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Music

Artists Strive To Wrest Rights From Music Industry 287

Posted by ScuttleMonkey from the industry-jenga dept.
eldavojohn writes "The funny thing about the RIAA & BPI is that the artists are just as tired as the fans with how online music is being handled. So they're trying something new called the Featured Artists' Coalition. FAC's site states in their charter: 'We believe that all music artistes should control their destiny because ultimately it is their art and endeavors that create the pleasure and emotion enjoyed by so many.' As digital releases are increasing, the artists aren't seeing any more money. With the advent of online distribution, are the traditional music industry functions of promotion, samples, radio, and marketing now nothing but costly overhead for the artists? From Iron Maiden to Kate Nash to Radiohead, some big names are backing this new organization."
Businesses

Submission + - First it was Y2K, now it's mechanical gas pumps

Submitted by
OnTheWay
OnTheWay writes: "The Associated Press has a story on the estimated 17,000 mechanical dial gas pumps that need upgrades because they can't set the price higher than $3.99 / gallon. The service stations owning the pumps are small-town mom-and-pop operations that have thin profit margins on gas and can't afford to upgrade to digital pumps. "Mechanical meters can be retrofitted with higher numbers when pump prices climb another dollar. The last time that happened was in late 2005, when gas went over $3 a gallon, and owners of the older pumps installed kits that went to $3.999." Man, why didn't they allow for higher prices back then? But this is the best quote: "The computer that they're upgrading was not designed to go any more than what it's going now, and if you do it, they don't last long enough," Turner said. "They run so fast that the gears are wearing out.""
Upgrades

Submission + - Apple SuperDrive firmware update kills the drive

Submitted by OnTheWay
OnTheWay writes: There are an increasing number of reports on the Apple discussion boards that the recent SuperDrive Update 2.1 leaves the drive non-functioning. Users report various issues, such as drive's failure to "pull in" the disc, failure to read certain formats (i.e. DVDs but CDs, or vice-versa), etc. On my Intel Macbook, I can't read data DVDs now, but retail movie DVDs work fine.

Problems seem to be affecting MacBooks and MacBooks Pros, but not the Intel-based desktops. See the MacBook discussion subforum on optical drives here.

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