Can Amazon push Netflix out of limelight?
During the early part of the Internet Age, Amazon shipped CDs and DVDs to customers who ordered them via the Web and CEO Jeff Bezos' company became synonymous with Web music and movies. Then Apple's iTunes, and Netflix, laid waste to physical discs by delivering digital downloads and streaming video, and Amazon quietly drifted to the back of the pack. But today Amazon flexed some muscle of its own by announcing it would stream movies for free to people who subscribe to the e-tailer's Prime service. Amazon Prime subscribers will be able to log on to the Web from Internet-connected devices to instantly access a pool of 5,000 films and TV shows. The way Amazon Prime works is that members pay $79 a year to receive unlimited free two-day shipping without being required to meet any minimum-purchase requirements. Plenty of commentators in the blogosphere are noting that Amazon's video service isn't a Netflix killer, and they're right--but this is just the merchant's first volley as it prepares to take on Netflix, Apple, and others in the growing streaming media sector.Amazon versus NetflixIs Amazon's new video-streaming feature enough to steal Netflix's crown?The imagination runs wild when one considers what Amazon could do if the Web store throws its considerable retailing and financial girth into marketing a streaming-video service. Amazon can advertise the service to the 65 million online shoppers that visit the company's site each month. The company could promote and bundle the video service with all kinds of other product offerings. Dan Rayburn, an analyst covering Web video for consulting firm Frost and Sullivan, said Amazon could conceivably sweeten its offer by selling deeply discounted set-top boxes that enable Prime subscribers to watch streaming video on their living-room TV sets. Heck, Amazon's deep pockets might allow the company to give those boxes away. Consider that Amazon is picking up the bill for the rights to offer the streaming video, but so what? Amazon is loaded. The retailer reported $3.7 billion of cash and cash equivalents for the 12 months ended December 31, 2010. With a snap of their fingers, the Amazonians now offer an unbeatable subscription price. Another advantage Amazon has over Netflix is that the company has the horsepower to stream video to Prime members without having to pay a third party. Netflix can't say this. On the contrary, the company overseeing that chore for Netflix is Amazon's Web Services (AWS). That's right, Netflix is dependent on a rival for some back-end operations. But as full of potential intrigue as that sounds, it's doubtful Amazon would ever undermine AWS' reputation by torpedoing Netflix that way. Wall Street apparently believes Amazon could cause Netflix some hurt.Netflix's stock tumbled more than $13, or 5 percent, in afternoon trading. Netflix shares have skyrocketed the past year, posting an all-time high last week when it topped $247."A growing market attracts competitors," said Netflix representative Steve Swasey.Investors should take into account that Amazon is unlikely to unseat Netflix anytime soon. Netflix has more than 20 million subscribers, a far larger selection of films and TV shows than Amazon, and has already shown that it can outmaneuver larger players. Experts once thought Blockbuster, the brick-and-mortar video-rental chain, would smash Netflix. The opposite happened. While Blockbuster was still charging late fees and inspiring consumer bitterness, Netflix was delivering videos to customers' doors via the U.S. Postal Service--creating an entirely new delivery model--and telling users to hang on to the DVDs as long as they liked without charge.Amazon also has several businesses to distract management's attention. Netflix thinks exclusively about delivering movies and TV shows. The company has posted a team of dealmakers in Hollywood to build ties with the studios. Netflix has deals with such content suppliers as Warner Bros. Pictures, Relativity, Starz, and Epix, and just today it added TV shows from CBS, parent company of CNET. And consumers are already streaming video from Netflix via more than 200 different kinds of Internet-connected devices, such as video-game consoles and Web-enabled TVs, which are compatible with the service. Even if Amazon did offer a Roku-like box for free, it would likely take the company a while to cut enough of similar deals to make itself as widely available as Netflix. The real loser could be Hulu, the joint venture operated by Disney, NBC Universal, and News Corp. that has recently suffered from internal strife. Hulu offers some content for free but the service requires users to pay $7.99 to access a growing number of shows. In addition, Hulu's pay service also forces viewers to watch ads. Amazon's new video service is ad free.Regardless of which company takes over, with all the price cutting and scrambling to add programming, the real winner--for the time being at least--will be consumers.
Radiohead declares it's done with recording albums
Radiohead declares it's done with recording albums
Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke has declared, in an interview with The Believer, that the band has no plans to record another full-length album, preferring instead to focus on singles.A one-off from a band that can afford to call the shots, or a sign of things to come in entertainment, not to mention software?Yorke cites the creative burden of recording an album, but I have to think the decision is as much about marketing an album as it is recording it.As Yorke relates:None of us want to go into that creative hoo-ha of a long-play record again. Not straight off.I mean, it's just become a real drag. It worked with "In Rainbows" because we had a real fixed idea about where we were going. But we've all said that we can't possibly dive into that again. It'll kill us."In Rainbows" worked on two or three different levels. The first level is just sort of getting a point across that we wanted to get across about music being valuable. It also worked as a way of using the Internet to promote your record, without having to use iTunes or Google or whatever...and it also worked financially.To make it work, however, Radiohead went to great lengths to market the album, far less than it had to invest in distributing its latest gem, "Harry Patch."Regardless, while some music arguably makes more creative sense as part of an album, many songs stand alone and better fit the way music is being defined, distributed, and monetized.This is perhaps best exemplified by comments, cited in a Wall Street Journal story, from singers Robert Earl Keen and Perry Farrell in the wake of the Lollapalooza festival:"The music business is upside down," said alt-country singer-songwriter Robert Earl Keen. "You don't tour to support your record. You put out a record to support a tour.""Do you see people going record shopping? No," said Perry Farrell of Jane's Addiction. "Downloading free music. Yes. Going out for live music. Yes. I love recorded music, but the best bang for my buck is the night I go out."If you can accomplish this with singles, rather than the burden of an album, why not go that route?This is particularly intriguing given the continued pace of piracy, as a new study finds, because it requires a band to invest less in album creation and more time in monetizing the music through concerts and other "services."Ditto for software.Google has already showed one way to get beyond the "album mentality" by providing its code on a perpetual beta basis.There is no big, once-and-for-all unveiling of Google's software, but rather a steady release of updates.Open source is the same.Customers subscribe to a series of improvements and services around the software, rather than buying into a big licensing event.The emphasis is on what comes after the initial adoption of the software, not a bunch of marketing and hype to get people to use the software in the first place.The software largely sells itself.In music and in software, we're moving to a services-based economy that relies less on DRM (digital rights management) and more on service-based connections between consumer and creator.The two blend ever more frequently in this digital age through the collaborative interplay between producer and audience.For my part, I hope that Radiohead will release new singles early and often, with an emphasis on getting them out quickly to test their appeal, then fine-tuning them over time.The same holds true for software.My only question is if at some point in the future we'll see Linus Torvalds and Thom Yorke jamming together on stage.Now that would rock.Follow me on Twitter @mjasay.
Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke has declared, in an interview with The Believer, that the band has no plans to record another full-length album, preferring instead to focus on singles.A one-off from a band that can afford to call the shots, or a sign of things to come in entertainment, not to mention software?Yorke cites the creative burden of recording an album, but I have to think the decision is as much about marketing an album as it is recording it.As Yorke relates:None of us want to go into that creative hoo-ha of a long-play record again. Not straight off.I mean, it's just become a real drag. It worked with "In Rainbows" because we had a real fixed idea about where we were going. But we've all said that we can't possibly dive into that again. It'll kill us."In Rainbows" worked on two or three different levels. The first level is just sort of getting a point across that we wanted to get across about music being valuable. It also worked as a way of using the Internet to promote your record, without having to use iTunes or Google or whatever...and it also worked financially.To make it work, however, Radiohead went to great lengths to market the album, far less than it had to invest in distributing its latest gem, "Harry Patch."Regardless, while some music arguably makes more creative sense as part of an album, many songs stand alone and better fit the way music is being defined, distributed, and monetized.This is perhaps best exemplified by comments, cited in a Wall Street Journal story, from singers Robert Earl Keen and Perry Farrell in the wake of the Lollapalooza festival:"The music business is upside down," said alt-country singer-songwriter Robert Earl Keen. "You don't tour to support your record. You put out a record to support a tour.""Do you see people going record shopping? No," said Perry Farrell of Jane's Addiction. "Downloading free music. Yes. Going out for live music. Yes. I love recorded music, but the best bang for my buck is the night I go out."If you can accomplish this with singles, rather than the burden of an album, why not go that route?This is particularly intriguing given the continued pace of piracy, as a new study finds, because it requires a band to invest less in album creation and more time in monetizing the music through concerts and other "services."Ditto for software.Google has already showed one way to get beyond the "album mentality" by providing its code on a perpetual beta basis.There is no big, once-and-for-all unveiling of Google's software, but rather a steady release of updates.Open source is the same.Customers subscribe to a series of improvements and services around the software, rather than buying into a big licensing event.The emphasis is on what comes after the initial adoption of the software, not a bunch of marketing and hype to get people to use the software in the first place.The software largely sells itself.In music and in software, we're moving to a services-based economy that relies less on DRM (digital rights management) and more on service-based connections between consumer and creator.The two blend ever more frequently in this digital age through the collaborative interplay between producer and audience.For my part, I hope that Radiohead will release new singles early and often, with an emphasis on getting them out quickly to test their appeal, then fine-tuning them over time.The same holds true for software.My only question is if at some point in the future we'll see Linus Torvalds and Thom Yorke jamming together on stage.Now that would rock.Follow me on Twitter @mjasay.
eMusic's makeover
eMusic's makeover
Internet music retailer eMusic is undertaking an ambitious site redesign that infuses music discovery and social networking features. Beginning July 22, eMusic is rolling out new album pages for their collection of more than 3.5 million songs--an update that includes both cosmetic and practical design upgrades. Visually, the new eMusic album page design has a much cleaner and bolder feel than the somewhat dated look the site had been holding on to. The new album page layout is wider, and puts more emphasis on album artwork and user ratings. In a move that should delight those of you who get a kick from printing out CD covers, eMusic now offers high-resolution 1400x1400-pixel album art.The new eMusic album page integrates artist videos, images, and biographic information from popular sources such as YouTube, Flickr, and Wikipedia.eMusicThe most intriguing new feature on eMusic's new album page is the inclusion of content from partners such as YouTube, Flickr, and Wikipedia. For instance, a look at the album page for Radiohead's In Rainbows offers the usual track listing, cover image, editorial blurb, and user comments, but as you scroll down further you'll notice a selection of Radiohead YouTube music videos, as well as a handful of live concert photos hosted by Flickr, and an excerpt of the band's entry on Wikipedia. Aggregating dynamic content such as this from around the Web may not seem revolutionary in today's age of Facebook applications and Wordpress plug-ins, but compared with the hermetically sealed environments of iTunes and Amazon MP3, eMusic's move is a relatively gutsy break from tradition. One of the eMusic album page's less obvious new features is a drop-down menu with 18 different social networking links, including Facebook, Digg, Twitter, and Stumbleupon. Each link lets you post clips from the album page on whatever social networking site you prefer. While eMusic's social networking link feature is well-executed, they're off to a late start in a medium where users are already consuming full song streams from services such as iLike, Rhapsody, and Seeqpod.Upgrades to other eMusic page types are soon to follow, including new layouts for artist pages, improved search functionality, and a new "visual bread-crumb" feature that keeps better track of your browsing history. Despite eMusic's face-lift and infusion of Web 2.0, some users will still be turned off by the company's unique monthly pricing plan and lack of major label recordings, however, indie-loving music fans should definitely give eMusic's revamped site a look.
Internet music retailer eMusic is undertaking an ambitious site redesign that infuses music discovery and social networking features. Beginning July 22, eMusic is rolling out new album pages for their collection of more than 3.5 million songs--an update that includes both cosmetic and practical design upgrades. Visually, the new eMusic album page design has a much cleaner and bolder feel than the somewhat dated look the site had been holding on to. The new album page layout is wider, and puts more emphasis on album artwork and user ratings. In a move that should delight those of you who get a kick from printing out CD covers, eMusic now offers high-resolution 1400x1400-pixel album art.The new eMusic album page integrates artist videos, images, and biographic information from popular sources such as YouTube, Flickr, and Wikipedia.eMusicThe most intriguing new feature on eMusic's new album page is the inclusion of content from partners such as YouTube, Flickr, and Wikipedia. For instance, a look at the album page for Radiohead's In Rainbows offers the usual track listing, cover image, editorial blurb, and user comments, but as you scroll down further you'll notice a selection of Radiohead YouTube music videos, as well as a handful of live concert photos hosted by Flickr, and an excerpt of the band's entry on Wikipedia. Aggregating dynamic content such as this from around the Web may not seem revolutionary in today's age of Facebook applications and Wordpress plug-ins, but compared with the hermetically sealed environments of iTunes and Amazon MP3, eMusic's move is a relatively gutsy break from tradition. One of the eMusic album page's less obvious new features is a drop-down menu with 18 different social networking links, including Facebook, Digg, Twitter, and Stumbleupon. Each link lets you post clips from the album page on whatever social networking site you prefer. While eMusic's social networking link feature is well-executed, they're off to a late start in a medium where users are already consuming full song streams from services such as iLike, Rhapsody, and Seeqpod.Upgrades to other eMusic page types are soon to follow, including new layouts for artist pages, improved search functionality, and a new "visual bread-crumb" feature that keeps better track of your browsing history. Despite eMusic's face-lift and infusion of Web 2.0, some users will still be turned off by the company's unique monthly pricing plan and lack of major label recordings, however, indie-loving music fans should definitely give eMusic's revamped site a look.
The 404 672- Where we make Frends with Kevin Pearce (podcast)
The 404 672: Where we make Frends with Kevin Pearce (podcast)
The 404 Podcast has interviewed professional athletes before, but few are as young, or as inspiring, as today's guest, professional snowboarder Kevin Pearce. At only 22 years old, Kevin is already very accomplished, winning back-to-back Arctic Challenge titles in 2007 and 2008, in addition to being the first man to earn two Air & Style rings in one season.DragCloseThis content is rated TV-MA, and is for viewers 18 years or older. Are you of age?YesNoSorry, you are not old enough to view this content.Kevin sits down with The 404 Podcast to talk about his snowboarding history and an accident earlier this year that left him with a traumatic brain injury. Narrowly escaping death with the support of his friends and family, Kevin also tells us that his miraculous recovery wouldn't have been possible without the help of his brother Adam, who also joins us as Kevin's unofficial photographer in the studio.Kevin's also here to show off his new line of headphones named after his seven-deep crew of snowboarders called "Frends." The group consists of Keir Dillon, Mason Aguirre, Danny Davis, Scotty Lago, Kevin, and Jack and Luke Mitrani, and the current lineup includes five different headphones that range from earbuds to large DJ style cans. In fact, Kevin actually wears a pair with pride on today's episode.Finally, Kevin and his brother David are in New York to participate in this weekend's 2010 New York City Buddy Walk, a one-mile walk to benefit the National Down Syndrome Society and Down Syndrome Awareness Month in October. Kevin's already well on his way to raising $10,000 but needs your help to reach his goal, so head over to his donation page and give what you can!Episode 672PodcastYour browser does not support the audio element. Subscribe in iTunes audio | Suscribe to iTunes (video) |Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video  Follow us on Twitter!The 404Jeff BakalarJustin YuWilson TangAdd us on Facebook!The 404 Fan PageThe 404 GroupJustin YuJeff BakalarWilson Tang
The 404 Podcast has interviewed professional athletes before, but few are as young, or as inspiring, as today's guest, professional snowboarder Kevin Pearce. At only 22 years old, Kevin is already very accomplished, winning back-to-back Arctic Challenge titles in 2007 and 2008, in addition to being the first man to earn two Air & Style rings in one season.DragCloseThis content is rated TV-MA, and is for viewers 18 years or older. Are you of age?YesNoSorry, you are not old enough to view this content.Kevin sits down with The 404 Podcast to talk about his snowboarding history and an accident earlier this year that left him with a traumatic brain injury. Narrowly escaping death with the support of his friends and family, Kevin also tells us that his miraculous recovery wouldn't have been possible without the help of his brother Adam, who also joins us as Kevin's unofficial photographer in the studio.Kevin's also here to show off his new line of headphones named after his seven-deep crew of snowboarders called "Frends." The group consists of Keir Dillon, Mason Aguirre, Danny Davis, Scotty Lago, Kevin, and Jack and Luke Mitrani, and the current lineup includes five different headphones that range from earbuds to large DJ style cans. In fact, Kevin actually wears a pair with pride on today's episode.Finally, Kevin and his brother David are in New York to participate in this weekend's 2010 New York City Buddy Walk, a one-mile walk to benefit the National Down Syndrome Society and Down Syndrome Awareness Month in October. Kevin's already well on his way to raising $10,000 but needs your help to reach his goal, so head over to his donation page and give what you can!Episode 672PodcastYour browser does not support the audio element. Subscribe in iTunes audio | Suscribe to iTunes (video) |Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video  Follow us on Twitter!The 404Jeff BakalarJustin YuWilson TangAdd us on Facebook!The 404 Fan PageThe 404 GroupJustin YuJeff BakalarWilson Tang
Nine missing Doctor Who episodes recovered
Nine missing Doctor Who episodes recovered
The episodes were recovered by Philip Morris of the Television International Enterprises Archives, who has spent decades scouring the globe for lost TV episodes. He recovered nine episodes: the five missing episodes from the six-part serial "The Enemy of the World" from Doctor Who's fifth season and four of the five missing episodes from the six-part "The Web of Fear" from the same season.(Credit: BBC)Morris tracked BBC shipping records to find the episodes at a relay station in Nigeria. "The tapes had been left gathering dust in a store room at a television relay station in Nigeria," Morris said. "I remember wiping the dust off the masking tape on the canisters and my heart missed a beat as I saw the words 'Doctor Who'. When I read the story code I realised I'd found something pretty special.""The Web of Fear", which originally aired weekly from 3 February to 9 March 1968, introduced recurring character Sir Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart, aka the Brigadier, and the enemy Yetis and was among the most sought after of the lost episodes. Episodes two through six were recovered."The Enemy of the World" was one of the first TV episodes to play with the idea of the evil twin. On future Earth, the Doctor and his companions are horrified to find the planet being run by an evil fascist dictator â€" who happens to look exactly like the Doctor. Episodes two, four, five and six were recovered, and a restoration team has filled in the missing episode three's story using the original audio and 37 episode images.Some fans may be disappointed that "The Power of the Daleks" or "The Tenth Planet" are yet to be found, but the discovery nevertheless marks a landmark day for the series.Of course, 97 episodes remain missing â€" and will possibly never be recovered. In June, Morris issued a statement to the effect that many episodes had simply been destroyed. But, if nine episodes were waiting to be uncovered in Nigeria for 45 years, who knows what else may be lurking in dusty store rooms?The missing episodes have been remastered and will be released by the BBC to iTunes today. "The Enemy of the World" will be released on DVD on 27 November, and "The Web of Fear" in early 2014.In the meantime, avid fans can always seek out the CDs of the rest the missing episodes made from recovered audio.
The episodes were recovered by Philip Morris of the Television International Enterprises Archives, who has spent decades scouring the globe for lost TV episodes. He recovered nine episodes: the five missing episodes from the six-part serial "The Enemy of the World" from Doctor Who's fifth season and four of the five missing episodes from the six-part "The Web of Fear" from the same season.(Credit: BBC)Morris tracked BBC shipping records to find the episodes at a relay station in Nigeria. "The tapes had been left gathering dust in a store room at a television relay station in Nigeria," Morris said. "I remember wiping the dust off the masking tape on the canisters and my heart missed a beat as I saw the words 'Doctor Who'. When I read the story code I realised I'd found something pretty special.""The Web of Fear", which originally aired weekly from 3 February to 9 March 1968, introduced recurring character Sir Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart, aka the Brigadier, and the enemy Yetis and was among the most sought after of the lost episodes. Episodes two through six were recovered."The Enemy of the World" was one of the first TV episodes to play with the idea of the evil twin. On future Earth, the Doctor and his companions are horrified to find the planet being run by an evil fascist dictator â€" who happens to look exactly like the Doctor. Episodes two, four, five and six were recovered, and a restoration team has filled in the missing episode three's story using the original audio and 37 episode images.Some fans may be disappointed that "The Power of the Daleks" or "The Tenth Planet" are yet to be found, but the discovery nevertheless marks a landmark day for the series.Of course, 97 episodes remain missing â€" and will possibly never be recovered. In June, Morris issued a statement to the effect that many episodes had simply been destroyed. But, if nine episodes were waiting to be uncovered in Nigeria for 45 years, who knows what else may be lurking in dusty store rooms?The missing episodes have been remastered and will be released by the BBC to iTunes today. "The Enemy of the World" will be released on DVD on 27 November, and "The Web of Fear" in early 2014.In the meantime, avid fans can always seek out the CDs of the rest the missing episodes made from recovered audio.
Do you use tone controls or an equalizer-
Do you use tone controls or an equalizer?
I can't name one truly high-end preamp with tone controls, and that's because most audiophiles wouldn't dream of altering the signal in any way. Home theater buyers see things differently, so virtually all AV receivers have bass and treble controls and many employ auto setup programs that feature extensive speaker and room correction processing. Some say the processing improves the sound. Personally, I'm far from convinced these calibration systems really do that, they change the sound, but the results are too inconsistentto be counted on. If your receiver has auto setup, try turning it off, and see if it improves or degrades your sound. Apple's iTunes has extensive equalization controls, and countless phone apps offer more ways to alter the sound. I don't have a problem with any of this. If you want to boost the bass, or add more sizzle to the highs, go for it. I rarely indulge; I prefer to use the best sounding headphones and speakers I can, and take the sound as is. Whatever works.Steve Guttenberg/CNETI've noticed with headphones the listening environment can radically influence the perceived tonal balance. For example, my Velodyne vPulse in-ear headphones have way too much bass at home, but on the New York subway the bass balance sounds "flat." That's because there's a lot of low-frequency rumble and noise on the subway that masks or covers up the low frequencies in the music. Buses, cars, and planes also have a lot of rumble and noise, and headphones with extra bass oomph can partially compensate for some of that. Headphones that sound great at home tend to sound bass-shy on the subway. With speakers, room placement issues come into play. A speaker that measures "flat" in the lab will never sound flat in your living room. The floor, ceiling, walls, and furniture all change the sound of speakers, and moving speakers to different places in the room can dramatically change the sound, for better or worse. Some self-powered speakers have "tone controls" on their backsides; my Emotiva Airmotiv4s sport bass and treble adjustments. I use them to fine-tune the sound on my desktop.Some people like a lot of bass, and tone controls or an equalizer will let them shake the foundation as much as they please. Share your thoughts on the effectiveness of tone controls, equalizers, and AV receivers' correction systems in the Comments section.
I can't name one truly high-end preamp with tone controls, and that's because most audiophiles wouldn't dream of altering the signal in any way. Home theater buyers see things differently, so virtually all AV receivers have bass and treble controls and many employ auto setup programs that feature extensive speaker and room correction processing. Some say the processing improves the sound. Personally, I'm far from convinced these calibration systems really do that, they change the sound, but the results are too inconsistentto be counted on. If your receiver has auto setup, try turning it off, and see if it improves or degrades your sound. Apple's iTunes has extensive equalization controls, and countless phone apps offer more ways to alter the sound. I don't have a problem with any of this. If you want to boost the bass, or add more sizzle to the highs, go for it. I rarely indulge; I prefer to use the best sounding headphones and speakers I can, and take the sound as is. Whatever works.Steve Guttenberg/CNETI've noticed with headphones the listening environment can radically influence the perceived tonal balance. For example, my Velodyne vPulse in-ear headphones have way too much bass at home, but on the New York subway the bass balance sounds "flat." That's because there's a lot of low-frequency rumble and noise on the subway that masks or covers up the low frequencies in the music. Buses, cars, and planes also have a lot of rumble and noise, and headphones with extra bass oomph can partially compensate for some of that. Headphones that sound great at home tend to sound bass-shy on the subway. With speakers, room placement issues come into play. A speaker that measures "flat" in the lab will never sound flat in your living room. The floor, ceiling, walls, and furniture all change the sound of speakers, and moving speakers to different places in the room can dramatically change the sound, for better or worse. Some self-powered speakers have "tone controls" on their backsides; my Emotiva Airmotiv4s sport bass and treble adjustments. I use them to fine-tune the sound on my desktop.Some people like a lot of bass, and tone controls or an equalizer will let them shake the foundation as much as they please. Share your thoughts on the effectiveness of tone controls, equalizers, and AV receivers' correction systems in the Comments section.
Djay for iPad fulfills your mixmaster fantasies
Djay for iPad fulfills your mixmaster fantasies
I'm not a musician, nor am I a DJ. I do fantasize about it, though, hence my obsession with DJ Hero, and my amateur songcrafting in GarageBand. I'd never buy a full-fledged turntable, nor would I know what to do with it. However, I'm a big fan of what's been accomplished on Djay, a new turntable app for the iPad.Algoriddim's Djay app isn't cheap--at $20, it's in the high end of the App Store economy--but what it does matches what you'd expect from a regular PC/Mac application. In fact, it's a close replica of a $49.95 Mac application they also make. Two turntables pull up any tracks loaded onto your iPad, and then the two "discs" can be effortlessly mixed. BPM, volume, crossfading, and even scratching can all be incorporated.What this means is that Djay can easily be a simple party-mix crossfading app, or it can be a musical experimentation tool. The app responds beautifully, and album art even turns on the turntables.For me, it's a distraction that will last for days. I can see this app catching on very fast...I expect the NYC bar scene to rapidly incorporate "iPad Djay Nites" to the point of nausea.Djay had a previous app for the iPhone, but it was limited to remotely accessing iTunes files on a Mac. Local file access is a huge plus, except for one caveat: Djay won't play DRMed music. That's not a problem with current iTunes music, but you could be screwed on some older downloads.There are some awesome perks, though: not only can the app auto-mix your tracks and adjust BPM accordingly, but you can record your mixes in-app for playback later. Even better, Djay supports AirPlay, enabling wireless audio output.Djay has me more excited about my iPad than I've been in a while. It's an extremely impressive display of what the iPad's still capable of doing, as well as a clever use of the screen/finger real estate.Jerry Goldsmith/Billy Joel mashups, here we come.
I'm not a musician, nor am I a DJ. I do fantasize about it, though, hence my obsession with DJ Hero, and my amateur songcrafting in GarageBand. I'd never buy a full-fledged turntable, nor would I know what to do with it. However, I'm a big fan of what's been accomplished on Djay, a new turntable app for the iPad.Algoriddim's Djay app isn't cheap--at $20, it's in the high end of the App Store economy--but what it does matches what you'd expect from a regular PC/Mac application. In fact, it's a close replica of a $49.95 Mac application they also make. Two turntables pull up any tracks loaded onto your iPad, and then the two "discs" can be effortlessly mixed. BPM, volume, crossfading, and even scratching can all be incorporated.What this means is that Djay can easily be a simple party-mix crossfading app, or it can be a musical experimentation tool. The app responds beautifully, and album art even turns on the turntables.For me, it's a distraction that will last for days. I can see this app catching on very fast...I expect the NYC bar scene to rapidly incorporate "iPad Djay Nites" to the point of nausea.Djay had a previous app for the iPhone, but it was limited to remotely accessing iTunes files on a Mac. Local file access is a huge plus, except for one caveat: Djay won't play DRMed music. That's not a problem with current iTunes music, but you could be screwed on some older downloads.There are some awesome perks, though: not only can the app auto-mix your tracks and adjust BPM accordingly, but you can record your mixes in-app for playback later. Even better, Djay supports AirPlay, enabling wireless audio output.Djay has me more excited about my iPad than I've been in a while. It's an extremely impressive display of what the iPad's still capable of doing, as well as a clever use of the screen/finger real estate.Jerry Goldsmith/Billy Joel mashups, here we come.
Report- Apple readying 24 million units of next iPhone
Report: Apple readying 24 million units of next iPhone
Apple sells a lot of phones, but 24 million is a big number even for them. For comparison, Apple has sold a little over 50 million total since the original iPhone's debut in 2007. So how to explain the supposed sudden surge in iPhone supply? Digitimes could be wrong of course, though it does have some good sources in the contract manufacturing world.Other possible explanations could be that Apple is planning big price cuts on this model, which could move more units. Or, and this would jibe with reports that the company's building a CDMA phone, it could be planning to add more carrier partners. More outlets to sell the phone would mean more supply.Digitimes, an IT trade publication, had some other details too: The next iPhone will have an ARM Cortex A8 processor and 512MB of memory, which is double what's currently available on the iPhone 3GS. The next iPhone will have an in-plane switching (IPS) panel like the iPad, according to Digitimes, and a 960x640 resolution. There will also be new technology that allows a wider viewing angle and better viewing in sunlight, according to the report. Apparently, Apple wants to improve the iPhone's utility as an e-reader and will be promoting iBooks on the iPhone. The panel is also reportedly 33 percent thinner to make more room for a larger battery.The new iPhone is expected to be introduced June 7 at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco. What is believed to be a prototype version of the device made headlines when it was found in a bar and sold to Gizmodo for $5,000 last month before Apple asked for it back.
Apple sells a lot of phones, but 24 million is a big number even for them. For comparison, Apple has sold a little over 50 million total since the original iPhone's debut in 2007. So how to explain the supposed sudden surge in iPhone supply? Digitimes could be wrong of course, though it does have some good sources in the contract manufacturing world.Other possible explanations could be that Apple is planning big price cuts on this model, which could move more units. Or, and this would jibe with reports that the company's building a CDMA phone, it could be planning to add more carrier partners. More outlets to sell the phone would mean more supply.Digitimes, an IT trade publication, had some other details too: The next iPhone will have an ARM Cortex A8 processor and 512MB of memory, which is double what's currently available on the iPhone 3GS. The next iPhone will have an in-plane switching (IPS) panel like the iPad, according to Digitimes, and a 960x640 resolution. There will also be new technology that allows a wider viewing angle and better viewing in sunlight, according to the report. Apparently, Apple wants to improve the iPhone's utility as an e-reader and will be promoting iBooks on the iPhone. The panel is also reportedly 33 percent thinner to make more room for a larger battery.The new iPhone is expected to be introduced June 7 at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco. What is believed to be a prototype version of the device made headlines when it was found in a bar and sold to Gizmodo for $5,000 last month before Apple asked for it back.
Report- Apple orders 12 petabytes of storage
Report: Apple orders 12 petabytes of storage
Apple is said to be beefing up its storage capacity with an order of storage equipment from Isilon Systems that tops out at 12 petabytes. The news, which was picked up by AppleInsider earlier today, comes from a source at Isilon who told site StorageNewsletter that Apple was the buyer, and was making the purchase to "manage the video download of its customers using iTunes." CNET has contacted Isilon for comment on the report.EMC announced plans to acquire Isilon five months ago for $2.25 billion, a 29 percent premium on the company's stock price at the time. The company is known for going after large-scale data management projects, and has customers like Sony and Kodak, as well as media companies like ABC and XM Satellite Radio. Before getting too excited that this is incontrovertible proof of Apple's plans to launch a storage locker for user content, it's worth noting Apple is still in the process of readying its North Caroline data center, which the company has stated will go online this spring. The company also has an existing data center facility in Newark, Calif., it purchased in 2006 that could be due for a new wave of hardware upgrades.According to a report published by Bernstein Research last month on Apple's upcoming data center, Apple spent an estimated $1.7 billion on IT assets during fiscal year 2010. That number, the report estimates, could jump up to $2.6 billion this year. The new North Carolina facility, which is said to be 500,000 square feet, can squeeze somewhere between 95,000 to 120,000 servers, something Bernstein said could "easily" cost hundreds of millions of dollars. StorageNewsletter's report says this 12-petabyte buy "probably" makes Apple the largest Isilon customer yet.
Apple is said to be beefing up its storage capacity with an order of storage equipment from Isilon Systems that tops out at 12 petabytes. The news, which was picked up by AppleInsider earlier today, comes from a source at Isilon who told site StorageNewsletter that Apple was the buyer, and was making the purchase to "manage the video download of its customers using iTunes." CNET has contacted Isilon for comment on the report.EMC announced plans to acquire Isilon five months ago for $2.25 billion, a 29 percent premium on the company's stock price at the time. The company is known for going after large-scale data management projects, and has customers like Sony and Kodak, as well as media companies like ABC and XM Satellite Radio. Before getting too excited that this is incontrovertible proof of Apple's plans to launch a storage locker for user content, it's worth noting Apple is still in the process of readying its North Caroline data center, which the company has stated will go online this spring. The company also has an existing data center facility in Newark, Calif., it purchased in 2006 that could be due for a new wave of hardware upgrades.According to a report published by Bernstein Research last month on Apple's upcoming data center, Apple spent an estimated $1.7 billion on IT assets during fiscal year 2010. That number, the report estimates, could jump up to $2.6 billion this year. The new North Carolina facility, which is said to be 500,000 square feet, can squeeze somewhere between 95,000 to 120,000 servers, something Bernstein said could "easily" cost hundreds of millions of dollars. StorageNewsletter's report says this 12-petabyte buy "probably" makes Apple the largest Isilon customer yet.
Report- Apple compensates Beijing store punch-up victim
Report: Apple compensates Beijing store punch-up victim
Apple has reportedly compensated a customer who was injured outside the company's flagship store in Beijing during a fight that broke out this past weekend over the newly released iPad 2 and white iPhone 4.That fight, which took place on Saturday, stemmed from customers trying to get a hold of the devices, with some being accused of cutting into the line that had formed. As a result, the door of Apple's Sanlitun retail store in Beijing was smashed, and the store closed earlier than usual.In a report published today, the Global Times interviewed Ding Wencheng, who was injured during the altercation. Wencheng told the outlet he was compensated with 20,000 yuan, or around $3,080 after he was allegedly assaulted by a "foreign" Apple store employee. Wencheng told the Global Times he was lining up for a white iPhone 4, a product that had been released the week prior.Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether others involved in the incident were also given compensation. In a statement mirroring what was offered to the Associated Press over the weekend, Apple spokeswoman Carolyn Wu told the Agence France-Presse that "the store team acted to protect themselves and our customers by closing the doors and preventing the group from entering," and that "the safety of our customers and employees is our top priority." The iPad 2 continues to be in short supply, even in the U.S. where it was first launched back in early March. Since then it's gone on sale in more than 40 additional countries, including China, where it made its debut last week. During the company's most recent quarterly earnings call, Apple COO Tim Cook referred to the task of bringing supply up to demand for the device as "the mother of all backlogs."
Apple has reportedly compensated a customer who was injured outside the company's flagship store in Beijing during a fight that broke out this past weekend over the newly released iPad 2 and white iPhone 4.That fight, which took place on Saturday, stemmed from customers trying to get a hold of the devices, with some being accused of cutting into the line that had formed. As a result, the door of Apple's Sanlitun retail store in Beijing was smashed, and the store closed earlier than usual.In a report published today, the Global Times interviewed Ding Wencheng, who was injured during the altercation. Wencheng told the outlet he was compensated with 20,000 yuan, or around $3,080 after he was allegedly assaulted by a "foreign" Apple store employee. Wencheng told the Global Times he was lining up for a white iPhone 4, a product that had been released the week prior.Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether others involved in the incident were also given compensation. In a statement mirroring what was offered to the Associated Press over the weekend, Apple spokeswoman Carolyn Wu told the Agence France-Presse that "the store team acted to protect themselves and our customers by closing the doors and preventing the group from entering," and that "the safety of our customers and employees is our top priority." The iPad 2 continues to be in short supply, even in the U.S. where it was first launched back in early March. Since then it's gone on sale in more than 40 additional countries, including China, where it made its debut last week. During the company's most recent quarterly earnings call, Apple COO Tim Cook referred to the task of bringing supply up to demand for the device as "the mother of all backlogs."
Report- AdMob alive and well in iPhone apps
Report: AdMob alive and well in iPhone apps
AdMob may not be locked out of iPhone applications just yet.The Wall Street Journal reported Friday that application developers using AdMob as their in-app advertising provider are having their applications approved by Apple without incident, despite Apple's decision to change the terms of the iPhone developer agreement in a way that appeared to ban AdMob. Back in June, AdMob lashed out at Apple for making this change, saying, "this change is not in the best interests of users or developers."The change to the agreement said that developers were not allowed to use ad networks that collected analytics data and were "owned by or affiliated with a developer or distributor of mobile devices, mobile operating systems or development environments," and was inserted into the agreement weeks after Google finalized its acquisition of AdMob. But two developers told the Journal that their AdMob-equipped ads were recently approved by Apple, meaning the company either forgot to enforce the restriction (unlikely) or has decided to back off that clause as federal regulators take a closer look at Apple's mobile-applications business.Representatives for both companies did not respond to requests for comment on the report. The iPhone is a huge part of AdMob's business, and even if Google is allowed to play on the iPhone it now faces significant competition for iPhone ads with Apple itself, which has started rolling out in-application ads based on its iAds system.
AdMob may not be locked out of iPhone applications just yet.The Wall Street Journal reported Friday that application developers using AdMob as their in-app advertising provider are having their applications approved by Apple without incident, despite Apple's decision to change the terms of the iPhone developer agreement in a way that appeared to ban AdMob. Back in June, AdMob lashed out at Apple for making this change, saying, "this change is not in the best interests of users or developers."The change to the agreement said that developers were not allowed to use ad networks that collected analytics data and were "owned by or affiliated with a developer or distributor of mobile devices, mobile operating systems or development environments," and was inserted into the agreement weeks after Google finalized its acquisition of AdMob. But two developers told the Journal that their AdMob-equipped ads were recently approved by Apple, meaning the company either forgot to enforce the restriction (unlikely) or has decided to back off that clause as federal regulators take a closer look at Apple's mobile-applications business.Representatives for both companies did not respond to requests for comment on the report. The iPhone is a huge part of AdMob's business, and even if Google is allowed to play on the iPhone it now faces significant competition for iPhone ads with Apple itself, which has started rolling out in-application ads based on its iAds system.
Rare working Apple-1 to go on auction block this month
Rare working Apple-1 to go on auction block this month
An operational Apple-1 will go on the auction block later this month, and the rare computer is expected to fetch as much as $392,000.The 37-year-old machine -- thought to be one of only six in working condition -- is expected to sell for between $261,000 and $392,000 at the current exchange rate, according to German auctioneer Breker, which is conducting the sale. As impressive as that range may sound, it's far off the record mark of $640,000 set last December for Apple's first production computer.Constructed in 1976, the Apple-1 is one of only 200 produced.British auction house Sotheby's estimates that only 50 still exist.In a time when most personal computers were sold as self-assembly kits, the Apple-1 broke new ground as the first personal computer sold with a fully assembled motherboard. However, at a retail price of $666.66, the Apple-1 didn't include a casing, power supply, keyboard, or monitor.A cassette storage option could be purchased for an additional $72.The lot up for auction on May 25 includes the original owner's manual as well as a letter signed by Steve Jobs to original owner Fred Hatfield in which the late Apple co-founder offers to exchange the Apple-1 for an Apple 4K II for an additional $400. The back of the circuit board also bears the "Woz" mark of Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, who built the Apple-1 in Jobs' parents' garage.Early Apple machines have become a recent favorite among vintage computer collectors. While Breker sold another Apple-1 last December for a record $640,000, another Apple-1 sold for $374,500 at Sotheby's last June.
An operational Apple-1 will go on the auction block later this month, and the rare computer is expected to fetch as much as $392,000.The 37-year-old machine -- thought to be one of only six in working condition -- is expected to sell for between $261,000 and $392,000 at the current exchange rate, according to German auctioneer Breker, which is conducting the sale. As impressive as that range may sound, it's far off the record mark of $640,000 set last December for Apple's first production computer.Constructed in 1976, the Apple-1 is one of only 200 produced.British auction house Sotheby's estimates that only 50 still exist.In a time when most personal computers were sold as self-assembly kits, the Apple-1 broke new ground as the first personal computer sold with a fully assembled motherboard. However, at a retail price of $666.66, the Apple-1 didn't include a casing, power supply, keyboard, or monitor.A cassette storage option could be purchased for an additional $72.The lot up for auction on May 25 includes the original owner's manual as well as a letter signed by Steve Jobs to original owner Fred Hatfield in which the late Apple co-founder offers to exchange the Apple-1 for an Apple 4K II for an additional $400. The back of the circuit board also bears the "Woz" mark of Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, who built the Apple-1 in Jobs' parents' garage.Early Apple machines have become a recent favorite among vintage computer collectors. While Breker sold another Apple-1 last December for a record $640,000, another Apple-1 sold for $374,500 at Sotheby's last June.
How George Clooney Helped Write 'Gravity''s Most Controversial (and Brilliant) Scene
WARNING: The following post contains major spoilers for Gravity.Unless you;re an astronaut or a scientist out to pick apart all the little truths Gravity may or may not have stretched in order to create a captivating work of fiction, there aren;t many controversial moments to be found in the film. However there is one particular scene that stands out as what we;ll call the borderline scene -- and what that means is this scene pulls you completely out of the film before dropping you back in way deeper than you were before. The scene in question is the one where George Clooney;s Matt Kowalski character magically reappears beside Sandra Bullock;s Ryan Stone character toward the end of the film and the two have a conversation about her daughter.Had George Clooney;s character actually been there in the flesh, it would;ve severely hurt the film. It;s one of those scenes where you watch it for the first time and you cringe all the way through it, praying he;s a figment of her imagination. Please don;t actually be there Cloons!(Yeah we call him Cloons in my house, so whatever.) After it;s revealed that he is indeed a figment of her imagination, the scene still lingers in your mind because his imaginary presence also gives her a key piece of information that helps her continue to survive. At first you;re all like, Okay, I guess that;s convenient. Don;t we all wish we had Ghost George Clooney to help us out of a jam!What;s interesting about this scene -- and we;ll discuss just how brilliant it is in a minute -- is that Clooney wrote it all himself. In an interview with director Alfonso Cuarón, he admits as much while discussing the scene.We were struggling with rewrites, we’d stripped everything, a lot of the dialogue; we knew that anything that was going to be said, it was going to have a lot of weight, Cuarón said. There was one scene we were doing over and over and over, and George overheard that we were dealing with that. And then one night I receive an e-mail from him, saying, I heard you were struggling with this. I took a shot with the scene, Read it. Throw it out. And we ended up using it. This was exactly what we needed.When pressed to reveal the scene, Cuarón added, I probably shouldn’t, but it was when [Bullock’s character] was ready to go back [to Earth, near the end of the film]. When she has this dream and starts talking to Kowalski about her daughter. And that’s something that George wrote. You have an amazing partner when you work with him.UPDATE: Clooney followed up with The Wrap to say he didn;t write this entire scene, only a portion of it containing a specific piece of dialogue. “Alfonso’s such a sweet guy. He hands out credit to everyone all the time,” said Clooney. “I said, ‘You guys are struggling, here’s an idea.’ So I wrote out a scene, and there’s a portion of it in the movie about Sandy wanting to live. They were struggling with how to tell people she wants to live, and I said, ‘Maybe you say she talks to her little girl and says Mommy loves her.’”It;s a pretty risky scene -- one that, on paper, wreaks of the studio forcing Clooney into more of the movie -- but once you begin studying it a little, you come to understand why it makes perfect sense. Here;s Ryan Stone and she;s on the verge of freezing to death. Her oxygen is running out and she;s come to terms with the fact that these are the last minutes of her life. She begins conversing with a guy and his dog over the radio, and then Kowalski pops up out of nowhere. They chat about her deceased daughter, and then he hands her a critical piece of information about how to get out of there. Then -- poof! -- he;s gone.What actually begins to play itself out in this scene is a near-death experience for Stone (some are even suggesting this was, in fact, her death scene, and everything that came after involved some sort of journey to her soul). Naturally the last things on her mind involve human connection and her daughter, but something inside her keeps willing the newbie astronaut to survive. The key piece of information she receives from Kowalski was there all along, but her mind manifests this information inside the form of Kowalski because he;s the last person she had contact with -- and because he also serves as a mentor to her.This is a scene that changes the entire movie -- that borderline scene. It;s not only teetering between brilliance and corniness, but it;s also trapped somewhere between life and death, buried deep inside Ryan Stone;s subconscious. It;s ultimately up to you to decide whether or not it;s her subconscious we;re on a journey with following this scene, but I like to think it was that special something that punctured through her hallucinations and forced her to keep going. To keep surviving.That;s the message I personally want to take away from Gravity. That, when in doubt, the human spirit will prevail.It will guide us home
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