RA is just a wrapper ("container") format, as is MP4 and Apple's M4P. AAC is the "raw" codec bitstream as samples inside the container. Container formats are needed for carrying metadata, synchronization and packetization information and - as I think is the case with Real - protection info...
As a side note, at 192 kbit/s, Real's AAC is potentially much better quality than Apple's 128kbit/s.
Winamp 5 plays AAC. Many new mobile phones play AAC since it's one of the 3GPP standard streaming codecs as well as being part of the MPEG-4 standard. RealPlayer plays AAC. AAC is quickly establishing itself as the de facto codec for at least commercial music content, although WMA is strong in CE devices.
But I agree with your first point. Apple is being very honest wrt what the limitations are, and since they are more flexible and honest than others, they have succeeded with their DRM.
1) Amount of legacy content for it, i.e. size of the addressed market to be weighed against 3)
2) One wants to establish a codec/format in the marketplace by injecting lots of devices out there (chicken and egg; no devices vs. no content)
3) Licensing and implementation cost (in licensing fees, silicon, man moths, etc.)
4) IPR risk
While on the surface, Ogg Vorbis sounds like a lucrative choice due to 3), there are other 3 points. Since no company or individual is taking responsibility over 4), it still remains as a risk to manufacture a device that includes OV. When licensing a codec from a company, the licensee gets an insurance that in case there are IPr issues, they will not get dragged down with it, but the IP licensor is.
So if OV gets widespread in terms of the sheer volume of content floating around, it solves only a part of the puzzle. It's much more likely that an unknown manufacturer takes 4) lightly than somebody like Apple or Creative, especially since Apple considers also 2) for their chioces.
You are absolutely right. The logic goes that you must have some additional value for people to "upgrade" their already working MP3 systems to a newer version - which then comes bundled with other nice DRM featrures. Without additional value, who'd want to cripple their players?
The question remains, if this is really something that would catch on, is it enough to make people buy into DRM... I think not.
WMA is a closed format, but its licensing is pretty open. For some (relatively small, I've heard) amount of $$ you'll get full specs and reference code, even for the DRM. In general, WMA is really cheap for e.g. device manufacturers and that's why we're seeing so many MP3 players support WMA. It's the MS way to add value to their platform offering by spreading their IP around for almost nothing, as they can charge more $$$ in the future when they 0wn the world.
Now, since no linux vendor is going to license MS IPR, it is not sensible to demand "open WMA", as the situation is the same for openly governed codecs as well - IP owners can dictate the licensing terms. Most codecs (except maybe Ogg Vorbis) include some IP that one must license to use it legally. Some patent holders have chosen to give away their rights for OSS, but the more advanced ones are nearly always covered with significant IP.
As a result, I'd say that MS should be forced to use openly governed codecs, and define the acceptable standards bodies - such as ISO - that allow enough openness to the whole process of developing standards.
That would only leave the MS API control to tackle as well...
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I've always thought that this picture is a great shot and something we should see happening more often.
IBM is probably going to donate their JVM&SDK source code, the parts that are not covered by third-party licenses.
In addition to that, the OSS community will have to implement the missing pieces. I just wonder how much is the licensing cost and restrictions of IPRs included in a full J2EE environment - that may still be a showstopper for some Linux distributors.
A proxy is not an option - firewalls are not that easily changed or bypassed, especially if an external organization is handling them. Security policies are there for a reason, and no matter how cool protocol you'd like to run through, it always ends up to the lowest common denominator - "use HTTP, that's open". Most IM clients work with HTTP only, though some might actually use a polling mechanism (which of course sucks).
So I maintain that a bidirectional HTTP transport is needed. It actually doesn't involve much overhead as you can have a full-duplex connection with POST and GET connections and binary data in the tunnel fairly easily. Form encoding of course ruins everything but is not necessary.
Speaking of HTTP, does anyone know of any actual Jabber/XMPP implementation (GPL) that uses HTTP as transport instead of sockets? Raw sockets don't work with many proxies and firewalls that I'm facing.
The memory is probably partitioned, and some banks can be shut down if they fail. Thus the 128MB. OR, you could use it as texture memory (wonder what the display adapter is like;)
This is actually very sad. I only hope that the virus author is not a Linux advocate, as that would make Linux users look very bad. After all, if you're a PHB and someone tells you that "That MS Windows is the cause of all this, let's switch to Linux!", He'll think that "What? To that hacker operating system? NO! Our business will get bad publicity with each DDoS on SCO and maybe our own people get accused for those!"
Funny. I'd say that poor people can't afford living close to the city center, have bad public transport, absolutely need a car, are stuck in traffic jams and so on during commute to work.
Work? Yes, since being poor also means that one has to work for a living. And eat in the Taco Bell;)
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RA is just a wrapper ("container") format, as is MP4 and Apple's M4P. AAC is the "raw" codec bitstream as samples inside the container. Container formats are needed for carrying metadata, synchronization and packetization information and - as I think is the case with Real - protection info... As a side note, at 192 kbit/s, Real's AAC is potentially much better quality than Apple's 128kbit/s.
Shazam
But I agree with your first point. Apple is being very honest wrt what the limitations are, and since they are more flexible and honest than others, they have succeeded with their DRM.
For the codec, AAC is quickly becoming a de facto openly governed codec for commercial music - excluding WMA of course. MP3 is out of the equation.
1) Amount of legacy content for it, i.e. size of the addressed market to be weighed against 3)
2) One wants to establish a codec/format in the marketplace by injecting lots of devices out there (chicken and egg; no devices vs. no content)
3) Licensing and implementation cost (in licensing fees, silicon, man moths, etc.)
4) IPR risk
While on the surface, Ogg Vorbis sounds like a lucrative choice due to 3), there are other 3 points. Since no company or individual is taking responsibility over 4), it still remains as a risk to manufacture a device that includes OV. When licensing a codec from a company, the licensee gets an insurance that in case there are IPr issues, they will not get dragged down with it, but the IP licensor is.
So if OV gets widespread in terms of the sheer volume of content floating around, it solves only a part of the puzzle. It's much more likely that an unknown manufacturer takes 4) lightly than somebody like Apple or Creative, especially since Apple considers also 2) for their chioces.
You are absolutely right. The logic goes that you must have some additional value for people to "upgrade" their already working MP3 systems to a newer version - which then comes bundled with other nice DRM featrures. Without additional value, who'd want to cripple their players?
The question remains, if this is really something that would catch on, is it enough to make people buy into DRM... I think not.
Just imagine if Linus Torvalds had written everything related to Linux in Swedish or (gasp) Finnish! Would you be using it? Thought not.
Now, since no linux vendor is going to license MS IPR, it is not sensible to demand "open WMA", as the situation is the same for openly governed codecs as well - IP owners can dictate the licensing terms. Most codecs (except maybe Ogg Vorbis) include some IP that one must license to use it legally. Some patent holders have chosen to give away their rights for OSS, but the more advanced ones are nearly always covered with significant IP.
As a result, I'd say that MS should be forced to use openly governed codecs, and define the acceptable standards bodies - such as ISO - that allow enough openness to the whole process of developing standards.
That would only leave the MS API control to tackle as well...
I've always thought that this picture is a great shot and something we should see happening more often.
And to take it to/from your work, you'll want to upgrade to a car of the same caliber
Or what else is Windows supposed to be ;)?
In addition to that, the OSS community will have to implement the missing pieces. I just wonder how much is the licensing cost and restrictions of IPRs included in a full J2EE environment - that may still be a showstopper for some Linux distributors.
There was just a post about the Xbox 2 a while back, talk about Borg Cube! Oh wait..
I thought the above post was informative and only stating a fact. That is, if you actually got to see what was blurred in the pictures
See for yourself
So no nipples there, move along...
So I maintain that a bidirectional HTTP transport is needed. It actually doesn't involve much overhead as you can have a full-duplex connection with POST and GET connections and binary data in the tunnel fairly easily. Form encoding of course ruins everything but is not necessary.
Or am I missing something?
The memory is probably partitioned, and some banks can be shut down if they fail. Thus the 128MB. OR, you could use it as texture memory (wonder what the display adapter is like ;)
This is actually very sad. I only hope that the virus author is not a Linux advocate, as that would make Linux users look very bad. After all, if you're a PHB and someone tells you that "That MS Windows is the cause of all this, let's switch to Linux!", He'll think that "What? To that hacker operating system? NO! Our business will get bad publicity with each DDoS on SCO and maybe our own people get accused for those!"
Their cunning plan was uncovered today. In addition, I think you should consider showering more often ;)
Yup, to me it sounds just like an SUV for an OS.
Work? Yes, since being poor also means that one has to work for a living. And eat in the Taco Bell ;)
Why don't you just use the communicator and SSH directly on it? http://www.f-secure.com/wireless/symbian/nokia-ssh .shtml
I still have to carry my digital camera. I'd need at least 3MPel camera to reduce the device count - and for MMS, a lousy VGA will do anyways.
We knew that from Linus' comment a while back already.
And if the site wasn't from the US, then it would be promoting terrorism and a serious threat to national security?