Delkin intros 64GB SDXC card, claims to be the fastest with 45MBps write speeds

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Alcatel-Lucent's FP3 network processor routes at 400Gbps, handles 70,000 simultaneous HD streams

Looks like the world wide web is seeing a few upgrades this week. Shortly after NC State announced a new methodology for routing fiber optic connections more quickly, in flies Alcatel-Lucent with a shiny new network processor to make things even faster. The FP3 that was announced this week promises a "fourfold increase in performance over the fastest IP network available," supporting 400Gbps transmission speeds while cutting power consumption by up to 50 percent. The chip's been demonstrated to the powers that be this week, and it's reportedly designed to "address tomorrow's demand for ultra-high performance public and private IP networks." How so, you ask? A sole FP3 could handle 70,000 simultaneous HD video streams or 8.4 million simultaneous retail cloud sessions, and quite frankly, could make the 100 Gigabit Ethernet standards that were used to look like old hat. But hey -- who's kvetching about that? Continue reading Alcatel-Lucent's FP3 network processor routes at 400Gbps, handles 70,000 simultaneous HD streams Alcatel-Lucent's FP3 network processor routes at 400Gbps, handles 70,000 simultaneous HD streams originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Jun 2011 14:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink PC World | Alcatel-Lucent (1), (2) | Email this | Comments

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Verizon dominates 'Fastest Mobile Networks' testing, considers calling AT&T to brag

Not all wireless carriers are created equal, nor for that matter is all 4G -- anyone who's ever swapped networks or done any sort of traveling across the country can tell you that. And while it seems like we have fewer and fewer choices as the days go by, our increasing reliance on mobile devices makes the efficiency of our data delivery all the more important. PCMag invested some serious man / woman-hours for its annual "Fastest Mobile Networks" story, gathering mobile data in 21 cities -- running more than 140,000 tests in all. According to the results, Verizon's LTE rules supreme in pretty much every area tested, save for those "in-between" rural locations, where AT&T nabbed the top spot. Perhaps it's time to take old "Test Man" out of retirement for celebratory victory lap? Verizon dominates 'Fastest Mobile Networks' testing, considers calling AT&T to brag originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Jun 2011 20:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | PCMag | Email this | Comments

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Tweak IE9, Modify Internet Explorer 9 Settings

When you are trying to customize Microsoft’s latest web browser Internet Explorer 9 you are limited by the configuration options, called Internet Options in the browser. Those options have not really changed a lot since the release of Internet Explorer 6. Users who wanted to tweak and modify other elements of the browser had to rely on Registry tweaks, group policies and third party tools. One of those third party tools has just been released in a new version. Tweak IE9 has been designed specifically for Microsoft’s Internet Explorer 9 browser. The portable program checks if Internet Explorer 9 is installed on the system. If it is, it displays a start button that launches the program. The program displays all available configuration options in the main interface. The tweaks are divided into colored sections. Tweaks are for instance available for Internet Explorer’s user interface, file downloads and security. Here is an overview of the available configuration settings: User Interface: Enable Menubar on Top Menubar always visible Enable Links Band Enable Tab Groups Small icons on toolbar Enable 3D-Border Show Statusbar Enable CommandBar Use ClearType Max rows on new tab Startup Start IE9 in Fullscreen Make a custom homepage Downloads Configure the maximum number of downloads Perform check on exe file signature Notify me when a download has completed Change the downloads directory Search Provider Manage search providers Default search provider Security ActiveX Filtering ActiveX Filter Exceptions Manage Pop-up Settings Tracking Protection List Exceptions Advanced Configure the connection limits Tools Make Special IE9 Shortcuts IE9 Feature Meta tag generator Make custom search provider Delete browsing history Restore IE9 Most of the configuration options are activated and deactivated with a click on the icon next to each setting. Once you have made all changes, you need to click on the Tweak IE9 now button to apply the changes to the web browser. If you want to undo the changes click the Restore IE9 button to do so. TweakIE9 is compatible with 32-bit and 64-bit editions of the Windows Vista and Windows 7 operating system. It works only if Internet Explorer 9 is installed on the system. You can download the program from the developer website.

Volkswagen Temporary Auto Pilot brings hands-free driving to the highway

Would you feel comfortable driving down the highway with a Temporary Auto Pilot (TAP) behind the wheel of your next Volkswagen? A new technology proposed by the German automaker won't take you from A to B automatically, but it will help out with more simple driving, so you can take your hands off the wheel while cruising down the highway at up to 130km/h (about 80 mph), for example. The system pairs Lane Assist with cruise control, and can be overridden by the driver at any time. The TAP system's Pilot Mode uses radar, laser, camera, and ultrasonic sensors to maintain a safe distance between vehicles, start and stop in traffic, and slow down before a bend. Speed is set by the driver, who you'll need to remain aware of your surroundings in case you need to take over control -- so don't get too comfortable poking around the menus on that AppRadio just yet. Continue reading Volkswagen Temporary Auto Pilot brings hands-free driving to the highway Volkswagen Temporary Auto Pilot brings hands-free driving to the highway originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 24 Jun 2011 07:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink Thai Automaxx | Volkswagen | Email this | Comments

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i.MX 6 quad-core reference board flexes processing muscle at Freescale Technology Forum

Freescale answered our power prayers with the introduction of its i.MX 6 processor suite at CES earlier this year, but left us longing for a demo. Well, the outfit's just given us all our first glimpse at the healthiest processing muscle in the bunch, the quad-core i.MX 6. Sporting four ARM Cortex A9 cores and a 64-bit memory bus, the reference design board can be seen running a 1080p video demo and Quake simultaneously -- and it didn't even break a sweat. Freescale says it's currently working with Google on making the processor Honeycomb-compatible, but don't get too excited; i.MX 6 won't make it into real-deal machines until 2012. If you've got an extra 20 minutes to spare, hop on past the break for a rather lengthy video of the processor at work. Continue reading i.MX 6 quad-core reference board flexes processing muscle at Freescale Technology Forum i.MX 6 quad-core reference board flexes processing muscle at Freescale Technology Forum originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Jun 2011 04:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Freescale, ARMdevices.net | Email this | Comments

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Augmented reality app concept conjures movie scenes shot in your location (video)

AR technology has been getting seriously powerful recently, but we still need smart little ideas like this to keep us interested. "Augmented Reality Cinema" is a concept which would spot when you're in a famous movie location and then trigger playback of the relevant scene. Although we can't be sure the app actually works yet, the video after the break does at least show off the idea with some memorable London clips, including the classic post-infestation Westminster Bridge scene from 28 Days Later. If the designers ever need movie fans to go around tagging cinematic locations, then obviously we're keen to register our interest. Continue reading Augmented reality app concept conjures movie scenes shot in your location (video) Augmented reality app concept conjures movie scenes shot in your location (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Jun 2011 10:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink Layar | Augmented Reality Cinema | Email this | Comments

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LulzSec now in apparent 'war' with other group?

The blog LulzSec Exposed has posted today that hacking group LulzSec has now gotten into an apparent online 'war' with long-time hacking group TeaMp0iSoN. TeaMp0iSoN even defaced the main page of Swen Slootweg, who allegedly goes by the name "Joepie91" in LulzSec (pictured). Sabu, the alleged leader of the group, tweeted today that TeaMp0iSoN is a joke and hit the wrong target, as Joepie91 is not part of the group. Earlier in the day, Ryan Clearly was arrested in the UK, an IRC operator for the group, with all irc.lulzco.org chat logs being taken by the FBI, SOCA and Interpol. Additionally, someone going by the name of "R3d_Penguin" posted a chat log between Topiary (another alleged member) and himself in which Topiary (aka Daniel) admits to being a member and being forced to deny. Topiary also plans to frame another user with the same nickname. That chat log is here. Overall, it has been an eventful start to the week for LulzSec in the news, whether or not any of it is real. Permalink | Comments

LulzSec releases 62,000 email, password combos

LulzSec has released 62,000 email/password combinations today, although it is unclear where the data was stolen from. Because many users keep the same combinations for multiple sites, some users have already reported that their Gmail, Facebook, Twitter and other accounts have all been hacked. If you are scared you are part of the release, check here to see if your data was stolen: Find Out if Your Passwords Were Leaked by LulzSec Right Here The point of the release is to cause "chaos" and the plan seems to be working, at least for now. Outside of the release, LulzSec has also started a war with 4Chan and Anonymous, following 4Chan's move to DDoS anything related to Lulz after LulzSec DDoS'd games like EVE Online and Minecraft. On its Twitter page, LulzSec has been giving tips on how to annoy 4Chan users: Everybody visit this cool and edgy imageboard, they love new members!Ask them how to triforce and how to become legion. Anonymous says they have "accepted the challenge" brought by LulzSec.

RUSH DVD and Blu-ray titled "Time Machine"

According to Musictap.net, Concord Records will release a RUSH DVD and Blu-ray titled "Time Machine" on September 27. The disc will most likely contain footage of RUSH's April 15 concert at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio filmed by the award-winning documentary makersBanger Productions from Toronto in Canada, who have received international critical acclaim for their previous movies "Metal: A Headbanger's Journey", "Global Metal" and the RUSH documentary called "Rush: Beyond The Lighted Stage".

RUSH's Cleveland performance of its "Time Machine" show was filmed as a tribute to the U.S. city that first played the band's music.

Cleveland is remarkable for being one of the very first U.S. cities whereRUSH performed, in addition to being the first city to provide American airplay. This also marked RUSH's first live full-length filming on U.S. soil.

The "Time Machine" tour was an evening with RUSH, where the band performed its classics, gave a taste of the future and — for the first time ever — featured the "Moving Pictures" album live in its entirety.

RUSH bassist/vocalist Geddy Lee recently spoke to The Plain Dealerabout the progress of the songwriting sessions for the band's upcoming 20th studio album, "Clockwork Angels", for which a release date has not yet been set.

"We've got about seven songs written," Lee said. He added, "When you hear the first two songs ['BU2B' and 'Caravan'], which we're playing live now, they definitely have a heavier sound. It's the heavier side of RUSH in the early going. But when I think of all the songs that we've written already, there's quite a lot of diversity there. I think — I hope — RUSHfans will like it. We're certainly going to work hard to make it a great record, as we always try."

Post-it sized computer does dual HD decoding (video)

We've seen some tiny PCs, but the (deep breath) Habey SOM-6670 E6XX Tunnel Creek QSeven computer module (phew...) has managed to impress even this crew of jaded tech bloggers. The tiny, Post-it sized board carries an embedded E600 series Atom processor which features the GMA600 integrated GPU -- the same HD video decoding core at work in the Boxee Box and Logitech Revue. This little guy is capable of handling not one, but two 1080p videos at once. Don't believe us? check out the video after the break -- then apologize to Habey for doubting them. On the downside, to actually put some ports on this thing and connect it to a display, hard drive, keyboard, and mouse you'll need a carrier board that adds quite a bit of bulk. Don't concern yourself with it too much though, the SOM6670 isn't exactly aimed at consumers. PR after the break. [Thanks, Bin] Continue reading Post-it sized computer does dual HD decoding (video) Post-it sized computer does dual HD decoding (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 12 Jun 2011 11:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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US funds shadow networks, builds 'internet in a suitcase' for repressed protesters

Whether a repressive government, a buggy DNS server or a little old lady is behind your internet outage, it can't be much fun, but the US government sympathizes with your plight if you're dealing with reason number one. The New York Times reports that the US State Department will have spent upwards of $70 million on "shadow networks" which would allow protesters to communicate even if powers that be pull the traditional plug -- so far, it's spent at least $50 million on a independent cell phone network for Afghanistan, and given a $2 million grant to members of the New America Foundation creating the "internet in a suitcase" pictured above. It's a batch of mesh networking equipment designed to be spirited into a country to set up a private network. Last we'd heard, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had pledged $25 million for just this sort of internet freedom, and the New America Foundation had applied for some of those bucks -- see our more coverage links below -- but it sounds like the money is flowing fast, and in multiple directions now. US funds shadow networks, builds 'internet in a suitcase' for repressed protesters originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 12 Jun 2011 12:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tennessee law bans 'distressing images,' opens your Facebook inbox

Congratulations Tennessee! Governor Bill Haslam has put your state in the national spotlight and, for once, it has nothing to do with Bonnaroo or how bad the Titans are. The republican executive of the state signed a ban on "distressing images" into law last week that we're sure constitutional lawyers are going to have a field day with. Anyone who sends or posts an image online (and yes, that includes TwitPics) that they "reasonably should know" would "cause emotional distress" could face several months in jail and thousands of dollars in fines. The best part? Anyone who stumbles across the image is a viable "victim" under the law and the government doesn't even have to prove any harmful intent. So, Tennessee residents who aren't cautious enough using Google image search could get a few people in trouble. Another, and perhaps more perturbing, part of the same bill also seeks to circumvent restrictions on obtaining private messages and information from social networking sites without a search warrant. We give it about a month before this gets struck down on obvious grounds that it's unconstitutional. Tennessee law bans 'distressing images,' opens your Facebook inbox originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Jun 2011 16:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Datamancer Steampunk Laptop now available for anachronistic pre-order

We really hope you've haven't grown tired of Steampunk over the years. Over-saturated? Passé? Perhaps, but there's still something undeniably alluring about the blend of Victorian-era mechanics and modern technology. That's why, even three years after we first caught a glimpse of it, we're pretty psyched to hear that Datamancer's Steampunk Laptop is actually being made available for purchase. Detailed specs haven't been offered, we only know that it will feature "cutting-edge internal components," but we can tell you there are a bevy of customization options. You can choose everything from the wood stain color, to keyboard fonts, to etched brass lids or clockwork gears like the original design (except these will tick and turn). You can pre-order one now (at the source link) for $5,500 -- a healthy discount over the estimated price once production on these one-of-a-kind machines kicks in to gear ($7,500+). Now we just have to decide between food and rent, or a work of PC art. Datamancer Steampunk Laptop now available for anachronistic pre-order originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Jun 2011 17:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wildfire rages in Arizona - photos

“A wildfire that has charred more than 350 square miles in eastern Arizona raged out of control for a ninth day on Monday as it forced the evacuation of a third town and crept near populated areas along the New Mexico border.” – Yahoo! News Photos from Matt Hays. NASA Goddard Photo and Video, bobthemtnbiker, dangerousmeta, and waltergordy.

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Plane trails photos

To see more make sure you check out u n c o m m o n‘s wonderful Gallery plane trails. Photos from Etep, sirpecangum, exxonvaldez, and science.

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Interview: Rush's Neil Peart talks drum solos

It's mid-afternoon in New York City, and Neil Peart is unwinding. And how exactly does Rush's world-famous drummer and lyricist kick back in the Big Apple? By solving a math problem, of course. But this particular equation has a very specific purpose, and it's one that will soon be played out in front of TV cameras, a studio audience and millions of home viewers, for Peart is one of the stars - in fact, he's the closing act - of Drums Solos Week on The Late Show With David Letterman. There's just one little hitch: The show's producers have asked the renowned sticksman, who this Thursday (9 June) will follow performances by The Late Show's own Anton Fig, along with Sheila E and drum legend Roy Haynes, to keep the razzle-dazzle down to "three, maybe four minutes," says Peart. Hence, the numbers crunching. Just back from a morning rehearsal, Peart admits that when he was approached to be part of Drum Solos Week, his initial reaction was, "I don't know…it's not really my thing. But then I thought, Hey, a drum solo on TV - sounds great! I'd be very honored to be the ambassador to drum solos." Only now there's the TV time factor, and it's got Peart's fertile mind running in circles. "My regular live drum solo is about eight and a half minutes, so I decided I'd have to do a mental edit, accelerate the changes and minimize the improvisational parts and so on. At the rehearsal, during my first attempt, I had it down to about four minutes and 50 seconds, and the producers were giving me these worrisome looks." Peart's second run-through was more acceptable: "I got it down to about four minutes and two seconds." Trying to weed whack a heralded, road-tested piece of music had Peart literally saying to himself, "'Put this in, not that…This, not that…This, not that.' I found myself just racing, which is a problem when I come to the end and I'm playing with the Buddy Rich Big Band on the song Love 4 Sale, because I have to be in time with it. I was so edgy and found it so hard to settle into that nice groove. So all I have to do tonight is play that four-minute-and-two-second version of the solo, settle down and play the tempo and the end properly, and I'll be happy." During a break in his TV schedule, Neil Peart sat down with MusicRadar to talk about the art of the drum solo - his own, those of his heroes, and how, over the past few years, he's moving "more and more towards improvisation." You've pretty much answered this, but the solo you have to edit for The Letterman Show will basically be a truncated version of what you've been playing on the Time Machine tour. "That's right. It's half improvised and half composed. I've tried to become more of an improvisational soloist over the past few years, pushing myself in the direction. So the first half of it follows a certain pattern of basic grooves – essentially, I try never to repeat, though – and then the second half is composed. I always say, 'I know where I'm going, but I don't always know how I'm going to get there.' To me, drum soloing is like doing a marathon and solving equations at the same time. Trying to edit everything for the Letterman performance is a lot for my tiny poo brain." [laughs] {PAGEBREAK} Do you ever get nervous when it comes time to solo and the spotlight is all on you? "A lot of it comes down to performing at will and doing all sorts of mental exercises. Performing live in front of an audience is such a matter of will – all of those things you can do just fine in your basement, suddenly you have to do them in front of hundreds or thousands of people, and it becomes a different matter entirely." Well, maybe you just have to do it a bit more, Neil. You know, get out there… [laughs] "That's right, I need more experience! Stage fright is a funny thing: There's a story about Buddy Rich that his sax player once told me. They'd be standing on the side of the stage waiting to go on, and he would look down at Buddy's hands and notice that they were shaking. Buddy said, 'You'd think after 60 years I'd get used to this' – because Buddy was in show business since he was a kid. "Ironically, it can get stronger and more debilitating as you get older. In the case of Buddy Rich, he couldn't just go on stage and play – he had to be brilliant. I'm told the same thing happens to actors. Laurence Olivier had terrible stage fright. It's a very realistic thing, especially as certain expectations are placed on you. I know I feel it. "Stewart Copeland calls it the 'Eric Clapton Factor,' because Eric Clapton hated not being able to go out and play the guitar casually – he had to be brilliant. In fact, Stewart Copeland himself stopped playing the drums for a few years after the first go-round with The Police because of the 'Eric Clapton Factor.' He just wanted to go out and play; he didn't want to have to be 'brilliant' all the time. It's a very strange occurrence, and I certainly feel it when it comes to drum solos. I'm naked out there without the band. I have to conquer my nerves and perform with skill and grace, without all the terrible things like flubs and drumsticks flying around." [laughs] Here's a left-field question. What are your thoughts on drummers, some of them very famous ones, who have been very 'anti-drum solo'? Ringo Starr, for example - as you know, he had to be talked into playing his one and only solo in The End by the other Beatles. "And that's if he actually played it. I think it might have been Paul McCartney." [laughs] What?...What?! "Well, listen to the drumming on Paul's first solo record." {PAGEBREAK} No, of course, Paul's a good drummer… "That's all I'm saying. The sound, the feel… That's all I'm saying." [laughs] But you know, Stewart Copeland, who's a good buddy of mine, he's very 'anti-drum solo,' too. Yet he jokes that when he was a kid, around the same era as I was, that any drummer who didn't play drum solos was 'lame.' But it can be too much of a good thing, sure. Take John Bonham, who's a drummer I greatly admire: I watch some of his performances, and they're fantastic, but you know, it gets long and self-indulgent. "If drummers are 'anti-solo,' that's up to them. They're musicians, and they can play whatever they want. But my inspirations early on were people like Buddy Rich, seeing him on The Tonight Show, or Gene Krupa. I think of The Gene Krupa Story movie, which opens with an overhead shot of him playing so energetically and beautifully... "Then there were a couple of early rock albums, like Vanilla Fudge with Carmine Appice, and Rare Earth – great playing on those, recorded so well. Those were big inspirations for me. But not In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida – that was not an inspiration. See, these are the divisions. In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida was the antithesis of what I wanted to do. It was plodding and monotonous. People would come up to me and go [affects stoner voice], 'Can you play In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, man?' And I would go, 'No, I cannot. I can play Wipe Out!' [laughs] But you know, that Ringo one...that's straight out of In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida." So wait…are you really saying that you think Paul played Ringo's solo on The End? "No! [laughs] I'm just joking. I'm making a joke, that's all." OK, just checking. "But, of course, you must know about that whole conspiracy theory that Bernard Purdie played on The Beatles' records. But then that was started by Bernard Purdie himself. He said it. And then he was vilified for it. "It's funny, though: When I was growing up, I played along to the radio, so I played along to Simon & Garfunkel, The Beach Boys, The Association and The Byrds, and I was really playing along to Hal Blaine. He played on all of those records and so many more. There was another drummer who said that he was shattered to find out that his six favorite drummers were all Hal Blaine! "So the whole thing isn't so outrageous. If Bernard Purdie said that, why was he so vilified? He'd already played with Aretha Franklin and Steely Dan and others. I was just throwing that in as a joke, that's all. [slight pause] But just check out that first Paul McCartney album – that's all I'm saying." [laughs] {PAGEBREAK} The drum solo you're performing on the current Time Machine tour – how would you say it differs from past solos? "Well, as I said, it's much more about improvisation. When I did the Anatomy Of A Drum Solo DVD, and that was only five years ago, I defined myself as a compositional drummer, and my longtime teacher, Freddie Gruber, would say, 'When I watch you play, you're composing.' So I accepted that. OK, cool, I'm composing. But then I thought, No! I want to be an improviser, and I've worked very hard at that. It's an art. You don't just play whatever comes into your head; you have to be very deliberate about what you do. That's the way I look at it: I improvise very deliberately, and I try not to repeat myself. That's been a very big change in my playing over the last five years, and I'm moving more and more towards improvisation. "It doesn't just happen, of course. You have to practice…and trust yourself. After 45 years of playing, I had to learn to trust my instincts at a very basic level. Certain patterns would recur, but I'd force myself to set them up differently or conclude them differently. 'Wait a second…I did that last night. I'm not going to do that tonight.' In a way, like I said before, you have to think like an editor. A producer is in my head selecting what I'm doing. It's a whole different level of thinking. And then, of course, there's that great jazz saying: 'If you make a mistake, do it twice!' [laughs] It takes a while for all of this to become second nature, but I'm working on it." Being that you're also the band's lyricist, do certain words and images ever come into your head as you're either writing or playing a drum solo? "Yeah, there's a thing called 'synesthesia,' and it refers to someone seeing a color as a sound or hearing a sound as a color. For me, drum elements are like hieroglyphics – I think of a certain physical figure and a little three-dimensional glyph will appear in my mind as I'm playing. Again, color and music are very relatable. There is, of course, a language of written music in notation, but even though I don't use that, I have another kind of notation that's more like hieroglyphs, and each is a representative symbol that I use in my drum repertoire. [laughs] Transcribe that, bugger!" Dude...[Peart laughs] Now, in Anatomy Of A Drum Solo, you talked about the Floating Snare – how did you happen upon that technique, and how important is it an element in your solos? "It's something that I still use because it's a very free textural change. I describe it in a way as if it's 'floating over time.' I come out of a strong rhythmic section and go straight to snare, double-stroke roll, a very smooth textural feel without rhythmic interruption, if you like. And then I impose different transpositions on that and little figures that are over a floating tempo. What it means is that the time is floating. Rudimental snare work is something I've always loved. Buddy Rich, Gene Krupa and Joe Morello were masters at that." You've also said you're not afraid to get 'goofy' during a solo, adding the cowbells – you got that from watching The Marx Brothers. "Yeah, yeah! It's a little figure from one of The Marx Brothers movies. I think it was a little bit that Chico played on the piano. There's little splash cymbal chokes and tongue-in-cheek things that I do. There's a transition during my solo from the acoustic part to the electronic part, and when the drum riser turns around and the electronic drums face the audience, well, during that I play a little choo-choo train sample. It's a joke. Or I'll use The Hockey March during the solo – little inside jokes like that." {PAGEBREAK} Do you ever respond to the audience and keep a certain part going longer than you planned? How much do you work off the crowd's reaction and energy? "I do it all the time. Of course! It's called inspiration, and that's what live performance is really all about. You're feeding off that energy. One of the things that happened with the in-ear monitors was that it was hard to get a balance of the audience. So that was something that we've worked on. But yes, when you're playing, you definitely try to do something that works for you, works for the audience. And it happens during our songs, too – there are parts where you just feel it; everybody's knitted together and gets into this rhythmic frenzy." Do Geddy and Alex have any input into your solos? Or do you just tell them to bugger off? "Oh, they're very supportive. When I come in with a structure, they're the first to tell me when things are working. Or if I've played a particularly good solo live, they're the first to tell me 'great solo.' They're definitely supportive. And they like the break during the shows, too. Sometimes they have to go to the bathroom, you know." [laughs] Have you ever gotten tripped up while playing a solo live, and if so, what do you do to recover? "Well, there aren't really any mistakes because there aren't any consequences, which is a nice thing. But oh, so many things can happen. Like with the improvisational thing, I'll work out something on my little practice kit during a warm-up, and I'll decide to put it in my solo that night, and it physically won't work. "There was an episode when I was working on a double cross-over on the toms to my right…well, on stage I have a couple of electronic pads impeding those, and the sticking that worked on my practice kit did not work on the live kit. So I'm playing along and suddenly 'spraaang!' - a stick goes flying. I think, Huhhh, and I pick up another stick and play it again. 'Braaaang!' - it happens again. 'Oh, I guess that doesn't work.' But all you can do is just keep playing. There's nothing else you can do." {PAGEBREAK} Does the kind of kit you play ever color your drum solos? You're now a DW player – do their drums make you play differently? "Oh, I think very much so. The response of the actual instrument… One of the blurbs I gave to DW a few years ago was, 'My DW Drums are truly a source of inspiration.' And the reason why I switched to DW, or any of the drums I've played over the years, was I would do a side-by-side test of one 9x13-inch tom of many different brands. I would play each drum in an identical way to find the one that pleased me musically. Over the years, whenever I did switch, it was always based on that test. "The switch to DW, too, was partly inspired when I produced the Buddy Rich tribute. I sat in the studio with each of the different drummers and the bands as they ran down the music to get a real sense of the inside of the music and how it was working for everybody. And I sat beside the great Joe Morello when he played a little solo, and he was just making those drums sing with his incredible touch and his beautiful veteran technique. He just passed away recently, too. But the beautiful music that he drew from those drums, just with that touch, it was such inspiration. "Yes, the ongoing developments in the 15 years that I've been with DW, the shared research and development that we undergo there, the different ideas they come up with for me that either work or they don't, that evolution of the instrument is absolutely inspiring to the performance." I think it's safe to say that your drum setup isn't small; there's a lot of components to it. When you're soloing, do you ever look at a drum out of the corner of your eye and think, Hey, that one looks a little lonely? [Peart laughs] Maybe I should hit that one… "One of the famous stories about Buddy Rich was that he would say that his second floor tom was for his towel and drink, and Keith Moon would say that, too: 'Oh, that one's just for my towel.' No, every one of them up there has a use, and certain ones do come into prominence from time to time – I do notice that. There are certain areas, like the effects areas or the cowbells or the piccolo snare drum and the electronics, where I do lay off of them for a while. But then I'll go, 'Hey! What about those cowbells?'"

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Rush - Camera Eye - Live and complete

Barbara Franco posted in Cygnus-X1.Net. Barbara Franco 12:43pm Jun 8 Rush - Camera Eye - Live and complete www.youtube.com the sound is from a bootlegged recording - 03-01-81 International Amphitheater, Chicago, IL. I mixed sound with video from the "Exit Stage Left" DVD. Eh! Yuh... View Post on Facebook · Edit Email Settings · Reply to this email to add a comment.