May 5, 2012 editorial: comments

Dear Fellow Audiofanziners!

Freshmen are not like they used to be.  I recently read this piece about a college Freshman Derek Low who set up his Berkeley dorm room with a system called the 'Berkeley Ridiculously Automated Dorm.' The system includes automated lighting, drapes, music, motion detection, etc. and it is controlled through voice recognition, wireless remote and of course the necessary iPhone and iPad that no Freshman can survive without.   He started this setup in February and just now finished (in time for finals and move out?).  Wow!  OK this takes me back to my Freshman dorm where the biggest tech advance was my illegal hot plate and an internet dial up tone.  

Looking at his room though (see video on his site), some things haven't change at all- the tiny co-ed bedrooms with bunk beds at extraordinary rent fees.  Only Freshmen would accept to live like that.  So I guess Derek decided to spice it up a bit, and I imagine all his DIY electrician's manipulation of the room did not make the university happy.  Can we say "good bye rent deposit"?  Well, it doesn't matter- it's a small price to pay for internet fame.

Chater-La