Month: June 2016

  • El Huervo – Rest

    El Huervo – Rest

    It starts gently enough. A minute later, the second movement kicks in and any seasoned listener knows that they’re in for a good ride. It ebbs and flows, playing our imagination’s chords. It teases us for a while and then, a bit more than half-way through, it comes. Spitting fire and awesome low frequencies, the song’s third movement is what the artist was preparing us for all along. Enjoy the trip!

    You can listen to the song for free, in good quality, on BandCamp, which is one of the best websites when it comes to supporting artists. You can also purchase the song (or album) from this same location.

    https://elhuervo.bandcamp.com/track/rest^

    YouTube (decent quality):

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7XsHItaDhY^

    For Spotify Users (high quality):

    https://open.spotify.com/track/14pON73BJCCrUCziLfwjpj^

    For Deezer Users (high quality):

    http://www.deezer.com/track/21228881^

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  • The Uncertain Future of the Internet

    The Uncertain Future of the Internet

    As one of the most, if not the most powerful force for change, the Internet’s future is a cause for concern. In the past decade, governments and corporations have increasingly encroached upon our freedom and privacy. These entities will use every possible excuse to rein-in the transformative power of the Internet.

    As more people get connected, the Internet is becoming a mirror of our society. The good, the bad, the beautiful, the horrible, we can all find it online. Our society isn’t perfect. With such an educational system, who can even expect it to be? But regulatory bodies can now motivate various restrictions as being “for our own good”, this being one of the age-old excuses that our masters have used when trying to deprive us of something:

    https://www.rt.com/op-edge/345063-internet-mousetrap-shut-freedom/^

    But here’s the good news. The Internet is still at its very beginning. The fifty or so years^ that have passed since the first research into packet switching might seem like a lot. But really, compared to other technologies that have been around for hundreds or thousands of years, it’s not. Here’s a good article driving this point home:

    http://new.www.huffingtonpost.com/kevin-kelly/the-internet-is-still-at-the-beginning_b_10321958.html^

    We’re still in danger of governments depriving us^ of what is becoming our voice as a species (more than 40% of the world population is now online). Keep this in mind next time you read about efforts to protect the freedom and independence of the Internet.

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  • Om Unit – The Silence (feat. Jinadu)

    Om Unit – The Silence (feat. Jinadu)

    Every now and then, a song manages to evoke the feeling and wonder of falling in love. The melody’s powerful lyrics are accompanied by a beautiful composition and carried by a passionate voice. Such art makes me happy that I have been given the opportunity to experience all… THIS.

    “I look into your eyes,
    such a delicate array of light
    surrounds you now
    Dancing in the afterglow,
    your sacred heart
    who calls my name
    How I long to be
    in the center of your storm
    that rages gracefully
    Landscapes made of light by the setting of your sun

    The silence, it burns away my darkest thoughts
    The silence, it opens up my every door

    Breaking into my heart, suppress the doubt
    Ushering the courage, the restless fight within me now
    Open up the story, the pages burn
    Breathing into this life, serenity in every part

    The silence, it burns away my darkest thoughts
    The silence, it opens up my every door”

    You can listen to the song for free, in good quality, on BandCamp, which is one of the best websites when it comes to supporting artists. You can also purchase the song (or album) from this same location. And in case you’re wondering, yes, I did purchase Om Unit’s album :).

    https://omunit.bandcamp.com/track/the-silence-feat-jinadu^

    YouTube (decent quality):

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqbwZk5F-dw^

    For Spotify Users (high quality):

    https://open.spotify.com/track/7zvHfrNp03wxHLLOeWlu0Z^

    For Deezer Users (high quality):

    http://www.deezer.com/track/71929706^

    [ax_meta lnimgurl=’http://mentatul.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/00739-OmUnitThreads-Thumb.jpg’ lnimgw=’250′ lnimgh=’250′ title=’Om Unit – The Silence (feat. Jinadu)’ desc=’Every now and then, a song manages to evoke the feeling and wonder of falling in love.’]

  • Cyber-Warfare is Scary

    Cyber-Warfare is Scary

    When we read in the press about “hacking”, it’s mostly about software-based attacks. It may be about exploiting a vulnerability to reveal passwords or attacking an insecure computer. Then there’s the entire social-engineering aspect to it, which is basically hacking a person’s mind (can also be seen as a person’s software).

    Cyber-warfare^ has been defined as “actions by a nation-state to penetrate another nation’s computers or networks for the purposes of causing damage or disruption”. Serious confrontations are also going on between corporations, with industrial espionage being one of the main drivers. Unlike in real war, because a single individual can take on an entire nation through the use of clever hacking, the boundaries between these “size categories” are blurred.

    In addition to the myriad ways a target can be hacked through software, there’s something far more insidious and dangerous that can happen. Hardware-based attacks:

    https://www.wired.com/2016/06/demonically-clever-backdoor-hides-inside-computer-chip/^

    What the article above explains is how tiny hardware back-doors can be baked inside any integrated circuit. It’s not news that this is doable, but what is news is that it’s way too easy to achieve and almost impossible to detect. Even in the case of the highly advanced computer processors that are inside all our devices. Apparently it can be done by a single (well trained) person working inside the factory that manufactures the chip.

    Such modifications are extremely hard to detect. It’s quite tempting to go a bit paranoid when thinking about how many of our mission-critical processors are manufactured in Asia. China has lately started to re-assert itself technologically and militarily. There was an age when airplanes and bombs would decide the fate of a war. That age is slowly fading away.

    [ax_meta lnimgurl=’http://mentatul.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/00730-CyberWarfareIsScary-Thumb.jpg’ lnimgw=’250′ lnimgh=’250′ title=’Cyber-Warfare is Scary’ desc=’A single (well trained) person working inside a factory that manufactures electronics can bake a hardware back-door inside any integrated circuit.’]

  • John Oliver Destroys Donald Trump

    John Oliver Destroys Donald Trump

    This may be almost four months old by now, but I believe it’s more actual than ever. So please enjoy and feel free to share the link to all your friends who care about the world they’ll leave as heritage to their children:

    http://m.motherjones.com/mixed-media/2016/02/john-oliver-donald-trump^

    [ax_meta lnimgurl=’http://mentatul.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/00724-JohnOliverDonaldTrump-Thumb.jpg’ lnimgw=’250′ lnimgh=’250′ title=’John Oliver Destroys Donald Trump’ desc=’John Oliver speaks the truth about Donald Trump.’]

  • Bluetech – 667 (Kalya Scintilla Remix)

    Bluetech – 667 (Kalya Scintilla Remix)

    With its incredible sound palette, a supreme composition and excellent production values, this is one of the best songs I’ve ever heard. There’s so much going on in these five minutes that it’s almost unbearable. Close your eyes now and let two of the masters of psybient play with your mind. Your imagination will cry with joy.

    You can listen to the song for free, in good quality, on BandCamp, which is one of the best websites when it comes to supporting artists. You can also purchase the song (or album) from this same location. And in case you’re wondering, yes, I did purchase Kalya Scintilla’s album :).

    https://kalyascintilla.bandcamp.com/track/bluetech-667-kalya-scintilla-remix^

    YouTube (decent quality):

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lV8M49ad6vs^

    For Spotify Users (high quality):

    https://open.spotify.com/track/2MzIlZFxjgkE1c5Ovbxnbi^

    For Deezer Users (high quality):

    http://www.deezer.com/track/69065504^

    [ax_meta lnimgurl=’http://mentatul.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/00716-BluetechKalya667-Thumb.jpg’ lnimgw=’250′ lnimgh=’250′ title=’Bluetech – 667 (Kalya Scintilla Remix)’ desc=’With its incredible sound palette, a supreme composition and excellent production values, this is one of the best songs I've ever heard’]

  • Social Contribution Inequality

    Social Contribution Inequality

    There has been a lot of talk in the past decades about income inequality and for good reason. Various factors contribute to income inequality, such as the political orientation of a country or its economic status. But at the root of unfair reward systems lies a way of thinking that associates people with the immediate economic benefit that they bring to a group. In other words: no long-term strategy.

    Such reasoning made more sense in a past when a famine could threaten the survival of an entire culture. Even though we live in quite different times (many countries are approaching post-scarcity economy^), our instinct hasn’t quite caught up yet. This is not entirely surprising given how fast we’ve evolved in the past centuries. Our “firmware” hasn’t had enough time to adapt. So, we’re still prone to terribly pragmatic and survivalist decision-making. Social contribution inequality is the result of this style of thinking. It is the poor rewarding of some members of society because others do not immediately see them as being profitable.

    Valuing the unexpected

    As history shows, the leading figures that have shone the light upon our evolution have come from the most unexpected of backgrounds. It is not only the producers (the “immediately profitable people”), but also the inventors and artists who have contributed into bringing us here, alive and prosperous. Therefore, we have a lot to gain by updating our social platforms to favor and nurture everybody. Otherwise, the next Leonardo Da Vinci, Nicola Tesla or Albert Einstein may never get the opportunity to change the course of history.

    On the other side, we have those that we consider parasites, or those that, due to a lack of education or opportunity, have turned to crime. How many of them could have found something useful to do, had society given them the means to? And how many people actually turn to crime precisely because the educational system hasn’t found an economically-viable label to slap onto their foreheads?

    There are many people who, despite not having a job, are heavily engaged in ensuring the well-being of a community. These are people who care, who help, who volunteer for all sorts of projects. Often, incredible and unexpected ideas spring from such individuals. Today, I think we are wise enough to understand that the smartest investment that we can do is in our society.

    Getting rid of the stigma

    The hardest but most important step that we, as a society, might have to take in order to usher a new age in cooperation, is to release humans from the social stigma of not having met certain social obligations. This is not to say that we should do away with education or jobs. But, respecting people and their potential without obligation or strings attached is a fantastic motivator. Humans have an inherent desire to improve themselves. Make room for this to happen and watch in awe.

    However, this will require extensive social changes. Some countries in Europe are in an advantageous situation when it comes to their ability to implement the next-generation social infrastructure. Other countries will need a long time to twist their outdated mentalities into groundbreaking new directions. It might be, however, the only way any nation can remain competitive in the digital age.

    As a bit of a side-note here: smaller entities and organizations will outrun sprawling bureaucratic nation-states. The sooner governments realize this, the better for all of us. The race for supremacy in the 22nd century has already begun.

    Appreciating art

    Artists improve our quality of life. The importance and reach of this sort of contribution is beyond imagination. Beside the revenue generated by artistic events and tourism, art has inspired people to do things that have furthered our civilization. Just think of how many inventions originated from the ideas of artists. Let’s take Star Trek for example. It is a highly profitable franchise, but has also served as an inspiration for several revolutionary technologies.

    Yet, artists are among the worst compensated members of society. In some countries, even in Europe, children are warned against trying to become writers or painters because “you can’t make a decent living off of that”. This is a revolting state of affairs. We’re surrounded by the creations of countless generations before us, which should stand testament to the everlasting power of art.

    Solutions

    No country has yet implemented Unconditional Basic Income^, but it would be a step in the right direction. However, this will still not remove the stigma placed on people who do not seem to contribute to society in any way. But are they really not contributing? Many heroes have risen from anonymity. Countless artists were inspired by people who we might never know.

    The discussion surrounding Universal Basic Income is still too heated. Perhaps we should take the middle path and create an array of new “jobs”. This might appease those people that are not yet ready to understand that the concept of a “job” is eventually going to be outdated^.

    There should be no need to enroll in a political party or in a corporation. These jobs should be done in the service of the community one belongs to. In this way, we may find fine organizers, inspiring leaders, enterprising spirits and who knows what other synergies of talents?

    Once we’ve taken this step, we can continue by offering education in all sorts of such jobs. People could be trained to become better volunteers or leaders or whatever activity they can find for themselves in the context of the current technological revolution. It is not outrageous to think we can trust most people to find a purpose for themselves.

    Somebody wants to play games all day? Fine, there’s a huge market for that. Here’s some education on how it can be done better. The only reason for restricting education is because an educated, independent population is a huge threat for those that wish to manipulate it.

    This isn’t going to erase criminality or provide an instant fix for all of our society’s problems, but it will probably improve the quality of life. With the proper education, humanity is ready for the next step. Luckily, the digital age is the perfect ramp to launch us in the right direction. Now the question is: will we use this ramp wisely?

    [ax_meta fbimgurl=’http://mentatul.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/00700-SocialContributionInequality-Share.jpg’ lnimgurl=’http://mentatul.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/00700-SocialContributionInequality-Thumb.jpg’ fbimgw=’1170′ fbimgh=’350′ lnimgw=’250′ lnimgh=’250′ title=’Social Contribution Inequality’ desc=’Social contribution inequality is the poor rewarding of some members of society because others do not immediately see them as being valuable.’]

  • Delerium – Silence (feat. Sarah McLachlan)

    Delerium – Silence (feat. Sarah McLachlan)

    Let yourself soar through a heavenly landscape of sound. You’ll find that Sarah’s moving voice has the perfect companion in the beautifully orchestrated instrumental ladder towards perfection.

    This melody was famous almost a decade ago due to a remix by Tiesto, which, in my opinion, completely ruined the sacred feeling of this amazingly powerful song.

    Even though I had heard Delerium before, it was a car ride around the year 2011 that brought the band back into my life. Even at low volume and interrupted by occasional conversation, this song shone through. This time, I was ready to explore what has become my unrivaled, favorite band for the past 5 years straight.

    Delerium’s art might be confused with a sort of danceable, electronic pop music. Perhaps this is good, because hiding under the easy-listenable sounds are often very beautiful lyrics. For every hit-song, there are many gems hidden among Delerium’s albums, just waiting to be discovered.

    Let the ritual begin :).

    “Passion chokes the flower, till she cries no more
    Possessing all the beauty, hungry still for more.

    Heaven holds a sense of wonder, and I wanted to believe
    That I’d get caught up when the rage in me subsides
    In this white wave I am sinking, in this silence
    In this white wave, in this silence, I believe”

    YouTube (decent quality):

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZA-je1_Ejq0^

    For Spotify Users (high quality):

    http://open.spotify.com/track/3bXrCFPfNNgYdzgFZRh2Mn^

    For Deezer Users (high quality):

    http://www.deezer.com/track/76564538^

    All Lyrics:

    http://www.metrolyrics.com/silence-lyrics-delerium.html^

    This Weekly Song entry has been brought from the FaceBook archive of Weekly Song^. This project was originally started through a FaceBook page, about 13 months prior to launching Mentatul. Slowly but surely, the entire FaceBook archive will be brought here.

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  • nVidia GeForce 1080 and AMD RX 480 – the Video Cards of June 2016

    nVidia GeForce 1080 and AMD RX 480 – the Video Cards of June 2016

    This June is a good month to be a gamer. Both nVidia and AMD have announced new graphical processing units that exhibit vast improvements over the previous generation. After being stuck for almost four years on the now-primitive 28 nanometer lithography, the GPU manufacturers have jumped straight to 14 (AMD) and 16 (nVidia), skipping over the intermediate step of 20-22 nanometers.

    In combination with switching over to multigate transistors^, this technological leap allows the new video cards to achieve a boost of up to 40% in performance at a much lower price than the previous generation. In terms of price/performance ratio, we’re looking at an improvement between 60% and 80%. That’s massive. We haven’t seen such a leap in GPU technology for many years.

    It’s also important to note that nVidia and AMD are not directly competing this time around. nVidia took to the high end with its Pascal microarchitecture while AMD went mainstream with Polaris. AMD’s RX will offer the best value, but if you want maximum quality Virtual Reality gaming, then nVidia is your only option.

    The new video cards aren’t widely available yet and a shortage can be expected in the coming months. But make no mistake; these new models will kick some serious pixel! I want to make sure you’re aware of this and for heaven’s sake, don’t buy any of the previous generation video cards. The new arrivals are making them beyond obsolete.

    There are a lot of “trap products” out there right now. In a perfect example of bad timing, Asus just unveiled a beastly, liquid-cooled gaming laptop. Unfortunately, it has the obsolete GPUs inside. In six months, a lighter laptop will be more than capable of humiliating this one:

    http://www.tomshardware.com/news/asus-gx700-gx701-water-cooled-strix-gl502-thin-and-light,31888.html^

    And don’t worry; there will be plenty of new video cards to choose from. MSI, a video card manufacturer, will release no less than five options using the same GeForce 1080 GPU. Talk about consumerism:

    http://www.tomshardware.com/news/msi-nvidia-gtx-1080-gpus,31913.html^

    Last but not least, I’m very interested what these new GPUs will bring for a certain emerging product category: virtual reality backpacked computers. It was only a matter of time until some company would try to address the issue of people tripping onto the cables they use to connect their high-end Head Mounted Display to the computer. As goofy as it sounds, do not underestimate the temptation of VR gaming. These products will sell.

    And, to confirm what I’ve just said, it turns out that it’s more than just one company developing these things. The only catch is that, unsurprisingly, manufacturers are using the recently obsoleted GPUs. I imagine that in about 6 months, when nVidia’s mobile Pascal will have shown up, these backpacks could become quite a product, especially for those interested in VR gaming:

    http://www.tomshardware.com/news/vr-backpacks-msi-zotac-chaintek,31974.html^

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  • Boris Brejcha – Commander Tom

    Boris Brejcha – Commander Tom

    Minimal techno has always fascinated me. So much is possible, despite the relatively austere sound palette. A clever song construction is necessary to make this sort of music pleasant, and Boris Brejcha more than accomplishes this.

    Through almost 8 minutes, the melody is built and re-built around what is easy to dismiss as a relatively straight-forward bass beat. But listen carefully to the changing tonality of that beat and you will understand that this song is anything but straight-forward.

    YouTube (decent quality):

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1duk7rv9Xys

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1duk7rv9Xys^

    For Spotify Users (high quality):

    https://open.spotify.com/track/1eUIqiYxxiZ1GuCZLGNjX6^

    For Deezer Users (high quality):

    http://www.deezer.com/track/51162271^

    [ax_meta lnimgurl=’http://mentatul.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/00681-BorisBrejchaCommanderTom-Thumb.jpg’ lnimgw=’250′ lnimgh=’250′ title=’Boris Brejcha – Commander Tom’ desc=’Minimal techno has always fascinated me. So much is possible, despite the relatively austere sound palette.’]