Week 4 EOC: There's an App for that

After finding out that phone applications have reached the point to where you can pee on a device and it tells you whether or not you have an std, and which std it is, there truly is an app for that.  One idea for an app would be for fashion freaks, a customizable person where you can enter the brand/type of clothing items you have, and switch tops, bottoms, shoes, and even accessories such as hats and watches to see how it looks and how the color scheme works together.  I think people would like to see what items work together that are in their own wardrobe, that maybe they never though of putting together.  This way they could create multiple outfits out of the same clothing, instead of always having a certain shirt that goes with certain shoes.

                Another idea for an app is a breathalyzer.  You could have a device that plugs into your USB in your phone that allows you to blow into it and it shows your alcohol count.  Then, if your count is too high for  you to legally drive it would bring up a list of cab companies in your area and how much they would charge from your location to certain destinations.  I believe the pricing is very important because nobody wants to spend money on something when they don’t know exactly how much they’ll be spending.  This would have people make more conscious decisions when they see exactly how drunk they are, and how much it would cost to get home safely.

                Lastly, I would love to design an app that involves audio, which is my profession.  So being able to upload pluggins on your phone and messing with effects by recording sound on your built-in microphone.  This app wouldn’t necessarily be for a specific purpose, but would be great fun.  It would  be able to record and modify your voice would be great for people that want to get a quick idea of what something would sound like with the effects processor on it, and knowing the parameters of the settings, so they can save it and upload it at a later time when they’re at their work station

Week 3 EOC: My Demographics

I fall into the age group of a Millennial.  These are children born between 1977 and 2000.  This is a pretty wide gap, so for some the information may not apply, but I was born nearly in the middle at the year of 1989, and the information is pretty surprising on how well it describes me.  According to the book Ch.3 Pg. 17 “One thing that all of the Millennials have in common is their utter fluency and comfort with digital technology. They don’t just embrace technology, it’s a way of life.”  This statement is so dead on it’s almost comical.  My parents got a computer right about the time when I was able to understand what it was and how to properly use it.  I was absolutely enthralled by it and the capability of this advanced machine.  I’ve always been a fan of technological things, but this was something that caught my attention on a whole other level, and soon I became the master of the house on how to navigate and use this beast.  It’s sort of ingrained in my blood how to use technology, and figure things out and troubleshoot, because I’ve sort of been doing it my entire life.  It’s pretty crazy to think of how fast technology has grown since that point, from the dial-up internet, hearing the oh so familiar screeching of the logging in, to the high-speed, always on and always expect it to run flawlessly sort of mentality that we live in today.  I’m not too sure if it’s just Americans, but we really are impatient, in the fact that everything needs to be faster, everything.  I’m very much a part of this style of living, but sometimes people need to get away from the technology, and enjoy the little things in life.

Week 3 EOC: Making Money for Good

According to The Chronicle of Philanthropy the three most generous corporations in America in 2004 are Pfizer, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and Merck. Together, they collectively gave away more than $2.6 billion worth.  Pfizer led the way in giving $1,259.7 million in 2004.  In 2003 they made $13,671 million.  This is giving away 21% of their total income for that year, which is far beyond any corporation out there.   In 2003 Bristol-Myers Squibb made $5,971 million, and gave away $666.3 million, they gave away 11% of their entire income, totaling $666.3 million dollars. Merck made$10,717 million in 2003, and in 2004 gave away $979 million.  They gave away 9% of their total income.  These companies were by far the highest in percentage of their total income that they donated to different charities.  As you can see, Merck made a considerable amount more than Bristol-Myers Squibb, but gave a 2% less to charities.  2% may not seem that big of a difference, but at this  amount of money, its about $200 million dollars worth.  However they were still extremely giving, and the world owes them a huge favor.  Bristol-Myers Squibb made a mere $5,971 million, and gave away a stunning 11% of their income!  Considering they made a great deal less than some of the other corporate giants, the percentage they gave really deserves some credit.  Now, for the mother of them all, the world owed Pfizer some sort of worthy accomplishment, because they gave away 21% of their ENTIRE income for 2003!  Equaling more than $1.2 billion dollars of cash and in-kind donations.  This is the first time a company topped the $1billion mark in the 11 years the Chronicle has been keeping track.  This, is truly a feat that no other company could come close, and it shows.  As and example of the companies good will, Microsoft made $18,583 million dollars (the most out of these top companies) and only gave away 2.2% of their total income, making them one of the lowest on the list.  So take these numbers into mind next time you decide on who to buy from, and make a conscious effort to think about others, when thinking about yourself.

Week 2 EOC: Boston Consulting Group - Video Games

The Video Game Industry is ever changing, and currently not going through the best of times.  Big corporations like Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo are all feeling the hard times of the recession. Big game consoles are getting the worst of it, because games are $60-$70 and gamers are being more reserved with their money.  However there is one section of the industry that isn't getting affected, and in fact is growing into a cash cow, are the video game apps people can download on their hand-helds for 99c. or even for free.  Microsoft is trying to take advantage of this, stating that, "The company will also give developers who build apps for the Windows Phone platform broader access to a phone’s hardware, including the built-in camera and motion sensor. This will let programmers build a new range of apps, including augmented reality experiences." (Nick Bilton. http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/13/microsoft-demonstrates-windows-phone-updates/?scp=9&sq=video%20game&st=cse)  It's hard to keep production strong, when nobody wants to spend, and companies like, "AT&T and Time Warner to Tele-Communications Inc. and the proposed Paramount-Viacom combo -- are spending billions." (Philip Elmer-DeWitt;John F. Dickerson/New York and David S. Jackson/San Francisco. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,979289,00.html) NPD manager, Matthew Tattle says, "Clearly gamers are becoming much less reluctant to spend on games . . . One would think it is a little unusual to see impulse purchases during a recession but it's clear that hardcore gamers will find a way to satisfy their need for something new, different and  enjoyable." (TimTuri. http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2009/10/16/news-npd-study-says-40_2500_-of-games-sales-are-impulsive.aspx)    Gaming will continue to find a way into the people's homes, its just going to give the engineers more of a challenge to find what will grasp the consumers attention and keep it.

Week 1 EOC: My Voice

My name is Andrew Tabor.  I attend the Art Institute of Las Vegas for Audio Production.  Here at the Art Institute, they teach you about all aspects of audio, from live sound to post production to sound design, the Art Institute tries to cover everything under the sun.  In my first couple quarters I was extremely intimidated on this, I didn’t really know what to expect.  As a Junior, I know feel extremely confident in any aspect of audio.  I’ve worked on projects from sound design of an animation, to recording and mixing an entire band in our studio.  Recording the band was by far my favorite project I’ve had so far.  We were taught to use the SSL (Solid State Logic) Duality, which is a digital AND analog console.  If you know anything about audio, this board is a beast to say the least.  I even surprised myself on how well the final mix was.  At the moment I couldn’t really say where exactly I’d like to take my career, but live sound intrigues me in the fact that its always changing, and you always have to be on your toes because one screw up could ruin a show.  But eventually, and were talking way down the road, I would either like to open my own recording studio, or build a venue that acoustically sounds great no matter where you stand, and you always have a good view of the performance.  I am extremely excited to be in this field, and soon looking to get a job in the industry, and make a name for myself.

Week 1 EOC: Great Customer Service

"Marketing is managing profitable customer relationships. The twofold goal of marketing is to attract new customers by promising superior value and to keep and grow current customers by delivering satisfaction." (Pg. 3 Ch. 1 Marketing Creating and Capturing Customer Value).  From my experience, this is an absolute fact  when it comes to buying anything.  My most recent great customer service encounter is due to the great company Sweet Water.  I bought the new Pro Tools 9 over the internet, but needed to get my student discount, and didn't know how to go about doing so.  I called them up and was immediately taken care of with the friendliness and care of the service rep.  He walked me through step by step on what I needed to do on my end, and he would take care of the rest.  Everything went flawlessly, and I had my product faster than expected.  This great service not only showed me that the quality of the company was great, but the service was outstanding.  The man I talked to over the phone, Tim Maus, is now my personal Sweet Water representative.  He sent me his email, and any questions I have about a product, or the company, or anything that is related to audio, he assured me I would get an answer.  I was absolutely stunned by the professionalism of this company.  If I ever have to buy a piece of audio equipment that this company sells, I am definitely buying it through them.  This encounter will have me not only coming back to the company, but referring others to their great service.