The Four-eyed Journal » New Media

Atomic Tom performs “Take Me Out” in New York Subway - No instruments, just iPhone 4

jhay — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 23:26:55 +0000

With the advent of New Media, people have found new ways to generating buzz and attention towards the things that they do or the cause they support. One common tactic is a flash mobilization of people in public places where there’s lots of people, like malls, parks even schools.

Some are random and the result of everyone simply showing up at the designated place and time then doing what they have to do. The effect is dramatic as the unsuspecting public cum audience are surprised and awed by the sudden turn of events. However, some are not totally random or spontaneous. Some have been planned days or even weeks ahead of time.

A band in New York did just that when they staged a lightning live performance in a subway train. Atomic Tom performed “Take Me Out” using no conventional musical instruments carried by a rock band, but instead each member had an iPhone 4 loaded with a special app that simulated the instrument they regularly played. Check out the video below:

The video has gone viral on the internet. Giving the band good exposure and interest to promote their upcoming gigs and their music. Another demonstration of how iconic the iPhone has become.

I wonder if another band or group would answer back, but using Android-powered phones instead. Now that would be awesome!

UAAP Season 73: How about the other games? - New media could fill the coverage gap

jhay — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 07:08:44 +0000

I know this is a hard fact of Philippine sports coverage and an old issue at that, but it’s a bit disappointing that the UAAP board or its host or organizers have failed to deliver on the promise at the opening of season 73: that the other sports in the tournament would be given more attention or highlight in the opening ceremonies.

Which they did. The character heroes/mascots who represented each of the UAAP schools were players of other sports like football, taekwondo, volleyball, etc.

Thinking it would translate into added main stream media coverage for the other sports being currently played, I was disappointed. But who could blame the TV networks right?

Only basketball, volleyball and cheer dance competition has gained national popularity to make TV coverage economically viable.

However, there are still thousands of students, alumni, fans and supporters who would like to get updated on how their alma mater teams are doing in the sport they like other than basketball. I know a lot of students from De La Salle Greenhills who are more passionate about football than they are about basketball.

Heck, I’d like to see how football matches are played between DLSU and UP and the other universities. Chess fanatics would also jump in joy once they get to study how games are being played by the UAAP schools.

The point is that the UAAP is more than about college basketball. And if we like to foster sports interest and passion on a national scale, we should be giving the public, especially the youth, much sports coverage as possible.

The solution is new media. Blogs, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, all these tools have been maximized by citizen journalists and even main stream media to cover other events like the 2010 national elections.

The online demand is there, because people tend to search on the internet about things they missed or cannot find on TV.

Wouldn’t it be great to have a UAAP blog maintained by bloggers, which could work with each school’s respective student publications, volunteers from different UAAP-member schools who would cover events they watch, with analysis, commentary, video or even live streaming of matches. I’m sure it would be a goldmine!

If mainstream media will not pay attention to the other sports in the UAAP, then new media can fill the gap. And it will be magical.

Would you allow access to your personal social networking sites just to get a job?

jhay — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 02:04:17 +0000

This is what’s happening in the city of Bozeman, with a population of 25,000 people in southwestern Montana, US of A as reported by DailyTech:

An anonymous citizen who applied for a city job alerted local media that he or she had to provide log-in information and passwords for any and all social networking web sites they use while applying for a job with the city.

Along with the normal background check, criminal history, education and employment past, the following is written into the Bozeman city employment waiver statement:

“Please list any and all, current personal or business websites, web pages or memberships on any internet-based chat rooms, social clubs or forums, to include, but not limited to: Facebook, Google, Yahoo, YouTube.com, MySpace, etc.”

Now that almost everyone is using more than a couple of social networking websites, a blog or two, the existence of an ‘alternate world’ becomes more real on the Internet. Sometimes, or more often than not, this dichotomy results in two versions of ourselves that have a degree of difference.

We may be shy, timid and the quiet type in person, but out there in the world wide web especially in social networking sites, we may be one of the celebrities with hundreds of friends, loyal fans, subscribers to our blog and followers to our lifestream.

Now, the city government of Bozeman wants to look into that “alternate persona” its applicants have, on top of the usual background check.

This brings up a lot of privacy rights concerns as laws today still safeguard our privacy vigorously. Sure, some would argue that if we have not done something questionable or “incriminating” online, what is there to hide?

But that’s not the point, it is our right to privacy that is being attacked here once more. Dangling a job opportunity in exchange for that right, especially in this tough economic times, is something that’s just not good and downright discriminatory.

If a court case does arise out of this, it would set an important precedent for all employers. And it should remind them that educational background and working experience should be the only qualifications they should use to say whether we are fit for the job or not. Even if it’s the government.

A movie premiere at YouTube

jhay — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 00:24:25 +0000

Here’s something the blog-o-sphere and new media pundits would certainly talk about, movie premieres at YouTube. According to Reuters blog report:

YouTube would premiere “Home,” a film about the environment produced by Luc Besson, the agency said.

A Paris-based partner development manager for YouTube in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, was quoted by the agency as saying, “We’re more than just dogs on skateboards.”

This would be the first simultaneous debut of a film in theaters and the Internet. It’s said that this is another attempt at attracting more advertisers to YouTube which so far has been one of the financially controversial acquisitions of Google, Inc.

Details are still sketchy but one thing that popped into my mind was, “What’s Home? It’s certainly not a Hollywood blockbuster but something in the genre of Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth“.

Like this report, I could find little details about this environmental film that’s soon to have its premiere on YouTube aside from theaters. So far, all I’ve found is this little message from French producer and film maker Luc Besson via Facebook:

“I have always been a lover of the Planet, and I have tried to show people its most beautiful aspects through my movies Le Grand Bleu, Atlantis and Arthur and the Minimoys. It was thus natural for me to join Yann in the production of this magnificent project.”

I hope that the movie would do well both in theaters and on YouTube. Who knows, if this would be a success, other films may follow suit. Though much to the joy of movie pirates, me thinks.

Spark the flames of citizen journalism: A call to sponsors for the first blogging seminar in DLSUD

jhay — Sun, 04 Nov 2007 12:41:10 +0000

This is exciting! The very first blogging or new media event in my own school!

The College of Liberal Arts Student Council of De La Salle University – Dasmarinas is organizing a seminar for students about new media in particular the basics of: blogging, podcasting, vidcasting and how it could spark the flames of ‘citizen journalism’ among the students of DLSUD.

The seminar entitled: CITIZEN JOURNALISM: THE ADVENT OF NEW MEDIA will be held on November 23, 2007 Friday, 1pm to 3pm at the Julian Felipe Hall, College of Liberal Arts, De La Salle University – Dasmarinas.

The CLA-Student Council is seeking partners in making this project succeed. They are in the lookout for sponsors for the said seminar which is based on the following rationale and topics:

As the new age of media arises, many have been adjusting to the change and demand of this field. Many disciplines have been engaging in this field any many has been using this to express one self. As new media is now being used by different people thru social media services (multiply, friendster, Digg, Blogger, WordPress, LiveJournal, etc), many don’t now what these so-called “social media” are and its potentials. This seminar aims to answer all possible questions that one may ask about new media, what it is and what can be done with it.

The seminar is sub-divided into the following segments:

Talk 1
Blogging 101

Blogging basics and its benefits to students

Talk 2
Podcasting 101

The power of Podcasting and its potential for students

Talk 3
Vidcasting 101

The essentials of Vidcasting

Followed by an open forum session and food of course!

Participants would be from the students and faculty of De La Salle University – Dasmarinas mostly majoring in Communication Arts, Broadcast Journalism, Information Technology, and other internet enthusiasts.

For the said event, below are the sponsorship packages:

MAJOR SPONSOR: (PHP 3,000.00)

Booth for the product sampling/selling
Represented as Major Sponsor on all Publicity Materials
Streamer at the Venue
Allowed to distribute fliers/leaflets during the event
3 – 5 minutes airtime during the seminar

MINOR SPONSOR: ( PHP 1,500.00)

Logo in the event banner/tarpaulin
Mention in the forum
Small (Logo) Ad Space in all event Materials

Interested parties may contact College of Liberal Arts Student Council President Jackner John Borja thru this email: jacknerborja [AT] gmail [DOT] com or visit his Multiply blog here. Alternately, you can course your message tru me via my Contact Page here.

Prices like webhosting packages are in the works once an initial list of sponsors will be completed. This would be given to students who will be participating in the seminar in the hopes that they will carry with them the sparks of citizen journalism.

We look forward to working with you and we’re excited to join you in this first-ever blogging event in De La Salle University Dasmarinas.