favourite magazine

Ah yes, I like to read magazines. In early 80ties I was a still a kid, and in those times computers were much expensive, but I was so obsessed with computers – so you guess, I was not merely reading, but learning computer magazines by heart :)

Even today I like to read computer magazines, but they are much different now. The best ones are business oriented, and frankly I don’t care about business. For me science was always like a poetry, and I am always more eager to read interesting article about something theoretical or even about good computer game, than to read boring article about some database or something that will help someone improve his business, and earn a lot of money.

This is the reason, perhaps, why I am always silently quarreling with my wallet. But I remain a poet.

And today, it is so difficult to find good scientific magazine. Back in 80ties in Yugoslavia there was famous magazine Galaksija (Galaxy). It was about popular science. You could read there how to solve Rubik’s cube or how to build a solar house or a wind turbine. And articles about cosmos, which were so not business related. Remember the TV series about Cosmos by famous Carl Sagan. We loved to watch him here.

I bought few days ago National Geographic in serbian language. And it is great. Articles are well written. And on NG site you can find video material related to those articles. I wish to see good magazine about science here one day. Some of the articles in National Geographic Magazine you can read here, they are in section Features.

In the meantime I read Nature and New Scientist sometimes, in English. They are really good.

And I like to read about expensive things I cannot buy – like magazines about yachts, or good hi-fi and hi-end magazines.

What is your favourite magazine and what do you like to read?

all I NEED (now) is radio ga ga

Radio – radio
I’d sit alone and watch your light
My only friend through teenage nights
And everything I had to know
I heard it on my radio

You gave them all those old time stars
Through wars of worlds – invaded by Mars
You made ‘em laugh – you made ‘em cry
You made us feel like we could fly
Radio

(taken from the song by band Queen – Radio Ga Ga)

We are living in a time when we are thinking about concerts on DVD’s and about 7.1 speakers, but what happens to inspiration and awe of good old radio? What happened to that medium which was absolutely amazing before television? Nowdays we can listen to radio that is propagated by radio diffusion and FM modulation, and Internet radio stations which are there on the net, of course there are another modulations for ordinary radio which are more rare, and some lucky countries even have digital radio such as Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) or Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM).

But my main question for this post is – would you consider buying hi-fi radio receiver? You know, those marvellous looking devices that you can add to your hi-fi system and receive radio programs. I know some people who are giving large amounts of money for hi-end tube amplifiers (in order to avoid quantization noise at least in that component), but they say they would never buy a receiver as another component (I guess they would spend money on another component). And my opinion, oh well, I do not have money to buy hifi right now – but I would buy a receiver. I would like to listen radio on such device. And what is your opinion?

My favourite internet radio stations are SmoothJazz.com and Piano Whisperings and one fusion jazz station, I forgot now the link and the name.

No we must not forget the radio, and this is my appeal to all people who are working on radio, to give their best to make that media once more popular. Everything can be done through careful planning of all details. We simply have to have quality radio shows. And to end with Queen’s song again

Let’s hope you never leave old friend
Like all good things on you we depend
So stick around ‘cos we might miss you
When we grow tired of all this visual
You had your time – you had the power
You’ve yet to have your finest hour
Radio – radio

P.S. What is your favourite internet radio station? Share your opinion and the link here in comments please.