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Comment Re:I read this as (Score 1) 572

by BACPro (#30462466) Attached to: Angry AT&T Customers May Disrupt Service

Please explain this to me.
The phone is less than perfect, you dislike Apple as a company, yet you still purchase the iPhone.

If you don't support a position a company takes, don't give them your money. Money is all they have to guage their success.

I purchased an iPod Touch Gen 1 then discovered how poorly they treat their customers, and won't get bitten again. $10 upgrade for cut and paste? 10$ upgrade for slower response? No thanks. Nice device, good UI, but the company sucks. iTunes is a bloated, slow, buggy piece of software (on the PC, unsure on Apple hardware)

Ditto for Sony. Proprietary and expensive gear, rootkits on audio disks, and so on.
They make some nice looking and performing gear, but I won't give them a dime because I disagree with their corporate tactics. /rant off.
Google

Submission + - Google revoking DRM permissions on bought videos! 1

Submitted by DoofusOfDeath
DoofusOfDeath writes: A few months ago I purchased a great Discovery Channel video from Google's downloadable video service. Sure I can't media-shift it, but I was willing to trade away some fair-use rights so my kids could see the video. I paid cash, they give me the video. End of story, right?

Wrong. Today I got this email (see below). It just goes to show that with DRM, there's little limit to the evil that can be done to you:

Hello,

As a valued Google user, we're contacting you with some important information about the videos you've purchased or rented from Google Video. In an effort to improve all Google services, we will no longer offer the ability to buy or rent videos for download from Google Video, ending the DTO/DTR (download-to-own/rent) program. This change will be effective August 15, 2007.

To fully account for the video purchases you made before July 18, 2007, we are providing you with a Google Checkout bonus for $20. Your bonus expires in 60 days, and you can use it at the stores listed here: http://www.google.com/checkout/signupwelcome.html. The minimum purchase amount must be equal to or greater than your bonus amount, before shipping and tax.

After August 15, 2007, you will no longer be able to view your purchased or rented videos.

If you have further questions or requests, please do not hesitate to contact us. Thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely,

The Google Video Team

Google Inc.
1600 Amphitheatre Parkway
Mountain View, CA 94043
Television

Submission + - Where are all the HDD + DVD Recorders???

Submitted by airider
airider writes: Has anyone noticed that the combination of Hard Disk Drive (HDD) + DVD Recorders has dried up in the U.S.? Unless you are a Tivo subscriber or get it from your cable/satellite TV provider, independent Digital Video Recorders are non-existent. I find this rather interesting and irritating since I bought one of the early Lite-On models (us.liteonit.com) but can't get it anymore. Even thought it is missing a few features I'd like, I LOVE that I don't have to pay a subscription to use it to record anything I want. Models were available from Sony, Pioneer and others less than a year ago from Crutchfield (www.crutchfield.com), BestBuy (www.bestbuy.com) and others. If you scan these stores and websites today however, you will not find a single HDD included with the DVD recorders. What I want to know is, why? Conspiracy? New models that are High Def compliant haven't hit the shelves? No demand? Just wondering if any of you folks have noticed this as well and have any insight into why, what I considered as the best option to VCR's, has gone away....at least in the U.S.??? For some reason you can still get these devices and newer models outside the U.S. Links provided for to amplify the situation: http://www.crutchfield.com/S-f7YMvSZ0T3X/cgi-bin/P rodGroup.asp?g=69800 http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?navLevel=4 &type=category&navHistory=cat00000%2Bcat03000%2Bpc mcat13900050017&id=pcmcat13900050019 http://us.liteonit.com/us/index.php?option=com_con tent&task=blogcategory&id=27&Itemid=103
Slashdot.org

Submission + - Slashdot FireHose Beta Sneak Preview

Submitted by
Davak
Davak writes: "The old fogey slashdot has announced a new (dare I say, Web 2.0) youthful, digg-like voting system-Firehose. This new code is described as a "collaborative system designed to allow users to assist editors in the story selection process." This review of the Firehose describes the new features and implications of this new system. For example, much of Firehose's AJAX eye candy is built around yahoo's ajax toolkit."
Encryption

Submission + - Final AACS key found

Submitted by julie-h
julie-h writes: The PowerDVD AACS private key for playing Blu-Ray and HD-DVD's have been found. This was the last key needed. What does this mean? We don't have to sniff/snoop Volume IDs anymore. We can create a program that can decrypt (or play if you will) a disc without any need for WinDVD or PowerDVD. So no sniffing/extracting of keys anymore. And more over: it can work on all platforms... In other words: we can make our own independent, user friendly player (or decrypter).
The Internet

Submission + - An end to Internet radio?

Submitted by b3gr33n
b3gr33n writes: Yesterday the Copyright Royalty Board announced new fees for Internet Radio broadcasting: "Earlier today, the Copyright Royalty Board, the group overseeing statutory licensing for US-based internet radio stations, announced the new royalty rates for streaming radio performance rights. The board rejected the arguments made by webcasters and instead chose to adopt the proposal put forth by industry-backed SoundExchange, a royalty fee collection agency created by the RIAA." http://www.save-internet-radio.com/2007/03/02/save -internet-radio/

We listen a lot to internet radio. It brings in local stations that have poor reception and has introduced us to music around the world. In the end we've bought a fair amount of CD's based on our listening. Many of the stations like Radio Paradise are small family run operations. There is no way they can afford these fees. The Save-Internet-Radio website reports that curiously enough, broadcast stations do not pay these fees. Is that true? Is this an attempt to squelch yet another form of free media?

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