When social media goes too far: Facebook introduces software for stalkers

If you have the location services enabled on your iPhone, your exact GPS coordinates are broadcast to a variety of different apps.  This has always freaked me out just because of the stereotypical “big-brother” idea, but on Thursday Facebook decided to take things a step further and put the information into the hands of your “friends”.

Ok, so maybe you should delete that psycho ex-girlfriend that you dated in high school 9 years ago, because you guys don’t talk and honestly, she freaks you out.  But what about the people that are not so obvious? Luckily, Facebook allows you to change the settings about who you can see and who can see you. Hopefully we can all figure out who to trust with the knowledge of knowing where we are at literally all times.

But what about people we can’t trust? what if we don’t know them at all? “Facebook has also revealed that it plans to share your Nearby Friends data with advertisers.” (Huffington Post) This takes things beyond anything we have imagined with today’s capabilities: Personalized Ad’s based on your likes, sent to you based on your GPS location, and dependent on who you are with or nearby to.

While the capabilities for this software seem cool, taking a deeper look reveals a scarier fact.  With an unsecured Facebook network in control of your location at any given time, anyone could be watching you.  The government being the obvious first choice, when does the line of amendment rights get crossed? We may never be informed of that. Do your best.

Stray Righteous. 

The shots captured in these videos are crazy!

For all of the aspiring videographers out there, take a look at some of these creative videos, and do some research on the techniques behind them, simply amazing!

Life Update

Hi guys, I just wanted to make a post this week just to keep everyone up-to-date with some of the projects I am currently working on.

Photoshoot

This week I am working with Seattle-based YaM Brand, to shoot and brand Saint Leo University for upcoming publications for prospective students.  We identified some specific shots we wanted captured, and outlined a rough magazine concept.  Shooting began today, and will last through the week and finish up in Orlando on Thursday. It is always a pleasure working with YaM, Mike and Angela have a definite eye for what looks good in print, and shoot effectively for that every time.

End of another semester

Luckily I get to go home this weekend and finish adding some modifications to my Jeep to get it ready for the summer.

Unfortunately, next week finishes up the regular class schedule, and we move into finals.  Yay.

Roadtrip!

But after that, I’ll be leaving the Sunshine State and venturing into the wild for a quick roadtrip before I begin my stint as Videographer for the summer.  (I’m getting pretty excited for this)

I have a couple cool destinations in mind, one being the famous Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky.  Mammoth Cave is part of the largest known cave system in the world, with over 400 miles explored.  That should be cool.  Another is a old traditional roadtrip stopping spot, Stripling’s general store in Cordele, Georgia.  A family favorite, their meats and jerky are to die for. So now that I’m going on a big-boy roadtrip without my family, I feel the need to continue the tradition and share it with others.

I hope everyone is having a great year so far, mine has been stressful but it is going to be over soon for me.  A few finals and some projects stand between me and a great summer.

Best of luck to all of you.

Stay Righteous.  

 

 

http://about.me/rhettpringle

Head Games: Virtual Reality

Becoming Reality

For a 21 year old “self-taught” engineer and designer, selling a Virtual Reality company to Facebook this year for $2 billion isn’t too bad.  Most 21 year olds can barely dress themselves on a good day.  Palmer Luckey – the founder of the company, Oculus VR, had more than an outfit picked out, he had a dream.  He wanted a virtual reality device that he could actually enjoy.  After purchasing over 40 different models, he decided that a good one simply did not exist.

So he decided to make one himself.

A discussion with famous game designer John Carmack on a VR blog led to Luckey sending his only working prototype to Carmack to try out.  After being thoroughly impressed with the results, Carmack put the device on display at E3, the largest gaming convention in the North America. Luckey was nowhere ready for the publicity and inquiries that came after that. But the rest is what makes history.

Oculus Today

Flash forward 2 years, and Luckey and Carmack now work together in an office building in Irvine, Calif. Joined by Nate Mitchell and Brendan Iribe, previously from game software company Scaleform, they are creating something worth noticing.  Well, I guess that’s only if over 2 billion in assets is worth noticing to you. But seriously, with over $2,400,000 backed on Kickstarter, $75 million in venture capital, and the new deal with Facebook, Oculus is set to design the stage for VR in any way they please. Yes, they will have competition from larger companies such as Sony, who already has a VR headset.  However, compared with the Sony’s $1,000 price tag, the current Oculus Rift Developer model sounds good to a value-minded hacker at only $350.

With so much growth in just the last year, be sure to keep your eyes on Oculus and the future. Especially  make sure to mind your surroundings, because you might end up in a virtual world before you know it.

Vigilindie: Your friendly neighborhood game company

My weekly feature has been slacking off lately, so I thought I would bring back the excitement with the growing  indy game company Vigilindie.

A Well-Rounded Development

Created in 2009, the company seeks to provide solutions to a variety of different video game components, specifically digital music production.  They also have experience with graphic design, content development, and programming.  Starting with only one guy with a desire to create old-school games, Vigilindie has expanded into a multi-faceted organization with staff specializing in all areas of media development. The main founder, Quincy Pringle, still retains creative control of the work, but manages other talented artists to contribute to the final product.

Examples of Music

Utilizing FL Studio with a variety of plugins such as Massive and Kontakt, Quincy is able to lead Vigilindie in the development of video game sound tracks which have been featured in a variety of different published games.

Check out some of the sample projects and sounds here.

Current Project

The company has been working on it’s debut game, Dark Theory, for a few years now.  It features all original music, characters, story, level design, and graphics.  It is a single-player side scrolling interactive, with a focus on the science fiction.  It is set to debut in the near future, so give them a follow to stay updated!

For more information on the game, check out this blog! It features the developer Quincy, talking about it on a popular gaming website.

Make sure you stay prepared for the future, as Vigilindie is already set to be involved in even more projects in the next year.

But I’m sure I can post more about that later.

Keeping it Slow & Wide, Brotha!

The Roots

Hailing from the beaches of NC, Slow Wide Turns is hard at work keeping it real within the art, music, and surfing community.  Promoting a lifestyle dedicated to staying chill and spreading good vibes, S.W.T. is constantly posting new content and images, and anything else you need stay vibin’ high. On their website, they explain the history of the concept of “Slow Wide Turns”:

“In 2011 we set out to create a brand that pays tribute to the spirit of our friend Matt, who we lost too soon. Our intent was to form a collective of people who want to incorporate art, music, and the surf culture into their lifestyle.”

The real life story behind the company is what sets it apart to me, as having a greater purpose than simply running a business.  Slow Wide Turns represents an idea that life is full of beauty, and through art we can transcend our basic human existence.

I have worked with some of the SWT guys before on other projects, and they are passionate about what they do.  The enthusiasm for life and appreciation for every beautiful moment is evident in all of their work.  They combine knowledge of graphic media with photography to bring quality products to the table using limited resources.

Real Talk, Real Walk

“We’ve fused our passion for surfing with Matt’s love for the arts and created a blog, featuring talented musicians, artists, surfers, and all things “Slow and Wide”…  Celebrating beautiful places, art, music, and the surf lifestyle is the mission of Slow Wide Turns; we are a tribe with our eye on the lookout for artistic talent and design, and our ears set for exceptional music.  Slow Wide Turns is a simple neoteric lifestyle that seeks to share artistry from around the globe with friends, families, and beyond.”

Always keeping it real and positive, daily updates from SWT brighten my rainy days. Really blowing up in popularity in the last year or so, I see only good things in their future.  Bringing good vibes to a beach town near you, check out Slow Wide Turns for a sure solution to all the bad karma out there.

http://www.slowwideturns.com/

 

 

Local band “TimeWarp” is a blast from the past

A Legacy:

For over 30 years, a group called “TimeWarp” has been playing music for the Saint Leo University Community. Every year for Alumni Weekend in April, millions* of fans flock to the local bar to hear the cover-band perform popular songs.

Around since 1984, only one original member of the band still rocks out, practices with the band weekly, and plays shows:

Founding member Jack McTague is the bassist and occasional vocalist of the group.

Secrets of Success:

He says that it’s because of the music that he has been able to enjoy longevity of life. “Rock and roll is has kept me alive and partying hard”*.  Though the lineup has changed over the years, the band’s purpose is still the same: quality entertainment. With both faculty and students as current members of the band, the skill of each member is diverse, bringing a range of experience and background to the group that leads to a well-rounded sound and style. Playing top hits from the 80’s to Today, TimeWarp is sure to rock out to something you know.

Check them out on Facebook and Twitter for more information about the band and upcoming shows!

*citation needed. May not be actual quote.

Infected Mushroom!

For fans of EDM, whether it be Trance, Dubstep, Psychotic acid reggae, or whatever else, Infected Mushroom is a group you need to check out! In recent years they have shifted their sounds from a more classic trance to a more modern EDM style, with a significant music theory influence. This music is not for the faint of heart.  Take a quick listen to their most recent release, Friends on Mushrooms, Vol. II:

The amount of influences they pull from is amazing.

From Wikipedia: “Infected Mushroom is an Israeli psytrance/electronica duo formed in Haifa in 1996 by producers Erez Eisen and Amit Duvdevani.^[1] Both of its founding members currently reside in Los Angeles, California.^[1]

They employ a variety of musical sources, including acoustic guitars and complex synthesized basses, and their compositions that often contain changes of drum beat and tempo. Infected Mushroom’s live shows feature vocals and analogueinstruments in performances that are set against a multimedia backdrop.”

In the more recent dubstep craze, Infected Mushroom has been accepted as a pioneer for the genre, blending old and new techniques to create a very unique sound.  Their live performances are allegedly astounding, with a combination of live DJ’s, vocals, drums, and guitars all on stage, the performance is often sold-out.

For more information visit:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infected_Mushroom

http://infected-mushroom.com/

Stay Righteous.

My Summer Job!

I am excited to announce that this summer I will be working as the videographer for a Life Teen summer camp! I will be working at a camp high in the Georgia mountains for 13 weeks.

I worked at one of the summer camps last year as a camp counselor and had a great time.  Now I will be working at a different camp, and I’ll be doing all of the videography work, alongside an independent photographer.

Last year I was on the other side of the scenes, working directly with a group of kids each week.  Now i’ll be more behind the scenes, capturing the action!

Here is a video from last year:

I am excited for the challenge, but am also nervous to be relied on to deliver quality results.  I will be tasked with creating a new video weekly, as different groups of campers will be there every week.  I will follow the campers around through their different activities, such as white water rafting, high ropes courses, a huge mud pit, and exploring the camps many waterfalls.  It will be a challenge to create a unique video for 13 weeks, but it will definitely enhance my skills and I am sure it will be a ton of fun!

Rise and Fall of the “Brand” of Europe

So last week I attended the 2014 International Business Conference at my university, and was intrigued by a lecture on the “Brand” of Europe. It was interesting to me to take a concept as branding for business, and apply it to an entire region to appeal to tourism, local morale, and international affairs.

The outline of the presentation focused on the idea of this theoretical framework:

• Branding a region is like branding a city or a country
• Unifying a common brand can be difficult between tensions
• Europe is geographically and culturally diverse
• The countries within are associated with many different ideas and events
• Each era produced it’s own unique conception of Europe

Europe is credited with many accomplishments,  many of which changed the world’s view on social, political, and economic methods.

Some of their more famous and notable achievements include the development of Democracy, Roman Law, Philosophy, new styles of art,  modern banking, the Industrial Revolution, more significant human rights, and Capitalism.

These achievements made Europe and the rest of civilization into what they are today, but they did not come without setbacks.  Throughout the Dark and Middle Ages, Europe experienced many difficulties, including the gradual collapse of Rome and division between different regions.

Any attempt to unify Europe failed because of diversity and differences.  Following World War II, they had many other problems too worry about as well.  It was very important that all the different countries shared equal powers within Europe, including Germany.  They were focused on the idea of preventing another European War, and felt it was necessary to unite if ever the threat of the USSR should arise.

The overall morale was improved throughout the 50’s and on, and in the 90’s, were able to experience a high point for the European brand itself.

TIMELINE:

1957: Treaty of Rome
1960’s – 1980’s: Expansion of Europe
1989: Fall of Berlin Wall, Europe expands east
1990: German re-unification with a united Europe

High point of brand: 1992-2002

The European brand became successful through it’s association with the Atlantic Alliance, and the desire for strong support for homogeneous European Culture. This attitude was not able to last however, and in the mid 2000’s began to falter. In the last 12 years, Europe has experienced a significant de-branding.  A result of many socio-political factors, the failure of a common European ideal can be linked with these historic events:

2003-2005: Failure to develop a European Constitution for closer union
2007: Beginning of global economic crisis
2009: Greek and European financial crisis and collapse begins
Post 2007: Europe associated with economic & financial ill

So looking at all this information,  it is imperative to understand the concepts.  As all these things previously mentioned ultimately led to the demise of the brand itself, we must use those details in order the  analyze the main idea of the problems.

Asking these questions will help paint a clearer picture:

• Is the European region too large to brand?
• Should there be a brand?
• Are the different countries simply too diverse?

So in conclusion, they determined that there are very few things that can directly assist in the renewal of a strong European brand.  Aside from small variables, European brand recovery will only occur with economic recovery and time.