The headline reads:

“Canadian company develops thought-control technology which uses brain waves. If you can plug it in, you can control it with your brain”

I won’t even pretend to know anything about how this technology works, but I can tell you that the idea behind it is that a person can learn to use alpha and beta brainwaves to control electronic devices such as computers, lighting, video games, etc. There are those that believe this technology will eventually be part of our everyday lives, the “way we engage the world on a daily basis”.

It all sounds a little freaky to me but it did leave me with a pretty humorous mental picture. Suppose you and your beloved are at home on a Friday night; a quiet evening of popcorn and a video. You’re both “plugged in” to the Blu-ray player. This is how it would unfold in my living room (Remember, there’s no fighting over the remote — this is all controlled by thought):

Car chase scene – must get full effect (Him: volume up) (Her: mute)

Favorite track from the ‘80s in the background – (Her: volume way up) (Him: knows better than to interrupt when she’s lost in the past…no action taken)

Gratuitous nudity – hot chick (Him: rewind) (Her: fast forward) (Him: rewind, rewind, rewind)

I’m sure you get the picture. I can think of about a million other scenarios where this type of technology could cause chaos (think crowds in Times Square messing around with the neons), or be used by evil-doers (don’t get me started). Yet, with our insatiable hunger for tech innovation, the less desirable applications are sure to be overlooked as we take this quite fascinating leap toward the future.

As for right now, I’m trying to use my alpha-beta brain wave thingy-s to shut down my computer, but the office lighting went out instead….

******

Read article here:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/technology/canadian-company-develops-thought-control-technology-which-uses-brain-waves/article1658920/

There was an interesting article on Emarketer.com regarding mobile video viewing. According to the author, in the year 2010, 23.9 million Americans will be users of this technology, generating $1.34 billion in revenue by 2014. Egad!

As a proponent of bigger is better (snicker), I am perplexed that so many people are watching video on their mobile phone. Several years ago, we shelled out thousands of dollars for the behemoth big-screen TV that promised to enrich our viewing experience by allowing for a cinema-like feel. At 200+ lbs with a 50-inch screen, it was arguably the greatest advancement in home entertainment in years. Now we’ve taken to watching video on screens that fit into our shirt pockets.

Creating video that can provide quality resolution on the teeny screen does require some adjustment. Because screen size is limited, filmmakers must ensure that the subject matter fills the viewing area, without a lot of unnecessary background. For example, if creating an educational type video, camera focus should be on the task or process being taught. Whereas, if doing an interview, focus should be on the face of the subject in order to capture his mood/personality. Filmmakers must also be sure to minimize fast camera movements which tend to result in blurry images and poor resolution.

So which is the superior way to watch a video? According to the numbers, on-the-go is the way-to-go! In the end, it’s up to you, the viewer. The industry will always transform itself to give the people what they want. With the trend in portability, I wonder what we have to look forward to in the future?  Tell us where you think we’re headed!

FYI – Find the Emarketer article here:

http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?R=1007845

In a previous blog, we briefly mentioned the emerging trend of social networking while watching video.  This made me think of our ability to multitask while still devoting attention to the job at hand.  There was a period of time when multitasking was an absolute must-have skill, coveted by potential employers who assumed that those who could juggle multiple projects at one time could somehow churn out a large amount of work, thereby increasing company productivity and profit.  Recent research, however, shows that multitasking may be counterproductive; multitaskers are more easily distracted and less likely to get the job done.  The reemerging consensus is that the better route may be to devote all of our attention to one job at a time, carrying it through to completion.

The matter of attention is another issue in itself.  It seems to be hard for us nowadays, living in a fast- moving world where we are often inundated by information.  We all appear to suffer some degree of attention deficit disorder, whether clinically or figuratively.  I’m sure there have been many occasions when you’ve found yourself thinking about what to have for dinner or where to take your next vacation, instead of listening to the boss prattle on about sales demographics and forecasting.  Perhaps right now, while reading this blog, you’ve discovered an interesting piece of lint that warrants further inspection on your clothing.  (It’s okay; I’m not offended.  Well, maybe a little…)  Alas, we all do it.

As visual media creators, we must maintain the balance between the realities of the human attention span, and effectively communicating our message in a brief period of time.  Research shows we have about eight seconds to grab your attention, then mere minutes to hold it – a maximum of twenty minutes for the average adult by some estimates.  As Mark Twain once said, “No sinner is saved after the first twenty minutes of a sermon.”   The irony is that some researchers believe that short attention span is linked to television viewing, so while we are trying to grab and hold your attention, we may at the same time be responsible for decreasing it.  Hmmm…

Indeed, in a busy world that is jam packed with stimuli it can be hard to concentrate on any one thing, be it at work or play.  The next time you’re reading — whether your choice of fodder is the tabloid adventure of some Hollywood super duo, or the intricacies of existentialism — turn off your cell phone and television, and take time to focus on the pure enjoyment of reading.  The next time you’re trying to meet a deadline at work, instead of feeling overwhelmed at the sight of twelve open emails, each demanding an immediate response, choose to prioritize, read and answer just one at a time, then savor the gratification of hitting that Send key.  Take a minute to revel in the satisfaction of an empty desk upon completion of that single, nagging work project, before sullying your workspace with the next.  I plan to give it a try after I finish writing this blog, while reading my text messages, attempting to fish out a small piece of scorched paper from the dark recesses of the copier, and chugging my Goliath-sized latte…

These days, we are often bombarded by what is sure to be the next latest and greatest in technology. Those with the financial resources and a great idea often bring their product to market without having looked at its long term viability. A few make a quick buck before fading away, making room for the next guy. Most don’t even make it out of the gate. Long term vision is important; knowing your audience is key. WMS has been in business since 1978, and we have certainly seen fads come and go over the years. However, the ability to adapt to ever changing technology and to create media with sustainability has proven invaluable in maintaining our success.

Take, for example, one of the newest trends of being able to watch video while simultaneously social networking. Will this take away from the message to be conveyed in the video? Will the focus then be more on the social and less on the video? Or will the idea add a complementary dimension to the whole experience, giving the audience an opportunity to share their views and exchange ideas as the video unfolds. This is certain to pose a challenge for those of us who create media – producing in a format that will keep our intended message in the forefront, while allowing for gaps where this interaction can take place. Definitely an interesting undertaking for companies such as ours!

An important requirement for WMS media, Inc. is having the ability to gauge which of these newcomers to the world of digital entertainment will be a survivor/thriver, and which will fall by the wayside. As technology changes, we too must revamp our way of doing business in order to remain competitive and to be in touch with the desires of our clients and, of course, our audience.

This week, WMS is proud to introduce our new Media Relations Coordinator, Stephanie Kay. After a longtime administrative career, she is looking forward to sharpening her writing skills at WMS. We look forward to working with her and producing great media with our combined expertise.

Feel free to say hi on LinkedIn!

Here’s our brand new commercial for San Pedro Square. Enjoy the extraordinary!

San Jose Jazz is a 22 year old public benefit corporation dedicated to promoting jazz music and jazz education through performance and education to enrich the lives of the people in our community. San Jose Jazz is renowned for producing one of the finest jazz festivals in the U.S. which drew over 100,000 in 2008. To help promote the festival, WMS teamed up with San Jose Jazz to produce five fund raising and promotional videos about the organization. Enjoy!

May is here and we have a special treat for fans of our web series, Bay Area Mysteries! Historian Rich Stiller takes the stage at San Pedro Square to reveal some hidden San Jose historical gems.

If you’re getting your scandals confused these days, boy do we have the show for you! The Silicon Valley Chapter of the National Association of Corporate Directors spoke to Prosecuting Attorney Nancy Fineman in a three part series exposing the who, what, why, when and how of the Bernie Madoff Fraud. WMS got a very intriguing inside look into what actually happened and we want to share that with you all:

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

If you’ve been on YouTube recently, you might notice some pretty drastic UI changes. After years of star ratings and complex discover bars, the site recently went “back to basics.”

Since Google bought YouTube in 2006, the video site has been in a constant state of development and transition. We’ve seen the addition of close captions, the syndication of TV shows, video responses, friend/buddy lists, instant video sharing, and even annotations. Some might consider these additions improvements, but it looks like far more consider them clutter.

What does this say about the way we watch videos online? With the explosion of streamlined sites like Hulu and the UK’s channel4.com, video content is slowly reclaiming its position as the main focal point of the classic video website. The YouTube team says it wants to make “the video the star” by creating a more “subdued, stripped down and simple” user experience. The goal? When you get rid of the distraction, your video gets the attention it deserves. The result? Videos have a more impactful presence on the web which will most likely lead to better results (which is something we love here at WMS).

According to YouTube’s official blog, the change is based on “eight months’ worth of user research, feedback and data analysis.” Here are their official improvement specs:

Overall look and functionality
- It’s cleaner, simpler and easier to use.
- Information about a video is now grouped together in one place and there’s a consistent way to get more detail when you need it. This way, unless something’s truly useful to you, it doesn’t clutter up your page.
- We’ve cleaned up the actions bar; you’ll see a streamlined presentation for sharing, flagging, and embedding controls.

Discovery
- The right-hand side of the page is devoted to the next video to watch. We’re smarter about suggesting the next videos to watch based on how you found the video you’re watching in the first place.
- The channel name and subscribe button are now both on top of the video. We found that you prefer having a quick peek at more videos uploaders have created before deciding whether to subscribe to their channels.

Playlists
- There’s a new playlist interface, with the next video in the list appearing consistently in the top right. You can easily expand that list or skip ahead using a new next button in the player controls.
- Saving to playlists is easier, and we’ve made Favorites the default option.

Ratings
- We’ve replaced the five-star ratings system with a simpler “likes / dislikes” model and introduced a new “Videos I Liked” list.

Comments
- Comments have a new highlights view which summarizes the best discussions and celebrates when creators communicate with their audiences.

Along the lines of simplification, all users can now add and remove modules from their front page, which is strikingly similar to the add/remove feature from every users’ iGoogle homepage. It looks like Google, the ultimate minimalistic search engine, is having a big stylistic influence on its sister site. Not only is this change putting the web video back in the spotlight, it’s giving users the ability to customize their experience.

With YouTube’s trendsetting influence on the web, expect to see more sites trimming down their excess features and creating a simpler, more streamlined viewing experience. With limited distractions, we predict that viewers will now be more likely to watch the entirety of a video without giving in to a variety of diversions. This new interface means video is making a comeback, and to that we say “Bravo”!

YouTube’s official blog entries on the change:

http://youtube-global.blogspot.com/2010/01/video-page-gets-makeover.html

http://youtube-global.blogspot.com/2010/03/new-video-page-launches-for-all-users.html