Project Mag

I was browsing through this month’s hot and popular apps in iTunes store and came across Project Magazine which claims to be the 1st magazine dedicated to be published only via the iPad.

The magazine has got some creditable names working on the magazine and backed by Virgin Digital Media – so far so good. So I thought I’d download the app see if I can see any of the magazines’ writing – the electronic equivalent of leafing through the magazine on the stand before buying. Sensibly the app offers an issue preview option before buying at £1.99 (not bad when you think Esquire, FHM etc cost best part of £5 per issue).

So I thought I’d preview the latest issue, what you get is a full screen view of the current issue’s cover, something you can read and see without asking for a preview. Talk about fall down on the final hurdle. Even the web offering of the major press allow you to see some of their writing before subscribing. A key buying incentive is seeing the magazine and getting the feel of what will be like.

Perhaps Project Mag will realise this quickly and soon, otherwise they’re going to be missing sales, and probably lots of them.

Einstein for the Masses | Open Culture

Einstein for the Masses | Open Culture.

Tappers website

I’ve been looking after the Basingstoke Tapper’s web site for some was now. I ave to admit that the site was starting to get a bit stale. But now I’ve handed on the domain to new blood. I’m kind of sad to be passing it on, but time for new blood and probably a relaunch.

Jac Holzman’s Elektra records

I’ve finally finishers reading the weighty volume on Jac Holzman’s and Elektra records. Elektra as you probably know was probably one of the most influential indie labels thought brought us the likes of The Doors. But as a label it had more humble beginnings with a lot of Folk and dare I say world music (long before we called it that).

Reading of the book is a little slow to start with – probably because I’m not so familiar with early New York folk (pre Dylan) and trying to place things into the context of what I do know. But as things move on the book becomes more and more engrossing. It is amazing to see what Elektra and Jac achieved putting the artist and music before all else (rather the than manufactured X Factor world).

having finished one substantial music book, I’ve jumped straight in with another – The Man Who Recorded The World, A Biography of Alan Lomax. Unlike Elektra, I only know the smallest amount about Lomax, namely his contribution to music history for recording original African American music. I’ve not read all the book yet, but it’s a very engaging start.  If you want to know more about the author and the book then go to http://www.johnszwed.com/about-the-book

Mixed in with this is the reading technical books such as parts of Thomas Erl’s SOA Book series, and some light reading with the like of Iain M Bank’s Surface Detail.

Boxer Rebellion

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