Excerpt from article written for Twine Interactive

Since MySpace began to take a downward spiral in user traffic, many musicians have been left wondering where they can direct fans to discover their music. For years, MySpace has been the central hub of music promotion for both artists signed to major record labels and independent musicians. These musicians have used their MySpace profiles to gather as many fans as possible; who have inflated their song play counts and in some cases created enough exposure to take an artist from being an internet sensation to a household name.

We can now say; the bubble on MySpace has officially burst. Users have become tired of the constant spamming that has corrupted the network and are now flocking to other outlets like Facebook and more recently, Twitter for promotion. Rather than jockeying for song plays, artists are now competing for followers and are using networks like Twitter to build more personalized relationships with fans.

Musicians are implementing a variety of methods to interact with their base of followers on Twitter and are routinely trying to instigate new promotional methods that will attract the attention of the Twitterverse. One genre of music seems be succeeding at utilizing Twitter’s broad range of application more than any other; hip-hop.

In some cases, hip-hop artists are generating buzz on Twitter without even owning an account themselves. Jay-Z, who recently released the album Blueprint 3, has been a staple of Twitter’s trending topics on almost a daily basis due to his legion of fans who are constantly posting updates about his album release and promotional appearances to promote the album. The artist does not have a personal Twitter account, but has demonstrated he has the fan base capable of making him one of the network’s most discussed celebrities.

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This music video was shot for Sour’s ‘Hibi no Neiro’ (Tone of everyday) from their first mini album ‘Water Flavor EP’. The cast were selected from the actual Sour fan base, from many countries around the world. Each person and scene was filmed purely via webcam.

Director: Masashi Kawamura + Hal Kirkland + Magico Nakamura + Masayoshi Nakamura

SOUR official site: http://sour-web.com

2009 Neutral Nine Records

Here’s a preview of the upcoming DJ Hero video game scheduled for release in October. From the video it’s hard to tell if this game will be any good. I know lots of people swear by Guitar Hero and seeing as how it’s made by the same company, I expect fans will be pleased.

I’m for anything that’s going to teach the kids that DJ’ing actually requires DJ equipment & some skill, rather than just a computer and the ability to make playlists.

I’ll probably be copping it for the PS3, although October is generally close to the release of the NBA 2K series, so I may not have time in my life for much else after that drops.

The point? Good luck answering that one, but you know you want to follow it (and even better have a coffee maker following you).

Spotted at TechCrunch

Contact: SheNotes – shenotes@gmail.com

About Nextbeat

What is Nextbeat?
Nextbeat is a fully integrated professional DJ system, incorporating intuitive touch sensor controls and innovative live performance functions. Its wireless portable control unit enables performers to move free from the main device, resulting in more dynamic and energetic live performances, contrasting to the traditional style of DJs performing inside booths. nextbeat is not just a revolutionary interface, it is an instrument. DJs can create new, original, and intuitive music through playing nextbeat.

Which audio formats are supported?
Nextbeat supports digital formats such as MP3, WAV and AIFF, AAC-LC.

Is it necessary to connect nextbeat to a PC or a Mac to play the music?
No, Nextbeat is a stand-alone DJ device.

How do you transfer music into nextbeat?
Transfer your favorite sounds – by track or by music folder – into a Compact Flash card by a simple drag and drop.

Do you need to have two nextbeat to perform as a professional DJ?
One single nextbeat is offering you the performing features of two digital turntables, one mixer, one effector and one sampler.

Does it connect to the Internet?
No, it does not connect directly to the Internet.

How do you perform when you remove the portable unit?
Many functions required to perform is featured in the portable unit. By removing the portable unit, you can move around freely so you feel more of a connection with the audience.

What is the size and weight of the product?
It is a 30cm X 30cm record jacket size and weighs approximately 2.7kg.

Who is it targeted at?
Nextbeat is designed for professional DJs.

Did you get any feedback from professional DJs?
As Wacom we take a proactive approach to understand and meet out customers’ needs. International professional DJs are participating with the nextbeat design and development. Reactions from DJs have been very positive. Based on their comments and suggestions, we are working on implementing their wish list to make nextbeat even better.

Spotted at flylyf

I’ve been giving the new T-Mobile G1 phone a test drive for the past week. It’s currently boxed up and will soon be returning to my local T-Mobile retailer. I’ll be switching back to my Blackberry 8800 that luckily didn’t attract a buyer on eBay. It’s unfortunate, as I had high hopes for this phone and researched the device extensively- paired it against competitors and finally decided it was a better device than the iPhone or the new Blackberry Storm. While I still believe the Android operating system is going to prove to be superior to the others, my conclusion is the G1 phone was released prematurely and is not suitable for most users.

The G1 really has the potential to be great. If I only needed a phone for web browsing and personal use, I would probably be raving about this device. The design of the phone is perfect, the 3G speed on T-Mobile’s network is very fast and the applications available impressed me as much, and sometimes more, than anything I’ve seen on an iPhone. Shazam, the music ID application currently being used in iPhone advertising, is also available on the G1 and is actually as cool as it looks on the commercial. There’s a couple of applications used for price comparison when shopping that allow you to scan a bar code with the phone’s camera and find the best price for an item at nearby stores or on the web. This is a great tool in our current economic state and should save consumers a lot of money. There’s even an application called flashlight that simply illuminates the phone with a bright white light, which isn’t really on the cutting edge of technology, but useful nonetheless.

The major flaw with the phone is the battery. It’s amazing that the developers tested this phone out and gave it a green light after experiencing the ridiculously short life of the battery. An average phone user is likely to get a half day at best out of the phone before you need to plug in and more frequent users probably need to stay near a power outlet at all times. You can turn all the battery draining services off like the 3G connection, Bluetooth and the brightness of the display and still won’t get a full day of service from the device (not to mention you’re disabling one of the most important components of the device with the 3G connection). To sum it up; any phone that has a full charge when you go to sleep and has less than 40% of it’s battery life remaining when you wake up should not be on the market.

Additionally, the phone has serious issues with email. I’ve read reviews that suggest the phone handles Gmail better than POP mail, but I found there to be problems with message retrieval across the board. I tried a number of configurations hoping to achieve more frequent message retrieval and notifications, but was unable to make the email client work properly. I had to manually open each mailbox and wait while the device communicated with my server anytime I wanted to find out if I had email. After a few days, I pretty much gave up on using the device for email altogether.

A few other complaints I have about this device is its lack of ability to sync with Outlook, which is something I think most Blackberry users will find frustrating. Also, the lack of ability to open any MS-Office documents or PDF files is a problem, although I expect this to be something an application developer will solve shortly. There also needs to be some sort of tiling system for applications that would allow you to switch between open applications quickly, as the current setup requires you to bounce back and forth to the home screen to launch each app.

I can’t recommend the G1 to anyone right now, but as I told a colleague this morning, I wouldn’t be surprised if I’m back at T-Mobile in a month or two purchasing the phone again once it’s been confirmed that the battery and email issues have been acknowledged and corrected. I’ve seen the light now and am excited to get my hands on a 3G device that can become my new portable office, but will continue to exercise patience until I’m sure the right device exists.

There aren’t a whole lot of reasons for someone to need a house that can slowly move itself using hydraulic legs, but I damn sure hope you people start buying the things.

I can’t wait to get a call from a friend saying “Hey, you should come by tonight and check out my new robot house!”

I wouldn’t bring a bottle of wine, I’d bring a mini-liquor store and encourage them to party like they’re in college.

Come on and celebrate. You’re homeowner now. Cheers!

I’ll be concentrating on where I’m going to move the robot house and how funny it will be to put that shit on Youtube.

You can download the Excel file here

“THE HAND” R/C WINDOW SIGN

Place The Hand on your car, home or apartment window (suction cups included) and let the world know how you’re feeling! Simply press one of the buttons on the wireless remote (with visor clip) and choose 1 or all 7 of the built-in hand gestures.

Using electroluminescent technology, combined with animation, The Hand will create a attention grabbing sensation wherever it is used! Includes the ever popular: I love you, Hang Loose, Devil Horns, The Bird, Loser , Power and Peace gestures. Use at night for the best effect.

Cop It Here ($39)