Social Networks & Online TV

February 13, 2008 by · Comments Off
Filed under: Announcements & Events 

myspacelogo.jpg MySpace now offers short clips of Doctor Who Sometimes you just have to get cautious when navigating on websites overcrowded by things meant to attract users because pretty often all they manage to do is push us in a sort of a maze of add-ons and extras.

There are, of course, straightforward and “cleaner” sites which might do without things like videos and downloads, remaining instead loyal to mere text and pics, but this does not necessarily vouch for a better website, or a more enjoyable and extended online experience. An example of sites which used to keep things really simple are social networks such as Facebook and MySpace.

From a moment on, however, they decided to expand their content and offer their users more — currently they’re advertising their proposal to watch our films and television on their online communities. As we learn from The Times, Facebook recently closed a deal with ABC News to provide coverage of the US presidential election. It’s only business logics that ABC should try to draw some of Facebook’s 56 million users. Apparently, MySpace will offer from now on short clips of BBC Worldwide’s shows, like Doctor Who and Top Gear.

Once more, the agreement gives the chance to MySpaceTV (http://vids.myspace.com/) users to subscribe to a BBC Worldwide channel and watch and share clips from all present and past shows. They agreed on ad and revenue sharing. News Corp (MySpace owner) has been feeling their way towards this video oriented strategy ever since Facebook became quite a rival. At this time, there are a few shows available on MySpaceTV such as Roommates, Prom Queen and LonelyGirl15. You may want to go and see for yourself as it ranges very wide in content, from comedy and humour to strange material and loads of channels, from ExerciseTV to Holiday Kitchen. You can enjoy it all for free and experience “online TV” getting more of that direct interaction which our local TV and also recent movies fail to offer.

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Kids Still Dig P2P Downloading

February 11, 2008 by · Comments Off
Filed under: Announcements & Events, Legal P2P News & Issues 

It’s no surprise iTunes is definitely a top option for the teenagers not lacking the financial support. Trusted with their parents’ credit cards and an iTunes account, preteens are launching into the world of iTunes which offers as many possibilities for purchasing digital music as daddy’s credit card can endure. Due to the iPod being practically synonymous with iTunes, it’s common sense that Apple’s iTunes has done a great job winning over the younger generation.

 As Slyck News informs us, the results of the NPD Group’s most recent study only partially confirm this belief. According to this study, the fact is that with the 9-14 age group, iTunes remains only a tough competitor not an overwhelming one. As revealed by the study, 49 per cent of preteens used iTunes, 26 per cent preferred LimeWire, whereas 16 per cent used MySpace to trade music. The other 7 per cent were left out without any claim.

 What the NPD Group wanted to outline once more was the fact that P2P file-sharing networks are still, undeniably, a popular way to download for kids belonging to this segment of age.

 Although Russ Crupnick, vice president and entertainment industry analyst for The NPD Group welcomed the willingness of so many youngsters to legally acquire digital music (by actually buying it) he signaled the ignorance of many parents towards their children’s online activities, the lack of supervising which results in the still undisputed popularity of P2P.

 Despite the simplicity of iTunes and iPod and probably the access to their parents’ credit cards and money, preteens are not exclusively direct their attention to Apple’s music store. With kids we can almost speak of a downloading routine. However, we should not let ourselves forget that age is a very important issue here. The exact parents in question who are being finger pointed are relatively just as bewildered by this file-sharing phenomenon as their kids. Many of them reached maturity just as the digital revolution was embryonic. And let’s face it, how many of the parents do not actually share the excitement and the ease of P2P file-sharing together with their kids?

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File-sharing Networks – What’s there in the Future?

February 10, 2008 by · Comments Off
Filed under: Announcements & Events, Legal P2P News & Issues 

A Solution Coming from BluFilter

No need to further empasize the tension online music world is currently experiencing. The clash between the music industry and music fans has reached a turning point. On one hand consumers demand smaller prices for CDs or the right to download music and thus make up their own albums or song collection; on the other hand record companies and artists blame the file-sharing networks and those using them for substantial losses in revenues. Not even all musicians share the same view – we have those reluctant to any involvement in this new way of selling their art, feeling that music should stick to the traditional format of CD, and those trying to keep up with times that put their final product out for downloading.

Above all there’s RIAA and its ongoing pursuit for these file-sharing outlawas making the great P2P model 60 million people exploit daily is pine away as it becomes too risky to use.

However, not everyone seems to be unwilling to pay for a downloaded track. Actually, provided that the circumstances are right they may be very open to it – that is, for example, if they have to reach their pocket customers will want quality in return; they will also want to be able to preview a song before buying it and the freedom to choose from any genre.This is where Kokopelli Networks steps in saying they’ve come up with a solution – BluFilter: Authorize.

According to CDfreaks.com this software is designed to offer flexible copyright detection and management to current P2P software applications. Basically, this software component and platform, provides an enhancement to allow users to legally download files. It aims at getting all the sides covered and making everybody happy with their status – holds up the music and entertainment industries, by providing financial compensation to the artists, copyright owners and also to the P2P networks.

As CDfreaks.com informs us Jon Cianciullo, Product Manager for Kokopelli Networks, declared that BluFilter is integrated into the existing P2P network infrastructure, with a small adjustment to the client software. He assures that the quality of the files on the network after BluFilter is installed will be preserved. The quality issue is top priority as, in fact, depending on the quality they offer the record companies will be or not successful with their new approach.

Cianciullo explained: ‘The preview feature is an excellent suggestion and we have added it to our feature wish list in our Dev Zone. Our initial thoughts are that Preview would allow the user to listen to the beginning, middle and end of the song, in 5-second segments. We welcome more input on this feature. Also, once you download a song the transaction is stored on our servers for 1 year. If you download the same song again to replace a lost or damaged file within that year, you will not be charged."

As part of the P2P community responded negatively, Jon goes on saying that the client computer is providing the distribution infrastructure and their position is the charge percentage will reflect this fact:"Currently, even in today’s digital world, in excess 40% of every musical dollar spent goes towards distribution costs. P2P networks running BluFilter can turn that model on its head. The exact percentages will be determined during the beta phase as we evaluate and assess our cost model, suffice it to say that for now, the new distribution network can operate very successfully for a fraction of that amount."

To end with Jon’s conclusion who again pointed out that once we’ve gone P2P there’s no way back as this technology has forever changed the way we perceive music distribution, let’s remind ourselves that this technological revolution ultimately means the chance for any artist, to record a song in the morning, and then have it shared and distributed worldwide using his P2P client of choice. This is a great chance to break through and make yourself known.

BluFilter may be the one to make these things happen turning the P2P network into a real promoter and partner for artists at the same time keeping the underlying network infrastructure unaffected.

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P2P News Review – This Week’s Summary

February 10, 2008 by · Comments Off
Filed under: Announcements & Events 

It’s very hard to think of something which has caused a greater storm in the entertainment industry in the past two decades than the file-sharing phenomenon. All the major companies have joined forces to come up with a feasible way to seal the broken money pipe.

As long as sites like The Pirate Bay exist and freely conduct their activities, these companies are losing money…big money. As the world’s largest Bit Torrent tracker and the entertainment industry square off, several other issues are developing this week which may have a lasting impact on the digital distribution landscape. Qtrax made quite a fuss in January when it announced to offer more than 25 million free MP3s, providing the end user accepted some advertisements. But the anxious customers were left on waiting. Advertised as the first legal P2P network in partnership with all four major music labels, the service failed to go online when scheduled. It seems that Qtrax didn’t have all its deals in order. We can only wait and see if eventually the service will be launched.

Earlier this week U2′s manager, Paul McGuinness, made a few reproaches while at the Miderm music industry convention. His discontent lies with the music industry’s slow adaptability to the digital world, and also with pointed the ISPs belatedness to address piracy. The manager also addressed a few words to the American public – "The US government has sometimes been overzealous in protecting the public from cartel-like behaviour."

As Torrent Freak informed on Tuesday – the European Court of Justice ruled against Promusicae in the case with Spanish ISP Telefonica. For those who don’t know, Promusicae is the local version of the RIAA, and had claimed that Telefonica reveal the identities of those involved in swapping files via P2P file-sharing networks. Telefonica did not comply and finally, their strategy paid off as the Court pronounced that privacy does come before intellectual property. “

Community law does not require the member states, in order to ensure the effective protection of copyright, to lay down an obligation to disclose personal data in the context of civil proceedings.” It’s likely that The Pirate Bay has involuntarily launched Skynet. The notorious torrent tracker has managed to upset greatly the Swedish authorities.

The Swedish prosecutor’s office has charged the four administrators of the site, accusing them of supporting copyright infringement. Although there’s hardly the question of jail time, probably the administrators will be severely fined. The functioning of the network has ceased long time ago to depend on its creators, so if they were to be arrested that would not mean the end of it. IFPI Chairman John Kennedy criticized the torrent tracker’s policy and foundation “The operators of The Pirate Bay have always been interested in making money, not music,” “The Pirate Bay has managed to make Sweden, normally the most law abiding of EU countries, look like a piracy haven with intellectual property laws on a par with Russia.

With so much going on in the European digital backyard, a new law adds to the circus. The law in question which passed both legislative houses in Italy may end up giving users green light to sharing music on P2P networks. What caused the confusion and the current debate was actually the only requirement, namely that the music must be “degraded” and free of charge – the problem popped up because of term used – “degrade”, as the legislative branches proved unaware of the technical connotations of the word. Since the MP3 is a compressed format, degraded quality is hardly a setback on any every P2P network. As it hasn’t been granted as law just yet, both heavy downloaders and industry members will closely follow the course of this law.

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Top file compression options – the most popular apps to compress files

February 5, 2008 by · Comments Off
Filed under: Tops 

It is common knowledge every computer user should have a good file compression program. Their range of usefulness goes from opening downloaded software to some other handy features for tasks like attaching documents to e-mail, creating backups and, of course, saving space on your hard drive.

Though nearly all people use WinZip as it is offered along with many of Windows PCs, WinZip is not the only option available in terms of file compression.

Despite WinZip being a great file compression program, there are some other programs of its kind providing better file compression or features that better suit your needs, meaning, for example, that some apps focus on creating efficient compression, whereas others give more attention to having the most powerful encryption to keep your files safe. Below we offer you three other recommended programs for those seeking an alternative to WinZip.

WinRAR
WinRAR is quite popular among users due to it being a remarkable program.

Being a veteran in the file compression group, WinRAR provides a refined interface and easy-to-comprehend wizards which guide you if wanting to create manageable e-mail attachments, quick document backups and encrypted archives.

This is the only shareware program in this category presented here, but its price is quite justified. However, you can access most features without having to register.

7-ZIP

Though it lacks WinRAR’s stylish look , 7-Zip presents itself as a powerful alternative.
Moreover, it is a free alternative and it puts forwards its own highly proficient 7z compression method (they claim compression rates 2 percent to 8 percent over standard ZIP files,) so your backup archives occupy less space.

7-Zip will allow you both to create self-extracting archives and ensure password protection for added security.

PeaZip

PeaZip, which is new in this business, has nevertheless made a good impression so far. It’s both quick and good-looking. It’s an open-source compression program which bears a vast list of formats and is a joy to use having a functional and attractive interface.

A potent file browser with search and history features turns finding your archives into a mere play. Furthermore, PeaZip deals with multiple archives at the same time. Given the number of various solid encryption techniques, PeaZip makes a very good choice for anyone in search of an effective WinZip alternative.

If you seem them just as a way to opening downloads you are underrating them because file compression programs have many other uses. We have presented you with some alternatives if you opt for using something else than what is pre-installed on your PC.
 

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