Judge Deals Blow to RIAA in Music Piracy Case
The Recording Industry Association of America suffered a legal setback this week in a music piracy case where a judge ruled that the sole act of making a music file available in a "shared folder" does not violate copyright laws.
In Atlantic v. Howell, the RIAA made the legal assertion that a "sound recording" that is ripped to a computer and stored in any kind of a shared folder is unauthorized. This was an interesting statement because a shared folder can be a very broad category that wasn't entirely made clear by the RIAA.
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New iPhones to Have Tactile Feedback, says Report
The latest coming from the iPhone rumor mill is that haptic feedback (or tactile feedback) is on its way for the touchscreen phone. An anonymous Apple employee told Palluxo.com that Apple is licensing haptic feedback technology from Immersion Corporation for the iPhone.
Haptic feedback is the ability to "feel" keys when they aren't actually there. One of the biggest complaints of the iPhone is its lack of any kind of haptic feedback. Users cannot feel keys, so it can make it harder to use the touchscreen interface. Using a type of haptic technology, like from Immersion, could answer those complaints by at least providing some kind of a physical response when touchscreen keys are pressed.
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Metallica Changes Its Tune, Finally Decides Web is Good
Metallica, yes that Metallica, has said that it is looking at online distribution methods for delivering digital content, and to be honest, I don't blame them.
Despite Metallica being one of the driving forces behind the Napster shutdown, I'm okay with the band taking cues from Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails by further exploring the online distribution options. In its short lifespan, Napster did a lot for the music industry and Metallica was just trying to protect its assets. If someone were breaking into your home, wouldn't you wield a bat trying to protect your property? Metallica was doing the same thing, but replace the bats with lawyers.
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As soon as we were able to convert music into a binary format, we opened the doors to downloading music. And no matter how hard people try to crush it, all they can do is help this illegal industry to evolve.
I'm an artist and I recognize all the problem about the internet. But we should learn how to take advantage of this. Music CD are just too expensive for something as needed as music. I think we should start thinking about playing more concerts than selling cd's.
The more people download yout tune, the more people like you!
My 0.02$
CinemaNow Allows Movie Rentals Via Cell Phone
For those who really, really like to plan ahead, the Web-based movie service CinemaNow has introduced a mobile feature that allows you to use your Web-enabled cell phone to download movies.
Not to your cell phone, though. No, the service called CinemaNow Mobile allows you to use your phone to download movies to your computer at home, provided that computer has the CinemaNow Media Manager up and running on it. According to the service's FAQ section, "On CinemaNow Mobile you can browse the same CinemaNow video selection, watch trailers, make purchases and have the video download at any of your PC's."
Cool, But is it Practical?
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Regarding Imacs losing their luster blog:
Has M$ lost its luster? Did it ever have one? Was the long overdue wait for Vista a beautiful luster for its product?
With 7 years to research the XP and improve its luster, Vista was a major corrosion in luster for M$!
Why not talk about this degradation rather than Apple shocking the WoW every month with its new refreshments?
Is there a real question regarding ingenuity, productivity, or practicality comparing M$ with Apple?
M$ is trying and hoping to bury Vista with a quick switch to Win 7.0 for amnesia, as the XP bailed out the ME disgrace!
I think the article should focus on the new luster for M$, if there ever was one, not Apple, that continues to really invent electrical wonders; maybe not every refreshment is a WOW, but they have more WoWs than their rival M$!!
Blockbuster Sharpens Focus on Gamers
Blockbuster is stepping up its game when it comes to wooing Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, and DS systems owners. The fading movie rental giant says it will now focus more on console sales and the video game rental market, following its failed hostile takeover of Circuit City, the number two video game retailer in the United States.
Yesterday, Blockbuster announced its video game retail efforts will now include an expanded video game section in all retail stores along with a "new arrival wall" for video game titles. Blockbuster will also begin selling the Sony PS3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, and Nintendo DS machines in store.
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It depends on what you mean by compete cause gamefly in particular has them beat on pricing, game condition, selection (5000+ titles), supported consoles, convenience, and perks. Gamefly has everything across all platforms, including the PSP and DS. They even include PSP movies in their rental library.
Blockbuster is just flat out expensive! $10 for something like a 5 day game rental. That's ridiculous. And if you rent something you don't like from Blockbuster, you've got to go drop another $10 on a new rental.
They can add all they want. I know from experience that they aren't really all that concerned about gamers needs, not like a gamefly for example. I don't know about everyone else but going back to Blockbuster just because they upped their selection a bit would be like taking a giant step backward in my opinion.
I don't know about everyone else but going back to Blockbuster would be like taking a giant step backward in my opinion.
Google Shows Off Advanced Image Search Technology
Google engineers last week presented an interesting paper at the WWW2008 conference in Beijing which proposes to apply its PageRank system of finding relevant Web pages to radically improve the accuracy of image search results using Google. This new technology is being called VisualRank, according to an fascinating story on the subject in the New York Times.
The paper, titled "PageRank for Product Image Search," (PDF) was published by Yushi Jing and Shumeet Baluja of Google. In it they talk about using PageRank to analyze the "visual link structure" that can be created among a group of similar images. This paper proposes to move away from the current model of many image search engine rankings, described as using "the text clues of the pages in which images are embedded to rank images."
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Grand Theft Auto IV Hype Machine Shifts into Overdrive
On Tuesday the highly anticipated next installment in the Grand Theft Auto series hits stores for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 giving millions of eager GTA IV fans a first chance to go on a virtual crime spree with the game. Of course, that's assuming you aren't a pirate that downloaded the game illegally last week. As the release date nears hype swirls around the game.
GTA IV looks to continue the series long history of both critical acclaim, controversy, and over-hyping. It is a rare occurrence for any game to receive even one perfect score when being reviewed, but already the game has received a perfect score of 10 out of 10 from several gaming websites. Of the 12 reviews I've seen the game has received, 9 are perfect scores.
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Apple's New iMac Lineup Fails to Wow
Today Apple has unveiled a refresh to its iMac line desktop computers adding faster CPU and GPU options. But if you ask me what makes this iMac refresh interesting is the way it is being received, or more so, not received among the Apple faithful that litters the Internet.
Maybe it's because this refresh isn't very glamorous with only faster processors and graphics options. I ask where are the Mac faithful across the Web not dropping everything they're doing to go pick up this updated iMac and post the unboxings on Flickr. Nor are the Apple message boards and social media sites like Digg and Reddit being overtaken with news and interpretation of Apple's latest duds.
In contrast there is a lot of buzz about a video posted to Gizmodo that shows a customer turning on a Psystar Open Computer running the Mac OS.
Is Apple Losing It's Luster?
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If it ain't broke, don't fix it!
Macs are overpriced pretty pretty little boxes. Real men use a PC.
Apple evolves as nicely as it revolutionizes. And yes, spelling and grammar is important. Real men don't spout stupid cliches and sound like juvenile idiots. Funnily enough, PC manufacturers are falling all over themselves trying to come up with "pretty little boxes of their own." Then again, it's hard to be observant when one's head is up his butt.
Independent Filmmakers Are Ready to Wreck
A few years ago I had the pleasure of watching Star Wreck: In the Pirkinning, a Finnish feature-length Star Trek spoof that had astonishingly assured special effects and blue-screen work for an amateur production. (The whole thing was put together over seven years by a handful of enthusiasts.) More astonishing was that the film cost only $20,000 to make, making use of consumer equipment, off-the-shelf software, and a lot of creative handiwork.
I'm eagerly awaiting the release of their second film, Iron Sky, in which Nazis who establish a secret moon base in 1945 return to Earth in the present day. But I'm also waiting to see the first tangible results of Wreck A Movie, the group's open-source filmmaking initiative.
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Google Forks Out $72 Million a Year for Free Employee Chow
It's known that Google treats its employees pretty nicely, but recent estimations show just how much the Internet-giant appreciates its employees.
One amenity enjoyed by Googlers is two free meals per day. An estimated 9,600 employees across multiple offices enjoy free meals 251 days out of the year that Google is open. This equates to $72,288,000 spent per year by Google just to keep its employees fat and happy.
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The last paragraph says it all. "It's all about keeping the employees happy." I've worked for casinos where the same perk exists and surely there are other companies that do this.
And lets not forget the cost of bonuses, stock options, and golden parachutes given to CEO's. One man/woman can rake in $72 million just for himself.
Video Shows Psystar Mac Clones in Action
Psystar today posted a QuickTime video on its Website featuring a tour of three of its Open Computers, running OSX Leopard, Ubuntu Linux and Windows XP. Here is a look at a version posted to YouTube.
This video proof comes in the knick of time, as Psystar has come under intense scrutiny due to its ever-shifting physical addresses, unreliably functioning website and the swarm of Apple EULA infringement legal troubles bound to descend, which Psystar intends to challenge.
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Did you know that Microsoft Word doesn't recognize the word Psystar and it suggests the correct spelling to be "shyster".. I'm NOT kidding.
Do I smell a conspiracy?
All said.. psystar has not acted very professionally and i think does deserve scrutiny... But also does deserve the benefit of the doubt - even if Microsoft thinks they are a bunch of shysters..
A conspiracy because the spellchecker in word doesn't recognize the word psystar? You forgot to mention that word also suggests the words sister, sitar, spinster, and siesta. OMG, maybe you're right. The Firefox browser spellchecker recommended startup and upstart for the unrecognized word psystar!!!! They are all in it together!!! (this is sarcasm, for those who don't recognize it)
Perhaps a better possibility is that the online world has seen enough internet based fraud schemes to treat an unknown company with wild promises and no verifiable history with more than just a bit of caution. I would really like to see some of the accusations toned down a bit until a product review comes out. Maybe PC world could buy one and have it shipped overnight so their people can test it out. Then some actual light can be shed on the issue.
I will agree with webguy262, though. If you are going to write an article on a video that you post a link to in that article, you need to be accurate.
In my opinion, either this is fake or very very unprofessional and.
I bet the two guyz above are from Psystar or something, why are they so defensive?
i mean there is no reason to defend Psystar, if there was a real open mac, youtube would've been filled with people showing off this computers, they've been shipping for three weeks. Moreover, no company has ever introduced computers by calling them "bad boyz" and "get them while they're hot", its too cheesy to be true.
Microsoft's SPOT Watches Run Out of Time
Another Microsoft product initiative quietly bit the dust today. MSN announced that time had run out for its SPOT Watches powered by the MSN Direct service. In a post to the online forum SPOTStop Jon Canan, MSN Direct manager, explained SPOT Watches were currently sold out and supplies would not be replenished. There are no immediate plans to launch another watch of this type, Canan wrote. However, the MSN Direct technology behind SPOT watches will live on GPS navigation systems, mobile phones, and smart appliances.
Canan explained Microsoft was moving forward with new devices to embed the MSN Direct wireless service into, and that the watches had run their course.
Lawsuit Alleges News Corp. Hired Hacker for Sabotage
News Corp, one of the largest media companies in the world, is knee deep into a lawsuit involving a computer hacker that claims he was hired nearly 5 years ago to develop satellite television pirating and spying software.
Echostar Communications, the parent company of DISH Network Corp, brought the lawsuit against News Corp's contractor NDS Group, a satellite security company. The hacker in question, Christopher Tarnovsky, was allegedly paid under the table by the NDS Group to develop satellite television pirating software. The purpose of the software is where things get messy.
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Wikipedia Moves Offline: Print Version Coming Soon
Publishing powerhouse Bertelsmann is planning on selling a print edition of the German language version of Wikipedia. Bertelsmann says the Wikipedia print edition will be called "The One-Volume Wikipedia Encyclopedia" and will include 50,000 entries and cost about $32.
Wikipedia entries, according to Bertelsmann, are to be selected based on popularity rather than relevance. (Britney, yes? Madame Curie, no?) In an interview with the Associated Press Arne Klempert, a spokesperson for Wikipedia Germany said "The approach of 'Wikipedia in One Volume' is to give the people the information they are looking for." Klempert explained content for traditional encyclopedias is decided on by a select group behind closed doors.
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Why DRM Must Die
If I hadn't already learned that one should never buy music crippled with digital rights management, the recent e-mail I received from the MSN Music Store was enough to convince me.
The form letter informed me that, because "MSN Music is constantly striving to provide you, our user, with the most compelling music experience that we can," I soon won't be able to transfer songs to a new computer.
Not that MSN is totally heartless. "License keys already obtained as of August 31, 2008 will continue to allow you to listen to songs on all the computers that you previously authorized for service."
Luckily, I bought only a few songs before I came to my senses, so this isn't a complete disaster. I'll either find a way to break the copy protection, or I'll buy the songs again--this time as .mp3s. I can assure you I won't be buying them from Zune.net.
It's easy to dismiss this as a typical Microsoft move, and there's a lot of truth to that. But the simple fact is that Napster, MusicMatch, and even the much-beloved Apple could pull the same stunt tomorrow.
As long as you can't play your music without permission from the store that sold it to you, you haven't bought that music; you're only renting it.
"If I buy it, IT'S MINE."
No, that's not how it works.
When you buy music, movies, games, or any other intellectual property, you are buying (1) a copy of the information, (2) a license which to use that information in certain, restricted ways.
If you buy a DVD, you are buying a copy of the movie and a license to watch that movie at home. You are *not* allowed to charge admission, sell copies, or rent copies (AMC/Blockbuster/etc. pay MUCH more for their licenses). If you buy a game, you can't install it on public computers and charge people to play it; your license doesn't allow that (LAN gaming centers pay a lot more for their licenses).
If you buy an MP3 of Umbrella, you can't sell it, rent it, or license it to production companies; you don't get paid royalties when it's played on the radio; because YOU DON'T OWN THE SONG -- Rihanna does -- you only own a license which grants you limited usage. That license can be as restrictive as the seller wants it to be.
The artist has the right to sell his or her music for profit, a consumer does not have the right to earn money from anothers work. Once a artist releases teh song or album for public consumption the end user who purchased the artists music has the rights to listen to taht owned music whereever and however he likes as long as he is not profiting in any way.
Most people who support DRM would have a world where you cannot buy a McDonalds cheeseburger and take it on a picnic, McDonalds demands you eat it there so that they have th chance to make more money.
It is bad enough that a person over 50 years in age has already purchased the same music in 8 track, album, tape, CD, and Mp3 formats over the years. Enough is enough!!!
I don't listen to enough music to steal or pay for it, but DRM is the reason why file sharing will never die. As long as people feel like they're getting cheated when they buy a song, they'll steal it instead.
Its about time the RIAA is fed its lunch
It's about time someone stands up to this RIAA BS!
Artist gets like $2 per cd ; cd costs like $15 so who takes $13? could it be the parasites like RIAA etc, and they are not fighting for the artist ,the fighting for to continue to receive free cash... I am sorry I am gonna puke now... like I puke for Bush, Cheney,FDA,ADA,NSA,Allien controlled Government;Hey people we are f.....d