Yes, you are correct that the computational of running the smart contracts is very small in relation to the proof of work.
But actually, the main cost is not computation, but storage. Storage (any variable that is holding data inside the contracts) is extremely expensive because there is very little of it, and has to be persisted on the blockchain forever.
In fact, view functions that don't change the state of the blockchain can be executed for free at any time.
Seems really promising, but how does it work with browser extensions? For instance, I'm looking for something like this that will help me test my crypto app that uses metamask at various points through the app.
Also, no public pricing page is a bit of a turn off, especially when I created an account and still couldn't find any pricing info.
If someone could pull this idea off--or a similar idea around physical cash it could be a huge boon in countries like Venezuela that are primarily cash based still but the local currency is very weak.
The most concerning quote: "About 80 percent of Chinese students who get degrees abroad now go back — up from about 33 percent in 2007, according to China’s Ministry of Education. Some 15 percent take jobs in China’s booming tech sector."
Attracting top global talent has always been a competitive advance for America, and it's not a good sign for our economy if we can't retain people that we are educating here.
This is so true! I was the exact same when I started with abelton.
Someone told me you have to make 100 crap songs before your first good one. Best way to get better is to just start trying to make stuff and stop comparing your work to what you listen to on spotify. You'll improve faster than you think.
I agree with all of this, which I why I generally play more guitar than piano. I find it more expressive and I "feel" the music more.
That being said, I think a midi keyboard is the best interface for controlling software synths. Sadly, using guitar as a midi instrument doesn't really work that well and this is an area where the keyboard really shines. Would be curious to hear your thoughts though.
You might want to check out the roli seaboard, I have one and it's great for playing synths. A bit pricey but I enjoy it a lot. I got it because I was tired of making music through a UI and wanted to 'feel' it more like I do on the guitar.
I would also say any MIDI compatible keyboard is a good fit too, try to get something that has a pitch wheel though. The wheel will let you "bend" your sound and add some expressivity that just hitting the keys won't. I still think a midi keyboard is the best first interface for people that want to step into synth music.
Finishing in music is one of the hardest things to do. My approach is to try to write something small every day (I call these daily loops), and then flesh my favorite one of those out into a full song every 1-2 weeks. I find that without some sort of system like that I also go down the noodling rabbit whole and never put anything out.
One technique I use is to noodle in some scale, then whatever note I land on try to play that note's chord by ear. You'll hit a lot of wrong chords at first but over time your ear will get better.