It took a while brainstorming an approach for this project, yet we both had a common
focus of doing something with Bollywood. While doing research of online videos, I suddenly thought
of our class then it occurred to me that we should do a mash up. The last thing was finding a song that would intertwine all the ideas, then suddenly I saw a video of Madagascar 2 it was like a light bulb above my head went on. Afterward me and Colleen worked together by downloading videos, then rearranging it and then adding music to it. I think the end product is great and Colleen is very talented in movie maker. Colleen you rock!
Friday, November 28, 2008
Monday, November 24, 2008
Absent, 25th - video presentation
I have ran into a family issue, and I am sorry to say I can not make it to class tomorrow because I have to leave early. I don't know what your email is Professor Zacharski, this is my best way to present my video. I put it up on YouTube, Enjoy! If you need to send me a follow up email please do, rwettlau@umw.edu
Have a great Thanksgiving break!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pb3n8zaDG3g
Have a great Thanksgiving break!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pb3n8zaDG3g
Friday, November 21, 2008
Doctor Visits Now Online
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/19/the-doctor-will-see-you-now-online/
There is no need to wait in lines any longer at doctors’ offices and no transportation involved in talking to your doctor using this new method. The idea of talking directly to your doctor, through a web cam, was developed by two brothers, Robert and Ido Schoenberg, creating the company, American Well. Through this web cam development, usage ranges from primary care such as colds and diabetes help, to questions about payment plans and insurance.
American Well benefits the patient by not having to go through the insurance companies for a simple question, and not having to call and get put on hold while the receptionist tries to give you unwanted help that people would rather have from their doctor. One of the main reasons American Well was created was so that it could benefit people without health insurance, making health care more affordable, with visits not exceeding $50.
The way this new system helps the doctor has just as many benefits. Although the doctor gets paid less for each web cam visit comparable to the office visit, they are saving money with having paperwork, and their schedules are not as cluttered and tight as they used to be, seeing how traveling time is not an aspect in direct internet contact. Also, there is time for the doctor to see more patients than they could before. Medical Records can now be transported online from patients to doctors, using HealthVault and ActiveHealth programs so that giving doctors all of past health information will be easily accessable.
American Well, I feel, is a great breakthrough for modern technology that benefits human health. They do advise that if you have a serious medical condition, you should still go to you local E.R. in the case of an emergency. Many companies are beginning to mimic this model of online doctors. I can see why other companies would follow, because the availability of doctors not during business hours, the affordability of the web cam visit, and the basic benefits that both patients and doctors would receive are all factors that allow us to adapt to new technology in the health industry.
There is no need to wait in lines any longer at doctors’ offices and no transportation involved in talking to your doctor using this new method. The idea of talking directly to your doctor, through a web cam, was developed by two brothers, Robert and Ido Schoenberg, creating the company, American Well. Through this web cam development, usage ranges from primary care such as colds and diabetes help, to questions about payment plans and insurance.
American Well benefits the patient by not having to go through the insurance companies for a simple question, and not having to call and get put on hold while the receptionist tries to give you unwanted help that people would rather have from their doctor. One of the main reasons American Well was created was so that it could benefit people without health insurance, making health care more affordable, with visits not exceeding $50.
The way this new system helps the doctor has just as many benefits. Although the doctor gets paid less for each web cam visit comparable to the office visit, they are saving money with having paperwork, and their schedules are not as cluttered and tight as they used to be, seeing how traveling time is not an aspect in direct internet contact. Also, there is time for the doctor to see more patients than they could before. Medical Records can now be transported online from patients to doctors, using HealthVault and ActiveHealth programs so that giving doctors all of past health information will be easily accessable.
American Well, I feel, is a great breakthrough for modern technology that benefits human health. They do advise that if you have a serious medical condition, you should still go to you local E.R. in the case of an emergency. Many companies are beginning to mimic this model of online doctors. I can see why other companies would follow, because the availability of doctors not during business hours, the affordability of the web cam visit, and the basic benefits that both patients and doctors would receive are all factors that allow us to adapt to new technology in the health industry.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Study: time kids spend online not wasted after all
Link to article here
For years, people have been telling us that the Internet is destroying our population's youth. It is making us less intelligent, more lazy, and less connected with the real world. Today's so-called "digital natives" are, according to some, America's dumbest generation yet. Information backing these people up shows that today's children, teens, and young adults are less knowledgeable than any previous generation and that we spend far more time online than we do doing anything else.
Well, in response to these critics, the MacArthur Foundation conducted a study on teens' online habits. The study, which lasted 5000 hours, consists of group and individual interviews, diary studies, "social networking profiles," and other online data. After the study was completed and the foundation analyzed the information, they released it to the public. The good news: "enables [youth] to participate in something close to a meritocracy, where their age isn't a concern." The bad news: "the Internet generally enables the same old social interactions in a new medium." Oh, wait. That isn't bad at all, is it?
Exactly.
The study indicated that the Internet is used primarily for two reasons: social-networking-based interaction and interest-based interaction. The social networking took place mostly in concentrated regions while the interest-based interaction took place in large areas. Also, for the most part, social networking was between kids who already knew each other offline. The Internet simply allowed them to expand upon their relationships with other people.
As for the idea that the Internet is eliminating the family setting, the study also showed that families are using the Internet together. Some of the people interviewed said that they have family gaming hours each week and many said that they use the Internet to create family projects such as videos and collages.
Interest-based interactions also help children and teens develop their knowledge and cultural awareness. They are able to find information, groups, and blogs on nearly any subject that they are interested in. Some become extremely involved in these and are able to communicate and interact with people who share the same interests.
One other way the Internet is actually advantageous to youth is that online, their age does not matter. They are able to interact in settings where adults are present and they are able to carry on conversations that they would otherwise not be able to in the real world. This can help enhance the maturation process.
The authors of the study do warn people, however, that when a teen is active online and the parents are not, it can create an "intergenerational gap." So their advice to parents, then, is to not only know what their children are doing but to also know how they are doing it and to participate at least some if possible.
The study overall shows people that rather than hurting our generation, the Internet is actually helping us. Instead of just replacing the pre-existing social realm, the Internet is simply an extension of it. It helps to educate us and to expand our relationships with friends and people who have the same interests.
For years, people have been telling us that the Internet is destroying our population's youth. It is making us less intelligent, more lazy, and less connected with the real world. Today's so-called "digital natives" are, according to some, America's dumbest generation yet. Information backing these people up shows that today's children, teens, and young adults are less knowledgeable than any previous generation and that we spend far more time online than we do doing anything else.
Well, in response to these critics, the MacArthur Foundation conducted a study on teens' online habits. The study, which lasted 5000 hours, consists of group and individual interviews, diary studies, "social networking profiles," and other online data. After the study was completed and the foundation analyzed the information, they released it to the public. The good news: "enables [youth] to participate in something close to a meritocracy, where their age isn't a concern." The bad news: "the Internet generally enables the same old social interactions in a new medium." Oh, wait. That isn't bad at all, is it?
Exactly.
The study indicated that the Internet is used primarily for two reasons: social-networking-based interaction and interest-based interaction. The social networking took place mostly in concentrated regions while the interest-based interaction took place in large areas. Also, for the most part, social networking was between kids who already knew each other offline. The Internet simply allowed them to expand upon their relationships with other people.
As for the idea that the Internet is eliminating the family setting, the study also showed that families are using the Internet together. Some of the people interviewed said that they have family gaming hours each week and many said that they use the Internet to create family projects such as videos and collages.
Interest-based interactions also help children and teens develop their knowledge and cultural awareness. They are able to find information, groups, and blogs on nearly any subject that they are interested in. Some become extremely involved in these and are able to communicate and interact with people who share the same interests.
One other way the Internet is actually advantageous to youth is that online, their age does not matter. They are able to interact in settings where adults are present and they are able to carry on conversations that they would otherwise not be able to in the real world. This can help enhance the maturation process.
The authors of the study do warn people, however, that when a teen is active online and the parents are not, it can create an "intergenerational gap." So their advice to parents, then, is to not only know what their children are doing but to also know how they are doing it and to participate at least some if possible.
The study overall shows people that rather than hurting our generation, the Internet is actually helping us. Instead of just replacing the pre-existing social realm, the Internet is simply an extension of it. It helps to educate us and to expand our relationships with friends and people who have the same interests.
Linux Guru Reiser Seeks New Murder Trial
By David Kravets
The article is about Han Reiser, a linux guru, is looking to appeal the
guilty sentence of manslaughter. Reiser accused of killing his wife, who
was 31 years old. Reiser accused his belated wife of bilking his Namesys
software company. The blood of Reiser wife was found at her house, where
she was last seen and Reiser claims she probably "cut her figure or had a nose bleed."
Along with this, Reiser passager seat in his car was removed because it was "dirty." Lastly
he claimed he did this because of his, "guilt-ridden behavior in the aftermath of his wife's disappearance was a result of staring at a computer for too long."
I choose this article, because first it was really interesting and had something to do with
linux. Lastly I was unaware that this was going on. I think even the minds of great people
should be checked out, so watch out Bill Gates.
story
The article is about Han Reiser, a linux guru, is looking to appeal the
guilty sentence of manslaughter. Reiser accused of killing his wife, who
was 31 years old. Reiser accused his belated wife of bilking his Namesys
software company. The blood of Reiser wife was found at her house, where
she was last seen and Reiser claims she probably "cut her figure or had a nose bleed."
Along with this, Reiser passager seat in his car was removed because it was "dirty." Lastly
he claimed he did this because of his, "guilt-ridden behavior in the aftermath of his wife's disappearance was a result of staring at a computer for too long."
I choose this article, because first it was really interesting and had something to do with
linux. Lastly I was unaware that this was going on. I think even the minds of great people
should be checked out, so watch out Bill Gates.
story
ISP Sued for Allowing Piracy to Exist
Some of the leading film studios, including Universal Pictures, Warner Bros Entertainment, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Disney Enterprises, Village Roadshow, and the Seven Network, are suing Australian ISP iiNet for failing to prevent piracy. They claim that iiNet is aware of the problem, but chooses to ignore it and to enforce its own terms and conditions which permit infringement upon their copyrighted material. “The ISP knows that there are a large number of customers who are engaging in continuing infringements of copyright by using BitTorrent file sharing technology,” said the studios in their claim.
“iiNet refused to address this illegal behaviour and did nothing to prevent the continuation of the infringements by the same customers,” added Adrianne Pecotic, executive director of the Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft (AFACT). “iiNet has an obligation under the law to take steps to prevent further known copyright infringement via its network.”
iiNet’s response accuses the movie studios of expecting them to do the impossible:
They send us a list of IP addresses and say 'this IP address was involved in a breach on this date'. We look at that say 'well what do you want us to do with this? We can't release the person's details to you on the basis of an allegation and we can't go and kick the customer off on the basis of an allegation from someone else'. So we say 'you are alleging the person has broken the law; we're passing it to the police. Let them deal with it'.
We are not traffic cops. We can't stand in the middle of it and stop the individual items that might be against the law. These guys are asking us to be judge, jury and executioner.
This isn’t the first time iiNet has spoken out against attempts to make ISPs filter content. When the Australian government introduced a radical initiative to force ISPs to use content censors last week, iiNet agreed in an attempt to collect data showing how ineffective the filters would be. “They're not listening to the experts, they're not listening to the industry, they're not listening to consumers, so perhaps some hard numbers will actually help.” said CEO Michael Malone. “Every time a kid manages to get through this filter, we'll be publicising it and every time it blocks legitimate content, we'll be publicising it.”
Malone thinks the studios are looking for someone to blame for their own inability to adapt to the changing market. “I think they genuinely believe that ISPs have a secret magic wand that we are hiding and if we bring it out we can make piracy disappear just by waving it,” he says.
Techdirt’s Mike Masnick agrees, saying, “Rather than admitting that they should change with the market, it's always someone else who needs to change to protect the entertainment industry's obsolete business model.” They go on to compare the incident to one that occurred over the summer when U2’s Bono blamed ISPs for the downfall of the music industry.
I think Masnick hit the nail on the head in his commentary. The film studios are being completely irrational, and if anyone is to blame for the failure of the industry, it’s them. It’s certainly not the ISP’s responsibility to monitor everything its customers do. In fact, it would frighten me if ISPs could play “judge, jury, and executioner,” as the CEO put it. Even passing on the studios’ complaints to the authorities may be crossing the line. I think that ISPs should simply remain neutral, and that more ISPs should follow iiNet’s lead in fighting back against those who try to force them to pick sides.
Source: Movie Studios Sue Australian ISP For Not Waving Magic Wand And Defeating Piracy
Blip Festival 2008
http://blipfestival.org/2008/
Blip Festival 2008: The Promo from Richard Alexander Caraballo on Vimeo.
From December 4th-7th, the third annual Blip Festival will be held in Brooklyn, NY. Lo-fi visual arts and music come together for four nights in what appears to be a plethora of "nerd-moshing" and all-around craziness. The Bell House, a new club/lounge in the heart of New York City, is the privileged venue to host the festival this year. The 8-bit inspired environment is nostalgic for most of the 30-somethings who attend the Blip Fest, taking them back to the sights and sounds of 20 years ago when the digital age was soon to be born.
Some of the featured artists at the Blip Festival, like Swedish genius nordloef, use original GameBoys to create their own music. Sound familiar? Circuit bending is the means by which most of these sounds are created. nordloef used to be in a punk band but when he discovered a program Nanoloop, he became enthralled with creating music with his old GameBoy and computer. Many 8-bit artists have similar stories of getting pulled into this relatively new genre of music. What started as novelty a decade ago has evolved into a musical micromovement that now merits its own festival. Chiptune music, or 8-bit, is like video game music fuzed with electronica; I imagine it's like playing GameBoy or NES and raving at the same time. Sounds like fun to me! The only thing better than playing Tetris is probably playing Tetris while surrounded by hundreds of others in a club.
The only reason I have become interested in this weird music is because most of the artists give away music on their website. Otherwise, I would have never heard this stuff. This is proof that free giveaways are always the best way for artists to get exposed. For any of you who want to check some of this out, good musicians I've discovered so far are Role Model, Nullsleep, and said nordleof. Blogging about Blip Fest '08 has made me pretty sad that I cannot attend this year. Hopefully someday I will be able to experience the madness firsthand.
- Jordan Morsberger
Blip Festival 2008: The Promo from Richard Alexander Caraballo on Vimeo.
From December 4th-7th, the third annual Blip Festival will be held in Brooklyn, NY. Lo-fi visual arts and music come together for four nights in what appears to be a plethora of "nerd-moshing" and all-around craziness. The Bell House, a new club/lounge in the heart of New York City, is the privileged venue to host the festival this year. The 8-bit inspired environment is nostalgic for most of the 30-somethings who attend the Blip Fest, taking them back to the sights and sounds of 20 years ago when the digital age was soon to be born.
Some of the featured artists at the Blip Festival, like Swedish genius nordloef, use original GameBoys to create their own music. Sound familiar? Circuit bending is the means by which most of these sounds are created. nordloef used to be in a punk band but when he discovered a program Nanoloop, he became enthralled with creating music with his old GameBoy and computer. Many 8-bit artists have similar stories of getting pulled into this relatively new genre of music. What started as novelty a decade ago has evolved into a musical micromovement that now merits its own festival. Chiptune music, or 8-bit, is like video game music fuzed with electronica; I imagine it's like playing GameBoy or NES and raving at the same time. Sounds like fun to me! The only thing better than playing Tetris is probably playing Tetris while surrounded by hundreds of others in a club.
The only reason I have become interested in this weird music is because most of the artists give away music on their website. Otherwise, I would have never heard this stuff. This is proof that free giveaways are always the best way for artists to get exposed. For any of you who want to check some of this out, good musicians I've discovered so far are Role Model, Nullsleep, and said nordleof. Blogging about Blip Fest '08 has made me pretty sad that I cannot attend this year. Hopefully someday I will be able to experience the madness firsthand.
- Jordan Morsberger
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Yahoo executives conspire to top charts
Yahoo music is apparently fed up with Apple and their newfangled iTunes. They want it the way it was, when Yahoo Music was numero uno. With Yahoo as a company in trouble, they need to fix what they're doing to just stay up in the market. So Yahoo music has gone out to record companies and asked for the music iTunes doesn't have: classic rock. The plan is for Grateful Dead, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and other popular classic rock bands to get onto Yahoo music. iTunes doesn't have agreements with The Beatles at present and their music is not available on iTunes. What Yahoo aims to do is create a diverse fan base with personalized band pages where the record companies can modify them, much like artist's myspace pages. Concert information will also become widely available on the website in an effort to attract more fans.
While i think its a good idea that Yahoo is actively pursuing old artists, they have much bigger problems with the new ones. They don't have Lil' Wayne and some other popular artists of now on their site. And while i personally agree with what they're doing and hope they do it and get more people listening to the old stuff, from a business standpoint they need to focus on the new stuff. The ideas they ave to change the pages will eventually help them I think, if anything just to make it more attractive to younger users and more accessible to older ones.
http://money.cnn.com/2008/11/18/technology/yahoomusic.fortune/index.htm?postversion=2008111907
While i think its a good idea that Yahoo is actively pursuing old artists, they have much bigger problems with the new ones. They don't have Lil' Wayne and some other popular artists of now on their site. And while i personally agree with what they're doing and hope they do it and get more people listening to the old stuff, from a business standpoint they need to focus on the new stuff. The ideas they ave to change the pages will eventually help them I think, if anything just to make it more attractive to younger users and more accessible to older ones.
http://money.cnn.com/2008/11/18/technology/yahoomusic.fortune/index.htm?postversion=2008111907
Obama May Have to Stop Using Personal Technology
Barack Obama has been up to date with modern technology, unlike any other president. He has a blackberry constantly at his side, like most cooperate Americans. There is this fear that Obama’s blackberry will cause more harm than good.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/11/17/obama.blackberry.ap/index.html#cnnSTCText
Obama faces the possibility that he cannot have any email service, or type of communication through the Internet. I feel like America is pushing forward in innovative technologies, but with a President not allowed to communicate through email, I feel as though he would not be a great representation of our country. Obama will have a freedom taken away as well as making time and distance an barrier in communication, while emailing gets rid of those factors.
I understand the importance of a security breach, and possible hacking, but we cannot have a president who is not aware of the new technologies that Americans are creating and using. I also am aware that Obama is now interacting with the United States citizens through video broadcasting. He still does not have a personal means of digital communications. Sheltering the President from emailing and text messaging while taking away his blackberry seems backwards and doesn’t seem to benefit him in anyway. During the campaign, Obama relied on email to spread his word to get out and vote, at least once a day. Handwritten notes are the alternative, but I still feel that they able to get intercepted as well. Should a modern 21st century president still have to follow the ways of our presidents from 200 years ago?
http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/11/17/obama.blackberry.ap/index.html#cnnSTCText
Obama faces the possibility that he cannot have any email service, or type of communication through the Internet. I feel like America is pushing forward in innovative technologies, but with a President not allowed to communicate through email, I feel as though he would not be a great representation of our country. Obama will have a freedom taken away as well as making time and distance an barrier in communication, while emailing gets rid of those factors.
I understand the importance of a security breach, and possible hacking, but we cannot have a president who is not aware of the new technologies that Americans are creating and using. I also am aware that Obama is now interacting with the United States citizens through video broadcasting. He still does not have a personal means of digital communications. Sheltering the President from emailing and text messaging while taking away his blackberry seems backwards and doesn’t seem to benefit him in anyway. During the campaign, Obama relied on email to spread his word to get out and vote, at least once a day. Handwritten notes are the alternative, but I still feel that they able to get intercepted as well. Should a modern 21st century president still have to follow the ways of our presidents from 200 years ago?
Tivo Delivers Domino's
What can't they do these days through new technology? Newer Tivo's have a function in them where you can order specific pizza's from domino's. This to me seems like a hot topic because it shows companies are starting to use the new technology to their advantage. The human race is lazy and what is a better way to order a pizza by not picking up your phone? Use a Tivo! I think this is very cool. I also think other companies are going to take notes on what dominoes is doing and try to apply their business to new technologies such as Tivo. Maybe my Ipod will soon have a button that could order food from the closest restaurant of my choice.... I think more moves will be made to apply business propositions to new technology. Let me know what you guys think!
http://www.zatznotfunny.com/2008-11/tivo-delivers-dominos/
----
Wett
http://www.zatznotfunny.com/2008-11/tivo-delivers-dominos/
----
Wett
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Tennessee Squanders Money on an Impossible Program
http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/11/tennessee-adopt.html
The state of Tennessee just agreed to spend 9.5 million dollars on monitoring software, hardware and additional costs for 21 staff to monitor student's online activities against piracy. The state is spending this money at a time when the school needs money to pay for additional teachers and keeping down tuition costs. The 222,000 student system will be closely monitored instead of taught, for something that has been shown to be beneficial to the music industry. The governor of Tennessee, Phil Bredesen, was the first to act against piracy in public universities when he signed Tennessee's Measure. The Recording Industry of America wants similar bills instated across the nation. Meanwhile the Tennessee public university system is raising tuition, firing teachers and emptying classrooms to battle a $43.7 million shortfall.
"The illegal downloading of music has a profoundly negative effect on the music industry. As home to so many record companies, music publishers, writers and artists, I am proud that Tennessee is taking action to prevent it." says the governor. Does the governor know that little known artists profit from piracy? Does he know that the money the records labels are trying to make by preventing piracy mostly goes to the record label and not the artist. Does he know that record labels limit artist's creativity and steal the rights to the music which is rightfully the artists? Why is government protecting an industry that is so obviously corrupt?
It is pointed out within the article that students could easily just switch to encrypted file sharing and that no matter what students are going to file swap. Did they not know that you don't need to be online in order to share or what they'd like to call steal music?
Personally I think the record labels just bribed (lobby) the governor. Thanks record labels for slowing creativity and stealing people's educations. Good Job! Go make more money.
The state of Tennessee just agreed to spend 9.5 million dollars on monitoring software, hardware and additional costs for 21 staff to monitor student's online activities against piracy. The state is spending this money at a time when the school needs money to pay for additional teachers and keeping down tuition costs. The 222,000 student system will be closely monitored instead of taught, for something that has been shown to be beneficial to the music industry. The governor of Tennessee, Phil Bredesen, was the first to act against piracy in public universities when he signed Tennessee's Measure. The Recording Industry of America wants similar bills instated across the nation. Meanwhile the Tennessee public university system is raising tuition, firing teachers and emptying classrooms to battle a $43.7 million shortfall.
"The illegal downloading of music has a profoundly negative effect on the music industry. As home to so many record companies, music publishers, writers and artists, I am proud that Tennessee is taking action to prevent it." says the governor. Does the governor know that little known artists profit from piracy? Does he know that the money the records labels are trying to make by preventing piracy mostly goes to the record label and not the artist. Does he know that record labels limit artist's creativity and steal the rights to the music which is rightfully the artists? Why is government protecting an industry that is so obviously corrupt?
It is pointed out within the article that students could easily just switch to encrypted file sharing and that no matter what students are going to file swap. Did they not know that you don't need to be online in order to share or what they'd like to call steal music?
Personally I think the record labels just bribed (lobby) the governor. Thanks record labels for slowing creativity and stealing people's educations. Good Job! Go make more money.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Introducing SketchUp 7
Google has many products for use of whoever wants to use them. Picasa, GoogleEarth, G-Mail, and many more. There is also a program called SketchUp, which has now been updated. what SketchUp does is it creates 3D models of whatever you want. A house, building, tree, flower, room, or even abstract art. What they have updated are 3 major things. One is Dynamic Components. Before, say if you wanted to stretch a staircase, it would literally just stretch what you have there out. Now, the stairs "know that they are stairs" and will make the staircase proportional and add more stairs.
They have also made it much easier to share what you have made with other people.
"We built a better link between SketchUp and the rest of the 3D world, made it possible to "sign" your models, and added Google Docs–style collaboration and sharing to our 3D Warehouse."
The last major update was to add powerful features for the Pro users. The free version of SketchUp is apparently only half of what it is, the other have is being able to share with clients. YOu can also create multi-page documents and presentations and the models can be linked to your LayOut file, so when you change one thing, it automatically updates the other.
Law professor fires back at song-swapping lawsuits
Charles Nesson is a Harvard Law professor who is going to be representing a Botson University Graduate Student in his fight about the constitutionality of the RIAA. Nesson argues that the Digital Theft Deterrence and Copyright Damages Improvement Act of 1999 is unconstitutional because it effectively lets a private group carry out civil enforcement of a criminal law. Tenenbaum the graduate student accused of this issue tried to settle outside of court for $500 but the music companies are demanding $12,000. The RIAA is using bulling tactics to get Tenenbaum to drop the case. For example that stated that Tenenbaum did not notify the U.S. Attorney General that he wanted to contest the law's constitutional status. Some judges do seem to becoming around in one case in Minnesota a women was ordered to pay $220,000 for pirating 24 songs. Judge Michael J. Davis then called on Congress to change copyright law to prevent excessive awards in similar cases. Davis wrote that he does "not discount the industry's claim that illegal downloading had hurt the recording business, but the award is wholly disproportionate to the industry's losses.
After taking this class I can truly see the stupidity of the Digital Theft Deterrence and Copyright Damages Improvement Act of 1999 and I am very glad someone like Nesson is willing to fight the case so the American people do not have to live with the severity of this law. It is also refreshing to know that there is a Judge who is asking Congress to change the law. I believe in order for there to be real change we need more people like Lessig working proactively to change these rules.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Parody Thrives at TheOnion.com
As we know, the Internet gives practically anybody the power to create. The result can be anywhere from abysmal to outstanding, which can easily be seen on YouTube. With its "Broadcast yourself" motto, YouTube is such a read-write free-for-all that of course there are bound to be many videos of low quality. Seeing this video made me think of our video project. I know I'm hoping my upcoming video contains "even a shred of enjoyment for people other than than those who made the video."
But the beautiful part is not whether or not the mass public approves or disproves of the tens of thousands of homemade videos posted online daily; it is that no matter who you are, you can get your creation out there. If you have a message, it now has the ability to reach people. If you just are goofing around in front of a camera, that works too. It's completely up to us.
The video mentioned above was produced by The Onion, one of my new favorite websites. Wherever there is anything horrible in society, you can usually expect to find a parody before long. And whether it be a song, movie, or book, most people agree that it should be fair use. Parody is a great way to critique something creatively and usually appeals to people because the original work is something they are familiar with.
The Onion is a fake news website. In the fashion of the Daily Show, writers at this website inform viewers of current events in a way that is half true, half joke. The Onion was started in 1988 by two University of Wisconsin-Madison students and entered the Internet in 1996. Since 2005, all articles can be read for free. While many articles are mockeries of real events, some are completely made up, such as Kidnapped Boy Found Safe, Imagines Kidnapped Boy. They also have a "Historical Archive" section of newspapers on their site. These articles are in the fashion of a 1700s newspaper and focus on how differently we looked at the world a few hundred years ago. Reading The Onion is comparable to watching The Simpsons - there's enough jokes flying around on so many different levels that you are bound to find at least a few that you like.
This kind of parody is highly sarcastic and most people find it pretty funny. Some of my favorites include Tony Womo Out Three To Four Weeks With Bwoken Widdle Fingey and NASA Announces Plan To Launch $700 Million Into Space.
- Jordan Morsberger
But the beautiful part is not whether or not the mass public approves or disproves of the tens of thousands of homemade videos posted online daily; it is that no matter who you are, you can get your creation out there. If you have a message, it now has the ability to reach people. If you just are goofing around in front of a camera, that works too. It's completely up to us.
The video mentioned above was produced by The Onion, one of my new favorite websites. Wherever there is anything horrible in society, you can usually expect to find a parody before long. And whether it be a song, movie, or book, most people agree that it should be fair use. Parody is a great way to critique something creatively and usually appeals to people because the original work is something they are familiar with.
The Onion is a fake news website. In the fashion of the Daily Show, writers at this website inform viewers of current events in a way that is half true, half joke. The Onion was started in 1988 by two University of Wisconsin-Madison students and entered the Internet in 1996. Since 2005, all articles can be read for free. While many articles are mockeries of real events, some are completely made up, such as Kidnapped Boy Found Safe, Imagines Kidnapped Boy. They also have a "Historical Archive" section of newspapers on their site. These articles are in the fashion of a 1700s newspaper and focus on how differently we looked at the world a few hundred years ago. Reading The Onion is comparable to watching The Simpsons - there's enough jokes flying around on so many different levels that you are bound to find at least a few that you like.
This kind of parody is highly sarcastic and most people find it pretty funny. Some of my favorites include Tony Womo Out Three To Four Weeks With Bwoken Widdle Fingey and NASA Announces Plan To Launch $700 Million Into Space.
- Jordan Morsberger
Obama appoints YouTube (Google) as secretary of video
Your Weekly Address from the President-Elect
President-elect Obama has announced that he will do a regularly scheduled Saturday address in both audio and video form and has chosen Youtube to share this video. The internet, esecially Youtube, was one of the main mediums that helped him to reach the nations younger people during the election. By doing a weekly address I think it will help him to stay connected to his younger supporters. I see this as Obama reaching out to younger people and keeping them informed in a way that no other president has.
Though this is a great idea many are asking why favor Youtube? Is it because of Google CEO Eric Schmidt's very public support of Obama, or maybe because it is because it is the best way to reach people because it services the most video streams a year by far? The artical says that Obama should create his own video sharing service so that he can be neutral in the supports of a video sharing service. I disagree because the idea of having this address is to inform as many people as possible about what is going on in the white house. Youtube is the most popular video resource therefore he will most likely get more veiws on Youtube than anywhere else.
- R. Hudson
Fake New York Times Cover Hits Streets
http://www.boingboing.net/2008/11/12/fake-nyt-hits-street.html
A group of artists, writers, and pranksters called The Yes Men created the front page of the New York Times many people have wished and waited for. The headline read "Iraq War Ends". The group printed over a million of these fake papers, dated July 4, 2009 and distributed them in New York City.
Other stories in the paper include the setting of a maximum wage for CEOs, the UN passing a weapons ban (unanimously), and George Bush being indicted. The group also created elaborate advertisements for the paper, including a full-page announcement from Exxon that it supports the end of the war and will be committed to providing "socially, economically, and environmentally responsible energy". "Peace can also be lucrative," the advertisement states.
I just thought this would be relevant to both our class and our time. Though this was an offline event, the group remixed the New York Times in a way a lot of us would want to see for real. Guerilla art is sweet.
The full paper is available on the group's mock New York Times website: http://www.nytimes-se.com/2009/07/04/todays-paper/
A group of artists, writers, and pranksters called The Yes Men created the front page of the New York Times many people have wished and waited for. The headline read "Iraq War Ends". The group printed over a million of these fake papers, dated July 4, 2009 and distributed them in New York City.
Other stories in the paper include the setting of a maximum wage for CEOs, the UN passing a weapons ban (unanimously), and George Bush being indicted. The group also created elaborate advertisements for the paper, including a full-page announcement from Exxon that it supports the end of the war and will be committed to providing "socially, economically, and environmentally responsible energy". "Peace can also be lucrative," the advertisement states.
I just thought this would be relevant to both our class and our time. Though this was an offline event, the group remixed the New York Times in a way a lot of us would want to see for real. Guerilla art is sweet.
The full paper is available on the group's mock New York Times website: http://www.nytimes-se.com/2009/07/04/todays-paper/
Role of Federal Tech Czar to Be Defined by Obama
On the campaign trail Barack Obama said he would appoint the nation's first chief technology officer. There is some debate to how the officer will be used the possibilities include technology policy issue such as net neutrality and broadband access or will will the CTO weave the Internet into more agency activities. Another topic of debate is will CTO be a Cabinet-level position or a post within the White House. Some believe that top priority will be will be getting ride of redundant information technology information many of which do not operate across agencies. Many people are excited about this position so much so that a Website is website dedicated to the discussion of what the CTO position should entail.
I believe that appointing a CTO is a great idea and will be beneficial for our government as a whole. No matter what this position includes efficiency and availability of information is important to out president elect Barack Obama. So reflected in those believes the CTO will bring some new ways of thinking to Washington. Also after taking this class I hope that technology policy in Congress will be tackled by this new office.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Economic Recession Turns the Electronic Industry Green
http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2008/11/greener-tech-is.html
Manufacturers of electronics are turning to recycling used electronic devices from iPods to printers to recoup some of their finical lose. Old computers have valuable gold, silver copper, aluminum and other valuable recyclables in them. Sadly the electronics reason to turn to recycling is because it is more profitable, not because it is better for the environment. Despite their backwards reasons recycling is good for their image. "Going green" is all the rage and it is beneficial for the environment.
Dell, LG and Sony have partnered up with recycling facilities and started take back programs. Their costumers are supposed to give their computer or other electronic device back to the company so that its heavy metals are reused in a new generation of electronic devices.
In the forefront of the recycling cause is Apple. It tags its latest line of Macbooks "the greenest Macbook ever". Although it makes Steve Jobs sound awfully caring, the recycling is as much for Apple's benefit as it is for the environment. Apple is saving money by reducing the cost of recycling and paying less for old materials than if they were to by freshly mined metals.
The recycling facilities divide old electronics into parts and sell the plastic, and metal to manufacturers. it is much cheaper for the manufactures to by these used materials. It has been estimated that recycling goods could result in up to a 4 to 1 costs savings.
A quote that demonstrates the industry's relationship to recycling is:
"I don't think these companies would be lobbying [greener tech] unless there was a financial incentive," Harrell said. "It's not altruistic, and ultimately we don't care. We want the [cleaner] results, so if they're able to make money off of this ... it's a win-win."
In Europe an act called Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive Act requires companies to take their old used products back and recycle them, so that absolutely nothing is wasted. In America the Environmental Protection Agency passed a law prohibiting the exportation of televisions and computer monitors. This is very important, because both of these contain high amount of poisonous waste that would be very dangerous if exported to developing countries such as China, India, and Nigeria, where workers do not have any safety
precautions.
Manufacturers of electronics are turning to recycling used electronic devices from iPods to printers to recoup some of their finical lose. Old computers have valuable gold, silver copper, aluminum and other valuable recyclables in them. Sadly the electronics reason to turn to recycling is because it is more profitable, not because it is better for the environment. Despite their backwards reasons recycling is good for their image. "Going green" is all the rage and it is beneficial for the environment.
Dell, LG and Sony have partnered up with recycling facilities and started take back programs. Their costumers are supposed to give their computer or other electronic device back to the company so that its heavy metals are reused in a new generation of electronic devices.
In the forefront of the recycling cause is Apple. It tags its latest line of Macbooks "the greenest Macbook ever". Although it makes Steve Jobs sound awfully caring, the recycling is as much for Apple's benefit as it is for the environment. Apple is saving money by reducing the cost of recycling and paying less for old materials than if they were to by freshly mined metals.
The recycling facilities divide old electronics into parts and sell the plastic, and metal to manufacturers. it is much cheaper for the manufactures to by these used materials. It has been estimated that recycling goods could result in up to a 4 to 1 costs savings.
A quote that demonstrates the industry's relationship to recycling is:
"I don't think these companies would be lobbying [greener tech] unless there was a financial incentive," Harrell said. "It's not altruistic, and ultimately we don't care. We want the [cleaner] results, so if they're able to make money off of this ... it's a win-win."
In Europe an act called Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive Act requires companies to take their old used products back and recycle them, so that absolutely nothing is wasted. In America the Environmental Protection Agency passed a law prohibiting the exportation of televisions and computer monitors. This is very important, because both of these contain high amount of poisonous waste that would be very dangerous if exported to developing countries such as China, India, and Nigeria, where workers do not have any safety
precautions.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Talking to your Mac: Ars reviews MacSpeech Dictate 1.2
Link to article review: click here
I'm not a Mac user. I'm aware that they're better and more efficient, but I am extremely comfortable using a PC with Windows (despite its many many flaws), and I'm not really in the mood to learn a new OS. At least not in the near future.
Anyway, good news for people who are Mac users! Remember MacSpeech Dictate thata came out about a half a year ago? And those annoying (and more importantly, unfixable) drawbacks it had? Apple fixed them. The admitted that they knew the program had some minor issues and that they would irritate the hell out of customers who actually needed the product, but they figured there was no point in waiting six months and working out the glitches when peopled needed the product then. So now, if you already bought Dictate,then you can go ahead and upgrade, for free, to MacSpeech Dictate 1.2! And if you didn't buy it already, it's probably a pretty good investment, according to Ars Technica.
The favorite new feature for the program is that users can now train the program to suit their vocabulary and speech patterns. If you speak a word that the computer either mistakes for another or decides that you haven't spoken a real word at all, you can choose to edit the recognition of that word, and in the future, (hopefully) the program will recognize the new word. Take for example the name of the company that wrote the review. According to the authors of the review, "after a couple attempts, Dictate [became] a champ at recognizing "Ars Technica."
Also, the new version includes the option of being able to dictate to the program hen it has gotten a word wrong. Also, it allows users to spell out words letter-by-letter in case the program doesn't understand or recognize a word. A drawback to this feature, however, is that in order to switch from speech mode to spelling mode, you have to dictate to the program when you are doing so. In the grand scheme of things, it's not such a huge problem, but it is annoying when you end up repetitively losing your train of thought because you keep having to say "spelling mode" or "dictation mode."
Another flaw in the program is that if you try to switch to typing during the middle of your dictation, the program gets all sorts of mixed up and doesn't understand at all what you're trying to do.
Overall, it's definitely a good upgrade from the original MacSpeech Dictate that was released the first time around, as it corrects its major flaws. It's a great choice for Mac users looking for a basic speech recognition program.
Or, you could just buy Dragon NaturallySpeaking, a speech recognition program that runs on both Macs and PC's and that ranks much higher and as more advanced. Just sayin'.
I'm not a Mac user. I'm aware that they're better and more efficient, but I am extremely comfortable using a PC with Windows (despite its many many flaws), and I'm not really in the mood to learn a new OS. At least not in the near future.
Anyway, good news for people who are Mac users! Remember MacSpeech Dictate thata came out about a half a year ago? And those annoying (and more importantly, unfixable) drawbacks it had? Apple fixed them. The admitted that they knew the program had some minor issues and that they would irritate the hell out of customers who actually needed the product, but they figured there was no point in waiting six months and working out the glitches when peopled needed the product then. So now, if you already bought Dictate,then you can go ahead and upgrade, for free, to MacSpeech Dictate 1.2! And if you didn't buy it already, it's probably a pretty good investment, according to Ars Technica.
The favorite new feature for the program is that users can now train the program to suit their vocabulary and speech patterns. If you speak a word that the computer either mistakes for another or decides that you haven't spoken a real word at all, you can choose to edit the recognition of that word, and in the future, (hopefully) the program will recognize the new word. Take for example the name of the company that wrote the review. According to the authors of the review, "after a couple attempts, Dictate [became] a champ at recognizing "Ars Technica."
Also, the new version includes the option of being able to dictate to the program hen it has gotten a word wrong. Also, it allows users to spell out words letter-by-letter in case the program doesn't understand or recognize a word. A drawback to this feature, however, is that in order to switch from speech mode to spelling mode, you have to dictate to the program when you are doing so. In the grand scheme of things, it's not such a huge problem, but it is annoying when you end up repetitively losing your train of thought because you keep having to say "spelling mode" or "dictation mode."
Another flaw in the program is that if you try to switch to typing during the middle of your dictation, the program gets all sorts of mixed up and doesn't understand at all what you're trying to do.
Overall, it's definitely a good upgrade from the original MacSpeech Dictate that was released the first time around, as it corrects its major flaws. It's a great choice for Mac users looking for a basic speech recognition program.
Or, you could just buy Dragon NaturallySpeaking, a speech recognition program that runs on both Macs and PC's and that ranks much higher and as more advanced. Just sayin'.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Moms Think Internet Use Is More Risky than Drunk Driving
A recent survey conducted by McAfee suggests that parents may be more worried about the dangers of their children’s online activity than real-world dangers like drugs and alcohol. The poll of 1,000 mothers of teenagers revealed that about two-thirds of them are just as, or more, concerned about their teens’ online safety than the risks of drunk driving and drug use. Larry Magid, a member of the board of directors for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, acknowledges that parents have reason to worry about their kids’ safety on the Internet, but is shocked that they would perceive it as a threat greater than that of drunk driving. He shows that the risks between the two aren’t even close, saying that 1 in 5 of all fatal accidents involving drivers between the ages of 15 and 20 are alcohol-related, while only about 1 in 750 children are victimized by people they meet online.
According to Magid, research shows that kids who get into trouble online tend to do the same offline. That means those who take risks online are most likely the same ones abusing drugs and alcohol, and putting themselves in far more dangerous situations. “I'm not suggesting that parents have nothing to worry about when it comes to the Internet,” he says. “But let’s keep things in perspective and not turn parental concern into unjustified fears.”
McAfee’s research also shows that parents will go to extreme lengths to keep track of their teens online. 26% of the mothers surveyed said they had “friended” their children on social networking sites to keep an eye on their activities. 59% say they actually look at their child's browser history when they aren’t using the Internet, and 15% use software tools to monitor every move their teen makes online. McAfee surveyed adolescents to see how they felt about these results. 34% said they would be offended if their mothers tracked them online without their knowledge, 24% would be shocked, and 19% would feel hurt.
McAfee announced in the article the appointment of a “Chief Cyber Security Mom,” Tracy Mooney. They said that Mooney, a mother of 3, was chosen because they believe education is as important as technology. “There’s a lot of information out there, parents just need to know where to go to find it.” said Mooney of the study. “Kids will always want to break the rules and stretch boundaries and you have to give them their space and privacy. What works for me is acting before it happens and teaching them how to behave responsibly and safely online, as you would teach them to behave in the real world.”
I find the results of the study very troubling. I recognize that being a parent is extremely difficult, but I don’t think that excuses the irrationality found in this survey. Parents need to understand that every child will be faced with the threats of drugs and alcohol, but the threat of online predators is, as Magid proved, greatly exaggerated by shows such as To Catch a Predator. I couldn't agree more with everything Tracy Mooney said. The key to protecting children from online and offline threats is to educate them and to give them space. I think it's disturbing that so many mothers would violate their teenagers’ privacy because of their misplaced paranoia. Even I know that’s a sure-fire way to make teens do the exact opposite of what they want them to do. What kind of genius decided that stalking their kids online is the best way to keep people from stalking their kids online?
I wrote about this research because it shows how misguided Mark Bauerlein, author of The Dumbest Generation, must be to accuse young people of being dumb while his own generation is so dangerously misinformed. If we’re “ignorant and lazy” as he put it, exactly what are they? The ignorant ones are the mothers who identified the Internet as more of a danger than drunk driving and drug abuse. If parents truly want to protect their kids, they should stop believing every word that comes out of Chris Hansen’s mouth and start focusing on the real threats.
Sources:Is the Internet as Dangerous as Drunk Driving?
McAfee, Inc. Research Reveals Mothers Rate Cyber Dangers as High as Drunk Driving or Experimenting With Drugs
He Said What Now?
Mark Bauerlein, considered himself a bit of a maverick when he
openly insulted the generation of young adults growing up in a
technologically advance world, in his book "The Dumbest
Generation..." Speaking on behalf of this generation, I am going
to tackle some of his key points that he has discussed in his interviews.
First, I don't feel that it is fair, to call "us" the dumbest generation,
when ever generation were faced with different issues. For example
the generation that lived during the cold war actually thought if the
duck and cover under school desk they would be saved from an atomic
bomb, but no one is calling them dumb. When the atomic bomb was dropped
few people knew about the aftermath and the lingering effects on the ozone
layer along with cars polluting the air we breath. What we, as a society, know
today to be true, will change over time, when that happens we should not be
concerned with dates. The true question is how can one measure an education
by value especially when it applies to generations. We are a generation that faces
internal and external conflicts that are out of reach yet we are still criticized.
What I mean about internal conflicts is our generation has to find a solution to
global warming as well as try to prevent genocides like in Dafur. We are a
generation taught to multitask because, the value of a minute is one that cannot
be spent on one event alone. Every generation brings something new, these should
not be viewed as bad things but a mean of finding a solution.
openly insulted the generation of young adults growing up in a
technologically advance world, in his book "The Dumbest
Generation..." Speaking on behalf of this generation, I am going
to tackle some of his key points that he has discussed in his interviews.
First, I don't feel that it is fair, to call "us" the dumbest generation,
when ever generation were faced with different issues. For example
the generation that lived during the cold war actually thought if the
duck and cover under school desk they would be saved from an atomic
bomb, but no one is calling them dumb. When the atomic bomb was dropped
few people knew about the aftermath and the lingering effects on the ozone
layer along with cars polluting the air we breath. What we, as a society, know
today to be true, will change over time, when that happens we should not be
concerned with dates. The true question is how can one measure an education
by value especially when it applies to generations. We are a generation that faces
internal and external conflicts that are out of reach yet we are still criticized.
What I mean about internal conflicts is our generation has to find a solution to
global warming as well as try to prevent genocides like in Dafur. We are a
generation taught to multitask because, the value of a minute is one that cannot
be spent on one event alone. Every generation brings something new, these should
not be viewed as bad things but a mean of finding a solution.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
One free song per album
original article: http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2008/05/sigur-ros-releases-gobbledigook-as-free-download-t.html
Now that we are in the digital age, buying an album is a rare occasion for some music fans. Downloading whatever you want for no price is easy to do and has prevailed after over a decade. Musicians often need something special to appeal to those who normally do not buy their CDs. Along with that, people seem to flock when they see the glorious 4-letter-f-word: FREE. The new business model of free is making its way into the music industry, legally.
My favorite business model for album releases, aside from the whole LP being free, is a free song or two. Most bands announce to the press that in a month or two their new full length CD will be for sale; in the meantime, antsy fans can buy a single. Wise bands choose one of the strongest tracks and sell it on a disc, hoping to build the anticipation for the full album.
Some artists, like Icelandic band Sigur Ros know the power of the word "free." They announced on their website this past May that in one month, their fifth album would be released. In the meantime, anybody with Internet access was able to download the first track, "Gobbledigook," for no charge. This goofy sounding song intrigued many skeptics so much that they ended up downloading it just out of curiosity. Also, a fleshy music video was available for free download.
Some people saw this as foolishness; they could have sold thousands of copies of Gobbledigook. But by giving it away, it exposed more people to their music. When I browse on a music website like www.pitchfork.com or online music forums, most bands giving something away for free will get my attention. As stated in the book Music 2.0, exposure is the most important characteristic for a successful musician. Free music is perfect exposure.
The reason this is such a great business model is because it gives listeners a small taste and they will want more. The target group for this free sample would be listeners who are not planning on buying the album. Hearing a free song might be their first exposure to a certain musician and turning on a desire to hear more. This equates to potential increase in record and ticket sales. And one cannot deny the good karma musicians will get from their fans.
- Jordan Morsberger
Now that we are in the digital age, buying an album is a rare occasion for some music fans. Downloading whatever you want for no price is easy to do and has prevailed after over a decade. Musicians often need something special to appeal to those who normally do not buy their CDs. Along with that, people seem to flock when they see the glorious 4-letter-f-word: FREE. The new business model of free is making its way into the music industry, legally.
My favorite business model for album releases, aside from the whole LP being free, is a free song or two. Most bands announce to the press that in a month or two their new full length CD will be for sale; in the meantime, antsy fans can buy a single. Wise bands choose one of the strongest tracks and sell it on a disc, hoping to build the anticipation for the full album.
Some artists, like Icelandic band Sigur Ros know the power of the word "free." They announced on their website this past May that in one month, their fifth album would be released. In the meantime, anybody with Internet access was able to download the first track, "Gobbledigook," for no charge. This goofy sounding song intrigued many skeptics so much that they ended up downloading it just out of curiosity. Also, a fleshy music video was available for free download.
Some people saw this as foolishness; they could have sold thousands of copies of Gobbledigook. But by giving it away, it exposed more people to their music. When I browse on a music website like www.pitchfork.com or online music forums, most bands giving something away for free will get my attention. As stated in the book Music 2.0, exposure is the most important characteristic for a successful musician. Free music is perfect exposure.
The reason this is such a great business model is because it gives listeners a small taste and they will want more. The target group for this free sample would be listeners who are not planning on buying the album. Hearing a free song might be their first exposure to a certain musician and turning on a desire to hear more. This equates to potential increase in record and ticket sales. And one cannot deny the good karma musicians will get from their fans.
- Jordan Morsberger
Monday, November 10, 2008
Piracy Leads to Less Crap says BitTorrent Co-founder
Piracy Leads to Less Crap says BitTorrent Co-founder
http://torrentfreak.com/piracy-leads-to-less-crap-says-bittorrent-co-founder-081109/
Ashwin Navin, former president and co-founder of BitTorrent Inc. had a few points to make after he recently quit the company after 4 years. Ashwin is pretty upset about the strict copyright restrictions. In the article he makes many valid points on how we should embrace our freedoms not restrict them. He put emphasis on how the customer doesn’t have to be controlled by the entertainment industry. The customer now has the ability to access their material at will, which ultimately results in less money for them. Like we’ve heard before, Ashwin thinks the industry is scared because they don’t know how to make money off of the internet like they do on DVD’s. One of Ashwin’s claims was a very new way of looking at free access to the entertainment industry. He said, “The free flow of information and entertainment over the Internet doesn’t diminish the relevance of high value, professional entertainment at all. It does force the publishers to be more quality conscious (make fewer flops, and more hits).” I had never thought of this before, but it is true. I have defiantly done my fair share of piracy. I have downloaded plenty of horrible movies I would’ve wasted my money on, and been really upset. It’s a very good way of sampling how good certain movies are, or how good new music artists are. When I like something I generally buy it.
--
Ryan Wettlaufer
http://torrentfreak.com/piracy-leads-to-less-crap-says-bittorrent-co-founder-081109/
Ashwin Navin, former president and co-founder of BitTorrent Inc. had a few points to make after he recently quit the company after 4 years. Ashwin is pretty upset about the strict copyright restrictions. In the article he makes many valid points on how we should embrace our freedoms not restrict them. He put emphasis on how the customer doesn’t have to be controlled by the entertainment industry. The customer now has the ability to access their material at will, which ultimately results in less money for them. Like we’ve heard before, Ashwin thinks the industry is scared because they don’t know how to make money off of the internet like they do on DVD’s. One of Ashwin’s claims was a very new way of looking at free access to the entertainment industry. He said, “The free flow of information and entertainment over the Internet doesn’t diminish the relevance of high value, professional entertainment at all. It does force the publishers to be more quality conscious (make fewer flops, and more hits).” I had never thought of this before, but it is true. I have defiantly done my fair share of piracy. I have downloaded plenty of horrible movies I would’ve wasted my money on, and been really upset. It’s a very good way of sampling how good certain movies are, or how good new music artists are. When I like something I generally buy it.
--
Ryan Wettlaufer
Guns and Roses Uploader gets a deal
http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/11/guns-n-roses-up.html
Last summer a man named Kevin Cogill uploaded 9 leaked Guns and Roses tracks of their new album Chinese Democracy. He was arrested for his illegal activities and has agreed to plead guilty to a federal court on a charge of copyright infringement. He is scheduled to enter a plea on December 8. Authorities have already reduced his charge from a felony to a misdemeanor, reducing his charge from a minimum of 5 years to a minimum of 1 year. Even better for Kevin Cogill, because of his good behavior in this case and his clean criminal record he probably will face no jail time. As part of the deal he must tell the source of the tracks he uploaded.
I think the only reason his sentence was so reduced is they want to completely screw the source he uploaded from. The recording industry is known for asking absurd amounts of money from people who obviously don't have any and according to this article they didn't settle for a sum of money like they usually do. I expect they have something up their sleeves.
I don't think this sort of infringement should come with a criminal prosecution. As another blogger aptly put it: "The government should never be the entertainment industry's bitch." ~Anon E. Maus
Last summer a man named Kevin Cogill uploaded 9 leaked Guns and Roses tracks of their new album Chinese Democracy. He was arrested for his illegal activities and has agreed to plead guilty to a federal court on a charge of copyright infringement. He is scheduled to enter a plea on December 8. Authorities have already reduced his charge from a felony to a misdemeanor, reducing his charge from a minimum of 5 years to a minimum of 1 year. Even better for Kevin Cogill, because of his good behavior in this case and his clean criminal record he probably will face no jail time. As part of the deal he must tell the source of the tracks he uploaded.
I think the only reason his sentence was so reduced is they want to completely screw the source he uploaded from. The recording industry is known for asking absurd amounts of money from people who obviously don't have any and according to this article they didn't settle for a sum of money like they usually do. I expect they have something up their sleeves.
I don't think this sort of infringement should come with a criminal prosecution. As another blogger aptly put it: "The government should never be the entertainment industry's bitch." ~Anon E. Maus
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Motorola and Google become GNOME sponsors
On November 3rd Google and Motorola joined the organization's advisory board and will sponsors ongoing development of the open source desktop environment. This new funding will be used to facilitate usability studies and improvements to localizations and accessibility. Google has always been a major investor in open source software and Motorola uses the GNOME mobile technologies. The GNOME project is gaining a lot of momentum, especially in the mobile space this new sponsorship proves that Linux is making headway on the desktop on handheld devices.
This article was very promising that open sources networks are are really opening open to the public. The only problem I had with this article was it seemed to talk about a lot of things and not describe what they meant. I guess this article was intended for someone who knew a little more about open network sources. Overall it was a good article and I did gain a lot of knowledge of some of the open network sources that are available.
High Speed, Freed
Anthony Townsend is man who lives in New York City and just wants to happiness to those around him in the form of WiFi. Townsend and others like him are all volunteers in a group called NYCwireless. The main objected of this group is to set up wireless Internet access zones: small areas, often called free networks, where people can tap into high-speed connections, without cables of phone line, at no cost. This process has been called a marriage of the Web and pirate radio, forged even as big telecom interests bicker over the rights to wireless-spectrum licenses. Recently the White House announced it would ask the Supreme Court to seize the licenses of Next-Wave, which bought the rights at an auctions but has failed to make payment. So now this group has decided that sharing is not a bad idea if you can make you own network wireless why not open it up to those around you.
I think this is a great idea and it goes a long with what he have talked about in class. The new business model is free. Not only is this a good idea it will also change how americans view our society as a whole. If we are willing to share this wireless internet maybe they would be more willing to share other things. Overall I think this will spread across the national and help all those you come in contact with it.
New Model for Sharing: Free Music With Ads
Direct Link
As we know, music labels do not want us to download music for free. But back in April 2007, a couple of start up companies encouraged the P2P sharing, with programs like SpiralFrog and Ruckus. The reason for the allowance of these programs: advertising. As long as people are willing to deal with a little advertising, they can listen to this music for free. They are aimed towards college students, and I think it is a really good idea.
Qtrax, which opened in September 2007 had signed to sell music from Warner Music Group and EMI Group, and was planning with Sony BMG Music. It started as a file-sharing network in Australia, but was taken down 6 months aft
er. It now runs like a P2P sharing program, in that it gets the music from the Gnutella Network but there are many major differences. You could only listen to the song around 5 times for free, then if you really liked it you could purchase this song. These revenues along with the adversiting put into it, are hoped to be enough to pay off the royalties. Yet still, the music labels are trying to get the users to eventually buy the music, becaus they believe there are too many people getting music for free. They are hoping that Qtrax can compete with illegal programs.
Many of the major labels believe that having a program similar to peer to peer sharing will appeal to illegal downloaders "simply because it works much like the programs they use now".
So at least the industry is trying to think of was to make the "Free the new business model", it is at least digital, and you can try it first for free. WHich may make you want to buy it anyway, to give the Artist a thumbs up on their style. Hopefully the idea with just having the advertisements will lead to completely free music.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Feature films coming to YouTube
Link to actual article: here
YouTube's original intention was to create a business based specifically on amateur video content. That goal failed, miserably, as users post not only homemade videos but also music videos and other illegally obtainable media content.
A new turn for the company is that the people at Google, YouTubes parent company/owners, have been negotiating with film companies and have been trying to get full length movies posted legally on the site.
The new feature would bring in profit for the company from the companies who would pay to advertise. One of the main proble with this would be finding a way to place a sufficient number of ads in the movie without "overloading" the viewers.
Another issue with the new feature, which is expected (not from all film companies, just some) within the next few months, is competition. Hulu.com, a site that runs full-length shows and movie videos, has been a long time competitor with YouTube. While YouTube attracts far more viewers, Hulu managed to rake in the same amount of revenue. One aspect that attracts viewers to Hulu is its picture quality. The videos stream at a higher level of quality than the videos on YouTube. An aspect that attractis advertisers to Hulu is the advertising companies' trust in dependable companies providing the content.
This competition is eliminated though if YouTube can get the go-ahead from companies to stream full length feature films because they already have larger viewing audience. Even without this feature, YouTube attracts nearly 80 million viewers a month.
Another factor YouTube has going for them is that people are becoming increasingly interested in viewing video content online, and the movie proucers are more than aware of it. Because of this, they are going to be more willing to give YouTube permission to stream the content.
YouTube's original intention was to create a business based specifically on amateur video content. That goal failed, miserably, as users post not only homemade videos but also music videos and other illegally obtainable media content.
A new turn for the company is that the people at Google, YouTubes parent company/owners, have been negotiating with film companies and have been trying to get full length movies posted legally on the site.
The new feature would bring in profit for the company from the companies who would pay to advertise. One of the main proble with this would be finding a way to place a sufficient number of ads in the movie without "overloading" the viewers.
Another issue with the new feature, which is expected (not from all film companies, just some) within the next few months, is competition. Hulu.com, a site that runs full-length shows and movie videos, has been a long time competitor with YouTube. While YouTube attracts far more viewers, Hulu managed to rake in the same amount of revenue. One aspect that attracts viewers to Hulu is its picture quality. The videos stream at a higher level of quality than the videos on YouTube. An aspect that attractis advertisers to Hulu is the advertising companies' trust in dependable companies providing the content.
This competition is eliminated though if YouTube can get the go-ahead from companies to stream full length feature films because they already have larger viewing audience. Even without this feature, YouTube attracts nearly 80 million viewers a month.
Another factor YouTube has going for them is that people are becoming increasingly interested in viewing video content online, and the movie proucers are more than aware of it. Because of this, they are going to be more willing to give YouTube permission to stream the content.
Big Bands Can Do it Too!
Masnick
Chris Anderson, editor from Wired Magazine, describes a ‘free market’ as the future business model for the new web-connected world. Anderson describes how the business behind the idea of things being free is not logical business plan, economically, but it is the direction we are heading. We are getting closer and closer to the concept of free, by getting closer and closer to having more memory and storage through digital means.
The idea of free marketing in the music industry is having a large impact on what musicians are trying to do to get money in their pockets. Musicians like Radiohead are experimenting with the ways in which technology is changing the availability of music – now becoming faster and more accessible. Anderson describes how bands benefit from giving their music away for free while Masnick elaborates.
Anderson describes how the musicians tend the benefit from the ‘free’ business model because they get the publicity and their name known. Especially so with smaller bands without labels. Masnick argues that big bands can make this work as well. Although Anderson does mention Radiohead and doesn’t make the distinction between large and small bands, Masnick goes into depth and says that larger bands can be successful in the free business model as well. Since most bands make their revenues from shows and performances, why would big bands be any different? Since they are already known and they have a strong following they can determine their profits will come form sold out shows. Small bands will be able to give out their music for free to gain a following, while bigger well known bands will use their followers as a support system. Either way, both types of bands are getting most of the revenue from performances.
Chris Anderson, editor from Wired Magazine, describes a ‘free market’ as the future business model for the new web-connected world. Anderson describes how the business behind the idea of things being free is not logical business plan, economically, but it is the direction we are heading. We are getting closer and closer to the concept of free, by getting closer and closer to having more memory and storage through digital means.
The idea of free marketing in the music industry is having a large impact on what musicians are trying to do to get money in their pockets. Musicians like Radiohead are experimenting with the ways in which technology is changing the availability of music – now becoming faster and more accessible. Anderson describes how bands benefit from giving their music away for free while Masnick elaborates.
Anderson describes how the musicians tend the benefit from the ‘free’ business model because they get the publicity and their name known. Especially so with smaller bands without labels. Masnick argues that big bands can make this work as well. Although Anderson does mention Radiohead and doesn’t make the distinction between large and small bands, Masnick goes into depth and says that larger bands can be successful in the free business model as well. Since most bands make their revenues from shows and performances, why would big bands be any different? Since they are already known and they have a strong following they can determine their profits will come form sold out shows. Small bands will be able to give out their music for free to gain a following, while bigger well known bands will use their followers as a support system. Either way, both types of bands are getting most of the revenue from performances.
Feature films coming to YouTube
Link to actual article: here
YouTube's original intention was to create a business based specifically on amateur video content. That goal failed, miserably, as users post not only homemade videos but also music videos and other illegally obtainable media content.
A new turn for the company is that the people at Google, YouTubes parent company/owners, have been negotiating with film companies and have been trying to get full length movies posted legally on the site.
The new feature would bring in profit for the company from the companies who would pay to advertise. One of the main proble with this would be finding a way to place a sufficient number of ads in the movie without "overloading" the viewers.
Another issue with the new feature, which is expected (not from all film companies, just some) within the next few months, is competition. Hulu.com, a site that runs full-length shows and movie videos, has been a long time competitor with YouTube. While YouTube attracts far more viewers, Hulu managed to rake in the same amount of revenue. One aspect that attracts viewers to Hulu is its picture quality. The videos stream at a higher level of quality than the videos on YouTube. An aspect that attractis advertisers to Hulu is the advertising companies' trust in dependable companies providing the content.
This competition is eliminated though if YouTube can get the go-ahead from companies to stream full length feature films because they already have larger viewing audience. Even without this feature, YouTube attracts nearly 80 million viewers a month.
Another factor YouTube has going for them is that people are becoming increasingly interested in viewing video content online, and the movie proucers are more than aware of it. Because of this, they are going to be more willing to give YouTube permission to stream the content.
YouTube's original intention was to create a business based specifically on amateur video content. That goal failed, miserably, as users post not only homemade videos but also music videos and other illegally obtainable media content.
A new turn for the company is that the people at Google, YouTubes parent company/owners, have been negotiating with film companies and have been trying to get full length movies posted legally on the site.
The new feature would bring in profit for the company from the companies who would pay to advertise. One of the main proble with this would be finding a way to place a sufficient number of ads in the movie without "overloading" the viewers.
Another issue with the new feature, which is expected (not from all film companies, just some) within the next few months, is competition. Hulu.com, a site that runs full-length shows and movie videos, has been a long time competitor with YouTube. While YouTube attracts far more viewers, Hulu managed to rake in the same amount of revenue. One aspect that attracts viewers to Hulu is its picture quality. The videos stream at a higher level of quality than the videos on YouTube. An aspect that attractis advertisers to Hulu is the advertising companies' trust in dependable companies providing the content.
This competition is eliminated though if YouTube can get the go-ahead from companies to stream full length feature films because they already have larger viewing audience. Even without this feature, YouTube attracts nearly 80 million viewers a month.
Another factor YouTube has going for them is that people are becoming increasingly interested in viewing video content online, and the movie proucers are more than aware of it. Because of this, they are going to be more willing to give YouTube permission to stream the content.
Last.fm Frees the Music (sort of)
Last January, social music site Last.fm introduced its free on-demand music initiative called “Free the Music.” I thought this would be a great opportunity to look at how much of an impact the service has had on the music industry, and how much it has progressed since its introduction.
When Free the Music was launched, Last.fm boasted that it would be offering the largest legal collection of free, streamable music on the Internet. It was also revealed that artists would be paid directly each time a track is played. “The business model is simple enough,” wrote staff member Richard Jones. “We are paying artists and labels a share of advertising revenue from the website.” He acknowledged the support of like EMI, Sony BMG, Universal, and Warner, but pointed out that major labels wouldn’t be the only ones to benefit from this system. Anyone can upload their own music to Last.fm and earn money every time someone clicks play. “Today we’re redesigning the music economy,” Jones claimed.
Music that can not only be played for free, but pays an artist each time someone does so may sound too good to be true. Indeed, there is a catch. “Free” tracks can only be played three times before reverting to thirty-second previews available for most songs on Last.fm. In the announcement, a paid subscription service which would allow unlimited play was said to be coming soon. When exactly is soon, though? Free the Music has been in the beta stage for ten months. The Last.fm subscription page shows the unlimited listening subscription as “coming soon.” Promises to relax the restrictions for non-subscribers and extend the service to countries other than the US, UK, and Germany have apparently been forgotten, as well.
Still, new full-length tracks are being added every day. Many songs are uploaded when they are released as singles for extra promotion, and often non-album songs and remixes are uploaded presumably because it is less of a risk to make them freely available. Sometimes, even full albums are uploaded for streaming. Below you can see Swedish pop star September’s 2005 album In Orbit featuring all full tracks.
Free the Music has definitely generated plenty of interest. It seems like everyone is on board with the service except Last.fm. So what happened? Last.fm has hinted that it is struggling to keep its services free, so it’s possible that financial troubles are keeping the company from expanding the service. Over the summer it increased the number of ads on the site to keep up with licensing fees.
Last.fm clearly understands the power of $0.00. I’ve enjoyed it since May 2007 without paying a cent. Last.fm offers a personalized web radio service much like Pandora which streams full-length tracks based on a given tag, artist, group, or the user’s listening habits. It also recommends free downloads which are similar to tracks the user has played. Through features like these I've discovered more than half of my favorite artists, including September, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Lady GaGa, and Goldfrapp.
Last.fm takes advantage of “freemiums,” as well. It offers a $3 monthly, basic subscription (not to be confused with the forthcoming unlimited listening subscription), which boasts no ads, beta access, streamable playlists, public radio stations based on subscribers’ favorite tracks, and a recent visitors tracker.
If Last.fm truly wants to redesign the industry, I think it should take a risk and move forward with this project. If they need reassurance that it will work, they should look to Gerd Leonhard's Music 2.0. Unlimited listening could work like the “feels-like-free” model encouraged by Leonhard, in which music is like water. He describes the future of music in these terms: Exposure + Discovery + Community = Revenue. Exposure, discovery, and community are what Last.fm is all about, and if the talk of financial troubles is true, it needs revenue. If free is really the future of business, I think Last.fm has the power to take us there.
Source: Free the Music
Open Source Textbooks Challenge a Paradigm
by Chris Snyder
The cries of many college students have ended because there is a solution to the ancient problem of overpriced textbooks that at the end of a course has little value due to the fact it’s a used book or the professor is using the newer edition of the book. Flat World Knowledge is a company created by two former textbook industry executives who understand the business behind the textbook companies.
The textbook companies aims to make money by charging individual for “convenient” downloadable as well as a printout and study guides separately. Then after a certain amount of time change the old textbook to the newer edition which make the older textbook hard to sell. The current digital version of print textbook, is actually just as unaffordable and more of a lost because you cannot sell it back.
But Flat World Knowledge wants to create a site where books are online and free along with study guides on the related items. ‘“The nice thing about open content is it gives faculty full control, creative control, creative control over the content of the book, full control over timing , and it give students a lot more control over how they want to consume it and how much they want to pay,’” quoted Eric Frank who is a cofounder.
The funding for this project come form investors which includes authors and university trustee. The project has collected 750,000.
The official website will launch next January, which will be a test for business model over the next semester for a private beta with over 20
I think that this type of freeconmics is one that will lead the future. I love this idea, I just wished it was already out and running, it would have saved me a lot of money this semester and next.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Warner Bros. to fight China movie piracy with 60¢ downloads
Warner Brothers has taken a new route towards stopping piracy in China by offering 60 cent online rentals of movies. The goal of this is to provide a legal alternative to buying DVDs off the street from pirates who sell them for cheap. While only starting off with a few titles, Warner Brothers plans to cut their losses and try and appeal to people in China who may want a legal alternative. All of the movies will be DRM protected and are available on Voole, a Chinese based video website. It is one of the few video sites with the permission of the Chinese Government to exist. People will be able to watch the movies “when and how they want them” according to Time Warner, and there won’t be that many restrictions.
While this is all well and good for the Chinese, this seems a bit ironic coming from movie studios like Time Warner. Instead of attacking the problem, they’re trying to compete with it in a place where they don’t even make most of their money. They basically said that if the problem becomes big enough by doing this, they will cooperate by just trying to cut their losses. This seems just a little bit ironic considering what they do to pirates in their own country, so I propose that the whole of the U.S. start pirating movies and force them to make movies 60 cents here, and then maybe I won’t have to pay 10 dollars a month for Netflix. I don’t understand why they don’t just make the movies cheap here and do the same thing, more people would be happy to buy their DVDs for 3 dollars here rather than $20 and maybe they could bolster their DVD sales back up.
While this is all well and good for the Chinese, this seems a bit ironic coming from movie studios like Time Warner. Instead of attacking the problem, they’re trying to compete with it in a place where they don’t even make most of their money. They basically said that if the problem becomes big enough by doing this, they will cooperate by just trying to cut their losses. This seems just a little bit ironic considering what they do to pirates in their own country, so I propose that the whole of the U.S. start pirating movies and force them to make movies 60 cents here, and then maybe I won’t have to pay 10 dollars a month for Netflix. I don’t understand why they don’t just make the movies cheap here and do the same thing, more people would be happy to buy their DVDs for 3 dollars here rather than $20 and maybe they could bolster their DVD sales back up.
AT&T may limit Web subscribers' data use
It appears as if the internet might be headed towards how much capacity you have, not how much speed. AT&T is debating putting limits on how much users can download from the internet each month rather than charging for speed. This method is already used on cell phones and servers, but bringing it to your own personal computer is fairly new. This strategy, AT&T claims, is used to prevent “data hogs” from using their internet to its full capacity. These “data hogs”, AT&T claims, are only 5% of its internet users, but make up more than 50% of its internet traffic. So if you have the 768 kb/sec internet, your limit will be 20gb per month. The limit goes up with whatever speed of internet you have, up to 150 at the 10 mb/sec limit. These limits will start in November and are already being tested in the Reno area to see if it will work out correctly. If you go over your limit, you will have to pay $1 per gigabyte you go over. Other ISPs have limits set already, but they do not charge for whatever extra you use. Comcast has a 250 gb limit on all of its internet speeds, but only warns you a specific number of times and then they cancel your service and don’t charge you extra. TimeWarner is thinking about capping their limits too, with ones with as little as 5gb limits which is easily exceeded if you watch even 3 dvd quality movies online in a month.
It seems to me that this is another example of the big internet companies trying to get a hold on their customer base. They just don’t want to put in the new lines to support the bandwidth they use, so they are charging the customers unfairly for it. So, instead of working for the consumer’s money, they are making the consumers work for them by making them limit their bandwidth. This is a ridiculous idea and if I was affected by this I would feel insulted. It is also interesting how Verizon, who is mentioned as a company not buying into this concept, is the only one out of the companies who has upgraded to fiber optic networks, which can support a lot more bandwidth and only require upgrading of the transmitters and the receivers at either end, not the cables themselves. This is why I think it’s just the companies themselves being stubborn and encourage anyone who uses a lot of bandwidth to switch to Verizon soon, or you may pay for it later.
It seems to me that this is another example of the big internet companies trying to get a hold on their customer base. They just don’t want to put in the new lines to support the bandwidth they use, so they are charging the customers unfairly for it. So, instead of working for the consumer’s money, they are making the consumers work for them by making them limit their bandwidth. This is a ridiculous idea and if I was affected by this I would feel insulted. It is also interesting how Verizon, who is mentioned as a company not buying into this concept, is the only one out of the companies who has upgraded to fiber optic networks, which can support a lot more bandwidth and only require upgrading of the transmitters and the receivers at either end, not the cables themselves. This is why I think it’s just the companies themselves being stubborn and encourage anyone who uses a lot of bandwidth to switch to Verizon soon, or you may pay for it later.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Robinson and Lessig
After watching videos by both Robinson on education and Lessig on copyright it is easy to see a correlation. Both men have taken a stance against the way government upholds it's duty to the people and how it upholds the law. Lessig's focus on copyright proves that the way our government is running the government is not prosperous to the American people. If we continue to treat all ideas as copyrighted nothing would be created. Robinson feels the same way but in terms of education, creativity is being destroyed. Just as out government regulates copyright too tensely they do not provide and environment for children to be creative. School requires student to take so many math and science classes but art is being lost. Robinson made the connection that although children do not use art is everyday life they do not use biology of calculus but yet there is more weight in math and science.
It is obvious that these two idea are connected through the lack of creativity in our world. The problem of creativity seems to steam from government policies that do not prompt creative thought.
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