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The violinist problem

Business

Two hundred years ago, there were a lot of violinists. Many made a living at it.

If you were of means and wanted to hear music, your best option was to hire someone to play it for you.

Of course, the invention of the phonograph and the radio changed all of that. Now, one great violinist could be heard by millions, not dozens of people.

The result is that there are now only two sorts of violinists:

  1. People who play the violin because they love it. They might get paid, but they probably don’t.
  2. People who are so good at playing the violin that it’s worth hiring them instead of listening to a recording. They bring humanity, possibility and power to their performance in a way that no streaming service ever could.

If you are hoping to make a living as a pretty good violinist, you were born in the wrong century.

As you’ve already guessed, we’re all violinists now.

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Swedish startup unveils Starlink alternative — that Musk can’t switch off

Business


A new pocket-sized Starlink alternative promises secure military communications — safe from interference by billionaire CEOs. The system, named the RU1, was unveiled today by Swedish startup TERASi. It’s billed as the world’s smallest and lightest mm-Wave radio, a form of communications that offers blazing-fast speeds and huge bandwidth. James Campion, the CEO and co-founder of TERASi, describes the portable device as “the GoPro of backhaul radios.” “RU1 can be deployed in minutes to keep units connected in fast-changing environments,” Campion told TNW. The devices, he continued, can be installed on tripods or drones. Multiple RU1s can then link into…

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