WARNER CHAPPELL MUSIC, the global publishing arm of WARNER MUSIC GROUP recently signed an exclusive, worldwide co-publishing agreement with Hip-Hop producer DAT BOI SQUEEZE. The ATLANTA based … more

MUSIC BUSINESS WORLDWIDE and the HOLLYWOOD REPORTER are both carrying reports on rumors that SAUDI ARABIA's PUBLIC INVESTMENT FUND is making an offer to buy WARNER MUSIC GROUP. The fund … more

Read the WordPress Case Study, submitted by Moove Agency, a WordPress web design agency & WordPress company from London. This site was built with WordPress and resulted in a fantastic ongoing relationship between Moove Agency and its client, Qube Global Software....

DALLAS, April 2, 2020 – The American Heart Association — the world’s leading voluntary organization dedicated to a world of longer, healthier lives — announced today more than $14 million in scientific research grants are being awarded to four...

WASHINGTON, D.C., March 17, 2020 – By issuing a final rule requiring large, graphic health warnings on cigarette packs and advertising, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration today has taken a critical and long-overdue step forward in the nation’s battle...

Research Highlights: There are few treatment options for bleeding stroke. There was a trend towards reduced growth of brain bleeds in those treated with the antifibrinolytic agent tranexamic acid within 4.5 hours of stroke onset, compared to those ...

DALLAS, April 27, 2020 — Stroke is a leading cause of death and a major cause of disability in the U.S. Yet millions of survivors, caregivers and supporters overcome the challenges stroke presents each day. This year, the American Stroke Association, ...

For many marketers, emails are the lifeline for most marketing efforts. Every SPAM complaint, unsubscribe, or bounce has an impact on the current ROI as well as on the sender’s reputation which affects the ROI of the future campaigns. Yet the sender reputation, that you accumulate over the period of multiple email campaigns, is only...

There was a time when there was not a huge demand for video editing software. But over time, video editing software has become one of the highly used tools of modern society. One of the most common examples where video editing software is highly required is for making Vlogs. Apart from the Vlogs, video making...

The Iowa Supreme Court approved a pilot program in the 4th Judicial District — Audubon, Cass, Fremont, Harrison, Mills, Montgomery, Pottawattamie, Page and Shelby counties — to develop...

Gazette awards more than $60,000 in marketing grants The Gazette has awarded more than $60,000 in grants to help local businesses market themselves during the coronavirus pandemic, and there’s...

ADRIENNE EUGINA DOOLIN HOWARD
Cedar Rapids


Adrienne Eugina Doolin Howard, 75, daughter of Pearl A. Doolin and Emmitt Eugene Doolin, was born June 16, 1944. She departed this life Thursday, April 30, 2020, of complications from COVID-19, after a lengthy stay at Living Centers Nursing Home Facility in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
She was born in St. Louis, Mo., and had a passion for soul food, cooking, music
and her church. She reared four children in East St. Louis, Ill.
She was preceded in death by children, Howard E. Doolin, Sr. and Viola E. Howard; and siblings, Burdell M., Madeline and Regina Doolin.
Adrienne E. Howard is survived by two sons, Emmitt J. Doolin of Marion, Iowa, and David C. Washington of Carbondale, Ill.; siblings, Dedric, Aaron and Emmitt E. (Michelle) Doolin; Steven Bacon; Derek, Kyle and Lori Doolin; Louisia (Eric) Harrison, Donna Jackson and Stephanie Doolin Bacon; many grandchildren and great-grandchildren and many other relatives, family members and friends.
The family expresses a special thank you to her brother, Burdell's widow, Christine Arenas Doolin, who met our mother 18 years ago and touched her life in many ways.
A family memorial will be planned at a later date.
Service by Officer. www.officerfh.com.

It’s simple—I don’t like recurring payments. And I don’t know about you, but with most recurring payments, I feel anxiety around this need to “get my money’s worth.” In other words, I often feel like I under-utilize the product and thus overpay to some extent. So why do I sell my software under a recurring […]

Chet Culver really should have known better.

Iowa’s former Democratic governor wrote a letter to current Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds decrying her administration’s declaration that workers who refuse to return to jobs amid COVID-19 fears would be denied unemployment benefits. He was among many who questioned whether Reynolds’ policy is even lawful, considering that unemployment rules allow Iowans to claim benefits for unsafe, intolerable or detrimental working conditions.

“Any such ill-conceived scheme that deprives them of choice and forces those hardworking, yet vulnerable, employees to report to unsafe workplace environments, while the positive incidences of COVID-19 infection are on the rise, is not merely penny-wise and pound-foolish — it is just plain wrong,” Culver argued.

But Culver should have known any overture for the rights of workers during the pandemic would fall on deaf ears. We learned Tuesday that more than 1,600 workers at four meatpacking plants tested positive for the virus. Reynolds continues insisting companies such as Tyson, with more than 1,300 cases at three facilities, are doing all they can to protect workers. In one Tyson facility at Perry, 58 percent of its employees contracted the virus.

Culver lost in 2010 to the Branstad-Reynolds ticket, a team that would go on to gut collective bargaining for public employees and make it far more difficult for injured workers to get compensation, among other greatest hits composed by its big business allies.

And Culver was bounced from office after issuing bonded debt to help Iowa communities, including Cedar Rapids, recover from natural disasters of 2008. Republicans dubbed him “Big Debt Chet” and decried his mismanagement of a crisis.

Strong management, apparently, is Reynolds’ decision to partially reopen 77 counties even as COVID-19 case numbers grow and deaths mount, and before ramped up testing and modeling provide critical information on the scope of the virus.

On Monday Reynolds received a lofty “A” grade from FreedomWorks and the Committee to Unleash Prosperity. Reynolds appeared on a conference call sponsored by the groups to talk about her strategy for reopening Iowa.

FreedomWorks and the Committee to Unleash Prosperity are conservative groups playing a key role in organizing “liberation” protests in Wisconsin, Oklahoma and elsewhere. FreedomWorks, with roots in the Tea Party movement, has been mobilizing local protesters and organizing events, according to The New York Times. It’s also conducting tracking polls in swing congressional districts and sharing data with presidential advisers and congressional staff.

“This isn’t political, and it shouldn’t be for anybody,” Reynolds told reporters this week when asked about her virus response.

FreedomWorks is among 24 groups who sent a letter to the president in April urging him to waive the Renewable Fuel Standard for the rest of the year due to pandemic concerns, potentially freeing Iowa farmers from more of their already scarce income.

So step aside Big Debt Chet. We’re unleashing prosperity. Even if workers get trampled.

(319) 398-8262; todd.dorman@thegazette.com

The post MissyWard.com appeared first on WPCult.

The Iowa Supreme Court approved a pilot program in the 4th Judicial District — Audubon, Cass, Fremont, Harrison, Mills, Montgomery, Pottawattamie, Page and Shelby counties — to develop procedures for the use of electronic search warrants.

Electronic search warrants will reduce the time required to obtain warrants, reduce travel time by law enforcement and make more effective use of judges’ time, according to the order. Paper warrants require law enforcement to fill out application forms and then leave the scene of the potential search and drive to find a judge, either at a courthouse during business hours or their home after hours. If the judge grants the warrant, then the officer has to drive back to the scene to execute it.

The electronic warrants can be submitted to a judge from a squad car computer, which is more efficient for law enforcement and the judges.

The pilot program will be evaluated by the court annually and will continue until further notice.

Fourth Judicial District Chief Judge Jeff Larson, who was on the advisory committee to develop recommendations for the new process, talked about the project, which will start in the next few weeks.

Page County Chief Deputy Charles McCalla, 6th Judicial Associate District Judge Nicholas Scott, Linn County Sheriff Capt. Greg McGivern and Marion police Lt. Scott Elam also provided their thoughts about electronic search warrants.

Q: Iowa courts started going paperless in 2010, so why did it take so long to get a pilot program for electronic search warrants?

A: Larson: It had been discussed at various levels since (the electronic document management system) started. We should take advantage of the electronic process because it will save us money. Most law enforcement agencies are now used to filing electronic citations from their patrol cars and offices. There may have been some pushback a few years ago because some counties or offices didn’t have computer scanners and needed technology. Now, the rural offices have that technology.

Q: As a task force member working on this program, what were the hurdles?

A: Larson: It was just working through the procedural issues to make sure there would be a safeguard throughout the process. When a search warrant is needed, law enforcement has to fill out the search warrant package, including the application with all the pertinent information, and submit it to a magistrate judge, associate or district judge in their judicial district. Then the officer or deputy can just call the judge to alert him/her to the warrant and the judge can ask for any additional information needed. The judge then administers the oath of office over the phone and signs off or denies the warrant. Law enforcement doesn’t have to leave the crime scene and can print off the warrant from their squad car computer.

The process of going to electronic warrants started in 2017, when the lawmakers amended the law to allow those to be submitted electronically, and then in 2018, the state court administrator’s office set up an advisory committee to develop recommendations.

Q: What has been the process to get a search warrant?

A: Larson: Law enforcement would have to leave the scene, fill out paperwork and then, many times, travel miles to go to the courthouse to have the judge sign it or if it’s after hours, go to a judge’s home. The officer may not be in the same county as the courthouse where the judge works or where the judge lives. (It) can take a lot of time. The process is way overdue.

Q: Page County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Charles McCalla, what do you see as the biggest advantage for filing them electronically?

A: McCalla: The smaller counties have limited manpower, and some of the judges, like in Mills County, may be 60 to 70 miles away if a search warrant is needed after hours. Just traveling across the county can take time, depending where you are. At a minimum, we probably have to drive 30 minutes and up to an hour to get to a judge. This will save us time, money for travel and provide safety because we can stay at the scene to ensure the evidence hasn’t been tampered with.

Q: Is there a recent incident where an electronic search warrant may have helped?

A: McCalla: A few weeks ago, there was a theft report for a stolen chain saw and deputies went to the home and saw guns all over the house and they knew the guy who lived there had been convicted. They didn’t want to tip him off, so they just left the scene and went to get a search warrant. Luckily, the evidence was still there when they came back. They found about 90 guns.

Q: How do you feel about being the “guinea pigs” for the process?

A: McCalla: Happy to be. As law enforcement, we’re natural fixers. We find solutions. And this is an idea time to use the process during the COVID-19 pandemic to keep everyone safe. We won’t have to have any face-to-face contact with the judges.

Q: Is Linn County excited about the program, once it’s tested and used across the state?

A: Scott: I think many of us in the criminal justice system are eagerly awaiting the results of the pilot. They have the potential to make the system more efficient. It is in the interest of the police and the suspect, who is often detained pending a warrant, to get the search warrant application reviewed by a judge as soon as possible. A potential benefit is that officers could also use those more often, which protects citizens from unlawful search and seizures if a judge first reviews the evidence.

A: McGivern: I believe the implementation will be a much faster and efficient process for deputies. Like any new process, there may need to be some revisions that will have to be worked out, but I look forward to it.

A: Elam: We’ve done it this way for a long time, and it can be a bit of a haul for us, depending who’s on call (among the judges) — after hours. It’s nice to see there’s a pilot. The concern would be if something goes wrong in the process. If the internet is down or something else. Now, we have to go from Marion to the Linn County Courthouse. Then we go to the county attorney’s office to get a prosecutor to review the warrant and then find a judge (in courthouse during business hours). That takes some time. If you can type out the application from your car right at the scene, it would help with details on the warrant — describing the structure or property needing be searched. I just hope they work out all the bugs first.

Comments: (319) 398-8318; trish.mehaffey@thegazette.com

Gazette awards more than $60,000 in marketing grants

The Gazette has awarded more than $60,000 in grants to help local businesses market themselves during the coronavirus pandemic, and there’s more help available.

“We awarded $50,000 in the first 10 days,” said Kelly Homewood, Director of Operations at The Gazette. “That tells us the need is real. The help necessary. We’re a locally owned business too, and in Iowa we lift each other up in challenging times.”

The grant program, which launched April 17, awarded $50,393 to more than 60 businesses in the first 10 days. To date, almost $68,000 has been awarded to 75 businesses.

“The Gazette’s Matching Program is a true testament to their commitment to our community and their small business advertisers,” said Annie Hills, marketing manager at Destinations Unlimited. “As a local small business, this program will be a huge benefit to our agency in such an unprecedented time so that we can continue to connect with our clients.”

The program allocates up to $100,000 in matching advertising dollars to assist local businesses that apply. There’s still approximately $32,000 in matching grants still available to award by July 31. Businesses can apply online at www.thegazette.com/marketinggrant.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has obligated $78 million to the state of Iowa to help reimburse eligible expenses for emergency protective measures that the state has incurred as a result of its response to COVID-19.

The grant funds, awarded by FEMA’s Public Assistance (PA) Grant Program, were made available Thursday. FEMA has provided nearly $150 million to date in support of the state’s COVID-19 efforts.

The money reimburses 75 percent of projected eligible costs associated with buying essential Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), and medical supplies and equipment during the months of May and June 2020.

This obligation also includes: $19.5 million in contract services for TestIowa, $35,000 in contract services associated with overseas PPE purchases and $13.7 million for additional medical supplies and equipment for the month of April. All figures represent the 75 percent federal share. The 25 percent is paid by the grant recipient.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds issued a new proclamation allowing campgrounds in the state of Iowa to open.

The proclamation states:

“Any public or private campground may reopen provided that the campground implements reasonable measures under the circumstances of each campground to ensure social distancing, increased hygiene practices, and other public health measures to reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19 consistent with guidance issued by the Iowa Department of Public Health (5/6/20).”

Linn County Conservation has continued to seek guidance from local and state health officials and are announcing that campgrounds will open Friday with certain restrictions and limitations.

At 5 a.m. on May 8, Buffalo Creek Park, Morgan Creek Park, Pinicon Ridge Park and Squaw Creek Park campgrounds will open to campers in self-contained units. This also includes primitive (non-electric) camping areas at Matsell Bridge Natural Area (including Mount Hope) and Wakpicada Natural Area.

Campers may camp only with a self-contained camping unit that has a functioning restroom, as showerhouses with flushable restrooms will remain closed. Self-contained is defined as a tent or pop-up camper with a portable toilet or an RV or camping trailer with a functioning, self-contained bathroom.

Occupants are limited to six or less per camp site (unless household is more than six). No visitors are allowed. Campground showerhouses with restrooms will remain closed.

Reserving campsites is not allowed as campgrounds continue to be first-come, first-served. The exception to this is Squaw Creek Park A-Loop which normally accepts online reservations at LinnCountyParks.com, starting Friday at 1 p.m.

Linn County Conservation’s lodges, shelters, cabins and group camps remain closed.

Hy-Vee Inc., announced Friday that it is now offering a two-hour express pickup option as part of its Hy-Vee Aisles Online grocery ordering service, allowing customers to pay a fee to pick up their order faster.

Customers will see a “Get It Faster” option on Aisles Online time slots where the two-hour pickup option is available. A limited number of two-hour pickup orders will be available for $9.95, from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. daily, at all Hy-Vee store locations offering Aisles Online services.

The lights on Alliant Energy’s Cedar Rapids Tower will change colors to recognize area high schools and honor the Class of 2020.

“In this time of uncertainty, it’s important to remember that brighter days are up ahead,”

said Linda Mattes, Vice President of IT and Customer Operations. “Changing the lights on our tower is our way of celebrating this important milestone in the lives of these students and their families.”

Each Cedar Rapids-area high school’s colors will be on display. The schedule:

May 21 — Washington High School — Red and blue

May 22 — Jefferson High School — Blue and white

May 23 — Kennedy High School — Green and gold

May 24 — Linn-Mar High School — Red and black

May 25 — Marion High School — Crimson and gold

May 26 — Prairie High School — Orange and black

May 27 — Xavier High School — Navy and silver

May 28 — Metro High School — Purple and black

MusicIC Festival cancels June in-person programming

What was planned to be the 10th annual MusicIC Festival has been canceled. Programming planned for June 18-20 will be pushed to summer 2021.

The festival, presented by the Iowa City UNESCO City of Literature, will offer alternate programming. In place of the in-person performances this year, the festival will offer video performances from musicians to be highlighted in the 2021 season.

Details about these video performances will be forthcoming.

Due to the ongoing social distancing guidelines and additional precautions taking place to help slow and reduce the spread of COVID-19, the Linn County Fair Association is canceling the grounds and grandstand entertainment for the 2020 Linn County Fair, scheduled for June 24-28.

The Linn County Fair Association, in partnership with the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach of Linn County and Linn County 4-H, still plan on providing opportunities to 4-Her’s, FFA members, and youth of Linn County to showcase their talents and accomplishments at this year’s fair.

Details regarding the 4-H/FFA exhibits and events are still being finalized and Linn County 4-H plans to email details to 4-H/FFA members in mid-May.

To encourage safe and responsible social distancing practices during the COVID-19 pandemic, Cedar Rapids’ Bike to Work Week activities — traditionally held in May — will be postponed and are tentatively scheduled for September 21-27.

This will include events such as the Mayor’s bike ride and proclamation, pit stops, group rides, and wrap-up party.

Von Maur announced it will reopen stores in Cedar Rapids, Coralville and Cedar Falls using reduced hours and safety measures starting Friday.

The reduced hours will be from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays.

Von Maur said it will be implementing daily employee health screenings, social distancing measures, contactless payments, curbside service options and sanitizing and cleaning procedures in common areas and after each customer transaction. Its aforementioned stores are at Lindale Plaza, Iowa River Landing and College Square Mall.

Online Czech language lessons offered

The National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library recently partnered with Anna Cooková, an instructor with CzechTalk, to offer online Czech language and culture lessons.

Beginner’s Czech Language & Culture I begins on Thursday, June 4. Each class will be held from 8 to 9:30 p.m. every Thursday from June 4 through August 6. During the 15 hours of instruction over 10 weeks, participants will learned to read, write, and speak in Czech.

The cost is $210 for NCSML members, $235 for non-members. This fee includes all course materials. The class size is limited to 20 students, so interested individuals are encouraged to register early to secure a spot.

Contact Cooková for a registration form at annacookova@gmail.com or 715-651-7044.

A lot to look forward to in 2017. How did 2016 treat you: ???? or ????? (at San Francisco, California)

In the classic loudness war, music and radio producers have been trying to create their recordings as loud as possible and loudness normalization was introduced to stop that. Now one can see the start of a new loudness target war, where podcasters set their loudness targets higher and higher, mainly triggered by high target recommendations of platforms like Spotify or Amazon Alexa.
In this article, we will show how to resist the loudness target war and still be compliant with major platforms.

Resist the loudness target war! (Photo by Nayani Teixeira)

What's the problem?

“Two or three years ago it seemed that many stations were finally realizing that better radio could improve ratings. And the major myth brought over from AM radio – that a louder signal, regardless of quality, attracts more listeners – appeared to be losing its strength,” writes Robert Orban. The times of excessively compressed audio, putting loudness over sound quality, were coming to an end. We were hoping the same when we wrote about the CALM Act and EBU R128 in 2012. Those measures were meant to make programs sound more evened out and set a standard for a reasonable loudness level.

Except, Orban's article was published in 1979 (PDF, p. 60 ff.), and he concludes: "The loudness war has escalated, and quality is once again being sacrificed." 40 years later, a new loudness target war is emerging. While, yes, radio and TV stations have widely adopted the new standards, prominent competitors in the audio market are pushing for higher loudness targets once again.

Loudness war: the trend of increasing audio levels in recorded music over time. (Screenshot delamar.de)

Why LOUDER is not better

Historically, the loudness war has escalated with the advent of digital technology. Peak level normalization and quasi peak program meters (QPPM) encouraged producers to push audio signals to the limit. Just shy of clipping, signals could now be compressed to the highest possible levels, using multiband compressors and limiters. While this lifted quieter signals up, transforming a waveform into a brick, marketers thought that the louder songs on CDs and almost yelling voices on FM radio would attract listeners. On the other hand, reduced dynamics makes audio less interesting and can lead to listener fatigue, as Rip Rowan pointedly illustrated in his 2002 article "Over the Limit":

WHY IS THE LOUDER IS BETTER APPROACH THE WRONG APPROACH? BECAUSE WHEN ALL OF THE SIGNAL IS AT THE MAXIMUM LEVEL, THEN THERE IS NO WAY FOR THE SIGNAL TO HAVE ANY PUNCH. THE WHOLE THING COMES SCREAMING AT YOU LIKE A MESSAGE IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS. AS WE ALL KNOW, WHEN YOU TYPE IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS THERE ARE NO CUES TO HELP THE BRAIN MAKE SENSE OF THE SIGNAL, AND THE MIND TIRES QUICKLY OF TRYING TO PROCESS WHAT IS, BASICALLY, WHITE NOISE. LIKEWISE, A SIGNAL THAT JUST PEGS THE METERS CAUSES THE BRAIN TO REACT AS THOUGH IT IS BEING FED WHITE NOISE. WE SIMPLY FILTER IT OUT AND QUIT TRYING TO PROCESS IT.

Hence, many spoken word producers and broadcasters luckily wisened up and committed to new standards, based on loudness normalization instead of peak normalization. LUFS, Loudness Units relative to Full Scale, is a unit that measures an audio track's average loudness. All segments of a program can then be normalized to a certain LUFS value. As we have discussed before, -23 LUFS is standard now for broadcasters of the EBU, which for example has led to advertising segments no longer being much louder than the rest of any particular program. For a short while, it seemed like a peace agreement, or at least a truce had been achieved in the loudness war.

Human loudness perception is based on average levels instead of peak levels. (Screenshot theproaudiofiles.com)

Loudness Targets and Dynamic Range

However, while LUFS adoption is increasing across the industry, this doesn't mean that people have stopped trying to be louder than everybody else. And indeed -23 LUFS is not the one-size-fits-all value. We have recommended -16 LUFS for podcasts ourselves. The loudness of a production played in a cinema should be different from one made for earphones and noisy listening environments. Some headphones expect a louder signal and don't have enough gain to work with -23 LUFS under all circumstances.

The closer a production gets to 0 LUFS though, the less dynamic range can be reproduced. However, the dynamic range also depends on the dBTP, the maximum True Peak level, which indicates the level of the highest possible peak value. For instance, the aforementioned EBU R128 standard of -23 LUFS also defines a -1 dBTP. The difference between the LUFS and dBTP levels is called Peak to Loudness Range, PLR. For EBU R128 the PLR would be 22 LU (Loudness Units), a podcast with -16 LUFS and -1 dBTP has a PLR of 15 LU. Thus, the PLR is a measure of the maximum possible dynamic range of an audio production.

Platforms: Apple, Google, Amazon, and Spotify

Our already pretty high recommendation of -16 LUFS, -1 dBTP for mobile listening was also adopted by Apple's best practices for podcasts and recommendations for Google Assistant. Some are pushing it too far, though. A daily updated analysis by podnews shows that many podcasts are much louder than -16 LUFS.

Distribution of loudness across a selection of podcasts. (Screenshot podnews.net)

This might in part be due to specs published by other competitors in the audio space:

Amazon, for instance, recommends -14 LUFS at -2 dBTP for Alexa skills, meaning a PLR of only 12 LU. While this might work for Alexa's synthesized voice, which doesn't have much variability, it produces a dynamic range too low for spoken word content.
However, Amazon also says that a skill may be rejected if the program loudness is lower -19 LUFS or higher -9 LUFS, therefore a target of -16 LUFS is perfectly fine, which means that Alexa's robot voice leads by 2 LU compared to the audio content.

Spotify normalizes audio to the equivalent of about -14 LUFS, -1 dbTP, but they still use ReplayGain, which is not exactly the same as LUFS but gives similar results. Spotify mainly decreases the volume of overly loud productions, but can also increase the volume on some playback devices if the audio is much too soft.
For pop music, -14 LUFS is acceptable, but for podcasts or classical music, it is too high. However, (pop) music can always be played a bit louder compared to speech, therefore a loudness target of -16 LUFS for podcasts is fine on Spotify as well.

Make LUFS, not war

If producers just use the highest recommended target and therefore the loudness (target) war goes into another battle, we will hear more compressed, distorted voices once again, lacking emotion and many subtleties that are reflected in the dynamic range of how we speak.

Setting a loudness target higher than -16 LUFS does not improve the listening experience in any way. However, many productions would benefit from sensitively adjusting differences in dynamics throughout the production, lifting up quieter segments, lowering loud segments, and treating speech and music differently. As pointed out in a presentation recently (video, in German), you can do that directly in your DAW or use a leveler to automate dynamics processing.

Instead of just raising the loudness target, adjusting differences in levels can help to make the listening experience much more enjoyable.

Recent album releases suggest that the music industry is still in the middle of the loudness war, often limiting the peak to loudness range to single digit LU values. (By the way, your vinyl-buying friend is right, vinyl records do sound better because they don't work with the highest compression rates.) Hopefully, podcasters, radio producers and other spoken word artists, as well as the platforms that host and publish their productions, can resist the temptation of louder and louder audio.
Make (no more than -16) LUFS, not war!

Conclusion

With some podcasts, smart speakers and streaming platforms trying to be louder than the competition, the listening experience deteriorates. However, podcasts can sound great and loud enough even in noisy environments, when well produced:

• Never set a loudness target higher than -16 LUFS for spoken word audio.
• If your audio is too quiet, try lifting up quieter sections and reducing the volume of louder sections, directly in your DAW or by using a leveler.
• These settings will work fine on all current platforms, including Amazon Alexa and Spotify.

Resist the loudness target war!

I didn't choose to be a programmer. Somehow, it seemed, the computers chose me. For a long time, that was fine, that was enough; that was all I needed. But along the way I never felt that being a programmer was this unambiguously great-for-everyone career field with zero downsides. There

Researchers are warning that the coronavirus pandemic could inflict long-lasting emotional trauma on an unprecedented global scale. They say it could leave millions wrestling with debilitating psychological disorders while dashing hopes for a swift economic recovery.

Over at All Things Photo, I’ve shared a video detailing a scam targeting photographers selling prints online. Also included in the video are 7 tips to avoid being scammed online. While the video is on the long side it’s worth a listen to protect yourself and learn the limitations of fraud protection with your bank and insurance companies. If you’re driving you can also listen to the podcast recording via the All Things Photo podcast. If you haven’t already I welcome you to follow All Things Photo on YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.

By Lauren McCauley Common Dreams At this rate, plastics production will account for 20 percent of total oil consumption and 15 percent of the global annual carbon budget by 2050. The weight of plastic waste clogging the world’s oceans threatens … Continue reading →

By David Suzuki with contributions from Senior Editor Ian Hanington David Suzuki Foundation In 2012, North Carolina’s Coastal Resources Commission warned that sea levels there could rise by a metre over the next century. The warning was based in part … Continue reading →

A lot of business owners who want to be leaders in the online world know that being unique is a key to achieve success. Today, this future success is definitely the webinar tools that are more and more popular worldwide. This article will tell more about it and how does the webinar room work before, […]

The post The webinar software – how it can help you? appeared first on Bittbox.

The galaxy far far away has items both big and small. The Star Wars Size Comparison Video created by MetaBallStudios brings droids, people and planets together from the Star Wars movies (episode I to VIII, Rogue One and Solo). See how your favorites size up against each other.

Comparison of many things from the Star Wars movies. Only movies from episode I to VIII, Rogue One and Solo. Obviously not everything appears, only the most representative.

Providing scale and context to your audience is one of the key tenets of data visualization, and this video does a fantastic job of giving you the context of the size of everything in the Star Wars universe.

Found on Gizmodo.com.

By Jessica Corbett Common Dreams “This is a wake-up call,” says one Australian marine biologist. “Given sea temperatures usually increase as we get towards March, this is probably conservative.” Delivering yet another “wake-up call” after recent studies have shown that … Continue reading →

By Julia Conley Common Dreams “Nature is not a ‘nice to have’—it is our life-support system.” Scientists from around the world issued a stark warning to humanity Tuesday in a semi-annual report on the Earth’s declining biodiversity, which shows that … Continue reading →

By Jon Queally Common Dreams “This is the stuff that worries me most. We don’t know what we’re doing, not trying to stop it, [and] with big consequences we don’t really understand.” The first global scientific review of its kind … Continue reading →

By Jessica Corbett Common Dreams Far-reaching global assessment details how humanity is undermining the very foundations of the natural world     On the heels of an Earth Day that featured calls for radical action to address the current “age … Continue reading →

By Jessica Corbett Common Dreams “This is a wake-up call,” says one Australian marine biologist. “Given sea temperatures usually increase as we get towards March, this is probably conservative.” Delivering yet another “wake-up call” after recent studies have shown that … Continue reading →

By Julia Conley Common Dreams “Nature is not a ‘nice to have’—it is our life-support system.” Scientists from around the world issued a stark warning to humanity Tuesday in a semi-annual report on the Earth’s declining biodiversity, which shows that … Continue reading →

By Jon Queally Common Dreams “This is the stuff that worries me most. We don’t know what we’re doing, not trying to stop it, [and] with big consequences we don’t really understand.” The first global scientific review of its kind … Continue reading →

By Jessica Corbett Common Dreams Far-reaching global assessment details how humanity is undermining the very foundations of the natural world     On the heels of an Earth Day that featured calls for radical action to address the current “age … Continue reading →

By Harriet Gross Courtesy of Aeon What’s not to like about gardening? It’s a great way to get outdoors, away from everyday routines, and to exercise your creativity. It’s good for your health, whatever your age, and gardeners tend to be … Continue reading →

We're familiar with awarding prizes for excellence, from the Oscars to The International Design Awards. But what if we started giving prizes to shame bad examples of design? Enter the Procrustes Awards.

Prizes: Grand prize winner X100V camera from our main sponsor Fujifilm, worth $1,700.00 A cash prize of $5,000.00 Category Winner Prizes: Every category winner will [...]

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Prizes: Amateur Awards 1st Place – $1500 cash Runner up – $500 cash Categories: VR/360 Awards Nature / Landscapes Built Environment / Architecture Image requirements: All [...]

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Prizes: Grand Prize Winner will receive $500 USD Cash 1st Place Winner will receive $300 USD Cash 2nd Place Winner will receive $200 USD Cash 3rd [...]

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Theme: Debauchery Submit your best work expressing your view/perspective of what debauchery means to you. Solo exhibition and an accompanying Book during our Winter season. Image requirements: 10 [...]

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Prizes: One overall winner receives the grand prize of $1000 and title of World Nature Photographer of the Year. Categories: Animals in their habitat Animal [...]

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Sections: Open Color (PID color) Open Monochrome (PID monochrome) Nature (ND) Travel (PTD) The maximum number of works is four (4) per section. (Total 16 [...]

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By Harriet Gross Courtesy of Aeon What’s not to like about gardening? It’s a great way to get outdoors, away from everyday routines, and to exercise your creativity. It’s good for your health, whatever your age, and gardeners tend to be … Continue reading →

UN Environment Press Release Hundreds of millions of people in Asia rely on rice not only as a staple but as their main source of nutrition. But new research suggests the rice they eat will become less nutritious due to … Continue reading →

Jeremy Cowart was named the “Most Influential Photographers on the Internet” by Huffington Post in 2014. He’s the founder of a global photography movement, Help-Portrait, to give back to those in need. As well as many photography projects bridging empathy and creativity into awareness and action. If you’ve been a long time listener / watcher of this show, you’ll recognize Jeremy from one of the first episodes nearly 10 years ago. Jeremy’s vision and ambition have not slowed down. Today on the show, we get into his new book I’m Possible and his biggest project to date, building a hotel where every aspect serves someone in need. We get into facing fears, overcoming doubt, and how to turn the seemingly impossible to possible. In this episode: The fear of having a dream that’s so big. Chasing a dream for a decade or lifetime. How do you take action and get paralyzed because it’s so big? How to chase curiosity despite your fear of starting something new? Whether you’re just starting out or you’re thinking about transitioning from something you love doing and are already good at…. Battling against our inner monologue pulling us away from the thing we know we […]

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Chris Guillebeau has traveled to 193 countries. And just to be clear, that is all of the countries recognized on the planet. He is the first person to do it before the age of 35. More importantly, he has built online businesses, side hustles, and mastered the art of a non-conforming lifestyle since he was 19 years old. There’s almost nobody better person equipped to talk about starting lots of businesses. He has a daily podcast called Side Hustle School where he’s featured more than 850 different side hustle businesses + featured many in his new book called 100 Side Hustles. Chris also started half a dozen or more himself, started one of my favorite conferences, The World Domination Summit, and is a New York Times bestselling author of books like the $100 Start Up and The Art of Non-Conformity and many others. This guy is a beast and he’s so savvy, so humble. In this episode: We go into details about some of Chris’ favorite side hustle businesses he’s come across in his podcast & writing this book – what are some of the most common traits and failures. Chris shares his experience with depression, how he’s faced it, […]

The post Adaptation, Self-Awareness and Art of the Side Hustle with Chris Guillebeau appeared first on Chase Jarvis Photography.

I am huge fan of the universe of Star Wars, it is amazing how vast and detailed this it can be. I am also a lover of the playing cards designs, you can big array of topics from sexy to nerdy ones. Just like this ones, a complete set of playing cards based on the …

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In this work, we propose a simple modification of the forward-backward splitting method for finding a zero in the sum of two monotone operators. Our method converges under the same assumptions as Tseng's forward-backward-forward method, namely, it does not require cocoercivity of the single-valued operator. Moreover, each iteration only requires one forward evaluation rather than two as is the case for Tseng's method. Variants of the method incorporating a linesearch, relaxation and inertia, or a structured three operator inclusion are also discussed.

Quantum computing has evolved quickly in recent years and is showing significant benefits in a variety of fields. Malware analysis is one of those fields that could also take advantage of quantum computing. The combination of software used to locate the most frequent hashes and $n$-grams between benign and malicious software (KiloGram) and a quantum search algorithm could be beneficial, by loading the table of hashes and $n$-grams into a quantum computer, and thereby speeding up the process of mapping $n$-grams to their hashes. The first phase will be to use KiloGram to find the top-$k$ hashes and $n$-grams for a large malware corpus. From here, the resulting hash table is then loaded into a quantum machine. A quantum search algorithm is then used search among every permutation of the entangled key and value pairs to find the desired hash value. This prevents one from having to re-compute hashes for a set of $n$-grams, which can take on average $O(MN)$ time, whereas the quantum algorithm could take $O(sqrt{N})$ in the number of table lookups to find the desired hash values.