CompuServe Messages

Hi all. I'm typing this message from my hotel room in downtown LA, and thought I'd comment a bit about the conference I'm at. It's called Digital World and there's a regular trade show part and some VERY interesting conference sessions that I've been attending. The show part is highlighting the latest in interactive technology, some of the latest in desktop video, and some very wild technological art exhibits. There's an Interactive Media Festival and an Interactive Cafe. The conference sessions have ranged from telephone, cable, and computer companies explaining their visions of the "information superhighway" to artists such as Thomas Dolby and Peter Gabriel explaining how art is utilizing the latest interactive technology. It's been fascinating. There's been lots of panel discussions speculating about how our lives are going to change in the next decade. Getting back to the show floor for a second, Motorola's playing a big role, and has a big push on PowerPC (no surprise there). They're demonstrating Windows NT running on PowerPC (looks like it runs GREAT) and showing comparisons of their stuff to Intel chips. There are sadly no Amigas at the show although some people I've talked to know about it, are very respectful of it, and some others who don't know the Amiga talk a lot about the Toaster, however. At a big "event" this evening, the speaker on stage said they had lots of computers on stage including Silicon Graphics, Macintosh, PC, and Video Toaster. Interesting. Lots of tools for digitizing video and new fast hard disk subsystems for storing it. Some here may have heard of the PC and Mac Video Spigot from SuperMac. They now have the Spigot AV which is much better quality and just $1000. This, combined with Video Shop from AVID (a software only package) which is $399 and contains a significant chunk of their high end non-linear editing capabilities, makes for a VERY potent combination. Some of the CD-ROM titles shown here including games, reference, and art are spectacular. CD is here to stay. It's clear that a lot of the artist community are continuing to rally heavily around the Macintosh. PowerMacs are everywhere here. There's also lots of talk about the Internet, online services, video on demand, big debates about whether the TV is dead (many think the TV as we know it is dead and interactive activity will be largely centered around computers no matter what cable companies would like to do) and lots more. Definitely an eye-opening conference and show!! Paul.