All Blog Posts from Coop's Corner
Researchers Discover Why Scary Soundtracks are Scary
Roy Scheider (center) starred with Robert Shaw and Richard Dreyfuss in the blockbuster "Jaws."
(Credit: Universal Pictures)"By their very nature, vocalizations containing nonlinearities may sound harsh and are somewhat unpredictable," the study found.
The researchers tested whether film soundtracks could evoke similar emotions in a range of film genres. They came up with the perhaps unsurprising conclusion that Hollywood film-makers since D.W. Griffith have known: Sound tracks can manipulate human emotions.
Among other findings:
Dramatic films suppressed noise of all types, featuring more abrupt frequency transitions and musical sidebands. They also included fewer noisy screams than expected.
Horror films suppressed abrupt frequency transitions and musical sidebands. The also featured more non-musical sidebands, and noisy screams than anticipated.
Adventure films had more male screams than expected.
Tipsters: Apple Preps for June iPhone Debut
The iPhone 4G prototype, as seen on Gizmodo last month.
(Credit: Gizmodo)Apple's contract manufacturer building the next iPhone plans to ship 24 million units by the end of this year, according to a new report.
The report from Digitimes on Monday said Taiwan-based Foxconn will ship 4.5 million next-gen iPhones by the end of June, and 19.5 million by the end of 2010.
Apple sells a lot of phones, but 24 million is a big number even for them. For comparison, Apple has sold a little over 50 million total since the original iPhone's debut in 2007. So how to explain the supposed sudden surge in iPhone supply? Digitimes could be wrong of course, though it does have some good sources in the contract manufacturing world.
Other possible explanations could be that Apple is planning big price cuts on this model, which could move more units. Or, and this would jibe with reports that the company's building a CDMA phone, it could be planning to add more carrier partners. More outlets to sell the phone would mean more supply.
You can read the rest of this article at CNET News.com.
Yes, April <i>was</i> Hotter than Normal
April U.S. State Temperatures
Last month was the 14th hottest April on record, according to the latest climate data issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
In its monthly survey, NOAA said that 31 states reported above-normal temperatures. Just California, Nevada and Oregon registered cooler-than-average Aprils.
NOAA has been tracking monthly temperature since 1895.
Separately, NOAA said that the average temperature in the United States mainland was 54.3 degrees F, or 2.3 points above the long-term (1901-2000) average.
Other highlights from the report:
- Most states east of the Rocky Mountains experienced above-normal temperatures
- The Northeast and the East North Central Region posted its second warmest-ever April
- Illinois, Maine, Connecticut, Rhode Island and New Jersey each had their warmest Aprils on record.
- The cooler-than-usual weather which prevailed in the South and Southeast continued into spring.
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