October 6, 2005
Podcasting Gold Rush Is On
There's money in them thar audio files! Not much, yet, and obstacles abound, but podcasters are mining everything from commercial sponsors to paid guest appearances in the quest for profitability. By Steve Friess.Posted by Jaani at 9:58 PM | Comments (0)
Outspoken Group Releases Album as Free Download
SirNuke writes "Harvey Danger, a Seattle based rock band, has released their newest album Little by little for free mp3 download. They are doing this partially as an Internet publicity experiment, and partially as a stand against the Music Industry's attack on filesharing. From their website, 'In preparing to self-release our new album, we thought long and hard about how best to use the internet. Given our unusual history, and a long-held sense that the practice now being demonized by the music biz as "illegal" file sharing can be a friend to the independent musician, we have decided to embrace the indisputable fact of music in the 21st century, put our money where our mouth is, and make our record, Little By Little..., available for download via Bittorrent, and at our website. We're not streaming, or offering 30-second song samples, or annoying you with digital rights management software; we're putting up the whole record, for free, forever. Full stop. Please help yourself; if you like it, please share with friends.' I suggest you check it out."Posted by Jaani at 9:55 PM | Comments (0)
Legal music downloads soar as CD sales fall
CD sales keep dropping, but there's some good news for the music industry in the form of sales via download. Will the trend continue if the RIAA, et al start messing with pricing models?Posted by Jaani at 9:49 PM | Comments (0)
Electronic Arts Settles Overtime Lawsuit
Electronic Arts agreed to settle a suit by ex-employees who say the videogame firm owes them overtime pay.Posted by Jaani at 9:43 PM | Comments (0)
September 20, 2005
MP3 Company Refuses to Pay Swedish Copyright Levy
'Swedish MP3 player manufacturer Jens is to be hauled before the courts for flatly refusing to pay a charge designed to compensate copyright owners whose music is copied to a different format for private use, reports news site The Local. Jens says the surcharge, administered by Copyswede, is unreasonable and that "it's not our problem that the record industry hasn't come up with its own solution". Apparently Apple doesn't pay it on their iPods either.'
Posted by Jaani at 5:18 PM | Comments (0)
September 18, 2005
Video Game Industry to Sue Michigan's Governor
'A news release at Warcry writes that the ESA (Entertainment Software Association) plans on filing suit in Michigan to overturn the recent Violent Games Act.'
Posted by Jaani at 12:26 PM | Comments (0)
September 13, 2005
US Finals complete for the 2005 World Cyber Games Championships
The World Cyber Games completed its United States finals on September 10th. Does competitive video game playing have a future as a professional sport in North America?Posted by Jaani at 8:46 PM | Comments (0)
September 3, 2005
ACCC considers extending APRA’s monopoly
'APRA's monopoly over Australian and international performing rights is set to continue, following a draft decision by the competition watchdog to re-authorise its collective administration arrangements.'Posted by Jaani at 8:36 PM | Comments (0)
August 10, 2005
Apple's iPod Interface Patent in Jeopardy
Gadget Guy writes "Apple has been denied on their quest to patent the iPod software interface. According to AppleInsider - 'Standing in Apple's way appears to be a prior filing by inventor John Platt, who submitted a patent application for a similar software design for a portable device in May of 2002 - just five months before Robbin submitted his claims on behalf of Apple.'" The Register also helps to shed a little additional light on the subject.Posted by Jaani at 12:25 PM | Comments (0)
July 16, 2005
The Myopia of Classical Labels
As the BBC prepares to announce the tremendous success of its free Beethoven downloads, the Independent reports that classical labels are less than rhapsodic:
This week the BBC will announce there have been more than a million downloads of the symphonies during the month-long scheme. But the initiative has infuriated the bosses of leading classical record companies who argue the offer undermines the value of music and that any further offers would be unfair competition.
The BBC made all nine of the Beethoven symphonies available for free download, with commentary, as part of their Beethoven Experience.
You'd think that arts leaders struggling to expand their market to younger generations would welcome evidence that downloaders want to give classical a try. Any classical afficionado knows that one performance of Beethoven's Ninth isn't a direct substitute for another, just as baseball fans don't stop watching just because they've now seen the Red Sox win the Series. Instead, hearing and appreciating an intial performance is the first step toward wanting to hear the other greats, in concert or on CD. Those pop fans who realize Gianandrea Noseda's Pastorale fits on their iPods may well be moved to try more.
But instead of welcoming this new audience with offerings of their own, the labels complain that downloads are "devaluing the perceived value of music." They make the same error intellectual property maximalists do -- thinking that "exclusion" equals "value." If few people want to pay for your product, it doesn't have much market value, no matter how much you want to charge. The RIAA's 2003 Consumer Profile indicates just 3% of U.S. music purchases were classical, while BPI reports that in the U.K., classical CD sales totaled under 14 million for that year. Against that small market, a million downloads in two weeks is huge. Labels should focus not on the hypothetical hordes who might buy high-priced CDs, but on the real likelihood that free downloads introduce a wider audience of potential purchasers of a wide range of classical music.
I for one, hope the BBC extends this experiment. Listening to the BBC Symphony's Beethoven 1 now.
Posted by Jaani at 12:24 PM | Comments (0)
February 23, 2005
EA Employees File Second Class Action against Game Publisher
An engineer working for leading electronic video game publisher Electronic Arts has become the second staff member to file a class action lawsuit against the company, seeking back pay, damages and penalties for unpaid overtime:
Leander Hasty, who has worked for the firm since mid-2003, filed his suit yesterday against the company, arguing that a special Californian law which exempts certain creative professionals from overtime regulations should not apply to EA’s engineering staff. The Californian law, instituted in 2000, [applies to] programmers who make more than $41 an hour and are working in creative or intellectual roles on advanced technology projects - a definition which Hasty’s lawyers challenge in the case of EA employees.
Looks like EA is sticking to its corporate moniker of ‘challeng[ing] everything’! Video game programming is commonly ranked among the most stressful and unrewarding professions by its members; EA certainly isn’t making it much easier. According to this weblog entry by an anonymous employee, which catalysed the first legal action, employees were routinely required to work in 12 hour days — seven days a week — ‘with the occasional Saturday evening off for good behaviour’. The fact that this occurred without additional remuneration seems all the weirder:
And the kicker: for the honour of this treatment EA salaried employees receive a) no overtime; b) no compensation time… ; c) no additional sick or vacation leave… EA’s attitude toward this has been, ‘If they don’t like it, they can work someplace [sic] else.’ Put up or shut up and leave: this is the core of EA’s Human Resources policy. The concept of ethics or compassion or even intelligence with regard to getting the most out of one’s workforce never enters the equation: if they don’t want to sacrifice their lives and their health and their talent so that a multibillion dollar corporation can continue its Godzilla-stomp through the game industry, they can work someplace else. But can they?
And to think, EA was ranked ninth among the top 100 employers in 2003.
Source: Rob Fahey, Games Industry
Posted by Jaani at 9:24 AM | Comments (0)
March 2, 2004
Matchstick Rockets
Ever wanted to build a chemically propelled projectile device but were disuaded by the cost and lack of legal scapegoats in the event of injury? Here is your answer. Not only are the instructions provided without a disclaimer of any kind, but the rocket is constructed from ordinary household items (match, paperclip, pin, and some foil). Your resulting miniature craft is sure to provide hours of eye-blinding (and sibling-scaring) fun! Just don't expect to be able to carry any payload heavier than an ant, however.
Posted by Jaani at 12:39 PM | Comments (0)
January 26, 2004
New From Ikea: Inkönvenient
The Morning News has a hilarious piece satirising everyone's favourite chipboard furniture manufacturer, Ikea, and their infamous self-serve stores which would have even a Zen master red in the face. The article takes the form of a video game walkthough:
You start this world armed only with a UNIVERSAL FURNITURE-ASSEMBLY ALLEN WRENCH. This is the weakest weapon in IKEA: You will have to hit a person 16 times with it to kill them. So your primary goal in this level is to find more lethal means of dispatching your enemies.
As you enter the SHOWROOM, perform a rolling dodge to the left. Grab a free PAPER TAPE MEASURE and a handful of IKEA EMBLAZONED GOLF PENCILS from the kiosk near the entryway. The PENCILS serve quite well as ranged weapons, but it will take some time to master their use. Before venturing further in the world, stand at the kiosk and practice hurling GOLF PENCILS at patrons as they enter the SHOWROOM. Remember: Hitting the eyes does triple damage.
If only it were as easy as that. Last week, what started as a quick trip in search of a new clothes draw in which to store my ever-expanding wardrobe turned into a lengthy and bewildering flight of fancy through one-way corridors just narrow enough to make one feel like a guinea pig in a maze. Whilst this is an ingeniously efficient product-to-consumer delivery system, it has the unfortunate effect of inciting random acts of violence (and rash consumerism) in its constant saturation of the senses with annoyingly-named cabinets and deceptively-useful mystery devices. Enough of that! Bring on the rocket launchers, I say.
Posted by Jaani at 8:05 PM | Comments (0)
January 8, 2004
Foiled Trains and Precious Dolls
This Japanese site has some remarkable panoramic images of the region's passenger trains. Dozens of photos have been stitched together to produce a single image spanning the length of the train. This one, in particular, is quite cool.
Amazon.com have a peculiar product in stock: Barbie and Ken as Arwen and Aragorn. Though their plasticised faces and miniature weapons are more little creepy, it's good to see the standard husband/wife archetypes developing into, uh, warrior/elf maiden imagery. Progress? I wonder how much Mattel paid for the rights...
Still on The Lord of the Rings theme, one enterprising individual is selling t-shirts satirising many an iPod owner's strange attachment to their overpriced portable music devices. With the recent announcement of the iPod Mini (and the accompanying frenzy of rumours, name-calling, and drooling), there may be some truth in this shirt's message.
This next news item is rather strange. An Olympia, United States man returned from a trip to find himself the victim of an inventive practical joke. His house-minder used 4000 square feet of aluminium foil to encase every object inside the house - even the toilet paper:
They even used foil to encircle Kirk's spare change -- each individual quarter he had left atop a living room bookshelf.
The prankster, known for his 'large-scale strangeness,' considers the act 'a psychology project,' and is unphased by his friend's threats of revenge. Bizarre, truly bizarre.
Posted by Jaani at 1:29 PM | Comments (0)
December 1, 2003
Quae Vide: iNews
There is an interesting Xbox plexiglass modification here, which turns an unassuming black plastic cuboid into a horrid display of light and sound.
In a move sure to bedazzle the American public and reinforce the image of political action-hero, President Bush - being the good-willed citizen that he is - visited Baghdad (yes, that Baghdad) for thanksgiving.
It has all the elements of a Tom Clancy novel - except the part where an unidentified group of masked gunmen hijack Air Force One and Jack Ryan sneaks aboard to save the... Oh, wait. Nevermind.
Back to the digital domain, Taiwanese manufacturer of optical drives, Lite-On, is estimated to ship 1 million drives next quarter. Given that their technology ranks among the cheapest, quietest, and most reliable equipment I've come across, I can't say I'm surprised. My $60 Lite-On 40/12/48 CD-R/-RW is serving me rather well, actually. Now, where did I put that 'backup' copy of Neverwinter Nights...
Finally, Umberto Eco has a long and interesting paper about the evolving modes of information storage. He contrasts paper, electronic, and vegetal (organic) -based technologies and examines the way in which authors are influenced by the semiotic system in which they write (and the structure of constraints imposed by the medium of writing). The article makes a few interesting points, such as the idea that digital and print mediums aren't so different as they initially seem:
His structuralist analysis of hypertext systems is also very interesting, if you have the time to absorb it in full, though a little laboured in parts. Note especially his rejection of radical deconstructionist interpretative theories, and adoption of a pseudo-Fishian 'three-dimensional' interpretative framework. In the context of the internet (a collaborative 'work' shaped by a large interpretive community) such a model seems very accurate.
Eco's argument that the electronic medium will (owing to its non-linear mode of information retrieval), replace traditional vegetal reference materials is rather ironic, as his example to contrast the two mediums demonstrates:
[...] Yet, with hypertext instead I can ... do my job in a few seconds or a few minutes.
While true (after all, I can't remember the last time I've looked up a word in a paper dictionary), these same properties of electronic information access may be used to highlight Eco's own unoriginality (note that this was first discovered by an observant Slashdot reader).
Namely, a quick Google search reveals that Eco's aforementioned article is little more than a repeat of a lecture given by him in 1995, and again in 1996, 1998, and 2000, at various academic conferences. He must be getting rather good at delivering it by now!
Going back a little further (and already onto the second page of search results), we find that the Napolean example itself was earlier used by Bertrand Russell in 1935. Of course, the ease with which this information was all accessed just goes to show how correct Eco actually is!
Posted by Jaani at 3:23 PM | Comments (0)
October 14, 2003
A Tale of Two Halves
This week's raging controversy involves the premature release of source code to a hotly anticipated game into the wild by an unknown cracker. The game, of course, is Half-Life 2, and its developer, Valve. Well, it seems that Valve has sprung a leak, so to speak...
This statement from chairperson Gabe Newell suggests that Valve Software (owned by Vivendi Universal) has been unwittingly subject to prying eyes. The attacker(s) used a custom-written trojan to infiltrate development machines at Valve HQ, gaining access to the coveted source code without their knowing.
At some point, keystroke recorders got installed on several machines at Valve. Our speculation is that these were done via a buffer overflow in Outlook's preview pane. This recorder is apparently a customized version of RemoteAnywhere created to infect Valve (at least it hasn't been seen anywhere else, and isn't detected by normal virus scanning tools).
[...] Well, this sucks.
My analysis? The impact of the leak is overrated. While it's by no means a good thing, and is certainly a game developer's worst nightmare, this does not spell doom for Valve, nor is it going to ruin an otherwise hotly anticipated game. If anything, it is excellent publicity for Valve and their licensing programme, and may increase game/engine sales, is unlikely to represent a major threat to their intellectual property, and may even bolster game security. I'll briefly address these three aspects to the leak, explaining why it the leak is not the devastating blow that many commentators are making it out to be.
Posted by Jaani at 2:20 PM | Comments (0)
August 22, 2003
Some Petty Diversions
May I present some interesting links which have found themselves encoded, compressed, transmitted, decoded, and displayed upon my various internet access points around the house, my work, and uni.
Warning: laughter more than likely.
First up, now you can own your very own George Bush 1:6 scale replica. Not meaning to jump on the Bush-bashing bandwagon, but I find the idea of owning a presidential action-figure rather amusing. Frankly, I can't see a large market for John Howard figurines here in Australia (though this is probably more reflective of a difference in political culture than their relative popularity).
Next up: cultural kafuffles - what better opportunity for generalisation and offence? It turns out the Austrian authorities have mistaken a kangaroo for a giant beaver. Quite humorous when it is remembered that people (Americans) often confuse Australia and Austria - "those countries". But then again, considering 1 in 3 Californians (note: limited sample population) don't know from which state Kentucky Fried Chicken originates, I'm not at all surprised.
Another interesting article detailing the demise proper punctuation, capitalisation, grammar, spelling, and syntax in electronic communications. This is a trend of which I'm sure we're all only too aware, and one which the tone is this site is designed to counter. Of particular interest is the use of prolepsis, which the author employs to great effect.
On a more serious note, InsertCredit has this insightful article into the state of online video game journalism. One of my ambitions was once to pursue a career in journalism (along with becoming an astronomer, architect, nuclear physicist, vulcanologist, and professional gamer), and from what my experiences in the industry it seems spot on.
A Californian P2P user has challenged the RIAA's policy of issuing subpoenas to ISPs and users suspected of file sharing, claiming a violation of her right to privacy. There's nothing new here, it seems; arguments are standard rights-violation fare, and breach of contract with her ISP, Verizon.
Well, we all knew mobile phones were dangerous (ahem), but now it seems they're at risk of combustion. A woman suffered burns to her face and hands when the battery in her phone (a Nokia) caught fire after she dropped the phone. Apparently the phone short-circuited and the battery overloaded. Maybe those signs in petrol stations warning against mobile phone usage aren't as absurd as they seem.
Finally, an interesting application of chaos theory: calculating the likelihood of failure in so-called 'megasystems'. After the recent power outages in the eastern United States, the sustainability of large commodity-delivery infrastructures is an important topic.
Posted by Jaani at 8:50 PM | Comments (0)
August 15, 2003
Quae Vide No 3
This week's theme is technological developments. For the new reader, Quade Vide is a weekly column highlighting the author's picks from the web in a particular field. We're always open to suggestions for topics - use the comments feature or send me an e-mail.Technological Developments:
- Nuclear-powered drone aircraft that can fly for weeks on end.
- Scientists develop hafnium "gamma-ray bombs" with half-life of 31 years.
- Spam's raison d'être found: it's profitable!
- India to launch Moon Mission in 2008, if they can get their dates right.
- US Federal Court rejects validity of RIAA subpoenas.
- Microsoft disables WindowsUpdate site in preparation for Blaster attack.
Unfortunately, the public at large continues to retain an irrational fear about green-glowing nuclear assassins (which, at any rate, would glow blue).
Posted by Jaani at 8:54 PM | Comments (0)
Compra! Compra!
The rumours were true: ATI is to power Microsoft's just-announced next-gen Xbox2 console. Under the deal, ATI will produce the core graphics processing unit for the next iteration of video game consoles.
Nvidia's stock fell 58 cents, or 3.5 percent, to $16.20 on Nasdaq with almost 13 million shares traded.
Sounds like the stocks have shuffled their feet already; I wouldn't recommend (*) an investment in nVidia anytime soon, however - losing this Xbox deal potentially lands them in the financial quagmire. Currently Xbox royalties are nVidia's major source of income, with sales of its consumer-level PC graphics cards faltering against ATI's newer, cheaper technology.
(*) I undertake no responsibility for the accuracy or future financial profitability of this statement and disclaim all liability for detrimental reliance thereupon. No assumption of responsibility may be inferred from my voluntary provision of advice - it is provided in an obviously informal context and with express warning as to its purpose and lack of suitability for any purpose whatsoever.
Posted by Jaani at 2:52 PM | Comments (0)
August 9, 2003
Quae Vide No 2
This entry is a day overdue, but here it is nonetheless. This week's theme is books and literature. Without further ado:What I'm Reading:
- Asimov, Isaac: Foundation
- Flannigan, Richard: Gould's Book of Fish
- Davies, Margaret: Asking the Law Question
- Sugarman, David: Legal Science, Liberalism, and Imperialism
- Borges, Jorge Luis: Fictions
- Flaubert, Gustave: Madame Bovary
- Joyce, James: A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
- Orwell, George: Down and Out in Paris and London
- Camus, Albert: The Plague
- Fowler, HW: A Dictionary of Modern English Usage
- Carver, Raymond: Short Cuts
- Le Guin, Ursula: The Earthsea Quartet
- Tolkien, John Ronald Reuel: The Lord of the Rings
- Lewis, Clive Staples: The Cosmic Trilogy
- Stephenson, Neal: The Diamond Age
- Cloninger, Curt: Fresh Styles for Web Designers
- Ferguson, Max: Digital Darkroom Masterclass
- Calishain, Tara and Dornfest, Rael: Google Hacks
If you have any other recommendations from your last month or three of literary foraging, add your titles to the comments below.
I'm working on an article titled 'Impressions of a First Year Law Student' which I'll upload later this week.
Posted by Jaani at 5:21 PM | Comments (0)
August 7, 2003
Boredom Strikes
Waste countless hours in what is possibly the most addictive game since Junkbot and Insaniquarium (which, incidentally, I suggest you check out if you haven't already).
I give you: Castle. It starts off slow, but becomes fun - in a mindless, monotonous kind of way. I enjoyed trying to make the game play itself by building my defences to the point where I could go make myself a cup of Chai, come back 20 minutes later, and it would be at the end of the level.
Pointless and boring, yes, but by clicking on this link you must - to a certain extent - be bored and pointless yourself. Defend your castle!
Posted by Jaani at 8:20 PM | Comments (0)
August 4, 2003
Unusual Lavatories
And now for something completely different: the Top Ten Urinals of the world (and its geostationary satellites).
My favourite is definitely #6 - the Hong Kong ‘Felix’. Relieving myself in one of those ornate marble pillars would feel far to sacriligious to be able to do so without feeling like I’m desicrating something grand; or maybe I just have a slave mentality.
Apologies to our female readers — not that you should feel excluded (check out #5!).
Posted by Jaani at 8:57 PM | Comments (0)
August 3, 2003
Itsbay Andway Iecespay
I came across the following links in my weekend travels:
- Copying is Theft: interesting article on the moral dubiosity of digital copyright
- An Austrian daredevil has flown across the English channel on a carbon fibre wing
- A horrendous bug in Nero 6 has been discovered that can cause erasure of a hard disk's data
- Interesting analysis of the hardware performance factors affecting computer games
- Prima facie: DDR500 memory review
Posted by Jaani at 5:28 PM | Comments (0)
Free Market Assassination
From Kuro5hin, an amusing article about Distributed Denial of Existence (or DDoE) attacks. The premise is this: a collective fund is established in a Swiss bank account to which users who dislike another user may contribute. When the fund for a particular disliked user reaches a certain point, a contract assassin is hired through an escrow service to eliminate them. However, the disliked person may contribute to the fund themselves to have it reduced.
I find comparison to distributed denial of service attacks amusing - users who individually would be unable to afford a hitperson can pool their resources to stamp out the voice of the beligerant fool. Alternatively, interested parties fight with their wallets to achieve a common goal; the highest bidder (majority or individual) gets their wish.
The concept is democratically sound: the party that wins will be generally comprised of a greater number of people who will benefit. Although it may allow wealthy individuals to pervert the wishes of the majority by outbidding them, the group has still collectively deprived their nemesis of a substantial amount of money, at little cost to them as individuals. Whatever the outcome, the escrow is a lot richer - depending upon how many friends and how unpopular the person is. Liberty for all, I say!
This paper by Jim Bell on Assassination Politics takes things a step furtgher by introducing an element of chance. People can gamble on whether they think user X will be eliminated within a certain period of time, and contribute their bet to the fund. The author outlines in detail the intricacies of the scheme on the proviso that unpopular individuals are most likely to be dishonest politicians who cannot be dealt with within in the confines of the conventional justice system. While I'm not entirely convinced about Bell's motives, the scheme is certainly peculiar - the ultimate incarnation of economic rationalism.
Posted by Jaani at 4:21 PM | Comments (1)
August 2, 2003
Quae Vide
Each Friday, I'll try to collate a summary of interesting links, reviews, and articles upon which I have stumbled throughout the week. The links will be presented with minimum commentary, but are hand-picked for quality and categorised for convience. Here are the first Quae Vide picks. This week's theme is science and technology.Science/Technology:
- Voodoo 5 6000: 3dfx's last breath
- Prima facie: PHP5 will shortly bring object oriented web sripting to the masses
- Could this spell end of the Hubble Space Telescope?
- Watchdog fears massive hack attack thanks to a Windows security vulnerability
- The missing iPod owner's manual
- In review: ASUS' latest and greatest 3D graphics card
- Warcraft III expansion pack patch 1.12
- Vivendi Universal posts 60% downturn in 2003 revenue
Posted by Jaani at 12:51 AM | Comments (0)
July 28, 2003
Adjectival Conjoinment
Here's something that's been keeping me amused for the past couple of days. The voice acting is above par, the flash animation is of a high calibre, and the antics of this Mexican boxing mask may (or may not) have you in stiches:
Read post. Click on link. Hilarity ensues!
Posted by Jaani at 5:42 PM | Comments (0)
