Where music and technology collide...Press the Green Button

[Jason Dunn]

<a href="http://www.pressthegreenbutton.net/">http://www.pressthegreenbutton.net/</a><br /><br />Techo and dance music have certainly had their roots in technology, but I don't often see the subject matter belong so wholly to its genesis. Did that make any sense? <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/images/smiles/icon_eek.gif" /> At any rate, someone sent this to me and I thought I'd pass it on - with song titles like "Home of the Future", "Remote Control", and "Online", you know the musicians are geeks. And they're based in Redmond. Hmm. You can download the music in MP3 or WMA format. One song, called "Enjoy", has the Windows XP startup sound sampled - it's a little confusing to listen to. That reminds me of a story...<br /><br />There's was a commercial on the radio a couple of years ago - I think it was for Energizer batteries. The commercial was a series of beeps sampled from all sorts of electronic devices - when I heard it for the first time while driving, I freaked out! I started reaching for every device I had, wondering what the hell was going on. I realized it was a commercial after a few seconds, but I don't think they did any testing of that commercial with a gadget-buying audience. To this day I hate that damn bunny. <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/images/smiles/icon_wink.gif" />

[Kevin Daly]

That reminds me of when I used to do production support for mainframe banking applications (yechhh!), which involved carrying a pager that would typically go off around 9 pm or 4 am. For quite some time I had an unnatural fear of microwave ovens. The "Bing!" sound when they finished cooking tapped into my programmed (Pavlovian) pager response and had me jumping out of my skin.
It's even worse of course if you actually phone up to see what the problem is: "Er, nothing here Kev, that would be your dinner again".
- "Oh, right. Um, good".

[Eciton]

lol :D

Nothing else to say!

[denivan]

It's even worse of course if you actually phone up to see what the problem is: "Er, nothing here Kev, that would be your dinner again".
- "Oh, right. Um, good".

Rotflmao ;) There should be a forum for memorable quotes, and this post would be first to get a place in it ;)

[Pony99CA]

There's was a commercial on the radio a couple of years ago - I think it was for Energizer batteries. The commercial was a series of beeps sampled from all sorts of electronic devices - when I heard it for the first time while driving, I freaked out! I started reaching for every device I had, wondering what the hell was going on. I realized it was a commercial after a few seconds, but I don't think they did any testing of that commercial with a gadget-buying audience.

I hate when I'm driving and a song or commercial has a siren sound in it. I start looking around for the police or an ambulance, only to realize it's the radio.

Things like that should be illegal to broadcast, I think. If radio stations can't play so-called "dirty" words, they shouldn't play safety hazards, either.

Steve

[ironguy]

I have a similar problem with digital video and our home theater.

I've answered my wife when she was talking on the video and I was in another room.

The line between reality and virtual is getting more blurred by the instant!

(Now if they could make me look 20 lbs lighter!)

[pt]

I hate when I'm driving and a song or commercial has a siren sound in it. I start looking around for the police or an ambulance, only to realize it's the radio. Things like that should be illegal to broadcast, I think. If radio stations can't play so-called "dirty" words, they shouldn't play safety hazards, either.

no more laws against free speech for public safety for awhile.

cheers,
pt

[Rirath]

Great story. ^_^ :D

Totally agree about the siren thing though. Not sure it should be illegal, but highly frowned upon at least. There was a part in the song "1000 miles" that almost made me slam on my breaks the first couple of times I heard it. (I play the radio loud, so the "siren" sounds -real- close.)

[juni]

:lol: &lt;-----

[Pony99CA]

I hate when I'm driving and a song or commercial has a siren sound in it. I start looking around for the police or an ambulance, only to realize it's the radio. Things like that should be illegal to broadcast, I think. If radio stations can't play so-called "dirty" words, they shouldn't play safety hazards, either.

no more laws against free speech for public safety for awhile.

First, I'm not sure how siren sounds (or honking or squealing tires) qualify as speech.

Second, I'm not suggesting prohibiting those sounds on recordings, merely that they not be allowed on radio broadcasts (similar to the ban on "bad language").

Remember, the First Amendment guarantees someone the right to speak, but it doesn't guarantee them an audience.

Steve

[EricMCarson]

Is it just me or does this seem to be a blatant advertisement for Windows XP Media Center? I would guess this entire "group" has been subsidized by MS. I have to admit though, listening to people singing about this stuff had me laughing.

[pt]

First, I'm not sure how siren sounds (or honking or squealing tires) qualify as speech. Second, I'm not suggesting prohibiting those sounds on recordings, merely that they not be allowed on radio broadcasts (similar to the ban on "bad language").Remember, the First Amendment guarantees someone the right to speak, but it doesn't guarantee them an audience.Steve

the new eminem album has tons of sirens, car sounds, etc...i consider that speech (as would most folks) and he certainly has an audience.

if the radio distracts some while driving, it might be a good idea to turn it off.

cheers,
pt

[Jason Dunn]

the new eminem album has tons of sirens, car sounds, etc...i consider that speech (as would most folks) and he certainly has an audience.

Sorry pt, gotta' disagree with you on this one. 8)

If I put up a red flashing light in the middle of the road, is that free speech or an abuse of a safety signal? If I pump the sound of a fire alarm through the sound system of a movie theater and call it "music", is that free speech or an abuse of a safety signal?

I don't think that safety signals of any kind should ever be co-opted in the name of "art" or anything else. If someone hears a siren behind them and they move over, only to find it's music coming from another car, that's a very dangerous thing - the next time they may not move over.

Cell phone rings and watch beeps are one thing - my example wasn't "life and death", but sirens and whatnot? Not cool. I'm gonna' go slap ol' Em.... :lol:

[pt]

Sorry pt, gotta' disagree with you on this one. 8)
If I put up a red flashing light in the middle of the road, is that free speech or an abuse of a safety signal? If I pump the sound of a fire alarm through the sound system of a movie theater and call it "music", is that free speech or an abuse of a safety signal? I don't think that safety signals of any kind should ever be co-opted in the name of "art" or anything else. If someone hears a siren behind them and they move over, only to find it's music coming from another car, that's a very dangerous thing - the next time they may not move over.
Cell phone rings and watch beeps are one thing - my example wasn't "life and death", but sirens and whatnot? Not cool. I'm gonna' go slap ol' Em.... :lol:

you're talking about putting a physical red flashing light in the road, that's different than telling a musical artist they can't have certain sounds in a song. a siren sound in a song shouldn't be "illegal" as steve said, if the radio distracts some people, they should consider leaving it off.

the good news, we'll never see that happen, siren sounds in music are here to stay, it's not likely we'll see the urban sounds go away as musical elements for many genres of music.

cheers,
pt

[Pony99CA]

you're talking about putting a physical red flashing light in the road, that's different than telling a musical artist they can't have certain sounds in a song. a siren sound in a song shouldn't be "illegal" as steve said, if the radio distracts some people, they should consider leaving it off.

You're misquoting me, pt. I said that it should be illegal to broadcast these sounds (as the Subject of my posts on this have said). I have never advocated prohibiting anybody from including them in songs. There's a huge difference.

The "you can turn the radio off" argument, while true, has never really flown. If it did, people could use the "bad language" on the radio during all hours without worry. In fact, I'd rather hear the "bad language" than sirens or horns.


the good news, we'll never see that happen, siren sounds in music are here to stay, it's not likely we'll see the urban sounds go away as musical elements for many genres of music.

That's probably true -- I've never heard anybody else raise this issue but me. :-)

Steve

[pt]

You're misquoting me, pt. I said that it should be illegal to broadcast these sounds (as the Subject of my posts on this have said). I have never advocated prohibiting anybody from including them in songs. There's a huge difference.

okay, but the songs are "broadcasted" that's how they get on the radio in your car and if you say "well not songs, just other things" that seems weird since even commericals could be songs too.


The "you can turn the radio off" argument, while true, has never really flown. If it did, people could use the "bad language" on the radio during all hours without worry. In fact, I'd rather hear the "bad language" than sirens or horns.

sure it has. if it were up to many groups, much of the radio selection would be outlawed since somehow, someway they offend someone. but luckily (for now) that's not the case. even "bad words" are changing with the times, you can lots more now than in the 50's and even more 50 years from now i'm sure.


the good news, we'll never see that happen, siren sounds in music are here to stay, it's not likely we'll see the urban sounds go away as musical elements for many genres of music.

That's probably true -- I've never heard anybody else raise this issue but me. :-)

yep- luckily (for now) the current system is set up so one person being bothered by something isn't enforced on everyone else. otherwise i'd not be allowed listen to songs with sirens and i'd be forced to use capitial letters all the time in web forums.

cheers,
pt

[Pony99CA]

You're misquoting me, pt. I said that it should be illegal to broadcast these sounds (as the Subject of my posts on this have said). I have never advocated prohibiting anybody from including them in songs. There's a huge difference.

okay, but the songs are "broadcasted" that's how they get on the radio in your car and if you say "well not songs, just other things" that seems weird since even commericals could be songs too.

I'm not sure I understand your point. CDs can have whatever they want on them, because the purchaser is responsible for buying them. Radio stations are chartered to serve the public interest, and so have to agree to a stricter set of rules -- which could include not mimicking safety sounds.


That's probably true -- I've never heard anybody else raise this issue but me. :-)
yep- luckily (for now) the current system is set up so one person being bothered by something isn't enforced on everyone else. otherwise i'd not be allowed listen to songs with sirens and i'd be forced to use capitial letters all the time in web forums.

WELL I JUST THREW THE ISSUE OUT DISCUSSION. IM NOT TRYING TO GET ANY LEGISLATION PASSED -- YET. (Do you prefer that writing style?) :lol:

Remember, your rights to free speech end when my safety is endangered. That's why you can't yell "Fire!'" in a crowded theater. Sirens, honking, etc. can actually endanger my safety.

Steve

[pt]

I'm not sure I understand your point. CDs can have whatever they want on them, because the purchaser is responsible for buying them. Radio stations are chartered to serve the public interest, and so have to agree to a stricter set of rules -- which could include not mimicking safety sounds.

radio stations play those cds, some have siren sounds or other things that might spook some people.

in fact many of the top songs of today use many sounds that most likely mimick something, some being safety sounds. some have screams, some have dog barks.

http://www.billboard.com/billboard/charts/bb200.jsp

the radio stations play them, it's not anything anyone seems to be concerned with, no one has ever saw this as an issue and you'd never get a law passed that started to enforce something like this, thank goodness.


WELL I JUST THREW THE ISSUE OUT DISCUSSION. IM NOT TRYING TO GET ANY LEGISLATION PASSED -- YET. (Do you prefer that writing style?) :lol:Remember, your rights to free speech end when my safety is endangered. That's why you can't yell "Fire!'" in a crowded theater. Sirens, honking, etc. can actually endanger my safety.

um, we're not talking about yelling "fire" in a theater, that's different.

i really don't think -you- should ever drive a car with the radio on since there's a good chance that there might be sirens or honking on the radio and it might endanger your safety.

cheers,
pt

[Pony99CA]

I'm not sure I understand your point. CDs can have whatever they want on them, because the purchaser is responsible for buying them. Radio stations are chartered to serve the public interest, and so have to agree to a stricter set of rules -- which could include not mimicking safety sounds.

radio stations play those cds, some have siren sounds or other things that might spook some people.

Yes, I know they do. That's the point. HELLO! I'm saying they could filter them just like they do with so-called "objectionable" language.


in fact many of the top songs of today use many sounds that most likely mimick something, some being safety sounds. some have screams, some have dog barks.

And many of today's top songs have language that's objectionable to some people, and the radio stations filter that. Listen to Eminem's "Without Me" on MTV, for example, and compare it to the unedited CD version.

You're just helping to prove my point that my suggestion is feasible.


WELL I JUST THREW THE ISSUE OUT DISCUSSION. IM NOT TRYING TO GET ANY LEGISLATION PASSED -- YET. (Do you prefer that writing style?) :lol:Remember, your rights to free speech end when my safety is endangered. That's why you can't yell "Fire!'" in a crowded theater. Sirens, honking, etc. can actually endanger my safety.

um, we're not talking about yelling "fire" in a theater, that's different.

Yes, we're talking about a crowded highway with metal boxes travelling at 50 mph or more at times -- a much more dangerous place.


i really don't think -you- should ever drive a car with the radio on since there's a good chance that there might be sirens or honking on the radio and it might endanger your safety.

It's ironic that you're suggesting limiting my freedom while claiming I'm trying to limit yours. Long live hypocrisy! 8O

Steve

[pt]

Yes, I know they do. That's the point. HELLO! I'm saying they could filter them just like they do with so-called "objectionable" language. And many of today's top songs have language that's objectionable to some people, and the radio stations filter that. Listen to Eminem's "Without Me" on MTV, for example, and compare it to the unedited CD version. You're just helping to prove my point that my suggestion is feasible.

so you want to start filtering music so things that sound like horns and sirens won't be on the radio. anything else? what about commercials that have something to do with cars, like movies with cars in them, those would need to be filtered too?

objectionable language is different than artists using sounds. everything is sorta feasible, sure. but keeping certain sounds out that won't happen. but hey, if you feel that strongly write some letters to you local / state gov.


Yes, we're talking about a crowded highway with metal boxes travelling at 50 mph or more at times -- a much more dangerous place.It's ironic that you're suggesting limiting my freedom while claiming I'm trying to limit yours. Long live hypocrisy! 8O

i'm still suggesting you keep your radio off (it can be turned on and off, it's not mandatory to keep it on) when you drive since it seems to spook you when there's a siren sounding thing in a song or something like that. i'm sorry to hear that this is an issue in your driving experience, but i don't think it's going to change, maybe npr or cds?

cheers,
pt

[Pony99CA]

Yes, I know they do. That's the point. HELLO! I'm saying they could filter them just like they do with so-called "objectionable" language. And many of today's top songs have language that's objectionable to some people, and the radio stations filter that. Listen to Eminem's "Without Me" on MTV, for example, and compare it to the unedited CD version. You're just helping to prove my point that my suggestion is feasible.

so you want to start filtering music so things that sound like horns and sirens won't be on the radio. anything else? what about commercials that have something to do with cars, like movies with cars in them, those would need to be filtered too?

Was it really that hard to understand? Things like sirens, car horns, squealing tires, etc. should be filtered. Why would commercials dealing with cars need any filtering (as long as they didn't include the few sounds that should be filtereed)?


objectionable language is different than artists using sounds.

How is it different? You could argue that limiting either restricts the artist's vision, which is what you seem to be claiming.

My contention is that objectionable language doesn't directly endanger anybody, and is therefore not as bad as sounds which could confuse somebody while driving. If radio stations have to filter things that people find offensive, what's wrong with asking them to filter things that could actually confuse and endanger people?

Believe me, if the technology existed, I'd love to restrict my proposal to something less intrusive. For example, if the filtering technology could be built into car radios, that would be better, and radio stations wouldn't have to filter anything. Unfortunately, that kind of technology doesn't exist right now.


i'm still suggesting you keep your radio off (it can be turned on and off, it's not mandatory to keep it on) when you drive since it seems to spook you when there's a siren sounding thing in a song or something like that. i'm sorry to hear that this is an issue in your driving experience, but i don't think it's going to change, maybe npr or cds?

What? I can turn my radio off? Wow, I didn't know that. 8O Thanks for the tip.

I happen to like music on while I drive, and listen to radio, CDs or even MP3s using my iPAQ 3870. What I don't like is someone using certain sounds that could confuse people while driving.

Have you never been listening to a radio while driving and thought something on the radio was actually happening on the road itself?

Steve

[pt]

Was it really that hard to understand? Things like sirens, car horns, squealing tires, etc. should be filtered. Why would commercials dealing with cars need any filtering (as long as they didn't include the few sounds that should be filtereed)?

i listen to the radio at home. what do you propose they filter out for that? it's a slippery slope, i think we have a great system now that's great for most people. i'm sorry to hear that siren sounds are an issue for your driving experience.


How is it different? You could argue that limiting either restricts the artist's vision, which is what you seem to be claiming.
My contention is that objectionable language doesn't directly endanger anybody, and is therefore not as bad as sounds which could confuse somebody while driving. If radio stations have to filter things that people find offensive, what's wrong with asking them to filter things that could actually confuse and endanger people?Believe me, if the technology existed, I'd love to restrict my proposal to something less intrusive. For example, if the filtering technology could be built into car radios, that would be better, and radio stations wouldn't have to filter anything. Unfortunately, that kind of technology doesn't exist right now.

hmm, good luck on the filter effort, i don't think we're going to see (or hear) that happening, but if you feel strongly go rock the vote / write letters / etc..


What? I can turn my radio off? Wow, I didn't know that. 8O Thanks for the tip.I happen to like music on while I drive, and listen to radio, CDs or even MP3s using my iPAQ 3870. What I don't like is someone using certain sounds that could confuse people while driving. Have you never been listening to a radio while driving and thought something on the radio was actually happening on the road itself?

nope. the day that my cd collection or the radio starts to confuse reality, i'd turn it off until i got home. if you're able to choose your music collection (sounds like you can) i think you might want to limit the ones with sireny sounds.

cheers,
pt

[Jason Dunn]

Ok, this thread has gotten a little silly - if your posting name begins with "p", please don't respond to this thread anymore - just walk away...and listen to whatever sort of music you want to. :D

[Pony99CA]

Was it really that hard to understand? Things like sirens, car horns, squealing tires, etc. should be filtered. Why would commercials dealing with cars need any filtering (as long as they didn't include the few sounds that should be filtereed)?
i listen to the radio at home. what do you propose they filter out for that?
Why do you assume I'd filter anything in your home? Are you doing a lot of driving in your home? Do your household activities endanger a lot of people?


it's a slippery slope, i think we have a great system now that's great for most people.

Ah, the famous "slippery slope" argument used by lawyers to get criminals off and anarchists to avoid any laws. Almost any law can be viewed as a slippery slope, so don't try to obfuscate the issue. I'm proposing a relatively simple and minor change, which is more objective and less intrusive than trying to filter "objectionable" language.

As for ours being a great system, it is, but as a developer, you know that no complicated system is perfect. Systems are always tweaked to try to improve them. Whether you agree that the tweaks are improvements is another issue.

Forty years ago, nobody worried much about the three-martini lunch or smoking in restaurants, but now look at all the additional laws we have due to the public safety implications of those.

Steve

[Pony99CA]

Ok, this thread has gotten a little silly - if your posting name begins with "p", please don't respond to this thread anymore - just walk away...and listen to whatever sort of music you want to. :D
Oops, sorry about that; I had already started to respond and didn't see your suggestion until after I posted.

I'll stop checking this thrad tonight. I need to figure out why Microsoft Money 2002 isn't syncing properly with my iPAQ anyway. :-)

Steve

[Perry Reed]

I also hate the sirens on the radio. I always look around for the ambulance or cop before realizing it's just the radio.

Of course, it's not just me... My dogs bark everytime they hear the doorbell on those Domino's commercials. :)

[schwuk]

ignoring the rest of this thread...

i've downloaded all of the tracks and liked what i heard. not sure why the windows sample is in the 'enjoy' track, as it doesn't really add anything and even sounds out-of-place. i'll be keeping them all in my mp3 library tho'.

[MonolithicDawgX]

Is it morally wrong to shout "Movie!" in a crowded firehouse?

Steve Martin

By the way, a wood chuck would chuck as much wood as a wood chuck could, if a wood chuck could chuck wood. Of course, that doesn't answer the question, "How many moose might a mini-mouse move if a mini-mouse might move moose?" :?