OLPC G1G1 offer is ending soon
As reported by u2.com (login required) last month, The Edge has contributed to the One Laptop Per Child non-profit organization by creating a custom startup sound for the XO laptop. Your chance to get a laptop, and to empower the children of developing countries, is soon drawing to a close for the current offering period. If you’d like to support the cause, head over to laptop.org right now for more details on how you can contribute and give one more child access to knowledge and modern forms of education.
Having received one of these XO machines just in time for Christmas, I set out on a hunt for the startup sound. It took longer than expected, but in the process I was able to find a number of startup sounds, two of which are of particular interest. The first was apparently used for some time during development until such a time that the final sound had been provided. Below you will find links to these two sounds. Before simply downloading these and forgetting about OLPC, please consider donating.
Prototype sound (named startup.flac but downloads as data-startup.flac), used approximately from September 24, 2007 to November 13, 2007*
Final sound, used since September 19, 2007*
* These dates represent when the files were added or removed to the XO firmware and software projects, not necessarily when they showed up in products shipped to consumers.
Do you hear what I hear?
As in years past we at U2log.com are excited to keep our tradition alive by bringing you some goodies to keep you company through the holiday season and into the new year.
This year we are pleased to share with you some rare gems from our vinyl vault. But before we open the vault we would like to present you with the following message.
It was 20 years ago today:
- Vicki Iovine introduces A Very Special Christmas, taken from a US cassette promo.
- An edited version of Christmas (Baby Please Come Home), taken from that same promo.
From the vinyl vault:
- I Will Follow (Special Edited DJ Version), from a UK 7″ promo.
- An edited version of Fire, from a UK 7″ promo.
- An edited version of Gloria, from a UK 7″ promo.
- An insanely rare edited version of Gloria, from an Argentine 7″ promo.
These downloads will be available for a limited time only. A big thank you goes out to our friend Rajiv Udani for providing some of these rarities!
Merry Christmas!
U2 3D movie opens January 23
Watch the trailer and get your own widget from u23dmovie.com.
Oldie interview at NME
Celebrate ‘Joshua Tree’ 20th anniversary with classic U2 interview | News | NME.COM
Man about Tree
Got questions about The Joshua Tree? Paul McGuinness will try to answer them on Phantom 105.2 Irish radio, during a two-hours Album Archive special on Sunday December 9th at 10:00pm GMT.
Send your questions to: webmaster@phantom.ie
Five 12-inch vinyl records
VISIONAIRE. A portable record player. Including U2, Michael Stipe and many others
Permanent Hiatus
Archives
U2 News Links
- U2 Fan Survey 2012: Third Set of Results Available May 23, 2012The third set of results from the 2012 U2 Fan Survey is now available, and it takes us through your votes on U2's albums and songs. As a reminder, the survey was open from April 5th through April 30th. We received completed responses from 3,530 fans in 79 countries this year, both of which are down from 2010. We think that's likely due to the band […]
- A Look at My U2 Framed Album Cover Wall (PHOTOS) May 22, 2012How would you like to have a wall in your house covered with perfectly framed U2 album cover art? You could just have your favorite U2 albums on the wall or, like me, you could go all the way and put every U2 album on display in order — like this: That’s one of the [...]This is a post from the @U2 blog.A Look at My U2 Framed Album Cover Wall (PHOTOS) […]
- The Resource Miracle May 22, 2012[Note: This essay appeared in the May 28, 2012, edition of TIME magazine.] It's become the go-to cliché of modern economics. Natural resources are a "curse." When a nation is over-reliant on one or two commodities like oil or precious minerals, corrupt government ministers and their dodgy associates hoard profits and taxes instead of properly […]
- Bono Pays One More Tribute to Steve Jobs May 22, 2012Bono made an appearance via video tonight at the Webby Awards, contributing to a tribute to Steve Jobs. A host of tech legends and celebrities each paid tribute to Jobs in five words or less, a Webby Awards tradition. It looks like Bono’s contribution was recorded within the past week, but that’s just a guess. [...]This is a post from the @U2 blog.Bono Pays […]
- Billboard Music Awards: U2 Top Touring Artist May 21, 2012Gestern Abend wurden in der MGM Grand Garden Arena von Las Vegas die Billboard Music Awards 2012 verliehen. U2 wurden dabei - wie bereits im Jahr zuvor - in der Kategorie Top Touring Artist ausgezeichnet. Neben U2 waren in dieser Kategorie auch noch Bon Jovi, Taylor Swift, Take That und Roger Waters nominiert. ... […]