Growing up, my musician brother started out experimenting with music using a four-track tape recorder that he used to blend together guitars, keyboards, and vocals--something that normally requires an entire band, or some advanced audio-mixing equipment. Tjoon is an interesting new Web service, aimed mostly at musicians, that attempts to do the same thing using Webcams. It splits up a video workspace into four quadrants, and lets you, or others, come together to record four 30 second clips, all within the same shot. Instead of trying to do this simultaneously, like eJamming (coverage), Tjoon is completely asynchronous, meaning you can pass along your work to others to let them add their own matching clip.
The service was created by the same folks who did Floorplanner.com (review), and was designed specifically for the musicians you tend to see on YouTube or other video services, showing off their Freebird solo skills. Tjoon steps it up a notch, letting users can open up their creations to anyone who wants to record their own tracks alongside the original. As admin, you can also delete any additions you don't like. Other Tjoon users can also comment on a video and rate it up or down, with the most popular and top rated videos making the front page.
There are some obvious limitations to this service in its current form, but I still think it's a really fun way to experiment with video, and multitrack recording. The biggest downer is the 30 second cap on video clips, which just isn't going to cut it if you're actually trying to record a full length song (~3 minutes). You also can't push out your video to other video hosting services without using third-party screen capturing apps, although there is an embed option. Regardless, the idea of asynchronous jamming makes a lot more sense for the casual user than eJamming's model. While the service doesn't seem to want to go in the direction of professional recording, I think kids with instruments and Webcams are going to love this for its simplicity.
Below is an example of a one-man harmony made using the service:
Whether you custom order a sleek, suede couch or drag in a ratty, plaid one found on Craigslist, planning where to put it can be a pain. Floor Planner can help. This site from Dutch designers enables you to arrange what you have in your own flat or conjure up a dream home.
Add your home's measurements, maybe a background picture, and topic tags to help other users find your plan (or keep it to yourself), and you're ready to drag and drop sofas, plants, tables, countertops, and so on into your rooms. You get one plan for free, just enough to mock up an apartment. Should you become addicted--or need this tool for work--pricing ranges from $29 per year for five projects with the Plus account, up to $1,140 annually for an enterprise business. The animated how-to was pretty helpful for getting started, but I wish it had audio narration. Luckily, the site worked equally well in both IE and Firefox.
You can add textures, such as the grain of a hardwood floor or red velvet couch upholstery. You can even drop in a pinball machine, if it fits (you had to visit the basement of my childhood home to play ours). In addition to figuring out how to squeeze in our furniture, we need tools to help maximize the energy efficiency, available natural light, and indoor air quality where we live--such as a MyAbodo for grownups mixed with power sensors and software, such as Agile Waves's Resource Monitor or the Lucid Group's Building Dashboard.
Floor Planner is fun and easy overall, despite minor irritations, such as the inability to use shortcut keys; for instance, CTRL-Z to undo, or the delete button. Unfortunately, this service sent my username and password in a clear text e-mail.
My entomologist grandfather would use insect pins to map out his next furniture arrangement before moving. I prefer that concrete approach, having a model in hand, to the flat design enabled by a Web page. I'll probably be able to print a model of my home from some tool such as Floor Planner someday, once 3D printers become common appliances. For now, it would be cool if Floor Planner let you print and bend the plans into diorama-ready models, sort of like Paper Critters (also built using Papervision 3D open source software) boxy toys.
With Floor Planner, you can design a cozy, cool abode that fits your furniture.
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