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iTunes Internet Sharing Restored With Third-Party App

Suppafly writes "As reported at boingboing, iCommune creator Jim Speth whipped up a little application called 401(ok) that combines a few hacks to restore internet-wide sharing to iTunes 4.0.1. You can download the app from SF.net." As one might expect, it is basically a port redirector.

87 comments

  1. 4.0 Just fine for now by gryphokk · · Score: 0
    Just for myself, I haven't yet found a complling reason to upgrade to 4.0.1. I, and all those I counsel, are holding onto 4.0.

    Is there any consumer-based reason to want to upgrade. Was anything fixed that was truly broken?

    Is there any possible way this oculd be a first post?

    --
    And you, madam, are very ugly. In the morning, I shall be sober.
    1. Re:4.0 Just fine for now by gryphokk · · Score: 1, Insightful
      Is there any possible way this oculd be a first post?

      Yes, by including as many misspellings as possible! (Preview, dammit!)

      --
      And you, madam, are very ugly. In the morning, I shall be sober.
    2. Re:4.0 Just fine for now by djward · · Score: 4, Informative
      Was anything fixed that was truly broken?

      Yes, several things - the interface corruption bug that happened when going back to a playlist from the iTMS when a sample was playing, the sound limiter problem that was flattening out audio and making many songs sound crappy, just to name two. A worthwile update, except for the internet sharing cutoff. But that was good too, in a way, as a gesture to the labels.

    3. Re:4.0 Just fine for now by sekensirazu · · Score: 1

      There was absolutely no consumer-based reason t upgrade to 4.0.1, other than to appease the record labels.

      I think they may have snuck in some minor networking fixes, but overall the motives were quite... arbitrary.

      I gotta be honest though... this new update scares me a little. What is Apple gonna have to do to maintain the RIAA's favor? It's now wholly dependent on the cooperation of some of the most heavy-handed and technophobic people (oh, and powerful), as its whole business model--and, by extension, public favor--rests on their happiness. Long sentence.

      There may not have been a consumer based reason for the last iTunes upgrade, but you can bet your ass there will be for the next one, because Apple _can't_ allow this kind of thing to continue... inevitability aside.

      Let's just hope Apple's consumer-friendliness isn't its end. The RIAA would love to set an example. (assholes!)

    4. Re:4.0 Just fine for now by no_demons · · Score: 2, Informative

      There sure is: I couldn't for the life of me get the local area network sharing to work in 4.0 on the University network. I just assumed it was being blocked somewhere down the line.

      But, when me and a couple of others upgraded, the Rendezvous sharing kicked in and worked first time. Now I can share tunes from all my friends around campus, without fear of being attacked by the RIAA.

      Although as I live in the UK, that is probably a little unlikely anyway. : )

    5. Re:4.0 Just fine for now by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

      There was absolutely no consumer-based reason t upgrade to 4.0.1, other than to appease the record labels.

      Wrong. Not just a little bit wrong. Completely wrong.

      1. The sound enhancer bug was serious. Turning on the feature basically made your shiny, new AAC's sound like hammered shit. And leaving it off was bad for people with average or below-average speakers.

      2. The AAC encoder was hard-coded to use the "fast" setting, when it was supposed to be hard-coded to use "best." As a result, AAC's encoded with iTunes 4 don't sound nearly as good as they should have.

      3. A variety of issues existed regarding ITMS and firewalls. These have been fixed.

      4. Internet music sharing was never actually supposed to be possible. According to the documentation, it was supposed to be limited to the local network segment, either via Rendezvous discovery or via direct connection. The fact that you could share music over the Internet was a bug, not a feature.

      I think they may have snuck in some minor networking fixes, but overall the motives were quite... arbitrary.

      No, the motives were quite specific and concrete. "We screwed up, and people are using iTunes for music piracy. That's the ONE thing we won't stand for. Fix it! Now!"

    6. Re:4.0 Just fine for now by Van+Halen · · Score: 1
      The AAC encoder was hard-coded to use the "fast" setting, when it was supposed to be hard-coded to use "best."

      Was this actually changed in 4.0.1? I've been busily re-ripping my CDs since I got my shiny new iPod the other week, and I didn't really notice a difference in encoding speed or quality from iTunes 4 to 4.0.1. I had already done my own blind listening tests to determine what bitrate would make me happy (where I couldn't reliably tell the difference between the source and the AAC), and that was with version 4. So if 4.0.1 did improve from "good" to "best" quality setting, I guess it wouldn't matter to me since the "good" was already "perfect" to my ears.

      Still, I'm curious...

    7. Re:4.0 Just fine for now by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Was this actually changed in 4.0.1?

      Yes.

      I've been busily re-ripping my CDs since I got my shiny new iPod the other week, and I didn't really notice a difference in encoding speed or quality from iTunes 4 to 4.0.1.

      That just demonstrates that even "fast" (as opposed to "best") is still pretty darned good.

      But the difference in encoding speed is offset by the fact that QuickTime 6.3 tweaked the AAC encoder slightly, so both "fast" and "best" are now about 10% faster than they were, judging by purely subjective tests. So now "best" is roughly the same speed as "fast" used to be. More or less.

    8. Re:4.0 Just fine for now by andrewski · · Score: 2, Informative

      1. The sound enhancer bug was serious. Turning on the feature basically made your shiny, new AAC's sound like hammered shit. And leaving it off was bad for people with average or below-average speakers.

      Actually, comparing waveforms of pre-iTunes 4.0.1 AACs and 4.0 AAC from the same source material prove that the encoder is identical, when recorded at 96, stereo, velocity enabled.

      Go home troll!

    9. Re:4.0 Just fine for now by pudge · · Score: 1

      There was absolutely no consumer-based reason t upgrade to 4.0.1, other than to appease the record labels.

      Apart from the many bugfixes, you mean? Oops on you!

    10. Re:4.0 Just fine for now by Golias · · Score: 1

      Nobody who cares about sound quality is going to encode at 96. iTunes defaults its encoder at 128, and I suspect if the waves were also identical at both speeds for that bit-rate, you would have said so... and since they are not, you chose the data set that fits your argument. If somebody here is trolling, it would appear to be you.

      --

      Information wants to be anthropomorphized.

    11. Re:4.0 Just fine for now by Llywelyn · · Score: 1

      The problem was playback, not encoding.

      Also, no one encodes at 96 that I know of--we all do 128 as a minimum.

      --
      Integrate Keynote and LaTeX
    12. Re:4.0 Just fine for now by cait56 · · Score: 1

      There was at least one major consumer flaw with 4.0.0.

      Unless you were expert enough to manually configure the firewall yourself, offering to share your music within your home would force you to share with the entire world.

      Believe it or not, some people would prefer to honor the copyrights of their favorite artists.

    13. Re:4.0 Just fine for now by KH2002 · · Score: 1

      Just curious- where did you read that AAC encoding has been changed from "fast" to "best"? I haven't seen anything official on this- and it's not a trivial point for those of us who did a spate of encoding when 4.0/AAC came out...

    14. Re:4.0 Just fine for now by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I didn't read it anywhere. I wrote it. I made the change and checked it into the 4.0.1 release tree. It's in radar, somewhere, but I deleted my bookmark quite a few days ago.

    15. Re:4.0 Just fine for now by KH2002 · · Score: 1

      Thanks so much.

  2. About time by spooje · · Score: 1, Insightful

    I was wondering what happened to iCommune. It's good to see that if Apple can't provide the product someone else will. I just wonde how long it will be until Apple figures out a way to shut this down. I get the impression this guy will keep hacking iTunes every time Apple shuts him down just out of spite for that sease-and-desist letter.

    --
    Tea and kung-fu. Life is good. Rising Phoenix
    1. Re:About time by dmayle · · Score: 4, Funny

      The same thing that happened to iSociale. After iCapitale started creeping through Russia, it was relegated to a much smaller amount of the world, though I hear a hacked version of it is still enjoying widespread circulation in China...

      Or maybe this should read: In Soviet Russia, iCommune shares YOU...

    2. Re:About time by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You mean North Korea and Cuba. China has been going all out capitalism in the last few years. Any socialism left is reminants that haven't been replaced yet.

  3. This isn't very helpful... by sockit2me9000 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    So Apple is trying to prove to the music companies that it's software is trustworthy. Musci companies notice that anyone can stream tunes ffrom anywhere with iTunes. They also notice that within two weeks someone has come up with a way to take those streamed music feeds and convert them into MP3/s. They get pissed. Apple gets egg on their faces. This program is counterproductive. If we want to convince music companies that the computer is a viable distribution model and that we want those distributed files fairly unfettered by copy protection, than this goes against all that. It makes Apple look bad, and we're at the point where Apple is really our best hope for a scheme which we like. This needs to catch on, or else something worse (Microsoft) comes along and takes over another branch of the internet. Sad thing is, I like the idea of being able to stream across the internet. Leave it to script kiddies to ruin it for everyone.

    1. Re:This isn't very helpful... by lpp · · Score: 2, Insightful

      The problem with this approach is that it doesn't change the fact that circumvention is possible in the first place. With that fact established, all this would amount to is a moratorium on hacks to make iTunes stream across any network, until such time as the music companies feel comfortable with the net as a profit medium. What then? Let loose the hackers of music (pardon the badly twisted phrase)?

      Eventually these kinds of applications will be written. If anything, expedient examples of circumvention should lead us more quickly to the point of equilibrium where the music companies and the listeners are happy. Or at least where both positions aren't going to go anywhere different.

      I'm having trouble with coherence right now (laying off of caffeine and...it...bites!).

    2. Re:This isn't very helpful... by Noonian · · Score: 5, Insightful

      The problem is not with tools like 401(ok) enabling people to bypass the artificial restriction in iTunes of not being able to stream music accross subnets -- there's nothing intrinsically bad or wrong or illegal about it. For example, I can stream music to my laptop on the wireless network on campus from my music collection on my home computer. As long as I legitimately have a copy of that music, its all fair game.

      The problem arises when people start constructing mechanisms to allow people to share their music with complete strangers. That's when things get much more into shadow.

      Remember the apple mantra: Don't steal music.

      iTunes music streaming is for personal use only. 401(ok) doesn't change that.

    3. Re:This isn't very helpful... by Tokerat · · Score: 2, Insightful


      Yea, the fact that CDs could be ripped to tape and now to CDs didnt' stop the music industry from making them. The fact that the VCR was going to "ruin all media" thorugh piracy didnt' stop the MPAA from producing tapes.

      Let's just hope Apple doesnt' start swinging the DMCA around. I'd hope they'd save something like that as a last resort, and you know how Apple's legal dept. gets...

      --
      CAn'T CompreHend SARcaSm?
    4. Re:This isn't very helpful... by Zhe+Mappel · · Score: 2, Interesting
      If we want to convince music companies that the computer is a viable distribution model and that we want those distributed files fairly unfettered by copy protection, than this goes against all that.
      I don't see how. It's not the burden of consumers not to disappoint the music industry. Rather, it's the burden of the music industry not to disappoint consumers.
      It makes Apple look bad, and we're at the point where Apple is really our best hope for a scheme which we like.
      Well, it is in the nature of some hacks to make the hackee look bad, but I wouldn't say this is one of those. Actually, Apple's castration of iTunes made Apple look far too willing to please its new partners at the expense of users.

      What's more, it's too early to say Apple is the "best hope" in this emerging market. And emerging it is: just because kids learned how to swap music online before stodgy music executives signed off on the deal doesn't mean that we're anywhere near the point of last best hopes. Don't be surprised if the notoriously fickle music industry gives it a go with Apple before moving onto other, probably bigger, players.

  4. if you want this by hype7 · · Score: 1

    I'd get it damn quick, if Apple's swift wrath over iCommune is anything to go by.

    -- james

    1. Re:if you want this by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      iCommune has been rewritten so as not to conflict with Apple's IP. It is available once again...

      http://icommune.sourceforge.net/

      http://www.versiontracker.com/

    2. Re:if you want this by oDDmON+oUT · · Score: 0

      Several of the links from SF d/l are 404, UNC is not.
      Coincidence?

      --
      Some days it's just not worth
      chewing through my restraints.
  5. nothing is free by Councilor+Hart · · Score: 5, Insightful

    In life nothing is free. Either you pay now, or you pay in the long run. Unfortunately this doesn't simply means a delay of payment. We may end with free music now and no music in the future. This might seem silly, since many can make pretty decent music on their instruments and spread it for free on the net. But it's different with games and movies. I don't see anyone making The Matrix Reloaded on their PC or Mac with only their free time. How the ITMS ends up now, will guide the decision for the moviemakers. And then I haven't even mentioned that DRM-stuff the americans are facing.

  6. So the viscious cycle starts again. by McAddress · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Now Apple will come out with iTunes 4.0.2 which will make sure programs like this wont work. Then someone will invent i******* which will alow it again. Then iTunes 4.0.3 will come along .....

  7. Apple, read your own advice (repost) by mrthoughtful · · Score: 5, Interesting

    In the 'good old days' of 1997, Apple authored a list of "ten commandments" as a part of it's compatibility tech note [apple.com]. It is the seventh commandment which is particularly interesting: "VII. Thou shalt think twice about code designed strictly as copy protection." Note, that these are the the commandments that are "determined from extensive testing of our diverse software base."

    Of course as soon as you choose to make allies in the music industry, you are going to have to negotiate, but one of the primary issues (mentioned so many times on slashdot that there is no point in providing links) is the question of whether we should have our liberty constrained in order to prevent us from breaking the law.

    We would love to say 'No!', but then watch how many of us flaunt copyright law as a standard practice.

    But also Apple was right - copyright protection is an unending waste of human resource, computer resource, comms resource, and slashdot posts!

    Again and again we find that the music/video/text/etc. copyright and patent laws are incompatible with the Internet as a technology, and the Internet is not going to go away. Sorry, lawmakers, but one day soon you will have to wake up to the revolution that came from a direction you didn't expect, and then we will stop having to put kludges on top of kludges to deal with the cultural soup that we are in.

    Creative minds will find a way of being able to provide a direct passage to it's audience. The huge publishing corporates are hanging onto a dying game. Monolithic software corporations are being replaced by interoperability standards.

    Apple, Listen! Remember! Think different!

    --
    This comment was written with the intention to opt out of advertising.
    1. Re:Apple, read your own advice (repost) by cjhuitt · · Score: 4, Informative

      While I think that Apple was probably very aware of how iTunes 4.0's wide-area playlist streaming was viewed by the RIAA, etc., they also had other reasons to release iTunes 4.0.1 to limit the broadcast range of the program.

      First of all, the documentation for 4.0 specifically had said that it was local sharing only, which seems to me to mean that they intended it to be that way from the start.

      Add to that the fact that they have received bug reports about the wide-area broadcast from companies whose employees were streaming music from their home. (Repeating second-hand, but I might be able to dig up the original report I read of this.) For the companies, this was a bug, as many have to pay for the bandwidth used by their employees, and streaming music does use up a fair amount of bandwidth.

      Finally, realize that the reason that the streams were being wide-area broadcast was, if I remember correctly, forgetting to set a field in the data packets sent out. A very simple fix, and they have fixed a bug, made corporate administrators happy, and not coincindentally, reassured the music industry that they are on top of these things.

      Now, who knows what they will do about this new development? My guess is that they will do nothing, recognizing that, as you say, copyright protection can be an unending waste of human resource. However, I wouldn't be surprised if the next release, for whatever needs fixing/updating, just "accidentally" renders this inoperative. Then an update to this program will be made, and Apple will probably go along ignoring it as usual.

    2. Re:Apple, read your own advice (repost) by prell · · Score: 4, Interesting

      So, you actually use this "feature," right? You are actually streaming music through iTunes from internet users on a non-novelty basis? I think sharing music with others is the "number one" way to get new music, but frankly this feature is just something to talk about on Slashdot and never have to try and endure: It does not work well.

      The iTunes Music Store is not Winzip: It does not have a useless license agreement and serial key evaluator for purchases. Apple has presented a burgeoning distribution model for music, and while in one breath, we sigh "finally," in the other, we cry foul? I understand that iTMS has been a long-time-coming, and we want to nurture it and not see it go astray, but to interpret Apple's fair use policy (which is very fair for where we are now), and its reaction to community software, and scream "unfair," is, in my opinion, overdoing it.

      I don't want to call DRM a "necessary evil," but I would like to make two points: The internet, and especially internet distribution of information, is not mature; DRM is a "stepping stone," and sort of an awkward one, as it is a ridiculous notion to think that someone can have a bunch of files and not ever be able to access them: They will eventually. However, this is how the iTMS works, and its DRM is currently not the draconian hardware-supported DRM of Palladium. Will we be using some form of DRM in sixty years? Will we force the square peg of internet distribution into the round hole of pre-1990s commerce? We'll see.

      It comes down to this: You can stream music from people and hijack the audio into your own files. While you can always do that with your iPods, CD players, and other devices, I think it's fair to say that the internet is sort of a sore spot for the record companies, and perhaps we should back off a little for now, and let the nascent iTMS allay any fears the record industry may have. That being said, we have to keep pushing for our rights and interests in what you have rightly interpreted to be the "brave new world" of internet communication. This iTunes hack is one way we could sort-of say "this is what we want," but again, I really don't think this feature is very useful.

  8. expression must become free (again?) by ihatewinXP · · Score: 2, Interesting

    -I don't see anyone making The Matrix Reloaded-

    Your right, only a huge Hollywood conglomerate would have the resources to pay someone who can't act $30M to play the lead role, and come up with a marketing machine that will make Americans "95% brand aware" of their movie. How foolish we would be to try attain such a level of quality. At least my movies wouldn't rely on product placement, media pressure or company stockholder demands....

    Hell this keeps sounding better, maybe we _should_ drive all these media companies out of business. Here is the deal: they can buy up all the media outlets (like the FCC just bowed down and gave them the right to do) program them with homogenized crap with harldy even resembles art, and then sell you the right to watch/listen to (but not own) thier crap for $20 a CD and $30 a DVD until everyone wakes up and realizes that its in our best interests to steal from them and drive em out of business.

    (at this point I would post a Matrix Reloaded torrent link, but you should really take the time and look around. torrent sites are great for all kinds of TV/movies/anime)

    --
    ---- The real Slashdot is still here. You just have to browse at -1 to read the comments.
    1. Re:expression must become free (again?) by Councilor+Hart · · Score: 1
      I was more thinking about SFX and such.
      Are actors overpaid? Hell yes.
      Do I care about the big companies? Hell no.
      Do I care about my entertainment? (Do keep in mind that not everyone likes high culture stuff.) Hell yes.
      Should I pay to ensure that there will still be my kind of entertainment in the future? Yes.
      Does that mean companies have to right to fuck me over and over? Hell no.
      Do I think that they should change their business-model? Hell yes.

      Why would you want to post a torrent link? Don't you see, I am willing to pay for it. Am i going to buy it? Most likely not. Why? Cost to much, I don't like being ripped of. But i am willing to pay a reasonable price for reasonable rights.

  9. what the industry thinks is what matters by Councilor+Hart · · Score: 2, Insightful
    no, not eveyone is doing things illegal. But it's the perception that the industry has that matters. This might convince them there is no other way then pouring DRM-stuff down our throats.

    With the loss of freedom in the USA today, I am happy to be living in Europe. I hope that ITMS will be big succes. I think that might provide us with content, while retaining our freedom.

    You don't really think those companies are going to stand idly by while there profit melts away?

    1. Re:what the industry thinks is what matters by andrewski · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

      As you are busy shining up your pile of percieved freedoms, Europe is bending over backwards to pass laws that make the USA Patriot act look weak. You are already signatory to our copyright treaties, so the *AA CAN come to your little, beautiful countries and smack you down same as here in the USA. Remember that poor kid Jon Johanssen? It was a body based in the USA that brought the hammer down on him.

      I thought Europe was progressive, too, until I heard about all the horrible laws that the EU is passing. They are doing a better job than Congress when it comes to eroding freedoms away!

      Your situation is pretty much the same as ours, but without Montana to go build a mountain shack to hide in when they are coming after you.

  10. So what... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Just because a tool is available that enables something illegal doesn't mean that the tool, the designer, the manufacturer, or the distributor is to blame for the crime that is committed. It's the BA$TARD that commits the crime that is to blame and NOBODY ELSE.

    I, for one, am SICK AND TIRED of people's mentality about culpibility with regard to digital piracy. It's like watching parents blame TV or the school for little Jonny's behavior problem. It is freaking disgusting and just stupid.

    I say don't assume that just because a crime CAN be committed that it WILL be committed and let the tools be made but bring the hammer down on those individuals who use them for illegal purposes.

    1. Re:So what... by Trurl's+Machine · · Score: 1

      Just because a tool is available that enables something illegal doesn't mean that the tool, the designer, the manufacturer, or the distributor is to blame for the crime that is committed. It's the BA$TARD that commits the crime that is to blame and NOBODY ELSE.

      I don't think it's that easy. For example, I agree with the international campaign to ban antipersonnel landmines. You could say that a land mine is just a weapon like any else. You could argue in the same way as you do in your post that land mines do not kill by themselves, only the bastards who plant them are to blame etc. But on the other hand - an antipersonnel land mine hardly has any legitimate use. It is the sort of weapon that kills and wounds innocent civilians, not soldiers. So there are SOME tools and SOME devices that has no legitimate use whatsoever. SOME tools and SOME devices are useful only to BA$TARDS, as you nicely put it. Now the question is: do you see any legitimate use for the iTunes file sharing?

    2. Re:So what... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      >>"I say don't assume that just because a crime CAN be committed that it WILL be committed"

      Statistically speaking, it IS correct to assume that some people will use the tool to commit the crime. After all, that is THE ONLY REALISTIC PURPOSE of distributing the tool.

      Unfortunately, humans are not so righteous as you would have them to be. All of them cannot be trusted, hence our need for laws. This leads to bad apples spoiling the cider, but nobody wants spoiled cider, do they?

      Get rid of the tool, and less crimes will be committed.

    3. Re:So what... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful


      Yes. And land mines do have a legitimate use. They are a great defensive weapon. The problem with land mines is rogue nations that use them and never clean them up. The U.S. cleaned out the Mekong(sp?) Delta of the mines the U.S. military had laid there. It was part of the treaty.

      Dr. Stash

    4. Re:So what... by pudge · · Score: 1

      But on the other hand - an antipersonnel land mine hardly has any legitimate use. It is the sort of weapon that kills and wounds innocent civilians, not soldiers. So there are SOME tools and SOME devices that has no legitimate use whatsoever.

      Tell that to the South Koreans, who owe their existence as a nation to a hell of a lot of land mines in the DMZ.

  11. Sign of things to come? by nycroft · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Every time the music companies and the RIAA try to stop file sharing, it seems that somebody out there will find a way to do it. Some say that this can only hurt the music industry because artists won't get paid, and the label won't make a profit, blah, blah, blah. If you ask me, I think the time for pop stars and record labels making millions is almost at an end.

    Here's my vision of the future of music: People everywhere are able to share the music they purchase with anyone they want. That gets the musicians' product to millions of people, fast. The musician then has to tour and play live to make money. At the live show, maybe the musician sells some more CDs and other merch, and the cycle begins anew. What's so bad about that? Live shows are great! Maybe this whole new process will weed out those fakers that aren't any good without ProTools. Our ears may get a well deserved break from the cookie-cutter pop music crap that radio stations are forced to play by big-money record labels.

    It'll make the quality of the music better as well. Without the domination by a few music acts that get all the airplay and spots on TRL, musicians will have to be extraordinary, musically and lyrically, in order to really shine and rise above the rest. Sure, they won't make the millions that artists do now. Oh well. That just means musicians that are in it for the music will continue to play.

    One can only dream. And in case you are wondering: Yes, I am a musician. The thing is, I know there are so many musicians out there who are way better than I am. I'd still be at the bottom of the pile. Then again, that could be a good thing.

    --
    Mr. Bond, they have a saying in Chicago: Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time is enemy action.
  12. It's not copy protection, it's fair use protection by NaugaHunter · · Score: 4, Insightful

    a) The streaming feature was never meant to be used other than locally.
    b) Their testing missed the hole.

    Ignoring that, one reason they don't do copy protection is that they trust people who can pay for products they use will pay for products they use. Streaming music to unknown people not only isn't fair use(*), but may qualify individuals as internet radio stations. Remember the licensing fees that were approved? Would you want Apple to have to collect those?

    Personally, I don't think copyright/patent laws are incompatible with the internet directly, but that endless extensions undermine fair use, free expression, and human progress in general, regardless of the medium they are applied to.

    * A counter example would be 'If I play my CDs loud at the beach, am I broadcasting?' My best guess is since only people in the vicinity can hear it then no, though in the courts it's anyone's guess. An ancillary thought would be if having a radio tuned to a game at a beach counts as a rebroadcast, but I'm probably thinking too much.

    --
    R: That voice. Where have I heard that voice before? B: In about 365 other episodes. But I don't know who it is either.
  13. MP3 sharing is becoming like a religion... by DAQ42 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    At least it would seem so from a few perspectives. Why the hell do you need to pump your music selection out to the masses? Do you really think I want to hear you favorite crap indie garage band mp3's? I mean really, people. Get over yourselves. If you really want to share your music selection with a friend (and I mean someone you know by thier birthname, not some jack off in another country with the AIM logon of DickBig070002) there are simple and perfectly legal ways of doing so. Burn a CD, or, if you're so smart, set up your own private pptp session between your 2 Macs and share that way. But honestly folks, what the hell do you need to be wasting bandwidth for? Does that bootleg of Madonna's latest album make you naughty bits tingle? Do you feel like you are a part of the revolution sitting at your computer taking money from the pockets of the performers and artists? Good for you. Viva la revelutione you bad ass. My god. No wonder everyone hates you. And don't think for a minute that I don't have aspirations of grandeure, and dream of becoming the next underground sensation that people will love forever and my music will be the greatest colelction of free speech/thought on the internet. Guess what. You are a dime a dozen in the world, so get over yourself. Go outside. Say hi to your neighbor and share some music with them. See if you don't enjoy someones actual company for once. Maybe they own a Mac too and you just didn't know if because you were too freakin busy posting on /. how much the RIAA and MPAA and Microsuck was beating you down. Asshats. All of you.

    As an aside, I think it's pathetic how the RIAA pressured Apple into stopping the internet sharing. Come on, there was a hard coded limit of how many users could connect at one time. Plus, anything you stream on the net, whether it's audio or video or peanut butter, you can _ALWAYS_ capture to file. Bits are bits are bits. Nothing will ever stop them from being captured and written to disk. Asshats. That is the nature of computers. Geez. Maybe the RIAA thinks that the internet is a magical cloud of pixie dust and the data is magically wisked from one computer to another and if you have the pink pixie dust of the grand poohbah DRM you can't capture the data bits (kind of like a good acid trip). Morons. The entertainment industry is about ethereal things. Only it's too settled into the world of brick and mortar. They need to get out of the concrete and back into the minds of the audience. Interesting paradox; there are 5 media giant companies, who own 100's of affiliate distributions, that pump out the same 2 things, black or white (sides of the issue, not color of the skin). Maybe the biggest failure of our society is that we are such a binary culture.

    Anyway. Enough postulating. Back to coding (WORK SLAVE WORK)

    --
    Don't Ask Questions. I don't know the answers and even if I did I wouldn't tell you.
    1. Re:MP3 sharing is becoming like a religion... by TheRaven64 · · Score: 4, Funny
      the internet is a magical cloud of pixie dust and the data is magically wisked from one computer to another and if you have the pink pixie dust of the grand poohbah DRM you can't capture the data bits (kind of like a good acid trip).

      I have an Internet computing exam tomorrow. Mind if I quote that?

      --
      I am TheRaven on Soylent News
    2. Re:MP3 sharing is becoming like a religion... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      At least it would seem so from a few perspectives. Why the hell do you need to pump your music selection out to the masses? Do you really think I want to hear you favorite crap indie garage band mp3's? I mean really, people.

      A-fucking-men. Nothing stimulates my punching gland more than people's willingness to go great lengths to steal shitty music. Except maybe people going even farther to defend the same. "But there are legitimate uses!" Yeah, jackhole, there's legit uses for nuclear weapons (like, uh...moving large amounts of dirt very quickly.), but that doesn't mean you can trust people to not do fucking bad things with them. You seem to have managed to survive without the streaming feature at all for a long time; I think you'll live now. Fucktards...

      Also, I think the parent post proves that there needs to be a mod option of "+1, Use of the word 'Asshat'"

    3. Re:MP3 sharing is becoming like a religion... by pudge · · Score: 1

      At least it would seem so from a few perspectives. Why the hell do you need to pump your music selection out to the masses? Do you really think I want to hear you favorite crap indie garage band mp3's? I mean really, people. Get over yourselves.

      Yeah, you care about listening to their music as much as I ... well, care about what you have to say. I mean really. Get over yourself.

  14. Re:You are forgetting... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    There are other types of music than just popular music. For example, an experimental music composer can't really do a live show to make money (short of setting up a P.A. and playing his/her CD). Why would anyone pay to see that if they already had the CD? Also, what about artists who are a single man/woman who play and record all of the instruments on the CD? That is HARD work, and to tour with that is expensive because then you have to pay people to play your music.

    Music is an orignal creation and chould be copyrighted and protected. People like you need to realize this and stop being so cheap. Just pay for the stuff and stop complaining.

  15. As the owner of a mixed network... by lfourrier · · Score: 1

    I share* my iTunes music collection from my mac with apache.
    sharing is one of the things I didn't even look in iTunes (as the store, but primarily because they don't want to sell to me).
    -
    * between different room of the house. No internet service, but this is my choice. Technically, it could be done, I just don't want to.

    1. Re:As the owner of a mixed network... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I share* my iTunes music collection from my mac with apache.

      You should use DAAP instead. It lets you use a remote database, instead of having to maintain a database on each computer.

    2. Re:As the owner of a mixed network... by lfourrier · · Score: 2, Interesting

      DAAP (http://daap.sourceforge.net/docs/) seems interesting (at least intellectually), but my solution works, so I don't feel very compeled to change(ain't not broken don't fix it)
      from sf.net, what you can get is:
      libdaap

      This is a C++ library with C and Objective-C/Cocoa wrappers that will, in time, implement a full DAAP client and server. It is licensed under the GNU Lesser Public License, which allows developers to use the library even in non-free software as long as a few restrictions are followed.

      At the moment only the C++ interface is available, and it only understands the basic format of the data. It does not yet perform any network operations and thus also doesn't have a higher level interface for listing music and playlists. It also can only act as a client for the moment.

      Certainly at this early stage, the primary aim is to get a fully working client so that it gets adopted quickly. We will then look at writing the server interface so that music programs can share their libraries like iTunes does.

      Documentation
      Very little documentation is available for the library at the moment, but hopefully this shall soon be remedied. Most of the documentation is to be found in the source code, and hopefully that is enough to get certain people going. We are hoping to post some proper documentation and sample code soon.

      Contributing
      Contributions to the library are more than welcome. This library is essentially developed in the authors' free time, so does not get as much attention as it may need. Contributions can vary from writing code or documentation to promoting it (telling your favorite digital audio player's author about what they could do with this, for example).

      --------------
      there is only one database, all the music(all the CDs my wife and I ever bought) is on one mac. the clients are win (98,98se,me,xp). the users are me (on mac), a daugther, my wife, the au-pair. I don't feel like I'm going to sell them to write there own client ...

  16. you paid your $8 by ihatewinXP · · Score: 1

    that should at least get you the right to this

    http://www.lickmytaint.com/upload/2003-05-14_Mat ri x.Reloaded.TS-ESOTERiC.torrent

    an admittedly sorry (compared ot real dvd) theatre shot copy of matrix. no 6 channel sound, no hdtv and progressive scan quality, and no director commentary.

    There is only one way to convince them change their business model so that it supports us and not just their stockholders, and thats to nearly drive them into the ground and let smaller indie companies back in the fray.
    The dam has been unleashed when it comes to the pirating of digital media. You can make a case for not pirating software, but things like the Itunes music store and the iPod would not exist today if the big 5 labels had a choice in the matter. Look at their intentions with copy protected CD's and shutting down and spoofing sites as long ago as scour.net (the original online 2-3 years before napster)...

    --
    ---- The real Slashdot is still here. You just have to browse at -1 to read the comments.
    1. Re:you paid your $8 by Mononoke · · Score: 2, Insightful
      There is only one way to convince them change their business model so that it supports us and not just their stockholders, and thats to nearly drive them into the ground and let smaller indie companies back in the fray.
      So, you declare yourself to be lord over media product, and if some company gets too big by your estimation, then you'll release a free copy of their product to the masses "just to show them who's boss"???

      Why should their business model "support us"? Businesses exist to make money, most of which they give to their employees, who then spend the money with other businesses. Studios aren't there to "support us". Without the money loaned to the company by stockholders, the company (and therefore the product) don't exist at all.

      So, how are you helping again?

      --
      NetInfo connection failed for server 127.0.0.1/local
  17. Re:You are forgetting... by nycroft · · Score: 3, Interesting

    People like you need to realize this and stop being so cheap. Just pay for the stuff and stop complaining.

    Where, in my post did I ever make any sort of complaint? Where did I ever advocate the need to share music? Nowhere. I was merely stating my vision of the future if sharing got so out of hand that record companies had to fold. I'm not cheap. I'm just being realistic: there are many others out there who are cheap, or share music just because they can. I'm not in any way promoting the stealing of music. All I'm saying is that the more you try and stop it, the more it's going to happen. Artists are going to have to make a big adjustment to this reality.

    For example, an experimental music composer can't really do a live show to make money (short of setting up a P.A. and playing his/her CD). Why would anyone pay to see that if they already had the CD? Also, what about artists who are a single man/woman who play and record all of the instruments on the CD? That is HARD work

    Yes. Music is very hard work. If you work hard enough, and make good music, you might end up giving people a reason to buy the music. And why would you not want to see them live if you already bought the CD? Are they not good enough for you with out ProTools and studio modifications?

    Music is an orignal creation and chould be copyrighted and protected.

    Protected against what? Copyright infringement? Does that destroy their music at all? No. It just destroys their ability to make money off their music. Again, artists who must be paid for their music are not artist at all; they are manufacturers of a product. That's all. In today's world of inevitable file sharing, a musician should know going in that they may not make any money. Besides, you are an Anonymous Coward, and no one here cares what you have to say.

    --
    Mr. Bond, they have a saying in Chicago: Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time is enemy action.
  18. Ain't psychology wonderful? by grantsellis · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I had and have no intention of using the internet streaming feature, but I downloaded this plugin as soon as it came up because it was something I used to be able to do and now I can't do it any more.

    As my communications teacher would have said in my class on persuasion, "Scarcity principle."

  19. Why do this? by xyrw · · Score: 4, Insightful

    My knee- jerk reaction was `What the f*** were they thinking?'

    If Apple yanked Internet- wide MP3 streaming because of third- party apps, what makes you think they won't yank streaming ALTOGETHER because of this third- party app?

    That is, assuming the copying programs work with it . . . which I myself have no intention of verifying.

  20. yay.. by prell · · Score: 1

    Awesome, now we can all celebrate our reclaimed ability to do something we will never do, meanwhile getting Apple in trouble again. I really don't think this is some wonderful "secret feature," and frankly its usefulness is, in my opinion, limited to those people who want to stream music from their own computers at some other location (work perhaps), which narrows the legitimate audience for this hack down to about a dozen people. Trying to stream music from random users on the internet is an exercise in futility. Mac users: Don't believe me? try it. PC users: When was the last time you were able to download something off a sharing program at a constant speed with no interruptions?

    Since this feature is so easy to root out, I have suspicions that Apple had planned/is planning to let users do this, but that's just speculation.

  21. iTunes 4.0.1 by dbirling · · Score: 2, Insightful

    As soon as iTunes 4 came out I fell in love with the internet sharing feature. Finally I could be at work and stream my music from home. Cable is awesome, it's like the music is right there... anyway a few "Thieves" had to ruin it and as I figured Apple would have to move to block it. The ironic this is those thieves probably would never have bought any of the music anyway, but to the RIAA that's besides the point I guess. What I wish Apple would have doon with 4.0.1 is limit the number of internet shares to 1-3 or something like that. That way a person like me who has music being shared would be very unlikely to let others log on since it would eliminate them from listening to their own music. Clean, simple, Apple!

    1. Re:iTunes 4.0.1 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      It seems the only legit reason people want internet streaming is to listen to their own collections away from their main computer. But you don't need iTunes 4.0 to do that, there is more than one way to do this that doesn't require Apple making it kick-in-the-face easy for you. Turn on personal file sharing, copy your iTunes database over to the other cpu to get playlists etc and taa-daa, you can stream. Well, there are a few other steps to take, but really just figure it out on your own, it's not that hard.

  22. DMCA by pcp_ip · · Score: 2, Insightful
    Just a question... Wouldn't this be considered a violation of the DMCA? Essentially this app is circumventing the DRM system that Apple has choosen for iTunes.

    (and for the record, I'm downloading the app now so i can stick it to the man)

    1. Re:DMCA by pudge · · Score: 1

      Some court might think so, but since the program doesn't change anything about iTunes itself, I wouldn't.

  23. share with others by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    will it be possible for the itunes playlist to be shared with others, like me, who's using suse linux on their machine? Other than kazaa? 401(ok) bridges 4.0 and 4.1; please build another bridge for another a larger group...

  24. Re:You are forgetting... by transient · · Score: 4, Insightful
    Besides, you are an Anonymous Coward, and no one here cares what you have to say.

    Except for you, evidently.

    --

    irb(main):001:0>
  25. Re:You are forgetting... by Theaetetus · · Score: 2, Interesting
    "For example, an experimental music composer can't really do a live show to make money (short of setting up a P.A. and playing his/her CD). Why would anyone pay to see that if they already had the CD? Also, what about artists who are a single man/woman who play and record all of the instruments on the CD? That is HARD work "

    Yes. Music is very hard work. If you work hard enough, and make good music, you might end up giving people a reason to buy the music. And why would you not want to see them live if you already bought the CD? Are they not good enough for you with out ProTools and studio modifications?

    What about the first question from grandparent - what about experimental music composers who can't do live shows (or can, but they don't really compare)? Do they not count?

    For example, what about Nine Inch Nails? Trent Reznor toured with a band, but the albums were just him, on all the instruments. Can't really do that live, and his live shows lacked that Trent-ness since the others were playing parts that he wrote, rather than doing their own bits.

    Should that type of music simply go away - your personal opinion as to whether it's 'good' or 'bad' music aside, should an entire genre be dismissed because it's not economically viable under your model?

    -T

  26. Re:You are forgetting... by nycroft · · Score: 1

    Should that type of music simply go away - your personal opinion as to whether it's 'good' or 'bad' music aside, should an entire genre be dismissed because it's not economically viable under your model?

    I'm not dismissing anything. I'm not in control here. I guess I don't equate music with economics they way some folks do. I was thinking of a time when it would become so difficult for a musician to make money selling recordings of their music, that they would have to find other ways of surviving. Live shows were one of the ways (and that's a pretty good way, since many people like live music). And, for the third time, if the artist is that good, their music would sell itself.

    Take, for instance, J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr., now of J Mascis and the Fog. He records all the instruments himself, but live he just plays guitar with his live band. Lemme tell you, his guitar playing really stands out and the whole band rules it live!!! He lives for the music, and he sure as hell doesn't make as much money as pop artists do.

    --
    Mr. Bond, they have a saying in Chicago: Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time is enemy action.
  27. Re:You are forgetting... by nycroft · · Score: 1

    Touché...But my name was on the parent. Not his. I got a rep (and an ego) to protect.

    --
    Mr. Bond, they have a saying in Chicago: Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time is enemy action.
  28. MOD THIS UP by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This is exactly how I feel. Developers should not be blamed when their products or features of their products are found to be used for copyright infringement by some users.
    The offending users should be held responsible.

    A tool is a tool is a tool. It's how you use the tool that is right or wrong. The responsibiliy lies with he who wields the tool!

    Again, people are trying to blame the wrong people because it is cheaper and easier than holding the real offenders responsible.

    1. Re:MOD THIS UP by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Enablers of crime (e.g. drove the getaway car) have always been held accountable along with the ones who commit the crime itself. They might not get punished as much, but they do get punished.

      In the case of software, when a tool is written with the sole purpose of enabling crime, then I feel that the software developer should be held as accountable as we hold other enablers of crime. No, they didn't commit the crime, but their presence was a necessary for the crime to take place.

      This is human nature we're talking about, and human actions are not always logical. People, in spite of themselves, cannot be given tools that cause others harm, because (from a purely probabilistic point of view) there are a small percentage that will commit crimes. (In the case of music pirating, we've seen that its not a small percentage.)

      Taking away the tool(or some other reasonable punishment) is much less harmful than whatever harm might be caused by keeping it.

    2. Re:MOD THIS UP by babyjohn_catchphrase · · Score: 1
      Enablers of crime (e.g. drove the getaway car) have always been held accountable along with the ones who commit the crime itself. They might not get punished as much, but they do get punished.

      Except here we are talking about punishing the manufacturer of the getaway car, not the driver. It's a whole extra degree of separation.

      As an added thought: Why do we allow street-legal cars capable of exceeding the speed limit? That's enabling a crime, isn't it? (disclaimer: if anyone tried to speedlimit my car that low they would find themselves significantly worse off!)

  29. Re:You are forgetting... by andrewski · · Score: 0

    It's not the artists that are bribing our public officials into eroding our freedoms, it is the RIAA / MPAA / etc. Don't use the word 'artists' when you really mean 'publishing houses.'

  30. Re:You are forgetting... by transient · · Score: 1

    I'm just poking fun. No harm meant. ;-)

    --

    irb(main):001:0>
  31. Cool it with the misconception by Llywelyn · · Score: 3, Informative

    Okay, would you and the others spreading this myth cool it? I'm getting sick of seeing it.

    iCommune (in its original form) was in violation of the license the author signed in good faith in order to use the API he had used in creating the product.

    Apple hasn't even given a second glance to the new version of iCommune. Why? It doesn't use the iTunes API or fall under its license.

    --
    Integrate Keynote and LaTeX
  32. Re:You are forgetting... by surferosa · · Score: 1

    i'd just like to state that i know where you're coming from, there is so much crap pop music out there now overwhelming the market and if i had my way....the likes of justin and britney would be 'workin it hard slogging on the endless gravy train of lives shows. but you know what,it wouldn't change a thing,justin and britney would still sell stadiums and the new corporations would be the promoters whom choose whom to put on stage and pick the live acts for music festivals the situation now is the result of the state of the common music palette,most ppl are just happy to swallow anything on the radio.there can't be very many ppl like you,perhaps just 5%(familiar statistic innit?) whom take the plunge and really bother to push the envelope with the music they listen to. ergo...there will always be huge corporations because they are the only way into making it into the industry and getting your "music" out to masses via radio, yes, it's dirty and rotten because ppl make "music" to make money but *sigh* it's the truth and it's gonna stay that way.

  33. Re:Important. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    haha this brought tears to my eyes for some reason

    hahaha funny stuff

  34. as chuck d said by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    i like nike but wait a minute
    the neighborhood supports so put some money in it
    what the corporations owe
    they gotta give up the dough
    to my town or else we gotta shut em' down

    Who made me judge jury and executioner? the apathy of a million indoctorinated consumer tools such as yourself.

    businesses should support us because we support them, simple enough? i dont wait for change i make it. posting a link and making this argument is a tiny aspect of the change i try to enact for those around me and my community as a whole.
    like i said earlier, if it were up to the corporations you would have no mp3, no ipod, and honestly no consumer rights, you would just be a consuming commodity where your lifetime customer value determines your worth.

  35. Re:You are forgetting... by Funksaw · · Score: 1

    DJ Rap, Paul Oakenfold, Brian Transeau are all electronic musicians.

    They're also some of the biggest live acts in all of Ibiza. And yeah, they use pro-tools on stage. It's more of an improvized jam session that keeps them coming to the shows...

    So, to answer your questions - even someone who's only instrument is his computer will still make money from live shows.

    -- Funksaw.

  36. Re:You are forgetting... by nycroft · · Score: 1

    Point taken. :) All of those guys can easily make money in a purely file sharing world, ibid my parent post.

    --
    Mr. Bond, they have a saying in Chicago: Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time is enemy action.
  37. :::: Apple's Genius... by elementj · · Score: 1

    When Apple first released iTunes 4 with its network streaming capabilities, and various Mac fan sites began posting URL's to shared music, I was taken aback at Apple's genius -- but then, as a solid Mac user, I often am. As P2P PC clients are slowly crashing and burning (although Kazaa is still running strong, one wonders how long they will be able to persist), Apple has devised a way to share free music, without placing any blame on themselves. Upon updating my system a month later, I was at first shocked to find that Apple had limited its streaming capabilities, forbidding sharing outside of the user's local network. But now I am beginning to see the whole picture, and honestly, I'm surprised few have hinted at this picture aside from myself, as there are many more proficient and enthusiastic Mac users than I. Apple has revealed a way that not only allows for integrated music streaming, but track ripping and sharing as well. They revealed their software's ability to share tracks across the internet, but only momentarily, as to provoke interest yet avoid legal consequences. If a music sharing service is going to survive, its success has to be dependent on the users, and not to the service provider. If thousands of people are writing hacks for iTunes to allow internet music streaming, Apple can't be held legally responsible, at least as far as I can imagine. And the courts will have quite some time pinning down every single copy of every single hack, and eradicating the use of them entirely. Apple has essentially created a lock-tight plan for future music sharing, and as I read all the comments about how Apple is feeding its customers shit, I am taken aback. There are various debates about the nature of copyright laws -- quoted from another /. post, "copyright protection is an unending waste of human resource, computer resource, comms resource, and slashdot posts!". Ripping songs off the internet is essentially no different than recording them off the radio, only easier, faster, of higher quality, and seemingly the most important -- more widely used. Its only a matter of time before the very nature of information sharing evolves into a higher form ... now, for the development and distribution of iTunes hacks so we can all share our music, while promoting a service that although is allowing free track sharing, is also supporting the artists whose tracks are being shared.

  38. Blowing Smoke by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    There is no indication, no quote, no source, not even a wild rumor that the music industry applied any pressure to Apple. They've not even commented. That was my first thought too. Put up or shut up.

    Abuse of this app by a few pirates, like anything else, (big surprise) leads to all being "penalized."

    Apple did the right thing. All the thieves out there have been griping about prices and everything else under the sun. The iTunes Apple Store addresses *all* those concerns. Keep on stealing music? Up to you. Software? Up to you. Cars? Boost me a 1978 Z28 if you have the time....