Nine Inch Nails present "The Future of Music and the Internet"

Looks like Trent Reznor, front man for Nine Inch Nails has come up with a business model that will help artists break free of the blood sucking record companies and the RIAA 'nazis'.  Radiohead got things started by releasing their latest album totally free, asking listeners to pay whatever they thought was fair.  Not a bad start but a bit risky?

Nine Inch Nails have used this concept to come up with a way of distributing their album that is pure genius.

Ghosts I-IV is a brand new 36 track instrumental collection available right now. Almost two hours of new music composed and recorded over an intense ten week period last fall, Ghosts I - IV sprawls Nine Inch Nails across a variety of new terrain.

Trent Reznor explains, "I've been considering and wanting to make this kind of record for years, but by its very nature it wouldn't have made sense until this point. This collection of music is the result of working from a very visual perspective - dressing imagined locations and scenarios with sound and texture; a soundtrack for daydreams. I'm very pleased with the result and the ability to present it directly to you without interference. I hope you enjoy the first four volumes of Ghosts."

I have never really listened to Nine Inch Nails so I am currently downloading the Free Download to see what I think of them.  If it is something that appeals to me then the $5 download will be a given.  And I'll bet that $5 is a hell of a lot more than Nine Inch Nails would have made if I had bought their CD at a record store.

Who knows?  I might become a big fan and the $75 Deluxe Edition will be mine next time they release an album!

Click here to choose from five ways to wake up the music industry! - http://ghosts.nin.com/main/order_options

Justin Smith - North Queensland Cowboys Press Conference

Justin Smith speaks to the press prior to the Cowboys pre-season home game against the Canberra Raiders - Video: Cameron Laird

Funny failure to vote excuses!

Yes, every Australian over 18 is forced to vote whether they like it or not.  These are some of the classic excuses smart Aussies come up with!

Taking busking to the extreme

This is pretty damn classy and innovative!

Musical Crystal Glasses Like Never Before

 

via Fliggo

Click if your computer screen is dirty.

Clean your computer screen through the internet!

Click here to give it a try | digg story

Is this unfair?

While Greg Vanderjagt is doing a great job at the Crocodiles this season I can't help but think that Kenny George from the University of North Carolina - Asheville would be a handy addition in the pivot position!

7' 7" (231cm) and 360lb (163kg).  As a matter of a fact he would probably be ok playing prop for the Cowboys, so long as you only needed him for a couple of minutes!  Go Kenny!

What a super idea!

London's Telegraph reports that the inventor of this kite claims it will cut diesel requirements of ships by up to 20%, saving cash and the planet at the same time!

More info at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=/earth/2008/01/20/eakite120.xml

Burdekin Falls Dam in full flow

Couldn't quite get to the Burdekin Dam today either by road or air due to a massive low that hung around the area most of the day.  The kind folks at Sunwater were kind enough to shoot some pics of the flow. The dam is currently holding well over 100% of capacity and is reported to be dripping 80,000,000,000 litres (80 thousand megalitres) of water a day over the wall!

See all my flood pics at http://www.cameronlaird.com/gallery/4170198

Bit soggy in the north!

I took a helicopter from Giru down to Airlie Beach yesterday to photograph flooding in the region.  Apart from many sections of the highway being cut the damage didn't appear to be too bad.  At least I managed to get a page one pic that helped alleviate the cost of the charter!  I have put a bunch of pics on my site so wander over and have a look (link below).
UPDATE 15 JAN 2008: Conditions in Townsville were terrible this morning with a massive low centred directly over the city.  I have added pics from today as well to my site.

 

See my pics of the downpour at http://www.cameronlaird.com/gallery/4170198

OK, graffiti mostly sucks but then again...

Nothing to say about these but hahahaha

 

 

What is that song - wait.... my iPhone can tell me!

The coolest hack is now available in the installer and it works like a treat.  Simply open the program, hold your iPhone near a speaker and it will tell you the artist, song and even the album that the song appeared in!  Here are a few screen grabs from my iPhone to show you a couple of the results.  (You can tell it is mine by the music and the iFartz application!)

Uber cool gadgets on display at CES Las Vegas

I'm simply going to post links to some very cool things on display at CES 2008 that I would LOVE to get my hands on! (updated regularly)

 

Tiny laser projector plugged into an ipod

http://gizmodo.com/341927/video-microvision-pico-projector-throwing-ipod-videoon-some-dudes-back

Tiny projector built into a cellphone!

http://gizmodo.com/341915/video-texas-instruments-wee-picoprojector-for-projecting-on-the-go

150" Panasonic plasma!

http://gizmodo.com/341909/panasonic-150+inch-plasma-next-to-that-tiny-103+incher-from-last-year

Great video about Bill Gates' last day at work!

A great video featuring Bill Gates with surprise celebrity appearances!  Unfortunately it was the only thing I enjoyed in Bill's keynote speech webcast at the 2008 CES Convention.

Bill Gates Last Day Of Work - Watch more free videos

Maybe I don't have it that bad?

If you are ever feeling like you have a tough job then spare a thought for this little guy and his work buddies!

These guys are great!

Just found these guys while trawling around the net - check out the 'live on stage' video below (or the film clip at bottom), if you like them there are plenty more videos on YouTube at this link

 

Bulls and Bushrangers combine to debut the new Tony Ireland Stadium

Townsville/Thuringowa's new stadium kicked off with a 20/20 cricket match between the Queensland Bulls and the Victorian Bushrangers.  Despite the heat it was a full house and hopefully we will see plenty more sporting events of this calibre in Townsville.  I smell an AFL pre-season game!

 

 

See a selection of my pics from the match at http://www.cameronlaird.com/gallery/4086092

Photographs of 2007 as chosen by news websites

News gathering websites around the world have posted their popular annual "Photos of the Year".  I'll make it super easy for you to find them - click the links below

MSNBC - 2007 Year in Pictures

International Herald Tribune - 2007 In Pictures - (Interesting blog post at the IHT readers blog)

AOL - People's Choice - Editor's Choice

Time - Year in Images

Reuters - Pictures of the Year 2007

Sports Illustrated - 2007 Year in Pictures

USA TODAY - 2007: The Year in Pictures

National Geographic - Best Wildlife Photos

The New York Times - 2007: The Year in Pictures

The Washington Post's - Best of Post 2007

Los Angeles Times - Best of 2007: Photography

Source - www.robgalbraith.com

WiFi in Townsville?

Is it just me or are we in the wifi dark ages in Townsville?  Hopefully someone can point me in the right direction because I don't know of a single coffee shop in Townsville that offers free or even paid wifi.  One caveat however - you can't count the rip-off Telstra wifi at McDonald's restaurants!

The iPhone is half going!

iPhone-Unbox-011, originally uploaded by camlaird.

Well, I have "activated" the iPhone using a bit of internet trickery however due to it having the latest baseband firmware I can't "unlock" it to use on Australian networks. However this crack is only days away so it should be up and going before Christmas........hopefully!

UPDATE / 1 JAN 2008 :  Nup, not going as a phone yet but a TurboSIM is on the way so that will definitely solve the problem!

Oh yeh, my iPhone is on the way

I'm pretty damn excited, ordered a new Apple iPhone a couple of days ago and it is winging its way from the U.S as I write this.  Hopefully my geek knowledge should allow me to successfully crack it to use on the Telstra network - I'll report back when it is done!  Bring it on!  I am sooooo looking forward to this I bet there ends up being a problem like.... I receive a box full of nothing or it is smashed or I fail at cracking it and end up turning it into an expensive paperweight!

 

Updates:

Electronic Shipping Info Received, December 14, 2007

Acceptance, December 14, 2007, 8:32 am, AMES, IA 50010

Processed, December 14, 2007, 2:27 pm, DES MOINES, IA 50318

Processed, December 15, 2007, 4:42 pm, CHICAGO, IL 60666

International Dispatch, December 15, 2007, 4:42 pm, O'HARE APT/CHICAGO

Your item is being processed by customs in AUSTRALIA, December 18, 2007, 2:20 pm AEDST

Your item cleared customs in AUSTRALIA at 9:19 PM on December 18, 2007

Your item arrived at the delivery Post Office in AUSTRALIA at 12:49 PM on December 19, 2007

And... it has arrived at my house in AUSTRALIA at 1:01 pm on December 20, 2007 (and it is the real thing!)