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Justin Frankel Reveals Life After Winamp

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the sitting-on-his-pile-of-cash dept.

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."

7 of 247 comments (clear)

  1. Huh? by blackmonday · · Score: 3, Interesting

    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.

  2. Interesting by albn · · Score: 5, Interesting

    ...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
  3. Pathsync by tayhimself · · Score: 3, Interesting

    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!

  4. I'm suprised he's a windows geek by digitalgimpus · · Score: 3, Interesting

    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.

    1. Re:I'm suprised he's a windows geek by jarsonic · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Actually, as someone who knows Justin as at least an aquaintance, He dabbles with linux a bit, and really loves his Macs (he has a powerbook and a G4 Cube). He's ported winamp to mac for his own personal use (and to see if he could), and he's releasing jesusonic for mac, as well.

    2. Re:I'm suprised he's a windows geek by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting
      Um, actually he ported macamp to windows in 1997, worked out pretty well for him too.

      Not so good for the author of macamp though.

      read this:

      http://www.betanews.com/article/Death_Knell_Sounds _for_Nullsoft_Winamp/1100111204/

      Specifically the comment near the bottom by Dmitry Boldyrev, it's a much more interesting story than this bit of fluff that somehow warranted a /. story.

      I gather he's stretching/breaking the bounds of some legal agreement but it sure sounds like (he feels that) people he thought were his friends screwed him out of millions and he kind of went off the deep end.

      an excerpt:

      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 always admired this guy, his software at least, although a lot of it was ports (like the original Mac/WinAmp), I hope he's got it in him to get back to work.

      I'd really like to see some journalist interview the two of them and tell the rest of the tale. At least since the gnutella/aol stuff happened everyone prefers the rebel whiz kid angle on Frankel, but I don't think that's the whole story.
  5. Re:p2p app by marktaw.com · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I love Waste too. Though, I disagree with the /. idea that this was a subtle reference, he flat out told us he was going to release something that would revolutionize the internet.

    If I had to guess, it would be a completely decentralized P2P app. A cross between Gnutella & BitTorrent, perhaps with some proxying for anonymity added on top. Proxying will slow you down, but confound the **AA, which he seems to love doing. If you could turn the proxying on & off, you could get a fast _and_ anonymous service. Fast for people who just want to download, anon for people who feel they need it.

    Waste had a lot of protocols that would be useful for proxying, file transfer, etc. He should be able to build something like what I described on top of that.