I can just hear the Warez groups wetting their lips for this little baby. It'd better have amazing security features in it.
Why? This is for the DC, not your PC. What will the warez groups be able to do to/with it? If you mean somehow extracting the roms for use on the PC, aren't there already dozens of sites with all the roms you could ever want?
I think it's more likely that Bleem are doing a DC emulator of their own, a la Bleem PSX.
I doubt this. It takes a minimum p2 233 w/ mmx to run Bleem PSX. This is to emulate a console that runs on a 33 mhz processor with what, 4 mb of ram? The DC has a 200 mhz processor as well as a 3d chip, and it has much more ram than the psx. Even if team Bleem had managed to make an emu for the DC this quickly (and remeber, the DC is a more complicated system in many ways... modem, vmus etc...) there is only an install base of 2 million or so users compared to the PSX's 70 million+. Why bother making a new product to emulate the DC? Especially if only the highest end PCs could run it? It make more sense they would simply port their existing product over. Especially since this would probably severely piss off their nemesis, Sony. Backwards-compatibilty is a big deal for Sony, and it would hurt them a little, just in terms of PR, if the DC was the first console to be backwards compatible with the PSX.
Personally, I think it would be cool if Bleem came out for the DC. I don't think it'll hurt ps2 sales much, though...
You missunderstand me. If I own a CD it is fair use to mpeg a track for my own personal enyoyment, but it must also be fair use to download it from the net since the outcome is the same: I end up with a copy of music I have bougth.
You misunderstand me. The law says that's NOT fair use. You cannot download a mp3 of a song legally if the band hasn't authorized it, even if you own the song on cd. It is legal for you to make a backup, not download someone elses. The same outcome, yes, but different means of acquisition and the DMCA (and possibly other laws) makes this type of acquistion illegal, even if you own your own copy. That is the law as I understand it. I'm not saying I agree with it, or that it's enforcable, just that that is what it says.
Great, so now they're blocking legit Metallica MP3 trials. (must be deleted after 24 hours)
That's a myth. You are not allowed to download something illegal as long as you delete it. Its no more true than the drug dealer myth "If you ask a cop if he's a cop, he can't lie." The DMCA, along with other laws, probably, says that it's illegal to download a digital copy of a file in a way that it was not intended to be distributed. This includes if you own the original version.
not saying I agree or disagree with the laws... just pointing it out.
If i own a CD and get a mpeg copy of a song on that CD from napster or whatever it would be fair use. It's just as if I would get a tape from a friend with a recording of the CD
Hate to break it to you, but neither of those things are legal. If you own a cd you are allowed to make a copy for yourself, not give to anyone else, whether it is a MP3 copy or a tape copy.
The reason no one really cares much about people making tapes for friends is a: tapes break, b: tapes sound crappy and c: if you make a tape of a tape it sounds even worse. Still, I remeber when some company started billing their blank tapes as the best for copying cds, the RIAA tried to (and might have actually) sue them. This would have been in the early nineties. Anyone remeber more about this? Also, I believe the RIAA is trying to get a percentage off of every blank CD-R sold.
And given that the creators of Napster have technically broken the law, they are being generous by merely asking them to block the users which have committed theft against Metallica.
Actually, technically, at this point, it's unknown whether or not the creators of Napster have broken the law. It has not yet been decided in court whether or not they have the same protections as an ISP as a service (not content) provider. Once this is settled, then you can say whether or not, technically, they are law-breakers.
This doesn't extend to the users who trade commercial MP3s... They are lawbreakers, sure. But the MP3 piracy will not stop until the record industry creates a new way to distribute their music that the mp3-lovin' kids can handle... Or at least cut prices. I mean, in the genre of music that I like, the bands sell CDs for $5-$6 and still make money! They can do that even though they are pressing many less copies than the major labels, so their individual costs are more. People have come to realize they are getting ripped off- especially if they are forced to buy a $17 album for just one song.
Those same people who would buy that song for $1.50 online are the ones on napster. It's not like its not proven that people will pay money for single songs... Look at the "Box". It's a cable channel, like MTV, except that you request videos... and they cost a couple of bucks to play. If something like that is successful, then sure a pay-per-song digital music solution would be? I mean, if you really can't get "the Thong Song" out of your head, whats $1.50?
And, speaking personally, since the music I look for is really obscure stuff by artists who support mp3, I'd love for all the commercial-Mp3 traders to be off Napster... Maybe that way I wouldn't have to hop from server to server looking for the one person on each who shares my taste.
If a company were to design a cheap, hackable device that could be adapted to use by home hobbyists, they would have trouble convincing anyone that they would ever sell more than a few thousand units. With no sustainable revenue source and only small unit sales, there would never be a business case to go into something like this.
Um, hello? They don't have to design it.. it already exists. Both the Websurfer and the i-Opener (and a dozen other web appliances, I'm sure) already fit the bill. All they have to do is sell the same machine with two contracts: one for $50-$100, but with a 2 year internet contract and one for $200-$300, with no contract at all. They just have to sell the machines they _already_ have, with no modifications. This would get them in good graces with the geek crowd as well as being a alternate revenue stream. It would also probably result in some free R & D and beta testing for them.
1999?!? MP3's were huge on irc, not to mention the sites oth.net, allmp3.com, etc. that were established WAY before 1999. Winamp has been out for what, over 5 years? How can you possibly say it was 'obscure' before then?
If you are saying that MP3s were ubiquitous because they were "huge on irc" then you need to get out more. If something is discussed or traded mainly on irc, then it is most definitely obscure. How many people use irc? 1 in 1000? Less, probably?
The fact is: a year ago, when I talk to my non-geek friends they were talking about buying minidisc players (so they could listen to their vinyl record collection while driving, ect.). I mentioned they should get Mp3 players instead. They had no idea what I was talking about, and expressed disbelief of the whole concept. Cut to a year later and MP3 is front page news and everyone knows about them. The same kids have mp3 players, have set up their computers to connect to their record players... And as I said, these are not computer-savvy kids. It's definitely big time now, much more so than a year ago.
Why is it every day I either read an article promoting Linux or the theft of intellectual property?
Excuse me? A site posting lyrics to pop songs is piracy? For God's sakes, that's crazy. What harm comes to the artist, or even the record company, if some kid discovers that- OH GOSH! He really does say "you can take that cookie and stick it up your ass!" in that Limp Biskit song? What effect does this have on anybody? Who cares?
I'd say this wasn't newsworthy, except that it is good to know corporate America perceives this as a threat. What's next? Will movie quote sites be illegal? How about sites that give sports statistics?
It seems to be that the only way you could find somebody guilty of stealing intellectual property by using lyrics is if they use them in a song... These sites exist because fans want to read the lyrics, see what the bands are saying. It seems like the artists should appreciate and encourage that, not stomp it out.
The fact of the matter is, you either believe that anyone who is a criminal should be allowed to make money off of their crimes, or you are a hypocrite. So what is it?
Why am I a hypocrite if don't believe that?
I don't think criminals should be lauded, but I think this smacks of the gov trying to keep Mitnick quiet. I could see them telling Mitnick he could not accept pay for his lectures, but from the article, it seems like they have told him he can not lecture, or write about technology-related issues. I wonder if his case counts as a technology-related issue.
from the article: Mitnick, 36, said he has been trying to educate others about protecting themselves against cyberspace intrusions.
"This is good for the public and good for me because I feel productive," Mitnick said. "I recognize the errors of my past and I want to be productive."
I don't think having a famous and skilled computer criminal talking to computer security experts is a bad thing... Just as I wouldn't feel bad about a famous and skilled jewel thief explaining to museum security administrators how he stole jewels.
Not to be overly rude or anything, but he should've thought about that consequence before he did his cracking et al. If i were a truck driver, and i abused my "privilege" of driving the rig (for instance, by driving through/over cars in a traffic jam, by driving into buildings, cool things like that), then i shouldn't be able to drive a truck for a LONG time.
There is a big difference between not being allowed to drive a truck and not being allowed to talk about trucks.
No one, I repeat, NO ONE, is FORCING you to buy any album multiple times. YOU do it because YOU want to.
Hmm. Let's see. I have a sizable 8 track collection. My 8 track player/record player combo breaks. I cannot be without the lovely sounds of Foghat and the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, so I go to Circuit City. WHAT! No 8 track players? Well, how about a record player then, so at least I can listen to my CCR. WHAT! No record players?
Seriously, it's almost getting hard to find a cassette tape player these days, unless its part of a jambox stereo. It's true that no one makes people buy multiple copies of music, but it's certainly make it hard not to, if you have been listening to music for a long while.
Digital media might spell the end of that... It'll would be nice, when cd's go out of style, to be able to put them on my mp3/digital music player along with all my records and not be forced to buy the next wave of physical media music.
That's really the record industry's problem. For the first time, the people have chosen a medium they want their music in, as opposed to having been presented with one, then forced to switch to it. They need to create a system thats workable, where people can get what they want the way they want it, for a reasonable price. Then Napster and mp3 "piracy" will be a thing of 1337 chat rooms and warez sites. Of course, such a plan would cut into their profits, since you wounldn't be forced to buy a album of filler for just one song, nor would they be able to charge as much for packaged cds. So it'll probably never happen
I'm sorry, but families with three kids and income of less than $20k don't have dsl or cablemodems. But, I bet they will have PS2s... Many of them will, at least. The modem is a way to lure families who can't afford computers or DSL/cable onto their ISP.
This isn't supposed to connect you to the internet.
Yes it is.
I'd be suprised if it even had a web browser.
They've already said there will be a browser for the PS2.
The modem is there to set up up for multiplayer games and the hard drive is there to more effectively store saved games. Previously, storing data onto those memory chips would have been difficult to work around- you'ld only be granted a very small amount of space.
I doubt the HD will be used for save games, at least at first... The way memory cards are set up is very specific. They are not HDs. Since this is a new addition, the development teams making the games will have set up their games to use the (very different) memory card ports for save games. So the first gen of games will most likely not use the hard drive at all. The only exception to this is if Sony hacks it to where the PS2 thinks that the hard drive is a big Memory Card... Of course, all this leaves the system open to plenty more bugs.
Another reason not to use the HD for save games: kids like to take their memory cards around. Also, x-box will be using cards for save games as well. The best reason (for Sony) is that if you let people save to the HD, they won'y buy memory cards.
Why the !@#$ would a console need a HD. What are they thinking? Sony's already gone too far by including Firewire and other bs. It's a console, I want to play games on it. Nothing Else! Let's get a slimlined product without all this excise.
Sony included Firewire (or, as they call it, iLink) because they are trying to create a synergy between all theri products. Most of Sony's hardware now comes with iLink... It will allow your PS2 to hook up to your Sony Receiver and automatically adjust the surround sound to be perfect for a given game or DVD... Admittedly, most people have no use for this, but Sony is putting iLink in everything now. I'm suprised they didn't use memory sticks for the memory cards of this thing.
The only thing the Dreamcast had going for it was its modem, but with the PS2 now having a modem, apparently, you can expect Dreamcast sales to lag off.
Hmm. A bit maybe, but not much, unless the PS2 debuts at much less than $300- which is doubtful. The DC is going to be free with an internet sign-up, or, I'm willing to bet, dropped down to $150 or less when the PS2 hits. That's a very good price point for holiday sales. Especially considering Sega will have:
a)Second and Third gen games that look as good or better as the PS2's first gen. (Note: this is not an exagerration- the PS2 editor of DailyRadar admits that the DC Dead or Alive 2 looks better than the PS2 version).
b)Online games. It will take Sony six months post launch to come out with any real online gaming, unless they've been planning this all along (I which case, I tip my hat to them).
Sega will occupy the same sector the Genesis did post Super Nintendo... Not as good a machine, but a lot cheaper, many people had them and they still sold lots of games. They are in a great position now, compared with a few years ago. The DC has sold in a year, what, four times what the Saturn did in it's whole lifespan? If they can just sell another million or two this year, they will be sitting pretty. Of course they won't out sell the PS2. But the console market is so big now, you don't have to be #1. You can be #2 or #3 and be quite happy with your user base of 6 million and average game sales of a million or so. I mean, look at the PC market. Few games ever sell a million and developers do fine. True, consoles have licensing fees, but I imagine the DC fees are or will be less than the PS2.
The future: I expect (and have heard rumors to this extent) that Sega will use the capitol they glean from the DC to launch the DC2 (expect a different name, though) which will play DC games, much like PS2 plays PSX games.
Imagine this coming out the year after Dolphin, with PS3 a year behind that... It's not hard to imagine, is it? As process speeds ramp up and so does the power of 3D chips, the lifetime of consoles will shrink and shrink.
Contrary to some of the hype surrounding the PS2 ("it's going to be the VCR of consoles", "the last console you ever have to buy"), the console wars will continue until one is able to render 3D graphics in real time that are indistinguishable from reality, or at least a big budget Hollywood movie. (Think a playable Matrix)
I've had a different multiplayer experience. The first true multiplayer computer game I ever played was Quake... loved it as a single player game then I played on the internet and was killed constantly. Then I discovered an internet cafe in my town that had weekly tournaments, which I frequented regularly... Just a fun thing to do on a Saturday afternoon. Slowly I got better.
About the same time, my friends and I discovered to joys of Red Alert and Warcraft II on a Lan. Thus far, I had found multiplayer gaming, LAN-style to be awesome and internet to be lacking.
After this, I became a Quake II fanatic, writing console scripts for myself and others, making skins and levels, etc... I found playing Quake online to be fun... Not a replacement for the single player game, however- I don't like this multi-player only trend... It's fun, to log on, play for like half an hour, kill a bit, get killed, whatever. And since it's a FPS you don't get all the disadvantages that RTS games have in online play (I'm getting to that).
RTS games, in my experience are something you play with friends. I've played Starcraft extensively with friends and kids I've taught at a computer camp and am pretty god at it. I love to play, but online... There are just too many groups of people who form a game just to stomp on the one or two guys in the game they don't know.
I think a console online multiplay option would be good for many games... Imagine being able to fight a REAL, single elimination tournament in a fighting game. I mean, most fighting games already have very little single-player content, so they'd be perfect for this. There could be a tournament running constantly. The winners would get their names up on the game's web site for a week or something... Or maybe every month, the person who wins the most tournaments wins a tshirt or other prize. The money lost on prizes and keeping the server running would be offset by the fact that the company would be developing a community of fans for _it's_ brand of fighting game...
I think online play will be good for the consoles, not replacing the single player mode, but simply adding a new mode...
I predict this backfiring on Sony. After all, one of the advantages of launching their hardware in Japan first is the ability to fix all the problems before the larger US release (From what I've heard, there are so many video game fanatics over there, they will buy systems even though they know there will be bugs). But since they are adding new hardware to the US version, with only a few months to test it, I would expect a whole new parcel of bugs to creep in.
So, how will this affect the first few generations of games? I doubt the developers knew about this.. does this mean these features won't be used much, at first at least? Will this be like the 3d chip Sega added to the Saturn at the last minute? Hmmm.
Most likely, they'll get in the same DVD playback woes they got into in Japan... except now the problem will be the hard drive. I'm sure plenty of other things wil go wrong as well. One good point- the US PS2 is now officially the first truly hackable console. And it's cool we finally get gaming hardware before Japan does... A rarity.
Oh well, I'll probably still buy one... They just look so cool.
My friend is making a feature film. To edit we're using a G4. I'd recommend a G4 500 with as much ram as you can afford (no less than 128), a very large monitor, and (the key) firewire hard drives. You can hook up 20-30gb firewire hard drives as you need them... and they are blazingly fast. They are more than handling our needs. Just add more whenever you get low on space. Also, if you use a firewire DVcam, it makes capturing your video a snap. You can control all functions of the camera from the G4... It's a great setup, and not all that expensive.
As a editing program, we use Final Cut Pro... It blows away Adobe Premiere. If I were to set up an editing station with my $$$, I'd go Mac. That's about the only thing I would use a Mac for, I'm not an Apple person. But for this, even I'd go Apple.
I don't know about anywhere else, but in the US, there are no sales taxes on mail ordered goods, as long as you are buying them from another state (many states encourage you to pay sales tax on your mail ordered goods, but few people do). Why should ordering over the internet be any different?
After all, it's not like no taxes are paid on these goods, as many seem to think. If you are a business, you have to pay tax to your state, the Feds and maybe even your city and county, depending where you live.
What's not being paid is the sames sales taxes consumers don't pay on mail ordered goods. I think the move towards net taxes sucks, because it will most likely mean that soon sales tax will become required on mail or phone ordered goods as well. Why? Because if the net tax laws come into effect, and mail/phone ordering is not covered, then many web sites will have a "or call our 800 number to avoid paying tax" option. I'm sure they proponents of these taxes have taken this into account, and I'm also sure they are the same people who want those purchases to have sales tax as well. This is a BAD thing.
If our economy is the best it's ever been, why do we need more taxes? Less taxes should be the answer.
the Genica Portable MP3/Audio CD Player. It costs $99. Buy it here. It doesn't go on sale for a few days, however.
Here you can find Voquette's Netlink for MD players... It may only work with these sharp model, but I'm unsure. The original review I read makes it sound that way but the Voquette site makes it sound like any MD can use the netlink. Amusingly enough they also make a MP3 player that will work with any cassette walkman, and even record MP3s to a walkman, if it has a record function.
There is the $179 MAMBOx. I don't think it's out yet, however, it looks cool.
There are more of these out there... These are just some of the ones that spring to mind, and all portable. I love my Apex, though... $160 and it plays any disc I own... MP3, DVD, CD, VCD... I use portable music so little that my Rio is fine for my purposes...
Josh Sisk
Re:Of COURSE it would work out this way...
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Sega Dreamcast: $0
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But if I want to buy something cool, I get accosted for a contract to an online service that I'll never use.
The press release makes it clear that you can still buy one for cash with no service plan.
At least the X-box has *Ethernet* -- come on, Sega...
Sega is releasing an ethernet adaptor in a few months... A year before the x-box comes out (if it comes out on time) and supposedly priced under $30. I personally hope they'll do an exchange... Let you trade in your DC Modem for the ethernet adaptor. I also hope that DC games in the future will support LAN play.
Hmm, I really don't think it even costs them that much. The average cost in the stores is what? $200? I would suspect that the stores bought it for around $140 - $150, the distributor paid around $90 - $100, and that would lead me to believe that the hardware only costs Sega around $50.
The average console is a loss leader, that is, the company that makes it loses money on each one sold, to be recouped later by games sales.
I've been watching dvds in linux with my dxr2 decoder card for a long time now.
This isn't a linux-dvd player. It's a hardware player that works with linux. A true linux dvd player would be a solution that works no matter what model dvd player you use. Also, the new models in this line do CSS in software- which means to get the dx2, you have to find one... And they probably won't be around for too much longer...
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I can just hear the Warez groups wetting their lips for this little baby. It'd better have amazing security features in it.
Why? This is for the DC, not your PC. What will the warez groups be able to do to/with it? If you mean somehow extracting the roms for use on the PC, aren't there already dozens of sites with all the roms you could ever want?
Josh Sisk
I think it's more likely that Bleem are doing a DC emulator of their own, a la Bleem PSX.
I doubt this. It takes a minimum p2 233 w/ mmx to run Bleem PSX. This is to emulate a console that runs on a 33 mhz processor with what, 4 mb of ram? The DC has a 200 mhz processor as well as a 3d chip, and it has much more ram than the psx. Even if team Bleem had managed to make an emu for the DC this quickly (and remeber, the DC is a more complicated system in many ways... modem, vmus etc...) there is only an install base of 2 million or so users compared to the PSX's 70 million+. Why bother making a new product to emulate the DC? Especially if only the highest end PCs could run it? It make more sense they would simply port their existing product over. Especially since this would probably severely piss off their nemesis, Sony. Backwards-compatibilty is a big deal for Sony, and it would hurt them a little, just in terms of PR, if the DC was the first console to be backwards compatible with the PSX.
Personally, I think it would be cool if Bleem came out for the DC. I don't think it'll hurt ps2 sales much, though...
Josh Sisk
You missunderstand me. If I own a CD it is fair use to mpeg a track for my own personal enyoyment, but it must also be fair use to download it from the net since the outcome is the same: I end up with a copy of music I have bougth.
You misunderstand me. The law says that's NOT fair use. You cannot download a mp3 of a song legally if the band hasn't authorized it, even if you own the song on cd. It is legal for you to make a backup, not download someone elses. The same outcome, yes, but different means of acquisition and the DMCA (and possibly other laws) makes this type of acquistion illegal, even if you own your own copy. That is the law as I understand it. I'm not saying I agree with it, or that it's enforcable, just that that is what it says.
Josh Sisk
Great, so now they're blocking legit Metallica MP3 trials. (must be deleted after 24 hours)
That's a myth. You are not allowed to download something illegal as long as you delete it. Its no more true than the drug dealer myth "If you ask a cop if he's a cop, he can't lie." The DMCA, along with other laws, probably, says that it's illegal to download a digital copy of a file in a way that it was not intended to be distributed. This includes if you own the original version.
not saying I agree or disagree with the laws... just pointing it out.
josh sisk
If i own a CD and get a mpeg copy of a song on that CD from napster or whatever it would be fair use. It's just as if I would get a tape from a friend with a recording of the CD
Hate to break it to you, but neither of those things are legal. If you own a cd you are allowed to make a copy for yourself, not give to anyone else, whether it is a MP3 copy or a tape copy.
The reason no one really cares much about people making tapes for friends is a: tapes break, b: tapes sound crappy and c: if you make a tape of a tape it sounds even worse. Still, I remeber when some company started billing their blank tapes as the best for copying cds, the RIAA tried to (and might have actually) sue them. This would have been in the early nineties. Anyone remeber more about this? Also, I believe the RIAA is trying to get a percentage off of every blank CD-R sold.
Josh Sisk
If they really found over 300thousand people on Napster (which is ridiculous, there are only a few thousand people there
Did you know there are more than one Napster server? When you login, you are routed to one of many, I imagine by ping time or geographic location.
Josh Sisk
And given that the creators of Napster have technically broken the law, they are being generous by merely asking them to block the users which have committed theft against Metallica.
Actually, technically, at this point, it's unknown whether or not the creators of Napster have broken the law. It has not yet been decided in court whether or not they have the same protections as an ISP as a service (not content) provider. Once this is settled, then you can say whether or not, technically, they are law-breakers.
This doesn't extend to the users who trade commercial MP3s... They are lawbreakers, sure. But the MP3 piracy will not stop until the record industry creates a new way to distribute their music that the mp3-lovin' kids can handle... Or at least cut prices. I mean, in the genre of music that I like, the bands sell CDs for $5-$6 and still make money! They can do that even though they are pressing many less copies than the major labels, so their individual costs are more. People have come to realize they are getting ripped off- especially if they are forced to buy a $17 album for just one song.
Those same people who would buy that song for $1.50 online are the ones on napster. It's not like its not proven that people will pay money for single songs... Look at the "Box". It's a cable channel, like MTV, except that you request videos... and they cost a couple of bucks to play. If something like that is successful, then sure a pay-per-song digital music solution would be? I mean, if you really can't get "the Thong Song" out of your head, whats $1.50?
And, speaking personally, since the music I look for is really obscure stuff by artists who support mp3, I'd love for all the commercial-Mp3 traders to be off Napster... Maybe that way I wouldn't have to hop from server to server looking for the one person on each who shares my taste.
Josh Sisk
If a company were to design a cheap, hackable device that could be adapted to use by home hobbyists, they would have trouble convincing anyone that they would ever sell more than a few thousand units. With no sustainable revenue source and only small unit sales, there would never be a business case to go into something like this.
Um, hello? They don't have to design it.. it already exists. Both the Websurfer and the i-Opener (and a dozen other web appliances, I'm sure) already fit the bill. All they have to do is sell the same machine with two contracts: one for $50-$100, but with a 2 year internet contract and one for $200-$300, with no contract at all. They just have to sell the machines they _already_ have, with no modifications. This would get them in good graces with the geek crowd as well as being a alternate revenue stream. It would also probably result in some free R & D and beta testing for them.
josh sisk
1999?!? MP3's were huge on irc, not to mention the sites oth.net, allmp3.com, etc. that were established WAY before 1999. Winamp has been out for what, over 5 years? How can you possibly say it was 'obscure' before then?
If you are saying that MP3s were ubiquitous because they were "huge on irc" then you need to get out more. If something is discussed or traded mainly on irc, then it is most definitely obscure. How many people use irc? 1 in 1000? Less, probably?
The fact is: a year ago, when I talk to my non-geek friends they were talking about buying minidisc players (so they could listen to their vinyl record collection while driving, ect.). I mentioned they should get Mp3 players instead. They had no idea what I was talking about, and expressed disbelief of the whole concept. Cut to a year later and MP3 is front page news and everyone knows about them. The same kids have mp3 players, have set up their computers to connect to their record players... And as I said, these are not computer-savvy kids. It's definitely big time now, much more so than a year ago.
Josh Sisk
Why is it every day I either read an article promoting Linux or the theft of intellectual property?
Excuse me? A site posting lyrics to pop songs is piracy? For God's sakes, that's crazy. What harm comes to the artist, or even the record company, if some kid discovers that- OH GOSH! He really does say "you can take that cookie and stick it up your ass!" in that Limp Biskit song? What effect does this have on anybody? Who cares?
I'd say this wasn't newsworthy, except that it is good to know corporate America perceives this as a threat. What's next? Will movie quote sites be illegal? How about sites that give sports statistics?
It seems to be that the only way you could find somebody guilty of stealing intellectual property by using lyrics is if they use them in a song... These sites exist because fans want to read the lyrics, see what the bands are saying. It seems like the artists should appreciate and encourage that, not stomp it out.
josh sisk
The fact of the matter is, you either believe that anyone who is a criminal should be allowed to make money off of their crimes, or you are a hypocrite. So what is it?
Why am I a hypocrite if don't believe that?
I don't think criminals should be lauded, but I think this smacks of the gov trying to keep Mitnick quiet. I could see them telling Mitnick he could not accept pay for his lectures, but from the article, it seems like they have told him he can not lecture, or write about technology-related issues. I wonder if his case counts as a technology-related issue.
from the article: Mitnick, 36, said he has been trying to educate others about protecting themselves against cyberspace intrusions.
"This is good for the public and good for me because I feel productive," Mitnick said. "I recognize the errors of my past and I want to be productive."
I don't think having a famous and skilled computer criminal talking to computer security experts is a bad thing... Just as I wouldn't feel bad about a famous and skilled jewel thief explaining to museum security administrators how he stole jewels.
Josh Sisk
Not to be overly rude or anything, but he should've thought about that consequence before he did his cracking et al. If i were a truck driver, and i abused my "privilege" of driving the rig (for instance, by driving through/over cars in a traffic jam, by driving into buildings, cool things like that), then i shouldn't be able to drive a truck for a LONG time.
There is a big difference between not being allowed to drive a truck and not being allowed to talk about trucks.
Josh Sisk
No one, I repeat, NO ONE, is FORCING you to buy any album multiple times. YOU do it because YOU want to.
Hmm. Let's see. I have a sizable 8 track collection. My 8 track player/record player combo breaks. I cannot be without the lovely sounds of Foghat and the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, so I go to Circuit City. WHAT! No 8 track players? Well, how about a record player then, so at least I can listen to my CCR. WHAT! No record players?
Seriously, it's almost getting hard to find a cassette tape player these days, unless its part of a jambox stereo. It's true that no one makes people buy multiple copies of music, but it's certainly make it hard not to, if you have been listening to music for a long while.
Digital media might spell the end of that... It'll would be nice, when cd's go out of style, to be able to put them on my mp3/digital music player along with all my records and not be forced to buy the next wave of physical media music.
That's really the record industry's problem. For the first time, the people have chosen a medium they want their music in, as opposed to having been presented with one, then forced to switch to it. They need to create a system thats workable, where people can get what they want the way they want it, for a reasonable price. Then Napster and mp3 "piracy" will be a thing of 1337 chat rooms and warez sites. Of course, such a plan would cut into their profits, since you wounldn't be forced to buy a album of filler for just one song, nor would they be able to charge as much for packaged cds. So it'll probably never happen
Josh Sisk
I'm sorry, but families with three kids and income of less than $20k don't have dsl or cablemodems. But, I bet they will have PS2s... Many of them will, at least. The modem is a way to lure families who can't afford computers or DSL/cable onto their ISP.
Josh Sisk
This isn't supposed to connect you to the internet.
Yes it is.
I'd be suprised if it even had a web browser.
They've already said there will be a browser for the PS2.
The modem is there to set up up for multiplayer games and the hard drive is there to more effectively store saved games. Previously, storing data onto those memory chips would have been difficult to work around- you'ld only be granted a very small amount of space.
I doubt the HD will be used for save games, at least at first... The way memory cards are set up is very specific. They are not HDs. Since this is a new addition, the development teams making the games will have set up their games to use the (very different) memory card ports for save games. So the first gen of games will most likely not use the hard drive at all. The only exception to this is if Sony hacks it to where the PS2 thinks that the hard drive is a big Memory Card... Of course, all this leaves the system open to plenty more bugs.
Another reason not to use the HD for save games: kids like to take their memory cards around. Also, x-box will be using cards for save games as well. The best reason (for Sony) is that if you let people save to the HD, they won'y buy memory cards.
Josh Sisk
Why the !@#$ would a console need a HD. What are they thinking? Sony's already gone too far by including Firewire and other bs. It's a console, I want to play games on it. Nothing Else! Let's get a slimlined product without all this excise.
Sony included Firewire (or, as they call it, iLink) because they are trying to create a synergy between all theri products. Most of Sony's hardware now comes with iLink... It will allow your PS2 to hook up to your Sony Receiver and automatically adjust the surround sound to be perfect for a given game or DVD... Admittedly, most people have no use for this, but Sony is putting iLink in everything now. I'm suprised they didn't use memory sticks for the memory cards of this thing.
Josh Sisk
The only thing the Dreamcast had going for it was its modem, but with the PS2 now having a modem, apparently, you can expect Dreamcast sales to lag off.
Hmm. A bit maybe, but not much, unless the PS2 debuts at much less than $300- which is doubtful. The DC is going to be free with an internet sign-up, or, I'm willing to bet, dropped down to $150 or less when the PS2 hits. That's a very good price point for holiday sales. Especially considering Sega will have:
a)Second and Third gen games that look as good or better as the PS2's first gen. (Note: this is not an exagerration- the PS2 editor of DailyRadar admits that the DC Dead or Alive 2 looks better than the PS2 version).
b)Online games. It will take Sony six months post launch to come out with any real online gaming, unless they've been planning this all along (I which case, I tip my hat to them).
Sega will occupy the same sector the Genesis did post Super Nintendo... Not as good a machine, but a lot cheaper, many people had them and they still sold lots of games. They are in a great position now, compared with a few years ago. The DC has sold in a year, what, four times what the Saturn did in it's whole lifespan? If they can just sell another million or two this year, they will be sitting pretty. Of course they won't out sell the PS2. But the console market is so big now, you don't have to be #1. You can be #2 or #3 and be quite happy with your user base of 6 million and average game sales of a million or so. I mean, look at the PC market. Few games ever sell a million and developers do fine. True, consoles have licensing fees, but I imagine the DC fees are or will be less than the PS2.
The future: I expect (and have heard rumors to this extent) that Sega will use the capitol they glean from the DC to launch the DC2 (expect a different name, though) which will play DC games, much like PS2 plays PSX games.
Imagine this coming out the year after Dolphin, with PS3 a year behind that... It's not hard to imagine, is it? As process speeds ramp up and so does the power of 3D chips, the lifetime of consoles will shrink and shrink.
Contrary to some of the hype surrounding the PS2 ("it's going to be the VCR of consoles", "the last console you ever have to buy"), the console wars will continue until one is able to render 3D graphics in real time that are indistinguishable from reality, or at least a big budget Hollywood movie. (Think a playable Matrix)
Josh Sisk
I've had a different multiplayer experience. The first true multiplayer computer game I ever played was Quake... loved it as a single player game then I played on the internet and was killed constantly. Then I discovered an internet cafe in my town that had weekly tournaments, which I frequented regularly... Just a fun thing to do on a Saturday afternoon. Slowly I got better.
About the same time, my friends and I discovered to joys of Red Alert and Warcraft II on a Lan. Thus far, I had found multiplayer gaming, LAN-style to be awesome and internet to be lacking.
After this, I became a Quake II fanatic, writing console scripts for myself and others, making skins and levels, etc... I found playing Quake online to be fun... Not a replacement for the single player game, however- I don't like this multi-player only trend... It's fun, to log on, play for like half an hour, kill a bit, get killed, whatever. And since it's a FPS you don't get all the disadvantages that RTS games have in online play (I'm getting to that).
RTS games, in my experience are something you play with friends. I've played Starcraft extensively with friends and kids I've taught at a computer camp and am pretty god at it. I love to play, but online... There are just too many groups of people who form a game just to stomp on the one or two guys in the game they don't know.
I think a console online multiplay option would be good for many games... Imagine being able to fight a REAL, single elimination tournament in a fighting game. I mean, most fighting games already have very little single-player content, so they'd be perfect for this. There could be a tournament running constantly. The winners would get their names up on the game's web site for a week or something... Or maybe every month, the person who wins the most tournaments wins a tshirt or other prize. The money lost on prizes and keeping the server running would be offset by the fact that the company would be developing a community of fans for _it's_ brand of fighting game...
I think online play will be good for the consoles, not replacing the single player mode, but simply adding a new mode...
Josh Sisk
I predict this backfiring on Sony. After all, one of the advantages of launching their hardware in Japan first is the ability to fix all the problems before the larger US release (From what I've heard, there are so many video game fanatics over there, they will buy systems even though they know there will be bugs). But since they are adding new hardware to the US version, with only a few months to test it, I would expect a whole new parcel of bugs to creep in.
So, how will this affect the first few generations of games? I doubt the developers knew about this.. does this mean these features won't be used much, at first at least? Will this be like the 3d chip Sega added to the Saturn at the last minute? Hmmm.
Most likely, they'll get in the same DVD playback woes they got into in Japan... except now the problem will be the hard drive. I'm sure plenty of other things wil go wrong as well. One good point- the US PS2 is now officially the first truly hackable console. And it's cool we finally get gaming hardware before Japan does... A rarity.
Oh well, I'll probably still buy one... They just look so cool.
Josh Sisk
My friend is making a feature film. To edit we're using a G4. I'd recommend a G4 500 with as much ram as you can afford (no less than 128), a very large monitor, and (the key) firewire hard drives. You can hook up 20-30gb firewire hard drives as you need them... and they are blazingly fast. They are more than handling our needs. Just add more whenever you get low on space. Also, if you use a firewire DVcam, it makes capturing your video a snap. You can control all functions of the camera from the G4... It's a great setup, and not all that expensive.
As a editing program, we use Final Cut Pro... It blows away Adobe Premiere. If I were to set up an editing station with my $$$, I'd go Mac. That's about the only thing I would use a Mac for, I'm not an Apple person. But for this, even I'd go Apple.
Josh Sisk
I don't know about anywhere else, but in the US, there are no sales taxes on mail ordered goods, as long as you are buying them from another state (many states encourage you to pay sales tax on your mail ordered goods, but few people do). Why should ordering over the internet be any different?
After all, it's not like no taxes are paid on these goods, as many seem to think. If you are a business, you have to pay tax to your state, the Feds and maybe even your city and county, depending where you live.
What's not being paid is the sames sales taxes consumers don't pay on mail ordered goods. I think the move towards net taxes sucks, because it will most likely mean that soon sales tax will become required on mail or phone ordered goods as well. Why? Because if the net tax laws come into effect, and mail/phone ordering is not covered, then many web sites will have a "or call our 800 number to avoid paying tax" option. I'm sure they proponents of these taxes have taken this into account, and I'm also sure they are the same people who want those purchases to have sales tax as well. This is a BAD thing.
If our economy is the best it's ever been, why do we need more taxes? Less taxes should be the answer.
Josh Sisk
the Genica Portable MP3/Audio CD Player. It costs $99. Buy it here. It doesn't go on sale for a few days, however.
Here you can find Voquette's Netlink for MD players... It may only work with these sharp model, but I'm unsure. The original review I read makes it sound that way but the Voquette site makes it sound like any MD can use the netlink. Amusingly enough they also make a MP3 player that will work with any cassette walkman, and even record MP3s to a walkman, if it has a record function.
There is the $179 MAMBOx. I don't think it's out yet, however, it looks cool.
Of course, there is Pine's Player.
There are more of these out there... These are just some of the ones that spring to mind, and all portable. I love my Apex, though... $160 and it plays any disc I own... MP3, DVD, CD, VCD... I use portable music so little that my Rio is fine for my purposes...
Josh Sisk
But if I want to buy something cool, I get accosted for a contract to an online service that I'll never use.
The press release makes it clear that you can still buy one for cash with no service plan.
At least the X-box has *Ethernet* -- come on, Sega...
Sega is releasing an ethernet adaptor in a few months... A year before the x-box comes out (if it comes out on time) and supposedly priced under $30. I personally hope they'll do an exchange... Let you trade in your DC Modem for the ethernet adaptor. I also hope that DC games in the future will support LAN play.
Josh Sisk
Hmm, I really don't think it even costs them that much. The average cost in the stores is what? $200? I would suspect that the stores bought it for around $140 - $150, the distributor paid around $90 - $100, and that would lead me to believe that the hardware only costs Sega around $50.
The average console is a loss leader, that is, the company that makes it loses money on each one sold, to be recouped later by games sales.
So I doubt the DC costs $50.
Josh Sisk
I've been watching dvds in linux with my dxr2 decoder card for a long time now.
This isn't a linux-dvd player. It's a hardware player that works with linux. A true linux dvd player would be a solution that works no matter what model dvd player you use. Also, the new models in this line do CSS in software- which means to get the dx2, you have to find one... And they probably won't be around for too much longer...
Josh Sisk