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All posts tagged "drm"


Tuesday, March 24, 2009

iTunes HD Doesn't Like Older Displays

Posted by Vincent Ferrari in "Apple Software (OS X)" @ 01:00 PM

http://www.theiphoneblog.com/2009/0...-hd-display-hd/

"Yesterday, Dieter told us Apple had finally pulled the trigger on HD downloads for iTunes. Today, the internets (led by iLounge, via Gizmodo) are up in arms because said downloads are infected with Big Media-enforced DRM to such a degree that they can’t even play on older, non-HDCP (high definition copy protection) compatible devices. What does this mean? Even if you forked over $2K for a ginormous Apple 30″ Cinema Display, that “cinema” part of the branding will be just plain useless to you except for the very helpful popup you’ll get reading: This movie cannot be played because a display that is not authorized to play protected movies is connected."

Just for the record, I'm still annoyed by this. One of the first columns I wrote for this site smashed Steve Jobs for his hypocrisy in regards to how he handles DRM on video versus DRM on music. I think little by little there's more backing for my opinion than there even was when I wrote it. Jobs has no problem telling the music industry they need to abandon DRM, but when the time comes for Hollywood to do the same, he blindly accepts their demands to the point where he allows them to tell you that on your authorized computer, you can't play a movie you bought legitimately if you don't have a certain kind of connection to your monitor.

No amount of arguing will ever convince me that this is anything else but a blatant double standard loaded with hypocrisy.


Monday, March 16, 2009

Apple Uses "DRM" In Headphones For New Shuffle

Posted by Vincent Ferrari in "Apple iPods" @ 10:00 AM

http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/15/...apple-licensed/

"Sigh, it looks like Apple's habit of squeezing iPod accessory manufacturers for license fees has now extended to freaking headphones -- iLounge is reporting that the new iPod shuffle can only be controlled by headphones with a special hardware authentication chip. That means that third parties will have to pay Apple for the privilege of making shuffle-compatible accessories, and you can bet they'll just pass that cost right on to consumers -- we wouldn't expect any cheap headphone adapters or inexpensive replacement headphones for this thing."

I'm so tired of the idiots making this uproar. Really. There's no requirement to buy a new Shuffle. If your old one works, fine. Enjoy it. If it doesn't, but an old one if you simply must use your $4,000 custom moulded headphones on a $79 music player. As usual, the "everything must be free" people forget to examine the obvious: these aren't regular headphones. They're the remote control for the player unit that sits in your pocket. They do more than just put the music into that cavernous void you call a skull; they actually are the controls for the device, so of course they aren't going to be standard buds, and of course Apple is going to put a chip in there to do its thing.

Has Apple "locked out" third parties? Nope. The same ones who proudly stamped that "Made for iPod" logo on their stuff can still make Shuffle headphones or adapters if they so choose. If you weren't in that program and just producing plain vanilla headphones, then your buds ain't gonna work here. Sorry.

Am I happy that Apple took the controls off the Shuffle itself? Not terribly, but the frothing seething outrage over this stupid little chip and the association of it with the most famous boogeyman of the modern era, DRM, is laughable to say the least. Get over it people and tell the guy next to you with a gun at your temple that you're an independent enough thinker to not buy a device you don't like.

End rant.


Friday, January 30, 2009

iTunes Plus Available for Individual Tracks

Posted by Jeff Campbell in "Apple News" @ 02:00 PM

http://www.macworld.com/article/138...usalacarte.html

"If you've been skipping the daily double-wet-cappuccino in order to save enough money to upgrade your iTunes library to the DRM-free iTunes Plus format, you can put coffee back on the menu. Apple has dispensed with the iTunes Store all-or-nothing upgrade policy."

A welcome change to say the least. You can still "buy all" or just go down the list and purchase upgrades individually. I wasn't about to upgrade the Hannah Montana song (my 14 year old daughter bought it, honest!) but I definitely wanted to upgrade some others.


Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Rumor: iTunes Store Going DRM-Free Today

Posted by Vincent Ferrari in "Apple iPods" @ 08:00 AM

http://www.appleinsider.com/article...ng_tuesday.html

"Apple is believed to be on the verge of an end-of-year push that would start by finally offering unprotected iTunes Store music from all major labels and would switch a special post-holiday campaign giving away music and videos to Europeans. A report from last week brought to AppleInsider's attention by French technology site ElectronLibre asserts that it's now "clear" Apple will spark new interest in its music store by removing DRM from tracks published by Sony, Universal and Warner on December 9th. The site doesn't point to specific sources but is careful to note that Apple is moving cautiously on the matter following difficult negotiations that allegedly had the labels hoping to negotiate what EMI had done for the launch of iTunes Plus in 2007, when it successfully negotiated prices higher before ultimately agreeing to reduce the price to Apple's standard 99 cents. Labels had also been hoping to switch from a monthly reporting of iTunes sales stats to live data, the earlier story suggests."

I'm not believing this one at all, but it won't take long for us to find out if it's true or not; after all, it's supposed to happen today! It would be huge if it did, but I'm not holding my breath. Anyone else want to weigh in?

Tags: apple, itunes, drm

Monday, December 1, 2008

Apple Chastises Music Industry, Jumps in Bed With Hollywood

Posted by Vincent Ferrari in "Apple Laptops" @ 12:00 PM

Image credit: HDTV Info Europe

One of the most popular and controversial things ever written by Steve Jobs was his "Thoughts on Music" letter shown to everyone and directed at the music industry. In it he laid out his vision for a DRM-free music marketplace and its implications for the industry and for consumers. Many took this as a signal that Jobs was about to move iTunes into a DRM free monster, but the record industry hasn't cooperated as planned, and despite the bravado of Jobs, he has continued to allow their music to stay in the store whether it's DRM free or and now we're finding out that Apple has gotten even further into bed with the entertainment industry, but instead of the music industry, it's Hollywood. Read more...

Tags: apple, drm, hollywood

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