The Philips Cineos LCOS *does* have a colour wheel -- it's a single-chip design. You need a 3-chip design such as the Toshiba (currently discontinued) to avoid the colour wheel and attendant rainbow effects. Currently, there are *no* 3-chip LCoS designs being marketed.
This is why this is big news. The main reason that LCoS has failed in the marketplace is chip yield. If anyone can solve the yield problem, it's Intel. Plus they have experience producing similar chips for the communications industry. These chips failed to capture a huge market share and Intel is now adapting this technology to TVs -- a *much* bigger market.
If Intel can bring a cheap 3-chip 1080p solution to TV manufacturers, they will own the market for years to come. TI (with their DLP chips) will need to respond with a similar price/design in quick order if they have any hope to stay in the game. If/when they do, this will become a two-supplier market and rear projection transmissive LCD designs will completely disappear. Flat panel direct view sets (plasma, LCD) will probably continue to occupy the 'high end' (i.e. expensive) market niche.
All in all, not too bad. Basically. it looks like the board told the CPCC to take flying fsck. Good for them -- looks like they have some cajones after all.
iPods are gonna be a little more expensive though.
Copyright Board Freezes Private Copying Levies for 2003 and 2004 December 12, 2003
Ottawa. The Copyright Board of Canada has today issued a decision on private copying levies for 2003 and 2004. This is the Board's third substantive private copying decision. The first was issued in 1999. It established Canada's initial private copying levies for 1999 and 2000. The Board's second decision, issued in December 2000, set revised levies for the subsequent two year period, 2001 and 2002. Until today, interim levies had been in effect for 2003 which were set by the Board at levels identical to those in place in the previous two years.
The case was heard by a panel composed of the Honourable Mr. Justice John H. Gomery, Chairman, Stephen J. Callary, Vice-Chairman and CEO, Sylvie Charron and Brigitte Doucet, Members. Vice-Chairman Callary wrote a dissent.
Today's decision freezes all existing private copying levies at their current levels. As a result, the current levies of 29 on audio cassette tapes of 40 minutes or longer (no levy applies to tapes of shorter length), 21 on CD-Rs and CD-RWs and 77 on CD-R Audio, CD-RW Audio and MiniDiscs will remain in effect until the end of 2004.
The Board also sets for the first time a levy on non-removable memory permanently embedded in digital audio recorders (such as MP3 players) at $2 for each recorder with a memory capacity of up to 1 Gigabyte (Gb), $15 for each recorder with memory capacity of more than 1 Gb and up to 10 Gbs, and $25 for each recorder with memory capacity of more than 10 GBs.
The Board denied the Canadian Private Copying Collective's (CPCC) request to establish a levy on blank DVDs, removable memory cards and removable micro hard drives. It finds that the evidence available at this time does not clearly demonstrate that these recording media are ordinarily used by individuals for the purpose of copying music.
Vice-Chairman Callary agreed with the majority on the inadmissibility of DVDs and removable memory cards and micro hard drives. However, he would have certified different rates on medium already subject to a levy. He would have certified a rate of 28 on audio cassette tapes, 29 for CD-Rs, 21 for CD-RWs and 72 for CD-R Audio, CD-RW Audio and MiniDiscs. The rates on non-removable memory would have been the same.
Manufacturers and importers of blank audio recording media are required to pay private copying levies to the CPCC when these media are sold in Canada. The amounts collected by the CPCC are distributed to eligible authors, eligible performers and eligible producers of recorded musical works copied by individuals for personal use in Canada.
When the private copying levies were first implemented in 2000, the CPCC introduced a "zero-rating" program under which manufacturers and importers of blank audio recording media were permitted to sell media levy free to certain parties such as religious organizations, broadcasters, law enforcement agencies, courts, tribunals, court reporters, provincial ministers of education and members of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada, music and advertising industries. Audio cassettes, CD-R Audio, CD-RW Audio and MiniDiscs were covered by the program. The CPCC announced some time ago its plan to extend its zero-rating program to include CD-Rs and CD-RWs.
However, objectors raised a number of concerns with the existing or planned extended CPCC's zero-rating program, claiming, among other things, that the program is inherently unauthorized, illegal and unfair. The Board concluded that just as it does not have the legal authority to create levy exemptions under the Copyright Act, nor does the CPCC. As a consequence, the Board concluded that CPCC's existing or proposed expanded zero-rating program is illegal.
In his dissent, Vice-Chairman Callary disagreed with this conclusion and stated his concerns for those many organizations which have relied on the existence of a zero-rating program and that could now find themse
Note that this burner only does the '+' formats. Any DVD burner worth its salt these days should be able to do both '+' and '-' formats. I'd stick with Pioneer or Sony for now -- they do all formats, have good quality/reliability, and their prices are coming down.
Like many here, I was very skeptical when I read this article -- the reporter is clearly a total sci/tech ignoramus (you gotta love the totally redundant "cordless cell phone").
So I went to Aura's website for more info. Here's their blurb:
While the concepts behind magnetic induction communication have been around for decades, Aura's engineers are the first to develop and implement practical solutions capturing the benefits of this technology.
Conventional radio frequency (RF) wireless communication systems are optimal for sending large amounts of information and communicating over long distances. However, this consumes power, creates information security issues, and results in interference and "crowding" among devices. A good example is in the 2.4 GHz band where simultaneous operation of a cordless phone, WiFi network and Bluetooth headset is frequently not possible without severe degradation of Quality of Service. In sharp contrast, LibertyLink's magnetic communication operates in a "bubble" that envelops the personal space of each user and is - by the laws of physics - inherently private and secure. The result is an easier to use, lower-cost system that makes far more efficient use of power and bandwidth than conventional RF solutions. By selecting a technology that limits the range and bandwidth to only what the application requires, Aura achieves a very substantial savings in power with all of the simplicity advantages of LibertyLink: dedicated communication channels, no bandwidth sharing, complete frequency re-use between bubbles, worldwide regulatory flexibility, and reliable coexistence with WiFi, CDMA, TDMA. and GSM transmissions.
Still pretty vague -- how the hell do they handle interference issues in this "magnetic bubble"? Do they supply Faraday cages for your PC/monitor?
Actually, ByteMonsoon has already been re-born -- albeit under a new name.
I'd post the link but the last thing that poor site needs is to get Slashdotted. If you know your way around the BT community, you should be able to find it.
Broken Angels
on
Altered Carbon
·
· Score: 5, Informative
I agree -- Altered Carbon is an amazing book. I couldn't put it down and read it in two sittings.
So when I heard that Broken Angels was out, I bought it ASAP (it's been available for a while here in Canada). you cannot imagine my disappointment at this classic textbook example of sophomore jinx! As much as I loved the first book, I hated the second and it took all I could muster to even finish it. Whereas the first book was tight, focused, gripping and exciting, the second is the exact opposite; slow, plodding and irretrievably dull.
Hopefully he'll find his muse again in future installments.
This is driving me crazy and I can't seem to find an answer anywhere.
When I try to use one of the latest releases (including this 1.4 RC), I lose the mail/news/composer icons along the bottom and Window options for same. It's like I'm using Firebird. But I can still get to e-mail by running Mozilla with the '-mail' option.
I downaload and install via their Zip file (not the full installer).
He started some software company after Osborne Computers failed. I went to Comdex that year and I saw him standing behind a little table in an obscure corner of the show floor, peddling his wares all alone. I remember thinking how sad that he had fallen so far. Still, he flew high for a while and that's more than most of us will ever say.
Several people have already mentioned the major problem with embedding commercials in TV shows: Does the advertiser pay again for reruns and syndication?
But nobody's mentioned another very big reason why this will never happen -- local advertising. How can you do ANY local advertising if the ad is embedded in the show?
In Mozilla's Windows version 1.0, right-clicking on a link brought up the 'Open in New Tab' item at the top of the popup menu. With version 1.1, this is now the second item in the popup menu. If you liked the old way, have a look at this Google thread.
Re:Environmental impact
on
Going Up?
·
· Score: 2, Informative
Come on, you great big putz!
How much of an IQ does it take to figure out that there are plenty of people out there who have not read Red Mars and that maybe a spolier warning might have been warranted before posting the above?
I've just started reading the god-damned book and you've already ruined what must surely be a major plot point.
Just FYI, if you do decide to get both versions, Amazon is offering a rebate coupon. You get $5 back if you buy the Aug. and 4-disc Nov. releases, and $10 back if you buy the Aug. and 5-disc Nov. releases.
Could help ease the pain a bit if you feel absolutely compelled to buy both.;-)
Good points. However, please bear in mind that this letter will also go to my MP where the issues I raise SHOULD find a receptive ear. Parliament definitely has the power to revoke these levies.
I call on all fellow Canadians to write a letter of complaint to the author (majeau.claude@cb-cda.gc.ca) and send a copy to your MP. Find your MP's e-mail address here:
If we can get enough people writing, maybe we can kill this proposal.
Here as a copy of my letter. This should give you an idea of what to write but please do not cut and paste -- be original. Also, include your full name and mailing address in your sign-off.
I am writing you concerning your document "Statement of Proposed Levies to be Collected by CPCC for the Sale, in Canada, of Blank Audio Recording Media for the Years 2003 and 2004".
The current levies are more than adequate compensation for recording artists -- these new fees are extremely high, arbitrary, and totally unjustifiable.
Remember that most of the country lives within a day trip of the U.S. All you're doing with these ridiculously high tariffs is to force people to buy their CD media and MP3 players in the U.S. You're not helping anybody with these high tariffs except U.S. retailers. I suggest to you that these tariffs makes it economically sensible for most Canadians to buy these items in the U.S. and because of this, the total amount you will collect will probably go down. Remember what happened when you raised taxes on cigarettes to ridiculous levels? And not only will Canadian businesses lose money to cross border shopping, the Canadian government will also lose money on lost sales taxes.
I also suggest to you that CD-R's have become the lifeblood of software distribution and as such, you are mostly punishing the computer and software industries with these tariffs (I own a small software company). In an economic downturn and with these industries in cut-throat competition, these tariffs create unneeded and unnecessary economic pressure on these businesses and may even force some of them to relocate to the U.S. How do you justify the computer/software industries subsidizing Canadian artists?
What it comes down to is this: Why in the name of God do we need the government collecting money for a specific group of people in Canada? Do our musical 'geniuses' build roads, pick up garbage, or protect out borders? Are they responsible for our national defence? Is it critical to our country's best interests to give these people handouts? Does Celine Dion really need another million? The government has absolutely no business being the 'bag-man' for the music industry. In fact, you're doing the exact opposite of what you ARE mandated to do; you should be representing the interests of consumers who elected you to office, not the fat-cat music industry.
I know it's tough for a lot of you to lose your historically Canadian socialist tendencies but we live in a new world of global competition and you're going to have to disabuse yourselves of these notions or we'll do it for you at the ballot box. Montreal is already the highest taxed area in North America and we will not put up with any more of this garbage. And believe me when I say that although this is just one e-mail, I speak for a LOT of people who feel the same way.
You people have lost all reason and need to get a grip on reality. Please leave the levies as they are.
We should all be immensely grateful to the British social class system. It inspired some of the greatest fantasy and sci-fi writers in modern literature, from Mary Shelley and Jules Verne to H.G. Wells.
Ummmm, John? Jules Verne was French so how exactly was he influenced by the British social class system?
If and when (probably when) the Internet goes the pay-per-view route, I envision the rise of review sites that will funnel all traffic on the Internet.
It will simply be too expensive in a micro-payment world to blithely surf all over the place in our quest for information. Review sites will become invaluable tools for identifying and rating sites as to price/content. Of course, the rating sites will themselves be pay-per-view, so we'll need another layer of review sites to review the review sites, and then another...
As one of those proud Canadians who has joyously stuck up is middle finger to the record companies, please allow me to present my circumstance.
It used to be that when I heard a song on the radio (SONG mind you, not ALBUM) I would have to go out and spend about $15 + tax (about $17.25) if I wanted to hear that song again. 90% to 95% of the time, that song was the only thing worth listening to on the album.
Now when I hear a song I like, I download the MP3 and listen to it several times. I then go to CDNow and find the rest of the tracks on the album. I then go back to Napster/Gnutella and sample these tracks to see if there are more songs I like. If there are, I happily buy the CD. Why bother buying the album? Because if I like the music, there is no bloody way in hell I will accept MP3 quality; despite what everyone says, MP3 sucks mightily. Not only do I want CD quality in the music I like, I'm now looking into SACD and DVD-Audio. I think I speak for a lot of people when I say that if the music is good enough for our libraries and oft-repeated listening, we want and need the highest quality recording possible.
MP3 (or any other compression scheme out there or coming) will NEVER be adequate. MP3 is only good enough for casual home/car listening -- e.g. background music -- and I think radio stations have more to fear from MP3 than record companies or artists. And this will remain true until we're all wired up with T3 equivalent lines and we start trading full quality audio tracks from the net (but don't hold your breath).
I bet you the RIAA and its companies take napster to the point of extinction, then invest in it and make it their puppet.
Well, this story seems to indicate that the RIAA want to take Napster well into extinction and then dance on the grave.
I take exception at the poster stating that SciFi is relatively new. I also notice our British friends taking exception to the idea that SciFi is an American literary form.
Well, I remember doing an essay in college on the roots of SciFi. Much to my amazement, SciFi goes back much farther than many of us think. The earliest work I found was by none other than the Frenchman Cyrano DeBergerac (yes, he of prodigious proboscis) who wrote the novel "A Voyage to the Moon" in 1657. So, if you want to call a genre with a 350 year history and whose origins can be traced to a Frenchman 'new' or 'American' or 'British' well I guess you're all entitled to your opinions.:-)
Another interesting tidbit about Cyrano: Understandably, in the 17th century anyone writing about voyaging to luna (lunatics) was considered quite insane and the two words were irrevocably associated. So it is this novel that is at the root of our modern understanding of the word 'lunatic'.
Can you even begin to imagine the power politics (pun intended) this scenario would create? You think the Saudis have us by the short-and-curlies now? What will happen when a small group of people living on the moon controls generation of power for the whole planet?
And will we see the moon partitioned like Antarctica? A US zone, a Russion zone, a Zimbabwean zone, etc. each with its own power plant? I can see it now, dozens and dozens of power beams flashing through the skies! Yeee-haawwww! Mr. Tesla would be proud.
Battlefield Earth was filmed locally in Montreal and it was the most expensive movie ever shot here. This production provided local talent with months of employment and tons of disposable income. As you can imagine, the movie also created lots of revenue-generating opportunities for many local businesses. It's the best movie ever made as far as we're concerned and I can't say enough good things about it.
Slashdot Mirror
This movie is being directed by Alex Proyas who directed Dark City, one of the best SciFi movies ever.
And what can you say about Asimov that hasn't already been said.
A great combination -- really looking forward to this.
The Philips Cineos LCOS *does* have a colour wheel -- it's a single-chip design. You need a 3-chip design such as the Toshiba (currently discontinued) to avoid the colour wheel and attendant rainbow effects. Currently, there are *no* 3-chip LCoS designs being marketed.
This is why this is big news. The main reason that LCoS has failed in the marketplace is chip yield. If anyone can solve the yield problem, it's Intel. Plus they have experience producing similar chips for the communications industry. These chips failed to capture a huge market share and Intel is now adapting this technology to TVs -- a *much* bigger market.
If Intel can bring a cheap 3-chip 1080p solution to TV manufacturers, they will own the market for years to come. TI (with their DLP chips) will need to respond with a similar price/design in quick order if they have any hope to stay in the game. If/when they do, this will become a two-supplier market and rear projection transmissive LCD designs will completely disappear. Flat panel direct view sets (plasma, LCD) will probably continue to occupy the 'high end' (i.e. expensive) market niche.
Ain't competition grand?
All in all, not too bad. Basically. it looks like the board told the CPCC to take flying fsck. Good for them -- looks like they have some cajones after all.
iPods are gonna be a little more expensive though.
NEWS RELEASE
Copyright Board Freezes Private Copying Levies for 2003 and 2004
December 12, 2003
Ottawa. The Copyright Board of Canada has today issued a decision on private copying levies for 2003 and 2004. This is the Board's third substantive private copying decision. The first was issued in 1999. It established Canada's initial private copying levies for 1999 and 2000. The Board's second decision, issued in December 2000, set revised levies for the subsequent two year period, 2001 and 2002. Until today, interim levies had been in effect for 2003 which were set by the Board at levels identical to those in place in the previous two years.
The case was heard by a panel composed of the Honourable Mr. Justice John H. Gomery, Chairman, Stephen J. Callary, Vice-Chairman and CEO, Sylvie Charron and Brigitte Doucet, Members. Vice-Chairman Callary wrote a dissent.
Today's decision freezes all existing private copying levies at their current levels. As a result, the current levies of 29 on audio cassette tapes of 40 minutes or longer (no levy applies to tapes of shorter length), 21 on CD-Rs and CD-RWs and 77 on CD-R Audio, CD-RW Audio and MiniDiscs will remain in effect until the end of 2004.
The Board also sets for the first time a levy on non-removable memory permanently embedded in digital audio recorders (such as MP3 players) at $2 for each recorder with a memory capacity of up to 1 Gigabyte (Gb), $15 for each recorder with memory capacity of more than 1 Gb and up to 10 Gbs, and $25 for each recorder with memory capacity of more than 10 GBs.
The Board denied the Canadian Private Copying Collective's (CPCC) request to establish a levy on blank DVDs, removable memory cards and removable micro hard drives. It finds that the evidence available at this time does not clearly demonstrate that these recording media are ordinarily used by individuals for the purpose of copying music.
Vice-Chairman Callary agreed with the majority on the inadmissibility of DVDs and removable memory cards and micro hard drives. However, he would have certified different rates on medium already subject to a levy. He would have certified a rate of 28 on audio cassette tapes, 29 for CD-Rs, 21 for CD-RWs and 72 for CD-R Audio, CD-RW Audio and MiniDiscs. The rates on non-removable memory would have been the same.
Manufacturers and importers of blank audio recording media are required to pay private copying levies to the CPCC when these media are sold in Canada. The amounts collected by the CPCC are distributed to eligible authors, eligible performers and eligible producers of recorded musical works copied by individuals for personal use in Canada.
When the private copying levies were first implemented in 2000, the CPCC introduced a "zero-rating" program under which manufacturers and importers of blank audio recording media were permitted to sell media levy free to certain parties such as religious organizations, broadcasters, law enforcement agencies, courts, tribunals, court reporters, provincial ministers of education and members of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada, music and advertising industries. Audio cassettes, CD-R Audio, CD-RW Audio and MiniDiscs were covered by the program. The CPCC announced some time ago its plan to extend its zero-rating program to include CD-Rs and CD-RWs.
However, objectors raised a number of concerns with the existing or planned extended CPCC's zero-rating program, claiming, among other things, that the program is inherently unauthorized, illegal and unfair. The Board concluded that just as it does not have the legal authority to create levy exemptions under the Copyright Act, nor does the CPCC. As a consequence, the Board concluded that CPCC's existing or proposed expanded zero-rating program is illegal.
In his dissent, Vice-Chairman Callary disagreed with this conclusion and stated his concerns for those many organizations which have relied on the existence of a zero-rating program and that could now find themse
Note that this burner only does the '+' formats. Any DVD burner worth its salt these days should be able to do both '+' and '-' formats. I'd stick with Pioneer or Sony for now -- they do all formats, have good quality/reliability, and their prices are coming down.
Also, new 8x recorders are coming.
Also, new double-layer recorders are coming.
The target is constantly moving...
Can someone please translate the original posting into English?
Thank you.
Like many here, I was very skeptical when I read this article -- the reporter is clearly a total sci/tech ignoramus (you gotta love the totally redundant "cordless cell phone").
So I went to Aura's website for more info. Here's their blurb:
While the concepts behind magnetic induction communication have been around for decades, Aura's engineers are the first to develop and implement practical solutions capturing the benefits of this technology.
Conventional radio frequency (RF) wireless communication systems are optimal for sending large amounts of information and communicating over long distances. However, this consumes power, creates information security issues, and results in interference and "crowding" among devices. A good example is in the 2.4 GHz band where simultaneous operation of a cordless phone, WiFi network and Bluetooth headset is frequently not possible without severe degradation of Quality of Service. In sharp contrast, LibertyLink's magnetic communication operates in a "bubble" that envelops the personal space of each user and is - by the laws of physics - inherently private and secure. The result is an easier to use, lower-cost system that makes far more efficient use of power and bandwidth than conventional RF solutions. By selecting a technology that limits the range and bandwidth to only what the application requires, Aura achieves a very substantial savings in power with all of the simplicity advantages of LibertyLink: dedicated communication channels, no bandwidth sharing, complete frequency re-use between bubbles, worldwide regulatory flexibility, and reliable coexistence with WiFi, CDMA, TDMA. and GSM transmissions.
Still pretty vague -- how the hell do they handle interference issues in this "magnetic bubble"? Do they supply Faraday cages for your PC/monitor?
Actually, ByteMonsoon has already been re-born -- albeit under a new name.
I'd post the link but the last thing that poor site needs is to get Slashdotted. If you know your way around the BT community, you should be able to find it.
I agree -- Altered Carbon is an amazing book. I couldn't put it down and read it in two sittings.
So when I heard that Broken Angels was out, I bought it ASAP (it's been available for a while here in Canada). you cannot imagine my disappointment at this classic textbook example of sophomore jinx! As much as I loved the first book, I hated the second and it took all I could muster to even finish it. Whereas the first book was tight, focused, gripping and exciting, the second is the exact opposite; slow, plodding and irretrievably dull.
Hopefully he'll find his muse again in future installments.
This is driving me crazy and I can't seem to find an answer anywhere.
When I try to use one of the latest releases (including this 1.4 RC), I lose the mail/news/composer icons along the bottom and Window options for same. It's like I'm using Firebird. But I can still get to e-mail by running Mozilla with the '-mail' option.
I downaload and install via their Zip file (not the full installer).
Anyone know how to fix this?
He started some software company after Osborne Computers failed. I went to Comdex that year and I saw him standing behind a little table in an obscure corner of the show floor, peddling his wares all alone. I remember thinking how sad that he had fallen so far. Still, he flew high for a while and that's more than most of us will ever say.
Be with God.
Several people have already mentioned the major problem with embedding commercials in TV shows: Does the advertiser pay again for reruns and syndication?
But nobody's mentioned another very big reason why this will never happen -- local advertising. How can you do ANY local advertising if the ad is embedded in the show?
In Mozilla's Windows version 1.0, right-clicking on a link brought up the 'Open in New Tab' item at the top of the popup menu. With version 1.1, this is now the second item in the popup menu. If you liked the old way, have a look at this Google thread.
Come on, you great big putz!
How much of an IQ does it take to figure out that there are plenty of people out there who have not read Red Mars and that maybe a spolier warning might have been warranted before posting the above?
I've just started reading the god-damned book and you've already ruined what must surely be a major plot point.
Crap.
Just FYI, if you do decide to get both versions, Amazon is offering a rebate coupon. You get $5 back if you buy the Aug. and 4-disc Nov. releases, and $10 back if you buy the Aug. and 5-disc Nov. releases.
;-)
Could help ease the pain a bit if you feel absolutely compelled to buy both.
Are you kidding?! Where do I sign up pal?
I just wish my cable company would do this. Imagine a world where you don't have to share your bandwidth with these pigs?
Good points. However, please bear in mind that this letter will also go to my MP where the issues I raise SHOULD find a receptive ear. Parliament definitely has the power to revoke these levies.
If we can get enough people writing, maybe we can kill this proposal.
Here as a copy of my letter. This should give you an idea of what to write but please do not cut and paste -- be original. Also, include your full name and mailing address in your sign-off.
We should all be immensely grateful to the British social class system. It inspired some of the greatest fantasy and sci-fi writers in modern literature, from Mary Shelley and Jules Verne to H.G. Wells.
Ummmm, John? Jules Verne was French so how exactly was he influenced by the British social class system?
It will simply be too expensive in a micro-payment world to blithely surf all over the place in our quest for information. Review sites will become invaluable tools for identifying and rating sites as to price/content. Of course, the rating sites will themselves be pay-per-view, so we'll need another layer of review sites to review the review sites, and then another ...
It used to be that when I heard a song on the radio (SONG mind you, not ALBUM) I would have to go out and spend about $15 + tax (about $17.25) if I wanted to hear that song again. 90% to 95% of the time, that song was the only thing worth listening to on the album.
Now when I hear a song I like, I download the MP3 and listen to it several times. I then go to CDNow and find the rest of the tracks on the album. I then go back to Napster/Gnutella and sample these tracks to see if there are more songs I like. If there are, I happily buy the CD. Why bother buying the album? Because if I like the music, there is no bloody way in hell I will accept MP3 quality; despite what everyone says, MP3 sucks mightily. Not only do I want CD quality in the music I like, I'm now looking into SACD and DVD-Audio. I think I speak for a lot of people when I say that if the music is good enough for our libraries and oft-repeated listening, we want and need the highest quality recording possible.
MP3 (or any other compression scheme out there or coming) will NEVER be adequate. MP3 is only good enough for casual home/car listening -- e.g. background music -- and I think radio stations have more to fear from MP3 than record companies or artists. And this will remain true until we're all wired up with T3 equivalent lines and we start trading full quality audio tracks from the net (but don't hold your breath).
I bet you the RIAA and its companies take napster to the point of extinction, then invest in it and make it their puppet. Well, this story seems to indicate that the RIAA want to take Napster well into extinction and then dance on the grave.
Well, I remember doing an essay in college on the roots of SciFi. Much to my amazement, SciFi goes back much farther than many of us think. The earliest work I found was by none other than the Frenchman Cyrano DeBergerac (yes, he of prodigious proboscis) who wrote the novel "A Voyage to the Moon" in 1657. So, if you want to call a genre with a 350 year history and whose origins can be traced to a Frenchman 'new' or 'American' or 'British' well I guess you're all entitled to your opinions. :-)
Another interesting tidbit about Cyrano: Understandably, in the 17th century anyone writing about voyaging to luna (lunatics) was considered quite insane and the two words were irrevocably associated. So it is this novel that is at the root of our modern understanding of the word 'lunatic'.
FWIW.
And will we see the moon partitioned like Antarctica? A US zone, a Russion zone, a Zimbabwean zone, etc. each with its own power plant? I can see it now, dozens and dozens of power beams flashing through the skies! Yeee-haawwww! Mr. Tesla would be proud.
Battlefield Earth was filmed locally in Montreal and it was the most expensive movie ever shot here. This production provided local talent with months of employment and tons of disposable income. As you can imagine, the movie also created lots of revenue-generating opportunities for many local businesses. It's the best movie ever made as far as we're concerned and I can't say enough good things about it.