Listening Together

Podcasting presents a form of communication that is aural in nature, and as such generates innovative possibilities for the practice of public music theory. An intimate and personality-driven medium, podcasting reframes “what counts” as music theory. Since podcasting is an enterprise dependent on listener attention, it raises the stakes for why music theory matters. Podcasting diverges from typical academic discourse in its emphasis on story and humanity, requiring theorists to make transparent their interpretative models. This chapter relates the history of podcasting technology, surveys the landscape of public music theory podcasts, and considers the benefits and limitations of this nascent field.

Is foreign technology acquisition to complement or substitute for internal technology development? A case of manufacturing enterprises in Vietnam

Purpose This paper aims to examine whether foreign technology acquisition is complementary to internal technology development in the context of a developing country. Design/methodology/approach The selection model developed by Heckman (1979) was applied with the balanced panel data of manufacturing enterprises from the Annual Enterprise and Technology Surveys from 2012 to 2016 conducted by the Vietnamese General Statistics Organization. Findings The results indicate that foreign technology acquisition and internal technology development are complementary innovation options. Particularly, the number of patents granted for manufacturing enterprises positively affects the probability that enterprises acquire foreign technologies. This effect is stronger in cases of high-tech industries than in cases of low-tech industries. Research limitations/implications Regarding the relationship between internal technology development and foreign technology acquisition, the findings suggest that adoption of foreign technology acquisition and priority in budget allocation for foreign technology acquisition are different in nature and that budget allocation is a more complex issue and may depend on other factors. Practical implications For developing countries, governments should adopt policies supporting domestic enterprises in acquiring technologies from advanced countries that could complement the locally developed technologies. These supports should focus on the high-tech or high-innovation rate industries. Originality/value In the context of a developing economy, the complementary effect of internal technology development and foreign technology acquisition is stronger in cases of the high-tech industries than in cases of the low-tech industries.

Environmental and health impacts of electric service vessels in the recreational boating industry

Recreational boating is increasing in popularity worldwide, prompting challenges concerning pollution management, aquatic ecosystem preservation, and waterway access. Electric boating technology may provide a sustainable alternative to gasoline-powered boats, helping to address these challenges. In this study, the environmental and health impacts associated with using electric service vessels in the recreational boating industry were assessed. The focus was on pump-out boats, which enable the sanitary management of human waste generated onboard recreational vessels, as a tractable model of the whole recreational boating service sector. To query stakeholder attitudes about changing to electric technology, surveys were distributed to a nationwide network of pump-out boat service providers. A wide range of attitudes exists among this group towards the adoption of electric technology, and financial concerns dominate the anticipated barriers to electric technology adoption. A life-cycle assessment of electric and gasoline-powered pump-out boats revealed that electric boats have lower lifetime greenhouse gas emissions than do gasoline-powered equivalents, especially when electric boats are charged using renewable resources. Our study demonstrates that already-existing electric technology is a sustainable alternative to gasoline combustion in the boating service sector, and identifies the key challenges remaining for the widespread adoption of electric service boats.

Teleworkers, Trips, and Telecommunications: Technology Drives Telework—But Does It Reduce Trips?

Work-at-home data from federal and proprietary survey series are analyzed to determine why counts of people who work at home do not agree and to gain new insight into the impact of technology and telecommunications on telework and trip reduction. Questions were added to surveys including the American Housing Survey, Current Population Survey, and nationwide personal transportation survey by using a piggybacking strategy. The analysis found that the total number of persons who work at home as a percentage of total workers appears to be holding steady at about 16% to 17%. Similarly, the number of employees doing any work at home has not markedly increased. Work at home during the business day has risen sharply, apparently because of the increased availability of personal computers and the Internet in homes, but the rise may be leveling off. The analysis suggests that the occupational groups most likely to increase in numbers and frequency of teleworking are managerial and professional groups and sales. Countertrends that may decrease telework are discussed. The analysis illustrates the value of adding work-at-home questions to employment, housing, and technology surveys as well as to travel surveys. It emphasizes the need for consistency in questioning over time and the elimination of the use of jargon from surveys so that trends can be monitored.