Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Quality
Read an article yesterday. This article talks about how the iPod has reduced sound quality to "Fisher-Price toy levels".
Well, I beg to differ with almost everything Mr. Neil Young says.
He claims that "Apple has taken a detour down the convenience highway" and this has caused the fall in audio quality levels. To save my live, I cannot see any sense in his argument. Yes, I agree that Apple has made it much easier for mere mortals to gain access to music. Yes, Apple has made it more convenient to not just bring music along with you, but bring all your music along with you. Yes, Apple has made it easier to cheaply obtain music legally through the iTunes Music Store (Though, sadly lacking in Singapore). But in no way can i see how this caused the fall in audio quality.
If music CD's are purchased and ripped into 320 kbps, WAV format or even better, FLAC or ALAC, how does that lower the sound quality? The CD was mastered in WAV format. Essentially, he is saying that making a exact copy of the music in its original format is reducing the quality. Its like saying that taking notes during a lecture will reduce the quality of the instuction.
El Weirdo also says that "We have beautiful computers now but high-resolution music is one of the missing elements". I have two bones to pick with this statement. First, who says that high-resolution music doesn't exist. And second, anyone who has seen an ASUS EEE PC can tell you that it is as far from beautiful as Arnold Schwarzenegger is from being a woman.
Funny enough, he does not blame comsumers from ripping songs at extremely low bitrates in shitty formats like Windows Media Audio (.wma) which i believe is the main cause. If anything, ignorance of the general public should be the main reason.
I'm surprised that someone with the mental capacity of a mealworm is able to identify blu-ray discs as the storage medium of the future.
Well, I beg to differ with almost everything Mr. Neil Young says.
He claims that "Apple has taken a detour down the convenience highway" and this has caused the fall in audio quality levels. To save my live, I cannot see any sense in his argument. Yes, I agree that Apple has made it much easier for mere mortals to gain access to music. Yes, Apple has made it more convenient to not just bring music along with you, but bring all your music along with you. Yes, Apple has made it easier to cheaply obtain music legally through the iTunes Music Store (Though, sadly lacking in Singapore). But in no way can i see how this caused the fall in audio quality.
If music CD's are purchased and ripped into 320 kbps, WAV format or even better, FLAC or ALAC, how does that lower the sound quality? The CD was mastered in WAV format. Essentially, he is saying that making a exact copy of the music in its original format is reducing the quality. Its like saying that taking notes during a lecture will reduce the quality of the instuction.
El Weirdo also says that "We have beautiful computers now but high-resolution music is one of the missing elements". I have two bones to pick with this statement. First, who says that high-resolution music doesn't exist. And second, anyone who has seen an ASUS EEE PC can tell you that it is as far from beautiful as Arnold Schwarzenegger is from being a woman.
Funny enough, he does not blame comsumers from ripping songs at extremely low bitrates in shitty formats like Windows Media Audio (.wma) which i believe is the main cause. If anything, ignorance of the general public should be the main reason.
I'm surprised that someone with the mental capacity of a mealworm is able to identify blu-ray discs as the storage medium of the future.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Pi
Happy Pi Approximation Day.
Anyway, people who have commutted on the North-East Line would know that there are two LCD screens. I found out today that the two screens are not linked in nature. I noticed some discernable lag between the two screens. Weird for SBS Transit not to split one signal into two outputs.
Anyway, people who have commutted on the North-East Line would know that there are two LCD screens. I found out today that the two screens are not linked in nature. I noticed some discernable lag between the two screens. Weird for SBS Transit not to split one signal into two outputs.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Mutation
Came across a very interesting article about a specific genetic mutation. This New York Times Article talks about a genetic variation called a SNP and how it once protected Africans from a parasite known as Plasmodium vivax. As people without this SNP were at a selective disadvantage, they died out and so did the parasite, only to be replaced by a stronger parasite.
Now, researchers have found that this SNP causes a conformational change in the surface configuration of the receptor protein. Instead of the receptor being complementary in shape to the intended hormone (CCL5), it now is complementary in shape to the HIV virus. However, a large concentration of CCL5 in the bloodstream prevents infection. So while these select individuals are more susceptible to HIV, the virus progresses slowly through their bodies.
Hopefully this will lead to a major breakthrough in understanding the HIV virus. Hopefully.
Now, researchers have found that this SNP causes a conformational change in the surface configuration of the receptor protein. Instead of the receptor being complementary in shape to the intended hormone (CCL5), it now is complementary in shape to the HIV virus. However, a large concentration of CCL5 in the bloodstream prevents infection. So while these select individuals are more susceptible to HIV, the virus progresses slowly through their bodies.
Hopefully this will lead to a major breakthrough in understanding the HIV virus. Hopefully.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Shuffle
Today I was on the train and started pondering about the "shuffle" function in my iPod. The shuffle function on iPods are meant to be random, meaning that the probability of any single, specific track being played should be the same as that of any other specific track.
So I came home and used an album with 21 tracks as my sample. Using Track 10 as the starting track, I moved on to the next track and took note of the frequencies. I planned to take 100 readings but gave up at 50. Assuming that the track selection is perfectly random, the probability of any single track should be 0.05(1/20), which equates to 2.5 times per track. My findings below show otherwise.
This obviously shows that the iPod's algorithm for shuffling songs is not concrete enough. Note that Track 11 was played a grand total of zero times. Now we all know why some songs are not played at all, even in shuffle.
So I came home and used an album with 21 tracks as my sample. Using Track 10 as the starting track, I moved on to the next track and took note of the frequencies. I planned to take 100 readings but gave up at 50. Assuming that the track selection is perfectly random, the probability of any single track should be 0.05(1/20), which equates to 2.5 times per track. My findings below show otherwise.
This obviously shows that the iPod's algorithm for shuffling songs is not concrete enough. Note that Track 11 was played a grand total of zero times. Now we all know why some songs are not played at all, even in shuffle.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Destruction
Why are people in such a rush to change things?
Why the compulsion?
Why change?
Why not status quo?
At the end of this year, the hotel in the picture will be torn down to make way for a new MRT station. Yes, all nine floors of The New 7th Story Hotel will be shattered into mere rubble. Losing such a building that has been standing at the very same spot for the last 50 years will be such a waste. A loss for Singapore. A part of our heritage missing...All in the name of globalisation and progression.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Closure
Maybe I was wrong. A deep friendship or a platonic love perhaps. Maybe not...
Anyway, I've got over it already.
I've been having some sort of a creative drought recently. I just can't seem to shoot a compelling image. I hope it is just some passing phase. Its not that I have lost my passion for photography, its just that I can't seem to do anything right with a camera these days. Maybe I have been trying too hard.
Had some really, really weird dreams recently.
Anyway, I was one the MRT when I overheard two women talking about the merits of collagen. About how it made her skin smooth and tight et cetera. Utter bullshit I say. It is pure and shameless commercialism that has driven society into such a downward trend. And like a disease, such "lies" are spread via word of mouth. This disease eventually will infect all of mankind minus those who knew better.
Any partially competent biology student will tell you that a collagen molecule is a protein. It is made up of three left handed helices supported by numerous hydrogen bonds. As such, once collagen is ingested, hydrochloric acid in the stomach is going to reduce a molecule of collagen into mere amino acids. It does not remain as a collagen molecule for "absorption" into the body.
An article written by Times Online confirms what I have been saying for months.
Using a collagen sheet for surgical reasons is perfectly understandable, but ingesting it? They would be much better off spending that kind of money on some good steaks, since it all works down to amino acids.
Anyway, I've got over it already.
Yesterday is the easiest day. Tomorrow will be the hardest.
I've been having some sort of a creative drought recently. I just can't seem to shoot a compelling image. I hope it is just some passing phase. Its not that I have lost my passion for photography, its just that I can't seem to do anything right with a camera these days. Maybe I have been trying too hard.
Had some really, really weird dreams recently.
Anyway, I was one the MRT when I overheard two women talking about the merits of collagen. About how it made her skin smooth and tight et cetera. Utter bullshit I say. It is pure and shameless commercialism that has driven society into such a downward trend. And like a disease, such "lies" are spread via word of mouth. This disease eventually will infect all of mankind minus those who knew better.
Any partially competent biology student will tell you that a collagen molecule is a protein. It is made up of three left handed helices supported by numerous hydrogen bonds. As such, once collagen is ingested, hydrochloric acid in the stomach is going to reduce a molecule of collagen into mere amino acids. It does not remain as a collagen molecule for "absorption" into the body.
An article written by Times Online confirms what I have been saying for months.
...British Skin Foundation say they’ve seen no evidence that eating collagen will benefit your skin in any way. “Certain products applied to the skin that stimulate collagen production may have the desired effect, but eating it is unlikely to make a difference.”
Using a collagen sheet for surgical reasons is perfectly understandable, but ingesting it? They would be much better off spending that kind of money on some good steaks, since it all works down to amino acids.
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