Category: uncategorized

The whole of the Internets are atwitter with chatter and analysis about Steve Jobs’s “Thoughts on Music” essay published yesterday on the Apple website.

“Is it a challenge to the major record labels? An answer to the increasingly hostile European governments (Norway, France, Germany) that are pressuring Apple to “open up” the iTunes Store? A message to the press to clarify Apple’s stance on DRM? A big fuck-you to Microsoft?

It is all of these things.” – John Gruber

Personally, I think this is a bold move on Apple’s part, and hope (and believe) it’s no bluff. This is a call to arms against the music companies who have been hopelessly clueless about the ugly truth about DRM: it will NEVER work. Never EVER. The problem is, as John Gruber writes, “DRM and interoperability are mutually exclusive,” so the labels’ and others’ insistence on Apple “opening up” Fairplay (Apple’s iTunes DRM scheme) is a white elephant. The only path to true interoperability is no DRM, not open DRM.

I especially like Jobs’ analysis of existing music distribution practices – the “hello!” reminder to executives that the vast majority of the music they sell is already in the form of unprotected high-quality digital CD’s that anyone can copy/rip/burn. Why this insistence on a scheme that DOES NOTHING to prevent digital piracy?

John Gruber’s analysis
Cory Docotorow’s links @ BoingBoing

John Grubers’s Interoperability vs. DRM article

Cool… just found these Microsoft PowerToys for Windows XP – a bunch of small upgrades for different parts of the windows interface – I just installed the Alt-Tab replacement – an upgrade to the regular Alt-Tab function that adds a preview of the application you’re switching to. Also interesting looking: Tweak UI, Virtual Desktop Manager and ClearType Tuner… will have to try them out tonight.

Wal-Mart launched their new video download service today, and boy does it suck. Here’s what it looks like in Firefox:

Oh yeah also, they want you to pay $15 for a 320×240 video that won’t play on iPod, Zune, Mac, or Linux. Boooooooo.

Launchy: The Open Source Keystroke Launcher for Windows – I was just doing some looking around for an application launcher for windows – because, let’s face it, the Start Menu sucks, and the Quick Launch bar just doesn’t cut it either… and so I came across Launchy, a free windows utility that indexes your applications and allows you to launch them with just a few keystrokes. I’ve only just installed it and have barely even begun to use it, but I already see myself getting lots of use out of this thing, and can see it being one of those “how did I ever live without it” utilities. Awesome.

why we do what we do.

Already?! Insane! Trent’s been working hard – this note found on the NIN website:

“Is it possible I am actually finished writing and recording a new nine inch nails record? Apparently so. We begin mixing in January!

Juggling fifteen all-new tracks around. Testing sequences. No leftovers from ‘with teeth’. Highly conceptual. Quite noisy. Fucking cool.”

Science, religion clash over Canadian sextuplets – The parents of sextuplets born in Vancouver are in a fight with the Provincial government over the government’s intervention when the parents refused blood transfusions for their children because their religion forbids it. The government stepped in and took custody of the children so the doctors could do their jobs and save the kids lives.

This is the type of thing that shows just how goddamn stupid religion can be, and why we as a modern intelligent society need to finally grow up and stop believing in fairy tales. This couple’s belief in fairy tales could well have lead to the deaths of their own children.

I’m not sure of the circumstances, but two of the six have already died. If those deaths had anything to do with this couple’s ridiculous beliefs, then they should be charged with criminal negligence. Or homicide.

You know, I personally think the world would be much better off without all the religious baggage that humanity carries around. But whatever, if you need religion in your life, so fucking be it. But don’t you dare endanger your children’s or anyone else’s lives for the sake of your fairy tales.

In another article a person of the same faith says, “Some people paint pictures of us as strange, fanatical people, but we’re not. We love our children and would do anything for them other than to break God’s law.” I don’t have kids or anything, but I’m pretty sure that if I did I would do ANYTHING for them, without qualification. God’s law my ass.

Kevin Smith’s Top Ten Films of 2006

CMCC Congratulates Industry on Unparalleled Growth in Electronic Music Sales

Nielsen BDS numbers released January 17th show that Canada’s digital download market grew more than any major market in 2006. This exciting news has the Canadian Music Creators Coalition asking: “Why are the record labels still pushing for ways to sue Canadian music fans?”

According to Nielsen, Canadian sales of music downloads grew an eye-popping 120% in 2006, well ahead of the 80% growth in Europe and 65% growth in the United States. Overall music sales grew 10%.

Despite this growth, recent Canadian Press reports indicate that the major foreign music labels continue to pressure the federal government to move forward with radical changes to Canada’s Copyright Act.

Major label representatives have consistently said that the only way the industry can survive is by making it easier to sue music downloaders and by providing legal protection to so-called “digital locks.” The member artists of the CMCC — the very artists copyright laws are designed to protect — aren’t convinced.

Yes, yes… Paris Hilton is a whore and… well, a whore. and all that stuff… so nothing in these pictures that have come out of ParisExposed.com are really news or anything, but what’s really impressive are the ones of this guy doing a massive pile of coke off his own chest. I’m no expert in these things, but I’m pretty sure that guy must have died that night. Oh, and do yourself a favour and don’t click on this picture of Cisco Adler’s balls.