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Opensource Apple Lossless Decoder Released
Cody Brocious writes "David Hammerton has released version 1.0 of an ALAC decoder. This allows users of operating systems not supported by iTunes/QuickTime to listen to their Apple Lossless files, a proprietary competitor to FLAC. This is a large leap forward in audio codec interoperability, and paves the way for an ALAC encoder." The site also asks for additional help on the project.
One new iTunes feature that slipped by me was the new 'Apple Lossless Encoder'. Unlike music formats like MP3, AAC and Ogg Vorbis, lossless encoding results in no loss of quality - the music file sounds exactly like the original. The downside to this is that files compressed using lossless compression are typically quite a bit larger than their lossy counterparts. Now with this we can see great applications playing high quality audio. Thanks steve!! ---------Googel new feature: WEATHER, Read it on virtualkarma-------
fuvoo: watch something
"One of their own?" Nick Ciarelli is a 19-year-old college kid. He's so completely not "one of their own." Though his lawyer, and a few well-meaning but misguided souls, are trying to make the argument that he is, asserting that just because he has a Web site, it's suddenly a big-J Journalist. Fortunately nobody's buying.
There are zero legitimate reasons to want to intercept data bound for an AirPort Express, and plenty of illegal reasons.
You're investing a huge amount of time and brain power trying to do something that can only help people who want to steal music.
No, that's not a legitimate reason to want to break the encryption. What you want to do is expressly prohibited by Apple's iTunes license. Besides, there are already other good solutions to your problem, like simply putting the music files you want to listen to on your "media server."
"Because I feel like it" is not a sufficient reason to give pirates a tool for stealing music.
I don't get the non sequitur, but I can tell you that the knife analogy is massively, massively stupid. You do see why, don't you? For Christ's sake, tell me that you see why.
" Because Apple is the New Microsoft. They use courts to squelch free speech rights of those who would impart Apple trade secrets to the public; they legally commit restraint of trade by mixing proprietary hardware with proprietary software so competitors can't break into their non-monopoly markets with alternative products; and they don't give all their code away for free, but instead select to give away or hold secret that which maximizes profit for their shareholders. Evil bastards! *cough!* --M"
Nice spin. Substitute MS for Apple in your post and everyone and everyone would say you were spreading FUD.Remeber when Apple sued the creator of playfair? This guy is next. Apple has always been just like MS. I'm surprised it took people this long to notice. Remember when they put all the clone makers out of business? They refuse to port their OS to x86 because they're using their software to sell their proprietary hardware solution. Try reverse engieering their BIOS to make a clone and they'll sue you into oblivion. Lucky for the rest of us non-MAC users, Compaq was successful at reverse engineering IBM's BIOS
Vote for Pedro
I think you meant "apt," not "adept." To be adept means to be proficient at something.
...none. It's possible that some people might be able to use iTunes in a way that it's not designed to be used and that Apple prohibits through its license, but they shouldn't be doing those things anyway, so that doesn't count. What else is there? Just for the hell of it, as another commenter suggested? No, clearly that's not a reason either.
And you were wrong anyway. No, the analogy is not apt, because a knife has many non-trivial uses. Breaking the encryption that makes AirPort Express work would have no non-trivial uses that didn't relate directly to stealing music.
We have to weigh. We have to weigh the potential good that can come of breaking the encryption against the potential ill. What good can come of it? Um
On the flip side, we have the obvious and vast harm that will come from the theft of music. Apple, being dedicated to keeping its customers honest, will have no choice but to dedicate resources to changing the encryption scheme to prevent further abuses, which will cost them money. What's more, it may end up doing them significant harm in their negotiations with record labels, movie studios and TV production companies for the licensing of digital content. Net result? Apple's success as a company is hindered, which is bad because Apple gives us wonderful things. But even more than that, the trouble for the company will be reflected in the company's earnings, which will negatively impact the stock price, which will literally take money out of the pocket of every Apple shareholder. Think you're not an Apple shareholder? Better guess again. If you have a 401K or a money-market account or an IRA, you're indirectly an Apple shareholder. So the money comes out of your own pocket.
Now, finally, do you understand why your knife analogy is the acme of stupidity? It's recklessly inapt. I hope to God that you understand this.