bodyguard.

Cover Songs Done Well: Lisa Scinta

Have you ever heard of Lisa Scinta? She's an undiscovered singer with numerous videos on Youtube, in which she performs acoustic versions of popular songs (mostly in her bathroom!). Her voice is absolutely amazing and it's only a matter of time before some big record producer catches on to her talent and signs her as a professional recording artist.

Here is one of my all-time favorite covers of Lisa's - Lisa performing Eminem and Rihanna's Love the Way You Lie.

Google Search vs. Delicious Seach

Admittedly, whenever I need to search for new articles, pictures, current events, etc., my fingers automatically type in the same six same letters: G-O-O-G-L-E.

Google has been my standby search engine for as long as I can remember. Its popularity has even made it into a cool new verb (i.e. "Let's google it!"). Can you imagine doing the same for an alternative search engine such as Delicious,which consists of social bookmarking sites. "Let's delicious it!" just does not have the same kind of feeling.

Let's compare the two. Say we were searching for sites and articles related to Madonna's performance at the Superbowl. We would thus enter Madonna AND Superbowl into each respective search engine. This is what we would find.

- Google returned a total of 437,000,00 results.

- Delicious returned a total of 125 results.

- Comparing the results on the first page of each search engine, none of them were identical.

- I would argue that, in this case, the results that Google returned seemed to be more reliable and more useful. Google returned a variety of results including news articles, videos, and reviews. Delicious, on the other hand, returned more opinionated types of results including blogs, Twitter tweets, and photos.

-I would also argue that, in this case, Google's results seemed to be more current (at least on the first couple of pages which included timely news articles). Google also allows its users to search by date or category. Delicious' bookmarks seemed fairly random and in no particular order.

Uploading Images to a Blog

There are two wonderful options for displaying an image on a blog. The first option is to upload the image directly to Blogger by clicking on the "insert image" link, browsing your computer for the file you wish to upload, and saving it to Blogger. The main advantage of this approach is that it is the fastest way to upload a image to one's blog. The main disadvantage is that it may "eat" up a lot of bandwidth or space on one's blog, depending upon the amount and size of the pictures used.

The second option is to upload an image to Flickr, edit it using Flickr tools, obtain the HTML code for the image from the Flickr site, and then embed it into the HTML text box of one's blog. The main advantage of this approach is that Flickr provides users with photo editing and resizing tools and allows users to organize their images by creating tags and descriptions. The main disadvantage is that this process is generally slower than simply uploading an image directly to Blogger. In addition, the correct visual display of the image depends on Flickr's site status.

Below is an example of a photo of singer/song writer Kris Allen embedded from my Flickr:

Really...Madonna?

Am I the only person not excited about Madonna's upcoming "come back" performance at the Superbowl Halftime Show? That's really the best producers could do?

What about the network's new commitment to limit racy or controversial material following the Justin Timberlake/Janet Jackson debacle. Is Madonna really the way to go? Nothing controversial there!

Better than I Know Myself: Adam Lambert's New Video

Those of you who know me already know about my appreciation for the vocal talents of Adam Lambert, the runner up on American Idol season eight and the international singer known for his vocal range and cutting-edge persona. Lambert is following up his successful debut album For Your Entertainment with his sophomore album, Trespassing, to be released in March. His first single off the new album, Better than I Know Myself, is an infectious mixture of electronic and pop music with a catchy chorus guaranteed to get stuck in your head.

Check out his music video for the song below and let me know what you think!

Corporate Wiki Success Story: Morgan Stanley

TWiki Success Story of Morgan Stanley

Most Internet users are familiar with Wikis: collaborative Web sites that allow users to create, modify, and delete content related to a specific topic or resource. Wikis are information-gathering and knowledge-sharing tools that allow for numerous contributions from a variety of users in an effort to expand knowledge and better organize information.

TWikis are designed specifically with corporations in mind. They allow companies to combine open-source platforms (Wikis) with Web 2.0 applications as they build their TWiki sites. TWikis are structured Wikis that companies utilize to enhance project management, document sharing, and corporate knowledge. They improve the flow of communication between different departments within a business and enhance productivity and efficiency. TWikis appear similar to typical Web sites, but include an edit function that allows users to create, edit, and remove information contained on the pages.

The financial company Morgan Stanley has utilized TWikis since 2004. Most often, TWikis are used within the company to house operation materials and hardware and software manuals, and to share information within a specific team. Some departments also use them to share meeting minutes and reports with their colleagues. Thus, Morgan Stanley's use of TWikis has enabled the firm to better enhance its communication and collaborative techniques, while ensuring that all of its employees (around the world) have immediate and reliable access to important documents, manuals, reports, and policies related to their job duties.