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Socially Conscious Piracy
Many people think the idea of piracy is one of black and white, you're stealing or your not. In fact, it's pretty grey and there is a way to practice socially conscious piracy. OK, legally you're stealing. Hard to really come up with an argument where you're not, but ethically it's not as simple. History is full of examples of people breaking the law to make a point or to help right a greater wrong. Not to say media piracy is in that same league exactly, but precedence does exist.
MusicThe number one thing people pirate is music, and the RIAA has always done a terrible job of dealing with it. We all know the stories, and most people think the RIAA sucks ass. I used to buy a CD every single week and I have the collection to prove it, but once the representative trade organization for those artists I love started suing people left and right, I stopped. In the last 10 years I probably haven't bought more than 10 CD's. I'm the perfect example of a strong customer who the industry completely lost due to their policies.But I still like music, and don't want to punish the artists. A few guidelines for consideration.1) Downloading music to see if it's any good isn't any different than listening to it on the radio. Dropping cash on unknown music is kinda stupid and a good way to end up with a lot of crap.2) If you listen to a song more than X number of times, you should buy it. For me that number is in the 3-5 range, for you it may be different. If we're talking about a mega star, the number will be higher than if it's an indie artist. I also tend to listen an album at a time, not a track at a time. So completing 3 album listens is kinda rare.3) Remember that artists make VERY little money from CD sales, we're talking pennies. The best way to support an artist is to see them live. If you do see them live, download as much of their music as you like. They made more money from your ticket purchase than they would have made if you'd purchased every album in their catalog. Artists know this, and most just want people at their shows.MoviesThe MPAA has been a little better than the RIAA, but not much. Plus you have examples here of production companies directly going after consumers. The final straw is the imposed 28 day rental delay that some companies have put on Netflix, and the stripped down DVD's that you get when renting. The studios are doing everything they can think of to screw the fans, so feel free to return the favor.1) If a movie is subject to the 28 day window, pirate it and DO NOT put it in your rental queue. The message you're sending is that you'll watch it anyway and the studios won't make a dime off you.2) Conversely, if a movie is not subject to the 28 day window put it in your queue and make sure it's at the top, and DO NOT pirate it. You're sending the opposite message here and you need to reward those studios that treat their customers well.3) If you do pirate a pre-release movie from a company that doesn't impose a rental delay, put the movie at the top of your queue and make sure you actually hold the physical copy in your hand within a week of its release. By doing this the studio gets the same benefit as if you hadn't pirated it. No harm, no foul.BooksEbooks are a great thing, but the cost associated can sometimes exceed the cost of a physical book. So far the publishers haven't been sue happy like the RIAA/MPAA have been, but that may change over time. In any case, there are some simple to follow rules to keep things socially conscious.1) If you own the the physical book, pirating the ebook is nothing more than format shifting. The publisher/author doesn't deserve to get paid twice for the same material.2) You do remember that you can get books from the library for free, right? Many library systems even have ebooks now, so if that's an option for you then use it. If they don't have an ebook version, then check out the physical book when you pirate the ebook. Again, this is a format shift. You need to keep the physical book checked out for as long as it takes you to read the ebook though.3) If you don't have a convenient library, or your library sucks, then use a swapping service like paperbackswap.com. I see no problem with reading an ebook a little in advance of getting a physical copy from a swapping service. The longer you wait to add the physical book to your collection the darker the shade of grey gets though.So there you are, a few guidelines on ways to pirate media in a grey manner. If you're not inclined to pirate, I certainly don't suggest that you do so. But if you are of that bent for whatever reason, use these ideas as a starting point to minimize damage to the creators and the studio/publishers that don't act like jerks.Rooting Against Google?
With Groupon spurning Google's $6 Billion dollar offer and their inability to show any competitive strength against Facebook, people have started talking about how Google has lost it's mojo. I've considered this a bit premature and kinda silly.. until now. Yesterday Google announced that they will be dropping H.264 video support from Chrome, instead using their own WebM codec.They say they are doing this in the interest of "openness", I call BS.Does anyone buy this load of crap at face value?This has nothing to do with being open, and everything to do with their fight against Apple. This is about as genuine as when Facebook said they wouldn't allow Google to pull user info to "protect their users" while they DO allow Yahoo to do it (Yahoo pays for the data, Google doesn't.)Remember, Google made a deal with Adobe a few months ago and now includes Flash with Chrome.. Flash.. that "oh so open" technology that's a security and performance nightmare, and Google packages it into Chrome.. "for the users". But, the most widely used video codec? Nah, they'll remove that.So.. will YouTube now remove H.264 encoding from all their videos, causing them not to work on iOS devices? Will Android phones also end their support for H.264? And when WebM faces litigation for using unlicensed technology (already being threatened) will Google pay all the necessary royalties for everyone who switches should they lose?I find myself in an unusual position, one where I'm rooting against Google. I'm a huge Google fan, I use their services all day every day and I'm typing via the Chrome browser right, into a gmail account. But, I believe Google is using their power for evil and I don't support them at all in this quest. Google is starting to act more and more like the Microsoft of old, using their market power to push their own agenda while acting like they only have the best interest of the public in mind, and Microsoft is starting to react more quickly, putting out very competitive products to combat Google. Interesting how the tables turn.Don't get me wrong, I think Google should put WebM support into Chrome, I just don't think they should remove H.264 in the process. That's akin to saying they want to support the fully open .PNG graphic standard, so they're going to put that in and remove .JPG. It's just stupid.Perhaps what's really happening is Google is making a move to purchase Adobe, which would explain their current tightening ties with them. Something to consider.Shocker! iPhone to Verizon!
Every analyst these days is talking about the "you just know it's coming" Verizon iPhone. Just mention the smallest peep about it and bloggers will quote you, so of course, that's what they're all doing. My favorite example from today is some dude being quoted in BusinessWeek as saying the Verizon iPhone "..will come sometime after the Consumer Electronics Show.." Really? You don't say? I've got a quote for you as well. Ready? Here goes.. "The sun will rise every morning, and set every evening next year, even after the Consumer Electronics Show."
I know, I really went out on a limb there, but I have a source who is familiar with these matters and he insists that this is true.Seriously people, it would be more of a shock now if Apple didn't put the iPhone on the Verizon network. Another couple of obvious predictions? It will just be the same iPhone 4 that AT&T has now, but will use CDMA. Millions will buy it, then act surprised when this summer Apple announces.. wait for it.. a new iPhone!! More than likely it'll be called the iPhone 4G, and will use a universal chipset that runs on GSM/CDMA and.. yes.. LTE networks. People will bitch about having to upgrade within 6 months of the initial Verizon iPhone, but they'll do it anyway, and Apple will make a ton of money. Shocking, I know.One thing I find curious in all the coverage about the impending doom of the Verizon network is that nobody has pointed out all the sales you can get on the AT&T version as evidence of the exclusivity clause ending. Want $50 off an iPhone 4? Radio Shack is your hookup.. with a 2-year contract of course. AT&T will even sell you a refurbished iPhone 4 starting at $79.. with a 2-year contract. AT&T is doing everything they can to get new contracts right now.. gee.. I wonder why?This Week In Studio Stupidity
I'm not going to make it a habit of repeating the same thing every week, but I will continue to quickly point out which large movie titles are being released, but cannot be rented on Netflix. Tell me, are the studios encouraging you to purchase, or to find other means of watching? Since the latest tactic is to not only delay by 28 days the ability to rent but to remove all special features from the DVD's when we are able to, I see little reason to support the studios.
This week brings us Salt (Angelina Jolie) and Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (Michael Douglas). Both are easily available online. Use this information as you see fit.Annoying Gift Card Antics
photo © 2009 Danielle Scott | more info (via: Wylio)
So I get an iTunes card as a gift. Hooray!
I add it to my account and I can spend it however I want right? Wrong.
It seems that Apple won't let me use my gift card credit to give someone else an application as a gift through iTunes. I have to use a credit card for that. That's just annoying. It's my credit. Let me do what I want with it.
I'm sure there's a reason I can't do this that's related to some sort of fraud... I just don't know what it is yet.
Augmented Reality through your phone's camera vision-port
I'm pretty basic with my cellphone.
But, every day I'm seeing more interesting iPhone or Android or whatever Apps.
I was intrigued by this one: Augmented Reality for Color Blindness. Dan Kaminsky has created an iPhone app that lets people with color blindness peer through their iPhone and see what they can't see (It was inspired by, when he saw the STAR TREK reboot with a coworker, the coworker mentioned he couldn't tell that the girl in the Starfleet Academy dorm room that Kirk beds (Uhura's roommate) was a green alien, an Orion).
Then I saw this on Neatorama: an iPhone app that translates simple signs in Spanish into English.
Then there's several apps for iPhone and Android that basically use the compass function to allow you to sight on a star in the night sky and it tells you what you're looking at (Pocket Universe is one such app, but there seems to be a variety of them).
I foresee a near-future where we basically strap our phones to our foreheads and see the world through their vision-ports, effectively giving us super-powers. It'll be like Terminator-vision combined with Predator-vision and more.
Maybe they'll do a THEY LIVE app where we can see the freaky aliens and signs hidden among us, like in that movie THEY LIVE.
Netflix or Apple Needs to Rescue Stargate Universe
Today the SyFy Channel announced they are not going to renew Stargate Universe.Those bastards.I understand that perhaps the production cost of Stargate Universe are a bit too high and maybe it doesn't have as many viewers as they'd hoped, but the story is just starting to kick into high gear and they're going to leave us stranded. That's right, filming for this season has already completed, so while they will show the remaining 10 episodes you know its going to end with a cliffhanger and we may never know how it ends.
This is a perfect opportunity for Netflix to step up and become a provider of original content. They have a huge distribution channel and plenty of cash available. I'd estimate the entire third season would cost less than $20 million including the licencing fees they'd have to obtain. In fact, the could probably wash the fees by just letting SyFy air the shows on their network day/date with the Netflix streaming release.Another possibility would be Apple. Nobody has more cash than they do so obviously that's not an issue. And Apple also has a huge distribution network via iTunes. There's a good chance they could recoup their cost just by charging a buck an episode for the entire season, and they'd easily sell more Apple TV's to geeks who would buy one just to watch the show on the big screen.Either Netflix or Apple could come off as heroes by doing this, but Netflix is the more obvious choice. By getting into original productions via an established franchise they can shift the direction of the conversations. Get the networks trying to license content from Netflix for a change, I'm sure Reed Hastings would like that.Be it Netflix, Apple or even Google, someone needs to step up and get into the original content game in a big way. I think Stargate Universe would be an easy way to get that started.Rental Delay Stupidity
Some studios (led by Warner Bros.) delay new movie releases by 28 days for Netflix and Redbox in a vain attempt to increase sales. They claim it's working, and in fact are considering increasing the delay. I believe this is folly on their part. Any gain they may make is actually offset by decrease in rental demand and an increase in "other" methods of obtaining the titles on release day.
For example, this weeks big release is Knight and Day, which didn't exactly wow viewers in the theater. As such, it's not going to do huge sales numbers but would in fact get a lot of rentals from those who want to watch it just because it stars Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz. Plus its an action movie, which by default will get a good bit of rental traction. But... it won't, because you can't rent it on Netflix until 12/28.However, a quick scan found a very nice copy of it for free via "other" sources.With Knight and Day, who cares. But next week Inception hits the shelves, and a lot of people like myself never bothered to see it in theaters. I'm absolutely not going to purchase the movie, but I would put it at the top of my rental queue... except it won't be available for me until January. So, commercials push me to notice a movie is available, but I can't rent it and have no interest in buying it. Mmmm... I wonder what will happen.In fact, a very nice HD version of Inception is already available online now, so the incentive to wait is even less.Morons.Rotary Dial Analog Phones Rocked
You would think that with all of the tech we have today, that I would be able to hold a conference call and actually hear the other people on the call. Many years ago Sprint had an ad campaign that with their long distance service, you could hear a pin drop. Well, now with all the cordless and IP phones and analog to digital to analog conversions being convoluted via an inverted tachyon beam and routed through, well, a router, I am lucky to be able to make out who is on the other end of the line.
Not to mention the tiny little delays that are caused by Voice over IP that really make for stilted and awkward conversations. When face to face, conversation flows and shifts based on little pauses in the speech of the others involved. Timing is way more important than people realize. These annoying little pauses caused by the conversions from analog to digital, compression, etc. makes for people starting to speak at the same time, then stopping, then starting again, all like we are stuck at a 4 way stop sign that we all got to at exactly the same time. Oh, you go ahead, no you, I insist, ok, after you, no really, I insist.
Sorry, it's just that after my morning conference call today that included poor audio, drop outs, and those infernal pauses, I am just a little annoyed. Tech really can suck sometimes.</rant>Early Adopters Become Apple "Fanboys"
Hello, my name is Sam and I'm an early adopter.I bought my first CD player in 1984. In 1999 I had a ReplayTV that cost an astounding $995, well before most people knew what a DVR was. When Netflix was announced, I became one of the first members. I remember buying books on Amazon with books were all they sold. When it comes to technology, I'm quick to jump into a product that I believe will have a significant impact on my daily life.
Even when I try not to follow this self admitted affliction, I end up doing it anyway. When the iPhone was announced I decided to take a "wait and see" approach, but after dropping in an Apple store to look at one the weekend they were first available, I walked out with a $600 smart phone that really didn't do all that much, but was amazingly elegant when compared to my RAZR.Recently when compiling the list of tech that I currently use on a daily basis I was initially surprised to see how much Apple gear I use. I've been a PC guy forever, I even ran a small business assembling custom PC's and selling them on Prodigy. There have been Mac's in my family since the iMac arrived, but these were never things I used myself. But since the iPhone I've steadily been increasing my usage of Apple products. So much so that when my PC died I didn't build myself a new one, I just bought a Mac Mini and called it a day.How did this happen? Looking back on the sequence of events it all makes sense. For one thing, while I am an early adopter, I don't switch tech just for the sake of switching. Thus, to make a change the newer option has to be original, significant or just plain superior.Back to the iPhone. I recognized it was vastly superior to my RAZR, really no contest even though the original iPhone didn't do apps. I'd had 3 BlackBerry devices before the RAZR and had abandoned them for various reasons, so it's not like I didn't have experience with physical keyboards, I just felt the iPhone was a sea change and I jumped aboard. When apps came around the iPhone really began to shine and had the added effect of "lock in". To change to another phone would cause me to not only use a new OS, but to repurchase some apps, if they were even available on competitors. Even now with the current crop of Android phones, there's not a single one that is better enough than the iPhone to make me switch. Android isn't new or unique, it's a clone of the iPhone.Then the iPad came along. Once again I saw this as a milestone product and I jumped on board. All my iPhone apps worked on it from day one, and Plants vs. Zombies alone would have made me want to spend the $500. Competitors are coming, but again the apps will encourage a lock in effect. Any other tablet will have to be vastly better than an iPad to get me to switch.When I was looking for a media streaming device for a secondary TV, I initially looked at a Roku box. Also considered converting an old notebook into a Boxee device, and thought about waiting for the actual Boxee Box. But looking at exactly what I needed the streamer to accomplish, the $99 AppleTV became the logical choice. Now that I've spent some time with it I'm thinking about getting one for the main TV just for watching media on my network without having to burn DVD's. Also, the Netflix implementation on AppleTV is much better than that on my TiVo. There is no real lock in effect for the AppleTV (yet, no apps) but the price point and ease of use made it better than other choices. GoogleTV? Yeah, right.So when the PC died and I looked around I saw in my household 2 iPhones, 2 iPads, 1 iPod, 1 MacBook and an AppleTV. In for a penny, in for a pound, so I got the Mac Mini just to see how it would work out. Since I work mostly in a browser, the underlying OS means very little to me. I put VMWare on it immediately and loaded up Windows 7, so I can still get to work things without issue and overall it's been fine.But now I look like an Apple fan boy, which isn't the case. What I am is an early adopter, and for the last 5 years Apple has had the best hardware. In the next few years with rapid iteration the Android OS might be so far ahead of iOS that it will make me change, that's certainly a possibility. I also like the look of Windows Phone 7, but I doubt Microsoft has the ability to mature it quickly enough to stay in the game. I hope so though because it's quite unique.So when you look at that guy using an iPad while chatting on an iPhone, before you scoff and mutter "fanboy", look again. He may just be a tech enthusiast and early adopter. -
Sam
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