IT’S TIME TO GET LIT FOR THE HOLIDAYS WITH LUCI’S PORTABLE SOLAR STRING LIGHTS

Luci’s Color Solar String Lights can be utilized outside or inside. Photo Courtesy of MPOWERD.

Article by Marcus Siu

When it comes to setting the right mood, it seems there is absolutely nothing more important than colored lighting, especially during the holidays. Whether you are driving through a dramatic city backdrop with buildings splashed in multi-colored lighting, walking through a holiday decorated neighborhood with homes surrounded by lively flashing colored lights, or just simply relaxing at home entertaining guests in a festive illuminated environment, it quickly makes people feel lively in a a fun filled party atmosphere.

With MPowerd Luci Solar String lights, you can take the festivities and party anywhere you want to be; whether it’s just the backyard patio, a campsite, or at a beach. The unit is very compact and convenient enough to just throw it in a purse or small bag.

Unlike having to deal with long traditional stringed lights that takes time to untwist, your stringed lights will be set up instantly in just a few minutes from the palm of your hand. Though it wasn’t intended to displace traditional Christmas light decorations around your house and in large area spaces, it’s certainly a great alternative option for lighting up small intimate spaces where people gather.

There are two different Luci Solar String lighting products; the Luci Color Solar String Lights and the Luci Solar String Lights. They are essentially the same product, except that one utilizes color and the other one doesn’t. The Luci Color Solar String Lights has six different colors that you can choose, all with a touch of a button: blue, violet, turquoise, green, pink, cool white + color cycle mode while the other just uses basic warm white LED’s. If you wish to be more traditional then the white LED’s would be your choice.

Wrapping and unwrapping the Luci Color Solar String Light. Photo Courtesy of MPOWERD

It’s power is generated through the sun through its solar panel, so your electricity bill cost will not be affected. The round canister pack twists off by hand. In it contains the wires and string lights all in one. After the unit is charged, all you need to do is unroll it out of the canister, find the area you wish to light up and find something, such as a tree twig or stake that you can wrap the tip of the wire to. If you plan to use it indoors, a plain small nail will do the trick.

Depending on how much brightness you need, the battery life at low mode can run up to 20 hours, the medium mode runs 11 hours, the high mode runs five hours, and the flashing/emergency mode runs nine hours. Each unit pack contain 100 lumens into 10 nodes all on an 18 foot cord.

If you live in a region where you don’t get much sun, such as in the Scandinavian countries during the wintertime or just don’t have access to the sun for some other reason, you still have the option to quick charge it through its own USB port. You can even use it as an emergency power bank, in case you desperately need to juice up another device, such as a cell phone or tablet.

A Dog Day Afterdusk with the Luci Color Solar String Light. Courtesy of Mpowerd.

For me, I like to use the Luci Color Solar String Lights right above my vertical blinds in my living room, spacing the colors evenly creating a nice accent background drop. It complements the color lighting coming from the smart bulbs coming from my lamps.

Most of the time, I like to set it to one color depending on my mood. I usually choose violet in a low mode, which makes me feel more relaxed at night. The long 18 foot cord makes it easy to stretch it across illuminating and highlighting the panels of the blinds, which dramatically reflects to the floor giving the room added warmth.

The tricky part of setting the unit up is trying to figure out where to conceal the round canister to keep it out of view. I hung up a little nail on the wall right near where the lights stop at the top of the blinds. It is still visible but it seems to blend in anyway to the environment, much like a smoke alarm does on walls. In any case, it certainly doesn’t look out of place and it’s still much more desirable than having to install an electrical outlet next to the side of the blinds. That would certainly be an eyesore.

Camping lighting has never been easier with the Luci Color Solar String Lights. Photo Courtesy of MPOWERD

I love the fact that after charging the unit, it seems to retain it’s charge, even if I sparingly use them. There have been times when I wouldn’t turn it on for a few weeks and I would expect it not to turn on, but it turns on. I have been very happy that the battery holds its charge after a few months before it finally gave out on me.

Another added bonus is that it also has a built-in LED external flashlight. This certainly helps out during those nights when you forgot to bring your flashlight and need to find your way back to the camping site in the middle of the night. It’s also great to look for your lost and misplaced items, such as the car keys or the half full bottle of beer that you left behind.

Christmas is the perfect time to go “green”, if you aren’t already. Products like these not only enhance our lives, but it also helps the planet.

The retail price of these lights are $49.95, but during it’s extended Black Friday, you can get two for the price of one. Certainly a bargain in my book.

Here is a link to purchase:

Luci Solar String Lights with traditional white LED lighting. Photo Courtesy of MPOWERD
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WILL CLOUD GAMING MAKE GAMING LAPTOPS AND PC’S OBSOLETE?

Nvidia booth at GDC 2019 introducing GeForce RTX. Photo by Marcus Siu

Article and photo by Marcus Siu

Since the advent of online gaming during the 80’s and 90’s, you were only considered a serious online gamer, if you had a top-of-the line gaming PC, such as an Alienware that contained the utmost highest performance components, along with the latest graphics card and a ultimate high performance CPU that had an outlandish ton of memory that most people couldn’t imagine. Expect to pay at least $3000 for a good entry level Alienware gaming computer. It’s just all part of the “game” to stay competitive online.

Today, some extreme gamers will shell out well over $40,000 for a PC, such as for the 8 Pack OrionX2 PC built by Overclockers UK, which is really two systems in one. Processing power comes from the 18-core i9-7980XE that’s overclocked to at least 4.6GHz, and it’s paired with 128GB of overclocked memory and three Nvidia Turing graphics cards. Call it a personal obsession or an expensive habit.

Most of us don’t have an extra $40,000 to spend on a gaming PC. For the average Joe, it’s just really all about upgrading their graphics card into their existing PC’s which will still hopefully be able to accommodate it with its minimum requirements for the CPU.

Just about every two years, Nvidia releases a line of new graphic cards, so to stay competitive in the online gaming world, it’s not unusual to buy a new graphic card every time a product announcement is made when launched. That’s the very least you should do to stay competitive.

When Nvidia’s flagship RTX 3080 GPU came out last year in September, only a fortunate few were able to get hold of one before they were out of stock due to to the huge demand. A few weeks later, the RTX 3090 which cost nearly twice as much as the RTX3080, sold out in minutes at retailers everywhere.

The main reason is because individuals or companies will gobble up all of the supply and sell them nearly double on Amazon or eBay, as third party sellers. You will see them listed on eBay for double the list price, as the $1499 list RTX 3080 GPU’s are selling at $2800, where as the $699 list price of the RTX 2080 is selling for around $1500 to $1700.

The third party sellers really made a huge profit knowing that Crypto miners have the money to buy them out. It is as though suddenly, GPU’s have become more used for speculative investment purposes rather than just a commodity. Gamers are on the losing end.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang addresses the crowd at the 2018 GTC conference. Photo by Marcus Siu.

There was not much manufacturers could do to prevent this. According to Nvidia’s CEO, Jensen Huang, he expects this problem to continue well into late 2022, extending his original projection from 2021.

In February, 2020, Nvidia did come up with an alternative solution to help alleviate the huge demand for their GPU’s for gamers; they launched their cloud based gaming platform, GeForce Now. Similar to what Microsoft had done in the cloud with their Office365 software that used to sell in brick and mortar stores, Nvidia has been doing something similar with their cloud based streaming subscription service.

Subscribers are basically “utilizing and leasing” their Nvidia hardware and software to gamers into the cloud. It’s as though they have exclusive rights and access to the world’s greatest supercomputer, called the SuperPod, giving gamers their own high-performance cloud gaming rig that streams and renders through the cloud directly onto their personal device but with a much lower latency and much higher frame rates compared to what they could ever receive from any high-end laptops and PC’s.

For example, the recently announced GeForce Now RTX 3080 memberships can stream up to 1440p at 120 FPS gaming on PC and Mac, with ultra-low latency that rivals local gaming. It can also stream 4K HDR at 60 FPS on SHIELD TV, with ultra-low latency that rivals many local gaming experiences.

As Cloud gaming is ever increasing in popularity, Nvidia’s gamer population has been growing at a very rapid pace. Currently there is a Nvidia priority membership that is $49.99 for a six-month membership. The priority membership uses the RTX 2080 or GTX 1080-powered servers. Members will definitely be motivated to upgrade into the RTX 3080 membership plan for the extra $50.

With GeForce Now available, gamers will no longer need to spend a fortune to buy personal computers or continuously upgrade their GPU’s. Now it’s more of an even playing field for online gamers now that high end computers are no longer required and may be a thing of the past; at least for gaming. The Cloud gaming market has completely changed the way utilize our hardware (and software).

Today, demand for high performance graphic cards have never been greater due to the massive demand far outstripping the supply due to the crypto miners and the pandemic. Regardless of the reason, it’s nice to know that gamers don’t have to be buying a $40,000 to play competitively in the cloud.

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CRITERION ANNOUNCES FIRST 4K UHD TITLES IN NOVEMBER – DEBUTS CITIZEN KANE IN DV

Citizen Kane will be the first UHD 4K Blu-ray title issued by the Criterion Collection in November. Courtesy of Criterion.

Article by Marcus Siu

Rewind five years ago to Valentines Day 2016. That significant date was when the very first Ultra HD Blu-Ray Discs were released in the United States. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment released six titles:  The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Salt, Hancock, Chappie, Pineapple Express, and The Smurfs 2. The other major movie studios including Lionsgate, Warner Bros, 20th Century Fox, Paramount, and Universal followed suit and released a handful of titles a few months later.

My assumption was that Criterion Collection, the cinephiles’ favorite home video distribution company that focuses on licensing, restoring, and distributing “important classic and contemporary films”, would soon immediately follow the major studios in releasing the latest format.

I was wrong.

In May of 2016, Peter Becker, President, and Jonathan Turrell, CEO, were receiving the “Mel Novikoff” Award at the San Francisco International Film Festival on behalf of their company, international art house cinema sister companies, Janus Films and the Criterion Collection. They were also screening a new print of the Coen Brother’s “Blood Simple”.

Completely frustrated about not finding any current news about Criterion, I got a chance to ask Peter Becker himself, who also happens to be the founder of the Criterion Collection, whether or not the company was planning to release any 4K UHD Blu-rays anytime soon.

Becker immediately responded, “You’re not going to like my answer”.

He was absolutely right, I didn’t like his answer. Becker believed that 4K UHD Blu-rays was probably going to be a niche market and even wondered if there was even much of a demand for the product, at all. He neither confirmed or denied Criterion’s commitment to the new format, but had more of a “let’s wait and see” attitude.

The following year, even Disney released their first slate of 4K UHD Blu-rays.

However, as it turned out, Becker was right. Before 4K UHD Blu-rays were introduced, DVD’s and Blu-ray discs had a 50-50 market share, but for Criterion, it was closer to 60% Blu-rays vs 40% DVD’s. When 4K UHD Blu-rays were introduced, they ate into Blu-ray market sales while DVD’s increased its market share to 60 to 70% in just the last two years.

4K UHD Blu-rays only account for 7 to 7.5% of the market share as of this year, but taking Blu-ray sales down at the same time. Unfortunately, this affects Criterion more than any other movie studio since they had a healthy sale of standard Blu-ray in the first place.

It seems that people who buy DVD’s are more price conscious and never had intended to jump on the Blu-ray bandwagon in the first place, whereas the early adopters of Blu-ray also jumped on the 4K UHD bandwagon. It’s extremely rare for a person who collected mainly DVD’s to transition straight into the 4K UHD world.

2016 San Francisco International Film Festival: Peter Becker, Jonathan Turrell of Janus Films and the Criterion Collection, alongside the Coen Brothers. Photo by Marcus Siu

As I was doing my biyearly Criterion Blu-ray shopping at the Barnes and Noble sale last July at my local Dublin, California store, I had a lengthy conversation with my “go to movie guy”, Shawn. He is extremely knowledgeable about movies and up-to-date on video releases, especially from boutique labels, like Arrow, Shout Factory! and Criterion. He said that there was a lot of buzz and speculation online that Criterion was possibly going to release UHD Blu-rays for the upcoming Christmas season. This opened up a terrific conversation on which title would be worthy of being their initial first release.

I suggested Seven Samurai, one of the first original titles from Criterion that came out on all of their major digital video format releases over the decades, such as Laserdisc, DVD and Blu-ray, which was also on my “wish list” from their nearly 1100 extensive film collection. It was spine number two on their DVD/Blu-ray.

However, Shaun thought the film would have to be “super extraordinary” and something not necessarily from Criterion’s existing DVD or Blu-ray catalogue, but a film that would have to be celebrating a big anniversary that also had some connection with them in the past, such as Citizen Kane, which would be celebrating its 70th Anniversary this year. Citizen Kane also happened to also be their first Laserdisc release in 1984.

Not only was “B&N Movie Geek Shaun” dead on predicting Criterion’s 4K debut title, but he also mentioned Mullholland Drive as another alternative title, which was also slated as one of the six initial releases. The other four titles Criterion announced include Menace II Society, The Piano, The Red Shoes, and A Hard Day’s Night.  However, the real treat is that select films will be presented in Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos on the 4K UHD Blu-ray.

Jane Campion’s, The Piano, is the one 4K title that excites me the most, as it always seemed to had subpar treatment on DVD or Blu-ray over the years. It always had screamed for an updated remaster, visually and sonically. Hopefully Criterion will be able to bring Dolby Vision and Atmos to the remaster. I am quite surprised it actually took Criterion so long to acquire the rights to this astonishing film, especially when two of Campion’s earlier films are also in the Criterion Collection.

Back in 2013, as DVD’s were getting cheaper to produce, Criterion began releasing their latest Blu-ray titles in a Dual-Format edition that included the Blu-ray and DVD with the exact same content. After releasing standard Blu-ray releases after five years, the company felt it would give consumers an added value to their purchases on Blu-ray if the DVD was included in the package.

Unfortunately, this wasn’t the case as there was much backlash from some of the consumers as they complained that they didn’t have enough shelf space to store the DVD’s, let alone Blu-rays, since many of the packages were a little wider than if it just had the one standard Blu-ray in it. Also, if the DVD had the same content in them, they believed it was redundant. Therefore Criterion stopped its Dual-Format Blu-ray/DVD releases.

As for 4K UHD Blu-rays, just like most of the Hollywood studios, Criterion will release their 4K UHD Blu-rays in the Dual-Format edition package, similar to before, but by releasing the 4K UHD releases along with the standard Blu-ray that will also contain the feature film and extras, as well as its special features.

However, this time they will dedicate the feature film with Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos on the 4K UHD Blu-ray for the highest possible presentation and bitrate, and also putting the extras, as well as the feature film, onto standard Blu-rays. At least that’s what I understand by looking at the specs for the new Citizen Kane from their website that will have one 4K UHD Blu-ray and 3 standard Blu-ray DVD’s listing at $59.99.

My only wish is that Criterion would have a plan for their loyalty members who previously purchased and already own the Blu-ray DVD title. Instead of having to rebuy the $49.99 4K UHD Blu-ray title, it would be nice if they could just have the option to purchase the 4K UHD disk separately (and perhaps include a 4K UHD case or cover) without the packaging for perhaps $10-$15 so you can just add it to your existing standard Blu-ray title that is already sitting on your shelf. It seems like a shame to have to rebuy the title if you already own it on Blu-ray. Perhaps other loyalists feel the same I do.

Though it took the Criterion Collection over five years to release their first 4K UHD Blu-rays, with boutique labels such as The Shout Factory, Arrow and Kino Lorber beating them to the draw, it looks like from the initial slate of Criterion titles that they just announced and their extensive catalogue to draw from, the future looks bright and rosy for the company and for the latest home video’s format.

November will be a truly historic month for videophiles and fans of Criterion.

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FOR BIKERS WHO WANT TO BE SEEN IN THE CITY IN STYLE FROM DUSK TO DAWN – THE MPOWERD LUCI BIKE LIGHT

Photo Courtesy of MPOWERD

Article by Marcus Siu

Whether you’re a recreational or an avid bicyclist, one of the most crucial items to bring along with you on a medium to long range trip is a good bike light. As the sun sets and it’s just about time to return home after spending a day with friends, you suddenly realize that you may have to ride home in the dark. Visibility and safety becomes the primary concern, especially alongside the fast-paced traffic.

As you start your journey back, you realize your bike lights aren’t as bright as they should be and you blame it on the possibility of weak batteries, so you park by the side of the road to change them. You reach into your back pack and fumble for your screwdriver and extra batteries in the pitch darkness, but since you weren’t sure you brought them in the first place, you start cursing at the starry night above.

This has been a typical scenario in my life before I started using solar powered products.

LUCI Solar Bike light

Sometimes, it’s actually not the batteries fault. Sometimes its because of the ever changing lighting conditions on the roads. Cyclists always want their lights as bright as possible, but with most bike lights, it is not possible unless you bring a battery tester with you to ensure the battery is holding up properly.

I would always find myself consuming countless conventional batteries because I would simply forget to turn off the bike light after each use and would later discover that the batteries were completely drained.

I also tried going the rechargeable route, but they were not up to par with the conventional batteries since they never held a constant charge. The lights would flicker inconsistently due to the rechargeable batteries lower voltage compared to those of the conventional ones.

To a cyclist, the inconvenience of changing batteries on a bike light is like the irritable experience equivalent to that of a person driving a car who has to pull off to the side of the road and change a flat tire.

Luckily, the latest MPOWERD Luci Bike Lights solves these problems, thanks to solar.

Photo courtesy of MPOWERD

INTRODUCING MPOWERD LUCI BIKE LIGHTS

There have been some gnarly looking solar bike lights on the market, so it’s refreshing to see the stylish MPOWERD’s Luci bike lights as another option. It has a minimalist design and weighs a mere two ounces for the front light and 1.2 ounces for the tail light. It almost looks like it was designed to look like an iPod accessory, even though it’s not.

It has a very sleek and stylish bezel, and is very easy to use. Besides being portable and adjustable, it is also waterproof. Even if you get drenched in the pouring rain, be assured that you won’t have to worry about the light ever malfunctioning while pedaling away frantically.

There is a power button on both headlight and tail light. As soon as you turn it on, it defaults to the low light mode. Each time you push the button, it advances to medium, high, and then to a rapid flashing mode that is guaranteed to get everyone’s attention.

The MPOWERD Luci bike light needs bright sunlight for about eight hours to fully charge its 750 mAh lithium-ion battery through its solar panels. If it’s not quite sunny enough or if time is a factor, you can plug and charge it through it’s port through using the micros USB cable that comes with the product. You can also use a power bank, if you have one laying around.

The front light features a battery indicator to indicate if it’s running low on its battery. Green means it has more than 56% to 100% battery power, yellow means it has 11 to 55% left, and red means you have 0 to 10% left. There is a peace of mind knowing that the brightness will be constant at all times, regardless of which of the three different settings are being used.

Luckily, it is quite versatile, so you can take it with you anywhere you go, inside or out. The headlight stands on its base at about an 80% angle, so it can reflect against a mirror or wall making it a perfect light source. It’s like having an extra wall lamp and perfect to use as emergency backup situations, as well.

Photo courtesy of MPOWERD

IT’S A SNAP – NO TOOLS NOT REQUIRED

The MPOWERD Luci bike light comes in a nicely designed package containing two small post-it sized boxes, each about an inch in height. One box contains the headlight, mount, and a grey silicon strap. The other contains the taillight, mount and two yellow straps.

The mounts have industrial strength magnets that are attach and detach to the bike. It’s tempting to carry them in the original package, but it is best to keep them in a zippered jacket, pant pocket, or even in a small compartment of a backpack instead for easy access.

The setup is a piece of cake, though some bikes may be better equipped to mount these lights depending on the location of where the lights can be mounted. Since, both headlight and tail lights snaps via magnets into the fixed mounts, it would be preferred if the location spots on the bike were made of steel or of any type of magnetic properties.

For example, if the handlebars have exposed steel on it, then the headlight will clamp magnetically onto the handlebar…and it will stay 100% secure without needing the straps.

However, if your handlebar is not made of steel or does not have magnetic properties, such as my old ten-speed touring bike which is made of aluminum alloy, which is also covered with grip tape, then the straps included in the box are certainly required in order to mount the headlight. The Lucid bike strap helps keep the headlight secure and stable and also keeps the light from shaking, though it is certainly not as secure compared with the magnetic snaps.

The taillight installation is quite simple. All that is required is that your seat is raised up at least three inches to free up the exposed steel on the seat post giving it a perfect mount that would be secured with its industrial magnet strength bond.

In my case, however, I decided I didn’t want to raise my bike seat another inch due to personal seating posture preferences. I switched and mounted the tail light to the rear steel post frame of the bike, along with the silicon straps, even though the smaller frames that support the rear wheels slightly obstructed the tail light, but is still very visible for everyone to see in the dark.

In the olden days, I used a screwdriver, pliers and a wrench to mount my bike light. Most of the time, I would completely ruin the bike’s design and scratch the bikes paint and logo just trying to attach the metal clamp around the frame of the bike.

Luckily, this is no longer the case, as the new silicon straps that the Luci bike light made of flexible silicon is harmless to the frame. Better yet, I no longer need to use or carry tools.

THE LOWDOWN

The headlight contains 10 cool white LED bulbs and rates 100 lumens. It lasts over 15 hours, after 8 hours of charging in the sun, which I happily confirmed. The tail light is rated at 40 lumens and lasts about three hours, so you may have to recharge it if you plan to ride longer.

One very useful feature of the Luci bike light is that you can also magnetically mount the tail light to the front headlight to charge it up.

Photo courtesy of MPOWERD

At 100 lumens, I was pleasantly surprised how much light it could generate. Initially, I really didn’t expect to be able to see every nook and cranny on the road. I did feel relatively safe, even on unlit paths, just as long as I wasn’t speeding too much. It provided ample brightness, though, it might be tough to see sudden potholes that you may not see fifty feet ahead if you are going too fast.

If you are mainly biking on unlit roads and trying to win Olympic medals, then you may wish to consider brighter bike lights that have at least 500 to around 1000 lumens.

CONCLUSION

The MPOWERD Luci bike light is perfect for the casual biker who needs to see and be seen at night, especially in the city. It’s perfect for riding during the day with a full charge and then at night for a good couple of hours with the option of using the USB charger.

These bike lights require very little maintenance. You can just leave them outdoors attached to the bike and let the sun do all the work charging the batteries without even having to think about it.

With the ease and convenience of installing it and removing it, you probably never have to worry about having your light stolen ever again unless, of course, if you forget to remove them yourself. It’s portability and versatility make it a great light for biking or just as another light source, even in emergency situations.

It would have been nice if MPOWERD would have included a few extra silicon straps along in the package. I can easily imagine myself carelessly losing one or two of them one day and it sure wouldn’t paint a pretty picture of me attempting to strap the lights using something else, such as velcro or duct tape out of pure desperation. Perhaps, in order to avoid this, I may just need to run to the nearest Office Depot or Staples to buy a small binder ring to keep them all together.

From the makers of the LUCI lanterns, The MPOWERD Luci bike light is yet another winning new addition to the company’s lineup. How can you not love a company whose mission is to improve lives with transformative, thoughtfully designed, clean technology whose innovative products give people the power of self-reliance and help create a positive environmental impact around the world?

With their products, including the Luci bike light, not only will you help by saving the planet by not having to buy batteries and disposing of them, but you will rarely have to worry about being in the dark ever again…

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GAMERS OF THE FUTURE ON NETFLIX? STRANGER THINGS CAN HAPPEN

The debut of Netflix’s “Stranger Things” in 2017 became a phenomenal franchise that games was just a natural path for its world-wide popularity. Courtesy of BonusXP

Article by Marcus Siu

In 2007, before the days of “apps” and “streaming” was even heard of, I received a special red envelope from Netflix in my mailbox that was going to change everyone’s watching habits forever.  These envelopes were reserved for a select few DVD based Netflix subscribers which was the only option initially there was at the time.

The label on the envelope read “Instant Streaming Disc” for PS3. 

When Netflix made the announcement to their subscribers that they would soon be able to watch hundreds of movies from their PlayStation 3 console on to their TV sets, it seemed almost incompressible.  After I installed the disc, I found myself panning through the menu for what seemed like to be an endless supply of movies that I had the option to watch. After carefully choosing one to my liking, I was blown away at how good the actual video quality was.

From that point on, I realized Netflix’s streaming was going to be the official game changer for not just the DVD rental industry, but the entire movie industry as a whole. It changed the way we watched movies at home; by being able to watch almost any movie at any time.

Fifteen years since that monumental moment, it seems that Netflix may just utilize the magic of the Sony PlayStation yet again, but this time for a different kind of purpose. One that the Sony PlayStation utilizes quite well – games.

courtesy of Netflix

In addition to their original films, animation and unscripted TV, Netflix will be offering another new content: gaming.

The great news, at least in the short term, is that there will be no additional cost for the new gaming content for the subscribers, though once everyone gets hooked into it, just like the way video streaming did when it first came out, I imagine they might repeat themselves and charge a bit extra for it later down the line once it is widely embraced by it’s audience.

Recently announced on a letter to shareholders this month, Netflix said that will initially focus gaming on mobile devices.  So, I assume Netflix will develop some new Android and iOS apps to install onto smart-phones, tablets, and laptops, in order for subscribers to get a taste of what’s to come for gamers. Look for this to be done by the end of the year.

Though, it really wasn’t their intention to get into the gaming business even just a few years ago, Netflix has completely changed their tone. Perhaps it could have been due to the fact that many studios were pulling their big blockbuster movies out of Netflix so they could put them in their own streaming channels, like Disney Plus and HBO Max.

I am sure they had lost a chunk of their 18 to 34 year old audience, since all the Marvel and Star Wars movies had disappeared from the Netflix catalogue. It will be any of them will return just for the games.

STRANGER THINGS HAPPENED

Netflix’s phenomenal Stranger Things, became an overnight sensation since it debuted in 2016. According to Symphony Technology Group, within the first 35 days of release, Stranger Things averaged ratings around 14.07 million adults between the ages 18–49 in the United States.  Within its first month, the third season was watched by 64 million households, setting a new record for the most-watched original Netflix series.

The series is the most followed TV show on social media app “TV Time’s” history, with over 5 million followers.

Stranger Things is Netflix’s most prized franchise after having aired four seasons. All types of merchandise could be found at just about any major retail outlet. Books, comics, novels, clothing, toys, games, and even video games. You name it.

INTERACTIVE FILMS AND MOBILE GAMING

In 2017, Netflix started to produce their series of “interactive” films, such as “Black Mirror Bandersnatch”. Their “choose your own adventure” movie has up to ten to twelve different endings based on the viewer’s choices presented at a certain “choice point”.  Though there are very few decision-making choices compared to an actual video game, it still made it somewhat, in a way, a “game”, since it is interactive.

The following year, Netflix partnered with Telltale Games and introduced their first interactive game, Minecraft: Story Mode, which through basic controls on a television remote, was comparable to the existing catalogue of narrative stories rom Netflix.

Telltale Games also had the exclusive rights to produce a video game adaptation of Stranger Things, but unfortunately, the company collapsed before production even started.

In spite of this, Netflix partnered with BonusXP and developed the first mobile game for Stranger Things on the Android and iOS operating systems, which styled the 80’s look of The Legend of Zelda, the iconic 16-bit Nintendo game that was also about exploration and discovery. The free touchscreen game was downloaded over 3 million times it’s first week in 2017.

The following year, in 2018, when Season Two of Stranger Things came out, the game was updated and also became compatible with the Amazon Fire tablet with an option of using a controller through its port, which was a step in the right direction for serious gamers.

Stranger Things 3: The Game Courtesy of Bonus XP

When BonusXP released Stranger Things 3: The Game in 2019, the tie-in for the third season, it was the first time that Stranger Things supported multiple platforms a such as personal computers, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.

I can imagine an updated Stranger Things 5 release, just in time for Christmas that could launch their introduction of gaming to their subscribers.

Even though they are still the major leader of all “over-the-top” streaming services with 204 million subscribers (and still growing), Netflix’s market share has been decreasing each quarter to rivals such as Disney Plus, HBO Plus, Hulu, Amazon Prime and so on. Their competition is starting to take a bigger chunk of the revenue pie.

In 2020, Netflix had a market share of 36.2% of the U.S. television industry’s revenue, down from 44.4% in 2019. By 2022, its share is expected to be down to 28.4%, and almost even with Disney’s slice of the U.S. streaming market.

Perhaps, it just seems natural for Netflix at this stage as a delivery content provider to transition into gaming after experimenting with interactive films.

Unlike Apple Arcade and Google Stadia whom haven’t exactly bowled the public over with their gaming platforms, Netflix has a much better chance to be successful with their existing 204 million subscriber base global platform, along with the endless quantity of intellectual property coming from Hollywood movies. Mobile gaming has the possibility to be more creative than ever.

They also have a great strategic partnership with Sony.  I believe game developers from all walks of life would want to work for Netflix, which is one of the most trusted and reputable companies in America to work for, as well. It was ranked #115 in Forbes 500 this year.

For better or worse, there will be some very exciting times as well as more stranger days ahead for the streaming giant. We’ll see if gaming will help fuel the future growth for Netflix. It will be a wait and see.

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MUSIC STREAMING SERVICES FAVORING LOSSLESS CD QUALITY AND HI-RES AUDIO AS THE NEW STANDARD

Apple Music announces Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos; will bring Lossless Audio to entire catalog

Article by Marcus Siu

The exciting news with Apple Music this month is that their entire catalogue will be in glorious lossless ALAC audio. The service’s catalogue will be available in CD-quality with 20 million songs available in hi-res at launch. Apple Music subscribers will be able to listen to more than 75 million songs – and is a new feature for Apple Music subscribers starting in July.

Apple Music’s Lossless tier starts at CD quality, which is 16 bit at 44.1 kHz (kilohertz), and goes up to 24 bit at 48 kHz and is playable natively on Apple devices. For the true audiophile, Apple Music also offers Hi-Resolution Lossless all the way up to 24 bit at 192 kHz. This is true industry-leading sound quality that is being streamed to subscribers.

Not only that, but Apple is bringing Spatial Audio with support for Dolby Atmos to Apple Music. Dolby Atmos is a revolutionary, immersive audio experience that enables artists to mix music so the sound comes from all around and from above. It allows people to connect with their favorite music in a whole new way, pulling listeners into a song and revealing what was lost with stereo recordings. Listeners can discover hidden details and subtleties with unparalleled clarity. Thousands of tracks will be available in Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos at launch, with more added regularly.

There will be exciting times ahead for musical recording artists to be even more innovative in this latest technology.

“Apple Music is making its biggest advancement ever in sound quality,” said Oliver Schusser, Apple’s vice president of Apple Music and Beats. “Listening to a song in Dolby Atmos is like magic. The music comes from all around you and sounds incredible. Now we are bringing this truly innovative and immersive experience to our listeners with music from their favorite artists like J Balvin, Gustavo Dudamel, Ariana Grande, Maroon 5, Kacey Musgraves, The Weeknd, and so many more.

The cost is $9.99/month or $14.99/month for the Apple Music Family Plan which allows you to share your account for up to five people. If you’re a student, it’s only $4.99.

In response, Amazon, who had been charging premium prices for Lossless Audio, had decided to drop the extra premium cost for their service. Amazon’s high-fidelity streaming service, Amazon Music HD, is now available to Amazon Music Unlimited subscribers at no extra cost. Amazon Music HD previously cost $14.99 a month ($12.99 for Prime members) while Amazon Music Unlimited, its most popular service option, is $9.99 a month ($7.99 for Prime members).

In the meantime, Spotify, who has the largest global market share for paid subscribers for streaming music, announced their upcoming premium service equivalent, Spotify HiFi, which has consistently been one of users’ most requested new features. Beginning later this year, premium subscribers in select markets will be able to upgrade their sound quality to Spotify HiFi.  However, time will tell if it will be an “upgrade” or if it will be included in their regular subscription, like Apple.

In addition, it will be interesting what TIDAL Music will do, considering they were the first music streaming service bringing Dolby Atmos Music to users with a Dolby Atmos enabled sound bar, TV, or AVR home theater system through its HiFi tier.

Why do we care?

For most people who leisurely listen to music, they won’t care, but for professional musicians and audiophiles who have already invested serious money into their stereo equipment and studio-grade headphones, it’s been what they’ve been waiting for a long time.

It has been strange that the digital revolution has brought us more listeners, thanks to the invention of Apple’s iPod, a device that was perfect for on the go music, but compromised on sound quality and “everything” that the artists wanted you to hear after they investing hefty sums of money in the recording studios and into their recordings. What a travesty!

Blame mp3’s. They became the new standard format for digital music in the beginning of the iPod days nearly thirty years ago. Consumers ditched their CD’s after converting them into mp3 music files that only contained a small fraction of the music, so they could carry their music in their iPod players instead of having to carry stacks of CD’s. These compressed music files with its minimal storage space made life good by easily taking our catalog of music into our iPods with us every where we went.

Dolby Atmos in Studio. Photo courtesy of Dolby.

iPod users are able to carry hundreds or even thousands of songs with them but there is a tradeoff. Even though the sound quality of the mp3’s was fine on our iPod’s earphones, it was not up to par to CD’s when connected to a typical home stereo system or listening through high quality stereo headphones.

Most people didn’t realize this until they plugged their iPod’s into their home stereo for the first time and found the sound to be inferior, characterless, and shallow. It certainly surprised me when I did this and it didn’t occur to me that mp3’s were the culprit, until I researched more about them. Not to totally rip mp3 technology, (no pun intended), but they are perfect for listening where it doesn’t demand attention, like at a beach or campsite. Nothing better than a little white noise in the environment, but I would have preferred just bringing a few CD’s…or better yet, a high digital audio player with a good quality Bluetooth speaker.

You can’t miss what you never heard, but when you realize that you are missing something, it’s important to revisit what you are familiar with and listen to what you missed. Needless to say, consumers may need to upgrade their headphones to take full advantage of the immersive sound, or perhaps, upgrade their home stereo system to Dolby Atmos, if they haven’t done so already.

Lizzo in studio. Photo courtesy of Dolby

With 5G in the horizon and more and more personal devices, such as high quality headphones and earbuds becoming more mainstream, lossless audio will be the new standard, as people may begin to realize they are getting far less for their money with compressed lossy audio.

It’s about time that streaming services finally realized that sound quality really does matter to many consumers who would like to be able to hear the way it was heard in the music studio. Why it took us thirty years to realize that we wanted back CD-quality sound after ditching them for mp3 quality sound is beyond me.

I’m sure it made Stevie Wonder too.

Here are some links to experience samples and get free trials:

https://www.dolby.com/experience/apple-music/

https://www.amazon.com/music/unlimited/hd

https://tidal.com/partners/dolbyatmos

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THE RESURGEANCE OF VINYL AND THE DEMISE OF CD’S IN THE WORLD OF STREAMING

The basement at Rasputin Records in Berkeley California may need to expand to the main floor that contains mainly CD’s and videos due to continuing strong demand for vinyl recordings. Photo by Marcus Siu.

Article and photos by Marcus Siu

Now that the majority of music listeners are now choosing streaming (Spotify, Amazon, Apple, Tidal, SiriusXM, etc) as their number one choice to obtain music, it seems fitting to reminisce and nostalgically look back on the past few decades on the final days of reel to reels, 8-track cartridges, and cassettes; all of yesteryear’s glorious physical media that slowly disappeared from the record store shelves.

Today, it clearly seems CD’s may become part of that exclusive list as its sales continue to decline with the music buying public, but surprisingly, vinyl seems to live on as it continues to gain renewed interest year after year.

In fact, vinyl sales have increased every year since 2005.

Like camera buffs who were reluctant to make the transition from analog to the new digital format for the longest time, there are audiophiles in the music world who feel that vinyl is still far the superior format. They contend that vinyl, even when compared with todays technology produces a much warmer sound due to the amount of information stored on the record compared to any of the other formats, including streaming.

Even though 83% of U.S. music revenue came from streaming last year and physical media comprised only 9%, it was for the first time since 1986, revenues from vinyl records were larger than from CDs. Total revenues from physical products were virtually flat at $1.1 billion (down 0.5%). Despite the challenges to retail sales from Covid-19 restrictions, vinyl grew 28.7% by value year-over-year to $626 million, though still only account for 5.2% of total revenues by value. Revenues from CDs declined 23% to $483 million, continuing a long-term decline.

Bottom line: CD’s are on the demise but vinyl continues to rise.

VINYL IS ALIVE AND WELL

To an true audiophile, there is nothing more gratifying than operating a turntable. There is a certain skill of gradually lowering the lever of the tonearm and gently drifting and descending the needle of the stylus manually onto a predetermined track on an album rotating at 33 RPM’s. It makes them feel like they are solely responsible for the music about to be played, just like how a pumped up skillful live radio D.J. feels playing to an receptive audience. Spinning records is truly an art form. Not to knock the user interface of a CD player, but just about any sitting duck can push a “play” button. Operating a CD player just doesn’t have the same effect.

In addition, as the operator of the turntable, you feel that the record album is more of a personal reflection about yourself than just solely the music. There is a heartfelt artistic connection to that recording as though you are part collaborator with the musical artist. It’s as though the heart and soul of the music is right in the grooves.

A reissued Elvis Costello “Armed Forces” 9 LP box set can be yours for $160.00. Only for the true blue Elvis fan. Photo by Marcus Siu

WHY VINYL THRIVES – IT’S THE PACKAGING

As a passionate collector of LP record albums long before the days of CD’s, I found it quite exhilarating to spend an evening at the local record store, just flipping through record bins throughout the entire store. I would familiarize myself with all the musical artists that might intrigue me as a possible blind buy. As part of my regular record buying ritual, I would go to Tower Records right before they close at midnight a few times a week, just because I had the urge to search out for new music in peace.

Unfortunately, those days are long gone.

In 1987, when CD’s surpassed LP sales and became mainstream, vinyl was on its way out and no longer the consumer’s preferred format. Record store floors that used to pile record albums from the floor up sacrificed more shelving to the blister packages of CD packaging.

Record cover art was shrinking before our very eyes. Just compare some of the incomparable Rolling Stones covers that might be impossible to recreate for a similar release for CD for obvious reasons; zippers, lenticular 3-D, or an elaborate die-cut design. (Sticky Fingers, Their Satanic Majesties Request, or Some Girls). Original artwork intended for record albums is so much more imaginative and creative than artwork intended for CD’s

The 12.375 inch record album square was being replaced with a 4.274 inch CD, which is nearly three times smaller. Buyers of CD’s would be missing out on great album artwork, such as The Beatle’s “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart’s Club Band” where Peter Blake’s pop-art assemblage of who’s who would be impossible to identify everyone on the smaller format.

In contrast to the CD booklets, usually, album sleeves were always being handled and looked at for lyrics and musician credits. That was the beauty of handling the album right before putting it on the platter of the turntable.

Half the time, CD booklets might not even see the light of day, as they though they were just used as a supplement, much like the multi-folded documentation from your OTC prescriptions. I don’t even remember ever taking out the CD booklet, just because I know that they were quite susceptible for getting permanent fingerprints all over them. I always left it in the jewel box to keep in pristine condition.

Even if I did take it out of the jewel box, it’s certainly not my thing to squint my eyes just to struggle and read the lyrics and turn each page song after song, whereas the album sleeve usually has all the lyrics on one side and large enough so you don’t need a magnifying glass.

Nowadays, it seems record studios are releasing everything all over again. Albums you never thought you would see the light of day are surprisingly showing up again. These record albums are being reissued, repressed, and hopefully remastered.

Some vinyl also have exclusive material not found anywhere, especially in these $150 box sets that are very limited. Collectible colored vinyl is making a comeback. Much of anything labeled “180 gram” vinyl are also highly sought after by audiophiles, even though it may be more of a marketing gimmick and doesn’t guarantee a quality pressed record, except that it does seem to carries its weight.

You can credit part of vinyl’s success to “Record Store Day”, an annual event that is like Christmas for vinyl collectors. This year RSD2021 falls on June 12th with limited releases that will disappear in no time.

United States recorded music revenues grew 9.2% in 2020 to $12.2 billion at estimated retail value. This is the fifth consecutive year of growth for the industry, as paid subscription services continued to be the primary drier of revenue increases, and reached a record number of subscriptions. Covid-19 affected the industry significantly through tour cancellations, retail store closures, and other disruptions. Revenues from recorded music measured at wholesale value grew 8.9% to $8.0 billion.

Joshua P Friedlander, Serior Vice President, Research and Economics, RIAA

TURN TURN TURNHYBRID RETRO TURNTABLES

Turntables are making a comeback, such as the Victrola Eastwood, priced at $99.00, which includes an excusive Audio Technical cartridge/stylus, built-in speakers, RCA outputs, and Bluetooth. Photo courtesy of Victrola.

Recently, record players and turntables have been making a comeback thanks to the the resurgence of vinyl. For much of this decade, it was nearly impossible to find an amplifier or audio receiver that had a built-in phono input as a standard option. Most audio manufacturers didn’t even consider it, since they felt it was just added an unnecessary cost in the new digital age. It was only reserved for the top tier models where you would definitely notice it in the list price.

Today, many retailers and independent record stores have quite a nice selection of “retro” turntables for sale. Two companies have dominated the market by creating hybrid turntables; Victrola, who have been in business since 1901, during the Thomas Edison days, and Crosley, who ironically, have been around for 30 years betting vinyl wouldn’t go away. Luckily for them and us, it didn’t.

These are the turntables that the younger generation of buyers prefer as it combines updated features similar to a what a laptop would have, such as built-in speakers, headphone jacks, Bluetooth technology, and even USB functionality to create audio files, as compared to the traditional turntables that are strictly components to a stereo system.

Turntables are making a comeback, such as the Victrola Eastwood, priced at $99.00, which includes an excusive Audio Technical cartridge/stylus, built-in speakers, RCA outputs, and Bluetooth. Photo courtesy of Victrola.

At this years CES 2021, Victrola announced the partnership with Audio Technica and unveiled the “Eastwood Hybrid Turntable” (pictured), which has an exclusive custom-made moving magnetic Audio Technica (AT-360LA) cartridge built right in the tonearm.

While the record is playing on the Eastwood, you have the option to listen through its built-in speakers or any external Bluetooth speakers. Other options include attaching personal headphones directly to it, using its RCA output jack to amplify the sound to an amplifier or receiver (like a traditional turntable), or even use the turntable’s built-in speakers to use as an external speaker for your phone, tablet, or device that connects to Bluetooth.

The fact that Victrola is only charging $99 is just astounding, as any who has ever replaced a stylus knows how expensive a good quality Audio Technica cartridges costs, even if it’s just an entry level one. In comparison to other turntables at this price point, this turntable with its magnetic cartridge would make it a step above if you plan to use it with headphones or through an external source, as the technology that Victrola uses in partnership with AT ensures high quality sound. Whether it’s used as a starter turntable, it’s surely an economical way to go if all you want to do is spin records.

Looking forward to seeing more vinyl releases in the record stores.

Vinyl is just simply groovy.

Turntables and vinyl accessories are quite popular at independent record stores. Photo by Marcus Siu.

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THE 93RD ANNUAL ACADEMY AWARDS TO BE UNMASKED – PREDICTIONS – #OscarsNotSoWhite – #WinnersNotSoWhite

The 93rd Annual Academy Awards airs Sunday, April 25th at 8pm EST

Article by Marcus Siu

With the COVID-19 Pandemic looming above us during the past year, the major awards season has been rather anemic with its shows having to rely almost exclusively on virtual technology. It would have been just as enjoyable and appropriate for viewers to watch the shows on their six inch smart-phones instead of on their ultra HD television sets.

This year’s venue will be primarily at the Union Station in Los Angeles, where they will be able to treat this as a film production shoot, rather than an event. The event will be like watching a movie. It will even be shot at 24 frames per second just like film, rather than the 30 frames per second that TV normally is shot at. There may be some “simulcast” feeds and “pre-recorded” performances for best songs, but certainly no Zoom.

It will be virtually “non-virtual” with live presenters and audience, as well. It promises to pay tribute to the golden days of Hollywood when the ceremony was just as a small intimate gathering at the Roosevelt Hotel back in 1929. Winners will be able to give their long glorious acceptance speeches to a live audience, without masks. In other words, everyone that you see on camera will be totally mask-less.

And no, we are not at a “Make America Great Again” political rally.

Prior and close to the event, all attendees will be required to be tested for COVID three separate times before entering the historic venue along with its multiple hubs around the globe. When they are not in front of the camera, everyone must wear their mask. So you can assume when the commercial rolls, they will all be practicing safety and distancing guidelines.

The membership of the Academy Awards has gone through some major changes recently. Thanks to the, #OscarsSoWhite” movement which started two years ago causing an uproar that all of the twenty acting category nominees were all white. In addition, there wasn’t enough women being represented in the Academy.

Since then, AMPAS (Academy of Motion Picture Sciences) recruited filmmakers all around the globe to diversify its members by doubling the number of women and people of color. By looking at this years nominees, it sure looks like they have certainly accomplished this task.

Seventy women received a total 76 nominations, a record for a given year. Chloé Zhao, (editor, writer, director, producer of “Nomadland”) is the first woman to receive four nominations in a single year. Emerald Fennell, (writer, director, and producer of “Promising Young Woman”), becomes the third woman with three nominations in a single year, joining Sofia Coppola and Fran Walsh, who both accomplished that feat in 2003.

Not only has there never been as many diverse nominations in a given year, but this may be the year that the all or the majority of Oscar winners will be of color, if my predictions are correct. Also, for the first time in history and a major leap for #OscarsSoWhite, an Asian woman, a woman who is not white, will most likely win for Best Director.

Frances McDormand and Director/Writer Chloé Zhao on the set of NOMADLAND. Photo by Joshua James Richards. © 2020 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved

BEST PICTURE: The Academy Award for the “Best Picture” category is based on the ranking system; an instant-runoff voting or preferential treatment rather than the typical plurality voting that is done in all the other categories. That means even if a movie garners the most first place votes, it can still lose if it places lower on all of the other voters lists. Such a likely example might have happened a few years ago when the heavily favored “La La Land”, with its record 14 tie-breaking nominations lost to the critically acclaimed, “Moonlight”.

This year is no exception, as the rules for the Best Picture category can be a somewhat unpredictable. “Nomadland” is the front-runner as it won most of the awards during the year, including every single Best Director Award for Chloé Zhao. This will be only the second time a woman has won the Best Director prize since Kathryn Bigelow won for “The Hurt Locker”. It will be the first time an Asian woman has ever won the award, as well.

Considering how diversified the Oscars has gotten to be over the years, don’t be too surprised if the highly regarded Korean film, “Minari” pulls off a surprise upset. It has all the necessary major nominations to win votes across the board, but because Korea’s “Parasite” was last year’s big winner, it would put it at a disadvantage in the voting.

MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM (2020) Chadwick Boseman as Levee. Cr. David Lee/NETFLIX

BEST ACTOR: Critics and filmmakers alike are so enamored by Chadwick Boseman performance in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” that they were thinking it would be inconceivable that anyone else could possibly win this category, even before the Oscar campaign season officially started. When you see his first scene in the movie and you immediately think the studio will use that scene as his “Oscar Clip”, only to discover these scenes gets better and better throughout the movie, especially when he is sharing the screen with the incomparable Viola Davis.

If there is any competition against him who can possibly upset him, it’s Sir Anthony Hopkins, who recently won the BAFTA (British Academy Awards) for Best Actor. However, it probably won’t happen here in the U.S. where many actors were very blessed to have had worked alongside his brilliance before he tragically died. He has virtually won every single award he was nominated for in here in this country.

BEST ACTRESS: Now that there are more films being made about strong and independent women, the scripts have never been better. Whether it would be musical bio-pics, featuring Billie Holliday or Ma Rainey, or just about “everyday” strong liberated women, it will be very difficult to choose a winner, as we haven’t had this many powerhouse performances ever in a given year for actresses.

Andra Day might have the edge over Davis, since she not only embodied the role of her character like Davis did, but unlike Davis, she actually sang throughout the movie. Within a short amount of time with the help of her dialect/singing coach, she recreated Billie Holiday’s unique vocal style. She even took up smoking and drinking which helped put the “gravel” into her voice, creating the nuance that Holiday had in her singing.

Votes will definitely be split across the board between musical icons, strong and promising young, women, Oscar winners and Oscar nominees who haven’t won, and so on. Sometimes, I feel they should just split the award among all five of the nominees when all of the performances are so outstanding.

(Top l-r) DARRELL BRITT-GIBSON as Bobby Rush, DANIEL KALUUYA as Chairman Fred Hampton and ASHTON SANDERS as Jimmy Palmer in Warner Bros. Pictures’ “JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: If there is another “sure” bet in any acting category, it will be for Daniel Kaluuya taking home the statuette for Best Supporting Actor, portraying Black Panther revolutionary, Fred Hampton in “Judas and the Black Messiah”. Many filmgoers were quite surprised that he is actually British, as most remember his Actor nominated performance as Chris Robinson in Jordan Peele’s thriller, “Get Out”, which earned him a Best Actor nomination in 2017. Kaluuya went on to sweep all the major awards during the year, so it will be no surprise for him to win.

Minari – Yuh-jung Youn Courtesy of A24

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: You would think Glenn Close would have an Oscar by now with her eight nomination during her forty year career in film, but her film “Hillbilly Elegy” didn’t garner much support from the Academy voters. Since Yuh-Jung Youn took home the SAG and BAFTA and virtually everything else she was nominated for “Minari”, this should be history in the making for her to be the first Korean actress to win the Academy Award for acting and the second Asian actress since Miyoshi Umeki for “Sayonara” in 1958.

MLS Entertainment’s Oscar Predictions:

Best Picture: “Nomadland”
Best Actor: Chadwick Boseman, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
Best Actress: Andra O’Day, “The United States vs. Billie Holiday”
Best Supporting Actor: Daniel Kaluuya, “Judas and the Black Messiah”
Best Supporting Actress: Yuh-Jung Youn, “Minari”
Best Director: Chloé Zhao, “Nomadland”
Best Adapted Screenplay: “ Nomadland ”
Best Original Screenplay: “ Promising Young Woman”
Best Cinematography: “Nomadland”
Best Costume Design: “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
Best Film Editing: “Trial of the Chicago 7”
Best Makeup and Hairstyling: “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
Best Music (Original Score): “Soul”
Best Music (Original Song): “Speak Now” from “One Night in Miami”
Best Production Design: “Mank”
Best Sound: “Sound of Metal”
Best Visual Effects: “Tenet”
Best Animated Feature Film: “Soul”
Best Foreign Language Film: “Another Round”
Best Documentary (Feature): “My Octopus Teacher”
Best Documentary (Short Subject): ”A Love Song for Latasha”
Best Short Film (Animated): “If Anything Happens I Love You”
Best Short Film (Live Action): “Two Distant Strangers”

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DOLBY ATMOS ON WHEELS – COMING TO A CAR NEAR YOU

The interior of the Lucid Air – the first vehicle to integrate Dolby Atmos, which incorporates a 21-speaker Surreal Surround system. Courtesy of Dolby Labs.

Article by Marcus Siu

With the strictest list of COVID pandemic regulations that was forced on us, disrupting our normal lives in the past year, (i.e. six feet of social distancing, restrictions on indoor activities, and keeping ourselves within our “social bubble”), we now fully seem to realize how much we rely on our cars as a safe haven during these stressful times.

In a way, our car has become part of our social “bubble”, as many of our outdoor events and special activities have revolved around them. Occasions such as birthdays, graduations, even art exhibits and political events were all celebrated and performed from the safety of our cars instead of in person. Even drive-in movie theaters staged an impressive comeback.

It’s times like these when we are reminded how much time we love to spend in our cars. We treat them like a “second home”, as we always seem to find safety, reliability and comfort in them. Even with its confined space, (unless you have a trailer or a camper), it’s still our “home away from home”.

So what would make it as comfortable as being at home? For me, I would want to include an audio entertainment system where I can just sit down comfortably and listen to pure music without any other extraneous noise around me. Also, as an audiophile, I would want to have an immersive sound experience comparable to the one I have at home, as though I was sitting on my living room couch surrounded by multiple speakers, all perfectly calibrated to my Denon 7.2 channel Dolby Atmos receiver.

Panasonic, Klipsch, and Dolby Atmos at CES 2021. Courtesy of Klipsch.

THE PANASONIC PARTNERSHIP ANNOUNCEMENT AT CES 2021

Now the exciting news!

At CES 2021, earlier this year, Panasonic showed off a proof-of-concept in-car system capable of playing Dolby’s immersive audio format, Dolby Atmos. After not wanting to really want to become part of the automotive business until the right moment, Panasonic found the perfect partners who shares their values and have joined forces to change the way we listen to music. According to Panasonic, “the proof-of-concept result is an impressive listening experience that features an immersive soundscape for the automotive cabin.”. The in-car system was made by Panasonic, in partnership with Klipsch and Dolby.

“Dolby Atmos Music are leading many of the innovative approaches to bringing Dolby Atmos music to the home, on-the-go and now, working with Panasonic Automotive to bring the Dolby Atmos experience to the road…we’re focused on making the cabin of your vehicle like a second home.”, says Scott Kirchner, the President of Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America.

This sounds promising to the future of car owners who want to make their car their second home…given they have the car to equip the system.

However, there was no mention of Panasonic releasing this as a consumer product…

Dolby Atmos places you in the center of an immersive soundscape that allows you to feel music in a whole new way which is where I want to be.

LUCID MOTORS – AIR UNVEILED AT SXSW

A few months after the CES announcement was made by Panasonic, it didn’t take too long to notice that auto manufacturers were taking advantage of the latest in immersive audio technology.

On St. Patrick’s Day, at the South by Southwest Festival (SXSW), startup EV manufacturer, Lucid Motors showed off their Lucid Air luxury sedan and unveiled it as the first vehicle to integrate Dolby Atmos, which incorporates a 21-speaker Surreal Surround system consisting of a front, rear, side, and height speakers as part of their upcoming Lucid Air Electric Vehicle.

Yes, I did not mistype this. It has 21 speakers….not to be confused with 2.1 speakers. What is even more impressive is that the speakers are discreetly concealed into the car. There are no signs of speaker cones or grilles anywhere in the car’s interior.

This will immediately please the wife who dislikes large speakers invading the living room space in the family home.

“The Lucid immersive system is really about this further evolution of dimension and depth…we always look at the automobile is like a captive environment…short of having a sound booth at home or wearing a high end set of headphones. The automobile is really like a captive sound chamber so to be able to partner up with a technology partner like Dolby means a lot.”, states Senior VP of Design, Derek Jenkins.

A RECORDING STUDIO ON WHEELS

According to Lucid, “the intention is that the Lucid Air interior will be like being in a recording studio, and was tuned and perfected like that of the Capitol Records Studio C”.  Courtesy of Lucid Motors.

When the Tesla Model S came out, CEO Elon Musk said that it is not a car but a ‘sophisticated computer on wheels’. If that’s the case, then the people at Lucid Motors can say with confidence that the Lucid Air is also not a car but a “professional recording studios on wheels”.

“We designed the Lucid Immersive Studio System to be like a recording studio. It can handle hundreds of sounds and sources simultaneously,” says Antonis Karalis, Senior Product Manager, Audio Infotainment. 

According to Lucid, “the intention is that the Lucid Air interior will be like being in a recording studio, and was tuned and perfected like that of the Capitol Records Studio C”. 

If the sound is any indication as it is in the most sophisticated Dolby theater systems, I imagine this will be quite immersive, especially with so many speakers designed specifically in a confined and intimate space where the speakers are optimally integrated and precisely positioned in the interior cabin. We won’t just hear the music, but we will feel it pass through us, as well, since the individual sounds move around the cabin.

I certainly can’t wait to hear the demo in person.

Unfortunately, it is not quite available to the public just yet. However, you can pre-order the Lucid Air for a mere $70,000 after federal tax credits, as the car goes on sale next year. Not a bad price for a “professional recording studios on wheels”.

Now with more electric vehicles hitting the road with its battery quiet and motor-less autos, it only makes sense that the cars of tomorrow come up and re-imagine the car’s sound system to take advantage of the almost noiseless environment of the interior of EV’s.

Audi and Sonos announced prior to the Lucid Air announcement, that are also teaming up together on the new Audi Q4 e-tron EV, as well. However, it does not include Dolby Atmos.

I can imagine one day after hearing the Dolby Atmos demo at a Lucid showroom that I may never want to listen to my car stereo ever again. It’ll be similar to never wanting to watch a CRT tube television after experiencing an HD for the first time.

I just may need to make a down payment on a new recording studio very soon.

Introducing Surreal Sound – Lucid Air – Lucid Motors

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THE LED+ SPEAKER PRODUCT REVIEW: THE GREATEST IDEA SINCE THE LIGHT BULB

“There’s a way to do it better – find it.”

– Thomas Edison

One bright idea on top of another. The LED+ Speaker Bulb. Courtesy of GE Lighting, a Savant Company.

Article by Marcus Siu

Over the years, the GE brand has been synonymous with Thomas Edison, America’s greatest known inventor. Though he wasn’t the original inventor, he improved on the original light bulb and took it a big leap further. He modernized it to last much longer compared to any of his other counterparts could have done, thanks mainly with his brilliant idea of the development of a more durable incandescent material, better elimination of air from the bulb by the creation of a vacuum, and a filament material with a higher resistance which promoted economically efficient power distribution.

Needless to say, he practically changed the world “overnight” as electric lighting became widespread everywhere.

By the flick of a switch it was “night and day”.

Thanks to dramatic improvements of LED lighting over the years, smart-lighting technology has been catching on with consumers everywhere. People are ditching traditional incandescent bulbs in favor of LED lights that last up to fifty times longer, use less energy, and do not contain any mercury. More recently, the traditional incandescent bulb has been banned by many governments around the world as they are not energy efficient and is unsuitable for the environment.

GE Lighting, a Savant company, purchased General Electric’s Lighting Company just less than a year ago and introduced the LED+ Collection line. Just like Thomas Edison did back 129 year ago, Savant, went to the drawing board with their engineers to design and improve the GE LED light bulb. The LED + line has improved on the solo light bulb, as each bulb in the LED+ series has one extra feature to make life a little better. What makes this collection unique is that the features are built right into the lights, eliminating the need for apps or additional hardware for seamless set-up and ongoing use.

The LED+ Collection offers the quality and value of LED light plus one standout feature, from an embedded speaker to color control to battery backup and more. The features are built right into the lights, eliminating the need for apps or additional hardware. Simple choices, simple setup and one key outcome. Truly as simple as screwing in a light bulb!

The LED+ Collection:

There are six different LED+ products so far in their lineup: LED+ Color not only remits white light, but also has the option to light ten different colors with the use of a remote. The LED+ Battery Backup is quite practical when your electricity goes out, the bulb will go to a battery backup and you will have light for at least five or more hours. You can even use it as a flashlight backup and take it where you need it. The LED+ Dusk to Dawn bulb automatically turns on your bulb in the evening at sundown as it gets dark and turns off when daylight approaches, perfect for porch lights. The LED+ Linkable Motion turns on automatically when it detects motion outside for safety, as well as scaring off intruders for security purposes. The LED+ Timer turns on and off at any time you set it to.

GE Lighting’s line seems to just put one bright idea on top of another for the home connected space.

The product I was most thrilled about reviewing from the LED+ line was GE’s LED+ Speaker Bulb, It comes in the traditional A-line bulb and a BR for recessed can applications. My review is based on the A21 bulb.

THE SET-UP

It certainly didn’t take much effort or time to set up the GE LED+ speaker bulb up; perhaps, about a whole minute. There are basically three simple steps: screw in the light bulb in the light socket, pair and connect the Bluetooth to the GE speaker bulb, and stream whatever media you would like from your device, such as a smart-phone, tablet, or laptop.

Using my smart-phone, I immediately found myself playing songs from my favorite musical apps like Spotify, Pandora, and Amazon. I was even able to stream my favorite local radio stations on radio.net. Of course, if you have music files on your phone, you can play those, as well.

I was pleasantly taken with the sound quality of the bulb. The speakers produce a very nice respectable sound considering how they are built right on top of the bulb with its circumference being about the size of a half dollar coin.  The LED+ speaker also has a remote that comes with it so you can turn on/off the light or adjust the volume on it. Regardless of whether you are increasing or decreasing the volume, the clarity of the speaker is very clean with no hint of any distortion, which is quite impressive. The remote also allows you to connect and disconnect your Bluetooth, as well as being able to dim or increase the brightness of the light.

One advantage of having an LED+ speaker is when you are at home with a group of friends and want to share media from your device. For example, a typical situation might be when you are trying to share a video on your smart-phone, but unfortunately, even though everyone is gathered around it closely, not everyone is able to clearly hear the dialogue clearly enough due to the sound limitations from the smart-phone’s speakers. Of course, it also doesn’t help when your environment gets a little noisy.

With the LED+ speaker bulb, you won’t have to suffer through this type of scenario. It’s astounding how clear and audible this speaker can get. Some may confuse it as being primarily a Bluetooth speaker that also contains an LED light bulb instead of the other way around. The party continues.

For those with multiple lamps or light fixtures next to each other in a room, you have the option of putting up to ten speaker bulbs across the room all at once. While these aren’t multi-channel or stereo speakers, the more you have, the more robust the sound, especially coming from a ceiling space. With these built-in speakers camouflaging as a light bulb, I love the idea that they aren’t taking any additional space in the room. Watch for house guests to glance around the room wondering where the sound is coming from.

Given how simple these are to setup without any complex configurations, GE Lighting made me a believer that everyone should install LED+ speaker bulbs in all the rooms in their homes. I just love the idea of knowing I can just stream anything from any device in any room in the house and and knowing I can have instant music without having to turn on any electricity from something plugged into an outlet, like a radio, stereo, or even Alexa. It’s instant gratification at its best.

Thomas Edison would have been proud with the GE LED+ speaker, if he were alive today. It’s as close as you can come to with two of his greatest inventions that were invented within two years of each other: the light bulb and the phonograph cylinder. The LED+ speaker is basically the combination of one great Edison invention built on top of another. The fact that you are able to reproduce music through a light bulb instead of a phonograph cylinder may be one of the greatest inventions that Edison has never seen. If he was alive today, it would be music to his ears.

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