Webisodes Prime Pump

When CBS unveils its serial-slasher drama Harper's Island Thursday night, the network hopes to build a following online with a set of video shorts drilling into the characters' troubled back stories. Companion site Harper's Globe follows Robin Matthews (played by Melanie Merkosky), a character who wants to create a digital archive for the local newspaper. Her video diary focuses on wedding guests gathered on a remote island near Seattle. The hook: One character gets whacked each week until there's just a single psycho standing. Robin's latest entry (embedded above) recounts a drunken bar escapade ruined by a guy who, she complains, "reminds me of every stupid frat guy I went to college with." Disrupting Robin's personal soap opera footage are expertly shot clips that depict some poor sap chained to a slab as sadists prance around wielding acetylene torches. The Harper's Globe site, produced by Eqal (Lonelygirl15), also enables visitors to communicate with the characters, solve puzzles and contribute to a wiki defining the show's twists and turns. It remains to be seen if the website triggers enough viewer bloodlust to generate big ratings for the 13-episode series, but as an experiment in web/network synergy, Harper's twisted universe will likely test the limits of not-ready-for-prime-time torture porn. The series premiere of Harper's Island airs at 10 p.m. EST Thursday on CBS. See also: Sci-Fi Sanctuary Makes Leap From Web to TV Lonelygirl15 Team Launches Sci-Fi Resistance 'Lonelygirl' Set to Star in Murder Noir Web Show Meet Michael Eisner's Prom Date Wainy Days Webisodes: Best Time Suck Ever Battlestar Galactica Webisodes Begin With a Bloody Gaeta

Guilty Pleasures of 2008

Like most people I have a few pop indiscretions. And considering my age and gender it’s probably not surprising to see that most of them are Disney related. I’m pretty much on the older cusp of this whole Disney regeneration with Hannah Montana and High School Musical coming out when I was in my teens, around the same age as whatever characters they had, even if it was aimed at a younger audience. And I know a lot of my friends feel the same way. We know all the songs, all the dances, and we’re not ashamed of it. Because you can’t be cool all the time. There’s also lots of R&B that I’ve been into, mostly because of my brother, and that whole period when I had to borrow his iPod if I wanted any music at all. But because of the big bad record companies, I’m not risking linking songs, in fear of this being taken down, so there’s videos. Enjoy. I won’t tell anyone that you did.Miley Cyrus – See You AgainI admit to having seen almost every episode of Hannah Montana. I just can’t get enough of that. I also concede that the Hannah music is crap. My 5 year old sister likes it, sure. But all that pre-teen inspirational G rated fun is a little… well, it’s a little too Disney, even for me. So I was shocked when I heard See You Again. I liked her first Miley single (as opposed to Hannah singles), Start All Over, but then, I wasn’t crazy about it. See You Again was completely different; it wasn’t bubblegum pop but it was still super catchy. The rest of her debut album may not be as good, but I’ll still listen to it. And despite all the crap that’s said about her in the press, I’ll still love her. She’s just being Miley after all.Jonas Brothers – Love BugOh, I hear your collective groans. I can’t escape my love for them. Even the shiteous Camp Rock doesn’t faze it at all. I’m completely infatuated with their Rolling Stone cover, and as much as I tried to hate their music, I couldn’t. I agree that Nick’s super whiny voice is quite annoying, but somehow it redeems itself. Lovebug, also, is cute. The video as well. I mean, if an indie band sang this song, everyone would be all over it. Kind of a throwback to ballads of older times, simple but pretty, with a more surprising ending. It’s so darn sweet there should be icing sugar sprinkled on top. Maybe even a cherry. Though the JoBros don’t give away their cherries easily, I hear. Hardy har.Taylor Swift – Love StoryI was kind of brought up with country music. My dad loves it, and from listening to his CDs all the time on family holidays (and once even accompanying him to a Gary Allan concert), I’m not as adverse to it as some. Which is why I approached Taylor Swift with an open mind. I was pretty late in hearing her music, the first time I’d even heard of her was when she sung the national anthem at the start of the World Series. And again, I wanted to hate it. So badly. But this song is just pure pop genius. It’s catchy and dreamy and kind of clever for an 18 year old. You can’t help feeling her story as she sings “Romeo save me/they’re trying to tell me how to feel/this love is difficult/but it’s real.” And she doesn’t do it like another pop princess spilling out insincerities; she does it with purpose and real talent.High School Musical 3 – I Want It AllIf I were male, I would be all over Ashley Tisdale like nothing else. She is so super hot. Admittedly not the greatest singer in the world, but I’m willing to overlook that because of her epic hair. It’s also hard to choose the best song from HSM3. In terms of the music it’s leaps and bounds ahead of the first two of the franchise. So, it’s not particularly deep or important. But it’s entertainment. And that’s what I Want It All wraps up in a nice little bundle. Super catchy, great visual effects and choreography, and a well-composed song with the only two characters in Disney history who could possibly pull it off. A Night To Remember is also worth checking out. Especially at around 31-33 seconds. I had to rewind that little bit and just keep watching it. More please, Zac Efron. It’s okay. I think he’s older than me.T.I. – Whatever You LikeMost people don’t get this song. Sure, it’s easy to think it’s all about materialism and epitomises the shallowness of the rap industry. But what you don’t really get on the radio edits or the MTV videos are the crucial first lines; “Hey Jill/You know the old suga daddy /They be trippin’ when they tell they them girls/I said you could have whatever you like.” So it’s the not-so-subtle dig at this whole material items in exchange for love culture that does seem to be surrounding the genre anyway. The video is kind of funny as well. It would be a mistake to pass it off as some new rap phase that people will get over because it isn’t long lasting material, but I think it will resonate in years to come, if only for the whole social commentary aspect – a valid one that’s often hard to find in that genre.Beyonce – Single LadiesIf I Were A Boy wasn't a particularly great opener for Beyonce's new album. Most of us gave it one look over and dismissed it as more crappy Beyonce. Wondering when she would get back to her best. Well, apparently this stupid alter-ego she's dreamt up actually works, because 'Sasha Fierce' has helped her produce one of her best in a long time. Who can't help singing that refrain. Well, maybe those who aren't ladies. But I tell you, when my friends and I bust out our Beyonce moves, we're almost as good as Shane Mercado. That coreography is good, though. I'm not dismissing Beyonce yet. She might still have a few more up her sleeve.Ne-Yo – CloserIt’s easy to make a danceable, upbeat R&B song that’s pure crap. It doesn’t take a genius. But it’s probably harder to make one that’s sincere and still in the vein of ‘The Gentleman’, or whatever that image is that Ne-Yo is so desperate to purvey. Before you toss it to the side with a lot of the hip hop crap that’s out these days, take a listen to Closer. It’s not contested that Ne-Yo is a smart guy. He gets everything he can out of the music industry, writing, recording, performing, not only for himself but for others as well. You’d think after all that experience he’d be able to churn out a killer song. You’d be right.Chris Brown – Kiss KissI don’t even know if Exclusive is from this year or last, probably the latter, but Kiss Kiss has had more of an effect on 2008 for me. This kid can dance, no question about it. And his voice isn’t half bad. Even if his songs are a little generic, they stick in your head for ages, and you can’t help but admire his ability to throw out these songs that hit every corner of the pop/hip hop market. There’s the upbeat rap like Kiss Kiss, the slower R&B ballad of With You or the more dancey Forever. Which is a great song in its own right. Or even the slightly overdone but still great duet with Jordin Sparks (No Air). I think, though, Kiss Kiss is my favourite. The video is a little cheeky, but a little clever. I’d even forgive him for singing about how good he is.

Toshiba's leaked product roadmap gets us hot

If the roadmap posted after the break is to be believed (and we think it is) then Toshiba is set to capture a lot of attention with its Snapdragon-based handhelds over the coming year. Techblog.gr has what it claims to be the Toshiba Device Roadmap through 2010. They've shown us a PowerPoint sample off-line that seems to support the claim. Of course, this isn't the first time Tosh has leaked an entire product cycle and the named devices align nicely with some of the prototypes Toshiba was showing-off at CES in January (see gallery below). Toshiba was already off to a good start in 2009 with its incredibly thin 4.1-inch TG01 running atop Qualcomm's snapdragon platform. It just gets better from there. First we've got the TG02 (launching in Q4) update to the TG01 that adds IPX4 water resistance without changing the specs or the dimensions. The TG03 ups the ante again with the inclusion of a 3-channel speaker for a better video experience. Also in Q4, Tosh looks ready to launch a 15-mm QWERTY slider version of the 9.9-mm TG01 with new capacitive (!) touchscreen called the K01. All other specs look unchanged including WinMo 6.5. Next is the K02 clamshell with primary 3.5-inch WVGA display and QWERTY on the inside coupled with a secondary LCD and 10-key on-screen keypad on the outside. The K02 features a resistive touchscreen, HSPA data, and same QSD8x50 chipset found in the TG01 (and all the other devices on this roadmap). Last, but by no means least, is the 7-inch L01 looking every bit the love-child of a Nokia N800 and HTC Advantage. The very same device that was shown powered by a DMFC (fuel cell) at CES in January. Interesting since Toshiba has promised a consumer device powered by a fuel cell before March of 2010. Unfortunately, it's limited to WinMo 6.5 (with a hint of a Windows Mobile 7 in 2010) and the same WVGA resolution seen on the smaller screens when it launches. Assuming the leak is true, of course.

Fergie Wears Her Sunglasses At Night

We’ve caught Josh Duhamel’s dutchess sitting pretty at a ton of fashion shows here in NYC, where Fashion Week is in full swing. And while her outfits are looking quite cute and there’s not a pee stain to be found, we have to wonder, why is Fergie clad in constant eye-shade, and what is she hiding? That look is really not acceptable for any young starlet - no matter how many Olsens seem to think so. Is she trying to go incognito or are there just a couple of wrinkles gracing her face that need a cover? Maybe she’s just doing some undercover promo work for her local Sunglasses Hut. We asked Mary Alice Stephenson, America’s Most Smartest Model host and Harper’s Bazaar contributing fashion editor, to weigh in on Fergie’s latest looks - sunglasses and all. We’ve got her thoughts - and some pics of Fergie’s Stacey Ferguson’s recent fashion dos - below the jump.

Housing Association Checklist

Learning and development is known across all industries as a powerful tool to boost organisational performance and housing associations are no exception. The Community Housing Group is a housing association based in Kidderminster, which offers a large range of housing related services to complement their 5,500 plus homes, shops and garages. It understands just how important learning and development is; even in a tough economic environment. Keen to promote to their employees the importance of learning and development, The Community Housing Group wanted to ensure they grabbed attention, created a buzz and passion for learning and development as well as building departmental bridges, whilst providing the platform to build on their managers’ skills. Their HR department, which includes Linda Lane, Head of Human Resources, believed that investing in a bespoke, creative management development programme for 60 of their managers, across all of their sites in the Wyre Forest District was the best way forward. The development brief demanded an innovative approach and whilst they recognised that lecturing still had its place for some organisations they believed to truly kick start excitement and passion, along with a sense of belief in future organisational plans, they needed something special. After a comprehensive tendering process, Righttrack Consultancy won the contract and produced a four module, ILM approved management programme that was delivered throughout 2007-8. The launch module was an overnight experiential event that required participants to create their own shelters, find food as well completing a number of challenging tasks; capture the baddie was just one of them. After some trepidation, all employees went for it; in all meanings of the phrase. One of the main reasons Righttrack suggested the upfront experiential event is so that participants could relate the key skills and knowledge learnt in the remaining three classroom-based modules back to a shared experience. An experiential event tends to bring out natural rather than learned behaviours as people are faced with situations out of their comfort zones. The interactivity didn’t end with the experiential event as each subsequent module consisted of group and individual work, case studies and assignments, all of which help to transfer the learning back to work. Kasmin Cooney, Righttrack’s Managing Director and The Community Housing Group Project Manager said, “The experiential event really set the tone for the rest of the project. It created a real buzz that not only lasted the duration of the programme but well after the graduation ceremony.” Linda Lane said, “Since the programme finished we have found that our employees are very pro-development. The choice of development topics are very much influenced by our employees, which are typically generated through feedback exercises, appraisals as well as through an extensive training needs analysis; we create a wish list and try our best to tick everything off. One of the key differences we have seen since the management programme that Righttrack ran for us is that people across the entire company actually care about whether they receive the training they asked for, which is exactly what we wanted - people to take their skills development seriously.” Getting a business culture to not only accept the need for learning and development but to truly embrace and believe in its importance is one of the hardest objectives for a HR department, yet The Community Housing Group has achieved just that, which is even more impressive when you consider the range of different people in their organisation. It is for this reason why they have continued to invest at the same level in 2009, with learning and development programmes being commissioned for many different subjects such as project management, creative facilitation, report writing, finance for non-financial managers and planning skills to name a few. This positive behaviour and belief in learning and development proves that many UK organisations are still looking to the future and as the G20 summit in London has created a rescue plan of $1 trillion to save the world’s economy, looking forward seems to be the best thing any organisation and HR department can do. -End- Notes: Company logos are available to download from: www.righttrackconsultancy.co.uk/news-media-blog/media/ About Righttrack Consultancy: Right Track Consultancy Ltd was formed in 1988, and has its head office in Worcestershire. Righttrack is the leading learning and development consultancy that design and deliver innovative and engaging training solutions to organisations all over the world. The range of services that Righttrack provide covers a broad spectrum and includes bespoke and ready-to-run training, sales solutions, ILM qualifications and development programmes, ICAEW programmes, organisational development and coaching. Righttrack work with clients of all sizes across all industry sectors, including Mercedes Benz, Gucci, Somerfield, BAE Systems, The Forestry Commission and The North East Ambulance Service.

I’ll probably blog about the different pieces as well

Six years ago, before I moved to Barcelona, my digital music collection was well-organized and simple. I had my CD’s. And I had a copy of all of them, in Ogg, on my Dave/Dina box. I had very few downloaded tracks, and I didn’t really listen to those much. All my music on Dave/Dina was tracked in DAD, a project I did with my former housemate Kristof. Life was great. Every new CD was ripped directly in Dave/Dina, imported in DAD, and from there it could be rated. So each track was immediately available for the dynamic playlists DAD generated. Those playlists were then played directly on the Dave/Dina box attached to the living room stereo, my desktop, or the kitchen or bathroom computers (small Compaq IA1 machines from the Golden Bubble days). Today, it’s all a mess. I have music (ripped, bought online, downloaded, or copied) on the following devices: My elisa machine (which holds all the old Dave/Dina content) My home desktop My laptop My work desktop My Nokia N800 My Cowon A3 media player Kristien’s iPod I haven’t ripped a single CD in the last 4 years since I stopped working on Dave/Dina, so these days I also listen to CD’s on either our small portable stereo or the PS3. I have 200+ CD’s still waiting to be ripped. So my music listening has become erratic, listening to either the old ‘good’ playlist from Dave/Dina that hasn’t changed for the last 6 years, and, while good, is getting stale; or whatever I recently ended up downloading, for a specific album, but random play is terrible when going through those directories, and of course each album is on some different machine or device. The last two years, I’ve grown more and more annoyed at this situation. So one of my goals for 2009 was to finally *do* something about it. I realize that music is one of the things I love most in life, and my life would be better with the music I buy and find in it as soon as I have it. So what little hacking time I have left before real life begins (you know, kids and stuff) is going to go in code that is going to make my music experience better. Having goals is a good way to direct your hacking. I’ve come up with five major projects I need to work on to get my music where I want it to be. All of these are projects I’ve had thoughts on in the past, but never really gotten to. Over the last few years a lot of new ideas and technologies have arrived that would help a lot now however. Re-rip all my CD’s in a lossless format, with perfect quality, according to a certain website’s standard Find a replacement for DAD, or make one. It should be able to track rips, tracks, different encodings of the same recording, different versions of tracks, parts of tracks (hidden tracks for example), and different collections across devices that it should be able to synchronize. Think ‘put 10 GB of the best songs on my N800′, and each time I’d connect my N800 it would automatically add new ones and remove old ones. Improve on the rating system DAD used to have, reusing ideas from a project at the radio stations all those years ago. Have a bunch of fuzzy parameters on each track which would allow much richer controls for song selection. Possibly turn it into a collaborative website if it makes sense. This hinges on uniquely identifying each track, for which acoustic fingerprinting would be a good solution. Basically, I want to use the power of the web and the music lovers to improve song selection. last.fm and pandora are going in the right direction, but don’t really satisfy me. Write a player that does the automatic mixing the way Dave/Dina used to, or better. Make a LEGO Mindstorms robot to automatically rip all my CD’s again I’ve been tackling each of these separately, which turned out to actually be a good thing. Each time I’m stuck on one of them, I can work on any of the others. For example, I’ve been stuck on (4) for a long time, waiting for Edward to fix some bugs in gnonlin, so I switched to (1), writing code to parse .CUE files, implement CDDB disc id calculation, and AccurateRip verification of ripped images. I also waited on a friend who I worked with at said radio station to confirm that he doesn’t have any backups either of the database for (3). Since this is what I’ll be hacking on in my spare time in the forseeable future, I’ll probably blog about the different pieces as well. I’ll start with some more technical information on (1), the ripping part, which I’ve been working on the last month, in a separate post. But man, I look forward to ripping my CD’s from the last four years and actually listening to those songs regularly, rather than once in a while. Isn’t it amazing how our parents actually had to get up from their desk, go over to the turntable, and actually flip an LP over if they wanted to hear something else for 20 minutes ?