Wednesday, April 29, 2015
WHO KNOWS WHERE YOU WERE LAST NIGHT?
ANS: anyone with access to your phone (including hackers and perhaps your OS provider).
NBC Nightly News tonight reported that your phone may store the time, date, and location of everywhere you go, and store it, and possibly send it back to your OS provider.
My older Android phone does not seem to do this; at least I could not find it. I did find it on a iPhone.
You can find the information on your phone and delete or block it as follows:
For an iPhone:
Click on Settings from your home screen.
Click Privacy.
Next, click on Location Services.
Scroll down to System Services.
Click on Frequent Locations, where you can clear the history of where you've been, and then turn off Frequent Locations.
For an Android:
(Steps vary depending on phone model.)
Click on Settings from the home screen.
Click on Location preferences.
Disable the Google Location History and it will be turned off.
NBC NIGHTLY NEWS
http://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/your-phone-snooping-you-n350511
By the way, giving access to lots of services on your phone necessary (or not) for Apps to run can allow a lot of personal information to be retrieved by the App maker.
By the way, giving access to lots of services on your phone necessary (or not) for Apps to run can allow a lot of personal information to be retrieved by the App maker.
Labels: Android, iPhone, location tracking, privacy, snooping
MICROSOFT BUILD KEYNOTE
UPDATE MAY 2015
BUILD TOUR IN NEW YORK
Microsoft is bringing the BUILD conference to New York
in a one-day event on
May 18.
For information and to register:
* *** *
BUILD CONFERENCE IN SAN FRANCISCO
APRIL 2015
BUILD is Microsoft's Developers' Conference.
MS streamed the keynote live. (They have a nice STREAMING video channel: CHANNEL 9 https://channel9.msdn.com/) -- I'm guessing it will be Channel 10 before too long.
They talked about
- Microsoft Store
- Azure (their cloud)
- Windows 10
- Windows Edge (new browser)
- Hololens
Here's my take...
First of all, they are making a strong effort to create a platform that will extend over the largest possible number of devices, including IoT (Internet of Things) devices. And they are trying, on the one hand, to create a development system which, with one code and content base, a developer can reach the entire ecosystem of devices; and, on the other hand, especially with Azure, to create a platform which will accomodate any development software a developer wishes to use. (Those goals might co-exist, or they might confict.)
It should be said at the outset that the keynote did not have the simplicity and clarity (of, say, an Apple event -- or the MS events of years ago) that one might hope for. Especially at the beginning, the BWpM score (Buzz-Words per Minute) was so high that not even a UN translator could have rendered it all into English, intelligible to anyone who is not an MS insider already developing 24/7 (dreams in code, only).
The talks did not give any dates for public releases (July is estimated by some for Windows 10) but developer code is becoming available now.
Here are some things that struck me as interesting in the talk:
- Windows 10 is designed to operate seamlessly and interchangeable on everything.
- Azure is designed to be extremely versatile for lots of code choices; it is not clear whether it will be simple or inexpensive to use.
- The Microsoft Store is growing and becoming more useful
- Windows Edge continues the theme: to leverage the concept of anything, anywhere
- Hololens is really interesting.
Hololens is one of several new types of eyewear coming soon from various vendors that enable VR (putting you an a virtual reality room) and AR (Augmenting Reality by adding information to your real environment). Hololens, which puts virtual 3D objects into your environment, seems to be mostly AR, but with some VR capabilities. (Kinect was a first step toward Hololens.)
Hololens can survey your actual environment in real-time in 3 dimensions. It has additional position and other real-time sensors. It can project models and data into your visual space. (Remember Minority Report?) It has independent computing power, so it does not need wires. It looks cool.
Development for Hololens can begin (Microsoft suggests) by learning Unity.
Development for Hololens can begin (Microsoft suggests) by learning Unity.
It can have many applications in entertainment, education, marketing, and business. Perhaps even police work. (Remember Minority Report?)
All in all, Microsoft made a very strong case for the value and power of developing with new Microsoft Software. The case for ease of development not so much.
The techy nature of the keynote (well, it is a tech conference) however, did not provide much guidance as to the ability of Microsoft to compellingly market compelling consumer-ware.
Labels: Azure, Build, BUILD NEW YORK, Channel 9, Hololens, Microsoft
Thursday, April 23, 2015
A NIGHT OF PHILOSOPHY
A NIGHT OF PHILOSOPHY
PHILOSOPHY AS PERFORMANCE
7 PM APRIL 24, 2015 thru 7 AM APRIL 25
French Embassy & Ukrainian Institute of America
Fifth Avenue and 79th Street
A VERY interesting live event is developing for tomorrow night, developed by Mériam Korichi and presented by Cultural Services of the French Embassy, the Ukrainian Institute of America, the Onassis Cultural Center NY and the FACE Foundation.
"From 7pm to 7am, philosophy will occupy the historic corner of Fifth Avenue and 79th Street. Come and experience an innovative and original nocturnal happening, with over 80 events ranging from philosophical lectures to artistic performances, from theatre to video art, from songs to dance and DJ sets.
Come and experience philosophy as performance.
Events will simultaneously happen in all corners of the two mansions. Roam free throughout the unique settings of the French Cultural Services and the Ukrainian Institute of America, stumble upon enlightening talks, piano improvisations, unexpected performances, a musical spacecraft fallen from the sky. It will make you see philosophy, and night, in a whole new light.
The entire event is free and open to all.
Coffee will be provided all night with croissants as the sun rises!"
Update, April 25. The event was interesting and fun for me, but I was lucky. There were some 15,000 people that said on Facebook they were coming, but the buildings held only a few hundred at any one time. I arrived about 45 minutes early and fortunately was in the group that was admitted right away. Lines persisted long into the night, as people were admitted only to replace those that left. (At 1:30 AM the line to get in held several hundred people: three deep for a full city block. But the people on line seemed to be having a good time.)
Although it was interesting, and I enjoyed it, and I saw numerous small groups (of 2,3,4,5.. people) near the bar discussing philosophy, it has to be admitted that the program had some fundamental problems. The first talk I attended, for example, "Must Intellectual Life Be Boring" was really boring. Actual talks were rarely as interesting as their titles. The problems with the philosophical talks were largely two-fold:
1- They were too short: it was impossible to present any non-trival philosophical idea in the time available. Some speakers tried to give complex arguments that could not be justified in the available time; others simply made the most obvious, elementary remarks. In both cases, speakers used too many unsupported (and often unsupportable) sweeping generalizations.
2- The talks were badly presented: some speakers talked too softly; some used non-English expressions, or big, fancy, often Greek, words when little English words would have been clearer and more accurate; sometimes noise from outside the room drowned out the speaker.
The presentation of a reading of The Marquis de Sade's "Philosophy in the Boudoir" was interesting, but a bit bizarre: there are two central female characters, the main personalities: the older, libertine, woman protagonist, and the virgin girl being "educated". The first character was portrayed by a man, the other was completely omitted.
All in all I thought it was a great idea, and much of the execution (once you got inside) was excellent, but to present "Philosophy in Performance" needs more effort to guarantee the quality of the performance, And more attention needs to be given to matching the size of the potential audience with the capacity of the venue.
PROGRAM
http://www.nightofphilosophy.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/NoP_Program.pdf
HOME PAGE
www.nightofphilosophy.com/
FACEBOOK PAGE
https://www.facebook.com/events/1684557631771958/
FRENCH CULTURE PAGE
http://frenchculture.org/visual-and-performing-arts/events/night-philosophy
Labels: A NIGHT OF PHILOSOPHY, Cultural Services of the French Embassy, Marquis de Sade, Philosophy of the Boudoir, Philosopy as perdormance, The Direction of Time, the Ukrainian Institute of America
Thursday, April 16, 2015
CTI COMMERCIAL THEATER INSTITUTE - Three Day Intensive
CTI
COMMERCIAL THEATER INSTITUTE
Three Day Intensive
An Introduction to Commercial Producing
Friday, April 17th 8:45 AM - 5:45 PM
Saturday, April 18th 9:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Sunday, April 19th 9:00 AM - 1:30 PM
at The Snapple Theater
210 W 50th St
Networking receptions will follow the courses both Friday and Saturday
I attended the CTI 3 Day Intensive some years ago. It is the gold standard for understanding the commercial theater, Broadway in particular. The line-up is a fantastic collection of the most savvy producers and theater professionals.
The networking alone is worth the price of admission.
In the course, you learn the basic economic and creative facts about commercial theater. It prepares you, as well, for the advanced and more specific and detailed additional courses the CTI provides during the year in the basic facets of producing commercial theater.
If you are interested in producing, or just understanding Broadway and the commercial theater, the CTI 3-Day Intensive is the prerequisite.
"Here's the door that opens the world of producing to you. This program gives you a comprehensive overview of producing for the commercial theater, with sessions including specific case histories, budgets, sample agreements, and is renowned for its networking opportunities. Come together with Broadway's hit makers and the producers of the future as well as the service professionals that you'll need to make you a success."
- David Stone, Wicked
- Kevin McCollum, Avenue Q
- Barry Weissler, Chicago
- Hal Luftig, Kinky Boots
- Tom Kirdahy, The Visit
- Kristin Caskey, Fun Home
- Robert Cole, Once
- Arielle Tepper Madover, The Elephant Man
- Chris Boneau, Boneau/Bryan-Brown
- Beth Williams, Grove Entertainment
- Elizabeth Furze, AKA
- Janette Roush, AKA
- Nina Essman, 321 Theatrical Management
- Bruce Robert Harris, On the Town
- Jack W. Batman, On the Town
- Megan Savage, A Gentleman's Guide...
- Brisa Trinchero, Beautiful
- Mike Isaacson, Fun Home
- Ruth Hendel, Fish in the Dark
- Amanda Watkins, Disgraced
- Richard Winkler, Disgraced
- Barbara Whitman, Hedwig and the Angry Inch
- Michael J. Sinder, Esq., The Law Offices of Michael J. Sinder
- Jonathan Lonner, Grubman Shire & Meiselas, P.C.
- Elliot Fishman, It Shoulda Been You
- Justin Weatherby, It Shoulda Been You
- Ashley M. DeSimone, Something Rotten!
- Jim Kierstead, Pippin
- John Arthur Pinckard, Doctor Zhivago
&
Tom Viertel, Executive Director of Commercial Theater Institute
and topics including
- Creative Development
- Legal Aspects of Producing
- A Presentation of New Musicals (in collaboration with NAMT)
- Dynamic Ticketing
- Early Career Producers
- And more!
For full details on the topics, speakers, panels, & networking opportunities;
http://www.commercialtheaterinstitute.com/product/three-day-intensive/
Older stories in QPORIT on CTI
2009
http://qporit.blogspot.com/2009/02/cti-commercial-theater-institute-www.html
2006
http://qporit.blogspot.com/2006_04_01_archive.html
2009
http://qporit.blogspot.com/2009/02/cti-commercial-theater-institute-www.html
2006
http://qporit.blogspot.com/2006_04_01_archive.html
Labels: 3 Day Intensive, Commercial Theater Institute, CTI
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
ROBIN ROSE SINGER'S APHASIA SCREENS AT TFF WITH FML SHORTS
Film Festivals are a great place to meet the stars of tomorrow, both actors and directors.
Robin Rose Singer is a Rapidly Rising Star. She wrote, starred in, and co-produced the short APHASIA which will get its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in the FML Shorts program. (FML is slang for "Fuck My Life" -- or any other reasonably similar expression for which the acronym fits.) I've seen her act (impressively) in Serious Shakespeare and modern comedy, she's worked in film and on stage, including starring in a martial arts themed version of Electra. She starred in the HIFF feature film selection "Kisses, Chloe" a few years ago. In addition to being a terrific, versatile actress, she is smart, reliable, nice, and beautiful.
APHASIA is very well written, directed and acted, and although it was made as an indie film, it has the production design, and production values of a major studio production. It's worth seeing, not only to get a handle on some important new talent (they are planning to attend the screenings), but especially because it's a good film that's... worth seeing.
Directed by Luke LoCurcio
Screenplay by Robin Rose Singer
Cinematography by Shawn Greene
Production Design by Anna Kathleen
Starring Robin Rose Singer and Frankie J. Alvarez
"what price are you willing to pay for plugging in?"
sci-fi/drama/short narrative | running time:12’19” | country: USA
SYNOPSIS
"Emily is your average 20-something in 2018. She texts her friends, orders food
online, and uses GPS to get where she’s going. When her online crush, Austin,
messages her to suggest meeting in person for the first time, Emily suddenly
comes face to face with the consequences of living a digital life."
FML SHORTS PROGRAM WITH APHASIA
screening schedule including Press/Industry screenings
04/16/2015 6:30 PM 7:43 PM Public Screening
04/17/2015 12:30 PM 1:43 PM Press/Industry Screening
04/20/2015 8:30 PM 9:43 PM Public Screening
04/22/2015 4:30 PM 5:43 PM Public Screening - FES
04/25/2015 4:30 PM 5:43 PM Public Screening
APHASIA OFFICIAL SITE
http://www.aphasiathefilm.com/
APHASIA TICKETS
(Note: BE AWARE! As of publication of this article,
there are only a limited number of seats available!)
https://tribecafilm.com/filmguide/aphasia-2015
TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL TICKETS
https://tribecafilm.com/festival/tickets
ROBIN ROSE SINGER - HOME PAGE
http://www.robinrosesinger.com/
ROBIN ROSE SINGER - IMDB
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3295250/
We've covered Robin before, here are some other stories in QPORIT:
KISSES, CHLOE AT HIFF
http://qporit.blogspot.com/2010/10/kisses-chloe-with-robin-singer-mikal.html
PUBLIC RELATIONS, THE WEBISODES
http://qporit.blogspot.com/2011/01/public-relations-webisodes.html
SOME GIRLS by NEIL LABUTE
http://bobooblog.blogspot.com/2011/12/some-girls.html
Labels: Anna Kathleen, APHASIA, Frankie J. Alvarez, Luke LoCurcio, Robin Rose Singer, Shawn Greene, TFF, Tribeca Film Festival
Saturday, April 11, 2015
NEUTRON-PROTON MASS DIFFERENCE FROM FIRST PRINCIPLES
The neutron-proton mass difference -- approximately 2 and a half times the mass of an electron -- was calculated for the first time from the basic principles and properties of the "Standard Model".
In this calculation, according to the authors, the mass "difference results from the competition between electromagnetic and mass isospin breaking effects". The calculation was done using a lattice (to approximate space-time) and four model quarks.
A report is available on ARXIV: http://arxiv.org/pdf/1406.4088.pdf
The paper is published in SCIENCE Mar 27, 2015.
Science Magazine > 27 March 2015 > Borsanyi et al., 347 (6229): 1452-1455
The authors are: Sz. Borsanyi , S. Durr, Z. Fodor, C. Hoelbling, S. D. Katz, S. Krieg, L. Lellouch, T. Lippert1, A. Portelli, K. K. Szab, and B. C. Toth, from Germany, Hungary, France and the UK.
Neutron Mass: 939.565 MeV/c^2 = 1.67493*10^-27kg
Proton Mass: 938.272 MeV/c^2 = 1.67262*10^-27kg
difference: 1.293 MeV/c^2 = 0.00231*10^-27kg
Electron Mass: 0.511 MeV/c^2 = 0.0009109*10^-27kg
For more background...
THE STANDARD MODEL - WIKIPEDIA
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_Model
The fact that the neutron is heavier than the proton is essential to the stability of matter, so understanding this fact is extremely important!
Labels: Borsanyi, electron mass, neutron mass, nuclear physics, particle physics, proton mass, the standard model
Tuesday, April 07, 2015
ONE WORLD TRADE CENTER OPENS
One World Trade Center Observation Deck opens May 29th.
Tickets on sale April 8 (tomorrow)
OBSERVATORY
ONE WTC HOME PAGE (AND RENTAL OFFICE)
Labels: One World Trade Center, WTC
