World Music Day is a celebration of all things related to music. It originated in France, where there is an event called La Fête de la Musique (Music Festival). La Fête de la Musique takes place mostly in public outdoor spaces and it’s free to everyone. Due to its popularity, other countries started celebrating music day. Over 120 countries celebrated it in 2021.
(Left to Right) Bun-B, myself, and Cory Mo (next pic)
Today, we’re celebrating World Music Day by giving away cool music related goodies all week – starting with pCloud!
That’s right, we’re partnering with pCloud to offer our readers 500GB of cloud storage FREE for three months!
pCloud is a Cloud Storage provider – and one that stands out due to the fact that they’re based in Switzerland, for privacy-conscious users – but the standout difference between pCloud and its competitors is they offer a perpetual license. pCloud’s claim an industry-first with their Lifetime plan, which many users say offers the best Backup experience and cost-efficiency. You only pay ONCE and get to organize your entire digital life for a LIFETIME. All premium features are available and you get to enjoy the beauty of collaboration and relieve that your most important asset- your information, is properly protected.
CLICK THE BANNER ABOVE FOR 500GB FREE FOR 3 MONTHS!!!!
Check out 500GB of pCloud risk-free for 3 MONTHS. If you discover you like it after the 3 month trial, come back and get a discounted lifetime license by clicking the banner below:
Get pCloud Lifetime for One Payment, no more subscriptions!
We’re celebrating World Music Day all week so subscribe and get notified when we offer more goodies and giveaways!
The harsh reality of using “free services” from Big Tech
Has Tech entities become so intrusive into our digital lives, that we need to re-consider our computing habits?
The somewhat good
Looking for an alternative search browser? With all of the new information available that reveals the tracking and spying nature of electronic devices and services offered by big tech companies, there is a surge of interest occurring amongst the more savvy computer users. Many are realizing that all the benefits that come with the customized feeds on Facebook, news articles on Google or detailed routes on Google Maps – come with huge trade offs on user privacy. Often times these “free services” come at the expense of you becoming the product, with your data being sold to the advertisers.
While there are a few companies that strive to ensure you have access to secure computing, there are basic practices one must consider to be certain your browsing and search queries stay private. Many people use popular search engines like Google and Bing for addresses to restaurants, public landmarks and vacation sites. This information is then categorized in a “digital dossier” and attached to user accounts, which companies utilize two-fold. One way Big Tech uses this info, is to serve the user curated personalized content suited to an individual’s personal interests. The other is this selling this information to the highest bidder for advertising purposes.
The not so good
Your likes and dislikes, preferred foods, spritual beliefs, political ideologies and more (Google Search); Your line of work and casual interests (Downloads from App Store, Play Store, etc.); And even your place of residence, work location, your children’s daycare and/or school location, even your daily routes (Apple/Google Maps). While modern technology offers a convenience never seen before today through the cohesive “ecosystems” offered by Big Tech; It doesn’t take a colorful imagination to see how these Technologies can go awry.
Even researchers using popular search engines are at disadvantage, due to huge corporations burying facts under complex algorithms for business, political, and National Security instances.. For example in ‘Baidu Sensors the Internet in China – so do Microsoft, Google and Apple’ article on Wired (link below) it stated, “Chinese tech companies such as search engine Baidu and social media platform Tencent block Tiananmen-related posts and pages to comply with the country’s authoritarian internet rules. Some US companies do their bit, too. Apple and Microsoft censor information in China as a condition of accessing the country’s lucrative but circumscribed population of more than 800 million netizens.” (1)
The Alternatives
Brave – is a web browser that ‘blocks ads and trackers that slow you down and invade your privacy’. Touts itself as being up to 3X faster than Chrome – and awards users for browsing.
Duck Duck Go – Probably the most popular option on this list, Duck Duck Go is an anonymous search engine that focuses on reducing tracking.
Ecosia – The environmental-centric search engine, Ecosia uses their profit to plant trees
Startpage -Startpage’s site subtitle is “the world’s most private search engine”. It promises Un-profiled search results, no trackers or cookies, and no saving, sharing, or selling your data.
Tor – The Tor Engine, is a browser that features Multi-Layered Encryption, using advanced techniques that make it difficult for users to be fingerprinted based on browser and device information. Endorsed by Edward Snowden, Tor is used by journalists and activist worldwide to ensure secure communications.
While these services are available through web browsers on any device, you can maximize your privacy and security by purchasing ethical computing products by companies like Purism – who use open source, auditable software and Operating Systems. The Librem 14 is laptop powerful enough to serve as a desktop replacement; Librem 5 is a secure, privacy focused smartphone that’s a viable alternative to the mobile duopoly (iPhone and Android); While the Librem Mini and Librem Server cover the spectrum of ethical computing – from home media center to business cloud infrastructure. System76 is another noteworthy brand that is worth considering if you want to ensure you have modular equipment with auditable source code.
Overseas business practices aside, Apple’s devices are the most popular products that are known to prioritize user privacy and digital rights, although it can be argued that the OS and software can’t be audited like Open Source products can. Also, with the recent issues surrounding Apple’s iCloud service (2), it can be argued that entities holding more sensitive information – like governments, security agencies and private businesses – can no longer afford to have their sensitive data stored on a third-party cloud infrastructure. Maybe it’s time for individuals to consider the alternatives as well.
The Chromebook Duet is a 2-in-1 laptop/tablet hybrid by Lenovo that many people have been clamoring to the local Best Buy and seeking its availability on Amazon to purchase recently. With it’s included detachable keyboard, protective back cover and quality build for a reasonable asking price (starting at $279/64GB) – I begin to understand why, as my curiosity in the Duet as a tablet grew. Now that I have had the device for a few days, these are my impressions.
The Chromebook Duet has a 10.1 inch FHD IPS touchscreen with 400 nits of brightness, and USI pen compatibility. It packs an 7000 mAh battery that offers up to 10 hours of battery life, has 4GB of RAM and up to 128GB of internal storage. The two-tone Ice Blue + Iron Grey design is made of aluminum alloy, and I must say – I like the look and feel of the Ice Blue and how it offsets the ‘serious’ metallic Grey.
In-Depth Review : In Progress
This is my first time interacting with Google’s operating system – ChromeOS, which powers the Chromebook Duet. We’ve all heard the whispers of rumors around the internet about the web-centric OS being little more than the Chrome browser, but I beg to differ. Having only used Apple products, my Macbook Air and iPhone Xr – I felt right at home transitioning from macOS to ChromeOS – and the experience is quite similar to the one on my iPhone, particularly with gesture navigation. Will it be able to converge my desktop/tablet workflow? Time will tell.
I will be using the Chromebook Duet as my primary computing device for the next few weeks. Be one of the first readers to be notified when my in-depth review goes live, subscribe to Labfreq below!
Propellerhead – the software firm behind music production programs like Reason and Recycle, announced their rebranding on August 26th. Tim Self of marketing at Reason stated, “It didn’t take much research to figure out that the world knows us for Reason. When I get introduced by industry peers at conferences they often say, “Meet Tim from Reason”, never Propellerhead. Reason is what we do and who we are now, so why not be direct and own it outright?”
The 11th version of Reason was also announced along with some of its new features. The Reason Rack Plugin – turns Reasons instruments and effects to VSTs to be used in other DAWs.
Reason Rack Plugin running inside Bitwig Studio Bitwig Studio running Reason’s Grain Synthesizer
Quartet Chorus Ensemble
Sweeper Modulation Effect
Other features for Reason 11 are new device additions like the Sweeper Modulation Effect and Quartet Chorus Ensemble, as well as a slew of new tools to speed up your workflow. In song arranger view – new features like curved automation and muting MIDI notes are on deck. There is also a new purchase tier, Reason Suite – which comes with 16 extra Rack Extensions for a total of more than 70 devices.
While it’s too early speak on Reason 11 in detail, we’ve been beta testing for a bit.We will give a hands-on preview as soon as it’s updated to the release channel, and an in-depth review shortly after the release!
One Netbook, (https://www.1netbook.com/) a company known for their Ultra mobile laptops that have Yoga hinges, 7 to 8 inch touchscreens and workstation-level internals has it’s sights on the global market. It’s OneMix brand is gaining popularity with it’s latest models the OneMix 2s and OneMix 3.
These small laptops are gaining major interest as we see Chinese tech brands continue to innovate and introduce a new form factors like the OneMix. Known as UMPCs (Ultra Mobile PCs),One Netbook is the leading brand bringing these pocketable ultrabooks into the market.We will be getting our hands on the OneMix 3s for a thorough review soon, but maybe you can get your hands on an even newer model in the OneMix series sooner.
One Netbook is launching a Global Initial Global Test Recruitment Program for a new UMPC, and they want you, you and you to sign up now.
Our readers can contact OneNetbook directly on FB or Twitter, and share your stories or opinions of OneMix and the UMPC.You can refer to the following:
1. Do you have a OneMix, or another UMPC?
2.What do you think about OneMix？
3.What do you know about the UMPC, handheld game console,and other PCs?
They will reach out to you through social media directly if you are chosen for the Global Test Recruitment. Good Luck!
