Editorial

For Your Consideration By Kirsten Nelson, January 6, 2012 As talk of Oscar nods takes over the entertainment conversation this winter, we tend to think of the best things we’ve seen all year. Whether in film or in real life, the highlight reels are spinning through illuminated More..
Chasing Innovation By Kirsten Nelson, December 14, 2011 If you’ve ever wiled away your time on a treadmill pondering whether the energy you’re expending could be harnessed to power the lights in the gym, you’re on to something. In a busy gym, where dozens of people are running at More..
True Definition By Kirsten Nelson, February 8, 2011 What kind of music do you like? It’s a fairly innocuous question, one often posed by those looking to pass the time over cocktails or during the “networking” segments of business conferences. The funny thing is, it often More..
From The Footlights By Kirsten Nelson, January 12, 2011 Too many audience members seem unaware that in an acoustically perfect space, sound not only travels pristinely from the stage to the audience, but also fairly cleanly from the peanut gallery to performers’ ears. Noise from More..
Conversion Factor By Kirsten Nelson, December 16, 2010 The next time you find yourself stranded in the toothpaste aisle at the grocery store, trying to make a selection from the seemingly endless array of options, don’t feel bad. A number of studies in recent years are finding that More..
Smoke And Mirrors By Kirsten Nelson, November 17, 2010 Four years after a crate of Scotch whisky was discovered in the Antarctic hut of Sir Ernest Shackleton, the parcel was finally thawed and opened this past summer. The well-preserved liquid in the Mackinlay’s Scotch More..
Making A Racket By Kirsten Nelson, October 7, 2010 Watching the sound technician swing a shotgun mic from left to right, again and again, it almost seems like she’s mocking the spectator sport most likely to cause neck strain. But she’s just doing her job, capturing More..
Silver Mining By Kirsten Nelson, September 8, 2010 “Always look for the silver lining,” sings Chet Baker in an indefatigable tone, “whenever a cloud appears in the blue.” Sure, he can be cheery about it, but it’s actually a lot of work to find a shred of glistening More..
Menu Change By Kirsten Nelson, August 11, 2010 When we are fortunate enough to indulge in a real lunch break, we all have a favorite spot. We are drawn there by the menu, the service, the location, or some combination of all three. When that rare triumvirate is More..
You Can Quote That By Kirsten Nelson, July 19, 2010 Wrap a phrase in quotation marks and it changes the context. You wonder who said it, and then you can measure its truth against your own experience. More..
Talk About This By Kirsten Nelson, June 7, 2010 They’re onto us. They’ve heard our story and they believe it. But they’re not going to let us off easy. Audio and video technology has moved beyond mere background material or supporting evidence—it’s part of the More..
Still Standing By Kirsten Nelson, May 5, 2010 The scientific studies and tech blogs are abuzz with the theory that standing is the new ergonomic chair. Apparently people who stand at work are healthier and burn more calories than those who sit. The benefits also extend to More..
High-Five By Kirsten Nelson, April 1, 2010 Many of our most vivid memories, individually and collectively as a culture, are of great victories and defeats in sports. If you witness raised voices and waving arms at a group gathering, there’s a good chance that a game or More..
Crowd Control By Kirsten Nelson, February 26, 2010 As an image, the theater marquee has long represented one’s making it to the big-time. Countless movies, still photographs, and songs celebrate the glitz and glamour of seeing a name “in lights.” These twinkling icons of success More..
Step By Step By Kirsten Nelson, January 6, 2010 As the new calendar year begins midwinter, we are all looking for signs of spring. Not specifically the season welcomed with tulips and robins, but rather the advent of an economic recovery. The signs that trigger hopefulness More..

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