Logitech SmartDock for Skype for Business

Logitech SmartDock for Skype for Business

December, Logitech – Logitech SmartDock is secure meeting room console designed for Skype for Business. It can transform your meeting with a rich, collaborative experience. At Video Collaboration Press Briefing that took place November 21, 2016 at Logitech Headquarters in Newark, Joan Vandermate walked us through the details of the LogitechSmartDock and presented the functionality of the unit that was just shipped to the market.

The full interview and product demo can seen below:

2016 Automobility LA

2016 Automobility LA

November 2016 , Automobility LA – Where are we going with the cars? Brian Cooley in his keynote speech at the 2016 Automobility show in Los Angeles described the main characteristics for the automobile industry as follow: cars are doing more, the driver is the differentiator, many ways of electrification, the new performance and big data.

There are three forces changing cars today: Electrification – likely in 2025 EV will reach a tipping point. 35% of new sales by 2040? Connectivity – 75% of 90M+ new cars sold annually connected by 2020. Autonomy – 10M+ full/partial autonomous cars on the road by 2020.

The world is getting serious about EVs. MIT study pointed out that 0.83% of US car market is BEV/PHEV and 87% of cars are replaceable by current BEV/PHEV. In addition the electric vehicles are easy for car sharing what is considering as the future of the industry. The young people’s attitude towards cars has been changing and they not necessary feel a desire to own a vehicle. Bloomberg predictions are very optimistic: 40% of global new car sales by 2040 will be BEV/PHEV.

Car connectivity is necessary because of constant need of communication (web messaging, social media sharing), navigation (search to destination), entertainment (streaming music and video) and telematics (remote status and control).  Cars come home. Two main spaces: home and car are connected.

Autonomy is the future. The autonomous cars advantages are as follow: accident reduction, personal time recapture, congestion reduction, better road utilization and fuel efficiency.

32nd NAMM TEC Awards nominees

32nd NAMM TEC Awards nominees

December 2016, NAMM – The 32nd NAMM TEC Awards nominees for upcoming Winter NAMM were announced. The celebration of the winners in 23 categories of Outstanding Technical and 8 categories of Outstanding Creative Achievements will take place during the in Anaheim on Saturday, January 21, 2017. The TEC Awards are recognition of the individuals, companies and technical innovations behind sound recordings, live performances, films, television and video games. More info at www.tecawards.org and congratulation for the nominees.

Outstanding Technical Achievement

Amplification Hardware – Studio & Sound Reinforcement: Crown – XLS DriveCore 2, d&b Audiotechnik – 30D, dbx – DriveRack VENU360 Series, JBL – M-Patch, Lab.gruppen – E Series, Powersoft – Deva HD

Ancillary Equipment: Antelope Audio – OCX HD, Antelope Audio – 10MX, Dangerous Music – 2-BUS+, Little Labs – Monotor, Radial Engineering – DiNET TX & RX Dante direct boxes, Rupert Neve Designs – RNHP: Precision Headphone Amplifer

Audio Apps & Hardware/Peripherals for Smartphones/Tablets: Antelope Audio – Satori Remote, Avid – Pro Tools | Dock, iConnectivity – iConnectAUDIO2+, Moog Music – Model 15 App, Radial Engineering – BT-Pro, Sennheiser – Wireless System Remote

Audio Education Technology: EarMaster – Pro 6, Hal Leonard Performing Arts Publishing Group – Recording Unhinged, iZotope – Pro Audio Essentials , JBL – SpeakerPro, Neumann – Neumann in the Home Studio, NYU Music Experience Design Lab – Groove Pizza

Computer Audio Hardware: Antelope Audio – Orion32+, Apogee – Symphony I/O Mk II, Prism Sound – Callia, Focusrite – Red 4Pre, PreSonus – Studio 192 26×32 USB Interface, Universal Audio – Apollo Twin USB Interface

DJ Production Technology – Hardware/Software: American Audio – VM55 Controller, Denon – DJ MCX8000, Native Instruments – TRAKTOR Kontrol S5 controller, Numark – CDmix USB, Rane – MP2014 mixer, Reloop – Mixtour 2 mixer/controller

Headphone / Earpiece Technology: AKG – K182, Audio-Technica – ATH-M50xMG, Sennheiser – HD 25 Plus, Shure – KSE1500 Electrostatic Earphone System, Ultimate Ears Pro – UE Pro Reference Remastered, Waves – Nx Virtual Mix Room Plugin

Large Format Console Technology: Allen & Heath – dLive Series, AMS Neve – Neve 88RS, Avid – S6L, DiGiCo – Stealth Core2 , Solid State Logic – System T, Yamaha – Rivage PM10

Microphone Preamplifiers: AMS Neve – Neve 1073DPX, Antelope Audio – MP8D, Chandler Limited – TG Microphone Cassette, Grace, Design – m108 remote mic preamp / ADC, Kush Audio – Omega, Radial Engineering – Jensen Twin-Servo 500

Microphones – Recording: Aston – Spirit, Blue Microphones – Bottle Mic Locker, Bock Audio – U195, Lauten Audio – LA-320, Luke Audio – AL-X767, Mojave Audio – MA-1000 Signature Series, Schoeps – ORTF-3D

Microphones – Sound Reinforcement: AKG – C7, Audio-Technica – ATM230, Countryman – A3 podium mic, DPA Microphones – d:facto 4018VL, Electro-Voice – ND Series, Shure – KSM8 Dualdyne

Musical Instrument Amplification & Effects: Antelope Audio – Zen Tour, Blackstar – Artist Series, Line 6 – Firehawk 1500, Radial Engineering – JDX Direct-Drive, Softube – Marshall JMP 2203, Tech 21 – Bass Fly Rig

Musical Instrument Hardware: Casio – GP-400, Dave Smith Instruments – OB-6 Synthesizer, Korg – Minilogue, Line 6 – Helix / Helix Rack, Moog Music – Mother-32, Novation – Circuit Synthesizer / Drum Machine

Musical Instrument Software: IK Multimedia – Miroslav Philharmonik 2, Output – Exhale, PPG – Phonem, PreSonus – Notion 6 Music Notation Software, Softube – Marshall Bluesbreaker 1962, Tracktion – BioTek Organic Synthesizer

Signal Processing Hardware: A Designs – Hammer 2, Antelope Audio – Goliath, Chandler Limited – RS124 Compressor, Manley – Nu Mu, Warm Audio – WA-2A Tube Opto Compressor, CEDAR Audio Ltd – CEDAR DNS 2 Dialogue Noise Suppressor

Signal Processing Hardware (500 Series Modules): API – 512V, BAE – 1066DL, Bettermaker – C502V, dbx – 555, elysia – karacter 500, Phoenix Audio – Tilt Tone Channel/500

Signal Processing Software (Dynamics / EQ / Utilities): Empirical Labs – Arousor, iZotope – Ozone 7 Advanced, iZotope – RX 5 Audio Editor, McDSP – 6050 Ultimate Channel Strip, SPL – Transient Designer Plus, Waves – Greg Wells Signature Series

Signal Processing Software (Effects): Eventide – Tverb, iZotope – VocalSynth, Melodyne – Studio 4, Softube – Fix Flanger and Doubler, Soundtoys – 5, Universal Audio – Fender ’55 Tweed Deluxe Plug-In

Small Format Console Technology: Allen & Heath – Chrome Qu Series, Lawo – Sapphire Compact, Mackie – AXIS Mixing System, Solid State Logic – Sigma Delta, Waves – LV1 Live Mixer, Yamaha – CL/QL V4.0
Sound Reinforcement Loudspeakers: Bose Professional – F1 Flexible Array, EAW – Anna, JBL – EON ONE, Meyer Sound – MJF-208 Stage Monitor, PreSonus – ULT Series , VUE Audiotechnik – al-12

Studio Monitors: Augspurger – Solo12MF, Dynaudio – LYD Series, Focal – Trio6 Be, Genelec – 8340A IP SAM, JBL – LSR7 Series, Ocean Way Audio – HR4

Wireless Technology: Audio-Technica – ATW-T1006 Boundary Mic Transmitter , Lectrosonics – Venue 2 Receiver System, MIPRO – ACT 2400 Series, Neutrik – Xirium Pro, Sennheiser – Evolution Wireless G3 A-1 Band, Line 6 – Relay G10

Workstation Technology / Recording Devices: Avid – Pro Tools 12.3, Celemony – Melodyne Studio 4, MOTU – Digital Performer 9.1, PreSonus – Studio One 3.2 Professional , Steinberg – Cubase 8.5, Tracktion – T7

Outstanding Creative Achievement

Film Sound Production: 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi, Bridge of Spies, Star Trek Beyond, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, The Martian

Interactive Entertainment Sound Production: Call of Duty: Black Ops III, Fallout 4, Star Wars: Battlefront, Uncharted 4 A Thief’s End, World of Warcraft: Legion

Record Production – Album: Blackstar, David Bowie, A Head Full of Dreams, Coldplay, Culcha Vulcha, Snarky Puppy, Crosseyed Heart, Keith Richards, Hamilton, An American Musical, various artists

Record Production – Single: Blackstar, David Bowie, Can’t Stop the Feeling! Justin Timberlake, Empty, Garbage, Hello, Adele, Stare, Prince

Remote Production – Recording or Broadcast: 38th Annual Kennedy Center Honors, 58th GRAMMY Awards, 70th Annual Tony Awards, 88th Academy Awards, Superbowl halftime with Coldplay, Beyonce and Bruno Mars

Studio Design Project: Boston Symphony Orchestra Control Room, Deadmau5 Mau5trap, Man Made Music, Valenzo Studios, VSL Synchron Stage

Television Sound Production: Downton Abbey, Game of Thrones, Mr. Robot, The Walking Dead, Vikings

Tour/Event Sound Production: Adele Live 2016, Dave Matthews Band 2016 Summer Tour, One on One Tour – Paul McCartney, Radiohead 2016 World Tour, Rock Paper Scissors North American Tour – Sting and Peter Gabriel

Holiday Spectacular with Pepcom

Holiday Spectacular with Pepcom

Pepcom, October – On Thursday, October 27 Pepcom hosted its Holiday Spectacular press only event at Metreon City View in San Francisco. Over 50 companies were showing the season’s hottest new products and services. Last week Holiday Gift Guide produced by Roadway Media www.roadway.media was on the air on Comcast channel 27 and AT&T Uverse channel 99. Now is available at:

http://roadway.media/bright-blue-innovation/episode-5-pepcom-sf-holiday-spectactular-2016/

5G Americas advocates 5G & LTE at CTIA

5G Americas advocates 5G & LTE at CTIA

September, CTIA – Chris Pearson, President of 5G Americas, told us in 1:1 interview during the CTIA conference that the focus on 5G is good because we need to be looking at the future and the things we need to do to stay connected. This includes providing more mobile broadband, more massive LTE, less latency and finally reliable communication. For the foundation of mobile broadband, 4G and 5G will be integrated together as well the incorporation, with a big role, of LTE Advance and LTE Advanced Pro. But there is some economic reality behind the adoption of the technology in that, if you are an operator, and you want to deploy 5G, you have to have a business case to spend hundreds of millions or billions to pay it back.

5G Americas advocate for more innovations and investments from the private sector to look at the best interests of the end customers. The customer can be consumer, enterprise or verticals inside IOT.

5G Americas is the voice of 5G and LTE for all the Americas.  They work by supporting the ecosystem of mobile operators and vendors, working with government agencies, regulatory and standards bodies, as well as other global wireless organizations to promote the 5G & LTE technologies. They work in three (3) different areas:

First – Technical recommendations and facilitations. They don’t typically create standards but they are part of the process of education on the direction of the technology that they want. They also contribute their white papers with the associations around the world and governments around the world with focus on Americas region.

Second – They work on regulatory policy, that as Pearson admitted – become more and more important because of what 5G is going to be doing.  5G is getting to the other verticals and other areas such as: education, transportation and health care. He believes that 5G ecosystem should include and will include a regulatory aspect as it enters market already subject to regulatory control.

Third – Education.  They provide outreach with all wireless headquarters including industry media, industry analysts and a lot of influencers and government processes.

What Dr Bennet Omalu and Will Smith have in common?

What Dr Bennet Omalu and Will Smith have in common?

Biotechnology, September 2016 – The opening keynote for Biotechnology conference in San Francisco this past June was a brilliant pairing of two speakers – Forensic pathologist Dr Bennet Omalu and famous actor Will Smith.

What brought them together? The answer is – cinema.

Both of them are the characters of the movie “Concussion” that was released at the end of 2015 and many claimed that it deserved an Oscar nomination. It is the story of Dr Bennet Omalu (portrayed by Will Smith in the movie) who discovered and described a disease called CTE – Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy after a few dramatic accidents resulted in the early deaths of football players in Pittsburgh. For those who haven’t seen the movie I save writing a review, because it is worth going to see.

Dr Bennet Omalu talked on the stage about science for the sake of knowledge and the interrelationship of pure science and its faith. Will Smith talked about his reaction to the film. How he suddenly got concern about his son that likes to play football. Both men are very colorful characters. Omalu’s sense of humor and unstoppable laugh was dominating on the stage. Will Smith was talking about challenges in that role including Omalu’s accent and the laugh.

The film opened the public eyes at the challenges that players facing and shake the NFL world. Omalu who is dedicated to the science as investigating how the world works, and to this end, used his own money to investigate why the admired Steeler team football player Mike Webster, ended up his life alone, homeless and in unbearable pain. Omalu kept asking why that happened and why at so early an age. The road to acceptance of the discovery wasn’t easy but Omala believed and searched for truth no matter what.

As many attendees came being attracted by Will Smith presence they were taken by surprise and found  Dr Bennet Omalu very interesting and compiling person.