Star Wars III online, all studio countermeasures futile, Lucas still rich

Star Wars III online, all studio countermeasures futile, Lucas still rich: "There's a workprint of Star Wars Episode III on the Internet already. It's got some timecode and watermarks, but judging from the 19 second XVID sample that Waxy has posted, it seems like it's eminently watchable. Workprints leak from studios. The studios are trying to lock down what customers do with DVDs and cable TV and PCs, but they can't even keep their own house in order. They've got laws that allow them to get your name from your ISP and to sue you into bankruptcy for file-sharing. They've got laws to criminalize the math to defeat DRM. They're after laws to let them design TVs and camcorders"

Netflix takes over Wal-Mart DVD rental business

Netflix takes over Wal-Mart DVD rental business: "Well, it looks like Wal-Mart%u2019s master plan to bankrupt Netflix didn%u2019t quite turn out %u2014 the world%u2019s largest retailer is now essentially surrenduring to the much smaller internet startup and turning over their DVD rental business. The agreement specifies that Wal-Mart will offer its existing online rental customers the chance to continue their subscriptions under Netflix at their current price for the next year, and begin promoting the Netflix service in its website. In turn, Netflix will remind its customers that they can purchase DVDs from Walmart.com %u2014 awww, isn%u2019t that nice? Of course, Netflix still has Blockbuster to contend with, but it%u2019s a major victory to have at least knocked Wal-Mart out of the running."

its good when the good guys win!!!

Happy Mondays to headline another summer festival

Happy Mondays to headline another summer festival: "The baggy veterans, now well into their second reunion after shows in London over the past year, will appear at the surf and rock party on July 23."

rave on bez!!!

The Beeb Shall Inherit the Earth

The Beeb Shall Inherit the Earth: "While Hollywood locks down American culture with draconian copyright restrictions, across the pond one of the world's leading broadcasters is embracing the digital future. Blogger and sci-fi author Cory Doctorow sings the praises of the BBC."

informative and well argued, but what else would one expect from mr. doctorow! now someone in hollywood hire him before you all go down with the ship!!!

Washington State Outlaws Spyware

Washington State Outlaws Spyware: "'Today, the Governor of Washington signs a a bill outlawing spyware (bill history) which imposes penalties of $100,000 per violation. Spyware is broadly defined. It includes everything from changing a browser's bookmarks or homepage settings, 'Opening multiple, sequential, stand-alone advertisements in the owner or operator's internet browser', keystroke-logging, taking over control of the computer, modify its security settings, and even 'Falsely representing that computer software has been disabled.' But here is my favorite: 'Prevent, through intentionally deceptive means, an owner or operator's reasonable efforts to block the installation or execution of, or to disable, computer software by causing the software that the owner or operator has properly removed or disabled automatically to reinstall or reactivate on the computer.' Microsoft and Ebay both testified in support of the bill. On May 10th, a similar law banning Internet and email phishing was also passed.'"

now those who know me, know i am super free speech guy, so i think any limits on code are not a good thing. however that said, it seems to me i remember something about unauthorized use of computers being illegal, and using instrumentalities of interstate commerce (the net) to do so seems like it would make it a federal crime. assuming those two points, and again i am a bit rusty here, but seems like its already probably illegal. if you use the net to mess with my machine with out my permission (or some fraudulently obtained assent) seems like i should either get to beat you ass or the feds should!!!

Dave Matthews's new CD DRM crashes PCs

Dave Matthews's new CD DRM crashes PCs: "Dave Matthews has released a new CD with Windows DRM that crashes your PC when you put it into your drive. And the music industry can't figure out why we'd rather download music than buy CDs."

thanks dave!!!

Ibiza announces mini rock festivals

Ibiza announces mini rock festivals: "The KAISER CHIEFS, FISCHERSPOONER, THE BRAVERY, MAXIMO PARKBABYSHAMBLES will be playing at IBIZA nightclub MANUMISSION. The Ibiza Rocks festival will kick off at the club%u2019s Manumission Music Box venue, which will also feature DJ slots from Zane Lowe. %u201CRight now, it feels like there is a lessening division between rock %u2018n%u2019 roll and clubs,%u201D said Lowe of the event which is been organised in conjunction with the Barfly. %u201CThere is desire for rock kids to dance and dance kids to rock. This summer, Ibiza will become a breeding ground for both. Let's see how their kids turn out.%u201D"

Excursions at the Speed of Light

Excursions at the Speed of Light: "'S/F fans can finally find out what you really get to see at relativistic velocity, and tourists are one step closer to 'doing Europe in a day' in these amazing Space Time Travel simulations of the Theoretical Astrophysics & Computational Physics department at the Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics Tubingen. They put you in a driver's seat that both Armstrong the Astronaut and Armstrong the Cyclist would equally enjoy, in simulators built to ride a bike at the speed of light.'"

How Battlestar Galactica Killed TV

How Battlestar Galactica Killed TV: "'Following up on the MPAA going after torrent sites, you may be interested in Mindjack's latest feature - Piracy is Good? How Battlestar Galactica Killed Broadcast TV by Mark Pesce. It includes a post-script written in reponse to the recent Torrent site shutdowns.' From the article: 'While you might assume the SciFi Channel saw a significant drop-off in viewership as a result of this piracy, it appears to have had the reverse effect: the series is so good that the few tens of thousands of people who watched downloaded versions told their friends to tune in on January 14th, and see for themselves. From its premiere, Battlestar Galactica has been the most popular program ever to air on the SciFi Channel, and its audiences have only grown throughout the first series. Piracy made it possible for 'word-of-mouth' to spread about Battlestar Galactica.'"

L.A. Derby Dolls Official Website

L.A. Derby Dolls Official Website: "Here's where to get all the latest news on L.A's premiere all-girl banked track roller derby league!!!"

Hilary Rosen Gripes About iPod, iTMS

Hilary Rosen Gripes About iPod, iTMS: "'Hilary Rosen, the former RIAA CEO and chairwoman, has spoken out against Apple's 'lock-in' with iPod and the iTunes Music Store.' From the article: 'The problem is that the iPod only works with either songs that you buy from the on-line Apple iTunes store or songs that you rip from your own CD's.' Ironically, she appeals to consumer rights and anti-monopoly tactics.'"

glad she' s got my back!!!

Google Acquires Dodgeball

Google Acquires Dodgeball: "'Dodgeball.com, a service that uses mobile phones to help people meet up with friends who are in the same location, said on its website on Wednesday that it has been bought by Web search leader Google Inc. Also available on the official site is a Q&A about the deal.' From the article: 'As a two-person team, Alex and I have taken dodgeball about a far as we can alone. Since we finished grad school, we've been trying to figure out how to grow dodgeball and make it a better service along the way. We talked to a lot of different angel investors and venture capitalists, but no one really 'got' what we were doing - that is until we met Google.'"

fuk yeah! dodgeball is one of the coolest things i have heard about in a while, superfuture!!!

Self-Replicating Robots

Self-Replicating Robots: "ABC News is running a story that self-replicating robots are no longer the stuff of science fiction. Scientists at Cornell University have created small robots that can build copies of themselves. Here is a movie demonstrating the self-replication process. And the paper that will be published in Thursdays issue of Nature."

no joke here we go!!!

Real-ID Passes U.S. Senate 100-0

Real-ID Passes U.S. Senate 100-0: "'The U.S. Senate has passed the $82 billion Iraq Supplemental Spending Bill (approved by the House last week), which includes the Real ID act driver's license reform (previously reported here.) The National Governors Association has indicated at the possibility of a lawsuit to challenge the constitutionality of the Real ID provisions, which would create national driver's license standards, and a federal database of information from all 50 states."

don't look now but here comes your big bro!!!

Court Nixes 'Broadcast Flag'

Court Nixes 'Broadcast Flag': "In a blow to the entertainment industry, a federal appeals court on Friday found that federal regulators overstepped their authority by requiring consumer-electronics manufacturers to help restrict digital home recording."

Soderbergh, Cuban, Wagner's 2929: Break all the windows.

Soderbergh, Cuban, Wagner's 2929: Break all the windows.: "When I interviewed Mark Cuban earlier this year for a Wired Magazine feature on digital cinema (link), he mentioned plans to change the way movies are released. Here's how it works in Hollywood now: new releases are made available on DVD and pay-TV some time after they've left theaters. That 'window' of time has been shrinking in recent decades. Cuban said that his distribution company 2929 Entertainment, which he runs with business partner Todd Wagner, saw no point in this delay. 'Let's release everything all at once, and let the consumer decide,' their argument goes. Several months later, they're making good on those plans. Earlier this week, news broke that 2929 is doing just that, with Steven Soderbergh. The director will release six films through 2929 so that theater release, DVD and pay-TV all occur on the same day."

i've been saying this for years now. had some interesting conversations about it to, but looks like its gona get a go! can't wait to see if it works! i'm a believer!!!

Orphan Works

Orphan Works: "The US Copyright Office recently asked for public comment on the 'orphan works' problem."

please comment by may 9th, its important!!!

List of Good Wireless Internet Sites

List of Good Wireless Internet Sites: "No more waiting for a complex site to load up while you get bombarded with charges by your carrier! Use a portal made for you mobile device. These portals collect sites, which are made to be used on small screens. They keep a controlled amount of images in order to have the site load quickly on your personal device. After looking over a bunch of sites I found Web On Your Cell to be the most useful. It combines the needs of users and displays it in a usable format. This site loads extremely fast and has the best sites available for mobile devices. Through this site you have fast easy access to email, sports scores, news, TV guide, movie times, yellow pages, and much more."

Google-Yahoo Traffic Maps

Google-Yahoo Traffic Maps: more google map craziness this time combining traffic info from yahoo!!!

Indy.TV

Indy.TV: "Indy is a music discovery program that learns what you like, and plays more of it. And it's free. Indy makes it easy for you to find great new independent music. Just download Indy and double-click: as it plays songs, you rate what you hear. Indy quickly learns what you like and gets really smart about sending you more music you'll like. Let Indy help you find your place in the collective conciousness as you help other people find theirs."

from ian clarke and downhill battle, nice!!! review to come....

Austin City Limits - 2005 Festival

Austin City Limits - 2005 Festival: "the 2005 Festival bill. Coldplay
Widespread Panic
Oasis
The Black Crowes
Wilco
Jet
Thievery Corporation
Arcade Fire
Death Cab for Cutie
Bob Mould
Built to Spill
Bloc Party
Franz Ferdinand
Sleater-Kinney
Kasabian
The Doves
The Walkmen
Rilo Kiley
The Secret Machines
The Decemberists
The Bravery
Mates of State"

and about a gazillion others!!! hope its on the show!!!

PSP UMD Game Format Cracked

PSP UMD Game Format Cracked: "Well, the hits just keep on coming. Paradox has released ISO files of several PSP games.
So far, the following titles are reported to have been ripped:Vampire_Chronicle_The_Chaos_Tower_JAP_PSP-PARADOX [407.4MB in 29 files].
Wipeout_Pure_USA_PSP-PARADOX [132.9MB in 10 files].
Ridge_Racers_JAP_PSP-PARADOX [491.4MB in 35 files]."

seems umd is not as secure as its claimed to be. bummer. could have save sony r&d and everyone elses' hassle by just using cd!!!

Nike and Bausch & Lomb’s MaxSight performance-enhancing lenses

Nike and Bausch & Lomb's MaxSight performance-enhancing lenses: "Ok, performance enhancing drugs, bad; but once we start getting into the realm of installable body mods things get a little sticky. We’ve got a feeling the jury’s still out on MaxSight lenses though; codeveloped by Nike (who else?) and Bausch & Lomb and just about ready to market, they’re designed to help players better track the objects and movement, increase contrast, and reduce glare (we're trying to avoid the obvious 28 Days Later/zombie jokes here). And they’re apparently already making their way into MLB by way of the Orioles' second baseman Brian Roberts. But you know, it's all fun and games until somebody’s down in the outfield on all fours screaming, 'My contact, my contact!'"

for thoes who don't no me well, i am not the sports guy (other than, transition, mountains and waves). but i am very interested in the idea of performance enhancement in sport. it became quite a hot topic for me over the summer when at cambridge i butted heads with almost everyone in my class over the idea.

anyway one of my arguments was that drugs are not the only methods of performance enhancement. here is just another in a long list!!! (i may come back and get cites for a few of the other examples, or fee free to google: "plato drugs and sports easy jet magazine", "nike golf balls", "nike house runners presurized wired magazine", "arm ligament surgery pitchers wired magazine") and a big up to all cambridge crew that made me think hard about the issue!!!

iPod shuffle share jumps to 58 percent

iPod shuffle share jumps to 58 percent: "Apple's share of the US flash-player MP3 market grew from 43 percent in February to 58 percent in March, according to research firm NPD. Apple's share of the US hard-disk player market was also at 90 percent, while the iTunes Music Store marketshare was above 70 percent in April."

i'm sorry 90% of the hard-disk market! and 58% of flash in 3 months! thats insane! if the products weren't so good i'd worry about monopoly issues!!!

Azureus Decentralizes Bittorrent

Azureus Decentralizes Bittorrent: "'While the eXeem project to decentralize Bittorrent remains in open beta, the Azureus Java Bittorrent project has recently released a major update that, among other things offers 'a distributed, decentralised database that can be used to track decentralised torrents. This permits both 'trackerless' torrents and the maintenance of swarms where the tracker has become unavailable or where the torrent was removed from the tracker.' It doesn't contain the search functionality of eXeem, but it's also not a beta product and is licensed under the GPL. Could this and compatible clients be the replacement to SuprNova and Lokitorrents, or does the lack of search negate its effectiveness?'"

this one could be the perfect p2p to avoid closure!!! this is gona be interesting!!!

Near Perfect "Einstein Ring" Discovered

Near Perfect "Einstein Ring" Discovered: "Gravitational lensing happens when the gravity of a relatively close galaxy acts as a telescope lens to focus the light from a more distant galaxy. It allows astronomers to see distant objects they could never have a hope of observing with current instruments, essentially looking back to moments after the Big Bang (cosmically speaking). The galaxies are never perfectly lined up, though, and the 'natural telescope' is a bit blurry. But now astronomer Remi Cabanac has found one of the most complete lenses ever discovered: a near perfect Einstein Ring, magnifying a distant galaxy with incredible clarity."

Comic Art Effect

Comic Art Effect: "Use this baby to convert your digital pictures and scans into comic book style illustrations."

Tim Burgess fronts Starsailor

Tim Burgess fronts Starsailor: "TIM BURGESS celebrated the US release of his solo album in LOS ANGELES last night by performing a gig with members of STARSAILOR as his band. Burgess' set at the Viper Room club drew an all-star crowd that included Robbie Williams as well as Queens Of The Stone Age guitarist Troy Van Leeuwan and Snow Patrol frontman Gary Lightbody. Performing for almost an hour, Burgess used members of Starsailor, who are in LA recording their third album, as his backing band. The tiny club was jam packed with fans from the UK and the US, in town for this weekend's Coachella music festival. 'I think of this as a pre-Coachella gig, with me at the top of the bill,' the singer joked during his set. In addition to performing tracks "Oh My Corazon" and "I Believe in the Sprit" off his new record, Burgess performed three Charlatans tunes including "North Country Boy", which he dedicated to his bandmates in Britain."

i kind of thought something was going on...just didn't know what! but wow robbie williams!!! crazy!!!

Bush Signs Law Targeting P2P Pirates

Bush Signs Law Targeting P2P Pirates: "'CNet is reporting that President Bush signed into law the Family Entertainment and Copyright Act (previously-reported). A lawbreaker can land in jail for up to three years for distributing a single copy of a prerelease movie on the Internet. The MPAA's president Dan Glickman applauded the move, stating he wanted to 'thank the congressional sponsors of this legislation for their strong advocacy for intellectual property rights.''"

Apex AD-1250X supports DivX, WMA

Apex AD-1250X supports DivX, WMA: "This probably won%u2019t impress fans of the Pioneer
DV-588A-S or the now-discontinued Philips DVP-642, but Apex has released the AD-1250X, a DVD player that handles
multiple formats, including MP3, WMA and DivX. At an SRP of $69, however, it severely undercuts the Pioneer (which goes
for about $189 street). Apex also says all of its new DVD players will be DivX-certified, which should be good news to
anyone with tons of movies on their PC looking for a cheap way to get them over to the TV."

The Weekend Adventure

The Weekend Adventure: its that time of year again boys and girls!!!

Amazon directory of free MP3 downloads

Amazon directory of free MP3 downloads: "Amazon has put together a single page listing all the free, no-DRM MP3s you can download from their site, as promos for CDs."

Watch Free, Live Internet Television - The ManiaTV! Network

Watch Free, Live Internet Television - The ManiaTV! Network new on web mtv like thingy....jurys out!!!

update, its wak!!!

Streaming Audio 10 Years Old

Streaming Audio 10 Years Old: "'This month, streaming audio turns 10. Though first introduced by Real, streaming multimedia is so commonplace today it's hard to believe that it didn't even exist 10 years ago. In line with one of their previous press releases, RealNetworks has released a mysterious website and letter from CEO Rob Glaser celebrating 10 years of Internet streaming audio, as well as announcing a yet-to-be-revealed 'revolution' in digital media. 'On April 26, we are changing the rules of the Internet again, and digital music will never be the same.' Here is their press release from 1995 (when they were still Progressive Networks) announcing the first streaming Internet multimedia.'"

The Revenge of The *Beeeep*

TROTSS.COM - The Revenge of The *Beeeep*: "Welcome to TROTSS. This site is truly dedicated to the newly established The Revenge Of The *Bleep* group. To be reminded that this is not the official site for TROTSS, yet .. im dedicating this site for updates and stuff relating to TROTSS. We miss you guys on the show and hope one day you all will be have your own proper show again."

Personal Coverage Check

Personal Coverage Check: T-Mobile Digital Coverage map, down to street address!!!

Screen Savers gang do a podcast

Screen Savers gang do a podcast: "The Screen Savers was a terrific show on the grand old TechTV. When the network was bought out by G4, they killed the show and turned it into something cool (but different) called Attack of the Show. The original Screen Savers gang are now doing a Skype-based podcast called Revenge of the Screen Savers. The first podcast is a fun bullshit session between old friends, talking about their phones, their lives, and the demise of Screen Savers."

French court bans DRM for DVDs

French court bans DRM for DVDs: "'A French appeal court just issued a ruling preventing the inclusion of anti-copying measure on DVD. This is after a man who was not able to copy a DVD he purchase to a VHS cassette so he can watch it at his mother's place. Which is considered private copying and is a consumer right in France. He got the help of a consumer protection group to sue the Film Studio that produced the DVD. Film studios have one month to unprotect DVDs (I assume it is not for DVD that you already own).'"

Fabchannel.Com

Fabchannel.Com: Live and on demand concerts from Paradiso Amsterdam in broadband streaming video!!!

big up to rob for the tip, thanks man. bummer though doesn't function in safari, so bust out yer ie.

Digital Copyright

Digital Copyright: "The Future of Copyrighting Cultural Expression, Will Digital Media Create the Most Oppressive Copyright Laws in History? April 14, 2005: The Politics of Digital Copyright debate at Cornell University"

My summer home

My summer home: Cambridge CB3 0DG, the Fitz!!!

AN EVENING WITH BRIAN ENO AND DANNY HILLIS: THINKING AFTER EINSTEIN

AN EVENING WITH BRIAN ENO AND DANNY HILLIS: THINKING AFTER EINSTEIN:
Monday, April 25, 8:00 p.m.
$30 General, $25 Members, $20 Students
Advance tickets: (866) 468-3399 or (service charges apply)
Listen in on a conversation between two of the most innovative thinkers of our times. Legendary musician, producer, and visual artist Brian Eno sits down with scientist and technical wizard Danny Hillis to discuss their inventive careers and explore the theme of creativity. Both Eno and Hillis are board members of the Long Now Foundation, an organization that aims to promote "slower/better" thinking.

Canadians May Face 25% Download Tariff

Canadians May Face 25% Download Tariff: "'While Canadians have battled against an iPod tariff for more than a year, now comes news that Canada's copyright collectives are seeking a tariff on iTunes as well. Professor Michael Geist (who last week dismantled music industry claims about peer-to-peer) reports that one collective is demanding an incredible 25% of the gross revenue of music download services as well as 15% of webcasters' gross revenue and 10% of gamers gross revenue (free version of report or Toronto Star reg. version). When combined with other tariff proposals, it would appear that Canada's collectives want to the kill the download industry, demanding at least 40% of everything iTunes, Napster, and other new services earn.'"

can you imagine a retail store asking for a 25% tax on gas to cover shrinkage since cars might be used to drive to and from a store in which theft occurs?!?!? wtf!!!

InPhase announces 300GB holographic discs

InPhase announces 300GB holographic discs: "Forget about perpendicular recording; that’s so last week. If Colorado- based InPhase Technologies has its way, the next big advance in data storage will be holographic media. The company — which rolled out a prototype holographic drive earlier this year — announced today that it has produced a holographic disc that can hold 300GB on a single disc. InPhase says that the discs (which will be write-once media) and compatible drives should ship next year, with terabyte discs available by 2009. According to the company, its holographic technology records “through the full depth” of the storage media, and can record data a million bits at a time. We figure it should be able to hold our whole movie collection, with room left over for some lossless music as well."

STAR WARS REVELATIONS

STAR WARS REVELATIONS: just before the final installment, a bonus!!!

NIN's Trent Reznor releases song as GarageBand file

NIN's Trent Reznor releases song as GarageBand file: "On nin.com, Trent Reznor is offering a complete mix of a song from the forthcoming Nine Inch Nails album as a Garageband 2.0 file. The CD/vinyl is due out on May 3. Snip from the README:
'For quite some time I've been interested in the idea of allowing you the ability to tinker around with my tracks - to create remixes, experiment, embellish or destroy what's there. I tried a few years ago to do this in shockwave with very limited results. After spending some quality time sitting in hotel rooms on a press tour, it dawned on me that the technology now exists and is already in the hands of some of you. I got to work experimenting and came up with something I think you'll enjoy. What I'm giving you in this file is the actual multi-track audio session for 'the hand that feeds' in GarageBand format. This is the entire thing bounced over from the actual Pro Tools session we recorded it into. I imported and converted the tracks into AppleLoop format so the size would be reasonable and the tempo flexible.'"

big up trent!!!

Hollywood Looks to BitTorrent for Distribution

Hollywood Looks to BitTorrent for Distribution: "'Vinton Cerf, who wrote the original TCP/IP protocol and is currently chairman of ICANN, said this week he had recently discussed BitTorrent with at least two interested movie producers. 'I know personally for a fact that various members of the movie industry are really getting interested in how to use the Internet--even BitTorrent--as a distributed method for distributing content,' Cerf said. 'I've spoken with several movie producers in the last month.''"

Peak oil article in Rolling Stone

Peak oil article in Rolling Stone: "Peak Oil, refers to the year at which oil production hits the peak of a bell curve, and after which oil production goes down, tapering to zero...."

Google Readies Platform for Video Distribution

Google Readies Platform for Video Distribution: "'According to BetaNews, 'Google is preparing a video distribution platform that provides a complete ecosystem of services for content producers, publishers and end-users.' The first phase of its video upload program rolled out today, and 'content owners will be able to control distribution rights themselves, even setting a price for their video clips. Eventually, users will be able to search, preview, purchase and play videos directly from within Google.''"

if played right, this could be what ifilm should have been. a totally workable commercial solution for independent video distribution, a place where indie film/tv makers can distribute there wares and make a modest profit!!!

Michael Weiss Interview

Michael Weiss Interview: "'Zeropaid has an interview with Michael Weiss, CEO of StreamCast Networks, maker of Morpheus. Michael has been involved in MGM v Grokster since the beginning, and provides a clear, thorough timeline of events since then. He also details interesting insights of his own into the future of the p2p space, including some new ad models.'"

Apple Q2 Financial Results Conference Call

Apple Q2 Financial Results Conference Call:
question: what is the future of music?

answer: iTunes profits a little above break even, Hard Drive based marketshare 90%, Flash based 43% (0% to 43% in the month of availability), 70% overall market share for Feb. Up from December Quarter.

not sure how this ends but year over year revenue is up 500%. during a recession!!!

**Joy Division @ Bowdon Vale 1979 **

**Joy Division @ Bowdon Vale 1979 **: an exhibit of fotos from 3 months prior to the Unknown Pleasures release.

Surprises Lurk in Satellite Snaps

Surprises Lurk in Satellite Snaps: "the unexpected appearance of the pre-event Burning Man construction is hardly the only surprise in Google's database of satellite images. And other satellite imagery companies say that they, too, are often startled by what they find when they analyze the hundreds of shots they take daily."

Music Industry P2P Claims Dismantled

Music Industry P2P Claims Dismantled: "'First Monday runs a great article this month from Canadian law professor Michael Geist that dismantles the recording industry's claims about the peer-to-peer. Using actual data from Canada, Piercing the P2P Myths, demonstrates that the loss claims are greatly exaggerated and that P2P has had little, if any impact on the income of the artists themselves.' From the article: 'The Canadian government has been the target of intense lobbying for stronger copyright legislation in recent months. Led by the music industry, which claims that it has experienced significant financial losses due to music downloading, the campaign culminated in November 2004 with a lobby day on Parliament Hill.'"

Grokster Oral Arguments.pdf

Grokster Oral Arguments.pdf an extremely interesting read. kind of scary though. so much is at stake and so little seems understood. bummer!!!

US govt uses BitTorrent

US govt uses BitTorrent: "'First Bittorrent hosted off a .gov domain. Tracks the releases of World Wind since it was saturating the bandwidth of the direct download.'"

sounds capable of non-infringing use!!!

Congress Debates Forced Music Compatibility

Congress Debates Forced Music Compatibility:The download music industry is fighting a proposal by US Congress to force them to make all downloaded music compatible.

probably a great step for consumers. interestingly though is that this is an issue for congress when one company has a 60-70% marketshare. in the past these problems were swept under the rug when some suggested it would be nice if there were software or file compatibility ensured by congress. it that later one unnamed company has somewhere near 90% market share. hummm wonder whose paying for the next election cycle? probably not the consumers!!!

Sony Patents Matrix-Like Game Technology

Sony Patents Matrix-Like Game Technology: "'Reuters is reporting that Sony has been granted 2 patents, both describing 'Method and system for generating sensory data onto the human neural cortex'. These are patents 6,729,337 and 6,536,440. The patents go on to 'describe a technique for aiming ultrasonic pulses at specific areas of the brain to induce sensory experiences such as smells, sounds and images'. The story was first broken by New Scientist magazine.' Commentary also available via Ars Technica."

jack me in!!!

Court rules common law protects recordings

Court rules common law protects recordings: "New York's highest court ruled Tuesday that common law protects a record company's copyright on recordings made prior to 1972 -- a decision that could have industrywide ramifications for everything from Bach to the Beatles. That lawsuit involved Franklin, Tenn.-based Naxos of America Inc., which restored and marketed 1930s classical records made in England by another company, The Gramaphone Co. Limited, after the 50-year British copyright had expired. Hollywood, Calif.-based Capitol Records Inc., which currently holds the rights to those recordings, sued. A federal court dismissed Capitol's suit, saying federal copyright law only protected recordings since 1972, and Capitol had no common-law protections under New York state law. Capitol appealed the common-law finding to the New York Court of Appeals, which ruled in its favor. A federal appeals court will now rule on the company's lawsuit using the state court's decision."

supremes here we come again! wow is there no end to the extension of copyright? btw this post is posted under the cc except for the INFRINGING QUOTE ABOVE, I STOLE!!!

Universal Amphitheatre gets new name

Universal Amphitheatre gets new name: "The Universal Amphitheatre is being rechristened the Gibson Amphitheatre at Universal CityWalk as part of a joint partnership among instrument maker Gibson Guitar Corp., Universal Studios Partnerships and House of Blues Concerts. The 10-year pact with the Nashville-based instrument maker -- which markets Gibson, Epiphone and Dobro guitars, Steinberger basses, Slingerland drums and Baldwin pianos -- also will entail a partnership with House of Blues on a select number of special events at the Universal City venue. HOB operates the amphitheater and books more than 100 shows per year there. Gibson also will be afforded new production and product-placement opportunities via its association with NBC Universal. USP and Gibson executives declined to put a dollar value on the agreement, but sources indicate the deal is worth $10 million-$15 million. The target for an official opening for the Gibson Amphitheatre is late summer"

as much as i respect gibson, this is bull shit!!!

Glastonbury sells out

Glastonbury sells out: "All 112,000 tickets for June’s festival – which went on sale at 9am this morning – have sold out in under three hours"

Its All Gone Pete Tong Redux

To whom ever from Matson Films invited me to the New York shows, thank you very much! I wish I could attend, but unfortunately I am in California. However if you have a screening out here I'd love to go. Thanks again for the invitation, it is sincerely appreciated.

Modified Prius gets up to 180 Miles Per Gallon

Modified Prius gets up to 180 Miles Per Gallon: "'The NY Times (free reg. required) reports in that some folks are not content with the no-plug-in rule that both Honda and Toyota endorse. By modifying a Prius so that it can be plugged in, Ron Gremban of CalCars states 'I've gotten anywhere from 65 to over 100 miles per gallon'. The article also reports that 'EnergyCS, a small company that has collaborated with CalCars, has modified another Prius with more sophisticated batteries; they claim their Prius gets up to 180 mpg, and can travel more than 30 miles on battery power.''"

Official Website for It's All Gone Pete Tong

Official Website for It's All Gone Pete Tong: to say more would ruin it. trust in tong!!!

Box Office Mojo

Box Office Mojo: check out all kinds of bo data!!!

thanks justin!!!

Old Time Radio Shows

RadioLovers.com - Old Time Radio Shows: perfect for you pod!!!

It's All Gone Pete Tong

It's All Gone Pete Tong, to say more would ruin it!!!

Guerrilla News Network

Guerrilla News Network: "Guerrilla News Network is an independent news organization with headquarters in New York City and production facilities in Berkeley, California. Our mission is to expose people to important global issues through cross-platform guerrilla programming."

big ups to chris for pointing me in the right direction!!!

The Happy Mondays and The Farm roll back the years

The Happy Mondays and The Farm roll back the years: "'It's like 1989 all over again."

BitTorrent Inherently Illegal?

BitTorrent Inherently Illegal?: "'Today I received a letter from my university's network administration advising me that my network access would be terminated due to 'illegal P2P activity.' The P2P activity that the e-mail cited was BitTorrent and the file being transferred was an update to the Azureus BitTorrent client. The letter stated, 'Until the courts decide that student P2P activity is permitted we will continue to block this activity on our network,' implying that BitTorrent is inherently illegal. It seems such misunderstandings are common, but it is particularly frustrating when coming from people in the IT field. How can a student respond to such an accusation in order to defend the validity of BitTorrent and continue to benefit from its legitimate uses?'"

BIG UP TO B!!!!

BIG BIG UPS TO THE OUR MAN IN ORLANDO! B's DONE!!! WORD MY MAN!!!

Yahoo! Search CC

Yahoo! Search CC: "This Yahoo! Search service finds content across the Web that has a Creative Commons license. While most stuff you find on the web has a full copyright, this search helps you find content published by authors that want you to share or reuse it, under certain conditions"

How the Spam Industry is Sustained

Slashdot | How the Spam Industry is Sustained: "'The BBC has an interesting article about spam and why it's still around. According to a survey, nearly 1/3 of users have clicked on spam messages and 1/10 have bought products advertised therein. 'If no-one responded to junk e-mail and didn't buy products sold in this way, then spam would be as extinct as the dinosaurs.''"

that 1/3 and 1/10 should be shot, drawn, quartered and burned on tv for all to see. stop fucking up my world assholes!!!

Web Design Hampers Mobile Internet?

Web Design Hampers Mobile Internet?: "'Reuters is running an article on how flashy web design is impacting the usability of internet-enabled mobile devices, with quotes from Tim Berners-Lee. Although the article is sparse on details, it is an interesting topic for discussion. Having recently bought an internet-enabled cellphone, I can honestly say that most websites are painful to view on a 240x320 screen over a GPRS connection(EVDO is expensive/US-only). Have we moved away from 56K-modem-oriented design, only to be pulled back in that direction?'"

i couldn't agree more, fuck flash!!! but why listen to me, tim along with his friends basically invented the fucking thing anyway!!!

Hate Fred and Veronica? Try David and Linda

Hate Fred and Veronica? Try David and Linda: " Cepstral builds high quality, natural sounding voices available for Mac OS X, Windows, Linux, even Solaris. They currently offer 18 voices in 6 different languages. David, the newest voice, is optimized for reading news and browser content and all the voices integrate seamlessly with Apple’s Speech Manager. The voices are free to try, $30 to buy."

A History of Icons

A History of Icons: "'The GUIdebook has a great page illustrating the history of icons. Of course, they have the Lisa/Mac/OS X paths, but there's the Windows progressions, along with entries for NeXT, OS/2, BeOS, and yes, Linux. Would you call it progress?'"

MarkShell.zip

MarkShell.zip: my latest new widget to make my life easier! basically its a prompt that can do any of number of commands i do frequently!!!

Ultaportable Apps: Take Your Thumbware Anywhere

Ultaportable Apps: Take Your Thumbware Anywhere: "'On his blog, Jeremy Wagstaff makes available a list of the apps now packaged for USB thumbdrives. He also wrote these up in WSJ but that will cost you. My personal favorite is the FireFox in a box...every where I went, I had a different crop of bookmarks, now my browsing is the same wherever I go.'"

13 Things That Do Not Make Sense

13 Things That Do Not Make Sense: "'New Scientist is reporting on 13 things which do not make sense. It's an interesting article about 13 areas in which observations do not line up with current theory. From the placebo effect to dark matter, it's a list of areas in need of additional research. Explanations could lead to significant breakthroughs... or at least new and different errors in scientific observations. Now there are 20 interesting problems for Slashdotters to work on, once you combine these with the seven Millennium Problems!'"

Fiona Apple Is Cookin' on the Net

Fiona Apple Is Cookin' on the Net: "Songs from Fiona Apple's latest album are widely available on the internet and are being played on the radio, but much to the chagrin of fans, the album can't be bought for love or money."

seems to me someone in the music industry needs to watch i am trying to break your heart, 'cause we have already seen how this one ends!!!

Buying DRM-Free Songs From the ITMS

Buying DRM-Free Songs From the ITMS: "'Jon Johansen ('DVD Jon') has published a small program which allows the acquisition of DRM-free file from Apple's iTunes Music Store. He explains that his program works by bypassing iTunes which adds the DRM itself at the end of the transfer. His program, pymusique, is Windows-only compliant but it'd be easy to port it to other platforms.'"

Code Wiki

Code Wiki: looks like Mr. Lessig wants some input!!!

THE.SCENE.05

THE.SCENE.05: NYY student Brian Sandro has a secret: he and his friends pirate hundreds of millions of dollars of illicit Hollywood movies in their spare time. They are revered, reviled, hunted, and admired. No one knows who they are - at least, not as far as they know."

a really interesting concept: an online only show, split screen, mostly delivered in text (which alone is a crazy idea), delivered via bit torrent, the whole thing is nutz but it works!!!

Google Meets OSX

Google Meets OSX: check the latest from the labs, seems they like the dock!!!

Rotation Archive

Rotation Archive:
Creation Nation
The Futureheads
HTML
Indie 103.1
JavaScript
The Libertines
The O.C.
Razorlight
Stars
The West Wing

New Order uses Bluetooth posters to send music clips direct to cellphones

New Order uses Bluetooth posters to send music clips direct to cellphones: "The marketing campaign for the upcoming New Order (yes, that New Order — Blue Monday, anyone?) album, Waiting for the Sirens Call, marks an innovation in music promotion, with the development and display of digital interactive posters offering song clips, ringtones and photos that can be beamed directly to fans’ cellphones. The posters use both infrared and Bluetooth to send the data directly to phones, bypassing network charges to fans or to the band’s label, and making New Order to first group to hand out free music clips direct to cellphones. The digital posters will be displayed in HMV stores in London and Manchester in the UK, sweeties — who said there’s no such thing as a free ringtone?"

Movies, Technology and the Future of Viewing

Movies, Technology and the Future of Viewing: "Movies, Technology and the Future of Viewing, Talk of the Nation, It's been a long time since movies were only available in theaters. But now there are movies on demand over cable TV; compressed films in digital files; and DVDs in the mail. Technology is changing how we watch movies, and it may even change what we watch. We examine the future of movies:
Chris Anderson, editor in chief, Wired magazine
Reed Hastings, CEO, Netflix
Dean Garfield, legal affairs director, Motion Picture Association of America"

real stream!!!

RIAA Lawsuits from a John Doe's Perspective

RIAA Lawsuits from a John Doe's Perspective: "'Nick Mamatas was sued by and subsequently settled with the RIAA for file sharing. He wrote a piece for the Village Voice describing his experience, and he goes on to briefly discuss the implications of 'John Doe' file-sharing lawsuits. He argues that the labels are using these suits as a source of profit; he also claims that when his lawyer contacted the RIAA to discuss the suit, he was put in touch with a regular staffer, not another lawyer. 'It feels like they're doing a volume business,' Mamatas' lawyer notes.'"

Music Piracy Unit Raids ISP in BitTorrent Assault

Music Piracy Unit Raids ISP in BitTorrent Assault: "'Australia's music industry piracy investigations unit has raided an Internet service provider in Perth, Australia in what it says is the first Australian assault on the use of BitTorrent technology for copyright infringement. Outgoing Music Industry Piracy Investigations (MIPI) general manager, Michael Speck, said the raid was launched this afternoon at the offices of Swiftel Communications.'"

P2P (More) Legal in France

P2P (More) Legal in France: "'A french appeal court ruled yesterday in favour of somebody who downloaded about 500 movies, on the ground that those were private copies, and that he didn't redistributed them, and that a tax was payed on blank media. This sets the huge precedent that P2P is legal over there. For the details, apparently no distinction was made on the method used to download the movies (upload issues) and the famous EUCD directive was even used by the defending lawyer.' You'll want the fish for this one, unless you speak French."

Roger McNamee On Video on the Internet

Roger McNamee On Video on the Internet: "'Roger McNamee, venture capitalist and author of The New Normal has just posted the third part of a fascinating series on his blog entitled 'Video on the Internet'. Here are parts one and two. His basic premise is that media companies are trying to treat the internet as a normal distribution channel like broadcast or DVD, but they need to learn that there are new rules to this game if they are to avoid the errors committed by the music industry. The user comments are also a must read, with luminaries like Marc Andreessen chiming in with their insights.'"

very very interesting, and i am only part way through. but 2 things the article has me thinking about, that i have yet to see addressed... 1) programers as infrastructure and 2) audience desire for low interactivity.

1) it seems to me programers are in no hurry to adopt new models that may end their legacy of control. there are arguments about the ability or lack there of for monitizing unprogrammed content. and both sides have merit, however i believe the real hurdle like that we have witnessed play out in the music industry is a fear of change and loss of control. who wants their job programming prime-time to be usurped 10 year old timmy who wants to watch transformer reruns over er. but my take on the future is timmy is smarter than the programers and like marc's friend (see comment 4) is already watching what he wants with no commercial interruptions or viewing fee.

2) almost always, and i am generalizing so feel free to flame, technology versed people make the argument that all audiences want interactivity. such is not always the case, some viewers like to just sit in front of the "idiot box" and not interact, not think and generally just be bombarded with mindless content for hours on end. interactive possibilities promised by the coming of ip based broadcasting is not the end all. it is merely a new option and far from the holy grail often thought as the driving force behind this innovation.

Publishing Exploit Code Ruled Illegal In France

Publishing Exploit Code Ruled Illegal In France: "'A French Court has condemned the security researcher Guillame Tena for publishing a security vulnerability in the Viguard anti-virus software of Tegam. This ruling makes the publication of security vulnerabilities and their proof of concept through reverse engneering illegal in France.'"

DATA DESTRUCTION TOUR 2005

DATA DESTRUCTION TOUR 2005: "An unprecedented tour featuring a mobile live-chiptune assault unit consisting of underground 8-bit superstars Covox (Rebel Pet Set), Nullsleep (8bitpeoples), and Bit Shifter (555 Recordings). Game Boys and Nintendo Entertainment Systems, forcibly conscripted into the manufacture of unprecedented electronic music -- low-res, high-energy, and completely unique. Innocent melodies and deadly beats collide to form a subversive new arsenal, all delivered on video game consoles. Brace yourselves."

one question, why is this not headed to seattle?!?

AudioCubes

AudioCubes: "The idea for the audiocubes first came to mind when I was discussing tangible user interfaces with some friends who worked as recording and sound engineers. Later on I was researching how this interface could be applied in a scientific context (human-computer interaction) at the DSSP research group."

yeay! new toys for mike to build!!!

NYPL Digital Gallery

NYPL Digital Gallery: "provides access to over 275,000 images digitized from primary sources and printed rarities in the collections of The New York Public Library, including illuminated manuscripts, historical maps, vintage posters, rare prints and photographs, illustrated books, printed ephemera, and more."

Teen convicted under state piracy law

Teen convicted under state piracy law: "Teen convicted under state piracy law, 18-year old college student Parvin Dhaliwal is believed to be the first person in America convicted of a crime under state law for illicit music and movie downloads. He pled guilty to charges of possession of counterfeit marks (unauthorized copies of intellectual property)."

Danceteria Flyers

Danceteria Flyers: "During the early 1980s, Rudolf's Danceteria was a prime partying place for the NYC scene. The flyers convey the artistic sensibility of this period, and bring back memories of that wild time."

WOW!!!

CBGB facing closure

CBGB facing closure: "NEW YORK’s influential punk rock venue CBGB is facing the threat of closure this summer. Following news in last week’s NME that London’s Bull And Gate is facing a less than certain future, CBGB has revealed that if lease-renewal negotiations with their landlord aren’t satisfactorily concluded by August the venue will have to close. Following recent discussions, the club’s owner Hilly Kristal has been told that his monthly rent is likely to double to $40,000, plus there’s a $91,000 in back rent also owed, MTV News reports. 'We won't be boarded up until after our lease is up' declared Kristal who changed CBGB from a Hell’s Angel hangout to the influential punk club in 1973. 'I am determined to stay, but they want me out.' The venue is also facing additional costs to bring it into line with safety codes issued in the wake of the 2003 Great White show at Station nightclub in Rhode Island, which resulted in a fatal fire. CBGB is felt by many to be the birth place of punk rock with bands including The Ramones, Patti Smith, Blondie and Television serving their musical apprenticeships there during the 1970s, while the likes of The Strokes and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs have played there since. It is now rumoured that a consortium of musicians is being formed to help save the venue, but at present no names have been confirmed."

SAVE CBGBs!!!

Rotation Archive

Rotation Archive:
Adorable
The Faint
Franz Ferdinand
Ikara Colt
The Killers
The Libertines
The O.C.
Razorlight
Tony Scott
The Vaselines
The West Wing

New Order still feel Ian Curtis’ influence

New Order still feel Ian Curtis’ influence: "NEW ORDER say they still feel the influence of JOY DIVISION frontman IAN CURTIS. Speaking to NME.COM bassist Peter Hook said “we don’t see Joy Division as a different group apart from not having Ian there physically. He’s still there mentally. Spiritually.” The full story of New Order is told in NME out now nationwide, while a documentary about the Godlike Geniuses will air on VH2 next week (March 7). Featuring live footage and videos the programme ‘From Joy Division To New Order’ is at 7pm on the music channel and charts the Manchester pioneers’ rise."