Wednesday, May 28, 2003

Two Labels Warm Up to MP3's. Two record labels are including unprotected MP3 files along with conventional CD audio tracks. By Bill Werde. [New York Times: Technology] 9:21:54 PM    comment []

Lessig: End to End has gone presidential. Joe Lieberman on End to End. In a paper on Innovation released by the Lieberman campaign today, Senator Lieberman writes, "Ensure that the Internet continues to provide an open platform for innovation: The Internet is different from the phone network and radio and broadcast television in important ways. It is easier for individuals and small organizations to be producers as well as consumers of information. The Internet allows for "many to many" communication as opposed to the "one to many" communication of broadcast television. Innovation can occur at the edge of the network. Etc. Hot damn. 9:20:12 PM    comment []

Munich breaks with Windows for Linux. The German city has decided to switch a significant proportion of its computers from Windows to the open-source OS, despite an aggressive counterpitch from Microsoft. [CNET News.com] 9:16:13 PM    comment []

Educated Music Shopping, a Tool. Here's an interesting new Web application for music shoppers. RIAA Radar calls itself "a tool that music consumers can use... [Dan Gillmor's eJournal] 9:07:45 PM    comment []

Geeks enter the Matrix. Hollywood gets hacking right in The Matrix: Reloaded, warming the hearts of the "skilz" squad in its spot-on outline of how to gain root. [CNET News.com] 7:22:50 PM    comment []

Name a sex act after Senator Rick Santorum via Dan Savage's column in the Voice. I've already voted. 5:08:44 PM    comment []

Blogs Opening Iranian Society?. Iran's restive youth are using Farsi-language blogs as an outlet to express repressed creativity and sexuality. But the Islamic government is slowly catching on. Michelle Delio reports from the BlogTalk conference in Vienna. [Wired News] 6:46:02 AM    comment []

Digital remix. After years of resistance, online music is on the verge of a revolution. State of the art: A medium reborn. A purely digital world could dramatically change the economics, marketing and consumption of music--and, perhaps unconsciously, even the way artists create their works. Both from CNET News.com 6:45:10 AM    comment []

U.S. raises pressure on Iran. CNN via [NewsIsFree: Popular Items] 6:43:46 AM    comment []

RealNetworks pushes lower-cost Rhapsody. The digital media company on Wednesday will cease selling the music-subscription service MusicNet in favor of one from Listen.com's Rhapsody. [CNET News.com] 6:39:46 AM    comment []

Free advice, cont'd. Ev offers some additional explanations about why Jared Blank's blog isn't getting visited. Although I suppose traffic's up a bit by now. [The Doc Searls Weblog] 6:35:11 AM    comment []

The Changes Unwelcome, a Model Teacher Moves On. A kindergarten teacher, perhaps the best one in Florida, is leaving her job because of the new focus at both the state and federal levels on standardized tests. By Michael Winerip. A single high- stakes test score is now measuring Florida's children, leaving little time to devote to their character or potential or talents or depth of knowledge, she wrote. Kindergarten teachers throughout the state have replaced valued learning centers (home center, art center, blocks, dramatic play) with paper and pencil tasks, dittos, coloring sheets, scripted lessons, workbook pages. [New York Times: Education] 6:32:41 AM    comment []

Listen Up: Songs Now 79 Cents. Listen.com will lower the price of its songs to 79 cents per download. Is it a response to Apple's success with iTunes? Listen.com says no. Regardless, analysts say it's a good sign online music retailers continue to experiment with their pricing. By Katie Dean. [Wired News] 6:27:55 AM    comment []

College plans virus-writing course. The University of Calgary is offering a class in which students will write and test their own viruses--a move that has touched off a wave of criticism within the antivirus community. [CNET News.com] 6:23:47 AM    comment []

FUD? Vaporware? Or the Celestial Jukebox? I don't think it's the last of those. Microsoft prepares reply to iTunes: While Apple Computer grabs publicity for its new 99 cent music download store, Microsoft is quietly preparing for a counterattack by improving its own technology for supporting subscription music services. By Evan Hansen, CNET News.com. So quietly, apparently, that Jonathan Usher, director of Microsoft's Windows Media division, and Kevin Branigan, vice president of marketing for Diamond Rio MP3 players, were trotted out to speak with a CNET reporter. I guess that signifies quiet preparation for a counterattack. 3:06:11 AM    comment []