Lil' Rhody Lounge | Off-topic posting

[Cotuit]

I never secretly tape anyone with thier clothes on and I certainly don't secretly videotape ladies.

[matt]

Ank, are you advocating to bring back the minidisk? I have an MD player/recorder, and its ok, but the quality and usability comes no where near my mp3 players including my ipod.

[runawayjim]

Ank, are you advocating to bring back the minidisk? I have an MD player/recorder, and its ok, but the quality and usability comes no where near my mp3 players including my ipod.

i took from his ranting that, like sony and the MD, bluray, and betamax, apple is trying to set the standard to be some proprietary drm'd format rather than a more open format (vhs, hd-dvd, cd, mp3). i do realize that mp3 is not completely open, but it is more open than aac, especially the fairplay aac.

[MikeR]

i took from his ranting that, like sony and the MD, bluray, and betamax, apple is trying to set the standard to be some proprietary drm'd format rather than a more open format (vhs, hd-dvd, cd, mp3). i do realize that mp3 is not completely open, but it is more open than aac, especially the fairplay aac.

Dead wrong. AAC IS an open and International format. Apple DID NOT develop AAC. AAC stands for Advanced Audio Coding, NOT Apple Audio Coding as so many people are lead to believe. There are plenty of free AAC codecs available from the Web that you can download to Windows Media Player if you use Windows, so you can rip your music to a superior format over MP3. I've experimented ripping my music to both formats, and AAC beats MP3 for fidelity hands down.

However, Apple did develop Apple Lossless, which is a proprietary format. Just like Microsoft developed its' own proprietary formats for compressing digital media such as such as Windows Media Video (WMV) and Windows Media Audio (WMA) formats.

From Wikipedia:

AAC was developed with the cooperation and contributions of companies including Dolby, Fraunhofer (FhG), AT&T, Sony and Nokia, and was officially declared an international standard by the Moving Pictures Experts Group in April 1997.

I don't see Apple in the list of companies that developed AAC. If you don't like AAC, then be sure to ditch your cable, satellite, or digital radio subscriptions because that's exactly what they are transmitting their audio in.

[markOne]

I don't hate everyone.. Just monopolies, and people like those who secretly videotaped that Rising Sun lady.. If you fall in the middle of those two extremes, its all good with me for the most part..

I fail to see how Apple is a monopoly. They are hoping to some day corner %5 of the computer market and even though they have a huge portion of the portable music player market there are many other options for people to buy. Same goes for downloadable music. You have many options. Do they do everything the right way? No. Do they do some things right? Yes. Just like many other companies. If you don't like them don't buy from them, simple.

i took from his ranting that, like sony and the MD, bluray, and betamax, apple is trying to set the standard to be some proprietary drm'd format rather than a more open format (vhs, hd-dvd, cd, mp3). i do realize that mp3 is not completely open, but it is more open than aac, especially the fairplay aac.

(Edit to include this: Sorry for the double post. MikeR got his in while I had to run out to a meeting. That'll teach me to not refresh my screen)

Up until this last post you haven't mentioned Fairplay, Apple's Digital Rights Management (DRM) tool. You have been lumping AAC formated music in with Fairplay DRM. They are unrelated, it's like saying you don't like Ford cars because they have locks, sure the design of the car allows people to install locks but you can have a car without locks too. Apple's Fairplay is a layer placed on top of AAC formated files

On the media standards front; AAC is more open than MP3. Check out this quote about AAC licensing from Wikipedia.

In contrast with the MP3 format, which requires royalty payments on distributed content, no licenses or payments are required to be able to stream or distribute content in AAC format. [3] This reason alone makes AAC a much more attractive format for distributing content, particularly streaming content (such as Internet radio).

However, a patent license is required for all manufacturers or developers of AAC codecs. [4] It is for this reason FOSS implementations such as FAAC and FAAD are distributed in source form only, in order to avoid patent infringement.

AAC requires a patent license, and thus uses proprietary technology. But contrary to popular belief, it is not the property of a single company, having been developed in a standards-making organization.

Apple's Fairplay DRM scheme is about as closed / proprietary as it gets.

You can listen to all the MP3 you want on your iPod, it's not really an iPod issue as much as an issue with where you get your music. Don't forget that iTunes has the built in ability to convert all DRM'd songs purchased from iTunes to MP3 in 2 steps (1:burn to audio CD, 2:rip to format of choice). Do you loose some quality? Yes, but the converters are good and if you're buying music in a lossey format, like AAC, quality is probably not your first concern. As far as I know no other music store has such easy conversion to other formats built in. Apple's conversion is just hard enough to assuage the record companies' fears so they would allow Apple sell music in electronic format. I believe that the other major downloadable music stores use Windows Media DRM which exerts much more control and is just as closed as Fairplay.

I'm thinking you are against DRM in general. If that's the case I'm on your side but confusing the issue doesn't do the cause justice. We need to help educate the general populace so they understand what treacherous terrain DRM can be and how it poses a threat to the concept of "ownership" of any non-tangible item (anything written, movies, music, software, etc,). If you don't like DRM then promote DRM free music sites like Amie Street where music starts out free and the price goes up (upper limit is $0.99) as more people buy the songs. This site Festival Link probably has music you like (based on your music posts). There are many more sites out there. If you want more mainstream music and you can't find it on the DRM free sites then your beef is more with the record labels than the stores. Most of the big boys don't want to release DRM free music but hopefully that will change. The Canadian record label Nettwerk has be a leader on this front and the high visibility of the EMI / Apple deal has potential to help the issue.

Edited April 5, 2007 by markOne

[Bil]

If you don't like DRM then promote DRM free music sites like Amie Street where music starts out free and the price goes up (upper limit is $0.99) as more people buy the songs.

Good stuff MarkOne.

Just wanted to add that it's "Providence's Own" Amie St.

[runawayjim]

i support independent artists and strictly buy cd's. i actually hate buying digital music because 90% of it is made with a lossy compression scheme. if more places sold flac (a truly open format), i'd probably by more online (it also doesn't help that for some reason my car's cd player won't play cd-r, so i can't burn stuff and listen to it.

also, i want to make it clear that i am not a backer of MS by any means. i am just as much an MS hater as the next guy. i use windows for programs that i can't use elsewhere (MS office for example, and don't tell me about open office, tried it, it's too sluggish, quicken is the other one). if it weren't for that and the easy availability of software, i'd be using linux full time.

[Liamlunchtray]

BLIND ITEM ALERT:

On the way home from work the other night I was damn near killed by a certain elderly ex-politician, lets call him Bruce Mundlun. I was in the 2nd lane from the left keeping up with traffic (Ok, like 80mph) when a VW Phaeton started drifting over from the slow lane doing about 45mph. As I careened past I notice who the driver was, and the fact that he appeared to be reading something in his lap. Better yet, this is the SECOND time this has happened to me in as many months! I'm pretty sure he's out to get me!

[brick]

BLIND ITEM ALERT:

On the way home from work the other night I was damn near killed by a certain elderly ex-politician, lets call him Bruce Mundlun. I was in the 2nd lane from the left keeping up with traffic (Ok, like 80mph) when a VW Phaeton started drifting over from the slow lane doing about 45mph. As I careened past I notice who the driver was, and the fact that he appeared to be reading something in his lap. Better yet, this is the SECOND time this has happened to me in as many months! I'm pretty sure he's out to get me!

He's trying to cover up the sinister end to Rocky Point. You better watch your back.

[jencoleslaw]

liam: you weren't dressed in a raccoon costume, were you?

[jencoleslaw]

I HAVE KITTENS! Who needs one?

[Frankie811]

BLIND ITEM ALERT:

On the way home from work the other night I was damn near killed by a certain elderly ex-politician, lets call him Bruce Mundlun. I was in the 2nd lane from the left keeping up with traffic (Ok, like 80mph) when a VW Phaeton started drifting over from the slow lane doing about 45mph. As I careened past I notice who the driver was, and the fact that he appeared to be reading something in his lap. Better yet, this is the SECOND time this has happened to me in as many months! I'm pretty sure he's out to get me!

Years ago when I was a Providence cop he came at me heading the wrong way down a one way street and cut me off so he could save about 5 seconds time to get into the gas station @ Benefit & Wickenden St. I stopped my cruiser to block him, but he drove around me.Then he had the nerve to give me an evil look and curse at me, like he had special driving privaliges. His wife at the time, Majorie, just looked at me and offered a kind smile. Of course I recognized him so I let it go, especially since at the time he was voluntaring his time at city hall for the Cianci administration. Back then I believe he live somewhere off of Benefit St.

liam: you weren't dressed in a raccoon costume, were you?

[Liamlunchtray]

liam: you weren't dressed in a raccoon costume, were you?

Crap! Its always when I'm on my way to my monthly get together of Furries!!!

[Liamlunchtray]

He's trying to cover up the sinister end to Rocky Point. You better watch your back.

Naw, the end of Rocky Point is where my cement shoes come in. We're keeping the movie light and fluffy for a reason!!!

Speaking of which - our sales of Rocky Point swag to generate some cash flow for the movie have been really successful! People have been ordering shirts and stuff from the website like crazy. Now I need to start stocking more items. Mo Money Mo Money!

Liam

[Cotuit]

Fire on Steeple Street!

Fire forces evacuation of Providence restaurant [The Providence Journal]

I hope we don't lose this building.

[Cotuit]

I'm trying to look at it with the Westin webcam, I can only see the top of the building and there isn't any apparent smoke coming out of it. Hopefully this isn't Downcity Diner again.

[Cotuit]

Channel 12 says its under control.

[Liamlunchtray]

Channel 12 says its under control.

Any more news on this or photos? My friends tattoo shop is in this building and they are in the process of moving to Wickenden. I'm not sure how much of their stuff is left on Steeple. Argh.

[oak]

Any more news on this or photos? My friends tattoo shop is in this building and they are in the process of moving to Wickenden. I'm not sure how much of their stuff is left on Steeple. Argh.

The fire started in the kitchen of New Rivers - in the duct work that vents the wood fire oven. The owner and chef are close friends of mine. The kitchen was destroyed and there is smoke damage in the dining room. I spoke to the chef about 10:00 last night and the fire dept was still tearing down portions of walls to make sure the fire was out and wasn't spreading to other portions of the building. The extent of the damage to the whole building wasn't known last night. I'll post more when I know more.

[TheAnk]

Dead wrong. AAC IS an open and International format. Apple DID NOT develop AAC. AAC stands for Advanced Audio Coding, NOT Apple Audio Coding as so many people are lead to believe. There are plenty of free AAC codecs available from the Web that you can download to Windows Media Player if you use Windows, so you can rip your music to a superior format over MP3. I've experimented ripping my music to both formats, and AAC beats MP3 for fidelity hands down.

jim, that is correct.. Not advocating MD.. Just noting the similarities of purported world domination, thats all.. And MikeR, thanks for the detailed description.. Why are "personal music thingies" called MP3 players generally?

While on topic:

http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/biztech/04/03...e.ap/index.html

Interesting.. Antitrust huh.. Wow.. Usually this is a term applied to monopolies or oligopolies.. Must be different in this case, because Apple is not one of those evil things.. Its a socially conscienceious green company..

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070404/ap_on_...een_electronics

http://money.cnn.com/2007/04/02/news/compa...rtune/index.htm

What is going on here.. Those trendy white iPods and iMacs and iBooks are just another corporate generated unfriendly to the environment item?? How can this be? Is Apple not what people though it was? Maybe those white head phones won't be so hip and posh now. Disclosure: I own an iPod Nano, and a Creative Jukebox Zen Xtra..

[Cotuit]

When did Apple say they were environmentalist? When did Apple's customers say they were buying their computers because they were good for the environment? They're just like ALL other computers, lead and other toxic crap wrapped in a petroleum based shell. No one is deluding themselves on that front.

And seriously, when you're fixing to get drunk, let me know. I'm always up for a bender.

Any more news on this or photos? My friends tattoo shop is in this building and they are in the process of moving to Wickenden. I'm not sure how much of their stuff is left on Steeple. Argh.

The building looks fine, if I didn't know there was a fire I wouldn't know there was a fire. Cafe Pazzo is closed today. I don't know if 3 Steeple is opening tonight or not.

[runawayjim]

the difference is, the other computer companies accept trade-ins to be sure that the computers are properly recycled or disposed of. the average consumer doesn't know that computers contain harmful materials and will likely toss it with the regular trash. by not accepting trade-ins, apple isn't helping the computer recycling effort. just because apple computers may have a longer life than the average PC (mainly because apple doesn't upgrade nearly as often as other PC hardware is upgraded) and because they have high resale values doesn't mean that the average joe who's buying an apple computer for his daughter because it looks nicer and is hip to own will sell it when she decides she needs an upgrade or it breaks. no, he'll toss it.

[Cotuit]

the difference is, the other computer companies accept trade-ins to be sure that the computers are properly recycled or disposed of. the average consumer doesn't know that computers contain harmful materials and will likely toss it with the regular trash. by not accepting trade-ins, apple isn't helping the computer recycling effort. just because apple computers may have a longer life than the average PC (mainly because apple doesn't upgrade nearly as often as other PC hardware is upgraded) and because they have high resale values doesn't mean that the average joe who's buying an apple computer for his daughter because it looks nicer and is hip to own will sell it when she decides she needs an upgrade or it breaks. no, he'll toss it.

http://www.apple.com/environment/recycling/

[markOne]

I should say that I basically consider Apple to be just another big company looking to maximize profits at the expense of all else. It is this basic and extremely common operating precept which will help to bring about a future that will look like Blade Runner, if we are lucky, and if we are unlucky simply won't include us. They are one of many companies which need to change.

All of that said I can't help but respond. Discussions like this one which touch on basic consumer rights and environmental concerns should be based on fact as much as possible.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/biztech/04/03...e.ap/index.html

Interesting.. Antitrust huh.. Wow.. Usually this is a term applied to monopolies or oligopolies.. Must be different in this case

Actually it is. From your article:

The "statement of objections" EU regulators sent to Apple does not allege the Cupertino, California-based company is in a dominant market position.

The EU doesn't like that Apple is not treating the Eu as a single economic entity and they don't like how Apple has defined "fair use". They are two seperate issues both of which are in European courts. These Apple policies were actually forced on Apple (I'm taking the pundits' word on this) by the content owners. The big businesses would much prefer to not you let you BUY music at all (they much prefer a per device subscription / rental model) and they would rather sell in little stores for each country than expose themselves to the risk of making one store which follows the laws of all countries. Do you really think Apple wanted to roll out a different store for every country? Do you realize how much flack they take from consumers all over the world for not having the same music in all stores, and in many countries having no store at all? Do you have any idea how expensive it must be to investigate IP laws and to negotiate separate distribution contracts in every country? Since we have already established that Apple is all about making money this situation can't be making them happy. Apple could make the both themselves and the EU happy if they opened a single EU music store. The problem is that the IP laws are still not unified and they would have to get the big content owners on board (they are also named in the suit).

What is going on here.. Those trendy white iPods and iMacs and iBooks are just another corporate generated unfriendly to the environment item?? How can this be? Is Apple not what people though it was? Maybe those white head phones won't be so hip and posh now. Disclosure: I own an iPod Nano, and a Creative Jukebox Zen Xtra..

I don't know a single person who bought an Apple product because it was an environmental company which was looking out for their best interests as individual consumers. If anyone actually did that then they did not perform the required due diligence to make that decision, or they were just stupid. In either case I suggest they immediately go buy greener products made by nice fluffy companies which will make them feel good about themselves. Then they should give their evil apple stuff to me. If they don't then I'll run them over with my SUV as I selfishly exploit this planet safe in the knowledge that I will never have children.

Of course if your entire reason for posting is to bash apple and the left wing morons who use their products then I'll respectively bow out of this conversation and let you have your fun.

[Cotuit]

I should say that I basically consider Apple to be just another big company looking to maximize profits at the expense of all else.

Agreed.

And their computers are stunning pieces of design.

Of course if your entire reason for posting is to bash apple and the left wing morons who use their products then I'll respectively bow out of this conversation and let you have your fun.

That's probably it, I still wanna get liquored up though.