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Real Begs Apple for Alliance
hype7 writes "In a an extremely forward move, CEO of Real Networks Rob Glaser has emailed Steve Jobs, imploring him to open up Apple's AAC Digital Rights Management System - FairPlay - to Real. The upside for Real - all music sold by them would be compatible with the iPod. The upside for Apple - Real would make the iPod its primary device for the RealNetworks store and for the RealPlayer software. However, Mr. Glaser wasn't just dangling carrots - he implied that should Apple not be a receptive partner for an alliance, he would be forced to look towards Microsoft. There was a similar post made not too long ago, with BusinessWeek's take on the whole thing." There's a Reuters story as well.
After the File You've paid your taxes. Here's where the money's going.
By Brian Riedl
Frustrated taxpayers dutifully completing their 1040s frequently ask themselves an understandable question: Where is all this money going? And they deserve an answer.
The federal government is projected to spend $21,671 per household in 2004 -- the most since World War II and $3,500 more than in 2001. Tax revenues will reach $16,981 per household through a combination of the income tax, payroll tax, gas tax, estate tax, and assorted business taxes typically passed on through higher prices and smaller investment returns. The remaining $4,690 represents the deficit per household.
Here is a breakdown of where that $21,671 goes:
Social Security and Medicare: $7,165. The 15.3 percent payroll tax, split evenly between employer and employee, covers most of these costs. Contrary to popular belief, an individual's contributions are not set aside for his own retirement, but used to fund the benefits of current retirees. Although there were once 15 workers per retiree, the retirement of the baby boomers will leave only 2 workers to fund the benefits of each retiree. By 2030, the added costs of that burden are projected to reach what, in today's economy, would be $5,200 per household. In 2050, that additional tax would climb to $13,500 per household. The unpredictable costs of the new Medicare drug benefit could add thousands more to each household's tax bill.
Defense: $4,240. The defense budget covers everything from military salaries, to operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, to the research, development, and acquisition of new technologies. Lawmakers drastically cut defense spending throughout the 1990s. The 9/11 attacks reversed this trend. The $1,300 per household increase since 2001 has returned defense spending to its historical levels.
Low-income programs: $3,479. Nearly half of this spending subsidizes state Medicaid programs that provide health services to poor families. In line with economy-wide health care trends, Medicaid costs are rising 10 percent per year. Other low-income spending includes: Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), food stamps, housing subsidies, child-care subsidies, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and low-income tax credits.
Interest on the federal debt: $1,460. Washington is $7 trillion in debt. It owes $4 trillion to the public that owns its bonds and the rest to other federal agencies. Record-low interest rates have reduced the interest payments by $1,000 per household over the last six years. As interest rates climb back to normal levels, so will these costs to taxpayers.
Federal employee retirement benefits: $835. This funds the retirement and disability benefits of federal employees, including the military. Interest from federal trust funds covers part of this spending.
Health research and regulation: $619. Health-research spending has doubled since 1998, and nearly all of that spending growth has been concentrated in the National Institute of Health. This category also includes the Food and Drug Administration and dozens of grant programs for health providers.
Education: $583. Primarily a state and local function, 8 percent of education spending comes from Washington. Federal education spending has surged 76 percent since the 2001 enactment of the No Child Left Behind Act. Most federal dollars go to low-income school districts, special education, and college student financial aid.
Veterans benefits: $565. The federal government provides income and health benefits to veterans. Spending is up 34 percent since 2001.
Unemployment benefits: $451. Unemployment costs fluctuate based on the number of unemployed Americans. Recent costs have ranged between $220 per household in 2000 (when unemployment was low) and $526 per household in 2003 (when unemployment was higher). This year, unemployment costs are decreasing as job growth continues.
Highways and mass transit: $400. Most highway and mass-tran
fp!
A little off-topic, but is it possible to play FLAC encoded files in iTunes? I'm considering doing a Final Rip And Encoding (tm) of my CD collection, and FLAC seems the way to go
...is the equivalent to my sex organs aligning themselves with herpes.
Does this tutorial happen to explain how to make iTunes properly export ogg music to other machines that are also configured to use the ogg codec plugin? I've had ogg support configured for a long time, but was frustrated to learn that my ogg collection at my G4 in my basement cannot be shared with the iMac in my kitchen.
The "cue the foo posts in 3, 2, 1..." posts will commence with no subsequent foo posts in 3, 2, 1...
I use ogg.
"Piter, too, is dead."