When iPhone turns into an Orchestra (Technology)

Welcome to the orchestra of the XXI Century. The reason? Because the iPhone can been used together with various musical instruments with additional applications.

A new course at the University of Michigan in the United States offers its students to design, create and play various instruments at Apple Inc. The students who have been creating and designing these applications will perform in a concert to be held on 9 December.

The university said that the team believed that the course, called "Building a Mobile Phone Ensemble", is the first in the world. The course is taught by Georg Essl, a computer scientist and musician who has worked on the development of mobile phones and musical instruments.

Essl teaches how iPhone application can be used to replace the instrument. One successful application made was called Ocarina which basically changed the phone into ancient instrument like the flute.

"We are not confined to the traditional physical instruments. We can do interesting activities, strange, and unusual. This type of technology was used to be a baby, but it is a growing field to use the iPhone for artistic expression," he said.

Essl said to turn your iPhone into music instrument, students need to program the device to process information from many sensors that have sensor devices such as sound and touch sensors.

"The touch screen, microphone, GPS, compass, wireless sensors and accelerometer, all of them can be modified so that when you use your finger to navigate around the display, blowing air into the microphone, tilt or shake the phone, for example, different voices are coming out," he said.

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How to withdraw Adsense Payments using Public Bank’s Western Union (Adsense)

Google has been introducing Western Union Quick Cash payments for Malaysian publishers since late September 2007. I received my first check from Google around November 2007.

During that time the only method I used is to fill a form with RHB Bank and submit my foreign check for processing, and then wait for 30-40 days before the payment arrived. Each check clearance costed me RM15.15 with RHB Bank.

How do I know about Western Union?

I only turned to Western Union for Adsense payments in November 2009, which I could have done two years earlier. Thanks to AdesBlog.com and the Western Union signboard displayed outside RHB Bank, finally I decided to withdraw for the first time using Western Union.

Western Union Agents in Malaysia:

CIMB Bank, Pos Malaysia, RHB Bank, Public Bank, Bank Simpanan Nasional


Step By Step Instructions How to fill Public Bank’s Western Union (To Receive Money) Form

1. To receive money from Western Union a yellow form (to receive money) is required. It can be obtained from the customer service (front counter) or foreign remittance department.

2. While in the foreign remittance counter the officer asked me if this is the first time I used Western Union’s service, I replied YES, which requires me to get my national identity card photocopied for their own reference.

3. Start from the top under the RECEIVER, fill in the date, give a tick on Resident (for Malaysian resident), fill in first name, last name, address, city, country, postcode, sex, nationality, telephone no., place of birth, date of birth, I.C./Passport no., Occupation, Name of Employer/Business, Business/Employment Type

4. For occupation like in my case I fill in Marketing; for Name of Employer/ Business I fill in GOOGLE INC. and for Business/Employment Type I fill in IT (Information Technology)

5. Next is the SENDER, give a tick on Non-Resident as Google is based in the United States. Proceed to First Name and fill in GOOGLE INC. Leave Last Name BLANK.

6. Next is the City/ Country Money Sent From, just fill in United States of America (USA) as Google is located in USA.

7. Next is Amount Expected (RM). Since the Google amount that I received is in US Dollars I just key in USD$xxx.xx as I do not know the exact exchange rate.

8. Next is Test Question. Leave it BLANK as we are not required to fill anything there.

9. Next is Answer. Leave it BLANK too just like above.

10. Next is Message From Sender. Leave it BLANK.

11. Next is Money Transfer Control Number. This is the most important part, you must key in the 10 digit number exactly what Google have given you from your Adsense account.

12. Next is PURPOSE CODE. Put a tick on Current Transfer

13. Proceed to Customer’s Signature and sign it.

14. Check everything to ensure especially the SENDER part and your FIRST NAME and LAST NAME is filled correctly before submitting the form.

15. Wait for the officer’s processing. This should take 10-15 minutes and you will get your payment in RM, everything in cash, in accordance with the latest exchange rate and they will give you a copy of the receipt. And one good thing is the bank doesn’t charge a single cent for the withdrawal.

Please note the above instructions apply ONLY to receive money using Public Bank’s Western Union. Other local banks may require you to fill in Google’s address in USA, etc.

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