Archive for September, 2007
Glasgow to get its own Hollywood-style walk of fame
99% of comments on the Evening Times website make me think the entire country is populated by idiots, but this one killed me. It’s a response to the proposal by an SNP councillor to have a “walk of fame” of famous Scots in Glasgow’s George Square. As the ET reports “singers Lulu and Texas frontwoman Sharleen Spiteri could be among those honoured with a thistle, rather than a Tinseltown star” - which has got Johnny Punchclock very excited indeed.
Ooh! Ooh! Fran and Anna! The Krankies! Various people out of River City! Chick Young! Kipper Lynch out of High Living! Kelly Marie!
Heh heh heh.
Anatomy of a music business failure
Michael Robertson of MP3.com fame has posted an interesting explanation of why his latest venture, AnywhereCD, failed. Worth a read if you’re interested in the business side of digital music.
I met with all of the major labels (Universal, EMI, Sony, and Warner Music) and they seemed open minded to new ideas. One had a cautious ‘wait and see’ type of attitude. Another wanted millions of dollars up front. One insanely asked me if I would embed the purchaser’s credit card number in the song files they bought.
Apple doesn’t love you
Wil Shipley’s written a superb essay on the dangerous game Apple’s playing:
But why is the iPhone locked to a single carrier, so I can’t travel internationally with it? There’s really only one viable reason: Apple wanted a share of the carrier’s profits, which meant giving AT&T an exclusive deal. Which meant, we get screwed so Apple can make more money. It’s that simple.
Of course - as one commenter notes - Apple’s ultimate responsibility is to make money for its shareholders. But…
That sure reminds me of the old, crappy Apple. The one that almost went bankrupt because of its hubris.
Interesting stuff.
[Via Daring Fireball]
Yaydiohead! Radiohead do digital, don’t do DRM
Radiohead have finally joined the digital music party, albeit in their own way: they’re selling albums, not songs (£6.99 apiece, so that’s about 50p per track), they’re going through 7Digital.com, not iTunes, and the files are 320Kbps MP3s - which means no DRM or compatibility issues.
Recycling in action
Ah, East Dunbartonshire council, how I love thee. After carefully putting out various bits of cardboard with this week’s recycling, your binmen carefully picked it out again (so it seems Tesco food-packaging cardboard is OK, but Amazon cardboard envelopes aren’t) and left it on the street.
So rather than do a 10-mile return journey in an estate car to take five bits of thick cardboard to the recycling centre, it’s all going in the bin.
Hurrah for recycling!
Postmen hate Logic Studio 8
If there’s an award for “heaviest software box in the history of the world”, Logic Studio 8 may just win it. It contains more manuals than you can shake a stick at, and the Getting Started manual alone is an epic. And the box contains more DVDs than the holdalls of those shifty movie pirates who approach you in the pub (you get all the Apple Jam Packs, loads of software instruments and the programs too).
Haven’t actually installed it yet but based on the packaging, I’d give it 10/10.
OMG Beatles on iTunes!!!!
Sherlock Holmes would be proud.
- Apple is having a UK press event on 18 Sept.
- Everyone knows the UK is getting an iPhone announcement in Sept.
- The invite says “Mum is no longer the word” - ie, it’s about talking.
- It’s a UK-only event so it’s a UK-only product.
What could Apple possibly be announcing? Yes! Beatles on iTunes!
*bangs head off desk*
I really need to stop reading the comments sections of tech blogs.
–
Incidentally, when the Beatles finally do turn up on iTunes… so what? Who cares?
Bulldog broadband: broken?
Anyone else having problems with either Bulldog Broadband or Netgear routers?
I’m discovering most mornings that my broadband connection is either dead or pretending to be. Router status says I’m connected at supermegafastspeed, but opening a page or email takes five minutes if it works at all. The only solution seems to be to reboot the router, after which everything seems fine again.
So the problem’s either Bulldog or my router, and if it’s the latter it’s Netgear-specific (I’ve had the same issues with two different Netgear routers).
Anyone got any ideas?
Fat Nanos and the iPod Touch
So, Apple has some new toys. A red Shuffle, iPod Nano replaced by the Fat Nano (not its official name), 160GB iPod Videos and a phoneless iPhone - with WiFi, Safari and YouTube - and possibly most importantly of all, a WiFi iTunes Music Store.
It’s the iPod Touch and despite having no possible justification for buying one (or, come to think of it, any money) and the comparatively limited capacity (8Gb for the cheaper model, 16GB for the bigger one), I really want one. Apple technolust strikes again.
Incidentally, the combination of iTunes and Wi-Fi is a major up-yours to the phone networks, who tend to demand big cuts of any download services. Apple’s just bypassed them altogether.
Booze hooligan announces government crackdown on himself
If only.
CHEAP booze deals in shops and supermarkets are to be outlawed, Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill warned today.
That’s Kenny “detained in 2000 for being drunk and disorderly at a football match” MacAskill.
MacAskill says that the government “isn’t anti-alcohol”, and I think he’s telling the truth. After all, in June - in a move that surprised Scottish Rugby officials - he speedily scrapped the 25-year-long ban on drink at Murrayfield rugby internationals. The booze ban still applies to football, though. As he said at the time:
There is still a difference between football and rugby in terms of alcohol.
The problem isn’t booze, then - it’s the sort of people who get pissed-up and cause trouble at football matches. Like, er, Kenny MacAskill.
Sheesh.