We're Celebrating Fall with Final Cut Server and Seasonal Brews!
To celebrate autumn, we’ve put together a great event with some help from Apple. We’re partnering with StudioSysAdmins, the fantastic social networking community for engineers and techs from the entertainment industry, to bring Drew Tucker down to CG to talk about Final Cut Server. Drew is the author of the just-released Apple book on Final Cut Server. Come down and join us – please email to RSVP or for more info. Check it out:
Advanced Asset Management Integration with Final Cut Server
Wednesday, September 22, 2010, 6:30–8:00pm
Control Group, 233 Broadway, 21st Floor (corner of Park Place)
Join Control Group and StudioSysAdmins as we present Drew Tucker, author of the latest title in the Apple Pro Training Series: Final Cut Server 1.5.
We will be discussing the catalyst events and changes to production workflow that can create a need for asset management, archiving, and centralized transcoding. We’ll also talk about Final Cut Server integrations like publishing video to online distribution platforms, passing assets to third party transcoding engines, and dealing with advanced review and approval workflow.
The event will take place in Control Group’s newly expanded offices in the historic Woolworth Building. Drew will remain on hand afterward to answer all of your Final Cut Server questions, and we’ll have plenty of local, seasonal beers to celebrate the autumn solstice!!!
For more information or to RSVP, please email rsvp@controlgroup.com.
Control Group: Technology for Big Ideas.
Control Group is a technology services firm that provides insightful business analysis and integrated technology solutions including infrastructure, architecture, software, engineering and support for some of the most innovative companies in media and entertainment, like The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, The Colbert Report, IMG/Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, World Wrestling Entertainment, Walker Digital Gaming and Studio Daniel Libeskind. Our whole-business perspective results in solutions that not only make our clients more efficient, but also creates true competitive advantage, while increasing bottom line and improving shareholder value.
About StudioSysAdmins
StudioSysAdmins is a social networking community dedicated to improving infrastructure, workflows and support across the Entertainment Industry. It’s an expanding community with one common site that joins Systems Administrators, Technical Directors, Pipeline Developers, Consultants, Hardware/Software Support Engineers and Hardware/Software Vendors and Resellers (VARs) that currently work in and/or support production studios in the areas of animation, visualization, visual-fx, film, and games.
Our goal is to enable the sharing of all non-proprietary information among all of our Members and to maintain open discussions between Studios, Vendors and VARs to determine standards in order to help improve support for the installation, implementation, monitoring and maintenance of hardware, software and operating systems.
Kudos to Diller Scofidio + Renfro!
Image via Mediabistro.
We wanted to give shout-out to long-time client Diller Scofidio + Renfro, whose redesign of Lincoln Center was highlighted Wednesday in the New York Times. The Times also recognized the firm’s recent wins, which include designing two new museums in California — one for the art collection of financier and philanthropist Eli Broad and the other for the University of California, Berkeley.
Congratulations, DS+R!
Are We Too Dependent on Technology?
Our coffeemaker is broken.
Coffee is a big deal at CG. Most of our geeks pride themselves on being caffeinated and with the coffee machine down panic is on the rise.
The thing about this is that it’s not the actual coffeemaker that is broken, it’s the grinder built into the coffee machine that is having issues. We have a fancy machine that grinds coffee right before brewing it. When it’s working it’s pretty magical — nothing tastes quite like freshly brewed coffee made from freshly ground beans. It happens automatically and other than the noise from the grinder we don’t even know that it’s there.
When the machine is down it’s obvious. Some of us need coffee to work. We are dependent on that machine.
Thinking about the caffeine situation in the office made me wonder about other pieces of technology that we’re dependent on. Our email software runs in the cloud on Google’s computer. Our data traverses networks and is converted to light, microwaves, electricity and back again before it arrives at its destination. Do you know how an email sent from your phone is routed to its destination? What other things does technology do for us automatically that we don’t notice? Heck, I can’t even remember my wife’s phone number — my phone does it for me.
Someone sent me an article the other day entitled, “The Cloud Fails Again.” In the article, John Dvorak complains that a power outage left him unable to function because all of his data and services existed in the cloud and not in his own machine. He goes on to describe a “priesthood” of systems administrators that has existed since the early days of computing whose sole purpose is to “beat back the individualism” that desktop computers brought to all of us.
I was unaware that this cabal existed (if you are a member, please send me an invite) and I feel like the advances that technology has brought us in life, business and communication are really amazing. We live in a magical world. But even though the advances are great, they have made us completely dependent on technology. I think Dvorak’s article is a pretty good example for people who rely on technology and refuse to invest in their own infrastructure. In other words, we need to understand what we’re using so that we can evaluate the risks and benefits of using it.
Control Group’s mission is to help people and their organizations better understand and utilize their technology so they can be more efficient. That’s why Control Group is a great place to work — even when the coffee machine is down.
Our engineers were able to create a temporary workaround for the coffee situation. We’re also not exactly stranded in a coffee-free wasteland: Kaffe 1668 and The Blue Spoon are within walking distance. So, no worries, we’ll stay jittery.
Image via coffeeaddict/Flickr
Grateful for Google
I recently asked CG’s Support Group Director, Josh Alexander, what he thought about Google Voice and Priority Inbox. Here’s what he said:
“Email volume is a legitimate problem and no viable email platform has really offered a feasible solution until Priority Inbox. Google is the only company looking to fix how we use email and finding ways to use email better. The first two big steps were seen when Gmail used labels to replace traditional folders for email organization and when conversation view grouped messages by subject.
“Priority Inbox isn’t going to change the world but there is no denying Gmail is redefining the paradigm on email solutions. This shift is clearly evident with each small feature Google releases for Gmail. Microsoft and other traditional software developers update their products every few years, ship the products out and then expend tremendous energy pushing for customer adoption of the new version that will never be able to keep up with Google’s continually improving email service.
“Google’s VoIP service may be spotty, but it’s free and — as a free service — it’s nothing short of exceptional. I like that Google will take some calculated risk on a great idea and release it for free to their user community. The VoIP service they integrated with Gmail is another in a long list of service additions intended to make Gmail a portal for all communication. It’s interesting to follow Google’s evolution as they are leading the charge to make the operating system and all the applications tied to the OS unnecessary. This has definitely simplified my life and I’m grateful.”
Image via Google.
Createasphere Webcast: Managing and Storing Rich Media
Charlie Miller, senior consultant in Control Group’s media and entertainment group, appeared in a Createasphere webcast on digital asset management yesterday. (You may remember him from this Intro to Final Cut Server…)
Other panelists included Jess Hartmann, CEO of media technology company ProMAX Systems; Gina James, Director of Content Management at NBC Universal; Stephen Beres, Technology Architect at HBO; Chris Duffy, StorNext Product Marketing Manager for Quantum; and Rob Brambila, Director of Technology for ProMAX.
The overall discussion covered content storage, best practices and recent technology changes.
In particular, Charlie talked about the struggle that growing companies have with asset management as well as problems with access, accountability and infrastructure.
Listen to Charlie’s comments in full here in Createasphere’s free archive.
AutoCAD Coming to OS X in Fall 2010
Autodesk has announced that AutoCAD will be released for OS X coming this fall. While it’s true that this is a return of sorts for Autodesk’s flagship product (AutoCAD was available for Mac OS in the ‘90s), the release represents a fresh start for Autodesk on the platform. Showing that Autodesk is treating this as a first class Mac application, AutoCAD will support core OS X technology such as the always-useful Quicklook and multi-touch gestures with an Apple laptop trackpad or Magic Trackpad for desktop computers. AutoCAD for OS X will also play nice in mixed environments with the ability to read and write the same drawing files that its Windows brethren can.
The excitement surrounding this news is understandable for architects. Familiar with OS X from home use, I’ve heard many of our clients lament not being able to run their preferred platform in the office as well. The benefits of doing so are certainly undeniable.
First and foremost, OS X enjoys a relatively malware-free existence. It’s no secret that cleaning viral infections from Windows machines constitutes a large portion of workstation downtime. Apple computers also tend to enjoy a longer lifecycle than their Windows counterparts. Complementary software suites and products for OS X, such as Adobe’s Creative Suite and Autodesk’s Maya, take the architecture workflow from design to pre-visualization. With the announcement of Outlook for Mac (Also a returning Mac product!), the technological reasons for avoiding OS X have all but evaporated.
As if the promised release of AutoCAD for OS X weren’t enough, Autodesk has also announced an upcoming application for Apple’s iOS devices. Not just a viewer, the new application will reportedly allow architects to annotate drawings, making site visits that much more productive. If it’s anything like Autodesk’s excellent iPad app SketchBook Pro, it’s sure to be a winner.
Being equal parts designer and engineer, architects are sure to love AutoCAD on OS X. I look forward to our first Mac-based rollout.
Countdown to Fashion Week: 13 Days and Website is Live
Image via STYLEMOM/Flickr
The official site of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week is live!
The site enables members of the media to register for the event as well as to download press releases and images — and features new technology from Control Group.
Once an accredited press person has created an account, s/he can receive and manage show invitations as well as pick up seating assignments at self-serve kiosks on the day of each show. We’ve been working for months to develop the technology, so we’re excited to see it live and can’t wait for Fashion Week to get started!
The site itself also provides detailed information on schedules, as well as photo galleries of shows in previous seasons and the ability to browse designers for additional information — including each individual designer’s website, Facebook page and the date and time of his or her show. You can even find a map of where you can purchase clothing from your favorite designers and sign up for email and mobile updates.
See the official press release here.
This project was highlighted in the Wall Street Journal last week in a story about how technology is transforming Fashion Week this year. Read the story here.
You may also want to check out Fashion Week’s YouTube channel for videos, photos and other behind-the-scenes content. And you can follow @MBFashionWeek for updates on the show’s progress!
And, while you’re at it, follow @controlgroup, too!
Hello, Facebook…
We’re on Facebook!
Find us here for additional information on Control Group as well as to access to blog posts, related videos and discussions.
And, while you’re at it, don’t forget to follow us on Twitter — @controlgroup!
Thoughts on Being a Search Engine Outcast
With the release of Safari 5, Apple included the ability to choose between several search engines for the default search target. Confronted with the choice, I found myself recalling the days when I’d flip between Lycos, AltaVista, Excite, &c while trying to find something. It’s no wonder one would resort to memory when pondering alternative search engines. Google’s become peerless in its original pursuit.
Since complacency is antithetical to discovery, I found myself wondering if I was missing out by not trying Bing. Besides, Google has enough of my life on record between using it for email, phone calls, Internet searching, route mapping, and DNS servers. With much trepidation, I opened Safari’s preferences and changed my default search engine selection from Google to Bing.
It’s amazing how ungainly I felt afterwards. Even the simple change of not seeing the grayed-out word “Google” in the search field felt weird, to say nothing of having a visually unfamiliar results page come up. I’d find myself double-checking searches with Google as some sort of reassurance.
There were also immediate upsides to the switch. Bing’s image search layout is a welcomed improvement over Google’s offering. Bing also does better when researching Windows-related issues; something I do frequently for work. Certain queries for things like company names will return a specially formatted overview that includes the stock price, contact number, and other useful information.
Putting comparisons of design and feature implementation aside though, the most noticeable effect of the switch was the social aspect.
“Bing‽ Are you [expletive deleted] kidding me?” was the first thing I heard from a coworker when he glanced over at my display. This was coming from a guy who employs any beta product he can get his hands on in his daily routine. I might as well have told him that I prefer IE5 for my daily browser.
Other people were less abrasive than my coworker, but just as confused. No one reacted passively. Some people wondered if I mis-set my preferences. Others assumed I made the change as a political statement. Even my non-technical girlfriend had a few choice words for the change.
Based on these observations, it would seem that using Google has evolved into being a cultural choice. Further evidence of this is the word, “Google”, becoming a verb in 2006. I wish the best of luck to Bing on that uphill battle. The world’s a better place with both Coke and Pepsi.
It has now been several weeks since the switch, and I’m finding myself becoming comfortable with Bing. At the risk of continuing my status as a search engine outcast, I plan on trying Yahoo next.
Hopefully my friends will understand.
Let’s Call It. Wednesday August 25th, 4:15PM: Privacy is dead.
I just read about this knot tying App for the Android on Lifehacker this morning and, as I love knots and am always looking up new ones, I thought it would be great to have the app on my phone.
but when I went to install it, it told me it required my location, my identity, full Internet access and access to my phone – why on earth would an app that shows me pictures of knots need all that? On top of it, there is no place to read about who made this app, what they do with my information or how long they store it.
Kudos to @Great_Moloko for the spot-on comment and calling them out.
A second example that set off the warning lights was a Chrome Extension I thought about installing ‘Send from Gmail’ . Withthe Extention, when you click on an email link, a new email opens in Gmail rather than in my desktop mail client. Simple, right? And its made by Google, so it cant be evil! However, the Chrome Extension told me it required “Access to my data on all websites’ and ‘My browsing history” – Really? What do they need that for? Does that include my bank account balance? my facebook credentials, feeds and photos, private emails or chats with my mother or doctor?
Where is the more info button?The problem with these types of applications is that they are seemingly simple and basic, but they have access to enormous amounts of personal data and don’t disclose any information about who made the app, who owns the data, or what they are doing with it. Of course this is true for 99% of all the facebook apps out there, but it makes you think twice about installing a cool business extension like rapportive – does it now have access to all my sensitive corporate communications? The ambiguity and sheer number of privacy violating apps is staggering, almost as staggering as the public’s lack of concern over giving up control to every private piece of their life.
We have entered a stage in human development that is very different from anything before. Our most intimate thoughts and hopes are owned by corporations large and small. What does it mean when privacy like RIM’s encryption is broken at the highest levels, not by hackers, but through corporate/government deals without user consent?
I was talking with my friend Albert Lee over lunch, about what can be done – there is a certain amount of technology abstinence that can take place, but it gets to a point that in order to keep up – and to take advantage of the evolving landscape – you need to play the game and give up your privacy. This seemed especially interesting when looking into the origins of the word ‘privacy’.
Privacy from Latin privatus; separated from the rest, deprived of something
If you want to play with others, you need to share. Today it seems you need to share everything.
I installed the Chrome Extension and the knot app. I’m curious to see what happens when all the world knows my browsing history and penchant for the truckers hitch.