] Among other important matters, the President and the
] Prime Minister discussed measures by which the most
] prompt and effective utilization might be made of the
] productive facilities of North America for the purposes
] both of local and hemisphere defense and of the
] assistance which in addition to their own programs both
] Canada and the United States are rendering to Great
] Britain and the other democracies.

Random footnote in history. This is the actual legal document upon which the notion that cryptography can be freely exported to Canada without a license is based. This decision was made in 1941 in order to make the war machine more efficient, it works both ways, and generally applies to any kind of munition. It was never amended after the war. (Much like income tax withholding. :) )

American History Documents: The Hyde Park Declaration of 1941

] I've modified an Epson LQ-500 dot matrix printer into a
] musical instrument. The project has now evolved into two
] different versions. The original project had two
] independent sound generators: a tape based sound
] generator similar in concept to a mellotron and tones
] generated from the print head. The new version of the
] software is written with the concept of turning the
] printer into an instrument without any physical
] modifications to the printer. Since the tape mellotron
] setup does require some modifications to the printer, it
] is not part of the new version.
]
]
] Most of the changes to the printer operation are done by
] changing the software. The printer is controlled by a NEC
] 7810 microprocessor that runs off code on an EPROM inside
] the printer. I have reverse engineered most of the basic
] operation of the printer and now have control of the
] paper feeder motor, the print head, the lights, the error
] beeper, and can read the buttons.

Dot Matrix Synth

] Cable operators say they may soon be able to offer
] services that would crush their satellite and phone
] competitors following introduction this week of a simple
] device that could free up massive amounts of bandwidth.
]
] These devices, about the size of two cigarette packs,
] could enable cable systems to transmit lots of
] high-definition TV (HDTV), video phone connections, video
] on demand and far faster high-speed Internet connections.
]
] "It allows you to dream, create and do things differently
] than you've ever done," says Comcast Cable President
] Steve Burke.
]
] Operators envision buying millions of these converters
] or similar ones planned by Motorola and others
] and putting them on virtually every TV owned by
] their nearly 72 million customers. Then operators can
] stop transmitting analog signals and go all-digital.
]
] That's a big deal. Analog TV channels consume about 65%
] of the bandwidth on most modern systems and
] operators can squeeze as many as eight digital channels
] into the bandwidth that each analog channel now fills.
]
] That's key for adding HDTV.

Adios analog.

Laughing Boy

Device could change cable

] Investigators into the space shuttle Columbia accident
] said Thursday that they have uncovered flaws in the
] shuttle's system of explosive bolts that could do
] catastrophic damage to the remaining spacecraft.

*sigh* so much for flights resuming this year. :(

USATODAY.com - Inquiry finds new threat to shuttles

This scheme allows Alice to ask Bob if Bob is a warez site, but if it turns out that Bob is the RIAA he cannot prove that Alice asked for warez, and if it turns out that Alice is the RIAA she cannot prove that Bob is a warez site.

Secret Handshakes from Pairing-Based Key Agreements

] Thomas Woolston's recent $35 million victory in a patent
] infringement suit against Internet colossus eBay has
] brought both vindication and vilification.
]
] Last month, a federal jury in Norfolk ruled that eBay
] willfully infringed on Woolston's patents, which devised
] a method for people to buy a product over the Internet
] for a fixed price. EBay's "Buy It Now" feature, which
] allows Web surfers to do the same thing, infringes on
] that patent.

WTF?? How do you patent "Buy it now"? It was a logical next step in evolution for Ebays site. Its a check out feature not unlike what you would find on any other "shopping cart" system - agree to pay a fixed price and you proceed to "checkout" to buy the merchandise. What the hell did this jury think was actually "invented" here?

Quick - someone patent "sexual intercourse" then sue the human race for infringement.

Laughing Boy

USATODAY.com - Va. inventor vindicated, vilified after verdict against eBay

] Bands come and go from record labels in a revolving door
] of euphoria and dejection, so when the news came out that
] Pearl Jam had fulfilled its contract and was leaving Epic
] after 12 years, many in the industry shrugged and went
] back to their Mocha Malt Frappucinos. But this is more
] than just another band leaving just another label.

The music biz in a Pearl Jam

] The Verizon internet service provider (ISP) was ordered
] to surrender the names to the Recording Industry
] Association of America (RIAA) by a court of Appeal in
] Washington.
]
] On Wednesday the court rejected Verizon's request for a
] delay, pending a final decision in the case.

Uh oh...

BBC NEWS | Technology | File-swappers face the music

] In a major and welcome victory for cellular-phone users,
] a federal court ruled Friday that consumers should be
] allowed to keep their phone numbers when they switch
] providers.

Sweet!

Laughing Boy

Consumers can keep phone numbers

Dementia wrote:
] Laughing Boy wrote:
] ] ] Heavy-metal band Metallica, a vociferous opponent of
] ] ] Internet song-swapping sites, is turning to the Web as a
] ] ] way to encourage fans to buy the band's new music.
] ] ]
] ] ] Metallica, whose first album in six years is scheduled to
] ] ] be released on June 5, is offering exclusive music tracks
] ] ] online as well through a partnership with Speakeasy, the
] ] ] Seattle-based high-speed Internet access provider said.
] ] ]
] ] ] Customers who buy Metallica's new compact disc, St.
] ] ] Anger, will find a code inside the packaging allowing
] ] ] them to view, listen to and download exclusive,
] ] ] unreleased music tracks from a Metallica Web site.
] ]
] ] What I've been saying for years... want to encourage people
] to
] ] BUY your CD vs. download the tracks online? You have to
] give
] ] some "value added" as incentive. Granted, these "exclusive,
]
] ] unreleased music tracks" will appear soon on a P2P network
] ] near you, but this is a step in the right direction.
] ]
] ] Now start adding some "VA" that can not be pirated. Ideas
] off
] ] the top of my head... random drawings for concert tix, back
] ] stage passes, t-shirts and other swag, etc...
]
] Yeah, but a lot of artists feel like that's 'paying for your
] fan base' and will be reluctant to do it.

Then I guess its their funeral. :/ An over priced basic audio CD with 15 mediocre (at best) tracks is not going to cut the mustard any more. When people feel like they are getting ripped off for 1 or 2 good songs on an album and the rest are crap, many will not buy CD's when they can find what they want for free unless there is additional value in purchasing the CD. I don't think its paying for your fan base. It's merely incentive to purchase the CD.

But if they would rather not “compromise their integrity” in such a manner, they have no right to complain when no one will purchase their work. The music industries business model is changing – lead, follow or get run over.

To hear Metalica (of all people) back peddling and saying “Hey – maybe we CAN use this Internet thing to our advantage after all” should be a wake up call to every techno-phobe in the recording industry.

Laughing Boy

Oh – and lest we forget and get caught up in the RIAA’s Chicken Little “The sky is falling!” hoopla… sales are merely down a few billion dollars a year (recession anyone?). The industry is FAR from being in the red. The vast majority of people are still buying music, but clearly consumers want access to the stuff online as well.

RE: 'Anger' leads Metallica to the Internet