SYNAPSE CIRCUIT MAGIX COMPETITION 2014

SYNAPSE CIRCUIT
MAGIX COMPETITION!!!
Good afternoon, Synapse Circuit Readers. As always I hope that all is well with you and yours! Not feeling secure where you are? Check out this bit of news…

#SynapseCircuit #SynapseCircuitCompetition #MagixMusicStudio2014 #SamplitudeMusicStudio2014Competition

WIN A COPY OF MAGIX SAMPLITUDE MUSIC STUDIO 2014

London, UK (13^th May 2014) – Magix GmbH are the largest multimedia company in the world bar none! You wanna edit video? You’ve got it! You wanna make a DVD? You’ve got it! How about making your very own website? Easy!

Wanna make music without breaking the bank or having to sit reading manuals??? Magix Samplitude Music Studio 2014 is the way to go for no compromise professional quality produced music!

We’ve got 4 copies! Yes, 4 copies to give away in today’s competition! 

JUST ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS:

A. Can you name 3 instruments that comes with Samplitude Music Studio 2014?

B. What facility do you use to create a professional master?

C. Can you name two effects included with Samplitude Studio 2014?

Do you know the answers? Great! Send them to:

competition.synapse.circuit @gmail.com

RULES:

1. One entry per person.

END OF COMPETITION:
The Magix Samplitude Music Studio 2014 competition closes on Saturday, 31 May 2014.

ANNOUNCEMENT:
The winner will be announced Monday, 2 June 2014. The winner will be picked at random.

PRIVACY:
Your personal / private details will not be shared with any third party.

GOOD LUCK!

READ THE MAGIX SAMPLITUDE MUSIC STUDIO 2014 REVIEW: REVIEW!

THANKS FOR READING...
Please check out the Synapse Circuit site here: Synapse Circuit.com

Yes, I am well aware that the site is due an update soon! It’s coming...

Synapse Circuit for tech news, opinions, articles, reviews and competitions. You will find interactive PDF magazines, videos and links to free legal software! Check it out at Synapse Circuit dot com

Synapse Circuit SwannSecure Live Monitor

SYNAPSE CIRCUIT
Night or Day, Home or Away, Monitor Homes or Businesses Live with SwannSecure™

Good afternoon, Synapse Circuit Readers. As always I hope that all is well with you and yours! Not feeling secure where you are? Check out this bit of news…

#Swann #SwanSecure #Security

Includes HD night and day security camera, Wi-Fi touch screen monitor and remote viewing on Android, iOS, and PC devices…

London, UK (13^th May 2014) – Swann Security, an industry leader with more than 25 years of security monitoring experience, announces the SwannSecure™ All-in-One Wi-Fi Video Monitoring System. The newly introduced surveillance system offers not only a quick and easy do-it-yourself security solution, but also day and night HD quality video that is accessible remotely from mobile devices and tablets.

The SwannSecure system offers a powerful 720P high definition camera, capable of recording up to a distance of 50 feet/15meters and producing high quality images both in daylight and at night using its IR cut filter. In addition to clarity, the camera features a built-in microphone allowing users the opportunity to both see and hear what is going on while they’re away from their homes or businesses. For added security, the camera’s cable is thread through the stand to prevent intruders from cutting it. The cord is not exposed to the elements, offering the versatility for indoor or outdoor usage.

“We are continuously listening to consumer feedback and developing new products based on those needs,” says Jeremy Stewart, Swann’s VP Global Marketing. “More and more, people want to take home security into their own hands, whether it’s setting up their own security systems or checking on their homes or businesses whenever and wherever they want. SwannSecure provides these advantages while also pushing them to their limits for a truly exceptional product.”

Viewing live-feed is easy via the 7” touch screen Wi-Fi monitor/recorder, which offers a widescreen format. For checking video on-the-go, users can watch the feed using the free SwannLink™ app, compatible with Android devices, iPhone and iPad.

                                                        

SwannLink connectivity uses peer-to-peer technology, a new method of connecting to the internet using the SwannLink server in the cloud and a product ID number. Each SwannSecure system includes a unique QR code and ID number, and once scanned, the QR code checks the ID number on the server to confirm the owner’s username and password. It then connects the user directly to the SwannSecure using a secure 128-bit encrypted connection.

The system’s motion triggered video recording capability means users can extend recording for longer periods of time. The system includes an 8GB micro SD card (memory is expandable up to 32GB) that saves video feeds. A mini HDMI port allows users to view live or recorded HD video on their HDTV or LCD monitor and also connects to a hard drive for an easy back-up option.

The SwannSecure Kit with 1 camera included is available from Maplins at £399.99 SRP

The 4 camera kit will be available at £599.99 SRP from Costco in July

Additional cameras can be purchased at £199.99 SRP

About Swann:

Swann is a global leader in security monitoring solutions and fun gadgets targeting consumers through retail channels. In 2012, Swann celebrated its 25th anniversary as a manufacturer of consumer electronics products that are innovative yet cost effective.

The company’s products are mainly do-it-yourself with easy-to-follow ‘plug-and-play’ instructions, free after-sale 24/7 technical support and retail-friendly product packaging aimed at home, office and small-to-medium retail users.

For customers needing more high-tech solutions, Swann is at the forefront of the latest international trends including full HD 1080p, HD surveillance cameras, Wi-Fi network video recording, live Smartphone connectivity and more.

Swann was founded in 1987 and now has offices in the USA, Canada, Australia, the UK, China and Hong Kong with distribution partners around the globe.

Swann’s reseller network includes some of the world’s largest retailers and distributors including Fry’s Electronics, RadioShack, Best Buy, Costco.com, Canadian Tire and Maplin Electronics.

THANKS FOR READING...
Please check out the Synapse Circuit site here: Synapse Circuit.com

Yes, I am well aware that the site is due an update soon! It’s coming...

Synapse Circuit for tech news, opinions, articles, reviews and competitions. You will find interactive PDF magazines, videos and links to free legal software! Check it out at Synapse Circuit dot com

SYNAPSE CIRCUIT APPLE vs SAMSUNG 2014

SYNAPSE CIRCUIT

APPLE vs. SAMSUNG: THE WINNER IS...


Good evening, Synapse Circuit Readers. How’s it going? I hope that all is well! Yes, I am looking to continue the Animation Special soon! It’s coming! Thank you so much for reading the first instalment.

Hey, I am sure that you have heard the latest in the Tech War between Apple & Samsung. Do you think that Apple scored a victory?

Here’s a pictorial guide...

#Apple #Samsung #SamsungvsApple #iPhone #GalaxyS #GalaxyNote #GalaxyZoom #GalaxyS4Zoom #GalaxyKZoom #GalaxyS5 #GalaxyS5Premium #GalaxyNote4


WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Well, I am going to let you know what I think...

Even the most dedicated iPhone / Apple fanatic can’t deny their eyes. The church of Apple has to concede that there is another and more powerful Technological God in our Galaxy...

THANKS FOR READING...
Please check out the Synapse Circuit site here: Synapse Circuit.com

Yes, I am well aware that the site is due an update soon! It’s coming...

Synapse Circuit for tech news, opinions, articles, reviews and competitions. You will find interactive PDF magazines, videos and links to free legal software! Check it out at Synapse Circuit dot com

SYNAPSE CIRCUIT ANDROID KEYBOARDS

Above: The beautiful Kii used on a tablet.

Above: Emoji Keyboard - Emoticons (KK) displaying the Android emoticons.

SYNAPSE CIRCUIT
ANDROID KEYBOARDS

Good afternoon, Synapse Circuit Readers. It’s so wonderful to see you! I hope today finds you in the best of health and long may you continue to be tip top!

If you’re an Android user I am sure that you appreciate the fact that you can personalize your handset until your heart is content. One of best things to ever happen to Android was the Voice Typing going offline...

#Android #Personalization #Keyboards #Emoji #Emoticons

WHAT’S YOUR TYPE?
When I got my Galaxy S I was very impressed by the Swype keyboard; it worked really well (once I got the hang of it) and made typing very easy through gesture swiping. Then I tried other keyboards such as SwiftKey which was alright but I didn’t feel too comfortable with it wanting to learn how I write on my social networks, etc. I found it intrusive.

Google has since updated its keyboard much to the satisfaction of many. However, I must admit that I do appreciate the emojis! If you use Facebook on a daily basis being able to use emojis is a nice touch – no pun intended. I don’t know why Google didn’t include emojis on its keyboard but I am so glad that others have.

Here are two of my favourite keyboards...

KII
This is a pretty decent keyboard! What I enjoy about Kii is the gesture input and that it is customizable through its built-in editor whereby one can change the colours of the keypads (I believe that this is in the paid version) and there are a good amount of themes for it. I use the futuristic looking Swift Beta GO keyboard skin and because Kii is compatible with the GO Keyboard there are many more themes to be had! Hurrah!

I also appreciate that I can choose to have the number keypads on the top row thus saving me from having to hit the number / symbols key.

And, yes, the emjois are there thanks to the Handcent Emoji Plugin meant for the Handcent SMS app that I don’t use due to the free messaging apps that I enjoy so much! In addition you have the symbol smilies, symbols as found on a QWERTY keyboard in the form of Windings and text faces. It’s brilliant and the paid version is definitely worth it!

I love that I can swipe a symbol from the gesture of swiping down onto a letter downwards until the symbol appears which saves me from having to tap the number / symbol key or the dedicated symbol key. Great stuff!

NIGGLES
There are some niggles that can annoy... You’ve gesture typed a word and you then go on to the next word and the previous word persists. And because you can’t do a loop on a little that has two consecutive same letters it makes such words harder to gesture input. Gesture typing “impossible” can be exactly that! I have to break the swipe for a tap! Aside from those niggles it’s pretty good.

I like Kii a lot for the non-phablet handset.

Here’s my other keyboard choice...

Emoji Keyboard – Emoticons (KK)
For phablets I recommend the Emoji Keyboard – Emoticons (KK) as it closely resembles the official Google keyboard with the added emojis.

It’s very similar to Kii but with the Emoji Keyboard only a few of the emojis work; it’s not a disaster by any means. Kii works by allowing the iOS6 emoji to be used on the Android device and therefore all the emojis work just fine. Whereas Emoji Keyboard uses Android emojis!

Like Kii the Emoji Keyboard can make use of custom themes but it is not as extensive. However, the themes available are quite good. I would like more themes further down the line. Again, I have the option to have the number keys positioned on the top row.

And the keyboard can be compacted to be positioned to either left, right or a layout for the thumbs that sees the keyboard split into left and right parts. Oh, the keyboard can be resized too!

NIGGLES
Well, I noticed that when the number / symbol key was depressed access to the numbers and symbols wasn’t granted straightaway and it took several taps before I could get to them. I sent an email to developer, David F and within hours an update that fixed the problem was available for me and all to download. After the download it has been just fine!

Another thing is that the English dictionary is American and not UK or Canadian. But there are many different dictionaries available many languages!

Other than that I am really enjoying using the Emoji Keyboard!

I believe that there will be more themes available in due course plus a bit of an overhaul in the user interface. For example I would like to swipe down on a letter containing a symbol and have the symbol appear instead of the letter like the Kii!

CONCLUSION
I would recommend those fine keyboards that are very, very functional as well as good looking!


LINKS:-

KII

Handcent Emoji Plugin

&

Emoji Keyboard - Emoticons (KK)

THANKS FOR READING...
Please check out the Synapse Circuit site here: Synapse Circuit.com

Yes, I am well aware that the site is due an update soon! It’s coming...

Synapse Circuit for tech news, opinions, articles, reviews and competitions. You will find interactive PDF magazines, videos and links to free legal software! Check it out at Synapse Circuit dot com

SYNAPSE CIRCUIT LOOK NOW LOOK UP

Above: Gary Turk making his antisocial point through social networking media.

SYNAPSE CIRCUIT
OPINION:
SOCIAL OR ANTISOCIAL?


Good evening, Synapse Circuit Readers. It’s good to see you as always! I hope that all is well in your world?

I am sure you have seen the latest YouTube video, ‘Look Up’ that decries the phenomenon of (anti) social networking. Do you think Gary Turk right?

LOOK NOW
It would be very easy to dismiss Turk’s sentiments regarding folks using social networking for self-aggrandizing when the man has his own website and social networking accounts... Look:-

www.garyturk.com

www.twitter.com/gary_turk

www.newdesertblues.com

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfHJe1XCvPckXPcgKh2V-5A

It’s a bit like those anti-Transhumanists using technology to make their point no matter how ill-informed their arguments are. I would be ignorant to dismiss ‘Look Up’ by Gary Turk for the aforementioned reason(s).

I HAVE EX-AMOUNT OF FRIENDS BUT...
...I don’t feel lonely. I have over 700 friends and counting and that’s right, I don’t feel lonely. Do I know each and every one of them in great detail? No! How many people do I know offline in such an intimate way? Well, now that I am thinking about it I know a handful of people on an intimate level and in actuality I wish that I hadn’t. Sure, I am talking about ex-girlfriends and a couple of rare friendships that lasted over 10 years only to have the glues that held them together dry up! Intimacy is not all that it’s cracked up to be! Ha ha! I kid but there is an underlying seriousness too.

I would say that some of my best friendships are online than off line. I still have a handful of good offline friends and maintaining those (offline) friendships can be hard work and very rewarding. I hardly have to see them because each of us are doing his / her own thing and that, my friend, is the nature of life. We’re busy! Thanks to “free” call / messaging apps we are able to keep tabs and meet up occasionally. Should they need me in an emergency they know that I will be there in a heartbeat! I know that they have me covered too! Needless to say that navigating our...  ...ok... my way though intimate friendships – let alone family – can be a bloody nightmare! STRESS!!!!

The good thing about online friendships and yes I call them friendships is that you can switch off; turn the devices off or mute the volume... If the worst comes to the worst there is the delete and block button. It’s funny... ...I think back to a time when I was fed up with the progenitor that was MySpace and was turned on to Facebook by a “friend” that I thought I knew offline. Yes, I deleted her! Hee hee... It’s a bit of a long story but I have to say that it was useful to cut the arguments in person, over the phone and via Facebook mails with a delete and block move! I reckon if it wasn’t for Facebook that “friendship” would have endured longer than it needed to. Under the right circumstances you can find out the true nature of a “friend”.

MYSPACE, YOURSPACE, OURSPACE: FACEBOOKED
When MySpace was all the rage it was great! I met a lovely woman from Telford, we fell in and out of love (and we’re still good friends today – a rarity) and I also, around 6 years ago, met with a woman in Germany, Siegen, who I am still friends with today! If it wasn’t for MySpace I wouldn’t have met these wonderful people. MySpace went downhill when it tried to monetize and had a awful overhaul that put many off – not just me!

When I joined Facebook all those years ago I only knew that one offline friend that I proudly added to my friend list. So, I had the exciting task of getting to know new friends. In fact I tell a lie! I went through a couple of Facebook accounts before I arrived at the one I have now. I had set up a couple to interact with former work colleagues who turned out not to be worthwhile so on both occasions I deleted those accounts. My former friend reintroduced me to Facebook; I began adding friends and interacting with them. That must have been around 6 or 7 years ago.

A PROCESS
Adding “friends” is a process regardless of Facebook’s nannying annoying rules about having “knowing” the “friend” in offline. It’s a great process of discovery that I can’t replicate so easily offline. You wouldn’t “poke” a stranger on the street... You also wouldn’t approach a stranger on the street and proposition a friendship. It’s just about ok to compliment a member of the opposite sex with an offer to meet for coffee, etc. The truth is that it is easier to meet people online; it’s not only safer but simplifies things a great deal. The Internet acts like a buffer to overcome misunderstandings and suspicion in a less stressful manner. Here’s an example of an awkward offline interaction...

I was on a bus travelling home after attending a satisfactory music festival and before I knew it a man started talking to me asking me if I was Gay to which I told him to kindly mind his own business and to cease talking to me. The man was talking to me with the assumption that I was Gay and I objected to it. Not because I have anything against Gay people. A) I don’t think that being Gay is subject to an accusation. B) I don’t want to discuss anything to do with sexual orientation to a stranger – especially for all to hear on public transportation. The next thing I know the man is touching me on my leg telling me that it’s alright to be Gay and that he “loves” me. I was not happy! I am a person who does not like to be touched by strangers. It could very well be that mildly autistic but in any event the man’s behaviour was wholly inappropriate. If I had done this to a woman I could have been charged with sexual harassment.

Online one can add a stranger and over a course of time get to know that person.

STATUS UPDATE: RELATIONSHIPS
In the time that I have been on Facebook I have seen quite a few women for possible romance and / or friendship. I would say that all in all it has been a positive experience. Occasionally, there have been a couple of instances whereby a couple of romantic prospects turned out to be less than honest but such instances can happen offline too! But online it’s no problem! Delete! Hahaha!

There is one big faux pas in the name of romance on Facebook: “In a relationship”? Just as it is offline, online it is hard to synchronize feelings; usually one person feels more than the other person in the “relationship”. Sometimes the online persona doesn’t match the offline persona. Sometimes it’s different to have a person in your home as opposed to a hotel. Hahaha! And sometimes people who have met online try to rush emotional development when they meet for the first time offline. Yes, what Turk said about people only showing the positive side of them is partially true. But it is also true about any kind of meeting be it a date – no farting! A job interview, you’re not going tell potentially offensive jokes! Sometimes online people forget to keep learning about the other.

There have been a couple of times whereby I started to see a woman offline in a romantic capacity and they wanted me to change my status immediately to “In a relationship”. I did it the first time as I felt we had something which ended soon after! Hee hee hee... But with the other one we hadn’t been talking that long online and I proposed that we take time offline to get to know each other. I couldn’t have made it clearer than that however she continued to get obsessed about making online statements. My logic was that if I was spending time with her offline the chances of me doing anything with anyone else are extremely minimal – especially as I take my article writing seriously! I don’t have time to entertain hordes of women! An intelligent person would know that! Still, I don’t have regrets about letting those women go as it wasn’t working out. Don’t get me wrong, I did make the effort but when I saw it wasn’t working I accepted it and moved on.

Oh my goodness! I remember another meeting with a woman that I had been talking to for a couple of weeks who wanted to introduce me to her son straightaway! I was a bit taken a back! Decorum is important both on and offline. Communication is the key! How many of us have been stung by a player we have met offline?

And in a non-romantic capacity I have seen “friends” come and go! One in particular was an animal rights extremist who insisted upon hijacking wall for her purposes and I had to let her go.

People change all the time and it’s a good thing. Friendships / relationships last for as long as they are meant to. But if you care I urge you to take time!

THE FAMILY
The mobile device revolution reminds me of the advent of the wireless radio and the TV. As a child I grew up with the TV as part tutor and part parent. I used to love my cartoons and I still do! Hahaha! Today’s child is either into a console or smartphone playing games. It is natural that a child will gravitate to the latest technological trends. But this does not mean that parents abandon their right and duty to use their guidance. Today many parents do not exercise their right to guide their children. Referring to my childhood yet again I was what is known as a “latchkey child”. When I came home from school I retrieved the door key from under the hiding place and took food out of the oven and was in charge of my two younger brothers. The TV entertained us until my Pop came home from his shift!

Today’s parent or parents (if the child or children is fortunate) has to work very hard and for very little. The UK economy is at a critical point because employers do not want to pay workers a good wage and so they draft in immigrant workers (usually from Poland) who will work for less. This has resulted in the level of pay going down and it makes working life very hard for British nationals who are more or less driven by consumerism. Buy this latest tablet on sale! Buy this 52 inch curved flatscreen TV for only £££! Buy! Buy! Buy! So people try to live this technical modern life on credit and have little or no means of paying the credit back.

It’s a hard time for workers and the unemployed! If you’re in work you’re struggling or if you’re out of work you’re struggling to find it! Some people have just given up looking for work altogether. And at the moment this coalition government is cracking down hard on those receiving state benefits and are using sanctions to cleanse London, for example, of its poor population by driving them to other cities. It’s really horrendous as to what’s happening right now. I believe that it breaches human rights laws.

In any event working parents are often burned out and find it hard to get that quality time with their child or children.

EMPTY PARKS
Technology is not necessarily preventing children from playing in the park. No. There are a few factors...

1. The parent(s) find it hard to cook meals from scratch and so feed their children with cheap frozen foods full of fat, salt and sugar content. Children and adults do not feel full on such a diet because there is little or no fibre in pizza, cheap white bread, fizzy drinks, etc so they over indulge.

It’s customary for children to eat meals from fast food establishments more than twice a week. This results in children and adults becoming obese to the point where they cannot find the energy to partake in outdoor activities.

2. You just can’t leave your child or children unsupervised outside your doorstep let alone in a public park! It could very well be that the media is scaremongering the population with news of paedophile activities. There seems to be at least one story every day about child abuse. As a parent you do not want to be one of the unfortunate to have experienced the abduction, sexual abuse and death of your child. That must be one of the most horrendous things to happen to parents and children. You can’t even trust family as in a lot of the cases that I have followed it is an abusive uncle, stepfather, grandfather and even women at a nursery have been behind child abuse and paedophile rings.

3. Then there are young teens partaking in gang violence leading to lethal consequences meted out to transgressors of gang rules such as being in another postcode (zip code) area. As a parent you do not want to let your child or children out in such environments. You try to keep them at home as much as you can. Growing children can rebel and for working and single parents it is hard to impose disciplinary measures as the child can turn around and claim abuse to the authorities. Such claims can result in the parent or parents having a criminal record! And if your child is not in a gang you do not want him or her to get caught in gun battle crossfire. Stray bullets have found themselves borrowing into the innocent. Another disturbing trend is that young girls / women are initiated into a gang through performing group sex. You’d think that some of these young girls / women are forced into such sexual acts. Very often female gang members are willing to cross that bridge to be inducted. No doubt that some are forced physically and some mentally by peer pressure.

I do see the family suffering unnecessarily through the government giving children rights and therefore weakening the parent or parents authority Then the government in turn are looking to fine parents whose child or children vandalize buildings for example.

The mobile or smartphone is pivotal in today’s society for parents to keep track their child or children. In an ideal world parents wouldn’t rely on just mobile devices to entertain their child or children; there would be time for family outings. Oh, and because of the violence some parents do not want to venture out with their children to avoid exposure to dangers of gang violence. Many adults are afraid of unpredictable teenagers and young adults. There have been a virulent outbreak of young men testing their strength by a dealing a devastating blow the the temple of an unsuspecting passerby. Or even an adult querying antisocial behavior.

Going back to the government... I don’t know why they are interfering with how parents discipline their child / children to the extent whereby they can be prosecuted citing physical abuse. But there again, the prosecution system allows for violent criminals and sexual predators walk free amongst communities. It does not make any sense to me.

STUPID PEOPLE / SMARTPHONES / THE MEDIA
I don’t think one can blame the advent mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets for the decline in intelligence in society. For want of a better expression people were stupid beforehand.

Do you think that people speaking sentences in questioning tones started with the advent of the smartphone? Do you know how dumb that sounds? Yet this phenomenon has spread like a virus to the point where some television presenters sound idiotic. 

A smartphone can actually help people to spell with the auto correction (predictive spelling) turned on. But if one cannot spell anyway one will not be able to recognize the correct spelling! I have been asked by people in a position of management to turn off the auto correct feature of their handset! Some people prefer to spell using shortcuts such as “soz” meaning sorry for example. And these shortcuts have extended to phonetic (no pun intended) spelling such as “intelektual”. While I can understand using spelling shortcuts due to the limited texting allowance  from a network as it can be costly. But because of smartphones one can make use of "free" (depending on the Internet allowance) applications for messaging. Once I moved over to “free” messaging apps I dispensed with spelling shortcuts. I hate it! After a while I think I was losing my ability to spell! Gosh!

But society is constantly being dumbed down by the corporate owned media. Remember my “friend” Josie Cunningham? This is what made the headlines 9 hours ago on the front page of UK tabloid The Mirror which was also posted up on its Facebook profile:

Oh dear. Josie Cunningham is at it again. This time she's vowing to release footage of her baby's birth so she can be 'bigger than Jordan'.

''I'll sell DVDs of my baby's birth to be bigger than Jordan'': Josie Cunningham's latest outrageous confessions

Keywords: Celebrity News Josie Cunningham abortion

Just think about it for a minute... This, er, news (sic) was “reported” by The Mirror. Who the hell cares if she was “at it again”? Don’t report such foolishness! Yet people react to it on Facebook like sharks to blood in the water.

Look at the keywords... “Celebrity” Is that what passes for celebrity these days? “News” Again, that’s not news! “Josie Cunningham abortion...” For real??? Why on Earth is this news for anybody to know about??? Jesus wept! You could say that I am reacting to it too but I am reacting to idiocy of the whole thing. Don’t get me wrong, if Josie Cunningham wants to get into “show business” then good for her but why does it have to be on the back of nonsense such as threatening to abort her alleged child? Talk about selling one’s soul...

And if that is not enough music has been reduced to soft porn. I was just saying the other day that the current music industry will never see another John Lennon, Bowie, Iggy Pop, Sex Pistols, etc again. I think the next time Miley Cyrus announces a concert the tickets will be in the form of scratch ‘n’ sniff thongs.

CONCLUSION
I think that social networking and smart mobile device technologies can redeem mankind from going down this path of ignorance. It’s down to people using the likes of Facebook and Twitter to expose the extreme Thatcher-right wing politics of the UKIP which sees their members uttering the most inane ideas about race, homosexuality and feminism since the Stone Age. Hopefully the UKIP will disappear up its own orifice.

In the meantime I continue to make wonderful friendships online and I look forward to meeting them – if possible – offline. I have many friends all over the world and it is a great feeling and extension of the pen pal concept.

I also look forward to one day finding my significant other either through social networking or by chance when I am going about my business offline. I am not impeded by technology to interact with others face to face.

I think that Turk’s ‘Look Up’ video appeals like tabloid journalism in that it tugs at the concerns of thoughtful people to the point where they question themselves for being able to interact with meaningful connections.

Yes, some connections will be deeper than others. Yes, you will be deleted by someone and you will no doubt delete someone yourself. We make what we will of our social networking. There’s so much potential for us to meet and form deeper bonds / connections with people because our honesty will sort out the sincere from those pretending to be something that they are not.

You know what they say? Like attracts like!

I do believe that we can develop such a powerful neural connection / network in that our smart-devices become extra synapses – hence Synapse Circuit - that can be likened to a “psychic” experience. However, we must allow for the rest of the mind and body to catch up when we meet! We are different offline not because we present ourselves differently online but we react differently in physicality to each other. We react more to body language which we do not usually see unless using a webcam or video call via the smartphone and that's just the facial expression.

When we become more comfortable with each other we become more open. Online this openness can come more quickly than offline because we’re using this extra synapse to compensate for the lack of a physical presence. As long as we take time to adjust should an offline meeting takes place we’ll be alright.

And we shouldn’t substitute online for offline interactions and vice versa. In a word: Balance.

We need more time and time is money so if anything we should ask for a raise and shorter hours to spend more time with our family and friends.

THANKS FOR READING...
Please check out the Synapse Circuit site here: Synapse Circuit.com

Yes, I am well aware that the site is due an update soon! It’s coming...

Synapse Circuit for tech news, opinions, articles, reviews and competitions. You will find interactive PDF magazines, videos and links to free legal software! Check it out at SynapseCircuit dot com

SYNAPSE CIRCUIT CRAZYTALK ANIMATOR 2 PIPELINE EDITION REVIEW

Above: A demo of a 3D camera making animations look simply amazing!

SYNAPSE CIRCUIT
ANIMATION SPECIAL PART ONE: REALLUSION CRAZYTALK ANIMATOR 2 PIPELINE EDITION
PRICE: $299.95. Upgrade from $179.97.

Good afternoon, Synapse Circuit Readers. How are you today? I hope that all is well with you! As promised here’s the review of Reallusion’s phenomenal CrazyTalk Animator 2 Pipeline edition.

INTRODUCTION
CrazyTalk Animator 2 (Pipeline Edition) has evolved over the years from animating heads, to full bodied characters and to an amazing 2D animation software that can be used by just about anybody with the desire to create animations for presentations, web media, school projects and budding animators looking for a cost effective way to get started.

When I saw the preview in February of the latest incarnation I was blown away! I know, I know... The words “blown away” is very much a cliché but when you see what this fantastic program can do you too will be blown away and moved to purchase this great software! As always, the review could stop here as I have given away the ending but if you have been reading my previous reviews of CrazyTalk then you will understand that the only conclusion is...



ANIMATION STUDIO
Essentially that’s what CrazyTalk Animator 2 is; a complete animation studio that has a fantastic interface that makes it very easy to get started. The main interface is divided into: Project; Actor; Animation; Scene and SFX.

The simplest way to start is by dragging one of the pre-made characters (Actor) onto the stage; from there you can drag ‘n’ drop a predefined animation onto the actor and see the character animate before your very eyes! What’s more you can not only use 2D but 3D animations too!



Once you have added an animation to your actor you can then choose to add a scene or background. Again, it’s simple matter of dragging and dropping. Through expanding the timeline you can adjust the timings of the animation. If you have ever used Adobe Flash then you will find that CrazyTalk Animator 2 is a chinch!

3D
Because of the new 3D aspect you can animate from any angle! This is a remarkable attribute to the animations that you create!

Yes, I think that at some point I will get around to creating an animated series along the lines of the Simpson’s, Futurama, South Park, etc. Yes, I love watching animated series! I am a big Futurama fan and I am fascinated with how it is done; the thing with Futurama is that it is a little hit and miss and I often find myself wondering if I can do better. I might quit writing about tech and start my own animation company! Lol!

Anyhoo... ...your animations can now look like the ones you see on TV!

With the 3D view tool you can see an overview from different angles so that you can place actors and props with precision. Naturally, you can change the angle of the actors to suit.

ACTORS GENERATION 1 & 2
There are two types of actors in CTA2: G1 and G2. G1 is the older 2D actor and G2 is the 3D; you have to bear in mind that when you create your own heads for the G2 model is that you need the heads in different angles in order to simulate 3D.

Yes, of course, you can create your own characters using the Character Composer which is more effective than using a picture.

SCENES
What’s great about the scenes is that the props in them can also be animated! The actors can interact with the props for a convincing animation.

You can bring in a still or video background but, as you’d expect, you can’t get the actor or actors to move around inside like a 3D based scene.

In addition to props you can drop in video clips on a prop TV screen – it’s awesome! The mind boggles as to what you can do with this remarkable software.

THE PIPELINE
You’re probably wondering what the “Pipeline Edition” means... Righty ho! In a nutshell the Pipeline Edition hosts great features that will be of use to the professional. Did you know that CrazyTalk Animator along with iClone is used all over the world by television program producers? Absolutely! What the Pipeline Edition does is to allow you to import motions from iClone and other 3D software that you can then drag ‘n’ drop onto the actors, create your own characters, and customize characters from one template and compatibility with Flash! That’s not all! You can render the animation in different styles such as black & white, neon, retro, line and a few others!

CONCLUSION
HEAD BLOWN!!! Reallusion’s CrazyTalk Animator 2 keeps going from strength to strength. If you are serious about animation then I wholeheartedly recommend the Pipeline Edition. In fact I’d even go as far to say that if you have never done animation and you want a way in then opt for the either the Pro or Pipeline version simply because you will not outgrow it anytime soon. Instead of paying over the odds in this day and age CrazyTalk Animator 2 is a solid investment. There is so much going for it that that it would take me a 50 page chapter! However, take comfort in the fantastic tutorials on offer from the Reallusion site in video form: from the beginner starting to more complex projects.

The Standard version retails for $49.95 or upgrade for $29.97.
Pro, $179.95 or upgrade for $107.97.

The Standard version is great for children of all ages to get into the wonderful world of animation! As a parent you could be responsible for the next Nick Park!

Again, if you are a filmmaker / media producer then CTA 2 Pipeline is a no brainer.

The Reallusion content shop will enable you to add models, characters and more to the already awesome software!

SCORE: DOUBLE PLATINUM



STOP THE PRESS!!!!
CrazyTalk Animator 2.1 is now available for the MAC!!!! Read about it here: CTA2 MAC
COMING SOON...
Smith Micro, Poser Pro 2014 Review... Stay tuned...

THANKS FOR READING... IN THE MEANTIME...
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Synapse Circuit for tech news, opinions, articles, reviews and competitions. You will find interactive PDF magazines, videos and links to free legal software! Check it out at SynapseCircuit dot com

SYNAPSE CIRCUIT NEWS CRAZYTALK ANIMATOR 2 FOR MAC

SYNAPSE CIRCUIT
NEWS: REALLUSION LAUNCHES CRAZYTALK ANIMATOR 2 FOR MAC

Good evening, Synapse Circuit Readers. Here’s some great news if your personal computer is a MAC!

London, UK, May 2, 2014 — After winning the Best of Show at Macworld/iWorld 2013 with CrazyTalk7’s talking heads, Reallusion  now extends its technology to a fully featured story-telling tool; complete with full-body multi-dimensional avatars, props and scenes.

Reallusion announces a new era in 2D animation inviting anyone that ever dreamed of animating to wake-up their imagination inside CrazyTalk Animator 2. CrazyTalk Animator 2 is a revolutionary animation suite with all the necessary tools to easily create pro-level animation.

New powerful features have opened new possibilities for freely editing 2D motions and viewing them from any angle with a single click. In addition to HumanIK motion editing and seamless mix-and-match character customization, CrazyTalk Animator 2 also offers creative and fun visual render styles that can turn cartoons into comic style art. Powerful features like body motion puppet and auto lip-sync further reinforce its position as the most creative tool for 2D character animation. It’s designed for everyone from cartoon and movie creators to artists, illustrators, web designers, educators, web marketing companies and training video departments.

Multi-dimensional Character System Empowered the Mix-and-Match Creation with Unique Personalities

CrazyTalk Animator 2 has a new multi-dimensional character creation system that allows anyone to quickly build and customize 2D actors that are ready for animation. Design a custom character from scratch through a series of selections for hair, body, face and style inside the CrazyTalk Animator 2 character composer’s content library.  It's easy to customize avatars to look like you, a well-known celebrity, or people you know. Normally 2D animation requires advanced artistic skills, but with CrazyTalk Animator 2 you can build uniquely styled characters with no drawing necessary. 

CrazyTalk Animator 2 goes beyond traditional 2D animation tools with each character created in our new avatar system already setup for full standard 2D animation and compatible with 3D motion files that turn 2D characters into multi-angled animatable actors.  Characters can move freely and be viewed at any angle when animating without the need to draw countless iterations of the same actor.  CrazyTalk Animator 2 has many time saving tools so you can get on with telling your story or creating your projects faster without the bother of tedious tweaks to bring your ideas to life. 

CrazyTalk Animator 2 Allows You to Apply 3D Motions to 2D Characters

3D motion for 2D animation in CrazyTalk Animator 2 is a major milestone for our animation technology and will provide animators and storytellers of all skill levels with tools to visually compete with big budget studios. Along with the multi-angled 2D character capabilities in CrazyTalk Animator 2 we have added the ability to import 3D motion data with the CrazyTalk Animator Pipeline.  

Now 2D animation is reimagined with the new developments in CrazyTalk Animator 2 making your characters easier to animate and achieve pro level animation results in 2D without the need to pose every individual keyframe.  2D artists and professionals will enjoy the ability to rig their own 2D work with our universal character rig template and then take advantage of our 360 degree motion tools, motion library and motion capture features.

CrazyTalk Animator 2 updates with a more flexible dockable user interface that lets each user decide what panels and tools to display on-screen to match the current work at hand.  Now designing the workspace for your animation creativity is completely customisable.  CrazyTalk Animator 2 provides two main modes for creation in the interface; character composition where you can create and edit characters or sprites and our scene editor where you can control the cameras, animation and props. Building scenes and animating with the CrazyTalk Animator 2 camera system gives new and experienced users the best of both worlds with 2D and 3D views making scene building a snap along with the drag and drop features to add any character, prop or media element like videos or images.

CrazyTalk Animator 2 Highlights:

• Multi-dimensional Character System. 
• Mix and Match to Characterize into Unique Personalities.
• Instantly Stylize Projects for Different Scenarios.
• Universal Multi-dimensional Animation.
• Employ 3D Motion Editing for 2D Characters.
• Enrich CrazyTalk Animator Characters with Enhanced Depth Look.
• New Dockable User Interface.
• Import Unlimited Animations from External 3D Sources.
• Easily Create Multi-dimensional Characters from Template.

Pricing and Availability:

CrazyTalk Animator 2 is available in 3 different versions for Mac and Windows PC to fit any creator’s budget. Download versions of CrazyTalk Animator 2 are available from the Reallusion Online Store at http://www.reallusion.com/store/purchase_cta.aspx

CrazyTalk Animator 2 Pipeline: £229.99

CrazyTalk Animator 2 PRO: £129.99

CrazyTalk Animator 2 Standard: £37.99

Visit Reallusion’s website for more info, free training and demo videos: http://www.reallusion.com/crazytalk/animator/

About Reallusion, Inc.
Headquartered in Silicon Valley, Reallusion is a leading-edge software developer providing cinematic animation tools for PC, Mac and mobile platforms.  Reallusion’s pioneering storytelling technology excelling at character animation, facial morphing and voice lip-sync allows fast creation of interactive avatars for 3-D real-time filmmaking and previsualization for professional post-production. Their powerful yet easy-to-use tools make character animation accessible to both Mac and PC users of all skill levels. Reallusion’s development of core technologies and growing base of intellectual property firmly establish the company as power among emerging technology innovators, furthering their graphic and imaging embedded kernels to top-brand device manufacturers worldwide. http://www.reallusion.com/

CHECK OUT THE CTA2 FOR PC REVIEW HERE: REALLUSION CRAZYTALK ANIMATOR 2 PIPELINE EDITION

THANKS FOR READING...
Please check out the Synapse Circuit site here: Synapse Circuit.com

Yes, I am well aware that the site is due an update soon! It’s coming...

Synapse Circuit for tech news, opinions, articles, reviews and competitions. You will find interactive PDF magazines, videos and links to free legal software! Check it out at SynapseCircuit dot com