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Justin Frankel Reveals Life After Winamp
Joseph Gelinas writes "Speaking out for the first time on life after AOL/Nullsoft, Winamp creator Justin Frankel sat down with BetaNews to discuss his new endeavors. Starting a new company called Cockos, Frankel is leaving behind the mass market for his musical roots, but hints at revolutionary -- and presumably controversial -- things to come."
I'm not clicking a link with a name like that. I'm afraid it might be a goatse troll...
Alito: A vote for Alito is a punch in the eye to put that bitch back in her place!
As someone who plays guitar, the Jesusonic looks interesting. Real time effects processing on a computer would allow an amazing amount of customizations of sounds on the fly. However, it doesn't seem very portable despite being a floor device. I don't see someone taking the monstrosity to a jam session. I think it would be more annoying being on the floor than just at a desk. Jesusonic has to be easier than programming those rack mount processors. Hopefully Jesusonic can grow into something to replace the cost prohibitive Pro Tools.
JF: Naming projects is often the hardest part. When I first started, it just came out. A moment of either stupidity (likely) or brilliance (not likely), we'll see. Yeah, its obviously hard for him, with names like Cockos, AssSniffer, and Jesusonic.
Starting a new company called Cockos
That's a definite no-no...
So a company named 'Cockos' or 'CockOS' (read: Cock O/S) puts out a product called assniffer (read auto-saving sniffer). Is it just me or does this story just reek of bad jokes?
Justin and co. always writes great utilities, but it's really hard to suggest to your boss that the company should be using a tool called "asssniffer" or "ASS I/O".
Not really sure why but a lot of the marketing types around my office jam in bands and are very tech savvy.
.... Sounds like a hacker's grand ideal really.
I see this kind of product if promoted correctly having a very nice niche market among hardcore keyboard junkies and techy musician types.
Very interesting idea.
Hardware and software I want to use.
Hhhhhmmm
ACK
Didn't we just read a story about vague products and the people buying them; what is cockos doing diffrent?
Primarily these are a program called Assniffer (which is a HTTP sniffing program that logs the actual files transferred), and PathSync (which I use to interactively synchronize directories on different computers/drives). These are both available on cockos.com.
assniffer, logs, cockos...you put it together...
Have you seen the name of their products?
Here's a packet sniffer called Assniffer.
Other "cool" innovations - the PHP source for their page generation! With (omgzzss11!1one) AUTO-CENTERING OF TEXT!
Good thing their front page says they're developing "technologies that some people might find interesting. Maybe."
But they should've added, "...if they snicker at every obnoxious, grade-school dick joke" since that's apparently the theme they've chosen for this crap.
I was going to ask what kind of crack he was sniffing and if he'd share, but I guess that's not the best question given the application 'assniffer'.
the mistery company behind Exeem?
I bet when he started Nullsoft, his peers ridiculed it as a name for his company.
$100m later, whose laughing now?
Not only is it useful on computers, it allows people who don't want to spend money on a Jesusonic hardware device to go ahead and write new effects for the Jesusonic.
Now there is someone who is completely devoid of marketing, or corporate thinking. He actually has the notion of contributing something on the basis of realizing that some people won't pay for something.
I suppose at this point he's pretty much made for life, and doesn't have to worry about money anymore. Still, how admirable.
/^[A-Z0-9._%+-]+@[A-Z0-9.-]+\.[A-Z]{2,4}$/i
What's wrong with CuntOS? Sounds better alongside CockOS.
I wonder what p2p app they are brewing up... I love waste, works well for what it is. I caint wait till they announce what they are making in the end of january.
My Blog
First, it's a stupid name. Otherwise, the Jesusonic device looks interesting. I use an incredible device called the Pod XT that makes life very easy for recording, noodling around, or juicing up the amp. One of the things I wished was a way for people to program their own effects/amp modeling algorithms and let people share (or sell) them.
This gadget looks like it could make it happen. As far as how it looks, I'm sure it's a prototype which will eventually be a slick, portable gadget. I look forward to it.
...how my $900 PC can replace tens of thousands of dollars in effects processing. I remember seeing a reverb/delay for $3000 with many presets and you can program some yourself.
Okay, now that my PC can do effects processing, it can also be used as a multi-track to replace the Alesis ADAT that's has thousands of dollars in add-ons, and can replace a mastering studio and save me thousands there becasuse of my DVD/CD burner. What is still expensive are the instruments, consoles (yay AMEK), and the $14,000 tube mic.
I do not know. Somehow I just cannot let those old things go.
Some call me Howie Feltersnatch
who's laughing?
And no, there's nothing wrong with the name Nullsoft. In fact, it's a great name. Having "Cock" in a company name is clearly stupid.
Good luck on never selling a damn thing. F'en juvenille.
"It's a stupid name" means people will be talking about it, and they won't forget it. Great PR.
And lets not forget how crazy "Nullsort" sounded when it was founded. $100m+ later, whose laughing now?
Company name != quality of product offered
Seriously, the name Cockos sounds like a gay cereal.
Pathsync looks interesting for directory synchronization. Is there something to do this between two linux clients or windows and linux that is rsync or cvs based. Preferably GUI clients or easy to use ones. I need windows > linux backup and linux laptop > linux backup. I saw backuppc in the debian archives, but I'm intersted in user opinions as it is always so much better. Thanks!
This isn't meant as flamebait but an observation:
Common hackers of his level of inovation, and to a degree hatred of authority/corporations really dislike windows and love the freedom and inovation of Linux.
Seems like everything he touches is Windows related.
Just suprising.
Though somewhat depressing...
it's inovators like him, who really make software people like. Say what you will about WinAmp... but it was one heck of a popular app. Same with everything else he was involved in.
HE is what Linux could really use: someone to create the golden tools.
I bet you dont learn in marketing class to name you products "Jesusonic CrusFX 1000" and make it look like a cross!
:)
Never ever bind religion to something you dont have to, it just causes trouble!
On the other hand, I would definitely want one!
http://www.nativeinstruments.de/page.php?id=wwdc_u s
http://www.nativeinstruments.de/index.php?guitarri g_us
For more info.
"Good luck on never selling a damn thing. F'en juvenille."
Yeah, poor Justin, he'll only have his millions of dollars and reputation left to console him. Boo hoo.
It's 10 PM. Do you know if you're un-American?
You have to admit, you'd probably draw many strange eyes trying to tote this thing on your back from one gig to the next.
-jc
The technologies he is referring to are the Jesusonic (which albeit is a stupid name, but I was amused by the cross shaped platform.) software effects processor and hardware companion.
If Cockos decides to sell their products, it'll probably have a name change but there's nothing wrong with stupid working-titles (The Matrix' working title was "Learn to take a joke") I'm pretty interested in powerful a effects software package that at this point is free, and I know a lot of musicians who would be as well.
So the guy likes to make bad jokes, omgzzss11!1one.
I apologize deeply to anyone I might have offended.
-------- In Soviet Russia, "Soviet Russia" sigs hate Slashdot.
You're on crack if you think something won't sell just because it's named badly (intentionally or otherwise).
What's more likely to happen is that it will get quite popular and just like AOL brought out Nullsoft, Cockos will get bought out and the company will rename the products.
While names maybe useful in branding, useful and functional stuff need not always have good names - there will be people buying the stuff for what it does, rather than what it's called. Have enough such people and you'd be mainstream - you'd not be laughing at the name simply because it'd have become ubiquitous.
Back Orifice was such a cheesy name, but when it became popular, people stopped noticing what it was called.
Whatever he is working on, I'm sure it really whips the Lamma's ass...
who is laughing now: he is, he is filthy rich and loving life.
you are a loser on slashdot bashing somone who has and will continue to accomplish so much
at his age he has already made more money, done more, and accomplished more, than you will ever, in your entire life.
Nothing wrong with CuntOS. It's got decent security...there's only one hole, but it's a biggie.
I'm not good in groups. It's difficult to work in a group when you're omnipotent. - Q
It's great he made tons of money.
... I'd say he's more lucky than anything else. WinAmp is nice, but it was more of a right place at the right time thing than any amazing programming ability and foresight.
As far as accomplishments
I rank his accomplishments at about the same level as a pro athelete or a popular musician. If you want to rank life "accomplishments" on that level, that's great then. Have fun watching the next episode of Cribs. Maybe you'll find some other arrogant people that you might think are wonderful as well.
if it's anything like nullsoft, he'll have to get sued over the name of a product before anyone buys him up.
(for the uninformed, yes, that's what happened with nullsoft and winamp.)
Karma: Negative (Mostly affected by dorm trolling)
Jesusonic - it really breaks the llama's back! (bahahaha....)
Lots of people will run this, and make presets, and do lots of stuff for free for him, while he sells the hardware that makes it usable (without having to hack it together yourself).
Genius. I think Apple tried something like that before...anyone heard of the iPod?
I guess chicken breasts doesn't sell in the US?
Belief is the currency of delusion.
You may find amusing that cockos sound like cocohs
;-)
and translates to "merdas" or shits (back in english)
how can there be a better name to describe the page?
cribs is idiotic first of all.
but the fact remains, he has done something, you have done nothing.
i
CherryOS? Seems to me that every cock is looking for a cherry.
Wait, I forgot... CherryOS is still under wraps, right?
Also, CuntOS can interface with CockOS out of the box.
It really whips The Savior's ass!
The IRS is the one organization that you don't want to fuck with. Remember, these are the guys who took down Al Capone.
OMG!!!
I'm soooo sorry Mr. Torvalds! I didn't know it was you! I take back everything I just said.
(Damn this Anonymous Coward business)
Actually, there are two holes, but one is just a backdoor.
95%+ of the posters on /., and perhaps even Frankel himself seem entirely unaware that the idea of his jesusonic project is nothing new at all.
there are several so-called "RT VST hosts" that do the same thing, and several standalone programs. most have been around for several years.
even on Linux (even!) we have tools like JackRack and EcaMegaPedal, not to mention the world's best live looper (SooperLooper). maybe Frankel's ideas about triggers might represent some slightly novel model for this kind of thing, but the authors of most of the stuff I've mentioned could probably add them in a day or two.
Jesus did not and does not compete with any south american ungulates with unusually soft and warm fur.
The CB App. What's your 20?
Justin Frankel's accomplishments are notable in of themselves, but even more so when you consider that they were all achieved by a boy who's just now turning 13 years old... ...what, he's a grown man? And he still gives his projects names like "CrucFX" and "Assniffer"? That's pretty sad, actually.
I'd probably never use that. Hello! Line6.com anyone? It actually already made for what a musician does. And doesn't have the added "must be a geek" factor that can cause other "issues" while playing.
Sorry, I play to get away from being a geek, not to enhance it.
Compare: Jesusonic screenshot.
Max/MSP screenshot.
I think you can see which one is much more powerful.
actually it's got 3 holes, but the third is filled with dangerously sharp "teeth" that sometimes damage CockOS
Comment removed based on user account deletion
Speaking out for the first time on life after AOL/Nullsoft
Correction, speaking out for the third time since leaving AOL.
After reading TFA and following a few links, I came to this page: http://www.betanews.com/article/Death_Knell_Sounds _for_Nullsoft_Winamp/1100111204 and encountered the stinging accusation that Frankel may have not been the original inventor of Winamp in a comment. I wonder if this has any truth to it? Here is the comment verbatim:
"When you read this, please understand, that this is by any means no complain, but expression of my emotions trying to bring some truth to the internet community about events that took place which have been hidden from public. Although, this may read as some sort of conspiracy, this is a true story, how history really happened.
Let me begin stating that my life for the past 5 years was hell.
Truth is, Justin didn't invent WinAmp. Actually Justin Frankel is a liar, but he paid me (Dmitry Boldyrev) off to not say anything. The reason why I had to take the gag and not bring the case, which I intended to do at the time, was because I was poisoned (but who did it? hmmmmmm good question, I am still trying to figure that one out) and couldn't deal with court proceedings. For the past five years I was in hawaii trying to deal with the poison, breathing it out of my body. Try day long meditations, Mr Frankel, maybe it will bring you a better understanding of the world surrounding you. Or I guess you're not interested in the truth, the money has blinded you completely. Sure, having few millions in the trust account you probably have a different view on the world.
I would like to share what I have done with the money that I received from the miniscule settlement that I received.
1) Started a vegan restaurant in Hawaii, which was rated #1 by PeTA this year
2) Helped many musicians
What do you have to show for your millions, Mr Frankel? Yes, we've heard about your love for cars. Is this best you can do? Lets not mention your guitar playing skills, because I dont know how many people are laughing behind your back.
Before I begin, I'd like to introduce the reader to the fact that I am very sad for this country, and result of its so called elections. It just shows to me that democracy isn't happening here. The result of my history of events that took place in my life, I am starting to question, the very reason why AOL bought WinAmp. My realization led me to believe that AOL needed WinAmp to establish control over media on the internet, music media and radio media in particular. I've met a guy (right hand man of Steve Case @ AOL) Dave Cole?, nice guy actually. Interesting, at his lecture he kept referring to people as software, maybe he needs a break from his work and learn to understand people on more personal level.
As I was so closely involved, nobody even asked me about Nullsoft sale to AOL. I guess they never considered me anything more than a stupid russian who we can f*** over as much as possible. But personally, I always considered myself a 50% cofounder of Nullsoft (any thoughts on this, Mr Frankel?). So is this the American tactic that we keep hearing about, invite people from other countries, rip off their ideas, enslave them, use their ideas and talant to make money, and then take it off shores to further enslave everyone around? Long live WTO?
So, now to the story: what TRUELY happened with the whole WinAmp thing.
I met Justin Frankel at CADE lab at University of Utah in mid 1997 where we both attended engineering school. He was at the time interested in computer graphics, working on Plush 3d gfx engine. Goruraud shading, nothing too fancy. I guess it was quite fast. I was an old-skool music demo coder person. In 1989 I discovered Scream Tracker for PC, which inspired me to write music software, and ever since I've been amazed by computer music, which led me to creation of first gui mp3 player-MacAmp. Beforehand, I wrote many other music-players (for PC and Mac), like MacMik
I'm coo-coo for cocoks!
But there is another kind of evil that we must fear most... and that is the indifference of good men.
For sound, duh.
Software like this has existed for a long, long time...What it's news because he's developing it? Give me a break...
http://www.kvr-vst.com/ is all you need...
Or in the box, more accurately.
A company called Line 6 has been offering stadalone guitar effects/amps simulation devices for years now. Recently they came out with the concept of "model packs" whereby you can purchase an additional set of models for $50 or so. This thing is built around a real DSP which means it can run circles around a mid-level PC, despite consuming less power and being a lot smaller.
They also offer a $129 digital interface with a simplified versions of the same algorithms running entirely on a PC. The interface provides 24 bit AD/DA conversion and a volume knob.
I just don't see anyone jumping to Cockos Jesus whatever all of a sudden. I hope you don't paying for this with your own money, too.
Don't name your first 2 products Ass Sniffer and Jew Sonic.
GirlyMan?
FlamingHomo?
AnalLuvr?
You only plug a USB cable into your PC. No other wires involved. Of course only idiots can expect quality AD/DA for $129, but that's beside the point. The point is that Justin is a bit too late to the game to make any serious money on this project.
That's why you should get a multi-gig harddrive with it!
My other computer is a Jacquard loom.
Now Cock OS doesn't sound as original anymore.
It is official -- Netcraft confirms: *WinAmp is dying One more crippling bombshell hit the already beleaguered WinAmp community when IDC confirmed that WinAmp market share has dropped yet again, now down to less than a fraction of 1 percent of all servers. Coming on the heels of a recent Netcraft survey which plainly states that WinAmp has lost more market share, this news serves to reinforce what we've known all along. WinAmp is collapsing in complete disarray, as fittingly exemplified by failing dead last [samag.com] in the recent Sys Admin comprehensive networking test. You don't need to be a Kreskin [amazingkreskin.com] to predict WinAmp's future. The hand writing is on the wall: WinAmp faces a bleak future. In fact there won't be any future at all for WinAmp because WinAmp is dying. Things are looking very bad for WinAmp. As many of us are already aware, WinAmp continues to lose market share. Red ink flows like a river of blood. WinAmp is the most endangered of them all, having lost 93% of its core developers. The sudden and unpleasant departures of long time WinAmp developers Jordan Hubbard and Mike Smith only serve to underscore the point more clearly. There can no longer be any doubt: WinAmp is dying. Let's keep to the facts and look at the numbers. WinAmp leader Theo states that there are 7000 users of WinAmp. How many users of WinAmp are there? Let's see. The number of WinAmp versus WinAmp posts on Usenet is roughly in ratio of 5 to 1. Therefore there are about 7000/5 = 1400 WinAmp users.WinAmp posts on Usenet are about half of the volume of WinAmp posts. Therefore there are about 700 users of WinAmp. A recent article put WinAmp at about 80 percent of the WinAmp market. Therefore there are (7000+1400+700)*4 = 36400 WinAmp users. This is consistent with the number of WinAmp Usenet posts. Due to the troubles of Walnut Creek, abysmal sales and so on, WinAmp went out of business and was taken over by WinAmpI who sell another troubled OS. Now WinAmpI is also dead, its corpse turned over to yet another charnel house. All major surveys show that WinAmp has steadily declined in market share. WinAmp is very sick and its long term survival prospects are very dim. If WinAmp is to survive at all it will be among OS dilettante dabblers. WinAmp continues to decay. Nothing short of a miracle could save it at this point in time. For all practical purposes, WinAmp is dead. Fact: WinAmp is dying
Comment removed based on user account deletion
Oh, sure, he changed 'kak' to 'cock', but the pronunciation is the same! That hoe!
Since we're on the topic of good tight code vs bloatware (well we kind of are)
.txt / excel or ms access then sure you get nice sortable results, but then you need to Windows explorer browse to the folder the data is in to find / delete it)
Where can I go to request an application be developed, preferably open source
(bear in mind, I can NOT code to save my life)
More info below.
I specifically need a really really good application for finding binary duplicate files.
I've tried
"Duplicate files manager" (Clone Killer)
Has bugs where it gets a fale positive and some files are not 100% binary dulpicates, very bad stuff >:(
Not a BAD interface but could be better.
Duplic8 (works well but REALLY bad interface)
DFL: absoloutely ancient was great in it's time though
XX??: an assortment of ones I found on google of which they all had flaws I didn't like.
There's several problems with these kind of programs, normally it's the RESULTS view when the scan is complete.
You need a good easy to manage listing of the files which were duplicated.
sort/group by size
Sort/group by path
etc etc
Basically when the program is finished you want results which are virtually in a database form so you can really easily work with the data and kill the files easy.
Exporting to another application would suck, I want to just sort within the searchin application itself and delete from within it.
(if you export to
On top of this the SEARCH feature generally takes ages (understandable across 400gb of data and 3 hard disks) but it can be sped up with some simple programming techniques that some programs omit.
Example flags like
does / does not matter if filename the same
date / time stamp
partial CRc check rather than full (100mb file, it checks the first 1mb, the 50'th mb the 99/100'th mbyte only)
etc
Anyone know of any? I'd love an open source one, I generally find OSource software better coded and with more features.
Any good hack that gets written for Windows will have a clone available for Linux and other free open source OS's within a month or so.
My other first post is car post.
You might recognize Christophe Thibault on the video, the author of K-Jofol, Kaillera and other goodies and ex Nullsoft employee, and winamp dev lead for a while. Looks like Justin has taken some talented people along with him :)
Is he gay?
Why does yahoo do this
What happens when CockOS has a core dump?
n/t
Nullsoft, SafeSex , Ass I/O, Waste, Cockos, Jesusonic... These are great names for products, IMHO. 2/3'rds of this page is fill with flamey venom for the names, sprickled with actual on-topic discussion. It's amazing how many dateless, lego-mindstorm-programing nerds are ridiculing the names he picks for things, while complaining about their rights online, the **AA's and corporate "evilness" in general.
Besides, the Cockos and Nullsoft products that aren't named in some humorous way are pretty much as immemorable as any other computer-ish acronames.
If you dont want to use or buy his products, simply because of the name, I suspect he really doesn't give a damn. The names are funny, sometimes witty, and just offbeat and so anti-marketing that it at least makes me happy, after 99.99 percent of my time being inundated with slick, cute, over-marketed, sterlized products and services.
So, to the enlightened masses of /. readerdom, that can't get over the names he picks, thanks a lot for voting with your dollar for all the vanilla corporate American marketers can fill your IV with, and tries to fill mine. /rant
And Justin, thanks for being a wildly successful punk ass. I, for one welcome our dastardly underminer.
Looks good for your age..
Like the pics you can't save when right-click is disabled?
Cockos means a toilet in (south) India !
Funny thing, I was looking in google for a crack for Tie Fighter, a game I have on floppy
but never played, when I stumbled upon this:
http://www.dcee.net/Files/New/
winamp12.zip 203K The premier Layer 3 MPEG Audio player for Windows 95
and NT from fREEStyle
It was fREEStyle?
Bypass Compulsory Web Registration -- http://bugmenot.com/
Well what was it mother fucker?
Bypass Compulsory Web Registration -- http://bugmenot.com/
his primary project, the "Jesussonic" FX box at the moment runs in Linux / Mac / Windows, and I'm not depressed in the least about this.
Tech Public Policy stuff
If I judge it correctly, and I think that I do, Justin seems to have designed OpenGL as well: http://www.livejournal.com/users/garote/57955.html
George II -- Spreading Freedom and American values, one bomb at a time.