Resource Interchange File Format

The Resource Interchange File Format (RIFF) is a generic file container format for storing data in tagged chunks. It is primarily used to store multimedia such as sound and video, though it may also be used to store any arbitrary data.

The Microsoft implementation is mostly known through container formats like AVI, ANI and WAV, which use RIFF as their basis.

History

RIFF was introduced in 1991 by Microsoft and IBM, and was presented by Microsoft as the default format for Windows 3.1 multimedia files. It is based on Electronic Arts' Interchange File Format, introduced in 1985 on the Commodore Amiga, the only difference being that multi-byte integers are in little-endian format, native to the 80x86 processor series used in IBM PCs, rather than the big-endian format native to the 68k processor series used in Amiga and Apple Macintosh computers, where IFF files were heavily used.

In 2010 Google introduced the WebP picture format, which uses RIFF as a container.

Ostinato

In music, an ostinato [ostiˈnaːto] (derived from Italian: stubborn, compare English: 'obstinate') is a motif or phrase that persistently repeats in the same musical voice, usually at the same pitch. Well-known ostinato-based pieces include both classical compositions such as Ravel's Boléro and popular songs such as Donna Summer and Giorgio Moroder's "I Feel Love" (1977) and The Verve's "Bitter Sweet Symphony" (1997).

The repeating idea may be a rhythmic pattern, part of a tune, or a complete melody in itself. Both ostinatos and ostinati are accepted English plural forms, the latter reflecting the word's Italian etymology. Strictly speaking, ostinati should have exact repetition, but in common usage, the term covers repetition with variation and development, such as the alteration of an ostinato line to fit changing harmonies or keys.

Within the context of film music, Claudia Gorbman defines an obstinate as a repeated melodic or rhythmic figure that propel scenes that lack dynamic visual action.

Riff (disambiguation)

Riff, RIFF, The 'Riff, or Riffs may refer to:

Acronyms

Page layout

Page layout is the part of graphic design that deals in the arrangement of visual elements on a page. It generally involves organizational principles of composition to achieve specific communication objectives.

The high-level page layout involves deciding on the overall arrangement of text and images, and possibly on the size or shape of the medium. It requires intelligence, sentience, and creativity, and is informed by culture, psychology, and what the document authors and editors wish to communicate and emphasize. Low-level pagination and typesetting are more mechanical processes. Given certain parameters - boundaries of text areas, the typeface, font size, and justification preference can be done in a straightforward way. Until desktop publishing became dominant, these processes were still done by people, but in modern publishing they are almost always automated. The result might be published as-is (as for a phone book interior) or might be tweaked by a graphic designer (as for a highly polished, expensive publication).

Figure (horse)

Figure was a small bay stallion owned by Justin Morgan; he became the foundation sire of the Morgan horse breed.

Early years

The stallion was born in West Springfield, Massachusetts in 1789. The small, dark colt is believed to have been sired by an English Thoroughbred stallion named "True Briton", also known as "Beautiful Bay" and "Traveller", which was foaled in 1768. Figure's dam was of "Wild-Air" breeding, sired by Diamond, foaled in 1784 in West Springfield. The dam was bred by Justin Morgan, for whom the breed is named. Figure is thought to have stood about 14 hh (1.42 m), and to have weighed about 950 lb (430 kg). He was known for his prepotency, passing on his distinctive looks, conformation, temperament, and athleticism.

Ownership by Justin Morgan

In 1792, Figure was advertised for stud before he was given as payment for a debt to Justin Morgan (1747-1798), a singing teacher and one-time Randolph, Vermont, Town Clerk. Morgan owned Figure from 1792-1795, advertising him for stud in Randolph and Lebanon, New Hampshire (1793), and Royalton, Vermont (1794), and Williston and Hinesburg, Vermont (1795). He leased Figure to Robert Evans in the fall of 1795 to clear land for a Mr. Fisk at a rate of $15.00 a year.

Figure (wood)

In wood, figure refers to the appearance of wood, as seen on a longitudinal surface (side-grain): a "figured wood" is not plain.

The figure of a particular piece of wood is, in part, due to its grain and, in part, due to the cut, or to innate properties of the wood. A few of the tropical hardwoods, like the rosewoods, may have quite spectacular figure.

Types of figure include "bear scratches," bird's eye, blister, burl, curl, ribbon curl, dimple, fiddleback, flame, wide flame, "ghost", pin stripe, quilted, spalted and tiger stripe.