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For living-room maestros, a high-tech baton

Article Abstract:

Electronic music researchers develop a 'radio baton' that allows the performance of synthesized music in real time. The device consists of two mallets that use radio waves to control five input sensors that are installed in a flat, rectangular case. Input is received when the mallets strike the pad that controls the volume, timbre and tone of pre-programmed compositions that are played via the use of microcomputers. The conductor controls the output in coordination with other instruments to produce the composition. The development of the radio baton is a significant development in the field of electronic music. Previously, live performances of electronic compositions have been hampered by electronic problems that control playback. With the use of the mallets, musicians will be able to vary the playback and provide greater subtlety than was previously possible. Marion Systems is working to develop a commercial version of the radio baton.

Product development, I/O devices, Music synthesizers, Synthesizers (Music), I/O Device, Music Synthesizer, Musical Performance

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Heads that roll if computers fail: chief information officers are quick to get the blame

Article Abstract:

Chief information officers (CIOs), the executives who manage corporate computer systems, have been propelled into the ranks of upper management during the last ten years, but their prominence has made them vulnerable. Computer systems and networks are increasingly more sophisticated and complicated, and demands on systems continue to multiply. If anything goes wrong with a company's computer systems, it is the CIO who probably will be blamed and possibly will be dismissed. According to one executive, Michael Simmons of the Bank of Boston, 'technology is changing so fast that we haven't learned how to manage it.' CIO's, he adds, have to know management as well as technology. Overall, chief executives are starting to question the value to their companies of computer technology. What, they ask, are we getting for our money? Many CIOs are apparently hard pressed to provide an answer.

Employment, Job security, Chief information officers, Firings, Careers

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A view of earth never seen before

Article Abstract:

A video exhibit set up in Genoa, Italy to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Columbus' voyage, uses satellite photos, video and computer technology to provide comprehensive, high-resolution images of the Earth from 500 miles in space. The exhibit took multimedia specialists and Cambridge Seven, an architectural firm, 10 months and $300,000 to create. Exhibit designers used component/RGB video to make sure the images are crisp. Viewers will feel like they are riding in a spaceship, the 'window' being nine studio-quality video monitors sunken into the floor. Photos used for the display are by Tom Van Sant, an artist who created the first cloud-free, high-resolution satellite composite picture of the Earth as seen from outer space. By using graphics software by Joe Hanf, digitized images were recorded into laser disks.

Usage, High technology, Imaging systems, Computer graphics, Video Display, Exhibits, Graphics System, High Resolution, Imaging Technology

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