THE LAB:GALLERY Presents INTERSECTION February 10-March 2, 2012
#Plantech @RSHotel (Video Archive 6/9/11)
Posted on 09. Jun, 2011 by Birdsong in Community, Events, Hotel
http://rogersmithlife.com
http://www.eventfarm.com/plannertech
Presented by Pogby & Liz King Events
at the Roger Smith Hotel
As a busy event planner, keeping up with all the innovations in event technology seems impossible. Join us for this Internet Week event to learn about ten companies that change the way we host & plan events!
2010 Holiday Gift Guide for Insane Gadget Lovers
Posted on 14. Dec, 2010 by Birdsong in Community
2010 has been the year of gadgets. Why? Because we live in the future, that’s why. So, here is a list of 10 “must have” tech gifts, in no particular order, that someone on your list is dying to have under the menorah-tree.
#1 – iPad – Magical, groundbreaking, blah, blah, blah. This thing creates rainbows and is made from unicorn teeth, oh and Angry Birds exists.
#2 – Flip Ultra HD (3rd gen) One of the first offerings from the camcorder company, since Cisco stepped in, is a strong performer with 60fps 720p video and one button ease. Shoot!
#3 – Galaxy tablet – Android OS provides a rich user experience, AND you can hold it to your ear and pretend it’s a giant phone. Yay!
#4 – iPhone 4 – It’s a phone, and it’s reset the standard. Again. iPhones and blenders for everyone!
#5 – Boston Dynamics (eff’ing robots man)- Pick up one of Boston Dynamics’ prototypes for how much? Never mind you’ll have to steal one of these. Don’t fret though, they’ll def show up in a terminator near you soon. Go-Go gadget Skynet!
#6 – Rail gun – At a current power of 33 Megajoules (One Mega Joule being equal to the kinetic energy of a 1 ton car traveling at 100 mph), this sci-fi gun can fire a 23 pound bullet at seven times the speed of sound. Using only electricity. So it’s green. It’s basically like the Chevy Volt of the apocalypse. So this Christmas you can rain Biblical style destruction on your enemies, all the while being as smug as you wish. You’re saving the planet. Duh.
#7 – Netflix – Not much to say here, but follow this twitter feed for Netflix streaming suggestions, and BTW Netflix rules. Only $7.99 for Streaming only.
#8 – Apple TV – Nuff said.
#9 – Hulu Plus – Offers HD quality and LOTS of commecials. Is it worth it? You betcha. How ’bout every seaon of SNL. Ever.
#10 – XBOX Kinect – Get this Xbox motion gaming system if you have Wii’ness envy.
Happy Holidays 
Introducing: Roger Smith Mobile Webpage!
Posted on 06. May, 2010 by Editor in Community, Hotel
Denis Hurley from Mobile Meteor has been of extraordinary help in the birth of the newest addition to the RSH product: our very own Mobile Webpage! This is the mobile website that will be activated whenever a SmartPhone user connects to us online. It automatically connects to the Hotel webpage and the Roger Smith Life Blog when the smartphone is turned sideways!
James Knowles of RSH also chips in with his own opinion!
Sites included:
www.rogersmith.com
www.rogersmithlife.com
Review of the iPad by Adam Wallace
Posted on 07. Apr, 2010 by Editor in Community, Hotel
James Knowles (@barkingdognews) of the Roger Smith Hotel recently purchased the newly released iPad, which created a frenzy in the offices of RSH! Shortly after, Adam Wallace got his hands on it and ran away from the pack to play with it.
Here, Adam gives us a little introduction and review about this extraordinary machine, presenting some of its functions and apps. Check it out!
Roger Smith Hotel
501 Lexington Av. (at 47th Street)
Julia, a dog named Waffle & The Ghost of Roger Smith
Posted on 21. Jan, 2010 by BrianSimpson in Community, Events, Hotel
Last night in the Penthouse of The Roger Smith Hotel Matt Semler & Danika Druttman, of The Lab Gallery, along with Julia Kaganskiy (MoMA) hosted a gathering of arts and tech enthusiasts. The main purpose was the introduction of smART Camp, a weekend long event in March, that will bring together influential artists, social network professionals and a community of people looking at ways the two are utilized for the exposure, education and sales for the art world.
The hotel, as many of you know, has a mysterious energy that seems to bring out the storyteller in all of its visitors, last night was no exception.
If you are skeptical… don’t believe me, believe Julia, Michelle Adam and a dog named Waffle.
Tech Tuesday 12/29: Top Technologies of 2009: and Why
Posted on 29. Dec, 2009 by Birdsong in Community, Hotel
This year there were no HUGE advancements in technology (on the consumer level), but it was the year WE really embraced technology. For example my entire family is on Facebook now. If I want to share something with them it’s ridiculously easy. Hi Mom! The point is, the longer this stuff is around, particularly the advancements in communication the more we begin to rely on them not as a novelty, but as a necessity. For example, when cell phones first came out they were very much a novelty. Now, when your plane lands the first thing you do is fire up the iPhone (if you have one) check your messages (voice and email), send a few texts, and probably update your FB status. Another example is GPS, and I’m completely lost without mine. What will we rely on in 2010, and furthermore what will be the next big thing in 2010? (Comments plz).
Without further adieu, here is my list of top tech in the year that was 2009
iPhone 3gs
This smart-phone will now shoot video (unhacked) and send it to YouTube, and if you get lost in the woods you have a nifty compass to guide you out! Price: Your f%*ing soul.
New Intel CPUs
Code named “Nehalem” i5 and i7 core chips with “turbo”. Put them in mac books already!!! I’m waiting ’till they do to upgrade. Price: Get one with a new computer (27″ iMac).
This micro blogging service exploded in 2009. Words like “Tweet-up” “Tweets-giving” and “Tw-izzlers” entered our vocab. I’m @johnbirdsong, holla. Price: Free (or ALL of your free time).
Tinychat.com/Skype
Skype, one of the most effective low/no cost communication tools has been around for a while. The new version allows screen sharing which is AWESOME. Tinychat.com takes it a step further and allows groups (up to 12 cameras) to communicate with a/v in a virtual room. Perfect for online meetings, and bizarre 3.0 interaction. Price: Free
This year my mom and dad both joined Facebook, and they use it (a lot). Price: All of you free time.
Flip ultra HD
Best flash memory video recorder. Reliable, tough, fantastic daylight video, not to bad indoor/low light video. A lesson in minimalism. Price: $170
Any of the LED back lit flat panel HD TVs
Energy sipping, high quality displays for Bluray, DVD, Hulu, Netflix, web browsing, Amazon on Demand, gaming, and oh yeah…cable. Price: $1,000+ (for Samsung, Panasonic, etc) less $$ for Vizio (which gets very high ratings).
Canon D7 Digital SLR
I havn’t gotten to use this pro-sumer still camera yet, but the picture quality and videos I’ve seen are beautiful. With the D7, Canon has embraced creative filmmaking. The cam features full 1080p HD video @24 fps, adjustable exposure control, and a large CMOS sensor to mimic the shallow depth of field look of motion picture film cameras. Price: $1,899 with a 28-135 lens.
17″ Mac book Pro
This behemoth of a laptop has an 8hr battery, two video cards, up to 8GB RAM, and a 3.06GHZ duo core Intel CPU. Price: starting around $3,000
Amazon Kindle 2
Paper books are so passe. JK, but the Kindle is a pretty amazing device. First of all: electronic ink is really cool. Kind of like a 21st century etch a sketch, but with Hemingway and J.K. Rowling instead of that dumb staircase you’d draw over and over. One of the coolest things about the Kindle 2 is that it comes with FREE wireless. The browser is not perfect, but it gets the job done (for the most part). Price: $259
Looking forward to 2010: What’s Next?
1. Wireless electricity…coming soon
2. A proper upgrade for the iPhone…better battery, HD video recording, front facing camera for video chat
3. Faster computers (plz)
4. 3D HDTV
5. Larger capacity more reliable SD cards
6. Flip camera with wireless, optical stabilization, mic jack, AND headphone jack
7. WiMax
8. A redesigned Facebook
9. A new more efficient, less processor intensive video codec. H.264 is great, but is really CPU intensive…takes 20min to transcode a 3 min video. S-L-O-W.
10. A video camera for every cop that records 24/7 and cannot be tampered with, and a less lethal taser. Police need WAY more oversight.
What did I miss? What tech trends do you see for 2010?
Do you disagree? Please let me know.
John Birdsong is a Producer Director Editor with Panman Productions and lives in Brooklyn, NY
Tech Toys The Team @RSHotel Thinks You Need For The Holidays:
Posted on 16. Dec, 2009 by BrianSimpson in Community, Hotel
The holidays are upon us and the talk of ‘toys’ at the hotel is crazy. A year ago it was about golf clubs, vacations and Flip cams. Now, after a year of being ‘social’ and doing everything we could to create, capture and share content our, our lists have changed. Grown if you will…
Here is a glimpse at what some of us think you need for this holiday season.
Mr. Knowles, CEO and Owner of Ther Roger Smith Hotel
Tech gifts that I think are worth what we pay for them and are useful to us:
1. Check out the Sony mdr-g75
2. The scribe device with paper and ocr recognition
3. How about the Leica LUX-4
4. Zoom H 4
Ek Wongleecharoen, Assistant General Manager
This is what I would like to have in my pocket when I travel:
1. Kindle: Reading Device
2. Panasonic DMC-ZS3K or DMC-ZS3A
3. Dell Latitude XT or Mac Book Air
Adam Wallace, Director of New Media
This is what I would suggest:
1. A Netbook (don’t know a specific kind)
2. Mophie iPhone extra battery pack
3. Kodak Zi8
Brian Simpson, Director of Social Hospitality
What you can’t live without for twenty-10:
1. Wireless Sony headphones
2. Cannon 7D
3. Macbook Pro
John Birdsong, Professional Videographer Panman Productions & All-Around Amazing Guy
Saving the best for last ~ Our resident gadget expert chimes in with:
Refurbished MacBook Pro 2.53GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
13.3-inch LED-backlit glossy widescreen display
4GB memory (add another 4gb yourself and save $800)
250GB Hard Drive
8x SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
SD card slot
Built-in 7-hour battery
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics
Illuminated keyboard
http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/specialdeals/mac
$1,299 – save $200 off of list. fully guaranteed with one year of apple care.
Netflix subscription (if you don’t have one get one!!!)
as little as 7.99 a month includes one unlimited disc and unlimited streaming content
connector for laptop to flatscreen TV
around $20
BEST inexpensive speaker systrem – I have these and they are INCREDIBLE. 200 watts THX certified
http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/speakers_audio/home_pc_speakers/devices/231&cl=us,en
$169.00
Air mouse iphone app
$2.99
Control your computer from your iphone. Best wireless touch screen mouse around. Control volume, select netflix and hulu content, surf youtube, and email. It just works.
Happy Holidays From ALL of Us
@RSHotel ~ the roger smith hotel
Tech Tuesday: LIVE Streaming Platforms ///Quick REVIEW///
Posted on 15. Dec, 2009 by Birdsong in Community, Hotel
This week I set out to review the different options available for LIVE internet broadcasting. There are a number of options and platforms available. The best advice is to determine YOUR needs and pick the one that suits you best.
Here is my best of list
- USTREAM.tv
- livestream.com
- justin.tv
- Qik.com
- Kyte.tv
Some of these platforms don’t offer services that others do…for example Qik is meant only for mobile phones. while USTREAM allows streaming from a PC or mobile (iphone).
USTREAM
Right now USTREAM is my favorite. It’s really popular and offers some high profile content as well as a ton of user generated LIVE and archived content.
Pros
- You can use flash media live encoder (if you have a fast PC) for HQ broadcasts.
- Easy. Like really f%#ing easy.
- New broadcaster app for iphone allows for spontaneous LIVE streaming (don’t forget to jailbrake and install ‘mobile substrate’ so you can stream over 3g).
Cons
- Limited quality with mac (no plugin).
- Messy UI sort of reminds me of myspace (not a good thing).
- Player app for iphone doesn’t work (that sucks).
- The ‘youtube’ of LIVE internet broadcast (at least for now).
Livestream.com
Pros
- Gorgeous design. Site is beautiful, and easy to navigate.
- Standalone app for mac (can broadcast using h.264).
Cons
- Annoying (video) ads.
- Unreliable recording (archiving) with mac app (to be fair: the mac app is still in beta)
Justin.TV
Pros
- Says it’s compatible with Quicktime Broadcaster (HQ broadcasting for mac)
- Very experimental (lots of lifecasting going on here).
- Nice design.
Cons
- I only got QT Broadcaster working for a minute…(crap).
- Have you ever heard of justin.tv? (now you have).
Qik
Pros
- Qik is pretty awesome.
- Live video from your iphone (jailbroken), and certain Nokia handsets.
- Syndicates really well. Press the red button and it posts to facebook (live and archived video) posts to youtube, twitter, tumblr, etc.
Cons
- Only works on mobile phones.
Kyte
Pros
- OK site design.
- Offers mobile and PC broadcasting.
- Quality seems good.
Cons
- Have you ever heard of kyte?
- Site seems heavily geared to their pay model and a little hard to navigate because of it.
- Hard to navigate to FAQ and other HELP info.
Come back here every tuesday for more technology related reviews and best of lists.
Cheers,
-John Birdsong
The Weekly BS Part II
Posted on 10. Dec, 2009 by AdamWallace in Community, Lily's Restaurant
This past weekend I was actually pulled from my computer and tried to limit my tweeting ( I know @Bsimi fans were very sad ). My daughter Chloe was visiting from Maine with her… *cough*… boyfriend. It was a celebratory visit because Chloe just found out she is eligible to graduate a year early!
The trip was also timely for Chloe to reunite with a friend she had made while abroad in France this Summer who also happened to be in the city Friday night. Sunday consisted of Bergdorf Goodman window displays, the tree at Rockefeller Center and a few other overly tourist populated attractions. The busiest and best was the journey to Century 21 downtown… then we walked to SoHo for more shopping and then back to Roger Smith Hotel for some late dinner.
The best part of the visit was the realization that my daughter, my little girl, has become my best friend.
Bergdorf I
Bergdorf II
Bergdorf III
Chloe and Nick at Rockefeller Center
Rockefeller Rink
Chloe, Nick and I doing what all good people do when near Rockefeller Center… Take pictures and run!
RS Hotel Food Writers’ Conf: The Future of Food Writing on the Internet
Posted on 12. Feb, 2009 by Editor in Events, Hotel, RS Food Writers Conf
This panel was exploring how the continually changing, ever-evolving world of Internet technology is impacting food writers. Will technology make it easier–or harder–for writers to make a living? Will there come a time when a writer can completely sidestep traditional media and become successful, financially and critically? How will developing technologies impact–positively and negatively–the industry
The Panel
David Leite, chair
Elissa Altman
Joe Langhan
Bonnie Tandy Leblang
Renee Schletter
