Recent Comments:
FCC formally launches inquiry into wireless competition {Engadget}
Aug 27th 2009 3:52PM Prohibit the practice of locking phones to a particular carrier. I bought an original iPhone directly from Apple without any subsidies. I should be permitted to use the phone with any carrier without having to "hack" the phone. People who pay full price for a phone to avoid any service contracts should be entitled to use the phone with any carrier.
It's a MOBILE device after all and people should not be locked into paying roaming charges if they want to use their phone when traveling outside of their home area.
Paramount, Lionsgate, Warner Bros. & Sony Pictures movies finally available (legitimately) in DivX {Engadget}
Aug 26th 2009 8:53AM Only Apple sells devices capable of playing iTunes protected content. Nothing "fair" about that.
I'm still no fan of DRM, however, one of my primary concerns is that I don't want to be limited in the devices I can play back the content. With the proliferation of DivX capable devices from multiple manufacturers this may be a reasonable compromise.
Real Networks submitting Rhapsody music service for iPhone. Duck! {The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)}
Aug 24th 2009 2:36PM Rhapsody has two subscription services.
1. To Go: Listen to music anytime, anywhere -- including on your portable player.
2. Unlimited: Listen to music anytime, from your PC or web browser.
"To Go" is a download to supported devices that you can play off line. "Unlimited" is streaming.
I have an unlimited account. I believe the app would be for the "unlimited" subscription service, not "To Go".
Reasons the app may be permitted:
-Nothing in AT&T's service agreement prohibits streaming audio.
-There are already streaming audio and video apps in the App Store (such as Simplify, Last.FM, CBC Radio, YouTube, VoIP clients, etc)
-This does not change the usability of the iPod function as Rhapsofy Unlimited is streaming only
Reasons the app may be rejected:
-Steve Jobs wants to be a douche bag
-The rhapsody app doesn't support adult ratings for explicit content
-The rhapsody app doesn't follow the Apple style guides or tries to use undocumented features
-The rhapsody app crashes
Rhapsody brings subscription music to the iPhone, pending Apple's approval {Engadget}
Aug 24th 2009 2:12PM @Mark
Some (like the RIAA) argue I don't own the music on my computer, but rather am only licensed to listen to it. Simplify allows me to listen to music residing on my computer that I'm licensed to listen to.
This is the same with Rhapsody. So long as I keep paying my subscription fees, I'm entitled to listen to anything in their music library on-demand.
I still do not fully understand why the location where the music resides should be a differentiator with Simplify vs Rhapsody.
It should not matter where the music resides. The bottom line is that I'm licensed to listen to the music and other on-demand streaming applications exist in the app store. Apple is going to have to come up with a better excuse.
Rhapsody brings subscription music to the iPhone, pending Apple's approval {Engadget}
Aug 24th 2009 1:14PM @ Mark
Oh it's a threat to iTunes and because of that Apple won't mess around. They will deliberate long and hard to find any reason to reject it. However, I think there is enough precence for a Rhapsody Unlimited service to be approved.
For example, Simplify lets me stream my music library (residing on my Mac or PC) over the Internet to my iPhone. From a UI perspective, it's actually quite similar to that found in the iPod app with the exception that Simplify plays streaming content where the iPod app doesn't. I can browse my content by artist, genre, album, etc.
Rhapsody brings subscription music to the iPhone, pending Apple's approval {Engadget}
Aug 24th 2009 12:00PM Rhapsody has two subscription services.
1. To Go: Listen to music anytime, anywhere -- including on your portable player.
2. Unlimited: Listen to music anytime, from your PC or web browser.
"To Go" is a download to supported devices that you can play off line. "Unlimited" is streaming.
I have an unlimited account. I believe the app would be for the "unlimited" subscription service, not "To Go".
Reasons the app may be permitted:
-Nothing in AT&T's service agreement prohibits streaming audio.
-There are already streaming audio and video apps in the App Store (such as Simplify, Last.FM, CBC Radio, YouTube, VoIP clients, etc)
-This does not change the usability of the iPod function as Rhapsofy Unlimited is streaming only
Reasons the app may be rejected:
-Steve Jobs wants to be a douche bag
-The rhapsody app doesn't support adult ratings for explicit content
-The rhapsody app doesn't follow the Apple style guides or tries to use undocumented features
-The rhapsody app crashes
Boxee secures Series B round, plans for more features and more developers {The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)}
Aug 12th 2009 1:52PM I'd like to see Boxee focus more on media management and less on content.
Content is locked to particular regions so let third-party developers create this support. Boxee should focus on the core of media management and playback.
The biggest draw for me is how Boxee manages my media library. When I browse my local content it shows information like titles, cast, an plot. It does not feel like I'm browsing folders and files.
Boxee still doesn't recognize the meta tags on my video files. This means I cannot use Boxee to manage or browse family videos of my trip to Egypt.
I've been waiting too long for Apple to announce HW updates for the Apple TV. I'm right on the edge of Apple TV's limits. I can't wait to see additional device support.
Media bigwigs declare that free TV "is broken" {Engadget HD}
Aug 10th 2009 8:19AM How much are people willing to pay for content without commercials?
Six things I learned from losing my iPhone 3G {The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)}
May 5th 2009 12:47PM I lost my original unlocked iPhone in the back of a cab while on a trip to Boston.
I discovered this after the cab had disappeared. I went to the conceirge of my hotel and my first reaction was to call my carrier and deactivate the SIM as I did not want to be responsible for long distance charges to Moscow. Although I have the passcode enabled, the sim can still be removed and used in any unlocked phone.
The conceirge insisted I actually try phonning my number first because if I disable the SIM I wouldn't be able to do this. After about calling 3 times, the driver answwered. He returned my phone in about 20 minutes.
Moral of the story, call your phone multiple times first and hope someone answers.
RealDVD ripping software heads to court, fair use advocates on pins and needles {Engadget HD}
Apr 28th 2009 6:55PM Yes, DRM is evil because I think it's been used primarily to force consumers to lock into a particular technology or business model.
After renting movies via Apple TV I began to see how useful DRM can be. The experience is just like I would expect.
If Real can devise technology that interoperates with devices from multiple manufacturers and lets me view my media on any other device I own... all the power to them. I don't want to share content, I just want to be able to use it like I can my existing DVDs (except without physical media).
If DRM-free works for music, why can't it work for videos?
