This video uses stop motion animations of ancient sculptures to show how culture has always been free and in fact only exists by building on the ideas that already existed.

Henry Jenkins talks about how “Transmedia” is changing the way we interact with media.

By Alex Massaad

The old media system is dying and a new system is being born. The major shift has been from spectatorial media where we participate one way, and participatory media where we can all collaborate and contribute.

This puts culture back in the hands of the average citizen. They can tell their own stories.

Historically important culture has been passed down orally. In the last couple hundred years important stories started to become owned by companies, limiting their free propagation. Now in the digital domain, we are rebalancing the “copyright” and innovating, recontextualizing and responding to the culture that is supposedly “owned” by companies.

Convergence culture means that every image, story etc, plays out over the web, cell phones, and all technologies through all topographies. And the result is a culture more complex than any individual could construct on their own.

The example that Jenkins uses is Obama’s presidential campaign. This had social media links which allowed official and participatory media to be uploaded on youtube and seen by everyone giving a way to new perspectives.

Henry Jenkins on Transmedia – November 2008 from niko on Vimeo.

Steve Jobs today introduced the Apple iPad, a handheld multitouch computer, and it’s likely to be the biggest music technology introduction of the year.

The iPad will be immediately useful as a musical tool, because it runs existing iPhone apps. As developers adapt their apps to the larger real estate, though, the Apple iPad should come into its own as a platform.

Pricing in USD:

• Wifi models
  • 16GB – $499
  • 32GB – $599
  • 64GB -$699
• 3G models
  • 16GB – $629
  • 32GB – $729
  • 64GB -$829

Look at what has been happening with the JazzMutant Lemur as a malleable music controller and what has already been happening with iPhone music apps, and it’s clear that music developers are going to have fun with the Apple iPad.

Take that as a starting point – day 1 for the Apple iPad as a music platform.

The iPad won’t replace the power of a dedicated music computer – but it is creating a new platform that will support new types of mobile music making and new ways of controlling and playing music.

And, while think the iPad is going to prove to be a big deal – we’d like to know what Apple has planned for multitasking, file management, access to the iTunes library, third-party device support and more.

Check out the specs for the Apple iPad and let us know what you think.

Is this thing going to change the way you make music this year?

Apple iPad Features:

• 9.7″ Full capacitive multitouch screen
• .5″ thick
• 1 GHz Apple A4 processor
• 16GB-GB Flash storage
• Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
• WiFi 802.11n
• Built-in speaker, microphone, 30-pin connectors
• Accelerometer
• Compass
• 10 hour battery life in use
• Runs all iPhone apps
• 3G wireless options, with a $30/month unlimited plan, with international options by the summer.