Headphones

One of the best values for the money in terms of audio performance, ergonomics, and useful life are the Sony MDR-7506 Studio Monitor Headphones available from various retailers including Rule and Talamas in the Boston area for a street price around $100.00 or so. You can find many headphones that cost more, but not many that sound as accurate. I’m pleased to have these in my Sound Kit.

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Record number of patents and trademark registrations in 2005

According to the United States Patent and Tradmark Office (USPTO) 2005 Performance and Accountability Report, the USPTO received a record number of patent and trademark applications. The agency received 406,302 patent applications, and 323,501 applications for trademark registrations. California resident inventors received the highest share (23 percent, 19,928 patents) of these patents, followed by inventors from New York (7 percent, 5,631 patents), Texas (7 percent, 5,660 patents), Michigan (5 percent, 3,907 patents), and Massachusetts (4 percent, 3,443 patents).

Oblique Strategies

One of my favorite Dashboard Widgets is Oblique Strategies, a digital version of the Oblique Strategies card decks created by Brian Eno and Peter Schmidt. The decks provides aphorisms to help with writer’s block, creative blank, or when decisions need non-rational input.

Invasion of the pod people

This month in NewEnglandFilm.com I write about podcasting and provide a guided tour of some interesting video and audio podcasts out there including some local New England podcasts.

Copyright fair use for documentary filmmakers

In the article Doc-makers get specific about copyright fair use Steve Behrens writes that things have changed for documentary producers who need to use somebody else’s footage or music in their films. He reports that on Nov. 18th the Association of Independent Video and Filmmakers, the Independent Documentary Association, public TV’s Independent Television Service and the series P.O.V., and other media groups endorsed a Statement of Best Practices defining four kinds of situations when a producer, under the “fair use” provisions of copyright law, need not pay for a film clip, a shot of a painting or a snatch of music. Good article.

The full report is available for download: “Documentary Filmmakers’ Statement of Best Practices in Fair Use,” (PDF, 160KB, 12 pages) from the Center for Social Media.