Legal MP3s from EMI?

I recently posted about a few issues I have with online music purchases, and it seems there may be a growing tide of sentiment that things must change. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, EMI is looking at the idea of releasing their entire catalogue in plain old MP3, instead of using the ridiculous copy protection systems in place now.

EMI have a different reason than mine - songs you buy from iTunes are only any good if you have an iPod, and songs you buy from any other online retailer you can't play on an iPod. Obviously, Apple have a bit of a stanglehold on the online music market at the moment.

The other thing is that copy protection does not stop piracy.

If I really wanted to copy something I have bought from iTunes, I can burn it to an audio CD, then re-rip it back to my computer as MP3. All this copy protection nonsense hasn't really stopped anything. It just inconveniences people trying to do the right thing.

Just as an aside, since my initial post on the subject I have bought 3 CDs, and nothing from iTunes Music Store...

One Media Outlet Thinking Outside the Tube

I've had a few experiences with the local newspaper in the past that emphasises how short-sighted some of the established media can be. From being defensive and difficult to get along with, to being outright nasty. (I might go into that another time...)

So it was refreshing to see this story on an Australian TV network using a little forward thinking.

Channel 10 has embraced YouTube, whom some might feel to be a potential rival, as a new opportunity to broadcast content.

From the article:

"Unlike most television organisations, we don't regard YouTube and Google as the enemy. We think that they will be great distribution partners," Mr Smith said. Ten last year offered clips of local comedy Thank God You're Here on YouTube.

"One of the reasons we put stuff on YouTube last year was that it was free, incremental traffic," Mr Smith said.

Ten treated the YouTube videos like a broadcast, including ads for the show's sponsors in the clips. "The fact that we put it out on YouTube means that there were tens of thousands of additional eyeballs watching those things for free."

The lessons here? Just because you don't understand something, that doesn't make it an enemy. And perhaps look for ways to leverage something new to your own advantage instead of dismissing it.

Outlook 2007: One step forward, 20 steps back

Well, just when we had warm and fuzzy feelings towards Microsoft for the improvements in Internet Explorer 7, they go and flush it all down the loo.

If you have to create HTML email, you'll be pleased to know that Outlook 2007 won't use IE as it's rendering engine any more. It uses... wait for it... Word! And we all know how good Word is at rendering and creating HTML! (Not!!!)

So instead of getting improved standards support in the next version of Outlook, we take about 20 steps backward instead.

Sheesh... what are they thinking?

Read more here.

Digital Music Downloads - Not Forever?

There have been a few stories lately talking up digital music downloads (iTunes not coping with demand, music charts being changed to reflect the nature of digital downloads) but I'm not so sure about it any more.

I have downloaded a couple of things from iTunes: Engima's Voyageur was virtually impossible to buy over the counter, and I also grabbed a couple of Neil Diamond's tracks as it was convenient just to get the few I was after and not have to buy a whole album.

Convenient? Yes. Fast? Yes. However:

1. I have paid for these tracks but I've only got them at 128 kbps. The quality will never be any better than that. Okay on cheap equipment, but I recently shouted myself some quality headphones and now I can tell the difference.


2. Recently I reformatted my hard drive. Sure, I backed everything up, but iTunes would not play these purchased songs until I "authorised" my computer.

Now there's a trap - the songs can only be played on "authorised" machines - and I can only authorise 5. Actually only 4 now, as I didn't de-authorise before reformatting last time.

Now, if I lose a hard drive unexpectedly, there goes another machine. And what if I want these tracks on a work computer and a home computer?

I dunno - I think that in a few years' time I won't be able to play these tracks anymore. Might have to burn them to an audio CD and re-rip them back into iTunes.

Second thoughts, just fire up amazon.com and buy the CD...

NetOffice Revitalised

Some time ago, I had some plans for a revitalised version of NetOffice that got shelved due to staff shortages.

Well, we're almost back to where we need to be and I've dusted off the folder ready to get back into it!

Will probably take a few weeks to get back up to speed. Will post again when we have something to show.

Top 8 Firefox Plugins

Just moved to a new computer, and it's time to reinstall everything again!

Thought it might be a good time to list my favourite Firefox plugins so I can find them again...

1. Web Developer
   


2. ColorZilla


3. MeasureIt


4. Timestamp Converter


5. Clear Cache Button


6. View Source Chart


7. del.icio.us


8. ShowIP

Have I missed any good ones? I think that's about it...

UPDATE

The del.icio.us plugin listed above is a new one that behaves a little differently. Actually, it hijacks your normal bookmarks toolbar! Here's the original (better) one.

How to Lose a Customer for $12

It's been a few months since I hired a movie from my local Video Ezy store. We've been collecting the Stargate SG-1 series on DVD and have been chipping away at those. Up to season 8 now, so we're nearly done. I'll be hiring a few movies once we're done as I've got a bit of catching up to do!

But I won't be going back to Video Ezy.

You see, I had a couple of late returns. Nothing major - 2 movies that were returned a day late. One day late.

Didn't think too much of it until I received a threatening letter from Video Ezy. Followed by a letter of demand from this mob called Entertainment Recoveries.

Now get this - it's all over $12.

If new release movies are $6 each, in the month after we finish with our Stargates we would probably have spent $48 with them. That's 4 times the amount of the late fees, in 1 month.

Now, for the sake of $12, I'll never go back.

What business would permanently distance a customer over $12?

Think of it this way. Even if I only hire 2 movies per month (which is pretty conservative) that's $156 in a year, or 13 times the amount of the late fee. Pretty good chance of hiring more than 2 movies a month, mind you.

I don't understand the marketing logic behind this. Sure, if I hadn't actually returned the movies I can understand the legal threats.

(And to top it off, I now have a $15 "Administrative Charge" as well. Give me a break!)

And I love this bit too - notice at the top of the excerpt above? I have a "Member Number"! I'm a member of Entertainment Recoveries now?