Welcome to 'Transmitting to Earth'. I'm Charssun and I'll be your host. This blog and podcast is a byproduct of VoyagerRadio.com and is intended to provide the most timely information about this Internet radio station. It is also intended to be a fun and accessible electronic journal with commentary focusing on Internet radio, podcasting and webcasting issues and technologies, music, and some of my other interests. I also offer personal perspective about being an Internet radio broadcaster (and podcaster).
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The PocketSurfer: Not Quite Ready for Wireless Internet Radio, But a Step in the Right DirectionWe're getting closer to witnessing the arrival of a handheld device that will allow us to tune in to our favorite Internet radio stations from just about anywhere, and when I say "just about anywhere" I mean just about anywhere, not just from some Internet hotspot at your local Starbucks or McDonald's.
Look at this device, for example: the PocketSurfer. This device, once released, will allow you to do much more than play pocket pool (which is what you'll inevitably end up doing with your "Internet-enabled" phone or other wireless device). The PocketSurfer connects to the web via any Bluetooth-capable wireless phone, and has a nice wide screen. Sure, you don't see an entire web page all at once, but you usually don't with any other browser either, unless you have one of those giant 21-inch monitors or something. Besides, all you have to do is scroll down to read the rest of the site. The device also includes a full keyboard with a built-in mouse pointer which appears to be more than adequate for browsing, though we'll wait until we get our hands on one before we make the final judgement on that. According to The Online Guy the PocketSurfer also supports Java and Flash, which means it will be able to open up that VoyagerRadio pop-up playlist you so know and love (if you're a VoyagerRadio listener). Alas, the device doesn't have any sound, though, so the aforementioned playlist will be useless to you unless you're just curious to see what's currently playing on my Internet radio station. Devices like this give us hope there will one day be handheld devices that will be able to access the web the way it should be accessed: with text and images and streaming media. Plenty of PDAs say they can do this, but you need to be near a hotspot to do so. The Sidekick device was a step in the right direction, but still a long way from a truly portable browsing experience (besides have one particularly nasty issue). Let's hope the PocketSurfer lives up to its promise of being able to deliver "the Real Web in the palm of your hand" at speeds "much faster than other mobile devices". I'll be looking for a second generation of the device to offer the ability to stream sound. Someday, I'm hoping, I'll even be able to do a remote webcast using this or a similar device. Transmitting to Earth, Live...and Often!I've been hosting VoyagerRadio live nearly every day. I didn't expect to be "on the air" so frequently this soon after upgrading the webcast--I'd initially planned on concentrating exclusively on VoyagerRadio's playlist for the first few months, adding new music as often as possible while gradually scheduling live appearances. But after having so much fun hosting a few live transmissions earlier this month to kick off the new stereo stream, I've begun making impromptu appearances almost every day. I don't have a regular schedule or anything--I'm just jumping on the mic whenever I feel like it, and whenever I notice there is a sizable listening audience. So if you want to catch me in the act, you'll just have to tune in to hear if I make an appearance. (You'll have an even better chance of catching me live if you subscribe to my free newsletter, which provides alerts about some of my live appearances.) Besides rambling about topical issues (a habit I've quickly learned to reduce, for this is a music webcast, after all), I've been using my live appearances to introduce the new music I've been receiving from independent artists, such as that of Lopside (a talented downtempo act), Galactic Anthems (an ambient artist with exotic and ambitious soundscapes) , and Alpha Wave Movement (a refreshing mix of eastern and western ambient flavors). So tune in as soon as you can to hear the music of these wonderful artists--and, from time to time, me. We Are Now AtomicTransmitting to Earth is now Atomized, which essentially means this blog now has another way of being read (such as by an Atom-enabled newsreader). Once you get your free newsreader, here's our Atom feed. We Still Have the Spirit, and Now We Have the OpportunityLadies and gentlemen, Opportunity has successfully landed on Mars. Meanwhile, Spirit's condition improves. The Final Mars Rover Transmission? Here it is, folks. The exclusive final image sent by the Mars rover, Spirit before it stopped transmitting today. (See above.) Okay, this is a joke, of course. But what if...? Nah, I'm not even going to go there...just wanted to lighten up your day a little! Griffin's TiVo-like radioSHARK Should Swim in Open Waters Okay, radioheads, it's time to talk shop. You've heard of TiVo, right--the time-shift recording device that allows you to digitally record your favorite T.V. programs so you can watch them later? Well, last year Griffin Technology announced a product called radioSHARK, a time-shift recording device for radio. The radioSHARK plugs into your Mac and allows you to record your favorite, AM, FM, and Internet radio programs in a digital format so that you can listen to them later or download to your iPod (or other MP3 player) to listen to at your leisure. And like the TiVo, you'll also have the ability to skip commercials. The radioSHARK also includes a fin-shaped antenna to tune in local AM and FM radio stations. Sounds great, right? I'm sure we're all ready to buy one...Unfortunately, the device was due for release by the end of last summer, yet here we are nearing the second month of a new year and we still haven't seen the radioSHARK. In fact, the only real news we've heard about the gadget is that the price of the device has increased 40 percent. So what happened to the radioSHARK? Obviously there've been some delays, and after promising the device for several months Griffin has now completely dispensed with a ship date. This provides an opportunity for some lucky entrepreneur to develop a similar product, perhaps one that works with both Macs and PCs. As for Griffin, unless they are already working on a PC version of the software that operates the radioSHARK, they would benefit both themselves and their customers by sharing some information about the radioSHARK's underlying technologies so some coders can hack up Windows and Linux flavors to allow the device to work with their computers. Griffin, however, specializes in Mac products, so they probably won't make it easy for developers to port their products to a PC platform. Yet they should follow Apple's example; by making the iPod available to Windows users Apple captured the market for MP3 devices. (In fact, a week ago HP announced that they would be reselling the iPod--with their own HP brand name on it, of course.) Apple has really opened up their market to PC users; Griffin should follow this lead by making the radioSHARK available to PC users. Not only would that make for a fabulous apology for shipping the product so late--it would also open up Griffin's doors to a wider market. This is one shark we want to hit our beach, so we'll be scanning the ocean for signs of a fin. Hopefully Griffin will also do the right thing for it's customers by lowering the price--at least temporarily--to its original mark. They'd also stand a chance at having the device survive much longer once it hits the shore by allowing it to move freely from the shallow Mac waters through the deep PC sea. Microsoft Declares Copyright Infringement on MikeRoweSoftMicrosoft would like Mike Rowe to stop. Mr. Rowe is a 17 year old high school student who has started his own web design business, MikeRoweSoft. Now say his business' name again, this time aloud. Get it? And that's why Microsoft is ordering Mr. Rowe to give up his domain name, MikeRoweSoft.com, telling him he is committing copyright infringement.
Here's my take on this: Microsoft should have thought ahead and purchased the domain before anyone else could, but since they didn't, tough titty, their loss. (Pardon my french.) Rather than make a big deal about it, they should just chalk it up as just something they didn't anticipate. A relatively minor obstacle in the scheme of things. I mean, it's not like the kid chose a name that would realistically be mistaken for Microsoft--like Microssoft or something. Nobody's going to mistake MikeRoweSoft as Microsoft, and it would take a heckuva lot of monkeys to mistype the famous software company's domain name to that extent. I'll also add that nobody trying to make it to Microsoft's website is going to accidentally stumble into MikeRoweSoft.com. If someone somehow does manage to do that, then perhaps Microsoft is better off letting MikeRoweSoft deal with them. Mr. Rowe could be doing them a favor. With Microsoft spending their resources on minor legal skirmishes like this, they may as well change their name to Microsuit. It's Time To Try Linux, Just For FunI'm reading a wonderfully interesting book, Just For Fun, regarding Linus Torvalds and the rise of the Linux operating system. I don't know much about Linux. I know that's it's an open source operating system that's based on the Unix OS. I know that it's free and comes in various flavors, including Red Hat, Yellow Dog, and SuSE. I know that I've been considering installing it on my Mac just to try it out, but due to the constraints of time and lack of hard drive space I've put the exercise off. But now that I've picked up an old PC, perhaps I'll give it a shot. In keeping aligned with Mr. Torvalds' philosophy (as outlined in his book), I think it'd be fun.
Of course, I've got a million other things to do right now--a website to update, an Internet radio station playlist/stream to maintain, this blog to improve, a resume to update, and a million other projects. So when am I going to find the time to play with Linux? I suppose if I look at it from an investment perspective it will satisfy my need (or desire) to continue being productive while having fun. Linux can be used as the server for an Internet radio station; by learning how to set this up I will be prepared in case I should ever decide to webcast permanently from a home server. (Currently I'm using Live365's server and bandwidth-hosting services, although I do webcast live from my Mac occasionally.) Of course, I could always use my Mac to do this--it's already running a flavor of Unix called OS X, which is stable and reliable enough to do this. Yet it would be awfully expensive to do so, considering the same could be done with a cheap PC and a free version of Linux. One thing's for certain--the time is ripe for someone like me to give Linux a chance. More and more "normal users" are switching over to Linux as their preferred desktop environment, as the installation has become easier over the years. Since I'm somewhat technically savvy--even if more from a beta testing standpoint than a programming one--I'd probably be the perfect user of the OS. I don't know a lick about programming, but I have the propensity (and the patience) to install and test out software applications. And Linux, of course, being an entire operating system, may require some patience and flexibility during the installation/testing phase. Or not--as I mentioned, I don't know much about Linux, so I may be surprised at how easy it is to install and use. This Maestro Makes Music of the Spheres: Tool for Viewing Mars Images Available for Download Download Maestro and you'll soon be guiding your very own Mars rover. The software tool, "used by scientists to plan daily activities for the Mars Exploration Rover mission", has now been made available to the public. Need I say more? It's available in Windows, Mac, Linux, and Solaris flavors--and it's free! So get it here and once you're on Mars watch out for sand worms... Get Yer Bleepin' Music Here, Folks! Yesterday while on the air I mentioned some new releases made available through EMusic and Apple's iTunes Music Service. Today I present Bleep, Warp Record's new digital music store, which offers the independent recording label's entire music catalog for download. After browsing the store, I find it to be a welcome addition to the current online music stores; however, a few usability issues need to be worked out. For example, at first glance it appears that Warp is only offering a few CDs from its catalog. There is a Search field visitors can use to find their favorite Warp artists, which is useful if you're familiar with Warp Records. But visitors unfamiliar with Warp won't find searching the catalog too helpful, and the Browse link, which allows visitors to peruse the entire catalog, isn't quite as eye-catching as it should be. Many visitors may miss the Browse link and move on to another site that's more accessible to users. Once you've figured out how to find the site's music, however, you'll find it's offerings attractive. Although currently priced higher than Apple's or Napster's stores, you may find the artists offered here worth the extra change (especially if you're a VoyagerRadio listener). And like other digital music stores, Bleep offers exclusives only available at this particular site, such as a few tracks from one of Squarepusher's forthcoming singles (which will only be made available on vinyl elsewhere). This alone makes the downloads worth the price. Back to the Future--the Moon, That Is, and Then MarsGood news for space explorers. President Bush today outlined a proposal to return to the moon. No, he's not going back to the moon--the future of space exploration is. In a plan worthy of comparison to President Kennedy's push to travel to the moon during the 1960's, Bush would like to establish a moon base which would help us eventually get to Mars.
Should Congress approve, the venture will cost somewhere around $12 billion total for the first five years. But don't let the detractors say that's too much--it's a drop in the bucket compared to the amount of money we're spending on other ventures, such as war at $1 billion a day. So call your local congressperson today and let them know we want to reach for the stars. The iPod is a Gateway Drug I've been wondering why Apple hasn't made their iPod wireless yet. Wouldn't it be great to be able to download music to your MP3 audio player from just about anywhere in the world? It shouldn't be too difficult to add WiFi to the little device that does just about everything but heat your coffee. There will need to be a new software interface, of course, but the project is certainly manageable. During a conversation with a friend a few minutes ago, however, I realized why we haven't seen the addition of this feature yet--and won't be anytime soon. In fact, it may be a very, very long time before we see this feature in an MP3 audio device from a vendor that also sells complete computer systems. The reason: Apple--as well as Dell, Sony, or any other computer vendor selling MP3 audio devices--is using the iPod as a gateway to their more expensive hardware. It's the marijuana-theory, applied to the digital world. The iPod is like marijuana, a gateway drug which could potentially lead to the desire for the more costly heroin or crack, the Power Mac G5. Using this analogy, I suppose the iTunes Music Store downloads could be considered cigarettes. Apple has no interest in selling the iPod as a stand-alone product--the device requires a computer to download music from. Should they make it convenient to download music directly to the iPod, there goes half their computer sales. I had already realized that was the intention of the iTunes Music Store--Apple's CEO Steve Jobs has already stated that the digital music shop wasn't making them bundles of money through downloads alone. The Music Store's main purpose was to create a market for iPods and other Apple hardware. That was obvious to me--but I'd been hoping to one day hear some news about a wireless iPod being developed. Looks like I'll be looking for another developer to come through. Unless Apple surprises me. Forget the Bloggies--Let's Celebrate Indie BlogsA Bloggie, of course, is becoming the most recognized award a blogger can achieve. But the award is certainly more of a mainstream celebration than not; most of the winners are, as defined by its rules, well-known. You must receive a large number of nominations before your blog may even be considered for an award, and how does one receive a large number of nominations but by having a huge readership from which you can solicit those nominations? Thus, your blog must be well-known to receive an award.
I suppose many of you may argue that the point of the award is to celebrate the best--and the most heavily-read, well-known blogs must be the best out there, right? Not exactly. Many of the more well-known blogs are composed of a group of self-described "A-List" bloggers, a community of bloggers who have chosen to link to and celebrate each other's sites in an effort to establish and preserve their own Top Dog status. This is not to say that there aren't some wonderful writers/bloggers in that group--I'm just saying there are some wonderful and imaginative writers/bloggers outside the A-List that aren't being recognized by this self-aggrandizing Academy Awards-type of celebration. So what's the solution? Perhaps someone should establish another awards show, one that is less for A-List bloggers and designed more to recognize--or simply get the word out on--those well-written and well-designed blogs that are lesser known. An Independent Spirit-type of recognition. Not to be confused with the Anti-Bloggies, of course, which is more of a Razzies-type of showcase. In my ideal blog awards ceremony there would be a category for Thinking Outside the Blog, those experiments that utilize some blogging techniques and/or technologies to create a different type of blogsite than we've become accustomed to. Another category would be for more specific areas, like Most Engaging Internet Radio Blog, or Most Spirited and Opportunistic Mars Rover Blog, or Most Informative Relationship Blog. (Don't ask me where the relationship blog idea came from--I don't even read those types of blogs. Or do I?) To top it off, we can playfully retain blogging's democratic promotional spirit by celebrating a Random Blog. We all love recognition, and perhaps the world would be a happier place if we had more awards ceremonies. Unfortunately, too many of these ceremonies are designed as incestuous promotional affairs in which already-established entities pat each other's backs. Let's establish an outlet for more voices to become known. Of course, I don't have time to do it myself--I have an Internet radio station to run. But please consider my nomination for the following category: AWARD FOR A RANDOM BLOG: A RANDOM BLOG Good News for Immigrants? More Like, Good News for Americans President Bush has introduced a proposal to allow undocumented immigrants to legally work in the U.S, many of whom are from Mexico. Some Mexican officials are optimistic of the plan, but others remain skeptical, saying the proposal is nothing more than a way for Bush to boost his credentials during this election year. In any case, and perhaps in reaction to this story, blogger Phillip Greenspun argues that our country needs immigrants, asserting that "a country that has collected all of the world's smartest people should always be able to do something new, interesting, and profitable". One thing that cannot be overlooked is that without immigrants we'd have a helluva time finding a way to keep those amenities we've come to expect: late night trips to fast food restaurants, fresh fruits and vegetables in our supermarkets, afternoon lovemaking sessions in cheap motels, our cars hand-washed for remarkably low prices. These and other conveniences would not be possible without cheap labor. Certainly not probable, for most americans disdain those jobs. So before we begin rejecting Bush's proposal outright, let's consider whether we'd want to begin bending over in the strawberry fields ourselves. I'm sure if each of us did that for a day out of our lives we'd have a much greater appreciate for our low-wage workers. As a matter of fact, if each did for one day what undocumented immigrants do every day of their lives for a living, maybe we wouldn't need to have immigrants do our work for us at all. VoyagerRadio Hi-Fi Now Transmitting to Earth Earlier this week I officially launched a high-fidelity stream for my Internet radio station, VoyagerRadio. Thought I'd mention it here in case you haven't yet subscribed to my newsletter. The new stream will present VoyagerRadio in stereo and at a high bitrate for broadband Internet listeners. The stream is also mp3PRO for those of you who have mp3PRO players. I've been wanting to make this available for well over two years now; it wasn't until now that I could afford to do so. Dialup listeners need not lament, either--those you with 56k Internet connections will still be able to receive the webcast via a low-fidelity stream. In case you haven't already heard, VoyagerRadio transmits chillout and downtempo electronica to Earth from a deep space explorer. You can "tune in" anytime, day or night--and if you're subscribed to the newsletter I'll even send you an alert as to when I'll be webcasting live. (Which hasn't been very often lately--which is why you need to be subscribed to my newsletter to receive an alert!) The Time-Traveling iPodOh, that's great. They actually added the iPod to that famous Mac commercial. What will they think of next? Apple Goes Mini in iPod, Yet Not in Price As rumored, Apple introduced a new iPod at Macworld Expo today. The new business card-sized iPod mini, which will be available in February, is a 4 Gb MP3 audio player capable of holding 1,000 songs (versus the 10,000 current capacity of hard drive-based iPods). The new iPod is also available in five colors, reflecting Apple's history of providing unique and colorful flavorings to its product line. Many of the rumors about this device were true. The iPod is priced lower than previous iPods, and the capacity of the iPod is greater than that of other devices on the market. Apple provided a higher-capacity 4 Gb audio player than many even expected--some rumors had it that a 1 or 2 Gb player could be expected. I am certain that the new iPod will clearly continue leading the pack of premium MP3 audio players on the market with its slick design, interface, and ability to archive an enormous number of songs and other files. Yet for these same virtues the new iPod will be unavailable to many people, for they add value to its price, which--though rumored (or I should say, hoped) to be at around $100 or so--has actually come in at a high $250. It is clear that Apple is still serving a wealthier consumer base. That is not to say that this is a bad thing, for Apple has come to define itself and survive by serving a niche market. Apple knows how to survive, and Jobs himself declared during the keynote that Apple was going after the higher-end MP3 audio player market. No, Apple is making the right move, from a business point of view. From a consumer's perspective, however, I'll just say this: I won't be buying an iPod anytime soon--I'll be sticking to Internet radio for a diverse selection of music, and my CD walkman for portability, unless I can find a cheaper iPod. Ideally, some organization somewhere will one day introduce a stand-alone portable Internet radio tuner--an iPod which includes wireless capabilities--so that I can listen to hundreds of thousands or even millions of songs while waltzing about the world. Macworld Expo Keynote Currently in Progress The Macworld Expo is currently in progress. Watch the live webcast of Steve Jobs' keynote--if you don't have time now it'll be archived for you to watch at your leisure. So far Jobs and company have announced an amazing new audio application called Garage Band, a 64-track editor and live recording application--which will be included in Apple's iLife suite of apps (available January 16), currently retailing for only $49! Earlier announcements at the Expo included a new version of Microsoft Office and an update to Final Cut Express and Apple's iLife apps. The G5 Xserve has also been introduced. The keynote is still in progress, so tune in while it's still live! Two Stories of Love I finally watched the DVD Iris last night, the story of writer/philosopher Iris Murdoch, who was afflicted with the terminal illness Alzheimer's Disease. This is not just a story about illness, however--I recommend this wonderful film to anyone who enjoys a good love story. That said, the film will teach you a thing or or two about AD, especially if you are unfamiliar with the disease and watch the included special message from Alzheimer's Association spokesperson David Hyde Pierce, which provides a brief background of the illness.  If you're interested in learning more about AD, or simply want to read a fascinating memoir, I recommend picking up a copy of Death in Slow Motion, Eleanor Cooney's heartbreaking account of her mother's slow descent into Alzheimer's. If you had difficulty putting down Dave Eggers' A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius long enough to go to the bathroom, you're going to shit your pants reading this. This well-articulated work is wonderfully engaging, not simply because of its subject matter but because of the author's honest, and provides an enlightening addition to the steadily building canon of caregiver accounts. First 3-D view of Mars Received by NASA The first 3-D panorama of Spirit's landing site has been received by NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab. (You need those blue-and-red cardboard glasses to see it properly.) So far, JPL has received black and white images; color images are on their way. Spirit Lands Safely on MarsTouchdown! Spirit, the first of NASA's Mars rovers to reach the red planet, has landed safely on the surface of the planet. Once the rover has unwrapped itself from it's protective packaging, it will immediately begin its three-month mission of exploration. Congratulations, Rover! Spacecraft Set to Land on Mars TonightOne of the Mars rovers, launched in June of last year, will be landing on Mars tonight. Or crashing. The explorer, dubbed Spirit, is packaged in giant airbags to protect it as it careens into the planet "at freeway speeds". Let's see if it survives. If it does, we're in for a treat. Besides this blog, a narrative blog called something that happened, and various other projects, I also moderate a discussion forum: Please consider subscribing to engage in a dialogue about all things having to do with Internet radio! |
Send Us Your Music
Artists! Want to be heard on this station? Email your MP3 audio, one file at a time, to our Program Director or mail your CD promo(s) to the following address:
Harold J. JohnsonVoyagerRadio
547 Gayley Avenue #1
Los Angeles, CA 90024 Make certain to let use know whether we may use the audio in our podcast, too!
Download the Podcast
We are officially podcasters now that we have revitalized and reintroduced our downtempo show Tempo of the Down, this time around as a podcast. Now showcasing independent downtempo we've been granted permission to offer for download, Tempo of the Down is our entry into the future of Internet radio.
Head over to our new Podcast area to download the latest session!
