Tim Nilson is head of Technology at Sony Music’s D2C group. This is his personal and professional blog.Tumblr (3.0; @timnilson)http://nilson.net/<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l5nvrtD5BT1qzy26ao1_500.png"/><br/><br/><p><a href="http://www.berklee.edu/bt">Berklee Today</a> cover story about my career in the digital music industry — <a href="http://www.berklee.edu">Berklee College of Music’s</a> quarterly magazine. <br/><br/><a href="http://s3.amazonaws.com/tumblrmedia/Tim.N.pdf">Download the PDF of the article</a></p>http://nilson.net/post/820491103http://nilson.net/post/820491103Fri, 16 Jul 2010 15:35:00 -0400MusicWorkBerklee<span id="video_player_803795084">[<a href="http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/download/download.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash" target="_blank">Flash 10</a> is required to watch video.]</span><script type="text/javascript">renderVideo("video_player_803795084",'http://nilson.net/video_file/803795084/tumblr_l5gvhrJt4k1qzy26a',400,225,'poster=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia.tumblr.com%2Ftumblr_l5gvhrJt4k1qzy26a_r1_frame1.jpg,http%3A%2F%2Fmedia.tumblr.com%2Ftumblr_l5gvhrJt4k1qzy26a_r1_frame2.jpg,http%3A%2F%2Fmedia.tumblr.com%2Ftumblr_l5gvhrJt4k1qzy26a_r1_frame3.jpg,http%3A%2F%2Fmedia.tumblr.com%2Ftumblr_l5gvhrJt4k1qzy26a_r1_frame4.jpg,http%3A%2F%2Fmedia.tumblr.com%2Ftumblr_l5gvhrJt4k1qzy26a_r1_frame5.jpg')</script><br/><br/><p>Our July 2010 trip to Fortaleza, Cumbuco, Jericoacoara, and Fleixeiras, Brazil. Made with iMovie on the iPhone 4.</p>http://nilson.net/post/803795084http://nilson.net/post/803795084Mon, 12 Jul 2010 18:50:00 -0400Kite SurfingBrazil<img src="http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l4mrr2pLbR1qzy26ao1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>More endless Brazillian beaches. Jericoacoara, Ceara, Brazil. On the right, our little rental car. On the left, my 12m North Vegas Kite waiting to be put to the test in 22+ knots of wind.</p> <iframe width="100%" height="200" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Jericoacoara+-+Cear%C3%A1,+Br%C3%A9sil&sll=0.966751,-47.548828&sspn=54.502001,82.529297&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Jijoca+de+Jericoacoara+-+Cear%C3%A1,+Brazil&t=h&ll=-2.800398,-40.510025&spn=0.034291,0.072956&z=13&iwloc=A&output=embed"></iframe><br/><small><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=embed&hl=en&geocode=&q=Jericoacoara+-+Cear%C3%A1,+Br%C3%A9sil&sll=0.966751,-47.548828&sspn=54.502001,82.529297&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Jijoca+de+Jericoacoara+-+Cear%C3%A1,+Brazil&t=h&ll=-2.800398,-40.510025&spn=0.034291,0.072956&z=13&iwloc=A" style="color:#0000FF;text-align:left">View Larger Map</a></small>http://nilson.net/post/738777181http://nilson.net/post/738777181Sat, 26 Jun 2010 12:42:00 -0400Kite SurfingBrazil<img src="http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l4f8om7tMH1qzy26ao1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Cumbuco, Brazil. Kite surfing paradise of endless empty beaches.</p>http://nilson.net/post/725575939http://nilson.net/post/725575939Tue, 22 Jun 2010 11:07:00 -0400Kite SurfingBrazil<p>Like many, I thought <a href="http://www.panic.com/blog/2010/03/the-panic-status-board/">Panic’s status board</a> was a great idea. Sony Music’s D2C group produces countless artist web sites, runs over <strike>70</strike> 90 artist stores, and has lots of data, sites, and screenshots to share with staff and visitors. </p> <object width="100%" height="306"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/QL-qvQ6eHLQ&hl=en_US&fs=1?rel=0"> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"> <param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/QL-qvQ6eHLQ&hl=en_US&fs=1?rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="100%" height="306"></embed></object> <p style="margin-top: 20px;">Inspired by Panic’s single display view, our execution of the status board is comprised of this hardware:</p> <ul> <li>3 47” <a href="http://pro.sony.com/bbsc/ssr/product-FWDS47H1/%20">Sony FWDS47H1</a><span><a href="http://pro.sony.com/bbsc/ssr/product-FWDS47H1/%20"> </a></span><a href="http://pro.sony.com/bbsc/ssr/product-FWDS47H1/%20">pro displays</a> with a super thin bezel and DVI input, rotated 90 degrees</li> <li>1 Mac Mini</li> <li>A USB to DVI converter to add 1 more DVI out to the Mac Mini’s existing 2 video ports</li> </ul> <p><img src="http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l3et09rHTp1qzy26ao1_500.jpg" width="500" height="375"/></p> <p>Software: I wrote a rails app that our staff has access to which enables posting of new “slides”. Each slide is comprised of the individual 3 screens. Each screen can have:</p> <ul> <li>An uploaded image (of a full resolution of 1080 x 1920)</li> <li>HTML, to load URLs via an iframe — such as live feed RSS pages, stats, charts, web sites, etc.</li> <li>Or provide a URL that takes an automatic screenshot at the full resolution. This feature is powered by a separate screenshot web service we have for other reasons.</li> </ul> <p>The server-side app lets you create new slides, edit existing slides, move slides to the playlist, re-order the playlist, specify how long each slide displays for, etc. The Mac Mini runs a main Chrome window that loads a JS app which loads the JSON data for the playlist, checks if the playlist updated or not, opens 3 new browser windows, and manages the slide transitions and timers. To hide the mouse pointer, we use Doomlaser’s <a href="http://doomlaser.com/cursorcerer-hide-your-cursor-at-will/">Cursorcerer</a>.</p> <p>This execution is a hybrid slide show app as well as a live data dash board for stats, a map for where our last sale occurred in real-time, our most recent artist web sites (live), etc.</p> <p>Here are some <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69143677@N00/4667055527/in/set-72157624198535258/">screenshots</a> for the RoR app.</p> <p> <object width="100%" height="300px"> <param name="flashvars" value="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2F69143677%40N00%2Fsets%2F72157624198535258%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2F69143677%40N00%2Fsets%2F72157624198535258%2F&set_id=72157624198535258&jump_to="> <param name="movie" value="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649"> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"> <embed width="100%" height="300px" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649" allowfullscreen="true" flashvars="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2F69143677%40N00%2Fsets%2F72157624198535258%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2F69143677%40N00%2Fsets%2F72157624198535258%2F&set_id=72157624198535258&jump_to="></embed></object> </p>http://nilson.net/post/661298997http://nilson.net/post/661298997Thu, 03 Jun 2010 19:02:00 -0400WorkSony Music<img src="http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l3et09rHTp1qzy26ao1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>New D2C “InfoWall”. 3 Sony Pro screens using a Chrome browser and Rails app to show screen shots, images, and web pages.</p>http://nilson.net/post/657917746http://nilson.net/post/657917746Wed, 02 Jun 2010 18:55:18 -0400<p>NYTimes: Apple to Shut Down Lala Music Site <a href="http://nyti.ms/c2m0Cm">http://nyti.ms/c2m0Cm</a></p>http://nilson.net/post/563785788http://nilson.net/post/563785788Sat, 01 May 2010 14:40:31 -0400<img src="http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l1crjq7tGw1qzy26ao1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Toco in the wind on Westend Ave.</p>http://nilson.net/post/544116678http://nilson.net/post/544116678Fri, 23 Apr 2010 19:21:00 -0400Toco<img src="http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l15gpdRcKJ1qzy26ao1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>@ the Blue Note seeing the Berklee Jazz ensemble.</p>http://nilson.net/post/534499720http://nilson.net/post/534499720Mon, 19 Apr 2010 20:43:00 -0400<img src="http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l11sioZaDA1qzy26ao1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Worn flag drop sighting in Hempstead, New York.</p>http://nilson.net/post/529385875http://nilson.net/post/529385875Sat, 17 Apr 2010 21:08:29 -0400<p>I just ousted David J. as the mayor of Celeste on @foursquare! <a href="http://4sq.com/dgHNMu">http://4sq.com/dgHNMu</a></p>http://nilson.net/post/512397667http://nilson.net/post/512397667Sun, 11 Apr 2010 01:46:36 -0400<img src="http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l0p0heBvgF1qzy26ao1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>My friend Kelvin at <a href="http://foursquare.com/venue/18397">Celeste — of which I am now the foursquare mayor</a>.</p>http://nilson.net/post/512120508http://nilson.net/post/512120508Sat, 10 Apr 2010 23:31:00 -0400<p>I am proud of @naveen and think his @foursquare baby has reached the tipping point. Congrats!!</p>http://nilson.net/post/457831459http://nilson.net/post/457831459Thu, 18 Mar 2010 21:51:04 -0400<p>I just unlocked the “Bender” badge on @foursquare! <a href="http://4sq.com/dB5oPq">http://4sq.com/dB5oPq</a></p>http://nilson.net/post/455387435http://nilson.net/post/455387435Wed, 17 Mar 2010 19:53:15 -0400<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kzedyrRmpG1qzy26ao1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Rangers vs Montreal at the Garden in CA Box.</p>http://nilson.net/post/453115941http://nilson.net/post/453115941Tue, 16 Mar 2010 19:15:13 -0400<p>I just unlocked the “Far Far Away” badge on @foursquare! <a href="http://4sq.com/9GgOc0">http://4sq.com/9GgOc0</a></p>http://nilson.net/post/449019895http://nilson.net/post/449019895Sun, 14 Mar 2010 22:33:17 -0400<p>Get more cheese. (@ Celeste) <a href="http://4sq.com/dgHNMu">http://4sq.com/dgHNMu</a></p>http://nilson.net/post/449019904http://nilson.net/post/449019904Sun, 14 Mar 2010 22:33:17 -0400<img src="http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kyk438YsGC1qzy26ao1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Waiting for the afternoon wind to kick in. Cabarete, Dominican Republic.</p>http://nilson.net/post/417640902http://nilson.net/post/417640902Sun, 28 Feb 2010 09:54:36 -0500CabareteKite Surfing<object width="400" height="325"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/1x17CGgMdg8&rel=0&egm=0&showinfo=0&fs=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/1x17CGgMdg8&rel=0&egm=0&showinfo=0&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="400" height="325" allowFullScreen="true" wmode="transparent"></embed></object><br/><br/><p>My nephew Nizar filming his brother Amir on a skateboard run in Köln and Basel. He’s 13 years old… I love his background track: <a title="Ain't No Love In The Heart Of The City" target="_blank" href="http://www.lala.com/song/432908570067756394">Ain’t No Love In The Heart Of the City</a></p>http://nilson.net/post/300465758http://nilson.net/post/300465758Fri, 25 Dec 2009 19:01:00 -0500Nizar<object width="400" height="253"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/YtW35EOMO-I&rel=0&egm=0&showinfo=0&fs=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/YtW35EOMO-I&rel=0&egm=0&showinfo=0&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="400" height="253" allowFullScreen="true" wmode="transparent"></embed></object><br/><br/><p><a href="http://www.tuengerthal.com">My dad</a> giving a speech in <a href="http://maps.google.de/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=de&geocode=&q=ningbo,+china&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Ningbo,+Zhejiang,+China&ll=29.868336,121.54399&spn=6.152428,9.525146&z=7">Ningbo, China</a>.</p>http://nilson.net/post/300425881http://nilson.net/post/300425881Fri, 25 Dec 2009 18:19:00 -0500Dad