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Peter Gabriel on the digital revolution
Thursday, July 22, 2004 Posted: 1441 GMT (2241 HKT)
Gabriel: The "little guys" must stick together so they have a chance to compete.
The future should be [that] you can get anything, anytime, from wherever you are, anywhere, and whoever you are, whatever country, whatever language you speak
-- Peter Gabriel
LONDON, England (CNN) -- Four years ago, former Genesis frontman Peter Gabriel co-founded UK online music distributor On Demand Distribution (OD2). It was sold to U.S. company Loudeye in June for $38.6m (£21.1m).
The new company offers everything from 30-second snippets of songs to anti-piracy measures for music labels.
OD2 has long been viewed as Europe's primary digital download provider for music but it has found it increasingly difficult to retain that title as big players, including Sony, Apple and the now legal Napster, join the market.
Here, CNN's Becky Anderson talks to Gabriel about OD2 and the future of digital music downloading.
Anderson: What motivated you, a successful, musician and artist in your own right, to get involved in the business of digital distribution of music?
Gabriel: A number of reasons. I thought it was a good opportunity. I think it's very important for artists to get involved in the distribution. A new world is being created -- one is dying -- and if artists don't get involved, they're going to get screwed, like they usually do. My father pioneered this sort of digital content of electronic content in the 70s with a thing called "Dial-a-Program" and that was trying to provide entertainment-on-demand, education [and] all sorts of things that are now part of our everyday lives. And so I'd grown up with the idea that everything should be available on tap to everybody, so that was an interest for me. When we were working on this idea of an "experience park," sort of involving artists and scientists, we met a guy called Charles Grimsdale. [He] was running a company in Bristol, which was doing virtual reality, and that's how our connection originally happened. He approached me and said: 'I've been thinking about looking at music, do you think this is interesting?' And then we got involved and started it up and that was [in] about 1999, I think.
Anderson: There was a difference in what OD2 set out to be and what it eventually became, wasn't there?
Gabriel: It set out to provide -- and it still does -- a largely behind-the-scenes operation. So, you see it front other retailers -- whether it's Virgin, or Wannadoo, MSN or Tiscali -- and we basically provide the digital back-end and sort out all the payments afterwards. We were originally thinking we were going to do this for the independent record labels because the majors [record companies] had all these big announcements and big plans -- most of which died a death, fortunately for us -- so we gradually ended up working with all of the majors in Europe. It's very complicated, as I think some of the American big boys who are coming in now, are beginning to find. Each country has its own set of rules, its own sort of collection society for publishing, and so on. It wasn't that easy to get going, but once we were established, I think more and more people thought what we were trying to offer made sense.
Anderson: What influence has i-Tunes had how does what i-Tunes does, differ from OD2, and ultimately, Loudeye.
Gabriel: Since this sort of merger with Loudeye, Apple are now our clients instead of [our] competition. Really, I've been an Apple fan for many years. What [Apple CEO] Steve Jobs has also been brilliant at is marketing, [so] now maybe there's an extra zero here and there, but it does actually deliver. And the style in which they do things as a retailer here and as a producer of hardware, I think is excellent. You know, they've always had great design, great looks. They've successfully made the iPod into the product every young person or music fan wants to have. It's been a tremendous boost, I think, for the digital music world and I'm very pleased for that.
Anderson: The Internet has transformed the way we buy and listen to music; the digital revolution has an opportunity to transform the way that music is physically made, doesn't it? It's always been the big guys running this industry so is this an opportunity for musicians to come to the fore at this point?
Gabriel: Well, I really hope so, and there is an initiative that I began with [musician and producer] Brian Eno, called Mudda, which is a magnificent union of digitally downloading artists, and unlike OD2 -- which was always set out to be a commercial venture -- this is a more idealistic venture, which would be owned by artists for artists. So, there would be no business people or investors you [would] have to satisfy, but we need some initial capital, so we're working on that at the moment. But the theory then is that artists could become their own distributors, almost certainly with their record companies, but they can deliver stuff independently if they want. It's not really trying to set up something in opposition to the record companies, but for instance, on some deals now, an artist on a download of an album, or sorry a track, would see maybe only eight pence a track, which is much less if they would see in a physical sale. What I'm afraid of, personally, is that the business will, every time there is a technological breakthrough, the business thinks: "Ah, here we have another chance to claw a big chunk of the cake back for the business and away from the artist." And I think it's really important that artists act together -- which we are notoriously bad at doing -- and I hope that this union idea may get some blood behind it, and we will be able to become our own retailers in part.
Anderson: But you're not suggesting that record labels are going to get written out of the game, surely?
Gabriel: Well you see, I think that a lot of artists aren't very good when it comes to marketing or accounts or doing a lot of the jobs that record companies do, so we're going to want somebody to do that. And probably the people we will look to do it are probably those who have the experience. But what I fundamentally believe is that the relationship should be a partnership. It shouldn't be "we own you therefore we do what we want with your work." Those days should be gone, and if artists aren't smart enough to get off their arses and change that now, then we deserve what we get, because we have the opportunity [to change that]. It's quite hard talking to artists sometimes to get them motivated because there is not a lot of money in it at this point. But I think there will be and it's more sort of a power balance and I just think people in record companies now are a lot more willing to consider power-sharing deals.
Anderson: Do musicians then become retailers themselves?
Gabriel: Well, I think you'll have options. I think for your specific group of hardcore fans, you'll be able to sell them all sorts of things, as some artists are already doing. For the groups that I love, I would love to hear the whole creative process -- not just a piece of product that someone in a record company has decided is the only thing I should hear. I want to hear them scratching away trying to write the songs, failing to get the mixes and arrangements right, doing things in different ways, hearing different live versions, acoustic versions -- whatever it is. That whole process should be something that is available, where artists are comfortable opening it up to the public. You know, I feel fine about that and that sort of thing artists should be able to sell directly to their audience, you know once they've produced a piece of product as the business would call it, then it should go through all the normal commercial channels and all the normal retailers and there may be some special collaborations that people can do with different retailers because they have some marketing experience, they have some of their own music lovers that they will get to, that you won't. So, I think we all need each other in some way I'd like it to be a level playing field.
Anderson: I suggested that you have been a pioneer in the digital revolution as far as the music industry is concerned, what is the future?
Gabriel: The future should be [that] you can get anything, anytime, from wherever you are, anywhere, and whoever you are, whatever country, whatever language you speak. And then the question that is fundamental to me that follows that as day follows night, is how do I actually filter the stuff, how do I really get to the stuff that means something to me? And that you can only do with an intelligent filter systems, and we were beginning to look at that with OD2 and I'm sure we'll continue. It's something that interests me a lot because you have limited time, and you don't want, like with e-mail, you don't want all of the junk, you just want the bits that have some meaning for you.
Anderson: Are you convinced that the Internet and digital platforms will be accessible and successful as a platform for small independent labels and indeed small independent artists going forward, as they will be for the big boys?
Gabriel: That's always the question. There are deals being done now where the independents are going to get screwed again, I think. Where they're told they're on a level playing field but actually the big boys are. And again, I think it's only by staying together, and consolidating as a lump, that has some leverage and some power, that the little guy can have a chance to compete. The great thing about the economics of the digital world is that it's much cheaper to do everything and to reach people.
http://edition.cnn.com/2004/TECH/07/20/peter.gabriel/
Peter Gabriel on the digital revolution
Thursday, July 22, 2004 Posted: 1441 GMT (2241 HKT)
Gabriel: The "little guys" must stick together so they have a chance to compete.
The future should be [that] you can get anything, anytime, from wherever you are, anywhere, and whoever you are, whatever country, whatever language you speak
-- Peter Gabriel
LONDON, England (CNN) -- Four years ago, former Genesis frontman Peter Gabriel co-founded UK online music distributor On Demand Distribution (OD2). It was sold to U.S. company Loudeye in June for $38.6m (£21.1m).
The new company offers everything from 30-second snippets of songs to anti-piracy measures for music labels.
OD2 has long been viewed as Europe's primary digital download provider for music but it has found it increasingly difficult to retain that title as big players, including Sony, Apple and the now legal Napster, join the market.
Here, CNN's Becky Anderson talks to Gabriel about OD2 and the future of digital music downloading.
Anderson: What motivated you, a successful, musician and artist in your own right, to get involved in the business of digital distribution of music?
Gabriel: A number of reasons. I thought it was a good opportunity. I think it's very important for artists to get involved in the distribution. A new world is being created -- one is dying -- and if artists don't get involved, they're going to get screwed, like they usually do. My father pioneered this sort of digital content of electronic content in the 70s with a thing called "Dial-a-Program" and that was trying to provide entertainment-on-demand, education [and] all sorts of things that are now part of our everyday lives. And so I'd grown up with the idea that everything should be available on tap to everybody, so that was an interest for me. When we were working on this idea of an "experience park," sort of involving artists and scientists, we met a guy called Charles Grimsdale. [He] was running a company in Bristol, which was doing virtual reality, and that's how our connection originally happened. He approached me and said: 'I've been thinking about looking at music, do you think this is interesting?' And then we got involved and started it up and that was [in] about 1999, I think.
Anderson: There was a difference in what OD2 set out to be and what it eventually became, wasn't there?
Gabriel: It set out to provide -- and it still does -- a largely behind-the-scenes operation. So, you see it front other retailers -- whether it's Virgin, or Wannadoo, MSN or Tiscali -- and we basically provide the digital back-end and sort out all the payments afterwards. We were originally thinking we were going to do this for the independent record labels because the majors [record companies] had all these big announcements and big plans -- most of which died a death, fortunately for us -- so we gradually ended up working with all of the majors in Europe. It's very complicated, as I think some of the American big boys who are coming in now, are beginning to find. Each country has its own set of rules, its own sort of collection society for publishing, and so on. It wasn't that easy to get going, but once we were established, I think more and more people thought what we were trying to offer made sense.
Anderson: What influence has i-Tunes had how does what i-Tunes does, differ from OD2, and ultimately, Loudeye.
Gabriel: Since this sort of merger with Loudeye, Apple are now our clients instead of [our] competition. Really, I've been an Apple fan for many years. What [Apple CEO] Steve Jobs has also been brilliant at is marketing, [so] now maybe there's an extra zero here and there, but it does actually deliver. And the style in which they do things as a retailer here and as a producer of hardware, I think is excellent. You know, they've always had great design, great looks. They've successfully made the iPod into the product every young person or music fan wants to have. It's been a tremendous boost, I think, for the digital music world and I'm very pleased for that.
Anderson: The Internet has transformed the way we buy and listen to music; the digital revolution has an opportunity to transform the way that music is physically made, doesn't it? It's always been the big guys running this industry so is this an opportunity for musicians to come to the fore at this point?
Gabriel: Well, I really hope so, and there is an initiative that I began with [musician and producer] Brian Eno, called Mudda, which is a magnificent union of digitally downloading artists, and unlike OD2 -- which was always set out to be a commercial venture -- this is a more idealistic venture, which would be owned by artists for artists. So, there would be no business people or investors you [would] have to satisfy, but we need some initial capital, so we're working on that at the moment. But the theory then is that artists could become their own distributors, almost certainly with their record companies, but they can deliver stuff independently if they want. It's not really trying to set up something in opposition to the record companies, but for instance, on some deals now, an artist on a download of an album, or sorry a track, would see maybe only eight pence a track, which is much less if they would see in a physical sale. What I'm afraid of, personally, is that the business will, every time there is a technological breakthrough, the business thinks: "Ah, here we have another chance to claw a big chunk of the cake back for the business and away from the artist." And I think it's really important that artists act together -- which we are notoriously bad at doing -- and I hope that this union idea may get some blood behind it, and we will be able to become our own retailers in part.
Anderson: But you're not suggesting that record labels are going to get written out of the game, surely?
Gabriel: Well you see, I think that a lot of artists aren't very good when it comes to marketing or accounts or doing a lot of the jobs that record companies do, so we're going to want somebody to do that. And probably the people we will look to do it are probably those who have the experience. But what I fundamentally believe is that the relationship should be a partnership. It shouldn't be "we own you therefore we do what we want with your work." Those days should be gone, and if artists aren't smart enough to get off their arses and change that now, then we deserve what we get, because we have the opportunity [to change that]. It's quite hard talking to artists sometimes to get them motivated because there is not a lot of money in it at this point. But I think there will be and it's more sort of a power balance and I just think people in record companies now are a lot more willing to consider power-sharing deals.
Anderson: Do musicians then become retailers themselves?
Gabriel: Well, I think you'll have options. I think for your specific group of hardcore fans, you'll be able to sell them all sorts of things, as some artists are already doing. For the groups that I love, I would love to hear the whole creative process -- not just a piece of product that someone in a record company has decided is the only thing I should hear. I want to hear them scratching away trying to write the songs, failing to get the mixes and arrangements right, doing things in different ways, hearing different live versions, acoustic versions -- whatever it is. That whole process should be something that is available, where artists are comfortable opening it up to the public. You know, I feel fine about that and that sort of thing artists should be able to sell directly to their audience, you know once they've produced a piece of product as the business would call it, then it should go through all the normal commercial channels and all the normal retailers and there may be some special collaborations that people can do with different retailers because they have some marketing experience, they have some of their own music lovers that they will get to, that you won't. So, I think we all need each other in some way I'd like it to be a level playing field.
Anderson: I suggested that you have been a pioneer in the digital revolution as far as the music industry is concerned, what is the future?
Gabriel: The future should be [that] you can get anything, anytime, from wherever you are, anywhere, and whoever you are, whatever country, whatever language you speak. And then the question that is fundamental to me that follows that as day follows night, is how do I actually filter the stuff, how do I really get to the stuff that means something to me? And that you can only do with an intelligent filter systems, and we were beginning to look at that with OD2 and I'm sure we'll continue. It's something that interests me a lot because you have limited time, and you don't want, like with e-mail, you don't want all of the junk, you just want the bits that have some meaning for you.
Anderson: Are you convinced that the Internet and digital platforms will be accessible and successful as a platform for small independent labels and indeed small independent artists going forward, as they will be for the big boys?
Gabriel: That's always the question. There are deals being done now where the independents are going to get screwed again, I think. Where they're told they're on a level playing field but actually the big boys are. And again, I think it's only by staying together, and consolidating as a lump, that has some leverage and some power, that the little guy can have a chance to compete. The great thing about the economics of the digital world is that it's much cheaper to do everything and to reach people.
http://edition.cnn.com/2004/TECH/07/20/peter.gabriel/
Very OT and somewhat disgusting...
http://maccentral.macworld.com/news/2004/07/24/ipodminitokyo/
rather interesting iPod endorsement...
Bono Moves to Preempt Thieves
Wired News Report
11:09 AM Jul. 22, 2004 PT
Irish rockers U2 will release their recently stolen album on Apple's iTunes music store if it shows up online, according to a report in the London Daily Telegraph.
An advance copy of U2's brand new album, which is not due in stores until November, was stolen last week at a photo shoot in the south of France.
The band is worried the new songs will be posted to file-sharing networks. If so, lead singer Bono has a plan:
"If it is on the Internet this week, we will release it immediately as a legal download on iTunes, and get hard copies into the shops by the end of the month," Bono told the paper.
He added, "It would be a real pity. It would screw up years of work and months of planning, not to mention fucking up our holidays. But once it's out, it's out."
The album, Vertigo, will be the band's first release since the successful All That You Can't Leave Behind nearly four years ago.
A rough cut of the disk disappeared from a recording studio in Nice during a photo shoot. The band was putting together the finishing touches. Most of the album had previously been recorded in Dublin.
French police have launched a major operation to find the disc.
"A large slice of two years' work lifted via a piece of round plastic," said lead guitarist The Edge on the band's site. "It doesn't seem credible, but that's what's just happened to us."
Band manager Paul McGuinness said, "The band is so excited about (the album's) release. It would be a shame if unfinished work fell into the wrong hands."
Reuters contributed to this story.
http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,64310,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_3
Bono Moves to Preempt Thieves
Wired News Report
11:09 AM Jul. 22, 2004 PT
Irish rockers U2 will release their recently stolen album on Apple's iTunes music store if it shows up online, according to a report in the London Daily Telegraph.
An advance copy of U2's brand new album, which is not due in stores until November, was stolen last week at a photo shoot in the south of France.
The band is worried the new songs will be posted to file-sharing networks. If so, lead singer Bono has a plan:
"If it is on the Internet this week, we will release it immediately as a legal download on iTunes, and get hard copies into the shops by the end of the month," Bono told the paper.
He added, "It would be a real pity. It would screw up years of work and months of planning, not to mention fucking up our holidays. But once it's out, it's out."
The album, Vertigo, will be the band's first release since the successful All That You Can't Leave Behind nearly four years ago.
A rough cut of the disk disappeared from a recording studio in Nice during a photo shoot. The band was putting together the finishing touches. Most of the album had previously been recorded in Dublin.
French police have launched a major operation to find the disc.
"A large slice of two years' work lifted via a piece of round plastic," said lead guitarist The Edge on the band's site. "It doesn't seem credible, but that's what's just happened to us."
Band manager Paul McGuinness said, "The band is so excited about (the album's) release. It would be a shame if unfinished work fell into the wrong hands."
Reuters contributed to this story.
http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,64310,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_3
Awk, re: your post...
Nicely done!
Inside Look at Birth of the IPod
By Leander Kahney
02:00 AM Jul. 21, 2004 PT
Ben Knauss is a former senior manager at PortalPlayer, the company Apple Computer approached to help develop an MP3 player that would eventually become the wildly popular iPod.
Knauss shared his firsthand knowledge of the device's development, the glitches that almost killed it, and the extraordinary steps Apple took to keep the iPod a secret.
Knauss, who acted as the primary liaison between Apple and PortalPlayer, quit the company in 2001. According to Knauss, the iPod originated with a business idea dreamed up by Tony Fadell, an independent contractor and hardware expert who'd helped develop handheld devices at General Magic and Philips.
"Tony's idea was to take an MP3 player, build a Napster music sale service to complement it, and build a company around it," Knauss said. "Tony had the business idea."
Knauss said Fadell left Philips and set himself up as an independent contractor to shop the idea around. Knauss said Fadell approached several companies and was turned away by all of them, except for Apple.
Apple hired Fadell in early 2001 and assigned him a team of about 30 people -- "a typical industrial design team," Knauss said, including designers, programmers and hardware engineers. He's currently the senior director of iPod & Special Projects Group at Apple.
Knauss said at one of the first meetings with PortalPlayer, Fadell said, "This is the project that's going to remold Apple and 10 years from now, it's going to be a music business, not a computer business."
"Tony had an idea for a business process and Apple is transforming itself on his whim and an idea he had a few years ago," Knauss added.
Knauss said Fadell was familiar with PortalPlayer's reference designs for a couple of MP3 players, including one about the size of a cigarette packet. And though the design was unfinished, several prototypes had been built. "It was fairly ugly," he said. "It looked like an FM radio with a bunch of buttons." The interface, Knauss said, "was typical of an interface done by hardware guys."
But Knauss said Fadell recognized the design's potential. "Tony figured the product was there."
"(PortalPlayer) was attractive to Apple because we had an operating system," said Knauss. "That was a real selling point for Apple. We had the software and the hardware already done, and Apple was on a tight schedule."
Knauss said the reference design was about 80 percent complete when Apple came calling. For example, the prototype wouldn't support playlists longer than 10 songs. "Most of the time building the iPod was spent finishing our product," Knauss said.
At the time, PortalPlayer had 12 customers designing MP3 players based on the company's reference design. Most were Asian hardware manufacturers, Knauss said, but also included Teac and IBM.
Big Blue planned a small, black MP3 player, based on the company's own mini hard drives, which featured a unique circular screen and wireless Bluetooth headphones. "The design for IBM was a lot sexier," Knauss said.
But PortalPlayer went exclusively with Apple. "When Apple came to the table, we dropped all our other customers," Knauss said. For the next eight months, the company's 200 employees in the United States and 80 engineers in India worked exclusively on the iPod, Knauss said.
Apple had a list of features it wanted added to the reference design: Apple's preferred music format, AAC, as well as Audible's audio book format, and a five-band equalizer.
Apple also wanted a new interface, which it designed in-house in about three months, Knauss said.
And while Fadell may have had the business plan, Apple CEO Steve Jobs molded the device's shape, feel and design.
"The interesting thing about the iPod, is that since it started, it had 100 percent of Steve Jobs' time," said Knauss. "Not many projects get that. He was heavily involved in every single aspect of the project."
At the beginning of the project, Jobs held meetings about the iPod every two to three weeks, but when the first iPod prototypes were built, Jobs became involved daily.
"They'd have meetings and Steve would be horribly offended he couldn't get to the song he wanted in less than three pushes of a button," Knauss said. "We'd get orders: 'Steve doesn't think it's loud enough, the sharps aren't sharp enough, or the menu's not coming up fast enough.' Every day there were comments from Steve saying where it needed to be."
Knauss said Jobs' influence was sometimes idiosyncratic. For example, the iPod is louder than most MP3 players because Jobs is partly deaf, he said. "They drove the sound up so he could hear it," Knauss said.
Knauss noted that there were no demands to add FairPlay, Apple's copy-protection technology, which was appended to the second-generation iPod to coincide with the introduction of the iTunes music store.
"There was no discussion of (digital rights management)," Knauss said. "Their belief was DRM would hurt sales when they rolled out the music store. They specifically wanted no DRM in the original iPod."
Knauss said all the iPod prototypes -- and there were several -- were sealed tight inside a reinforced plastic box about the size of a shoebox.
"They put the buttons and the screen in creative locations all over the box so people couldn't tell what product was inside it and how small it was," Knauss said. "They always put the controls in different places -- the scroll wheel on the side, the screen on the top -- to make sure it wasn't predictable what the end design was. The only thing accessible was the jacks."
Knauss said the iPod project was nearly killed just as it drew to completion. Tests showed the iPod drained its batteries even when powered down. "It would have run three hours before going dead, and that was when it was turned off," Knauss said.
"The production lines had already been set up," Knauss said. "That was a tense part of the project: For eight weeks they thought they had a three-hour MP3 player."
Knauss said the problem was eventually fixed and shortly after, Apple bought a majority stake in the company.
Knauss stayed on until near the end of the iPod's development, but quit shortly before it was released because he had no confidence it would be a success.
"It was probably a mistake, but then you have to go with what you think at the time," he said.
Knauss, 33, is now contracting for Microsoft.
Apple, IBM and PortalPlayer did not respond to requests for comment, though PortalPlayer confirmed Knauss had been employed as a senior manager.
http://www.wired.com/news/mac/0,2125,64286,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_1
Countryboy, doesn't Dell use Envoy for smartcards? eom
OT...Sun ponders Solaris for Power, Itanium
[Why I posted? - Because this is an example of convergence of the OSs and Processors. Did I mention that Apple uses IBM's Power Chips and it is a Unix-based open source OS? Nah, I'm sure I did... : ) ]
Last modified: July 20, 2004, 7:01 PM PDT
By Stephen Shankland
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
Sun Microsystems, which has already resurrected its Solaris operating system for one processor architecture, is considering a further expansion to Intel's Itanium and IBM's Power chip families.
Sun floated the Solaris expansion idea during a conference call after reporting on Tuesday a return to revenue growth after 12 quarters of declines. The move happens at the same time Sun is embarked on an effort to bring its Java Enterprise System server software to rival operating systems.
"We've begun looking at Solaris on Power as well as Solaris on Itanium as a way of delivering incremental volume," said Jonathan Schwartz, who was appointed chief operating officer in April. Sun believes that distributing as high a volume of its technology as possible will mean the company will be able to recruit software partners more easily and have a bigger foundation for future sales of upgrades, services and software.
The Solaris project marks yet another aggressive expansion plan for a company that's cutting 3,300 jobs and trying to reduce expenses by $500 million in the next year. But Schwartz thinks it can be done.
"We're not worrying about spreading too thin," he said in an interview. The Solaris and Java Enterprise System expansions are projects he initiated, Schwartz said.
For years, Sun focused on just one processor architecture, UltraSparc, and one operating system, Solaris. Sun has been working to resurrect a version of Solaris for x86 chips such as Advanced Micro Devices' Opteron and Intel's Xeon.
The Santa Clara, Calif.-based server and software company also worked on Solaris for Itanium, but that project was canceled before it yielded a product, because of squabbling between Sun and Intel.
Intel and IBM could not be reached for comment Tuesday.
HP--which initiated Itanium, helped Intel develop it and is its biggest advocate--saw evidence of Sun's troubles in the move.
The Solaris expansion "demonstrates they know it's a two-horse race for high-end computing between Itanium and Power," said Mark Hudson, vice president of marketing for HP's Enterprise Storage and Servers group. "If they try to focus on both hardware--Sparc--and software they will fail, as they can't afford it," Hudson predicted.
Schwartz said Sun is "very" serious about the effort and argued that it's in the best interests of rivals who wish to spread their chip architectures to support Sun's push.
"It's up to the hardware vendors to worry about volumes, to join us in developing it and the ISV (independent software vendor) population," Schwartz said. "We have a very productive dialog currently ongoing with Intel. IBM has a bit tougher, but we'll get there."
Solaris is working on Itanium servers in the lab, Schwartz said.
Sun also is spreading its Java Enterprise System software to Windows, IBM's AIX version of Unix, and Hewlett-Packard's HP-UX version of Unix. Windows and HP-UX versions are due by the end of the year, Sun has said.
It's easier to embrace rival technology these days, McNealy said, because there's less of it.
"To be heterogeneous now isn't such a complicated thing anymore," McNealy said in an interview. "There's less stuff out there to be heterogeneous with. DEC is gone, HP-UX is going away, PA-RISC is gone," he said, referring to Digital Equipment Corp., HP's version of Unix and HP's in-house processor design.
But Sun considers the non-Solaris versions of Java Enterprise System a stepping-stone. "We've got to provide (customers) bridges and migrations. Ultimately, it makes more sense to be on a Sun Solaris sever than other environments running JES," McNealy said.
http://news.com.com/Sun+ponders+Solaris+for+Power%2C+Itanium/2100-1016_3-5277375.html?tag=nefd.hed
Snackman, let me explain more clearly since my past explanations have failed to carry the day...
First, I did annotate it as OT.
Second, I know it has the dreaded "Apple" name in the by-line and so that brings hoots and howls from the sideline (not withstanding the front cover of Newsweek this week of course).
Third, this article is primarily about DRM and copy protection. I believe (I may be in the minority) that DRM (and to a lesser degree copy protection), as an application, to be safely tied to privacy, authentication, and security must have a hardware component (read as TPM). Further, because of the nature of DRM as an application I believe it will require a PKI-like environment in order to authenticate users. This environment is, I argue, needs to run in a hardware (read as TPM) environment.
Fourth, HP is distributing iPods. This is a significant (in my view) distribution channel for the Windows environment. If you didn't see the latest announcement for the new iPod and the quote from HP let me supply it here:
"HP has chosen iPod and iTunes as the best products to integrate in to our digital entertainment strategy," said Carly Fiorina, chairman and chief executive officer at HP. "We decided to wait for this amazing new fourth generation iPod, as it will offer our customers an even better experience. HP's version of the new iPod will be available in September."
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040719/sfm060_1.html
I guess there is no place for a TPM in an iPod at HP? Please notice that the article to which I am defending was about copy protection of music in the iPod.
Now I know that some (including yourself) find Apple less than attractive. I am fully aware that I am disliked by some for any discussions regarding that OS and IBM driven PowerPC platform because it is not Intel/Dell. As I have said before and will say again, burying one's head in the sand to the overall DRM, music distribution, and platform environment is foolhardy at least and stupid at best. Look at the performance of InterTrust, SunnComm, and yes, Apple, since they started doing their things and I started "reporting" their movements.
I was ridiculed for InterTrust.
I am ridiculed for Apple.
I am ridiculed for SunnComm
I think the evidence indicates I have been on the right track.
I should mention that I am ridiculed for following Wave. Perhaps Wave is the one I will strike-out on? I don't think so but I freely admit that many here, including yourself, are far wiser and richer than I am and I will leave it for you to decide if I'm right or wrong on this. I have been blindly and stupidly lucky over the last fifteen years in technology investments. I am just lucky with throwing darts I guess...
Anyway, I will close with one last point as to why I think this post was OT but worthy of posting here:
CONVERGENCE.
I am not sure why I get to run through the hoop to defend OT postings regarding convergence when it has to do with that terrible company in Cupertino (not talking about Wave's office of course)? I think Steve Jobs does a better job discussing the idea of convergence in the latest Newsweek. It sure would be nice to see Lark Allen on the front cover of Newsweek.
Cheers!
A matter of trust (or lack thereof)
by Antoine Quint
Jul. 20, 2004
URL: http://www.svg.org/blogs/graouts/archives/001361.html
Macromedia, cornered by the mobile industry quite decided to stick to standards, finally decides to make a magic PR turn-around, and get with the SVG program. But you wouldn't think they'd give in without a dirty fight...
Macromedia's Mobile and Devices product manager, Troy Evans, writes about the Flash Lite / SVG Tiny relationship, full with inaccuracies and blatant lies, a sorry state of affairs... Here's a transcript of a journal entry of mine trying to set the record straight:
I am not going to comment on the pure marketing sides of this article, although there are a few things in there that made me raise my eyebrows. It's really when it gets technical that I feel the need to speak out.
Troy Evans writes "In doing so, handsets can now support the basic needs of vector graphics as defined in the SVG-T profile, as well as the richer interactive multimedia feature set Flash Lite 1.1 provides".
While he is right in pointing out that technically SVGT 1.1 does not offer a feature range as wide as Flash Lite, lack of programmatic (ie, through scripting an API) interactivity being the major difference, he is a little undermining when saying that SVGT only serves "the basic needs of vector graphics". SVGT 1.1 supports 99% of the declarative animation features found in SVG Full. This goes beyond simple vector graphics.
Troy Evans then touches briefly (brief as Macromedia's research of SVG I imagine) about differences between SVGT and Flash Lite: "SVG-T supports within its profile vector graphics, images, and text, but lacks the ability to add interactivity or audio without the use of additional auxiliary technologies such as JavaScript."
Huh? As I said above, SVGT 1.1 does not allow for programmatic interactivity, but through the animation features available, a fair amount of declarative interactivity can be achieved in SVGT 1.1. You can change object's colors, positions, geometrics and the likes in reposnse to mouse events. For a quick idea of what can be done today using SVGT 1.1 and its declarative interactivity features, you can go through the Beatware Mobile Designer (an excellent mobile SVG authoring tool) virtual tour. What we have there are things like buttons remotely triggering animations, buttons with animated rollover behaviors, navigation bars and popup menus. Not bad for a language that according to Macromedia "lacks the ability to add interactivity". Point taken for the lack of audio in SVGT 1.1 though, this is only in SVGT 1.2.
So Troy Evans is on a roll, but he doesn't stop there! "However, one of the problems with the SVG-T format is the many optional features that are inherent in the specification. So while our player conforms to the SVG-T standard, other implementations from other vendors may differ, causing differences in supported features across handsets and vendor implementations."
Ok, the number one requirement for SVG Tiny was, and still is, no optional parts. There isn't a single feature in SVG Tiny that is optional. Troy may be confusing SVG Basic and SVG Tiny here. I really can't believe a company like Macromedia can say something like "we're number one when it comes to SVG Tiny conformance", where no one I know have been able to independently test their implementation. And of course we all know the tremendous history Macromedia has with regards to SVG, trying to undermine it since its very creation years ago. So, would anyone take Troy's word and believe that Macromedia's SVG Tiny implementation is more compliant than, say, BitFlash's or ZOOMON's, two companies involved in the standardization process at W3C for years who also have a number of shipping mobile phones on the market today with their implementation built-in? This is preposterous.
The fact is SVG Tiny is truly a specification with excellent interoperability. Ask a major carrier like Vodafone what they think about the level of SVGT interoperability. They're making SVG Tiny one of the foundation technologies in their Vodafone live! client. Can you really believe that world's largest carrier would commit to a technology without appropriate insurance that it is reliable? It's only their flagship product after all...
It is becoming clearer every day, and we have evidence from the mobile phone market, that Flash Lite is getting its ass whooped by SVGT 1.1, even though SVGT 1.1 doesn't have all of its features and doesn't even have a multi-million dollar company pouring marketing resources into making it a success. And it's only getting worse as SVGT 1.2 is getting closer and closer and should be a recommendation within six months. Feature-wise SVGT 1.2 goes beyond Flash Lite's offerings, and with support from platforms like J2ME (through JSR-226) and Symbian (through Series 60 SE), you bet integration issues are pretty much figured out. And remember, SVGT is a standard, approved by W3C and 3GPP. No matter what play on words and rewrite of definitions Macromedia folks can come up with, Flash Lite is not standard.
In the end, Macromedia is only showing the world their ignorance of SVG, which doesn't come as a big surprise considering their lack of SVG support, ever. As a friend of mine says: "you need to trust a company if you are putting their product into millions of devices. Macromedia show they are not worthy of that trust". Realize!
Antoine Quint is an independent consultant focusing on the SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) standard, participating as an Invited Expert to the W3C SVG Working Group and promoting SVG through writings and conference appearances.
http://oreillynet.com/pub/wlg/5212
OT...Macrovision and SunnComm court Apple for a seachange in CDs
By Faultline
Published Monday 19th July 2004 20:49 GMT
The two big US copy protection specialists, Macrovision and SunnComm are both touting the idea that they need to become Apple iPod compliant and they might need the help of the big record labels to twist Apple’s arm into helping them.
Macrovision CEO Bill Krepnick when interviewed by Faultline two weeks ago hinted heavily at this, and now CNET this week has talked to both companies, each saying they are actively working on including iPod compatibility in their next generation of CD copy protection systems.
Macrovision made it clear to us that its next generation technology, due early next year, would also transfer its protection to any burned CDs so that those CDs could not be used as a source to copy onto file sharing networks. At present CD copy protection exists only on the original CD.
It is clear that both companies were deliberately leaking to the press in order to get their message across to Apple that they need to work together. Apple clearly isn’t so sure and has not yet responded to the overtures from the two companies.
Once Apple realizes that it may have a new revenue stream, based on a royalty payment from the cutting of every CD in the world, it may become more interested in co-operating with the CD protection specialists. The CNET piece cited SunnComm saying that 80 per cent of its complaints are now asking about why consumers can’t copy their CDs to their iPods, a subject of considerable frustration.
But the problems won’t go away if the record labels switch allegiance to Apple AAC format from the Microsoft WMA formats that they currently use to offer PC copies of music on protected PCs.
At the moment an unprotected audio-formated CD, when copied onto a PC, will end up in MPEG4’s audio format, which is the Appleinspired AAC.
Hand over or hands off?
But most copy protected CDs have a digital audio file that cannot be copied and a separate “data session,” that can be copied to a PC which is usually in the form of a Microsoft Windows Media audio file protected under Windows Media DRM licensed by SunnComm and Macrovision from Microsoft.
Replacing that setup with AAC files, not as a second session, but working from the original version, which is only copy-able under control of a DRM system such as Fairplay or something like it, would be great for iPod owners, and people that store their music in iTunes. But it creates a whole host of legacy problems and problems for players that accept WMA files only.
Instead of calls from iPod owners, the calls would just come from a different set of people. So as WMA players emerge and as Sony (which ships 25 million portable music players each year) delivers hard disk players supporting its own ATRAC file format, some people will stay unhappy if only iPod files and DRM are supported.
In the end what is required is a piece of software that will support handoff from the CD to any of Microsoft, Apple’s or Sony’s DRM but not to a system with no DRM. The copy protection companies seem to be edging towards just supporting Apple right now.
There is no way all three formats should be supported on the CD, making it bulky and more expensive, and it would become troublesome buying the version that suited your portable players if three different types were made. Instead a converter on each disk (or bundled into iTunes and Connect) that converted file formats in the copy process could easily be set up (MP3 converters abound). Then the handoff only to the three DRM formats (Window Media, Fairplay and MagicGate) might also be achieved, something that again we know that Macrovision is working on.
Copyright © 2004, Faultline
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/07/19/macrovision_and_sunncomm/
Macrovision and SunnComm court Apple for a seachange in CDs
By Faultline
Published Monday 19th July 2004 20:49 GMT
The two big US copy protection specialists, Macrovision and SunnComm are both touting the idea that they need to become Apple iPod compliant and they might need the help of the big record labels to twist Apple’s arm into helping them.
Macrovision CEO Bill Krepnick when interviewed by Faultline two weeks ago hinted heavily at this, and now CNET this week has talked to both companies, each saying they are actively working on including iPod compatibility in their next generation of CD copy protection systems.
Macrovision made it clear to us that its next generation technology, due early next year, would also transfer its protection to any burned CDs so that those CDs could not be used as a source to copy onto file sharing networks. At present CD copy protection exists only on the original CD.
It is clear that both companies were deliberately leaking to the press in order to get their message across to Apple that they need to work together. Apple clearly isn’t so sure and has not yet responded to the overtures from the two companies.
Once Apple realizes that it may have a new revenue stream, based on a royalty payment from the cutting of every CD in the world, it may become more interested in co-operating with the CD protection specialists. The CNET piece cited SunnComm saying that 80 per cent of its complaints are now asking about why consumers can’t copy their CDs to their iPods, a subject of considerable frustration.
But the problems won’t go away if the record labels switch allegiance to Apple AAC format from the Microsoft WMA formats that they currently use to offer PC copies of music on protected PCs.
At the moment an unprotected audio-formated CD, when copied onto a PC, will end up in MPEG4’s audio format, which is the Appleinspired AAC.
Hand over or hands off?
But most copy protected CDs have a digital audio file that cannot be copied and a separate “data session,” that can be copied to a PC which is usually in the form of a Microsoft Windows Media audio file protected under Windows Media DRM licensed by SunnComm and Macrovision from Microsoft.
Replacing that setup with AAC files, not as a second session, but working from the original version, which is only copy-able under control of a DRM system such as Fairplay or something like it, would be great for iPod owners, and people that store their music in iTunes. But it creates a whole host of legacy problems and problems for players that accept WMA files only.
Instead of calls from iPod owners, the calls would just come from a different set of people. So as WMA players emerge and as Sony (which ships 25 million portable music players each year) delivers hard disk players supporting its own ATRAC file format, some people will stay unhappy if only iPod files and DRM are supported.
In the end what is required is a piece of software that will support handoff from the CD to any of Microsoft, Apple’s or Sony’s DRM but not to a system with no DRM. The copy protection companies seem to be edging towards just supporting Apple right now.
There is no way all three formats should be supported on the CD, making it bulky and more expensive, and it would become troublesome buying the version that suited your portable players if three different types were made. Instead a converter on each disk (or bundled into iTunes and Connect) that converted file formats in the copy process could easily be set up (MP3 converters abound). Then the handoff only to the three DRM formats (Window Media, Fairplay and MagicGate) might also be achieved, something that again we know that Macrovision is working on.
Copyright © 2004, Faultline
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/07/19/macrovision_and_sunncomm/
You know what really p*sses me off?
When good DD gets no attention and personality battles rein supreme. I don't get it! What are we here for - chasing around some poster's use of grammar and logos or technological discoveries that impact Wave Systems?
helpfulbacteria and micro just posted a couple of things that are worthy of discussion and most choose to chase around a poster who is laughing his/her arse off at the circle jerk of shadow chasing.
There is a seldom used feature that iHub has designed. Some might consider using it and supporting the discovery process. Oh, that feature is called...
IGNORE!
Unless of course I have it wrong and many are here for the social interaction and not the technology at all in which case I should just shut my mouth.
micro, I find that interesting...
...thanks for digging it up and posting.
Why is Intel talking about TPMs in the same sentance with POS and ATMs [I wonder]?
Do we have any Intel experts on the board that can cast a negative or positive light as to why Intel would offer such a product?
OT...ARM and Broadcom Announce Strategic Partnership to Develop Next-Generation Communications Products
Date(s): 7/20/2004
For a complete listing of our News Releases, please click here.
Leading Provider of Consumer Digital, Wireless and Networking
Chipsets Aligns Roadmap with ARM Microprocessors
CAMBRIDGE, England and IRVINE, Calif., Jul 20, 2004 /PRNewswire-
FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- ARM (LSE: ARM); (Nasdaq: ARMHY), and
Broadcom Corporation (Nasdaq: BRCM), a leading provider of highly
integrated semiconductor solutions enabling broadband
communications, announced today a broad agreement to partner in
the development of ARM(R) technology-based products optimized for
a wide range of communications applications.
The partnership will enable Broadcom to use ARM technology to
further accelerate its leadership position in a number of markets,
including next-generation mobile, networking, and wireless
devices. The two companies also expect that through the extended
partnership, Broadcom's expertise in broadband and wireless
communications will assist ARM in developing better microprocessor
solutions for these high-growth markets.
The new agreement includes the ARM7(TM), ARM9(TM) and ARM11(TM)
families of microprocessors and supporting technology, including
TrustZone(TM) technology for data security, Jazelle(R) technology
for Java(R) acceleration, and hardware support for the ARM
Intelligent Energy Manager solution.
Since the companies' original agreement in February 2002, Broadcom
has incorporated ARM7 and ARM9 family microprocessors into its
communications chip sets that require very low power yet high
performance, including Broadcom(R) GSM, GPRS, EDGE, and
Bluetooth(TM) products. Currently available end products powered
by these chips include the Treo(TM) 600 from palmOne(TM), Sony
Ericsson's tri-band GC-75/GC-82 GPRS PC card modem, and multimedia
GSM/GPRS handsets from Ningbo Bird, China's largest supplier of
cellular phones nationally and abroad.
"We believe that Broadcom can impact the industry in a number of
important ways by adding ARM's most advanced technologies to the
portfolio of microprocessor architectures employed in our
communications products," said Alan E. Ross, president and CEO of
Broadcom. "Combining our expertise in communications
semiconductors with ARM's high performance microprocessor
subsystems enhances Broadcom's leadership in embedded systems
markets."
"As a leader in digital consumer, wireless and networking
communications products, Broadcom is strategically aligned with
ARM's target markets," said Warren East, CEO of ARM. "There is
extensive synergy between Broadcom's portfolio and the ARM
technologies covered under the agreement, and ARM will certainly
benefit from a focused collaboration on future generations of
processors optimized for these markets."
Sci Am article on direct anonymous attestation (DAA)...
I just finished reading this article in my subscription. Unfortunately you will have to purchase it. There is a discussion on the history of attestation (starting with Dave Chaum in 1991) and how it works with the TPM and the Trusted Computing Group.
There is also a sidebar entitled "Not So Trustworthy?" that warrants a read as well.
Anonymous Trust; August 2004; by Wendy M. Grossman; 3 page(s)
Under pressure to battle incessant hacker attacks, viruses and identity theft, Microsoft in 2002 came up with a scheme dubbed Palladium, which would rely on special computer hardware that would refuse to run malicious programming code or betray users' secrets. A form of "trusted computing," the idea drew several objections - chief among them, it would enable remote organizations to track what users do with their machines. Now a technology based on a decade-old idea promises better-protected machines and transactions while removing the fear of monitoring.
The strategy is called direct anonymous attestation (DAA). The plan is that computers will have a secure mode in which they will run only applications that have been authenticated by remote trusted certification authorities ("attested"); moreover, these authorities would not necessarily be able identify them or their owners. A security chip on a computer motherboard or embedded in other devices would perform such gatekeeping tasks, functioning according to specifications laid down by the Trusted Computing Group, a consortium that includes Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard, Intel and IBM.
http://www.sciamdigital.com/browse.cfm?sequencenameCHAR=item2&methodnameCHAR=resource_getitembro...
iPod and Jobs on cover of Newsweek...
http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/msnbc/Sections/Newsweek/Components/Photos/mag/040726_issue/040717_COVER....
Zen and all, re: spyware...
I can't even imagine!
And the Mac ain't consider even OT around here.
Something that very well might lead to SunnComm exploding...
Police probe missing U2 songs
Friday, July 16, 2004 Posted: 8:34 AM EDT (1234 GMT)
U2: The Edge (left) says much of two years' work was lost.
PARIS, France -- Irish rock band U2 have called in the police after a copy of songs from their new CD disappeared while they were posing for the cover photo.
An unfinished copy of the group's upcoming CD disappeared while the Irish rock band was posing for the album cover in a studio outside Nice, southern France.
About 20 people who were at Tuesday's photo shoot were questioned by police, who told The Associated Press it was unclear whether the CD's disappearance was accidental or theft.
"A large slice of two years work lifted via a piece of round plastic. It doesn't seem credible but that's what's just happened to us... and it was my CD.," guitarist Edge told the band's official Web site.
The CD contained tracks to be included on their new album, the first in four years, tipped to be called Vertigo.
According to U2.com, the band recently completed much of the recording of the much-awaited new album in Dublin and have been involved in post-production work in France.
It was to be the first new studio album from U2 since "All That You Can't Leave Behind" nearly four years ago.
"The recording of this album has been going so well," added Paul McGuinness of Principle Management.
"The band is so excited about its release. It would be a shame if unfinished work fell into the wrong hands."
"This matter is of great concern to us," said Lucian Grainge, Chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group UK.
"As the missing CD is our property, we're very keen find it as soon as possible and the French police are being extremely helpful in this regard."
Reports say the new album could end up on the Internet where fans would be able to download it for free -- costing the band and the record company millions in lost revenue.
http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/europe/07/16/france.u2/index.html
"It also raised the question again, often asked, of when and whether Apple might turn to a chip supplier like Intel Corp. or Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (NYSE:AMD - News)."
http://biz.yahoo.com/rb/040716/tech_apple_ibm_1.html
In case anyone cares what the U.S. Government thinks...
The National Cyber Security Partnership's Task Force on Technical Standards and Common Criteria has released a recommendation report. It addressed common security configurations and common criteria issues and the NIAP review. The focus is on vendors, user groups and the U.S. Government as to how to improve the quality and security of this nation's cyber infrastructure.
http://www.cyberpartnership.org/init-tech.html
Anybody that thinks music is not important and DRM for it...
"It was an outstanding quarter -- our highest third-quarter revenue in eight years," said Apple's chief executive Steve Jobs. "Our Mac-based revenue grew a healthy 19 percent, and our music-based revenue grew an incredible 162 percent."
BTW, selling music means you must have hardware for it to run on. Watching the sales of music (freely reported at over 100,000,000 downloads since launch) gives an indication to the sales of hardware (and OS's) that run it.
For the moment they are insulated from attacks and viruses. The question is, how far away is a piece of silicon to protect the kingdom? If you think they are considering it then you might consider this: Apple was the first company to make good money off of DRM PROTECTED music. Eventually it will need to be run on silicon because with popularity comes hackers, crackers, and wavoids.
IMHO, music is the proving ground for movies in the future.
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/040715/earns_apple_2.html
a couple of question marks...
Whatever would Intel be doing playing in the DRM space again? I heard a long time ago that Intel was forced by MSFT to spin out InterTrust. I recently heard that Sony (joint owner of InterTrust) was involved with a "new" DRM development with Intel and a rather important content provider (Disney?).
The silicon is accounted for (Infineon, Atmel, STM, etc.).
The motherboards are accounted for.
DRM (application secured by silicon) is seemingly accounted for now too.
What about the OS for the silicon?
How about the server infrastructure?
dilleet, I am looking for video conferencing software for business and collaboration where more than 2 people can participate and see each other on the desktop.
Thanks for your help!
Bootz, sorry to offend...
I was hoping to get a recommendation from someone here using a conferencing software with the iSight.
dilleet, sorry...
Yes, I am looking to video conference more than two people. I tried VidiTel for the PC and I loved it. I am hoping there is something similar in the iChat lineup.
Anybody know if you can video conference with iChat/iSight camera? eom
iPod undermines Microsoft on copy-locked CDs
iPod undermines Microsoft on copy-locked CDs
By John Borland
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
Click here to access article online
Story last modified July 12, 2004, 4:00 AM PDT
When a copy-protected CD hit No. 1 on the U.S. music sales charts last month, it marked a breakthrough for the antipiracy technology in all but one sense: The music still wouldn't play on Apple's iPod.
News.context
What's new:
Two big players in the CD copy-protection business were relying on Microsoft's Windows Media Audio format to placate consumers and create songs that could be copied in a limited way. That gave Microsoft a potentially profitable inroad into the music industry. Until, that is, Apple's iPod became a phenomenon. The iPod doesn't do WMA--thus, neither will many consumers.
Bottom line:
A copy-protected CD recently hit No. 1 on the U.S. charts--without iPod compatibility. Still, some say CDs will have to play nice with the iPod if antipiracy technology is to succeed. That means the door may be closing on Microsoft, and opening for Apple's own FairPlay technology.
Now the two companies responsible for most copy-protected CDs are scrambling to create new versions of their technologies that are compatible with Apple's popular digital music player. In the process, they're both making substantial changes in the way CDs are digitally locked, changes that could ultimately be a setback to recent Microsoft strides into the music business.
"If you look at the 500 or 600 customer service comments we've gotten, you see that 80 percent of them have to do with iPod compatibility," said SunnComm International Chief Executive Officer Peter Jacobs, whose technology was loaded on last month's chart-topping Velvet Revolver disc. "The rest are, 'Why can't I do what I want with my music.' And a lot of those are really iPod questions too."
The effort on the part of record labels to protect music CDs against unauthorized copying and "ripping" has been in limbo for several years while the companies that make the technology have been trying to work out bugs that sometimes prevent discs from being played. But new discs are now finding their way into United States markets in growing numbers.
The idea continues to spark bitter criticism in many circles. For example, the release of last month's Beastie Boys album in copy-protected form in several overseas markets prompted a wave of angry comments on fan sites around the world, even provoking a response from the band on its Web site.
Nevertheless, labels see the success of BMG Music's Velvet Revolver disc, as well as a handful of other recent releases, as a good sign and say they're now likely to go ahead with more experiments. The SunnComm technology used by BMG is anything but bulletproof--simply holding down the computer's Shift key can disarm the protection on PCs--but BMG executives have said the protection is enough to dissuade many casual copiers.
Still, the fact that makers of antipiracy technology are approaching Apple and the iPod marks a new direction for copy protection.
iPod's rise squashes Microsoft advantage
For the past several years, both SunnComm and rival Macrovision have worked to put two different versions of songs on each protected album. The first set of tunes is a locked-down version of the CD's content. The second set consists of digital tracks that can be transferred to a computer or to some portable music devices.
That "second session" has been filled, to date, with songs in Microsoft's Windows Media Audio format. Both companies chose the WMA format because it's supported by virtually every PC on the market, and a large number of different portable players.
The decision, which was never warmly embraced by all the major record labels, appeared to give Microsoft the potential for powerful and profitable inroads into the music business. If songs in its format were to be included on every CD, WMA could go a long way toward becoming a de facto digital music standard.
But the subsequent meteoric rise of the iPod--which does not play Microsoft-formatted music--has forced a change in plans: no more reliance on Microsoft's technology, no more second session and an appeal to Apple for compatibility.
SunnComm and Macrovision each say that the new generations of their technology, due later this summer and early next year, respectively, will let people effortlessly create versions of songs for computers and portable players, in almost the same way people rip CDs to create MP3 files today. Software will be loaded on the music CDs that will help create a new copy-protected file in a form that can be played on an iPod, or on Microsoft-compatible players such as the Rio Karma, or on whatever else a consumer might be using.
"It's clear that because the hot portable player of (the day) is a constantly shifting target, the (era) of having fixed (digital rights management) stored on CDs is over," said Adam Gervin, senior director of marketing at Macrovision.
That's the theory, at least. The sticking point remains Apple, which has not yet licensed its iPod-compatible FairPlay digital rights management technology to anyone.
Some signs point to progress in this area. Gervin said his company has already demonstrated iPod support to record labels, although he declined to say whether Macrovision has a license to use Apple's code in a final product. Jacobs said he too was optimistic that Apple would provide the tools needed.
Indeed, if Apple is able to license its digital rights management technology for use on copy-protected CDs, it could be a promising new revenue source, depending on the terms. Apple declined to comment on the issue.
Analysts said the move toward iPod compatibility is very important if copy protection for music CDs is to succeed.
"It's fairly critical," said GartnerG2 analyst Mike McGuire. "If the labels start hearing that the reason people aren't buying an album is because it won't work on the iPod, then you'll see some reaction."
A Microsoft spokeswoman said the company had been happy with the way its tools had been used by record labels to date but that she was unfamiliar with SunnComm's most recent plans.
ABOUT SUNNCOMM:
SunnComm International’s (OTC:SCMI) copy-management technology was commercially released by Music City records in 2001 and became the first copy managed commercial CD in America. Following that landmark even, it has become a leader in digital content enhancement and security technology for optical media with its MediaMax M4 suite of products and became the first company to commercially release a content-protected audio CD utilizing an early version of the Windows Media Data Session Toolkit..
SunnComm’s MediaMax M4 Suite of Digital Content Enhancement technologies are built using Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) Windows Media 9 Series but operate on both Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Windows-based systems. For more detailed information about the company, its vision or philosophy, personnel, partners, and customers, please visit the company’s Web site at http://www.sunncomm.com, or call the Company directly at (602) 267-7500, and ask for shareholder relations.
For additional information or investor relations please contact:
Company contact:
Kimberly Faulkner
602.267.7500
kimf@sunncomm.com
Investor contact:
Investor Comm. Consulting
602-231-0681
scmi@investorcc.com
MediaMax Digital Content Cloaking Technology, DC2, PromoPlay, TuneShare, MusicMail, Secure-Burn and SunnComm are registered and/or trademarks of SunnComm International, Inc., in the United States and/or other countries. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
NOTES ABOUT FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Statements contained in this release, which are not historical facts, may be considered "forward-looking statements" under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and the current economic environment.
We caution the reader that such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. Unknown risk, uncertainties as well as other uncontrollable or unknown factors could cause actual results to materially differ from the results, performance or expectations expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.
OT...iPod undermines Microsoft on copy-locked CDs
iPod undermines Microsoft on copy-locked CDs
By John Borland
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
Click here to access article online
Story last modified July 12, 2004, 4:00 AM PDT
When a copy-protected CD hit No. 1 on the U.S. music sales charts last month, it marked a breakthrough for the antipiracy technology in all but one sense: The music still wouldn't play on Apple's iPod.
News.context
What's new:
Two big players in the CD copy-protection business were relying on Microsoft's Windows Media Audio format to placate consumers and create songs that could be copied in a limited way. That gave Microsoft a potentially profitable inroad into the music industry. Until, that is, Apple's iPod became a phenomenon. The iPod doesn't do WMA--thus, neither will many consumers.
Bottom line:
A copy-protected CD recently hit No. 1 on the U.S. charts--without iPod compatibility. Still, some say CDs will have to play nice with the iPod if antipiracy technology is to succeed. That means the door may be closing on Microsoft, and opening for Apple's own FairPlay technology.
Now the two companies responsible for most copy-protected CDs are scrambling to create new versions of their technologies that are compatible with Apple's popular digital music player. In the process, they're both making substantial changes in the way CDs are digitally locked, changes that could ultimately be a setback to recent Microsoft strides into the music business.
"If you look at the 500 or 600 customer service comments we've gotten, you see that 80 percent of them have to do with iPod compatibility," said SunnComm International Chief Executive Officer Peter Jacobs, whose technology was loaded on last month's chart-topping Velvet Revolver disc. "The rest are, 'Why can't I do what I want with my music.' And a lot of those are really iPod questions too."
The effort on the part of record labels to protect music CDs against unauthorized copying and "ripping" has been in limbo for several years while the companies that make the technology have been trying to work out bugs that sometimes prevent discs from being played. But new discs are now finding their way into United States markets in growing numbers.
The idea continues to spark bitter criticism in many circles. For example, the release of last month's Beastie Boys album in copy-protected form in several overseas markets prompted a wave of angry comments on fan sites around the world, even provoking a response from the band on its Web site.
Nevertheless, labels see the success of BMG Music's Velvet Revolver disc, as well as a handful of other recent releases, as a good sign and say they're now likely to go ahead with more experiments. The SunnComm technology used by BMG is anything but bulletproof--simply holding down the computer's Shift key can disarm the protection on PCs--but BMG executives have said the protection is enough to dissuade many casual copiers.
Still, the fact that makers of antipiracy technology are approaching Apple and the iPod marks a new direction for copy protection.
iPod's rise squashes Microsoft advantage
For the past several years, both SunnComm and rival Macrovision have worked to put two different versions of songs on each protected album. The first set of tunes is a locked-down version of the CD's content. The second set consists of digital tracks that can be transferred to a computer or to some portable music devices.
That "second session" has been filled, to date, with songs in Microsoft's Windows Media Audio format. Both companies chose the WMA format because it's supported by virtually every PC on the market, and a large number of different portable players.
The decision, which was never warmly embraced by all the major record labels, appeared to give Microsoft the potential for powerful and profitable inroads into the music business. If songs in its format were to be included on every CD, WMA could go a long way toward becoming a de facto digital music standard.
But the subsequent meteoric rise of the iPod--which does not play Microsoft-formatted music--has forced a change in plans: no more reliance on Microsoft's technology, no more second session and an appeal to Apple for compatibility.
SunnComm and Macrovision each say that the new generations of their technology, due later this summer and early next year, respectively, will let people effortlessly create versions of songs for computers and portable players, in almost the same way people rip CDs to create MP3 files today. Software will be loaded on the music CDs that will help create a new copy-protected file in a form that can be played on an iPod, or on Microsoft-compatible players such as the Rio Karma, or on whatever else a consumer might be using.
"It's clear that because the hot portable player of (the day) is a constantly shifting target, the (era) of having fixed (digital rights management) stored on CDs is over," said Adam Gervin, senior director of marketing at Macrovision.
That's the theory, at least. The sticking point remains Apple, which has not yet licensed its iPod-compatible FairPlay digital rights management technology to anyone.
Some signs point to progress in this area. Gervin said his company has already demonstrated iPod support to record labels, although he declined to say whether Macrovision has a license to use Apple's code in a final product. Jacobs said he too was optimistic that Apple would provide the tools needed.
Indeed, if Apple is able to license its digital rights management technology for use on copy-protected CDs, it could be a promising new revenue source, depending on the terms. Apple declined to comment on the issue.
Analysts said the move toward iPod compatibility is very important if copy protection for music CDs is to succeed.
"It's fairly critical," said GartnerG2 analyst Mike McGuire. "If the labels start hearing that the reason people aren't buying an album is because it won't work on the iPod, then you'll see some reaction."
A Microsoft spokeswoman said the company had been happy with the way its tools had been used by record labels to date but that she was unfamiliar with SunnComm's most recent plans.
ABOUT SUNNCOMM:
SunnComm International’s (OTC:SCMI) copy-management technology was commercially released by Music City records in 2001 and became the first copy managed commercial CD in America. Following that landmark even, it has become a leader in digital content enhancement and security technology for optical media with its MediaMax M4 suite of products and became the first company to commercially release a content-protected audio CD utilizing an early version of the Windows Media Data Session Toolkit..
SunnComm’s MediaMax M4 Suite of Digital Content Enhancement technologies are built using Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) Windows Media 9 Series but operate on both Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Windows-based systems. For more detailed information about the company, its vision or philosophy, personnel, partners, and customers, please visit the company’s Web site at http://www.sunncomm.com, or call the Company directly at (602) 267-7500, and ask for shareholder relations.
For additional information or investor relations please contact:
Company contact:
Kimberly Faulkner
602.267.7500
kimf@sunncomm.com
Investor contact:
Investor Comm. Consulting
602-231-0681
scmi@investorcc.com
MediaMax Digital Content Cloaking Technology, DC2, PromoPlay, TuneShare, MusicMail, Secure-Burn and SunnComm are registered and/or trademarks of SunnComm International, Inc., in the United States and/or other countries. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
iPod undermines Microsoft on copy-locked CDs
iPod undermines Microsoft on copy-locked CDs
By John Borland
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
Click here to access article online
Story last modified July 12, 2004, 4:00 AM PDT
When a copy-protected CD hit No. 1 on the U.S. music sales charts last month, it marked a breakthrough for the antipiracy technology in all but one sense: The music still wouldn't play on Apple's iPod.
News.context
What's new:
Two big players in the CD copy-protection business were relying on Microsoft's Windows Media Audio format to placate consumers and create songs that could be copied in a limited way. That gave Microsoft a potentially profitable inroad into the music industry. Until, that is, Apple's iPod became a phenomenon. The iPod doesn't do WMA--thus, neither will many consumers.
Bottom line:
A copy-protected CD recently hit No. 1 on the U.S. charts--without iPod compatibility. Still, some say CDs will have to play nice with the iPod if antipiracy technology is to succeed. That means the door may be closing on Microsoft, and opening for Apple's own FairPlay technology.
Now the two companies responsible for most copy-protected CDs are scrambling to create new versions of their technologies that are compatible with Apple's popular digital music player. In the process, they're both making substantial changes in the way CDs are digitally locked, changes that could ultimately be a setback to recent Microsoft strides into the music business.
"If you look at the 500 or 600 customer service comments we've gotten, you see that 80 percent of them have to do with iPod compatibility," said SunnComm International Chief Executive Officer Peter Jacobs, whose technology was loaded on last month's chart-topping Velvet Revolver disc. "The rest are, 'Why can't I do what I want with my music.' And a lot of those are really iPod questions too."
The effort on the part of record labels to protect music CDs against unauthorized copying and "ripping" has been in limbo for several years while the companies that make the technology have been trying to work out bugs that sometimes prevent discs from being played. But new discs are now finding their way into United States markets in growing numbers.
The idea continues to spark bitter criticism in many circles. For example, the release of last month's Beastie Boys album in copy-protected form in several overseas markets prompted a wave of angry comments on fan sites around the world, even provoking a response from the band on its Web site.
Nevertheless, labels see the success of BMG Music's Velvet Revolver disc, as well as a handful of other recent releases, as a good sign and say they're now likely to go ahead with more experiments. The SunnComm technology used by BMG is anything but bulletproof--simply holding down the computer's Shift key can disarm the protection on PCs--but BMG executives have said the protection is enough to dissuade many casual copiers.
Still, the fact that makers of antipiracy technology are approaching Apple and the iPod marks a new direction for copy protection.
iPod's rise squashes Microsoft advantage
For the past several years, both SunnComm and rival Macrovision have worked to put two different versions of songs on each protected album. The first set of tunes is a locked-down version of the CD's content. The second set consists of digital tracks that can be transferred to a computer or to some portable music devices.
That "second session" has been filled, to date, with songs in Microsoft's Windows Media Audio format. Both companies chose the WMA format because it's supported by virtually every PC on the market, and a large number of different portable players.
The decision, which was never warmly embraced by all the major record labels, appeared to give Microsoft the potential for powerful and profitable inroads into the music business. If songs in its format were to be included on every CD, WMA could go a long way toward becoming a de facto digital music standard.
But the subsequent meteoric rise of the iPod--which does not play Microsoft-formatted music--has forced a change in plans: no more reliance on Microsoft's technology, no more second session and an appeal to Apple for compatibility.
SunnComm and Macrovision each say that the new generations of their technology, due later this summer and early next year, respectively, will let people effortlessly create versions of songs for computers and portable players, in almost the same way people rip CDs to create MP3 files today. Software will be loaded on the music CDs that will help create a new copy-protected file in a form that can be played on an iPod, or on Microsoft-compatible players such as the Rio Karma, or on whatever else a consumer might be using.
"It's clear that because the hot portable player of (the day) is a constantly shifting target, the (era) of having fixed (digital rights management) stored on CDs is over," said Adam Gervin, senior director of marketing at Macrovision.
That's the theory, at least. The sticking point remains Apple, which has not yet licensed its iPod-compatible FairPlay digital rights management technology to anyone.
Some signs point to progress in this area. Gervin said his company has already demonstrated iPod support to record labels, although he declined to say whether Macrovision has a license to use Apple's code in a final product. Jacobs said he too was optimistic that Apple would provide the tools needed.
Indeed, if Apple is able to license its digital rights management technology for use on copy-protected CDs, it could be a promising new revenue source, depending on the terms. Apple declined to comment on the issue.
Analysts said the move toward iPod compatibility is very important if copy protection for music CDs is to succeed.
"It's fairly critical," said GartnerG2 analyst Mike McGuire. "If the labels start hearing that the reason people aren't buying an album is because it won't work on the iPod, then you'll see some reaction."
A Microsoft spokeswoman said the company had been happy with the way its tools had been used by record labels to date but that she was unfamiliar with SunnComm's most recent plans.
ABOUT SUNNCOMM:
SunnComm International’s (OTC:SCMI) copy-management technology was commercially released by Music City records in 2001 and became the first copy managed commercial CD in America. Following that landmark even, it has become a leader in digital content enhancement and security technology for optical media with its MediaMax M4 suite of products and became the first company to commercially release a content-protected audio CD utilizing an early version of the Windows Media Data Session Toolkit..
SunnComm’s MediaMax M4 Suite of Digital Content Enhancement technologies are built using Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) Windows Media 9 Series but operate on both Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Windows-based systems. For more detailed information about the company, its vision or philosophy, personnel, partners, and customers, please visit the company’s Web site at http://www.sunncomm.com, or call the Company directly at (602) 267-7500, and ask for shareholder relations.
For additional information or investor relations please contact:
Company contact:
Kimberly Faulkner
602.267.7500
kimf@sunncomm.com
Investor contact:
Investor Comm. Consulting
602-231-0681
scmi@investorcc.com
MediaMax Digital Content Cloaking Technology, DC2, PromoPlay, TuneShare, MusicMail, Secure-Burn and SunnComm are registered and/or trademarks of SunnComm International, Inc., in the United States and/or other countries. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
Aren't the Olympics coming to Greece? eom
Sedley, thanks! eom
Make your own Pirate Radio Station with an iPod
http://www.engadget.com/entry/3597373383872462/
Longhorn and Tiger: Who's Copying Whom?
By Mary Jo Foley
The bigger question: What does it matter? Let the platforms ultimately compete on their own merits.
Now that Apple has previewed publicly its "Tiger" Mac OS X 10.4 release, everyone's raring to pit Tiger against "Longhorn."
And there's plenty of fodder for a grudge match. Both Apple and Microsoft are set to showcase new search systems, built-in RSS readers, new scripting shells and 64-bit support in their next-gen operating systems.
But instead of focusing on features and functionality, many operating system (OS) aficionados — from Apple CEO Jobs on down — are dwelling on the no-win contest regarding who's the biggest copy cat.
Apple threw down the gauntlet earlier this week with the Tiger banners displayed prominently at the Worldwide Apple Developer Conference. "Introducing Longhorn: Redmond, Start Your Photocopiers," they proclaimed.
"They're copying our concepts," whined Apple CEO Jobs to the New York Times. "I'd kind of like to get credit some time."
Microsoft backers were quick to defend the Redmond software vendor, claiming that some of the estimated 150 new features that will be part of Tiger were part of Windows back as far as Windows 95. Others said it was ludicrous to position a "mere point release" like 10.4 to an operating system that is being rearchitected from the core programming interfaces, on up.
As Longhorn evangelist Robert Scoble noted on his blog, "Figuring out who is copying whom is quite a chore."
But there's an even more fundamental question at stake in the Tiger vs. Longhorn debate: Who CARES who is copying whom?
It's true that software vendors increasingly are seeking to patent everything from series of keystrokes, to transparent windows, This trend toward relying on patent-license monies as a dependable revenue stream is worrisome for both independent software developers and non-indemnified customers (as the litigious SCO has proven).
But in the case of Tiger vs. Longhorn, the more interesting points to ponder are features. Why not look at some of the areas where alpha and beta testers already can begin to compare apples to apples (no pun intended)? Among them:
Search: Tiger will feature a built-in local search technology called "Spotlight" (technology built upon the search engines that Apple currently uses to search iTunes and e-mail). Microsoft has said it plans to offer a similar local-machine search engine for Longhorn that will be based on the company's Windows File System (WinFS) technology.
Scripting:Tiger will include a front-end scripting environment known as "Automator." Longhorn will include a new scripting shell (currently in beta test) known as "Monad."
Built-in RSS support: Tiger will embed an RSS aggregator into the Safari browser. Longhorn will include an embedded RSS feature in the user interface.
Info-Display Panel: Tiger will have an information-display capability called "Dashboard." Longhorn will have an information-display panel called "Sideshow," to which users can "pin" collections of items of interest.
Integrated Instant Messaging/Video Chat: Tiger will feature a souped-up version of iChat. Microsoft will embed Windows Messenger (a sister to MSN Messenger), which also will likely feature video-chat.
64-Bit Support: Tiger will include extended 64-bit capabilities. Longhorn allegedly will be optimized for 64-bit systems.
As many an Apple advocate has pointed out, Tiger is set to debut at least a year before Longhorn. That's a pretty significant head start, especially for folks who have no corporate edicts, application constraints or other limitations on which hardware/software platform they choose.
Jobs Unveils Tiger—for 2005 (eWEEK)
Developers Eager to Tackle Mac 'Tiger' (eWEEK)
Apple Throws Spotlight on Search (eWEEK)
Microsoft Plans To Go 'Modular' With Longhorn
Open-Source Backers Ready Longhorn Defense
But by the time Tiger ships, testers should have their hands on a pretty solid Beta 1 of Longhorn — if Microsoft can actually deliver on its latest Longhorn ship targets. (And yeah, we know that's a BIG if.)
If Tiger and Longhorn are allowed to compete on their merits, rather than on the usual fanatical "My OS is cooler than your OS" grounds, which platform will win? Can the Apple OS team outgun the Windows one? Who will be zooming whom by mid-2005? And why?
Talk back below or write me at mswatch@ziffdavis.com and let me know what you think.
http://www.microsoft-watch.com/article2/0,1995,1619130,00.asp
Velvet Revolver is on the front page of the iTunes music store. eom
Apple Releases Rendezvous for Linux, Java, Windows
Rendezvous enables automatic discovery of computers, devices, and services on IP networks. Also known as zero-configuration networking, Rendezvous uses industry standard IP protocols to allow devices to automatically find each other without the need to enter IP addresses or configure DNS servers. Rendezvous is an open protocol, which Apple has submitted to the IETF as part of the ongoing standards-creation process. In order to provide a true zero configuration experience, Rendezvous requires that devices implement three essential things. These devices must be able to
-allocate IP addresses without a DHCP server
-translate between names and IP addresses without a DNS server
-locate or advertise services without using a directory server
http://developer.apple.com/macosx/rendezvous/